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formula-nyoom · 12 days ago

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Reblogging this because I have officially graduated!!!!

Grid Graduation

Platonic!Grid x Fem!Reader

Summary: Being a racecar driver and actively pursuing a higher education is a feat in and of itself. You didn't let your career get in the way of going to college. But when racing seems to prevent you from attending your graduation ceremony, your fellow drivers decide to take matters into their own hands

A/N: Congratulations to all the people that are graduating this month or next month! I hope you guys have amazing celebrations. And to my fellow college students who still have a year or years left to go, we’re going to get through it, even if it seems like hell. I know that the color of the graduation gowns can vary by college or are usually black but I went with dark blue because that was the color of my gown when I got my associates degree.

~~~

Some people would say it's stupid to try and get a bachelor’s degree while being a race car driver.

“You already have a career. Why would you spend all your free time off track pursuing something you don’t really need?” is the question that was constantly asked to you during interviews. Your answer: because it was important to you. It’s common knowledge that karting and racing takes up most of a driver’s life. And while most drivers are able to pursue basic schooling and education during their karting days and early single seater days, once a driver makes it higher up the racing ladder, pursuing an education becomes second to trying to be the best race car driver on track.

You on the other hand felt that your pursuit of racing should not get in the way of your education. And thankfully with the ability to take online classes, you didn’t have that worry.

“You’ve refreshed that page five times in the last 30 seconds.” Alex said as you two sat in the drivers lounge. It was media day so thankfully neither of you had to worry about racing and instead your worry was focused on something else.

“Can you blame me? I’m supposed to get sent an email that tells me whether or not I graduate today and I’m dying to know.” You said, refreshing the page again. You had finally completed all the required courses you needed to graduate and get your bachelors degree. Now you were just waiting for the confirmation that all the hard work, all the study sessions you had done between and after races, and all the all nighters was worth it.

“Have you gotten the email yet?” You looked up from your laptop to see Logan approaching with Oscar behind him. You refreshed the page again.

“Nope. Still nothing.” You let out a frustrated sigh. All the other drivers knew about your pursuit of a college education while also being a race car driver. They had been nothing but supportive in your efforts and could tell how worried you were about having to wait for your college’s final decision on you graduating.

“The email will come eventually. Staring at the screen isn’t going to help.” Oscar said.

“I suppose you’re right.” You said, refreshing the page again. You were about to close your laptop, putting the matter temporarily to rest, when the page loaded and showed you had a new email. It was from your college.

“It’s here!” You exclaimed. You were about to open the email when you paused your finger over the mouse pad.

“I don’t think I can open this. What if they deny me? Or what if this email tells me that I still have some courses that I need to pass to graduate?” You started nervously chewing on your bottom lip as worst case scenarios started to run through your head. Logan placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder

“(Y/N), you’ve been working your ass off the past couple years to get this degree. They’d be stupid to not let you graduate.” Logan said.

“I can read the email for you first if you want.” Alex offered. That seemed to calm your nerves. You handed Alex the laptop and waited with bated breath as he opened the email. Anticipation started to build as it seemed to take forever for Alex to read the first line of the email

“Congratulations (Y/N) (L/N), you have met the requirements to graduate!” Alex exclaimed.

“Really?” You grabbed the laptop and read the first line of the email that did indeed confirm that you were graduating. Logan and Oscar started to shake your shoulders in excitement as you started to laugh from happiness.

“I’m graduating!” You exclaimed. Logan, Alex and Oscar let out cheers of excitement as you read the first lines of the email again.

“What’s with the excitement?” Charles asked as he and Max entered the driver’s lounge.

“(Y/N) got the confirmation that she’s graduating college.” Alex said.

“Congratulations!”Max said. He ruffled your hair while Charles gave you a hug. You were practically beaming with happiness as you started to read the email out loud.

“Congratulations (Y/N) (L/N), you have met the requirements to graduate! We commend you for this amazing accomplishment and we’d like you to attend the graduation ceremony on….June 7th.” Your voice trailed off after reading the date and your smile slowly started to drop.

“Are you gonna go?” Oscar asked. You shook your head.

“I can’t. We’ll all be in Canada for Free Practice.” You said. It was true. Your college’s graduation ceremony was the same week of the Canadian Grand Prix.

“Do you think your team will let you go?” Alex asked. “I mean, you’ve done Canada multiple times and you’ll do it again. But you only really graduate college once, especially considering you're a race car driver.”

“I don’t think (Y/N)’s team will let her go. Free Practice isn’t something you can really miss.” Max said. He was right. Attending a graduation ceremony seemed like a trivial matter compared to your career.

“But (Y/N)’s worked so hard for this. Surely her team will understand.” Logan said.

“No, it’s…it’s ok if I miss the graduation ceremony. I’ve been given confirmation that I’m graduating and will get my diploma in the mail later this year. That’s enough for me.” You told them. But that wasn’t really true. You would have liked to attend the ceremony. If not for just the celebration but also for the sense of normalcy away from the racetrack and responsibilities of being a Formula One driver.

“Well we can still celebrate right? Maybe get all the drivers together for a dinner?” Charles suggested. You smiled a bit.

“Yea Charles. A dinner would be nice. This is still a cause for a celebration. Even if I can’t go to the official one.”

Dinner with the other drivers was a nice celebration. It helped you forget about not being able to attend the graduation ceremony for a while. But the week of the Canadian Grand Prix seemed to bring up that fact again. It seemed the media wanted to remind you too.

“Well, before we start taking questions, I’d like to say congratulations to you, (Y/N). It was recently let known that you’ve graduated college and now have a bachelor's degree.” The media commentator for the drivers press conference said to you as you sat on a couch next to George, Lando, Lewis, and Zhou.

