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Rain, again. For the third day in a row. The constant drumming of rain and crash of lightning was almost soothing despite the atmosphere in the tavern. Life here at D'ram's Inn and Tavern was almost unbearable when it stormed. The roof was sturdy, but the wind whipped around the sides of the building like it a child throwing away a toy it had lost interest in. All Master Kent did was order more work for Timothy and I. Even though there weren't that many people here in this weather.
"Man I hate this," I said as I reached for the bucket of soapy water. "I'd rather be serving drinks to those drunkards than having to clean filth," I said, grimacing.
Timothy looked up. He had one of those Tom Cruise smiles. He was about six feet tall and had black hair. He was well built and the nicest person I have ever known. He's the only one in that town that was ever nice to me. My mother even despises me, because she says I remind her too much of my father. Timothy reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of delicate silver and amythest earrings. "Here," he said, "for your birthday. Happy seventeenth."
"Oh! How... What... Where did you get these?" I asked in suprise.
"I saved my coppers. I knew you wanted to pierce your ears a third time, so they are for you."
"That's so nice!" I exclaimed and threw my arms around him. "You are so nice to me, no one else would have remembered..." I trailed off.
Timothy saw the pain in my eyes. He knew the story, my once well-respected "mother" had become nothing more than a tavern wench after her unwanted pregnancy... me. She had once been in love with the King of Chad, and when Havri, my mother, had become pregnant with his child, her life as she knew it ceased to exist. His shame for his scandalous love affair made him hate my mother and banish her to Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler's moon, a planet far from Chad. She got a job at a tavern here and soon after, I was born.
She had hoped that I would favor her more than my father so the pains of her mistakes would be less, but, because I have my father's brown hair and hazel eyes, I am despised by her. So my life is miserable.
I have no mother. I have a tavern wench who birthed me and hated me the very minute after. All I have is Timothy and my fire lizard, Peter, a blind bronze that I found when I was eleven. "Thank you for the earrings." I said softly. He hugged me again.
Not a moment later after Timothy hugged me, lightning crashed close to the tavern, and we heard a holler and a crash. This time, the crash came from inside the kitchen. Peter, my little fire lizard, came flying in like a bat out of hell, followed by pots, bowls, and knives. "What the..." I trailed off, interested. Peter crash-dived into me, grasping my shirt, a disheveled look on his face, and he crawled in my shirt and curled up behind my neck, under my hair. No sooner did he dissappear in my long brown locks than Master Kent's kitchen wench, Xaia, appeared in the doorway, a knife in one hand and a pan in the other.
She angrily yelled, "Where's that damned creature, Rune?!?!"
No sooner did the words come out of her mouth than a booming voice sounded. "Don't ye dare speak that way in my tavern, tis not the girl's fault. Go back to your work, wench!!" Master Kent yelled.
Xaia cowered at the command and said, "Yes sir." She stalked to where I crouched on the floor beside Timothy and our bucket of goop. A bewildered look was on her face, and she said, "I don't ever want that stupid beast in my kitchen again, you dumb girl. Get back to your work." She scowled, turned and walked back to the kitchen.
I looked at Timothy and then to my sholder. Peter had poked a head and neck around to see if she had gone. I stared into his icy blue, blind eyes and asked, "What happened?"
He mentally answered, I was sitting on my shelf and smelled her chicken scraps, so I went down to grab me a scrap to munch, and she just started to yell and throw things at me. He paused, You aren't angry with me, are you, Rune? I didn't mean to cause you trouble.
"You know I love you and could never be angry with you," I said and kissed his little bronze snout. "You can stay, or you can go off to play - it doesn't matter."
"I'll stay here with you, Rune," he said and curled up in my flowing pool of skirts around me.
Timothy smiled again and went back to his work. "Later, I'll help you pierce your ears, and we can go for a swim."
"Alright. That sounds nice," I said and went back to scrubbing.
