Throughout the lobbies and lounges Nellith wandered into, she kept seeing advertisements for the racing area. After about half an hour of exploration, Nellith could no longer keep her curiosity at bay.
With only a little help from the serving droids, Nellith found the racing area. This hangar was smaller than the main one, and had a couple different types of speeders. Some were two-seaters, some single, and the most popular being four-seated ones.
As Nellith walked in, she saw complete strangers get in a four-seat together, laughing their heads off. On one wall, there was a large window where anyone could watch the races going on. On the wall opposite that, a leaderboard dominated the space, showing daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and all-time champions of the races.
The activity was simple, from what Nellith observed. The speeders were playing for a test of longevity out in the asteroid fields, how long they could go before a piece hit their shields. They were protected by said shields, but the moment something hit them, they were immediately returned to the hangar.
Part of the fun of the game was that there was a blaster feature that worked on smaller pieces of debris. Those who were strategic gunners and good fliers lasted the longest. Most people averaged around six minutes, according to leaderboard. The best of all time had lasted twenty-seven minutes.
After all her observations, Nellith was excited to give it a try. She got in line for speeders designed to have robot companions in them, and listened as the other customers chattered about it.
Yet, in all the excitement, Nellith felt a small pang of loneliness. All of these other people were connected to each other, she could see it in the Force. Yet she was connected to only four beings in the entire galaxy— Rey, Chewbacca, Artoo, and her father.
Although she had friends on Aquilae, they were friends at arm's length. Her status as the daughter of the Grandmaster, as the heir to the Skywalker burden, and as the wielder of strong Force powers had isolated her, to a degree. Any connection they did have was most likely shattered by her breakdown.
No doubt Kiernan's already told them I'm just a danger to everyone, Nellith thought bitterly. Wouldn't be the first time.
Rey did scold him, the few times he did it in front of her, but Rey wasn't always around. She trusted Kiernan, and Nellith wanted to believe he was a good person. But to him, she was always a monster, waiting for the right moment to go dark and snap.
Would my father believe that, if he knew about my powers? Nellith wondered. Mum said he used to have fits like that, that were worse. But she could've just been saying that. . .
"Durron?" A droid's inquisitive tone yanked Nellith out of the swirling storm of thoughts she had been occupied in. She blinked, for a moment wondering why the name was familiar, before remembering the alibi.
"A speeder is ready," the droid said.
"Thanks," Nellith said. She helped Artoo into his spot, then got in the cockpit of the speeder. She pushed in the throttle and shot out into the actual asteroid belt that the Belt was named for.
What happened next was pure exhilaration.
For one thrilling eternity filled to the brim with the Living Force, Nellith was playing with the controls, dodging asteroids and blowing them up when possible. She simply enjoyed the feel of flying, and the power of just being in the sky.
Never being able to fly herself before, the feeling of being in the speeder was one of pure freedom.
It was a complete and utter shock when a piece of asteroid finally hit. The controls were surrendered to autopilot, and Nellith sighed, waiting to be pulled in. When she came out, she saw a long line waiting for speeders, and got Artoo out and left. She didn't even care about how well she had done, or her time. In her haste, in the panic caused by leaving the flying state of mind, she had forgotten all about both.
She and Artoo hurried back to their room, where the luggage had been brought. Nellith waited there, playing holo games until Rey and Chewbacca arrived. When they did, they both wanted to clean up, so Artoo and Nellith ended up waiting a long time.
Once Rey came out, the two of them debated which restaurant they'd go to, before deciding on one that didn't serve cuisine they already knew about. The Belt was about trying brand new experiences.
At least, that's what Rey and Nellith wanted to make of it.
Lying in her bed that night, Nellith felt the full effects of the meal. The heartburn had worn off two hours prior, but she still felt pains in her stomach. Rey was taking it much more admirably, as she had the ability to eat practically anything as a remnant of her days on Jakku.
Nellith, however, had been raised in relative comfort, so this sort of stomach pain was mostly foreign to her.
As she lay awake, praying for the end of it all, she saw a shadow shift in the corner of her eye. She sat up too quickly, and groaned, clutching her stomach. Then she saw it— the glimmer of a lightsaber hilt.
"MUM!" Nellith screamed, and she tumbled backwards, off of the bed, just as a red blade ignited in a swipe that would have cost her her head. Nellith scrambled to her feet, keeping a hand on her stomach as she pounded the door keypad, until it finally swung open. The pursuer, in a deep charcoal gray bodysuit with a hood built in, moved like a tooka cat, predatory and graceful.
Nellith only had to reach out in her mind to know that her attacker was a Force-wielder, and male. The male swiped at her again, and she ducked, before running backwards, only to slam into Rey's door.
"Kriff, I'm coming!" Rey shouted. Nellith realized that Rey thought it was something to do with her stomachache, and not a cry for her life.
Just barely, she rolled out of the way, just in time to miss the red blade piercing through the door by an inch.
"OH MY GODS!" Rey screamed, and Nellith heard her mother's lightsaber ignite. She darted out of the way just in time for the door to open and the male to lose his hand. Before either Rey or Nellith could make the next attack, a bowcaster bolt fired from the other end of the room, knocking the man against the wall.
"Thanks, Chewie," Nellith said.
"We need to go," Rey said. "Now. Get some boots on and pack up your things. We need to leave."
Nellith nodded and ran back to her room, and quickly threw on socks and boots, and zipped up her suitcase, before grabbing it and her backpack. Rey was packed in a whirlwind of maternal fury, cleaning up all the items they had spread around the apartment in their lazy late night fun. Artoo shrieked swear words in the droid language.
"Language!" Rey shouted at the droid as she finished up. She handed a blaster to Nellith. "This might end badly. Until we can get you a lightsaber, I want you carrying this around— understood?"
Nellith nodded, and memorized where the safety was, so she could take it off later. Once she and Rey and Chewbacca were certain they had collected all of their items, they ran out and into the main lobby. The resort was still pulsing with nightlife and crowds of people.
As they rushed by, Nellith thought she heard something about a new all-time champion in the racing belt. She pushed it out of her mind, as she stretched out her senses, wondering if she could sense any more attackers.
They entered the hangar, which was mostly empty, except for service droids and a few other individuals. Nellith was almost to the Falcon when she sensed a malicious presence, and whirled around.
"What are you—" Rey broke off, feeling it too. A human female in a rugged travel outfit appeared from ducking under the next ship, holding a cylinder in her hand. She reached her arm over her opposite shoulder, and then stepped one foot forward at Rey, who just barely ducked under the blade, and ignited her saberstaff.
With one effortless twirl, the saberstaff locked into the single red blade of the incognito female, and Rey stomped on the foot of the woman and pulled out her saberstaff, and with one flip, the other end slashed through the woman's chest.
"What are you waiting for?" Rey demanded, when she turned to see Artoo, Nellith, and Chewbacca standing there. "Let's go!"
Nellith and Artoo loaded their luggage back onto the Falcon as Rey and Chewbacca prepped for takeoff. Nellith buckled herself in and hugged the stuffed tauntaun Jacen, terrified.
Were there more? Where did they come from? Who were they?
The questions plagued her mind for only a few seconds, until Rey and Chewbacca raced onboard. The Falcon shot into the stars, and into hyperspace the second they left the hangar. Rey slumped against her chair, relieved.
But that only lasted for a moment.