“Thank you. If I didn't have to be here in Canada, I'd actually be attending the graduation ceremony, which is happening tomorrow. But racing takes priority.” You smiled to hide some of your disappointment, but the other drivers seemed to notice.

“I’m sure you and your family are proud of all your efforts. Maybe some of the drivers too?” The interviewer said, motioning to the drivers next to you.

“I’m insanely proud of (Y/N) for what she’s accomplished. She’s shown that racing shouldn’t get in the way of pursuing an education.” Lewis said.

“I will say, (Y/N) has worked harder than anyone else on the grid.” Zhou said.

“She won’t admit it herself though.” George said, nudging your side. You shook your head.

“In terms of something like this, even if I can’t attend a graduation ceremony, I’m proud of all the work I’ve done.” You said.

“Well, I hope you celebrate or have already celebrated what is an immense accomplishment.” The interviewer said.

“Me and the other drivers on the grid actually went out to dinner to celebrate the day I found out I was graduating to make up for the fact that I can’t attend the ceremony. It was a really nice dinner and I’m glad I have friends to celebrate my accomplishments with.” You smiled at your friends sitting next to you. They smiled back, but for a different reason.

Despite your efforts to hide your disappointment, your fellow drivers could tell how upset you were about not being able to attend your graduation ceremony. And while the dinner was indeed nice, they wanted you to have a proper celebration for such an immense accomplishment.

That’s how George and Lando ended up knocking on your driver’s room door after interviews and media responsibilities were done for the day.

“Hey guys. What’s up?” You asked as you opened the door for them.

“Put this on.” Lando handed you a bag with what you assumed had to contain clothing.

“Why? What is it that you have handed me?” You gave him a skeptical look.

“Open the bag and find out.” Lando said. You did as he instructed and pulled out something made of dark blue fabric. At first you thought it was a dress, but unfurling it revealed to be a graduation gown. You tried not to frown. The only need for something like this would be for graduation photos, which you had already taken. But Lando and George were insistent and you decided to amuse their idea for now and put it on.

“Now what? You want me to get into a race car and drive around the track in a graduation gown?” George and Lando just laughed.

“I don’t think the FIA will allow that. At least not in just the gown.” Lando said.

“Of course you can’t have the gown without the cap.” George handed you a graduation cap with a tassel in your team color. The cap was decorated with a little race car on top that had a diploma trailing behind it.

“What’s…what’s all this for?” You asked, while putting the cap on. You don’t know why you decided to put the cap on, but did so anyway.

“It’s for your graduation ceremony of course.” Lando said. You frowned.

“There’s no way I can attend that ceremony.” You said.

“We’re not talking about your college’s graduation ceremony. We’re talking about the one that’s happening right now.” George said. “Come on.”

George and Lando ushered you out of your driver’s room and started to lead you somewhere. You still looked at them with confusion.

“We already celebrated during that dinner.”

“But it wasn’t a proper ceremony.” Lando said, leading you towards the track entrance. By now, you were starting to suspect what George and Lando were up to. It wasn’t confirmed until they led you to the start line.

“You guys did not….” Rows and rows of chairs were set up on the track with a makeshift aisle in the middle. Each chair was filled with one of your fellow drivers or members of your team. Tears started to well up in your eyes at the realization of what was happening.

“We wanted you to have a proper graduation ceremony.” Lando said, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you into a side hug. Now you were trying really hard not to cry.

“C’mon. Everyone’s waiting for you.” George said. He and Lando walked you past all chairs, the drivers and team members applauding you as you walked past.

Lewis and Fernando were standing at what was designated the stage and greeted you with a hug and a whispered “congratulations” as you approached.

“Shall we get started then?” Lewis, who had been designated the commencement speaker, said to get everyone’s attention. Everyone quieted down and took a seat

“We are gathered here to recognize the immense accomplishments of (Y/N) (L/N) in her pursuit of a higher education in the form of a bachelor's degree. Not only has she strived for what many have wanted to achieve, but did so while also managing the life of a Formula One driver. That is something not many can do.” Lewis said.

“I now ask for Fernando to present the graduate with their diploma.” Fernando walked over to you and handed you a piece of paper, then the two of you shook hands as formality of a traditional graduation ceremony while George quickly snapped a photo. You looked at the “diploma” that was handed to you and couldn’t help but let out a laugh. It was a diploma template that you could find on the internet that included your name and the name of your college. Though the official seal had your team logo on it.

“I now ask the graduate of 2024, to move your tassel from right to left and signify your newfound graduation status.” Lewis said. By now, it was getting really hard to try and keep the tears in as you moved the tassel from right to left. Lewis smiled.

“It is my pleasure to present (Y/N) (L/N) as the grid’s graduating class of 2024.” Everyone stood up and applauded you. At this point you couldn’t keep the tears in any longer and started to cry but also cheer. Lewis pulled you into a hug, followed by Fernando, then Lando and George and it got to the point of just being a big group hug full of drivers.

“Go on, toss the cap!” Logan exclaimed once the group hug broke away. Chants of “Toss it! Toss it!” started to echo till you took the graduation cap off and tossed it into the air, signifying that all that hard work was worth it.

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formula-nyoom · 6 months ago

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Stars Racing Past-7

Summary: With the revelation that the slave trader from (Y/N)'s past is on Naboo, (Y/N) and Max must form a plan to put a stop to his dealings. But with emotions running high, is there a chance that (Y/N) may go too far in wanting to see this man be brought to justice?

Warnings: Child abuse, slavery, child imprisonment, minor character death, loose interpretation of The Force and how it works

A/N: I'm back bitches, if anyone still cares about this series. This chapter is dedicated to @elegantweird-orchest who's comments on the last chapter made me want to continue with this series. Turns out this chapter was almost finish when I stopped working on it. But hey, comments and feedback are what keep me going so I was able to finish it. No idea when the next chapter will be out. Hope you enjoy!

Series Masterlist