Timothy and I had just gotten out of the water after our swim and were drying when we heard giggling from the bushes to our left. "Listen," I said. Just then, two girls stepped out from the bushes. "O great good Jedi. What do you two pompous pigs want?" I sneared.
It was Kathryn and Giselle. Kathryn was fat and had short blonde hair. Her parents were trying to get her into a wealthy family so they could be greedier. Giselle was a skinny dark-haired girl whose parents owned many merchant ships in the galaxy. Both girls were loud, rude, and disgusting.
Kathryn stepped forward, grimaced, and said, "Oh Rune, you are so plain." She flashed some gaudy rings and bracelets on her stubby arms. "You and your stupid music." She looked over where I had put my guitar case and kicked rocks at it.
That really set me off. But, Timothy, sensing I was going to hurt someone and probably get the Hutts involved, grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I knew the Force existed, and I had a feeling I had a bit in me; I mean, I could practically read Timothy's mind, and he mine.
"Come on honey, why don't you be my man? You ain't rich, but you're cute," Giselle sneared. "Plus, Rune ain't half as pretty as I am."
"No, you both are wrong. Why don't you leave before you get your feelings hurt?" Timothy said and pushed forward as if to guard me from his mocking words. "Come on Rune, let's get our stuff and go somewhere else."
"Gladly," I replied.
Then Kathryn spat, "Yeah, run along you little whore. You'll be just like your mother. Nothing but a...." She stopped.
Just then, this brilliant swirl of color and light exploded in a shockwave away from my body. Kathryn and Giselle dropped their jaws, and their eyes grew as big as fists. "Leave us alone or else," a voice rang out. It sounded like mine, but I didn't think I had it in me to talk back to those two.
Giselle and Kathryn ran off screaming, "A witch! A witch!! A WITCH!!!! AHHH!"
The light faded, and so did my strength. I collapsed on the ground. The last thing I remember about that event is Timothy yelling my name and catching me before I fell into the water.
I awoke several hours later. The stars were out, and it was foggy lying there by a tree at the lake. Timothy had stayed with me so I would be okay. I had mud on my skirts and blouse.
"What was that back there, Rune?" he asked.
"I really don't know. But I've had suspicions about the Force and stuff like that. I mean, have you ever noticed that we can almost always sense each other's emotions and when something bad is fixing to happen. Isn't that Jedi stuff?" I said.
"I guess so. So, what are you going to do about it? You know rumors are going to pop up about that weird encounter from earlier," he said with a worried look on his face.
"I don't know," I replied with a long face. "If there was anything I don't want, it's to grow up and be like my mother. I mean sure, my dad is the King of Chad, but I can't just waltz up there and say, 'Hey, dadd-o remember me? I'm the kid of the woman you threw out seventeen years ago. So, when do I get to have the title of Princess?' "
Timothy laughed and flashed his great smile again and said, "I don't know. But it'd be cool to see the look on his face."
I had to laugh at something like that. I just sat there in the mud, thinking on what to do. I mean, what was that?
"Why don't you go to the Jedi Temple, you know, the Room Behind the Waterfall? You could hijack a ship and go see them. They could tell you about that weird power," Peter piped in.
"What?" I said, giving him a weird look of suprise.
"It might work. but we couldn't hijack a ship. We'd have to be stowaways. Sneak into the flight plan office and look at the schedules of ships to Coruscant and go," Timothy said, thinking.
"Wait. I was only kidding!!" Peter said worriedly.
I just sat there, rolling the idea over in my head. Me, maybe a Sailor Jedi? No way. That would be sooo cool. I could really get back at those pigs back home. "I'll do it," I said. "Will you come with me, Timothy and Peter?"
Timothy looked up. He had been thinking of me sneaking aboard and getting to the Temple. "Me? Go with you?" he asked.
"Yes. You. You are my best friend. You have to. Plus, you know more about this than I do, seeing as how your family snuck themselves here when you were seven. Please come," I said with pleading eyes.
"Of course I would," he answered.
