Majes always provided very well for his family, working long hours in a medium-sized lithography shop
(adding color to holo-film, a step required prior to printing ads for magazines and news prints) for
twenty-years. In the beginning of his marriage to Roquelle, she worked a graveyard shift in a nursing
home as a nurse's aide. Nine months after they wed, Roquelle gave birth to Rhett. Nothing alerted the
obstetrician during routine pre-natal exams to the fact that something had gone wrong. Rhett was born
Down's syndrome.
Believing that those 'like him' were nothing but a burden to society, Majes and Roquelle received cryptic advice with regards to their son; leave him at the hospital and walk away, to pretend he never existed.
Thankfully, Majes and Roquelle didn't heed the cryptic advice and had their son - born with pneumonia - transferred to a children's hospital. Six months later, he finally went home. Six years later, Sheyenne was born, completing their little brood. Roquelle continued to work for five more years until Sheyenne started school. Majes was earning enough money at that point to allow his wife to quit her job and be a stay-at-home mother.
Sheyenne never was the type to hang out with large groups of friends and she never was among the
'popular' group in school, in part due to her shyness. The other reason was because she's never been the type who wanted any of that. She was quite content to hang with three, maybe four friends. Usually, it ended up being just she and her best friend, Becca, whom she met in her first year of school. The two remained best friends for fifteen years.
At the age of sixteen, everything changed. In some regards it was for the better and in other regards it was for the worse. Up until that age, Shey never held an interest in the opposite sex.
Her friends drove her nuts with their "Oh, I am so in love with insert-name-of-random-cute-guy-here)" and their "I'm so going to marry (insert-name-of-famous-rock star-or-holo-actor-here)".
The girls were always so ga-ga over the bolo-ball jocks or the grav ball team. They didn't impress Shey in the least and she vowed to herself that she would never get involved with a boy that she went to school with. She watched and listened as her friends regaled their sob stories about how so-and-so broke their heart or used them to get what they wanted then just dumped them like yesterday's trash. She wanted no part of any of that.
The first time she ever met Kyron, though, was when she was fifteen. He and his family had just
relocated to Bellassa from Talus, due to a change in occupation for his father. She was a a school grav-ball game and it was her school against his. Kyron wasn't on the team, just a spectator in the crowd who she met at the concession stand. They exchanged digits. He contacted Shey the following night to ask her out on a date. Though still not interested, she said yes anyway.
They talked to each other for a week before she stopped accepting his transmissions. She just wasn't
interested and the chemistry wasn't there; at least on her part. A year past, and again, their paths
crossed. This time was different, though. The minute she laid her eyes upon him, she was captivated. No longer was he the tall, skinny waif she met a year ago. He was almost perfect. Just the right amount of muscle-tone, hair as black as jet, eyes as blue as the azure skies. The chemistry that was lacking twelve months ago was finally there.
Their relationship started off great. They enjoyed each other's company, spent all of their free-time
together, and did all of those 'cutesy' things that teen couples do. In retrospect, Shey could see where things began to change and the downward spiral into hell was started. Three months into their
relationship, Kyron slapped her several times, causing both of her eyes to blacken and bruise. This was the first of only two times where her injuries were ever visible. They had been rough-housing, goofing around in the living room while Shey's parents went out to dinner and she was left in charge of caring for Rhett.
She thought it was only an accident and wholeheartedly believed him when he profusely apologized. In
fact, when her parents returned and expressed their concern, she told them it was just an accident. But she lied about how it happened without knowing why she even lied about it, only justifying it to herself by telling herself that she must be in love with him. As time went on, Shey stopped hanging out with her friends because Kyron didn't want her to and always threatened to leave her if she kept hanging out with the 'wrong crowd'. Her grades slipped, the smile faded from her face and the sparkle left her eyes.
Shey decided she was going to tell her parents everything and end it with Kyron. Until she learned she was pregnant. She told Kyron, but she also told him that she didn't want nor need him in their life. Mature enough to realize that it wasn't the baby's fault that she and Kyron had been so reckless, she decided she would accept the responsibility of motherhood and keep her baby, but made the biggest mistake of her life at the same time by dropping out of school. Terrified, she refused to tell her parents and kept the secret concealed for eight months. She didn't show until then, still fit into her ordinary, every day clothes and didn't experience morning sickness. Kyron wouldn't leave her alone. He insisted that the baby needed both of his or her parents in his or her life and promised to marry her when she was ready to.
Three years went by and Shey married Kyron, against her better judgment. Even while standing at the
altar, the only words going through her head were, 'Leave now. Don't do this. You shouldn't be marrying him and you know it!'. But she didn't leave the church that day, justifying her staying by forcing herself to believe the fairy tale that their daughter deserved to have both of her parents together under one roof in order to raise her right, no matter what. The abuse became worse. So bad that to this day, she will never tell a soul all that she had lived through; delivered at the hands of a being who proclaimed to love her.
So ten years and three more children later, Shey found her self-respect and courage, and left Kyron with the aid of two others whom she has maintained a close friendship with. Lanaan Kutsiri, a reporter for the Holonet News, and Jedi Master Evangeline Voru. Shey and the kids were at the park one summer seven years ago. It was the arranged meeting place where Kyron could pick them up for his court-ordered visitation weekend with them. He arrived in a rage, screaming at Shey, belittling her in front of the kids. He started hitting her and by the time all was said and done, she was left battered and bruised, and the kids were gone.
Lanaan, returning from a personal interview assignment, heard the commotion, but arrived as Kyron was
pulling away and another was already rendering aid to the unconscious woman. Lanaan notified the
authorities and helped Evangeline Voru (sidetracked from a mission) tend to Shey until the
paramedics arrived. Sheyenne was hospitalized for two weeks due to the injuries. Lanaan visited the
destitute mother every day, along with Officer Shaw Ku, who was the first to arrive on the scene.