~~~

“Can’t we just go and arrest him?”

“There needs to be sufficient evidence that this man is a slave trader. I don’t doubt (Y/N)’s recognition of this man, but we are on Naboo and the government isn’t just going to accept a recounting of when she was a child.”

It had been an hour after the market. Max and Kelly were quick to get (Y/N) out of thre and back to Kelly’s house. Now, after Penelope had been put down for a nap, Max and Kelly were arguing on how to approach the situation in regards to the slave trader from (Y/N)’s past.

“As Jedi, me and (Y/N) have authority to arrest him.” Max said. He was ready to apprehend the man on the spot.

“You’re not listening to me Max! Just because you’re a Jedi doesn’t mean you can enforce your authority everywhere without reason.” Kelly said.

“Senator Piquet is right.”

(Y/N) hadn’t said anything since they left the market, until now. Max and Kelly both looked at her, a bit of shock on Max’s face.

“He could still be in the business of slave trading force sensitive kids. If we go and arrest him now, we won't be able to help those he’s trading. I want to see him brought to justice but we have to be smart about this.”(Y/N) explained.

“(Y/N)’s right. We can’t be impulsive.” Kelly said, looking at Max.

“I’m just worried about taking too long to confront this man. We don’t know if he’s living here on Naboo or just visiting for possible business. If we wait too long, he could be gone by the time we act.”

“I don’t disagree with you on that, Max. But we need a plan.” Kelly said. “(Y/N), you know him best, do you have any ideas?”

The two looked back at (Y/N) as she looked down at the floor. Max could tell that she wasn’t very present to the conversation and turned back to Kelly.

“Can you give us a moment alone?” Max asked her. Kelly glanced at (Y/N) for a brief moment before looking back at Max. She nodded her head and left to go check on Penelope.

Once Kelly was out of the room, Max walked over to (Y/N).

“Are you ok?” He asked. (Y/N) hesitated in answering before shaking her head.

“No.”

“I know that this is a lot for you and just seeing the man affected you in a major way. But to be able to stop him, or bring him in, or just bring justice to all the harm he caused you and others in the past…(Y/N) we’re going to need information about him.” Max told her.

“It’s…it’s just hard. Seeing him again. I thought I would never come across him again…and to see him here, on Naboo…”(Y/N)’s sentence trailed off. Max could see the pain on the girl’s face and wanted to stop the conversation there. But there are things he needed to know.

“How did you end up with him?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” was (Y/N)’s immediate response

“What do you mean?” Max asked. (Y/N) looked up at him.

“When you're a slave, you learn to block out most things that are unpleasant or terrible during that time.” (Y/N) said. “But I guess dreams have a way of tearing down the progress I had made, since I keep dreaming about him.”

(Y/N) sighed.

“So you have no memory of things that happened before that man?”

“The earliest memory I have is when I’m three. I’m sitting in a cage and his face is staring back at me with a cruel smile.” (Y/N) said. She ran a hand through her hair, something Max knew she did when she was frustrated.