Peter was just sitting there, wild-eyed. He had been listening to our conversation. "HELLOO!!!" he yelled. "Do you two not remember that this planet is controled by HUTTS?!?!?!" he screeched, visibly annoyed, spreading his little wings.
"Oh yeah," I said in a quiet voice. "The Hutts."
"They won't get us!" Timothy said, standing up to his full six feet. "Because I am here!" He raised his arms and started showing off his muscles to be big and buff.
I started laughing. Timothy sat down, and we just laughed for what seemed like hours because of how our stomachs hurt.
"Let's go home and get some sleep before dawn and when the work has to be done," Timothy said. He helped me stand. He put an arm around me and we walked back to D'ram's.
The for the next couple of days, Timothy had been using his breaks to go and see about the flight plans so we could leave this place. I was examining my guitar and case when he walked in.
"Man, that cow Kathryn dented my case in six places. I just wanna give her a black eye," I said angrily.
"Well, don't feel bad because...." he paused, to get my attention, "I got the schedule!! The next ship leaving is in three days. It's called the Mind's Eye, and another plus, the ship's captain, Nom, is going to the port closest to the Temple. It will only be an afternoon's walk to go see about that weird stuff that happened last week."
"That's great!" I exclaimed and hugged him. "You are sooooo great!" Peter flew up in the air and circled our heads, screeching with joy.
Then Timothy frowned. I pulled back, drew my eyebrows together in a question. "What's wrong?" I asked.
"The ship leaves on a tight schedule between two inspections by the Hutts. If we are going to get on board, we are going to have to get past the goons," he said, still frowning.
"Don't think of the bad things," I said. "Think of finally leaving this place and seeing the universe. Maybe I can pursue my music career after all. And you can get your own ship too. Just like we've dreamed." I stood on tippytoes and kissed his cheek. "Life is going to be wonderful." I could have sworn to have seen him blush a little bit under his dusty face.
"Woah, woah! Back up. Quick!" Timothy said. We ducked back behind the boulder just in time; the guard walked by. "Okay," Timothy started. He was panting. It was insanely hot out here, and the dusty breeze didn't help. "We'll go when the guard gets a few more paces off."
"Alright." I said. My heart was racing for about a million reasons, but the main two were: one, it was so hot and hard to breathe, and two, if we were caught, we would be killed. I lay back against the rock. The uniforms I had stolen from the guard station for us to wear were way too heavy to be wearing in the summer. I wiped my arm across my face, pushing back some stray hairs. I had bound my hair up and put it under a cap so I would appear male.
"I'm suffocating in here!" Peter chirped. I had made him a sling-like pouch for him to ride in. It hung over my neck and rested on my clothes under my stolen uniform.
"We're workin' on getting us to at least a cooler atmosphere for the rest of the trip," I said, stroking his little head. He relaxed a little bit and settled down.
"Go!" Timothy said. We began to walk to the area by the cargo bay where the crates and boxes and things would be put on the ship. We would pretend to be workers packing the ship and make our way to the passenger bay and hide in compartments until we got to Coruscant. Then we would exit the Mind's Eye the way we got on. Simple as that.
I exhaled, trying to relax. If we looked suspicous, then we would be stopped, and then the trouble would really start. Then all of a sudden, a call rang out: "Hey you! STOP!!"
We froze. I closed my eyes, expecting to be shot down. We were found. I groaned and looked over to where the call came from, and a figure brushed past me and kept running. Then a shot fired. It was a person like us that was trying to escape. Except he got caught. Then he fell, his green blood pooling around him. I closed my eyes, the grim picture running through my head.
"Keep moving. We don't want to end up like that guy," Timothy said.
"I almost died of fright back there," I said, trying a little bit to break the silence that fell between us.
"Me too. Okay, here we are." We approached the nearest crate and picked it up. It was suprisingly heavy for its size. "Let's get it on board, and I'll look at the blueprints," Timothy said, and he flashed that great smile again.
"Great!" I said. He always had a way of making the mood better.
