***** This is a Star Wars fic of mine that I've had brewing in the back of my mind for quite a while. It takes place, for avid Star Wars fans such as myself, sometime during the New Republic. Sha'lee is a rich noble who will soon display force potential—but is that all? *****
Sha'lee twisted desperately to catch a better view of the procession, her usually solemn face lit up with a childlike glee. Black eyes shone with excitement as she clutched the bark of the tree she was precariously perched in. The rough bark bit peevishly into her semi-calloused palms, but she barely noticed.
The excited murmuring of voices blurred together masking the noise created by any birds and mimf that haven't fled the mass of beings. People stood in groups according to their social status surrounding the shimmery, incandescent strip of cloth running through the center of the grassturff like a muli-colored stream. A cloudless sky beamed down on the meadow and its unusual inhabitants.
A sigh of envy escaped Sha'lee's lips as her gaze fell upon the "eligible" women from the nearest town. She could think of several other words to describe the girls her own age, but she still wished she were as beautiful and confident as they were—if not as snobbish. The group of girls was garbed in their brightest festival colors, and was presently pretending to get along.
Technically, Sha'lee should be standing among them, but there were only and thousand-and-one reasons preventing her from doing so. First on the list was she was shy, which didn't help considering the fact "all" teens were part of tightly knit cliques. The other reasons weren't quite as innocent.
Enough, she snarled to herself, for the first time noticing how uncomfortable her position was. You're here to enjoy yourself, not beat yourself up with the reality of your life. In fact—
Before she could finish that thought, she was cut off by a trumpet fanfare. Anxiety and depression vanished and were instantly replaced by excitement and anticipation. An elegant march emanated from several speakers hidden up and down the length of the carpet. A thunderous cheer erupted from the gathered crowd.
In the distance, Sha'lee could just make out the first rank of parade soldiers, crimson banners fluttering in the breeze. No doubt Prince Thelan would be sandwiched in the center of the procession, surrounded by bodyguards armed to the teeth. Only the presence of the famous jedi could possibly arouse more excitement in the crowd.
By the time the parade reached Sha'lee's spot, she was bristling with impatience. Now that the source of the excitement had arrived, time flew by mockingly too fast. Dancers moved sinuously to the music floating through the air, jugglers performed sleight-of-hand, and large flat-screens showed clips of the palace. Everything whirled past in a nearly frantic dance.
At last, the climax of the procession. The noise of the crowd hushed somewhat as the glinting silver hover car the prince rode in cam into view. The crowd murmured with awe—Shal'ee bristled like a pitten, hair standing on end.
Something dark lurked under the prince's charming blue eyes, his benevolent smile. His slightly wavy blond hair framed a gorgeously shaped face. A cold red jewel glistened from the center of the gold coronet he wore.
Can't they see it?! Sha'leethought with alarm, her gaze flickering over the rest of the crowd. They were completely fooled by this—façade—of harmless innocence.
As if he had heard her last thought, Prince Thelan's gaze rose from the crowd to where Sha'lee was precariously perched. She froze, clutching the tree so tightly her knuckles ached. Her heart raced and suddenly she knew what it felt like to be they prey quivering helplessly under the hawkbat's talons.
A slight smile curled his lips as he deliberately—and slowly—returned his gaze towards the beguiled crowd. If felt as if a cloud had hidden the sun and refused to budge even after he had broken eye contact with Sha'lee. Sha'lee continued to hold her breath.
Crashing sounds from nearly beneath her tore Sha'lee out of her reverie. This time a different sort of panic flooded through her body as she swore mentally. They'd found her!
Sha'lee huddled in a groove created by the trunk and large branch she sat on and willed herself to be invisible. Some had called this remarkable ability a camouflage, like a million, and others a spell. The latter always led to the conclusion that—
A loud cough reached Sha'lee's hiding spot; her stomach sank. Her body relaxed as she resigned herself to face the group of boys waiting impatiently at the base of the tree. Slowly she rested the tips of her cool fingers over her temples, praying for patience.
"What?" she asked, leaning back with her eyes shut as if she were soaking in the rays of the warm golden sun.
"Hey witch!" yelled Guppy, a chubby, nasty tempered boy. "What are you up to now?"
Sha'lee toyed with the notion of feeding them some elaborate story, but knew it would not only be not appreciated, it would be used against her. Anything I say or do will be used against me, she thought bitterly.