“I don’t know where I was born. I don’t know who my parents are. I don’t know if that man took me from them or if they gave me up willingly. I remember bits and pieces of the time before I was sold on Tatooine…but I don’t remember everything of my time with that man.”(Y/N) said. She sat down on one of the couches and looked down at her hands. Max could see the conflicted look on her face. He never asks (Y/N) questions about her past, especially considering the circumstance she was in before Seb and Kimi found her. Max always felt that if (Y/N) wanted to tell him things about her past, she would do so in her own time.

But not being able to remember one’s past is another thing.

“Would you…want to try and remember?” (Y/N) looked up at Max confused.

“What?” Max sat down next to (Y/N) and fully faced her.

“During meditation, Jedi are able to recall things with better clarity. By using The Force, you may be able to remember something you’ve forgotten.” Max said. “And if we do it together, you may be able to show me.”

(Y/N) looked back down at her hands, thinking it over.

“I’m only suggesting this, so that we can be better prepared in facing this man.” Max said. “But if you don’t want to , we can find another way to-”

“Ok.” (Y/N) said, cutting Max off.

“Are you sure?” He asked her. (Y/N) nodded.

“You’re right. We need to be smart about this.” She told him, but a hint of concern still showed on her face. “We can give it a shot. But Max, some things are best left forgotten.”

“I know. This may not work, but if it does, just know that you can stop it at any time.” Max told her. “You don’t have to show me anything you don’t want me to see.”

They moved down to the floor and sat crossed legged, opposite each other. (Y/N) took a deep breath before closing her eyes and focusing on The Force. Max looked at her for a second, seeing the calm wash over her face as she entered mediation, before he closed his eyes and started meditating as well.

Max felt (Y/N)’s presence in The Force and centered his focus on it. He could feel a bit of hesitation from his padawan, but eventually felt that his presence was welcomed as (Y/N) focused on trying to remember.

(Y/N) didn’t like thinking about the memories she had before Seb and Kimi found her. Those were times when (Y/N) was weak and hopeless, times that reminded (Y/N) of how cruel the galaxy could be. (Y/N) almost felt scared at the thought of delving into her past, her brain blocked out things for a reason. But if she was going to confront this man, she needed a reminder of what she was dealing with.

(Y/N) took a deep breath and focused on trying to remember her life before she became a Jedi, before Tatoonie.

Something around them seemed to shift.

Max opens his eyes and sees not the (Y/N) he knows now, but a 4 year old version of his padawan standing in front of him. She looks at him confused.

“Max…”

Her voice is so small

Suddenly the 4 year old version of (Y/N) is thrown against a wall and the surroundings come into clear view. They are standing in a dimly lit room with stone walls and various cages strewn about. If Max were to squint he would be able to vaguely make out a figure or two in the cages. But his eyes are focused on his padawan as she lies curled up on the floor. Standing in front of her is the same man Max saw at the market.

“Pathetic. All that work I did to obtain you and you can’t make a lousy box move!” The man yelled. (Y/N) lets out a sob and the man kneels down in front of her. He grabs her by the neck and slams her against the wall.

“I’m supposed to make good money off of you. And I can’t do that if your fancy powers are useless to potential buyers.”

“I can do it! Please! Just let me try again!” (Y/N) sobs. She grabs at the hand holding her neck but doesn’t fight to try and pry it away.

Anger boils in Max’s chest seeing how (Y/N) was being treated. He tries to run towards the man, grab his shoulders and throw him to the ground. But Max can’t move. It’s a memory after all. He is just a witness to a memory that isn’t his own.

The man drops (Y/N). Her sob and the sound she makes when she hits the floor echoes in Max’s ears.

“Do it again. Make it move!”

Max’s surroundings shift again as he stands in a sandstone building. The air around him feels hot and Max notices there are no windows in this building.

Max watches as the man leads a couple to one of the nearby cages.

“She’s the best one I have.” He says. Max looks closer and sees a now six year old (Y/N) sitting in the cage, hugging her knees. Bruises littered her arms and she didn’t look up to meet the faces of those that stood in front of her cage.

“Can we see a demonstration?”

“To prevent any of them from turning loose on me, I have to keep them in these cages that are equipped with force dampeners. You know how powerful “these kind” can be.” The man said, speaking as if the girl caged in front of her wasn’t human. The couple with the man looked at (Y/N) like she wasn’t human. Like she was an appealing product they may be interested in buying.

“How much?”

Before Max can hear the answer, his surroundings shift again.

The only thing that Max can focus on is the man landing a swift kick to five-year old (Y/N)’s stomach. She sobs and the man kicks again.

“That little escape attempt of yours is going to cost you!”

Again Max tries to move his legs, but he is still frozen in place. The man kicks again, harder this time and Max see’s blood fly out of (Y/N)’s mouth.

“It’s not real (Y/N)! It’s just a memory!” Max yells. “You can make it stop!”