We boarded the ship and made our way to the passenger bay. "Oh, so do you want a two-bedroom or three-bedroom suite?" I asked sarcastically. The Mind's Eye had NO luxuries. It was all cramped and metal.
"I'll be happy with one I can fit into," he said. There were many compartments in the room, but not many that a six-foot man could fit into.
I laughed. "Same here. See you in a few hours." And I crawled into the cramped space. I sighed, sat back and closed my eyes. This would be a long trip.
Meanwhile... "Departure time is in ten minutes. Is everything secured and checked?" Chakra asked.
"Yes," Nom said. Her eyebrows then crossed, and she sucked in a breath and held it. When she finally let it out, she asked, "Do you feel it?"
"What? Feel what, Nom?" Chakra asked, interested.
"I feel a life force," she said. "On board." Nom turned to face Chakra. "Let us check it out."
"Wait until we get into space, and when the autopilot cuts in, we will then go and see what is up. Okay?" Chakra added.
"If we must," Nom said and slumped in her chair. "Just the thought of an unknown creature on board just makes me want to..." She stopped.
"Stay calm. We can take care of it. We are Sailor Jedi!" Chakra said and smiled.
Very little light filtered into the small space where I was hidden. Then, suddenly, the light poured in, and I was blinded momentarily. I expected to see Timothy, but the thing just grabbed me by my hair and arm and pulled me out of the compartment. "Ahh, ouch!" I said, then stopped, realizing that I had just been found out. I grew very silent and just stood there.
The two figures that stood before me were two very different beings, one, a bit taller than I, with ebony hair that changed to green on the tips. Her eyes flashed; she was in a striking positon. The other was a somewhat shorter girl with golden hair and lighter eyes. She had a calmer, more curious expression, as opposed to her companion, that I thought that if I made the slightest move, would pounce and devour me on the spot.
"State your purpose, girl," the dark-haired one said. She stepped forward and was giving me an eye that made me want to cower under a rock to escape.
But all I did was stand there. And the thought that ran through my head was, Where is Timothy? I hope he's alright.
The dark one stepped forward again, poised to attack.
"What are you doing on my ship?!?!" the dark one asked.
"I... uh..." I stammered.
"Well, I do not care! I WILL NOT stand for people uninvited on my ship!"
"Really, you don't have to be angry..." I tried to say. But she still stepped forward, her hands up, ready to strike. I had backed away, but I felt cold metal on my back, and I realized that I was backed in a corner. "Please don't..." Peter crawled up to my sholder, his eyes wild, and he flew into the other section of the passenger bay. "Wait, come back!" I screamed, I couldn't believe he left me without a thought to say where he was off too...especially since I was fixing to be attacked by an overreactor.
Timothy burst in. Peter had flown to his compartment and summoned him. "What the hell is going on here?" he yelled. His voice boomed so loud, my attacker turned and gave him an eye that would send kings crawling into a hole. "Rune, are you okay? What's going on?" he asked.
The dark one flicked her wrist toward him, and golden shackles appeared on his wrists and ankles. "Stay still, I will tend to you in a moment," she hissed.
"Nom," the girl said.
"What?" she said in a bit softer tone. I sensed a bond between the two... were they sisters?
"I can feel power in this one... this Rune?" She smiled, waving an arm toward me.
Nom's face lightened. She finally let her tension go and used the Force... this girl had potential... maybe that of a Sailor Jedi. "Where do you come from, girl?" she asked.
"Nar Shaddaa," I said. Timothy was wide eyed, shocked at the change in Nom's attitude.
Nom thought, that planet.... hmmmm. "Where were did you come from before?"
"It's a long story," I sighed.
"We have lots of time," Nom said.
"Yes, do tell," Chakra added.
"I'm an illegitimate. My mother is Havri of Chad, just a woman that was in the court of the King. And my father... is the King of Chad," I said and lowered my head, shaking off tears.
"Really?" Nom said. She arched an eyebrow. "Then, if you are a princess, why are not you home? Why are you on my ship? And why were you on Nar Shaddaa?" she asked.
