RISING SUNS
CHAPTER ONE ~ BREAKING NEWS
By Tahiri Solo
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DISCLAIMER: All the characters, places and such mentioned in this story are property of Lucasfilm. I own nothing and am in no way making any money off of this story. Also, if this story bears any resemblance to stories written by others, it is purely coincidental. No infringement is intended.
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Tahiri Veila was siting on her bunk in the Errant Venture, pondering the universe - or more specifically, why her best friend in the galaxy had kissed her only a few weeks
before - when she heard a knock on her door.
"C'mon in," she called, and was happy when Tionne walked in. Tionne had been a mother figure to her ever since her early days at the Jedi academy.
"Hi," Tahiri said with a smile. "What's going on?"
Tionne did not return her smile. Her eyes were grave as she said, "Tahiri, Kam, Master Skywalker and I all need to talk to you. It's important."
Tahiri's first thought was to wonder if they had found out about what she and Anakin had been doing in that locker, but she quickly pushed that thought away. Corran wouldn't have told - would he?
But from the look on Tionne's face, she knew it was something serious. "What is it? What's going on?" she asked in alarm.
"Come on," Tionne said softly. "We all need to talk to you."
Tahiri suddenly wanted Anakin with her, to hold her hand and calm her down. She knew something was very wrong and she was scared. "Can Anakin come too?" she asked softly.
"Sure, if you want him to," Tionne said. "Go and get him, then meet me in Master Luke's quarters."
Tahiri nodded mutely, then ran off to Anakin's room.
She reached his room about a minute later, and she rapped on his door, shifting nervously on her bare feet.
Anakin poked his head out of her door, and his eyes widened when he saw the panicked look in her eyes. "Tahiri, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," she responded softly. "Tionne just came into my room and told me that she and Kam and Master Skywalker need to talk with me. They say it's urgent. And I'm scared," she added in a whisper. "I wanted you to come with me."
Anakin stepped out of his room and gave her a hug. "It'll be okay," he murmured. "It can't be that bad."
"What if they found out what we did in that locker?"
Anakin smiled. "Well, if they did, then we tell them the truth. That yes, we did kiss."
"But that would be so embarrassing," Tahiri moaned. "And what if we get in trouble for it?"
"I won't deny that it would be embarrassing," Anakin agreed. "But I still don't regret having done that, and nothing they can do to us would ever make me regret it."
Tahiri smiled. "Good. Let's go and get this over with, then."
Anakin smiled reassuringly at her, and they walked off.
A few minutes later, they were seated in Master Skywalker's quarters. Tahiri shifted nervously, and Anakin squeezed her hand, sending her reassurance with the Force.
"What is this all about?" Anakin asked, hoping to get this over with soon. He didn't like seeing Tahiri upset.
"As you know, Kam and I have determined that we can begin moving Jedi to that planet we located," Tionne began.
"And we are sending the first shipment of Jedi very soon," Luke continued. "We'd like you to go with them."
"To help?" Tahiri asked.
"No," Kam said gently, "to live there. You're too young to help with the fighting Tahiri, and this way would be best for everyone."
Tahiri's mouth dropped open. "You can't be serious." She searched their faces for some sign that this was all just a sick joke.
She found none.
Tahiri's heart nearly stopped. "No. No, no, no, I'm not going."
"You have to," Tionne said, as if trying to rationalize with her. "It wouldn't be safe for you to stay here."
"You don't really have a choice," Luke said, looking earnestly into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I truly am. I know you want to stay here. But this is the best thing for everyone involved, and someday you will see that."
Tahiri was nearly rendered speechless - for her, an amazing thing. She turned to Anakin, her last hope. He would get her out of this. He had to. He would. He had never failed her before.
"Anakin?" she asked in a tiny whisper.
Without any warning, Anakin suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her close against his chest. He then kissed her softly, right there in the middle of the room, with everyone watching.
When he pulled away, Tahiri could plainly see the pain in his eyes. "Tahiri," he said in a strained voice, "don't think I don't want you with me, because I do. More than you could imagine. But maybe it would be best if you went. You'd be safe there."
Tahiri's eyes widened, feeling more betrayed than she had ever been in her entire life. She pulled back out of Anakin's arms. "I should have known." She hurled the words at him, watching him flinch with satisfaction. "All that went on in that locker - it was all just an act. You never really did care about me, and you never did want me to be with you. Well, I will have you know, Anakin Solo, that I wanted to be with you more than anything else in the galaxy. But since you seem to disagree with me, I'll be packing. Kam, Tionne, I'll be ready as soon as you are."
With that, she ran out of the room before anyone could see her tears.
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Tahiri was in her room, packing, and shaking uncontrollably.
Why had Anakin done that to her? Why?
She fought against tears, but in the end, they won the battle. Tahiri threw herself facedown on her bed and wept.