Yelling seemed to be the only thing that he could try and do to get through to his padawan, as he tried to move his legs again. (Y/N) didn’t seem to hear Max as she let out another sob.

“You should be grateful! Without me, you’d be living on the streets! Hungry and helpless!” The man said.

What the man said, seemed to spark something in (Y/N), probably with how untrue his words were.

Before the man could let out another kick, (Y/N) let out a yell and the man flew backwards, pushed away by an unseen force. Max felt like he could finally move and bolted towards (Y/N). He kneeled in front of his padawan and took her face in his hands.

“(Y/N), it’s Max! We don’t need to see anymore! We can stop!” Max said. Tears streamed down (Y/N)’s face but she blinked them away as her and Max made eye contact. Suddenly (Y/N) is no longer 5 years old, but back to her present day self. She pulls Max close and holds him tight like something is about to tear her away from him at any moment.

The barren walls and horrid cages faded away and soon their surroundings changed to the living room of Kelly’s house and the only sound Max can hear is the sobs of his padawan. (Y/N) clung to Max as she sobbed into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and gently cooed to try and calm her down.

“It’s over, (Y/N). It’s ok. You’re safe.” He quietly said. As much as what Max had seen was helpful, he now wished that (Y/N) had never agreed to go through with it.

“I’m sorry for even suggesting the idea. I shouldn’t have made you go through and relive stuff like that.” Max told her.

~~~

Max goes back to the market later the next day, intent on finding The Slavetrader. A seed of rage had planted itself in Max’s stomach after what he had witnessed that man do to (Y/N) in the past. Max has half the mind to hunt this man down but he, Kelly and (Y/N) had agreed to a plan. That’s how Max found himself dressed in clothes that Kelly’s ex-husband had left behind. He also doesn’t have his lightsaber, since the clothes he’s wearing doesn’t allow for him to properly hide it. Max hated that he was without his saber, but he needed to look like a foreigner, not a Jedi.

He was able to find The Slavetrader and followed him all the way to a cantina. Max waited a bit after The Slavetrader walked in before going in himself. It wasn’t a crowded cantina, with it being midday and too early for people to start drinking. Which was perfect for Max and what he was about to do.

Instead of walking over to the booth that The Slavetrader sat in, Max walked over to the bar and ordered a drink.

“You from out of town?” The barkeep asked him.

“Yea. I’m a moisture farmer from Tatoonie.”

“We don’t get many people from that desert planet here on Naboo. What brings you here?” The barkeep asked.

“Well, business has been piling up on the farm and it’s becoming too much for just me to handle. I’ve been trying to hire someone to help me out on the farm but had no luck on finding someone on Tatooine, so I decided to look elsewhere.” Max said to the barkeep. Max couldn’t turn around, but he could guess that the man sitting in the booth was listening in on what Max was saying.

“Don’t know why you would come to Naboo looking for help. You would have better luck back in the Outer Rim.” The barkeep said to Max before moving away to help another patron. Max took another sip of his drink. He had planted the bait, now all he had to do was wait.

Max heard the sound of footsteps approach him and soon The Slavetrader took a seat next to Max.

“You said you were looking for help on your farm?” The Slavetrader asked as he took a sip of his own drink. It takes everything in Max to not punch the man as soon as he turns to face him.

‘Calm down Max. You need him alive right now to get information.’

The seed of rage burns inside Max but he has to steel himself.

“Yea. Are you offering to help or know where I can find some?” The Slavetrader smiled.

“I’m a provider of “special help” for those that need an extra set of hands.” He said.

“What kind of help?” Max asked, trying to act oblivious. The Slavetrader leaned in closer to Max.

“You know those space wizards who tote about the galaxy, claiming to be bringers of peace?” The man asked, his voice a whisper. Max had to suppress an eye roll and gave the man a nod.

“I’ve got a couple of kids who’ve got the same ability as those space wizards. They’re really handy when it comes to manual labor, like the work you do on your farm.”

‘What I wouldn’t give to bash your skull in.’ Max thought to himself. He cleared his throat and tried to choose his next words carefully.

“And what if I was interested in the “extra help” you were offering?” Max asked The Slave Trader. The Slave Trader grabbed a nearby napkin and took out a pen from his pocket. He scribbled something down on the napkin before handing it to Max.

“Meet me at this location after dark if you want to pursue my "wares". The Slave Trader said, before finishing the rest of his drink and walking out of the bar. Max watched him leave, a glare imminent on his face, before looking back at the napkin.

He now had all the information he needed. And that seed of rage sprouted a bit more.

~~~

After Max had told her that The Slave Trader was still dealing with force sensitive kids, (Y/N) almost wanted to vomit. But at the same time she wasn’t surprised. No one had probably tried to put a stop to this man. But that was all going to change tonight.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Max asked (Y/N) as they waited for some of Senator Piquet’s guards to arrive to act as her protection while Max and (Y/N) were away. (Y/N) gave Max a pointed look.