"Ummm...." I started. "My mother was banished when her pregnancy was known. She fled to Nar Shaddaa. And I am on your ship because I am in search of the Jedi Temple."
"The Jedi Temple?" Chakra asked. "What, do you want to be one of the legendary Sailor Jedi?"
"No," I said in a small voice.
"Well, what brings you there then? Speak, Rune," Nom said. She crossed her arms and leaned against the hull of the ship.
I told them of what happened at the lake, and how we were going to find out what that was... and to get off of that damned planet.
"Well," Nom finally said, "we are going to Coruscant. We can take you by there." She nodded to Chakra. They would escort their newfound Rune to the Jedi Temple and see to it that she gets made into a Sailor Jedi, because from her story, only that kind of power is found in one. "And as for your friend, what place does he hold?"
"He's my best friend, Timothy. We escaped together," I said. Timothy straightened, trying to look as respectable as possible, even though he was floating awkwardly.
"I see," Nom said.
"Are you two going to be married?" Chakra asked.
We flushed. "I don't think so, but only time will tell," Timothy said. I looked over at him... I was a bit suprised, his phrase kept running through my head, only time will tell. I had reason to suspect, but he did have more-than-friendship thing for me. Wow. A guy has never liked me like this before.
Chakra grinned. "Uh huh." She turned to Nom. "Well, are not you going to let them breathe again? I bet they are still scared at your reaction. Go on, apologize and let them go."
Nom slumped her sholders. "I guess so. You two can join us - bring up some extra chairs to the cockpit." She turned and strode out. Chakra grinned and followed close behind.
Timothy grasped my hand and walked with me, about seven steps behind Nom and Chakra. He smiled at me. Boy, the girls back home would be jealous.
Nom turned her head slightly over her sholder. "We should be at Coruscant in about four hours.
Finally, things were going right in my life.
The Mind's Eye was descending into Chad's atmosphere. I sat back in my chair. This was only the second time in two years that I'd been on Nom's ship, and it hadn't changed much, except this time, I wasn't under threat to be torn to ribbons. I looked over at my new husband. Timothy and I had been married for about six months now. We were on our way to see my father. There was a ball-type function for the celebration of my arrival. I put a hand on my swollen stomach. I was only five months pregnant, but it was visible already because of my size.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes." I smiled up at him. We were so happy.
Just then, the co-pilot Chakra beeped over the intercom system. "It should be about 30 minutes until we have landed on Chad."
"I'm nervous," I said.
"Don't be, I'm with you," Timothy said.
I closed my eyes and sat back in my seat. Here we go.
"Oooooooie! They are coming!" Wayland said.
"Yes. I'm soooooo bored, looks like we can crash this party and finally have some fun. Reeking havoc on a family reunion will be so great," Vortex replied.
Vortex stood up and turned to Wayland. "It will be about three hours til party time."
"Excellent," Wayland said and nodded.
"Your room is this way, madame," the page said. The corridor I was in had granite-tiled floors with portraits of many of the other rulers of Chad adorning its walls. Great windows let in the last rays of the sun's purple, red, and orange light as it set below the trees of the surrounding land. The clicking of our heels on the stone floor was the only sound heard, except for a few sounds from the other pages running errands throughout the grand palace. The page stopped and turned toward a tall doorway with hand-carved designs on it. "This is your room. The ball will begin at 8:00. If you need any help, ring, and I will be at your service. My name is Gwen, so call if you need anything." With that, she turned and walked down the corridor and into the shadows.
I turned toward my room. My few bags had already arrived, my case of regular skirts and shirts, and a few bodices. My guitar case, and my dress bag and shoes. I walked across the room to my window; I had a view of a splendid courtyard with a fountain and lush gardens all around. Turning around, I stepped into my bathroom. It had a tub that I could have taken a swim in, and a large sink and mirror. I looked into the cabinets and found some bath crystals; they were pink, and smelled of a flower known as a rose. I drew up a bath and poured in a handful of crystals.
