* Promises *
Just keeping her eyes open sent shockwaves down her spine, but Tahiri Veila could not go to sleep. It wasn't the matter that her body did not want to shut down and give into the relaxation; she just could not handle closing her eyes without knowing Anakin would be there when she awoke.
And he never would again.
Snuggling out of Jacen's arms, Tahiri pulled the blanket he had thrown over them using the Force. The soft rhythmic sound of his breathing reminded her so much of Anakin. After Jacen had heard it was Kyp over his father's comlink, he ushered her out of the waiting room and into her rooms in hope to shield Tahiri from what reality that may be with his sister.
*He forgot that I'm still a Jedi, * she remarked halfheartedly to herself. Inside Tahiri attempted to laugh, but the empty void that still filled her heart, her soul, sucked away any sort of joy that she tried to create.
"Tahiri…" a voice whispered.
The sound made her jump out of Jacen's arms, causing her to roll to the floor off the ground. Thudding out of her chest, her heart pounded. Sprawled on the carpeted cold floor, Tahiri kept her eyes focused on the shadowed ground. Minutes past before the Jedi Knight dared to make a move.
Barely on her knees, she heard it again. "Tahiri, what are you doing on the ground?"
Glancing behind her, Tahiri scrambled on her legs clutching the blanket close to her chest. "W-what the hell are y…you doing in here?" she stuttered, struggling to keep her composure. Already it had been hard enough from not breaking down in front of others, but she could have sworn that the voice belonged to him. "How'd you get in here?"
Shadows hid the Jedi Master's face, but even not seeing his expression she knew Corran's face was full of disappointment. "Tahiri, you know better than that…"
"You promised!"
"What?" Corran spoke shocked. "Promised what?"
"Back when Anakin rescued me from the Yuuzhan Vong shapers, you promised that neither of us would die under your care." Her voice was full of anger and hurt. The tips of her fingers were numb from the cold air of the ship.
He did not answer. Corran had made that promise before this whole thing had ever happened and he knew. The promise he had bonded constantly haunted him since the plasma fire hit the ship back in Yuuzhan Vong space. "I'm sorry. I did make promise, and I intended to keep it, but I only broke it." Tears were swelling in the older Jedi's eyes. He turned to leave. "I just came here to tell you how much I think of you as one of my own, and what you did… what you had to do took courage that wasn't inside any of us."
Before he had a chance to leave, Tahiri ran to his side with shock on her face. He turned and looked at her. Water was full in her deep eyes and her were shaking as well. She opened her mouth so say something but nothing came out. Corran's heart began to break but he wrapped a fatherly arm around the grief stricken teen.
"I'm so sorry Tahiri."
Pushing herself away from him, the Jedi Knight looked up. "No, I'm sorry I accused you. It wasn't you're fault. It was those killed him who are to blame, not you."
"That's true but he did die under my protect."
"And what else could you have done to prevent such a thing." Her question echoed through the hallway.
Corran was hesitant before answering. "You're right."
"I'm sorry for what I said back in there. It just hurts and I'm so mad I wanted to point my hurt towards someone else…"
"It's alright." He paused before speaking again casting his eyes to the floor. Grasping her hands he whispered under his breath. "Before Anakin died he mentioned that he was afraid of losing both you and Jacen to the darkside. He also told me t—" his comlink went blaring off in the silent hallway. Retracting his hands, they shot to silence the communications link. Glancing down to the code number, his eyes widened in fear. Threw the Force, Tahiri knew he had to leave.
"It's ok. I'll wait."
"Thank you." With that Corran rushed off leaving behind the young girl.
"Tahiri?" Spinning frantically around Tahiri felt a comforting arms reach around her. With tears falling down from her eyes she felt a friendly warmth of love from what felt like Anakin but she knew it wasn't. Then she felt it rise onto her lips.
Just keeping her eyes open sent shockwaves down her spine, but Tahiri Veila could not go to sleep. It wasn't the matter that her body did not want to shut down and give into the relaxation; she just could not handle closing her eyes without knowing Anakin would be there when she awoke.
And he never would again.
Snuggling out of Jacen's arms, Tahiri pulled the blanket he had thrown over them using the Force. The soft rhythmic sound of his breathing reminded her so much of Anakin. After Jacen had heard it was Kyp over his father's comlink, he ushered her out of the waiting room and into her rooms in hope to shield Tahiri from what reality that may be with his sister.
*He forgot that I'm still a Jedi, * she remarked halfheartedly to herself. Inside Tahiri attempted to laugh, but the empty void that still filled her heart, her soul, sucked away any sort of joy that she tried to create.
"Tahiri…" a voice whispered.
The sound made her jump out of Jacen's arms, causing her to roll to the floor off the ground. Thudding out of her chest, her heart pounded. Sprawled on the carpeted cold floor, Tahiri kept her eyes focused on the shadowed ground. Minutes past before the Jedi Knight dared to make a move.
Barely on her knees, she heard it again. "Tahiri, what are you doing on the ground?"
Glancing behind her, Tahiri scrambled on her legs clutching the blanket close to her chest. "W-what the hell are y…you doing in here?" she stuttered, struggling to keep her composure. Already it had been hard enough from not breaking down in front of others, but she could have sworn that the voice belonged to him. "How'd you get in here?"
Shadows hid the Jedi Master's face, but even not seeing his expression she knew Corran's face was full of disappointment. "Tahiri, you know better than that…"
"You promised!"
"What?" Corran spoke shocked. "Promised what?"
"Back when Anakin rescued me from the Yuuzhan Vong shapers, you promised that neither of us would die under your care." Her voice was full of anger and hurt. The tips of her fingers were numb from the cold air of the ship.
He did not answer. Corran had made that promise before this whole thing had ever happened and he knew. The promise he had bonded constantly haunted him since the plasma fire hit the ship back in Yuuzhan Vong space. "I'm sorry. I did make promise, and I intended to keep it, but I only broke it." Tears were swelling in the older Jedi's eyes. He turned to leave. "I just came here to tell you how much I think of you as one of my own, and what you did… what you had to do took courage that wasn't inside any of us."
Before he had a chance to leave, Tahiri ran to his side with shock on her face. He turned and looked at her. Water was full in her deep eyes and her were shaking as well. She opened her mouth so say something but nothing came out. Corran's heart began to break but he wrapped a fatherly arm around the grief stricken teen.
"I'm so sorry Tahiri."
Pushing herself away from him, the Jedi Knight looked up. "No, I'm sorry I accused you. It wasn't you're fault. It was those killed him who are to blame, not you."
"That's true but he did die under my protect."
"And what else could you have done to prevent such a thing." Her question echoed through the hallway.
Corran was hesitant before answering. "You're right."
"I'm sorry for what I said back in there. It just hurts and I'm so mad I wanted to point my hurt towards someone else…"
"It's alright." He paused before speaking again casting his eyes to the floor. Grasping her hands he whispered under his breath. "Before Anakin died he mentioned that he was afraid of losing both you and Jacen to the darkside. He also told me t—" his comlink went blaring off in the silent hallway. Retracting his hands, they shot to silence the communications link. Glancing down to the code number, his eyes widened in fear. Threw the Force, Tahiri knew he had to leave.
"It's ok. I'll wait."
"Thank you." With that Corran rushed off leaving behind the young girl.
"Tahiri?" Spinning frantically around Tahiri felt a comforting arms reach around her. With tears falling down from her eyes she felt a friendly warmth of love from what felt like Anakin but she knew it wasn't. Then she felt it rise onto her lips.