“There’s a bunch of force sensitive children being sold as slaves by the same man that sold me. Of course I want to do this Max.” She said.

“I mean, are you sure you’re ready to face him?” Max asked.

(Y/N)’s face softened a bit as she hesitated to answer. She sighed.

“I don’t think I’ll really know until I’m standing right in front of him.” She looked down at the lightsaber in her hand. Max placed his hands on (Y/N)’s shoulders and made her look at him.

“(Y/N)...you are not a slave anymore. You are a jedi. A brave, strong Jedi. You have the power to face him again.” Max told her. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

‘I won’t let him’

(Y/N) looked down at her saber again. One thing she knew was that she was going to put an end to The Slave Trader’s operation. Some would say that (Y/N) was going to take revenge. But revenge is not the way of the Jedi. She was going to bring justice. For herself and for all the other kids that man had hurt.

With confirmation that there was a child slave trader on Naboo, Kelly was able to get some Nabooian guards to accompany Max and (Y/N) in arresting The Slave Trader. The location given to Max was a closed down packing building in the lesser populated city area of Naboo. (Y/N) wasn’t surprised. He always chose a location away from any presence of authority.

The plan was simple: Max and (Y/N) would go through the front, three guards would enter from the back to try and cover the back exit, while the other two guards would wait at the entrance in case anyone tried to escape from the front. (Y/N) did advise that The Slave Trader may have a couple people working for him, so a fight was imminent.

“Are you ready?” Max asked (Y/N) as they paused in front of the main door. (Y/N) took a deep breath, unclipping her saber and squaring her shoulders.

“I’m ready.” She said. Wordlessly, she used The Force to open the door and her and Max stepped inside.

A couple men looked up at the two as they entered the room. Hirelings no doubt. There was a brief second of confusion before recognition set in and the men frantically grabbed their blasters and started aiming at the Jedi and his padawan. Max and (Y/N) activated their lightsabers and made quick work of the hirelings, deflecting their fire and sending them into various walls. Though the scuffle was anything but quiet.

“What the hell is going on in here?” The Slave Trader entered the room from an adjoining hallway. He looked at the scene before him, at all the unconscious hirelings before his eyes landed on (Y/N)

The two made eye contact and (Y/N)’s blood ran cold. For a second, she felt like the scared five-year old that this man had once owned. But the heavy weight of her saber and Max’s presence as he moved closer to her reminded (Y/N) that she was not five years old and a slave. She was sixteen and a Jedi. This man was not going to cause her fear any longer.

Recognition dawned on The Slave Trader’s face as he looked at Max and Max couldn’t help but smile at the fear that briefly flashed on the man’s face.

Before he turned and ran down the hallway he had just come from.

(Y/N) instinctively bolted after The Slave Trader, with Max right on her heels. The Slave Trader sporadically threw down shelves and boxes as he ran past to try and create obstacles in hopes of slowing his pursuers, but it didn’t do much to stop the two. (Y/N) vaulted over them easily and Max sent them flying back into their upright position. They ran past various other rooms as they chased the man, but they barely caught a glimpse of what was inside, both (Y/N) and Max’s attention were honed in on The Slave Trader.

‘You’re not getting away that easily-’

As (Y/N) was running down the hallway, her eyes caught a glimpse of something as she passed a room that made her stop in her tracks. Max crashed into her, not expecting her to suddenly stop but was able to prevent either of them from falling over.

“Why’d you stop? He’s getting away!” Max urgently said. But (Y/N)’s attention was now on the room in front of her. She moved into the room’s entryway, hoping that what she saw was wrong about what she saw. But the sight in front of her was as real as day.

When Max had told her that there were “a couple of kids”, (Y/N) expected 4 or 5. There were at least 20 kids in this room, all locked up in cages. Max had followed his padawan’s gaze and now understood why she had halted her chase so abruptly.

“(Y/N)...we can come back for them later.” Max said, lightly tugging at (Y/N)’s wrist so they could pursue their chase. But (Y/N) pulled her wrist away and moved towards one of the cages.

Inside was a young boy with curly brown hair. His face was dirty and (Y/N) could see a bruise on his cheek. She kneeled in front of the cage and made eye contact with the boy.

“What's your name?” (Y/N) quietly asked.

“Kimi.” The boy said.

(Y/N)’s heart practically shattered and something inside her started to boil. Anger. Kimi could be no older than 6. The same age (Y/N) was when she was sold. The kids in other cages looked to be of various ages, some younger, some older. It didn’t matter, (Y/N) knew they didn’t belong here.

“We need to help them Max.” (Y/N) said, standing up.

“(Y/N), the more time we spend in here, the more time he could escape. The Nabooian guards can help set them free.” Max said. He sounded frustrated. (Y/N) ignored him.

