Rey is a Jakku scavenger, a survivor toughened by life on a harsh desert planet. When the fugitive droid BB-8 appeals to her for help, Rey finds herself drawn into a galaxy-spanning conflict. Despite dismissing herself as “no one,” she learns that her life is being shaped by the mysterious power of the Force. She seeks out Luke Skywalker, the lost Jedi Master, in hopes that he will aid the Resistance against the First Order and help her learn to control her powers.

The junkboss Unkar Plutt enforces his control of Jakku’s salvage economy by paying dim-witted henchmen to watch for scavengers conducting unauthorized barter or otherwise challenging the Blobfish’s authority. Unkar’s thugs keep their faces hidden to conceal their identities, but Niima Outpost is a small place whose residents know the bullies by their voices, carriage and body language. The scavengers find the attempts at secrecy amusing -- unless they’re on the receiving end of one of Unkar’s punishments.

A harsh desert world, Jakku is a lawless place that’s home to thieves, outlaws and refugees. During the final years of the Galactic Civil War, Jakku was the site of a secret Imperial research base and served as a jumping-off point for warships heading into the Unknown Regions. The Empire made a last stand above the frontier planet, leading to a pitched battle between rebel and Imperial fleets. Jakku’s sandy wastes are littered with old wrecks, picked over by desperate scavengers searching for parts that can be salvaged and sold.

Despite her humble origins and shabby exterior, the Millennium Falcon has played a role in some of the greatest victories of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic. The Falcon looks like a worn-out junker, but beneath her hull she’s full of surprises. A succession of owners, from Lando Calrissian and Han Solo to Gannis Ducain, have made special modifications that boosted the freighter’s speed, shielding and firepower to impressive – and downright illegal – levels. The price of such tinkering? The Falcon can be unpredictable, with her hyperdrive particularly balky. Despite her flaws, she’s beloved by her owners – Han Solo and Chewbacca have spent years searching the galaxy for the ship they once called home.

Jakku’s most significant settlement, Niima Outpost is little more than a bazaar, some hard-packed dirt that passes for a spaceport, and the compound of junk boss Unkar Plutt. The little settlement – named for its late founder, Niima the Hutt – is dominated by Unkar and his thugs, who control the market for salvage found by scavengers in the nearby Graveyard of Ships.

The ancient edifice known as Maz’s castle sits on the shore of a lake on Takodana, a site rumored to have been a battleground for the Jedi and Sith. The castle is simultaneously aged and state of the art, with sensor grids and advanced communications gear sprouting from worn stone battlements. Inside Maz’s castle, pirates, smugglers, spies and all manner of scoundrels mix and mingle, searching for loans, information, equipment, repairs -- or kicking back to enjoy music, food and drink or games of chance. All must obey their host’s prohibitions against politics or war.