* Solo's Sacrifice *
Jacen had been talking with his Uncle Luke about his little brother for over two hours. He never liked the idea that he didn't contact the family and tell them what he was about to do. It just wasn't like Anakin either, to keep such a thing a secret. "Why did he have to go?" for the first time, Jacen found himself worried for his younger sibling. After what he did to him, his insides felt twisted and guilty after he had kissed Tahiri, though no one else knew except the three of them. "Why didn't you call a meeting to discuss this whole thing?"
Luke's manner was calm but slightly ruffled as if he knew something the younger man did not. "Jacen, this wasn't a decision made for everyone. They're only going to check out some disturbances at the edge of the Yuuzhan Vong border, that's all."
"But—" before he could get out the rest of what he was going to say his comlink buzzed. Pulling it out, he recognized the code immediately and pressed the clearance button to allow the private communications channel to be accessed. "Anakin?"
"Hey big brother. Listen I need you to do me a big favor." In the background, Jacen could hear his brother using a gunning station. "You have to promise to do it."
"Sure anything?"
There was a long pause before he responded, but when he did Anakin's words came out strangely calm and tranquil, but even Jacen could feel through the Force that tears were swelling in his eyes. "Give Tahiri a kiss for me."
"What? No Anakin, you're coming back n—"
"JACEN, JUST PROMISE YOU WILL!"
"I c—"
"PROMISE!"
"I will." The words tore his heart in millions of pieces. At that very moment a deafening sound erupted from the com link, and then static.
"NO! ANAKIN!" Tahiri's voice screamed from behind the uncle and nephew. Turning around, Jacen raced towards her and caught her in his arms before she fell to the hard duracrete floor. "No…" her words now were choked up by tears and pain. Grasping on Jacen's arm, tears flowed freely and deeply from her eyes and soul. A feeling of dèja vu swept her body and then she remembered the vision she had seen while last in Jacen's arms. Everything around her seemed to go in slow motion, any slight sound seemed to amplify in her ears causing them to feel as if they were bleeding.
And then a voice. Soft and comforting, it seemed to beckon to her soul. *Tahiri? * It whispered quietly in her heart.
*Anakin… you can't be… *
*I love you Tahiri. Be strong for me. *
*Ani— *
*Please be strong. * The voice whispered to her again and again, tell her sobs and eyes grew to heavy for even her to bare.
Jacen had been talking with his Uncle Luke about his little brother for over two hours. He never liked the idea that he didn't contact the family and tell them what he was about to do. It just wasn't like Anakin either, to keep such a thing a secret. "Why did he have to go?" for the first time, Jacen found himself worried for his younger sibling. After what he did to him, his insides felt twisted and guilty after he had kissed Tahiri, though no one else knew except the three of them. "Why didn't you call a meeting to discuss this whole thing?"
Luke's manner was calm but slightly ruffled as if he knew something the younger man did not. "Jacen, this wasn't a decision made for everyone. They're only going to check out some disturbances at the edge of the Yuuzhan Vong border, that's all."
"But—" before he could get out the rest of what he was going to say his comlink buzzed. Pulling it out, he recognized the code immediately and pressed the clearance button to allow the private communications channel to be accessed. "Anakin?"
"Hey big brother. Listen I need you to do me a big favor." In the background, Jacen could hear his brother using a gunning station. "You have to promise to do it."
"Sure anything?"
There was a long pause before he responded, but when he did Anakin's words came out strangely calm and tranquil, but even Jacen could feel through the Force that tears were swelling in his eyes. "Give Tahiri a kiss for me."
"What? No Anakin, you're coming back n—"
"JACEN, JUST PROMISE YOU WILL!"
"I c—"
"PROMISE!"
"I will." The words tore his heart in millions of pieces. At that very moment a deafening sound erupted from the com link, and then static.
"NO! ANAKIN!" Tahiri's voice screamed from behind the uncle and nephew. Turning around, Jacen raced towards her and caught her in his arms before she fell to the hard duracrete floor. "No…" her words now were choked up by tears and pain. Grasping on Jacen's arm, tears flowed freely and deeply from her eyes and soul. A feeling of dèja vu swept her body and then she remembered the vision she had seen while last in Jacen's arms. Everything around her seemed to go in slow motion, any slight sound seemed to amplify in her ears causing them to feel as if they were bleeding.
And then a voice. Soft and comforting, it seemed to beckon to her soul. *Tahiri? * It whispered quietly in her heart.
*Anakin… you can't be… *
*I love you Tahiri. Be strong for me. *
*Ani— *
*Please be strong. * The voice whispered to her again and again, tell her sobs and eyes grew to heavy for even her to bare.