First chap = disclaimers
Thanks to all my very patient reviewers. I have been swamped with midterms and graduation plans this week, so all of my stories are behind as far as updating goes. Thank you again for your patience.
As you can see, the requested Anakin/Tahiri scene is in this chapter. I decided to do his reaction and everything in a sort of flashback scene instead of having a short scene and then a medium sized one. I hope you like it.
Also, any and all may engage in character bashing if so desired, just return them in reusable condition. I believe Cammy has the rights to Kyp at the moment, but if you ask nicely, I'm sure she'll let you take a few whacks.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Anakin ran his hand over the place where his braid used to be. He had had it so many years that it felt almost empty. He frowned. It felt just like his head felt now that his bond with Obi-Wan had been broken. It was difficult to adjust to the fainter bond that was necessarily imposed. Eventually, he would again share a strong bond with is mentor, but for now, he was forced to live with barely a hint of his presence so that he would become an independent Jedi.
When Obi-wan had told him he was going to take the trials. He had protested. Anakin was not one to feel fear, but it had truthfully scared him senseless. It had been bad enough when he was forced to go away, but being a permanent individual had petrified him. Of course, Obi-Wan had sensed that.
In his wise teacher tone he'd said, "It is necessary, Anakin."
"I understand that, and I understand that I am ready. But, I don't know why it has to be now. Ani going away doesn't mean I have to take the trials."
"No, Ani going away does not mean that you have to take the trials. But, it is good timing. I have to cut you free soon anyway."
"Because I'm ready, and I should not hang on."
"Because I cannot compete, space is growing thin in your mind Anakin. It is my place to withdraw."
Anakin had not comprehended at the time, and after the knighting ceremony, he'd been in too much pain to sort it out. Now, he had deciphered Obi-Wan's comment. He had been doing his morning meditation when he felt it. A bright speck glistened in the background of his mind. It was a foreign speck, but not unwelcome. A gentle probe had revealed that it was not as foreign as supposed. He could recognize Tahiri's signature almost as easily as he could recognize a family member's. Obi-Wan had felt it there and withdrawn. Now, Anakin had to face his newly discovered bond.
He knew it would eventually happen. He had known it since the moment that he had first laid eyes on her golden head that he was bound to fall in love with her. It was ironic that he had used Tahiri's age as his major deterrent. Now was the exact year that she turned eighteen. She was no longer a child; she was a legal adult.
In truth, Anakin had contemplated their relationship many times. He had debated the right and wrong aspects of it many times. Mostly within himself, but sometimes he would discuss them with Qui-Gon or Han or Chewie or Ani. Never had he had the courage to broach the subject with Obi-Wan.
After the shock of their first and only kiss, he'd felt incredibly warm inside. Then he'd been endowed with one of his greatest struggles. He had been forced to examine his own beliefs in the Jedi culture. What did he really believe? Often, he had watched the New Order with interest. He had been trained one way, but the new way had some additional appealing facets even if they lacked in some areas. The most appealing facet was that he was allowed a family. He could not deny that he craved one. Always he had built one around himself and eventually he knew that would lead to wanting his own children.
Anakin shook his head. He had thought that he had hidden it all so well, debating the inner workings of the order, debating the rightness of his growing love. Somehow, Obi-Wan had known. He really shouldn't be surprised. After all, Obi-Wan had already had one apprentice sneak a lover behind his back, and truthfully, Ani and Padme had done much more planning in implementing their concealment.
Anakin turned to face a door he had visited many times. Gently, he knocked. Obi-Wan opened the door almost immediately. A severed bond did not mean they couldn't talk. They just couldn't use the Force to communicate.
"You are here to discuss Tahiri I take it."
Anakin nodded and stepped inside. "I don't know what to do."
"That is a lie. You know full well what you are going to do. You just won't admit it."
"Maybe I do know what I want to do, but I'm not sure what I should do."
"Anakin, though my body is young, I am in reality a very old man. I am again thrust with a responsibility of utmost importance. And I have a very good chance of being killed, so does Qui-Gon. If the Republic doesn't kill Ani, this situation could do him in also. You will have nothing left. You unfortunately are in an Order that no longer exists. But, you do have the benefit of being born into a living Order. Take your opportunity. I have little left but my duty. Even if everything goes well, I will never be truly accepted. You do not have that burden. You are not trapped in your past; you are stuck in your future. Embrace it. Embrace her. Your bond will teach you many things I will never know. I envy you your opportunity to change."
"Thank you, Master."
Anakin left the room. It hurt him to hear his Master's outlook, but it also freed him. He knew now what he was going to do. But, first, he had to locate Tahiri.
