𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 || 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏 | 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐲𝐚

Alderaan, located in the Core Worlds, was a terrestrial planet covered with mountains, trees and other gorgeous sights. During the waning  of the Galactic Republic, it was ruled by Queen Breha Organa and represented in the Galactic Senate by her husband, Senator Bail Organa. This planet was home to many civilians, one of these being a young human girl by the name of Catelle Vereya.

Young Catelle didn't live a particularly extraordinary life, it was always simply her and her parents in there small lakeside cottage over looking the beautiful landscape that surrounded their planet. Every morning felt the same, like she was repeating the same cycle again and again- not that she was complaining. Wake up, eat, read, paint (possibly, if she had the energy), tend to her garden, eat some more and then sleep. And that was it, for as long as she could remember.

One Primeday morning however, things changed for better or for worse. As usual, Catelle woke up to her small room in the attic of the house. It was nothing special but it was nicely decorated with works of art and plants. By works of art of course I mean for the standard of an 7 year old. The young girl's hair was frizzed from the humidity of the previous summer night and appeared to be a tangled mess as she strode over to her mirror to look at her appearance, both not particularly caring but also wanting to look presentable. Sigh. It was more of a mess than she initially thought. With a sudden rush of speed the girl snatched a hairbrush from the top of her drawers and began to untangle the mess on her head. Her fringe gently fell just below her brow line as she 'neatly' put her hair in milkmaid plaits- intertwining little flowers in as decoration. Catelle looked at herself in the mirror and smiled slightly, she was always proud of herself when she somehow miraculously was able to style her own hair because believe her it didn't happen often.

Feeling confident in her hair success, Vereya skipped merrily over to her wardrobe, opening it and picking out a rather lovely light blue dress that her father had made for her. She managed to find some shoes, white ballet flats to be precise, and gently put them on with caution as they were relatively new. The young girl then skipped back over to the mirror and looked at herself one final time, she felt like a princess (which she only wished she was at the time).

The bustle of downstairs could even be heard from Catelle's bedroom all the way in the top of the house. The young girl sensed that this could only mean one of two things. One: there's some sort of surprise waiting, or two: they're arguing. The child shook the second idea out of her head believing it to be ludicrous and settled for her initial thought. She crept her way downstairs in an attempt to eavesdrop into her parents conversation. To say she wasn't the quietest child growing up would be an understatement. Prim and proper behaviour simply wasn't her forte. She crouched down behind the banister of the stairs so she was in a close enough proximity to be neither seen nor heard.

"You're hallucinating, my dear. No such thing happened."

"It did, Kol, it did. I walked into her room to tuck her in and everything surrounding her seemed to be floating."

"Floating? Now Rhielle you know that-"

"I know what I saw, Kol. Our daughter...she's-"

Catelle looked at her shaking hands as she heard her parents speaking about her. 'Floating? How can I make things float?,' the youngling began to question in her mind as she held her hands out in an attempt to achieve what her mother believed she saw. Her eyes caught one of her toys that she had thrown down the stairs a previous day and she concentrated her focus on that. Softly, she began repeating what she wanted the toy to do.

"Float," she commanded quietly, "Float."

About a minute passed before the toy began to shake on the floor before ascending off the ground, perhaps a few inches or so. The young girl looked in bewilderment at what she had managed to accomplish as her parents turned around from their position and looked at the same toy that their little girl was so focused on, but instead of amazement...fear filled their eyes. Catelle noticed the change of emotion in her family and instantly dropped the toy that she was levitating, looking at them directly in the eye.

"Momma, Papa? Did you see? Did you?"

No response.

Her head tilted slightly as she got up and walked over to them cautiously, looking up at them from her small height.

"Momma...? Papa...? It's cool...isn't it?"

The girl stood facing her parents in confusion and they simply looked back at her not quite knowing to say.

"My darling baby girl," her father spoke first, "It was amazing, truly wonderful-"

"-but?" Young Catelle interrupted, she had a panging feeling in her chest.

"But...we can't explain it for you and we- I understand that you want answers that neither I nor your father can give to you, my little comet." Her mother spoke with a soft sadness that resonated around the room.

"I understand, Momma. I'm sorry." The little girl hung her head and looked down at her feet, awkwardly writing her blue dress around her hands.

"Oh no, darling. You didn't do anything wrong. We should be apologising to you. There are very few people on Aldera who might understand what is happening." Kol attempted to reassure his daughter by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Except...there are two people that come to mind that could have some idea on how to help us deal with...this." Rhielle looked in deep thought for a moment or two, looking at her husband to check if they were on the same page.

"How would we even request an audience with them?" The man looked at his wife, as if he had read her mind. "They're eternally busy."

"We don't," the mother simply replied, "We take Cat to the palace and we speak to the guards about our dilemma, surely they'll take pity on our situation."

"The palace?" Catelle questioned. "But Momma I'm fine. Papa, tell Momma I'm fine." The youngling looked up at her father for at the very least a glimmer of hope from him. However, when no such thing came the girl simply hung her head.

"The palace then." Kol agreed in tune with his wife. As the married couple began to gather a few items for their little trip to the palace (coats for all of them, scarfs and hats) Catelle paced the floor in worry and anticipation.

What was this gift that had been unearthed? And more importantly, is it a gift or something that could change the course of Catelle's life forever?