“Tell the guards to expect a bunch of children coming out of the building.”(Y/N) ignited her lightsaber and slashed at the lock on Kimi’s cage. She then started to do the same with all the other cages. Even though Max knew that they were just giving more time for The Slave Trader to get away, he also knew that to (Y/N) this was more important. He spoke to his communicator, informing the guards about the situation, then started to help (Y/N) to make the process go faster.

“Go out that door, take a left, and then go all the way down the hall and out the door. There will be guards that will help you.” (Y/N) said as she opened all doors to the cages. All the kids had started to make their way out the room. Some needed assistance, being helped by the other kids as they left the room.

Eventually Kimi was the only one left, even though he was the first one to be freed.

“You’re free now! Go!” (Y/N) exclaimed, trying to usher the boy out of the room. Kimi suddenly hugged (Y/N), catching the teen off guard.

“Thank you for helping us.” Kimi whispered. (Y/N) felt tears forming in her eyes but didn’t let them fall as she gently wrapped an arm around Kimi.

“You didn’t deserve to be treated like this. None of you did.” (Y/N) quietly said to Kimi before finally ushering the kid towards the door. It wasn’t until the boy was finally out of the room that (Y/N) wiped the tears away. Max placed a hand on her shoulder.

“C’mon, let’s finish this.” He said. (Y/N) nodded her head and Max saw something change in (Y/N)’s face that he had never seen in her before. Anger? Rage? Hatred? A mixture of all three seemed to be found on (Y/N)’s face as she gripped her lightsaber tightly. It was almost scary.

“That man’s gonna pay for what he did to these children.” (Y/N) said before running out of the room and resuming the chase.

Despite the extra time he had, The Slave Trader didn’t seem to get far. As soon as (Y/N) burst into what she assumed was the man’s office, she saw him start to climb out a raised window. (Y/N) threw up her hand and sent the man flying backwards, away from the window, before slamming him into a wall.

The anger (Y/N) felt before had come to the forefront as she finally got a proper look at the man. Despite the noticeable aging since she last saw him, he still looked cruel and cocky.

(Y/N) looked at him with hatred.

He only looked at her with slight confusion.

“Do you remember me?” (Y/N) asked.

“If you’ve chased me all the way down as one of those space wizards now, I must have made good money off of you.” He said. His eyes shifted to Max and he let out a scoff.

“Should have known you weren't an actual farmer.”

The man was slammed into the wall once again by (Y/N) with The Force and that’s when Max felt the energy in the room shift. He could not only sense the overwhelming and almost suffocating presence of The Force that was radiating off of (Y/N), but he could also sense her anger and hatred. And as (Y/N) walked over to The Slave Trader, he seemed to stay pinned to the wall. Max stayed by the doorway, just watching what was to unfold.

“You caused me so much pain. You stole away my childhood and that of countless other children.”

(Y/N) ignited her lightsaber as she stalked closer.

“What makes you think you have the right to keep children in cages and sell them for profit?” (Y/N) asked the man. He didn’t answer. (Y/N) scoffed.

“It’s a stupid question to ask you. Men like you only care about themselves.” She said. Anger burned with her as she got closer to the man. He couldn’t move, he was helpless. A small part of (Y/N) felt a sense of satisfaction at that. That this man was now the helpless one, not her.

“You should have known…that one of these days, one of us was bound to come after you and make you pay for what you have done.” (Y/N) said.

She stared into the man’s eyes. There was fear in them.

She held her saber to his neck, a green hue casting over his face. One push and it would all be over. One slice and the man that tormented her life and dreams would be no longer. One easy action and (Y/N) could live her life in peace.

But taking his life away, as he had figuratively done to her when she was a child, would make her just as bad as him. The anger and hatred that was at the forefront of all this had almost blinded her from what she was.

Jedi don’t kill out of anger and hatred.

(Y/N) gave the man one last shove against the wall before lowering her saber.

“You’ll rot in a jail cell for the rest of your life. Isolated and alone. It can’t make up for everything that you did to me or other force sensitive kids, but killing you would just give you an easy way out. Now you’ll be the one locked in a cage.” She told him before turning around and heading towards the door.

“The Nabooian guards can deal with him.” She said to Max, before leaving the room.

Max didn’t follow her.

“Pathetic…” The slave trader mumbled. Max glared at the man.

“What did you say?”

“She’s Pathetic!” The Slave trader laughed. “She had the chance to kill me and she didn’t take it!”

Max clenched his fist. That seed, now sapling, was quickly blooming and now Max felt the anger rise and it’s presence spread throughout the room.

“You’re the one who’s pathetic. You don’t know how much pain you’ve caused her. All the abuse you put her through. You’ve robbed her of sleep, all because you wanted money!” Max said as he clenched one fist around his saber, the other grasping nothing but air. He walked towards the man

The Slave Trader was finding it hard to breathe as an unseen force closed around his throat as Max got closer.

“She showed you a kindness by sparing her life.”

