The Legend of the Jedi Queen

3. Racing the Belt

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.