After a few rounds of inquiries, he found out that Tahiri was flying back from a short visit to one of the neighboring worlds. Anakin bounded over to the landing area to await her arrival. As he waited, his eyes landed on a small ship. It was a small fighter that had been given to the academy. What was a stray thought one moment was a reality the next as he deftly started the ship and launched out into space.
Anakin sped quickly through space. He nimbly flipped his ship upside-down, turned around and floated belly to belly with the craft that carried Tahiri. Anakin felt a Force probe moments before his own sister's voice came over the comm.
"I was going to ask who you were and what your business was, but seems how I know who your are, what are you up to Anakin?"
"I came out to fly Tahiri's ship in."
"Well, I don't think that we need your help."
"Well, if you don't need my help, then I guess you won't back down from racing me down to the planet surface."
"Anakin, that's childish."
"What are you afraid you'll lose? I'll be fair. I'll fly upside-down until we reach the academy."
"You are more insane than Kenobi is."
"That is part of my charm."
Anakin quickly engaged his throttle. Jaina followed suit a split second later. The high speed chase that followed was met with a chorus of giggles from Tahiri. As they entered the atmosphere, Jaina managed an edge on Anakin and scored a prefect landing.
Anakin shot right by the landing pad, still upside-down. He looped upward and around then dove straight towards the landing pad. At the last possible moment, he flipped his ship over and turned on the reverse thrusters. Gently, he placed the craft back into its original slot.
As Anakin pulled himself out of the cockpit, Jaina started reprimanding him.
"That was totally uncalled for. You could have gotten yourself killed. If you were in my squadron, do you know how bad you would be chewed out for a stunt like that?"
Anakin grinned at his sister and walked right past her to where Tahiri was standing. She smiled as he approached, but she did not have the opportunity to say anything. Anakin quickly pulled her against his body and kissed her soundly.
"Welcome back." He murmured.
""Wow." Was all she could say in return.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Ani sighed as he was led out into the visiting room of his maximum security prison. It had taken him a while to get used to being so confined. Even when he was Watto's slave, he had still been able to roam around. Other than that, it really hadn't been all that bad. He did not have to worry about feeling lonely. It seemed everyone wanted to talk to the famous Darth Vader. Plus, his incarceration had spawned more protests. These, however, were in his favor. Many were saying that it was hypocritical of the Republic to try a man they had publicly acknowledged as the hero who killed Palpatine. They had even allowed Leia to put up a commemorative statue. What made them think they could take it all back? The outpouring of public support heartened him.
The prison food was not very good. It truly did not bother him though. Ani laughed internally. He never thought Obi-Wan's cooking would ever do anything but cause indigestion.
He gave a nod of thanks to the guard as he was shown into the room. Luke was sitting at the discussion table apparently calm. Ani knew better than to believe the façade. Luke was far from the serene Jedi Master he seemed at the moment.
"Luke."
"Father."
"I know what you are going to say, and it was my decision. If Obi-Wan could not argue me out of it, then you sure couldn't have."
"I think I could debate that. It seems to me that I've talked you into one thing that Obi-Wan never could."
"That was because of a father's love, so is this. It is what is best all around. I would not be a very good Jedi if I allowed my personal comfort to come before the rest of the Order and the Galaxy for that matter."
"I wish you would have consulted me first."
"Consulting you would only have delayed the inevitable. You may have been able to dissuade me. We may have even been able to sway the Republic without me doing this. But, I would never have been at rest. Always there would be someone hounding me. This will finally give closure to my past. It gives me the opportunity to make amends that even killing Palpatine did not accomplish."
Luke nodded. He knew the argument, and whether he agreed with it or not, there was no way that he could change what already was.
"What are you going to do? There is no way that you can deny Alderaan."
"Well, I have plenty of time to avoid that particular instance. My lawyer is going to argue that I am technically a citizen of the Empire. Once that goes through, the Empire will have to agree to my prosecution. Of course, they will. They are not stupid enough to start another war. BUT, if I am a citizen of the Empire, that changes my trial specifications. Many of my crimes cannot be put through because they were acts of war. The more heinous ones will have to be tried under war crimes instead of regular laws. Then, the war crimes I am guilty of will be contrasted with the good I did the Galaxy by killing the Emperor."
"Won't the Empire be able to charge you with the murder of its head?"
"Well, they could, but they won't. The people in power in the Empire are there mainly because I killed Palpatine and spared their lives. They aren't exactly about to open up that can of worms. The instant they press charges against me, they are going to have the press digging into their backyards. Their reputations are dangling as it is. Besides, the Empire is fully behind our attack on Callista. They aren't exactly fond of being assinated."
The guard came back to inform them that their time was almost up. Luke rose up from his chair.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"No, but I will be fine for now. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you."