"I'd say fifteen or twenty feet," she shouted nonchalantly back down. Let them think that over.
"She always was a lack wit," drawled a voice from just out of Sha'lee's line-of-sight. Damn, she thought with a heartfelt sigh. Just what I need.
With an effort, Sha'lee held her tongue. They wouldn't do anything, even with their leader Thak in charge. They have to know better, she pleaded, although with whom she had no idea. The only word that sprang to her mind was trapped.
The branches of the tree began to quiver, but there was no wind. Tension crackled though the air begging Sha'lee to be released. Instinctively, she reached for the snapping energy, but something held her back. As always, the sense of impending evil caused her to shy away.
Branches continued to rustle, but the gathered group of boys was oblivious to both the physical change to the atmosphere and Sha'lee's mental battle. Sha'lee didn't actually hear their taunting calls. One of the guys, Rex, got the bright idea to climb the tree, probably with the hope of knocking Sha'lee out.
Everything snapped into place. There must have been an audible noise, not just what Sha'lee felt in her soul, because the hisses of laughter were abruptly cut off. Even Rex's progress up the tree halted in midmotion. Dimly Sha'lee realized she was still able to hear the crowd in the distance.
Sha'lee blinked her eyes with shock. The fear, the evil was gone. Instead, it was replaced by an ancient sense of calm and peace. For perhaps the first time in her life, Sha'lee was—at ease. The presence comforted her, covered her with a soft, warm blanket of peace.
Closing her eyes, Sha'lee took a deep, steadying breath. Bracing herself for what was to come, she opened her eyes and looked directly at the gathered group below her. Some actually seemed to be taken aback by the sudden change in Sha'lee. They backed uneasily away as if they had just come face-to-face with an angry jaguar. Sha'lee had the strange impression of the hunter becoming the hunted.
"What do you want?" Sha'lee asked calmly, mentally projecting Strength and Confidence.
That got Thak's attention. His eyes narrowed as he contemplated the unexpected turn of events. Sha'lee thought she caught the same—if somewhat—diluted sense she had received from Prince Thelan. Well, Thak always claimed he was related to the prince, she told herself with a wry sigh. From the outlook of present events, things would never be simple again.
Thak's grayish-green eyes glittered dangerously in response to her simple question. "Only what you owe me."
"I owe you nothing," Sha'lee responded firmly. "What you owe me is the respect to back off and leave me in peace."
Thak blinked with shock and amazement. After a moment the blankness of shock wore off and was replaced by a blind fury. His eyes never left Sha'lee's as he slowly began to issue orders to—surround her and prepare to attack if necessary. Sha'lee vaguely remembered feeling terrified, but the calming energy held her secure. Now was the time for action.
A large boulder ripped itself from the ground and flew directly towards Thak. Just before the projectile would have hit him, it veered off course to circle wildly around the group of shocked boys. Another boulder tore from the ground, scarcely missing Rex, causing him to fall off the tree with a yell, arms wind milling desperately.
"Will you leave me in peace now?" Sha'lee asked, Power echoing in her voice.
Thak gulped, vainly trying to maintain his haughty, in-control façade. He stood in the eye of the storm trying to puzzle out what he could do—if anything. "What will you do if we agree to leave?" he asked, voice quivering.
Sha'lee shrugged and simply responded, "then I will return the favor."
The first boulder crashed to the ground and was soon followed by the rest; Guppy let out an involuntary yelp as the others gaped at the boulders, failing to comprehend what had just occurred. A palpable silence descended over the area; all eyes fell on Thak. Thak swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing with the motion. Even scared witless he still looks handsome, Sha'lee observed dispassionately.
For a moment, it appeared that Thak was going to go back on his decision to leave. A wary blue eye fell on one of the boulders Sha'lee had torn from the ground; he almost reluctantly met Sha'lee's gaze. "We'll leave," he ordered the others, his gaze never leaving Sha'lee's.
"Wise choice," Sha'lee replied calmly. Without as much as a batt of an eye, she watched the dumbfounded group troop out of the clearing, still wondering what had happened. As soon as they left, all sense of peace and calm abandoned Sha'lee. For what seemed like hours, all she could do was cling to the tree while her body trembled uncontrollably. She couldn't remember when she finally found the strength to climb out of the tree without falling flat on her face, but she somehow arrived home safe and sound.