CHAPTER ONE ~ BREAKING NEWS
By Tahiri Solo
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
DISCLAIMER: All the characters, places and such mentioned in this story are property of Lucasfilm. I own nothing and am in no way making any money off of this story. Also, if this story bears any resemblance to stories written by others, it is purely coincidental. No infringement is intended.
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Tahiri Veila was siting on her bunk in the Errant Venture, pondering the universe - or more specifically, why her best friend in the galaxy had kissed her only a few weeks
before - when she heard a knock on her door.
"C'mon in," she called, and was happy when Tionne walked in. Tionne had been a mother figure to her ever since her early days at the Jedi academy.
"Hi," Tahiri said with a smile. "What's going on?"
Tionne did not return her smile. Her eyes were grave as she said, "Tahiri, Kam, Master Skywalker and I all need to talk to you. It's important."
Tahiri's first thought was to wonder if they had found out about what she and Anakin had been doing in that locker, but she quickly pushed that thought away. Corran wouldn't have told - would he?
But from the look on Tionne's face, she knew it was something serious. "What is it? What's going on?" she asked in alarm.
"Come on," Tionne said softly. "We all need to talk to you."
Tahiri suddenly wanted Anakin with her, to hold her hand and calm her down. She knew something was very wrong and she was scared. "Can Anakin come too?" she asked softly.
"Sure, if you want him to," Tionne said. "Go and get him, then meet me in Master Luke's quarters."
Tahiri nodded mutely, then ran off to Anakin's room.
She reached his room about a minute later, and she rapped on his door, shifting nervously on her bare feet.
Anakin poked his head out of her door, and his eyes widened when he saw the panicked look in her eyes. "Tahiri, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," she responded softly. "Tionne just came into my room and told me that she and Kam and Master Skywalker need to talk with me. They say it's urgent. And I'm scared," she added in a whisper. "I wanted you to come with me."
Anakin stepped out of his room and gave her a hug. "It'll be okay," he murmured. "It can't be that bad."
"What if they found out what we did in that locker?"
Anakin smiled. "Well, if they did, then we tell them the truth. That yes, we did kiss."
"But that would be so embarrassing," Tahiri moaned. "And what if we get in trouble for it?"
"I won't deny that it would be embarrassing," Anakin agreed. "But I still don't regret having done that, and nothing they can do to us would ever make me regret it."
Tahiri smiled. "Good. Let's go and get this over with, then."
Anakin smiled reassuringly at her, and they walked off.
A few minutes later, they were seated in Master Skywalker's quarters. Tahiri shifted nervously, and Anakin squeezed her hand, sending her reassurance with the Force.
"What is this all about?" Anakin asked, hoping to get this over with soon. He didn't like seeing Tahiri upset.
"As you know, Kam and I have determined that we can begin moving Jedi to that planet we located," Tionne began.
"And we are sending the first shipment of Jedi very soon," Luke continued. "We'd like you to go with them."
"To help?" Tahiri asked.
"No," Kam said gently, "to live there. You're too young to help with the fighting Tahiri, and this way would be best for everyone."
Tahiri's mouth dropped open. "You can't be serious." She searched their faces for some sign that this was all just a sick joke.
She found none.
Tahiri's heart nearly stopped. "No. No, no, no, I'm not going."
"You have to," Tionne said, as if trying to rationalize with her. "It wouldn't be safe for you to stay here."
"You don't really have a choice," Luke said, looking earnestly into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I truly am. I know you want to stay here. But this is the best thing for everyone involved, and someday you will see that."
Tahiri was nearly rendered speechless - for her, an amazing thing. She turned to Anakin, her last hope. He would get her out of this. He had to. He would. He had never failed her before.
"Anakin?" she asked in a tiny whisper.
Without any warning, Anakin suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her close against his chest. He then kissed her softly, right there in the middle of the room, with everyone watching.
When he pulled away, Tahiri could plainly see the pain in his eyes. "Tahiri," he said in a strained voice, "don't think I don't want you with me, because I do. More than you could imagine. But maybe it would be best if you went. You'd be safe there."
Tahiri's eyes widened, feeling more betrayed than she had ever been in her entire life. She pulled back out of Anakin's arms. "I should have known." She hurled the words at him, watching him flinch with satisfaction. "All that went on in that locker - it was all just an act. You never really did care about me, and you never did want me to be with you. Well, I will have you know, Anakin Solo, that I wanted to be with you more than anything else in the galaxy. But since you seem to disagree with me, I'll be packing. Kam, Tionne, I'll be ready as soon as you are."
With that, she ran out of the room before anyone could see her tears.
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Tahiri was in her room, packing, and shaking uncontrollably.
Why had Anakin done that to her? Why?
She fought against tears, but in the end, they won the battle. Tahiri threw herself facedown on her bed and wept.