Branches of rage and anger stretched out, across Max’s lungs, wrapping around his ribs and poking at his heart. Anger was the only thing Max felt in this moment.

In one swift motion, Max ignited his lightsaber and drove it through The Slave Trader’s gut.

“You don’t deserve kindness.”

Max watched the man’s body slump to the ground and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Justice had finally been delivered.

But despite the fact that Max felt justified in his actions, the tree that had planted itself in Max’s chest quickly withered and died as Max continued to stare at the body in front of him. With the now present absent of that anger, Max was now faced with the fact that he had just killed a man.

That fact followed Max all the way back to Kelly’s house. It left a pit in his stomach as his mind swirled with conflicted thoughts.

Anger and hate were two feelings that were constantly told to Jedi to not let it control them and yet that was what Max had let happen. He had let his anger blind him, and even if it was temporary, it didn’t erase the body he left at the warehouse.

‘If he continued living, he would always have a chance at harming force sensitive kids like (Y/N) again.’

That was what Max kept telling himself every time the image of the man’s dead body appeared in his head. But no matter how much he tried to tell himself, he still didn’t feel justified.

As he stepped foot into Senator Piquet’s bedroom, Max was hoping that Kelly could help ease his worries, tell him that what he did was justified and that he did the right thing. But her expression mirrored his own as worry was present on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“My guards informed me what happened.” Kelly said.

Max froze. Kelly’s gaze seemed to pierce right through him and instantly made him feel guilty. He didn’t know how to respond to her, and Kelly continued after Max’s continuous silence.

“They told me that when they got there to apprehend him…they found him dead. It was clear that he was killed by a lightsaber.” Keylly said. “And they told me that (Y/N) had come out of the building, and you weren’t with her. You didn’t leave the building until a couple of minutes after (Y/N).”

Kelly stepped forward, the worry growing on her face.

“(Y/N) said you'd bring him in alive,” Kelly said. “What happened, Max?”

Max stepped closer to Kelly.

“I did what I had to Kelly. You saw how much this man’s very presence affected (Y/N)...and the amount of children he had locked in cages. He couldn’t be left alive! Even if he was arrested and thrown in a jail cell, there was always the possibility that he could get out and continue harming kids!”

Kelly closed the distance between her and Max and gently grabbed his hands. Max couldn’t meet her eyes.

“But I feel like…I didn’t do the right thing.” Max said. “The guilt isn’t going away Kelly. I don’t know what to do. Jedi aren’t supposed to kill unless in self defense and no matter how much I justify it, this feeling won’t go away. And the anger I felt…I thought it was going to consume me…it didn’t go away till that man was dead.”

“Does (Y/N) know…that you killed him?”

“No. I’m worried about her though…I had never seen her that angry before.”

Max doesn’t tell Kelly about how close it had almost gotten to (Y/N) being the one to kill The Slavetrader. That was something that stayed between him and (Y/N).

“I think you should tell her. She has a right to know that the man who tormented her as a child is dead.” Kelly said. Max nodded his head.

“I need to check up on her anyway.” He said. Still not meeting Kelly’s eyes, he gently kissed her cheek before pulling away and leaving to find his padawan.

It wasn’t hard to find (Y/N) as she sat outside on the back porch. She almost looked calm as she stared up at the stars, but Max could sense her unease.

“Hey…” Max quietly said to get her attention.

“Hey…” (Y/N) briefly looked at him before looking back at the stars. Max walked over and took a seat next to her, also deciding to gaze at the stars.

“How are you feeling?” He asked. (Y/N) looked down at her hands.

“I’m…ok…i guess.” She said,

“Are you sure?”

(Y/N) shook her head.

“I know I should feel some sense of relief, that it’s all over and that man won’t hurt anyone again. But I can’t keep thinking about how I felt, back in that room.”(Y/N) said. Max turned and looked at (Y/N).

“I almost lost myself in there, Max. I was so caught up in all the anger and pain that that man had caused me, that I almost let it control me and kill him. I know that you and Seb have taught me countless times to not let my emotions control my actions and I’m terrified that this could happen again.” She told him, now turning to look at him.

‘It won’t’ That’s what Max was supposed to tell her. That even though she had the capabilities of her anger overpowering her thinking, that it wouldn’t happen again as long she continued to control her emotions. Max would have told her that…if the same thing didn’t happen to him. And that’s why he was sitting in front of her right now.

“(Y/N), I need to tell you something…”

“What is it?”

Max knew that telling (Y/N) about what he had done to that slave trader may ease the guilt that was eating him from the inside, relieve him of some of the stress or at least help him comprehend what exactly he had done. She had a right to know.

“I…I uh…”

Max looked at (Y/N) with an expression that made it hard for him to even speak the words that he needed to say.

“I’m dating Senator Piquet”

~~~

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#f1 x reader #formula 1 x reader #f1 x y/n #max verstappen x reader #stars racing past

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