Naka Iit
Poe’s shoulders dropped with disappointment as he realized the plumes of smoke rising into the air belonged to a scavenger’s campfire, not the wreckage of the ship he told Hermione he had thought it was. But it wasn’t the loss of the ship that disappointed him; a man he called Finn had been in it with him. And they could find no sign of him. Nor could they find any sign of BB-8, who Poe said was his droid, which was something straight from one of her muggle sci-fi novels. And according to Poe, it was really important for him to find this droid.
The scavenger at the campfire was not human. That was something Hermione knew for certain. He resembled a reptile, with a short and wide snout and scales that covered his skin. His gold-hued eyes, which held slitted pupils, narrowed with a mixture of suspicion and amusement as he listened to Poe’s tale.
He introduced himself as Naka Iit. Despite thinking Poe was either a liar or madman, he offered the two of them a ride to a place called Blowback Town. Apparently, there was a sympathetic merchant there named Ohn Gos who may be willing to help them.
As the trio climbed aboard Naka's battered speeder, Hermione found herself practically sitting in Poe’s lap, her cheeks flushed a shade of red that could rival any Weasley’s hair.
Poe, ever the charming pilot, flashed her a cheeky smile. “Cozy, isn’t it?” he quipped.
Hermione felt herself flush even more, but she cleared her throat and directed her gaze forward. A few moments later, Hermione's eyes were drawn to the horizon, where a growing cloud of dust was visible. The ominous roar of engines grew louder, and her heart pounded in her chest.
"What's that?" she inquired with a hint of alarm, grip tightening on her wand.
Naka leaned out and followed her gaze. His eyes widened, and he let out a loud hiss before pushing down on the speeder’s accelerator. “Strus clan,” he answered her. “They steal from others because they cannot scavenge themselves.”
As the Strus Clan speeders closed in, blaster fire zipped past them. Poe’s voice remained calm and steady. “They’re not very good shots,” he observed.
Naka hissed at him. “They shoot to disable us, not destroy. If they destroy us, they get nothing but garbage.”
Hermione glanced behind them again. “They’re catching up to us,” she said, weighing her options with magic.
“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Poe inquired, his voice edged with frustration.
“I am a salvager, not a podracer!” Naka retorted. “This is built for hauling, not speed!”
Poe’s face was set in determination. “Then let me drive,” he said, leaning over and reaching for the controls.
Naka batted his hands away. “Are you insane? No, wait - you definitely are. Why would I let you take control?”
“Because I am the best pilot you ever met.”
Naka relented. Poe’s hands moved expertly over the controls. He took a sharp turn and slowed down.
“I could have done that myself.”
“Make them think that we’re going to surrender.”
“Isn’t that what we are doing?” Naka sighed with resignation and began making gestures at the speeders behind them.
Poe continued to slow down. When the Strus Clan drew near, he suddenly gunned the engine and pulled the nose of the speeder upward. The sudden motion kicked up a storm of sand and debris, blinding the pursuers. Their speeders made sharp grinding noises, an indication that they were disabled at least temporarily.
Hermione sighed with relief. She didn’t have to use her magic.
“Saved by a madman!” Naka exclaimed. “Are you really with the Resistance?”
“Yes,” Poe replied with a smirk.
“Then you really are crazy. I owe you, my madman friend. I will intercede with Ohn Gos.” Naka Iit smiled with all his teeth, which were more than a human has.
True to his word, Naka interceded on their behalf. Ohn Gos, a stern man with a soft spot for those in need, helped them learn that BB-8 had escaped Jakku with two people, one of whom matched the description of Finn. He arranged their transportation aboard a spaceship bound to meet the Resistance.
The vast expanse of space stretched out before them through the viewport, and the twinkling stars and distant galaxies gave her a reminder of how exactly far she was from home. Not to mention she knew next to nothing about where she was or where she was headed. To remedy this, Hermione inquired about the Resistance he kept mentioning and the world they lived in.
Poe obliged her, giving her what was essentially a crash course on the galaxy’s history. His words imbued with passion and determination, he spoke of their fight against the tyranny of the First Order, their struggle to protect innocent lives, and the sacrifices they had made.
As Hermione listened, she couldn’t help but draw parallels with her own past fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters – the fear, the intimidation, the relentless quest for absolute power, and the use of any means to achieve that power, including torture and murder. She felt herself tearing up as she thought of her friends and the many sacrifices that were made to end the war.
This universe was far removed from the world of Hogwarts and magic she knew. So far removed. But the struggle against oppression was familiar. She felt a strange sense of kinship with these people that she didn’t even know, especially Poe, who, like her, was tortured for information. She didn’t know how or if she’d ever get back home, but for now, she was determined to help Poe and the Resistance in any way she could.