Within the Force (Star Wars fan fic) Book One

Chapter Seven

"Does your head hurt? How about your back? Your—"

"I'm fine," Ashlyn cut the fourteen-year-old girl off with a sigh, throwing a quick glare toward Qui-Gon who gave her a somewhat smug look after chuckling.

The handmaiden who'd been attending her probed her slightly cold fingers, lightly along her skull. She noticed when Ashlyn winced. "Painful?" she asked.

Ashlyn gave out a shrug, ignoring the worried looks Padmé and Obi-Wan sent her way; she was rather thankful Qui-Gon nor Anakin made a bigger fuzz out of it.

"Not really, just a bit sore." I'd had a million times worse, she thought, letting out another sigh.

"Are you sure—"

"Obi-Wan, if you finish that question, or keep hassling me, I will hurt you," she warned, sending the young Jedi a tired glare, before repeating, "I'm fine, really."

She paused for a moment, lips pursed, before finally speaking up again. "I'm in pain," she admitted, "but it's nothing I can't handle. Trust me; I've had much worst before." She sent the handmaiden a grateful look as she finished patching her up.

For a moment, there was but a heavy silence between all of them.

Padmé, seeing the discomfort in her new friend's features, sighed through her nose and looked over at the three male standing in the room, with furrowed brows. "I think it's best to let her rest for now. We all should; it's been a long day."

The two Jedi and the boy reluctantly left, the handmaiden picking up the aiding supplies while Ashlyn stared at Padmé who was staring off into space, deep in thought.

"Paddy?" Ashlyn tried, unsure if it's a good idea to get the girl's attention. The other handmaiden had already quietly left, and it was now only them two in the room.

Padmé snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at Ashlyn, a slightly perplexed look on her face. "I'm sorry, what did you call me?"

Ashlyn shook her head, a cheeky look on her face. "Forget it, it's just you were so deep in thought... what were you thinking about?" she asked, genuinely curious about what the young girl could possibly be worrying about.

Padmé stared at her for a moment, eyeing her up and down before a look full of determination finally settled onto her childish yet mature, smooth features. "I'm going to get you something better to wear; I doubt you want to walk around with your clothes this wrecked."

Ashlyn looked down at her outfit and felt her eyes widen in surprise, not at the wreck her attire was now, but at the damage beneath it. She hadn't realized she'd been this badly hurt; her puffy shirt and tank top were both torn and cut, her leather pants just as much.

"Thank God I wasn't wearing my jacket," she mumbled after a sigh.

Padmé gave her a disbelieving look. "You were almost sliced into pieces, and you worry about your jacket?!"

Ashlyn gave a nonchalant shrug; "It holds sentimental value. I'm actually surprised it appeared with me in this world. I'm glad, though."

Padmé shook her head, letting out a sigh. "I'll go get you some clothes now," she said, heading for the exit.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." That caused her to freeze. She couldn't tell if Ashlyn was bluffing when she said that until she turned back around and saw the serious look on the latter's face.

"H-how do you—"

"Know it's you?" Padmé nodded, unable to speak. Ashlyn shrugged, then began counting down with her fingers, "You'd get easily offended or defensive whenever Qui-Gon spoke of the Queen trusting him or whatnot, and... there's also that authority aura surrounding you." She paused, then gave her a smug look. "Oh, and you just confirmed it by freezing, turning around and asking me."