The other Sailor Jedi and Knights had also come to the ball. They decided that it was time for me to meet my father and possibly have a relationship with him. It was about two hours until the ball, and I was pretty nervous. I had had a couple of my friends that had training and other classes and sorts for being a princess help me with how to act like a princess would, but I guess that I still look a bit clumsy because of where I grew up. I sighed and lay back in my bath and thought, "Man, if five months pregnant with a baby is hard, then I wonder how tough nine months will be."
Timothy knocked on the door to my room once and entered. "Hello love," he said. He smiled to himself. She looks so peaceful there asleep. I had fallen asleep in the bath tub. He leaned over and kissed my forehead and said, "Wake up - you've been asleep for forty-five minutes. You still have to get ready."
I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and splashed water in my face to wake myself up. A shadow came over the back of him. "What the..." I started and reached for my robe. A large man struck Timothy in the back of the head. A normal man would have fallen over unconcious, but Timothy had been struck that way back at D'Ram's several times. He only turned around in confusion at his attacker.
"Hello." He said, with a wicked grin.
Just then, a blue-haired girl appeared beside him and reached for me. She grabbed my hair and threw me out of the bathroom. I landed, sprawling in the floor if my room. The man looked down at Timothy and grabbed him by the hair. Timothy wasn't paying attention; he was trying to come to my aid. "Hey! What the hell is going on?!?" Timothy asked, suprised. I tried to stand, but a painful blow hit me in my stomach.
"My baby!!" I screamed and returned an equally hard, if not harder, blow to her face. She fell back, shocked at my reaction as I raced to Timothy. The man had grabbed him at a weak point and was attempting to drown him in my bath water. "Stop, you!" I yelled at him and lunged toward my husband's attacker. I knocked him over and punched him in the face. "Quick, call Gwen! Get her to get the others!!" I said.
Timothy knew I could take care of myself and grabbed on the tassle attached to the summoning bell for the pages. He jerked twice, and then put his head out of the room and yelled down the hallway. "Hey, help us in here!!" I then heard him fall.
I heard the noise and jumped off the blonde-haired man. His nose was bleeding, and he had lost a few teeth in my attack to him. I raced out of the bathroom in time to see the girl standing over Timothy with a fairly large marble statue over her head.
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!" I yelled.
But it was too late. She threw the statue down on him, and I knew the blow was fatal. "Chad Crystal, Make Up!!!" I half-said, half-screamed at the two. They were turned toward Timothy and didn't notice me as I darted into the bathroom to transform. "Midnight Life Elements," I said just as I could get a hit off before they spotted me. I didn't care about my entrance. I wanted to save my love. The energy ball hit the two just as about a dozen senshi came into view. They darted out of the way, but Wayland and Vortex weren't that lucky. They recieved a severe blow, but only looked up at me, and dissapeared... their words echoing in the air... "This won't be the last time we see you... Rune..."
I think I was in shock. I ran to Timothy's side and cradled his bleeding head and body. I cried onto his face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I should have helped protect you earlier," was all I could say.
He smiled up to me and said, "I love you, Rune. And I love little Lynx too." That was the last time I saw his Tom Cruise smile. I only hoped my baby would have that too.
"I love you too," I said and tried to comfort him. I could sense the incredible pain he was in. How did he know I was planning on naming him Lynx?
He squeezed my hand a final time, and I collapsed, crying on his chest as he breathed his last breath and was still.
The surrounding scouts only looked at me with grief-stricken eyes. They grew wider, and I looked down. My lovely red stripe on my fuku faded... and was white. I looked up to them, my eyes were red, and said, "They died today. They just don't know it yet." I closed my eyes and sat back against the wall and felt my baby kick and knew that his spirit was at rest, and that I had a part of him with me. "For you, Lynx."
About the Senshi in this story:
Rune/Sailor Chad
Nom/Sailor Dathomir
Chakra/Sailor Chibi Dathomir
Akki/Sailor Knight Wayland
Mistique/Sailor Sith Vortex