Bellassa and its people were peaceful. It confused him as to how something like this could even
happen. Not wanting to see it happen again, though, he and Lanaan - along with Sheyenne - worked
together in devising a plan of action to get Shey and her children away from the danger posed by her ex. Three days after she was released and her children returned home from a visitation with their father (returned by Kyron's mother who was arrested for refusing to give the location of her son who was being sought for arrest), Shey and the kids began their journey.
They made their way to her parents house in the city of Arno, Bellassa. She hated the fact that she had to go there, but it was the only place they had to go. She was never allowed to work or go to school while she was married to Kyron. Even going to the store without him was forbidden. She was scared and did her best to maintain a strong front for the sake of the children. The first three days at her parents' were spent figuring out what to do next and what steps she needed to take in order to become self-sufficient and self-supporting. Within three weeks, she landed herself a job as a secretary for an electronics distribution center. A year later, she earned her educational diploma and then enrolled in some courses at the local community college.
But she wasn't able to complete more than three semesters when tragedy struck the family hard. Majes
had suffered a major heart attack and underwent emergency triple bypass surgery. Without his income, it would be up to Shey and Roquelle to support the family. Thus, Shey took on an additional full-time job so Roquelle could stay home to care for Majes and look after her grandchildren.
Sheyenne worked sixteen hours a day every week. She managed to get about three or four hours of sleep
before having to get up and do it all again. It began to take its toll on her both physically and mentally.
After a few months of working like a dog, she collapsed and awoke in the hospital suffering from severe exhaustion. When she was released, she sat for the State Boards and earned her license for practical nursing. Shey promised herself that one day she would return to school and finish earning the degrees and certifications that would complete her education.
Three years past and Shey was reaching a point where she and the children would be moving into their
own place within a few short months. Then again, hardship struck when Majes left one day and never
returned, ending a good marriage that lasted thirty-eight years. He'd gone back to the city he always
considered home. Brion, Coruscant. Roquelle hadn't worked since Shey was five or six years old and times had advanced. If Roquelle was going to make it on her own, she'd need further education and training under her belt. Again, Shey went to working two jobs, though her second job this time around was part-time. Roquelle managed to get a decent paying job with a retail store that specialized in upscale attire called Ruam Nov.
Roquelle became a bitter woman, unbearable to live with most of the time. Shey decided it was time to
leave, though it would put Roquelle in a precarious position as to who would care for Rhett while she
was at work. Jules didn't want to leave Arno, as she only had two years left of school and didn't want to leave her friends. So it was agreed upon that Jules would remain under the care of Roquelle, who switched her hours to the mid-afternoon/evening shift, and Jules cared for Rhett after school. Shey and the other three left; first to pay a visit to their grandfather, then on to start a new life of their own.
While on their way to the spaceport to take a flight off the planet and head to Coruscant, the
announcement of an emergency evacuation went out. Shaw Ku rushed Shey and the children to the
spaceport and made sure they were all safely aboard one of the transport vessels before he returned to his duty of aiding others. "Shey, listen to me. You have to go to Corellia first, and take another flight to Coruscant." She was so confused and desperate to have Jules and Roquelle with her.
"But what about my mother and my daughter? I can't leave without them!" Shey protested, though her
mother was nothing but a pain in the ass, she couldn't just leave the bitter crone to die.
"I'll find Jules and Roquelle. I promise," he said while cupping her face in his hands to keep her eyes held steadfast to his. "Don't be a stranger, Sheyenne. You know how to reach me and I expect you to keep in touch. You're strong and you can do this," were the last words she heard from him as the transport door closed.
The mad dash to secure passage on the evacuating transports caused numerous injuries, some more serious than others. Shey turned the two younger children over to the watchful and protective care of Chase. "Sophia, Justin. Stay with Chase," she said firmly, then turned her eyes to Chase. "No matter what. Do not let them out of your sight. If we should be separated, you know how to reach grandpa and you know how to get to his apartment from the
Coruscant Spaceport. That is the only place you go. I will get to you as soon as I can. Understand?" Chase nodded then picked up Sophia and set her upon his hip.
"You listen to your brother its very important. Do as he says and we'll be alright. I have to go help these people, okay?" The children nodded solemnly and Shey pulled them all into her embrace, placing firm kisses to their foreheads. "Remember what I said."
Shey drifted from the children. First she scanned the faces of the others on board, fearful that somehow her ex-husband was there. Thankfully, he wasn't. Then she began assessing the injuries of the wounded aboard the transport. Though she wasn't formally trained in aide or medicine, she had enough experience under her belt from taking care of her brother and father to be of assistance.
A few other medical personnel were on board doing the same. Anyone who wasn't seriously injured was pulled into service by the handful of nurse's who dictated orders quickly and sharply. Their voices left no room for argument nor did it leave any room for the untrained citizen to panic and freeze up. Take-off was bumpy, to say the least, as the pilots fell back on years of training and flight time to avoid the bombardment raining down all around them.
"Save us! They're firing at us!", one woman cried out, setting off mass-panic - a terrible thing to have happen when everyone was trapped inside the overcrowded transports. A few of the men on board
shouted with booming voices for everyone to remain calm, and it seemed to work after about the third or fourth attempt. Still, women and children were sobbing, men looked angry or worried, perhaps fretting over their own loved ones or even their own lives. As soon as the woman had shouted though, Shey immediately returned to the children and held them close. There were others injured, but at the moment her children were far more important to her.
