You Get Me-Chapter 4
He was following her--- again.
It wasn't that Tahiri could feel him approaching through the Force. No, it was simpler than that. She could hear his heavy footsteps as they padded up the corridor behind her. Sighing inwardly, she refused to stop, even when he called her name. Instead, she continued on into the dining hall wishing he'd just go away and leave her alone. For the past week he'd been practically stalking her. Every time she turned around, there he was. at meals, in the training room, even in the local library, a place she'd been using as a get away for the past few months. Life on the planet of Mon Calamari, the current capital of the Galactic Alliance, was too full of people. Studying in the library helped to balance out her life between the ruthless daily workouts she put herself through and the peaceful solitude she'd grown to crave ever since.
Ever since Anakin had died.
Increasing her pace, she managed to put more distance between herself and Jacen, enough so that he would have to push his way through several people to catch up with her in the food service line. Taking a tray, she hurriedly made her way down the line, taking fewer items than she normally would have. Curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't resist a quick glance to see if he was still in pursuit. Peering around the Mon Cal beside her, she was met by the smiling face of Jacen Solo five people down the line. He offered her a friendly little wave, and she snapped her gaze away with a jerk.
She sighed again, annoyed at his undaunting persistence, yet strangely amused at the same time--- something she hadn't felt in a long time. Surely, he had better things to do than baby-sit her, and it was clear that's exactly what he was doing. Until he had returned, she had been able to stay under everyone else's radar, making them believe she was well over Anakin's passing. She had nearly convinced herself that she was okay, too, until Jacen showed up. He had some kind of second sense about her inner workings, and he was just enough like his younger brother to bring the memories flooding back, and with it, the pain.
Quickly, she paid the cashier droid and preceded to find a seat at an empty table in the large, open eating area. Glancing up at the transparent ceiling, she still felt queasy every time she came here. It didn't seem natural for a girl from the dry, sandy planet of Tatooine to be eating under water. Luckily, most of the time she didn't have to think about being submerged under the ocean, but here the ceiling of the dining hall was made of a transparisteel dome so that diners could enjoy the view of Mon Cal's wide variety of marine life.
With a shudder, she returned to the food on her plate.
"Credit for your thoughts," Jacen offered as he slipped into the seat across from Tahiri. She glanced up to find the Jedi smiling warmly at her. It was amazing how grown up he looked now, she noted.
"No thoughts," she replied and then stabbed a fork into something fishy and pink. Avoiding eye contact with him was a necessity. He was way too perceptive for her comfort.
"Oh, I don't believe that," he argued. "Why, there's steam coming out of your ears from all the brain activity happening inside your head."
Tahiri simply glowered at him. Did she dare tell him the steam was a result of the anger at being followed around all the time?
"Now, that's not a very happy face, Tahiri. Did I say the wrong thing?" Jacen was trying the innocent act she'd seen his father try so often on his mother. and it was extremely annoying. She sat her fork down and took a deep breath.
"Look, Jacen," she began, "I know what you're doing, and really, you don't have to bother."
His goofy smile was gone, a more serious expression taking its place, and suddenly she sensed waves of strength rolling off of him. "And what exactly am I doing that I don't have to do?"
So, he was going to do this the hard way.
Tahiri sighed heavily and gathered her thoughts. "You're baby-sitting me. Every time I turn around, you're right there, following me like I'm not capable of taking care of myself. I'm surprised you haven't jumped out of my refresher yet!"
Jacen covered his mouth and tried to stifle a chuckle, which only served to irritate the young blond even more.
"I'm not a kid anymore, Jacen. I don't need to be looked after like a child."
He straightened in his chair and wiped the smile off of his face. "You're right, Tahiri. You're not a kid, and truly, I wasn't trying to act like your baby-sitter. I'm just concerned about you, that's all. You're part of our family, and---."
"No, I'm not," she interrupted firmly. "I'm not part of your family."
Jacen instantly felt the pain behind her words, words that really said, "I could have been a part. before Anakin died, but not now." At that moment, he knew that his suspicions had been correct. Tahiri hadn't worked through her grief. Not at all. And keeping all of that bitterness bottled up inside would only lead her down a path she'd later regret.
"Well, whether you think you are or not, the rest of us look at you as one of us. We all care about you and want you to be happy."
Tahiri laughed out loud and the coldness of it sent a chill down Jacen's spine. "Happy?" she asked unable to hide her frustration. "Happy?! And how would you suggest I do that, oh wise one?" She snorted and shook her head. "You have no idea."
Jacen's hand shot out and covered one of hers. "Yes, I do know. And if you let me, I could help you."
Tahiri pulled her hand out from underneath his large one and thrust her chin in the air. "I don't need your help. I'm perfectly fine."
Jacen held her gaze for a few silent moments, studying her face, especially her eyes. He could see them begin to glisten with tears, which she was fighting bravely to prevent. She wasn't yet ready to let it all go, and so Jacen relented.
"Tahiri, you're not fine. You and I both know it." She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to stop her. "I know you're in pain from all that's happened--- your capture by the Vong, Anakin's death." He noticed a tear escape and trickle lazily down her cheek at the mention of his brother's name and almost stopped. But it would do her no good if he gave up now. "I've experienced those same things and more, but I've learned that holding on to that pain won't do you any good. You've got to learn to deal with it, get over it, and move on to make yourself a better person or else it was all for naught."
He stood to go and she refused to look at him. "When you're ready to stop suffering, I'll be here to help. All you have to do is ask." He waited for just a second, hoping she'd respond, but instead she stared blankly out the wall at a passing fish.
Then he turned and left her more alone than she'd been in months. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next few days passed by and Tahiri saw no trace of Jacen anywhere. However, instead of feeling relieved, she was surprised to feel a little miffed. Deciding he must not have been as concerned about her as he implied, Tahiri slunk back into her usual routine. After a restless night's sleep, she'd get up early, shower, go to the training room and push herself past the point of all sensibility, clean up, grab some breakfast and then head to the library for some peace and quiet. Most evenings she'd spend alone in her room or sometimes strolling around the city.
One afternoon after she returned from the library, a message was waiting for her from Jaina Solo. She wanted to get together for dinner and just catch up since she had been gone on a mission for several days with Twin Suns Squadron. Tahiri accepted. The company would be nice for a change, and besides. she had to eat anyway.
They met in a small café Jaina had heard about from another pilot, and Tahiri was pleased to find the place did not serve any seafood whatsoever.
"If I have to eat one more piece of fish, I think I'll throw up!" she exclaimed as she and Jaina were led to a small table.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm dying to have a good nerf steak, and this place is supposed to have the best."
They settled in and took a look at the menu. In just a few moments, the waiter returned to take their order and bring them drinks. Tahiri realized as she sipped her beverage that Jaina was staring at her.
Jaina plopped her elbows on the table and asked bluntly, "Are you okay?"
A bit taken aback, it took Tahiri a few seconds to answer. "I'm-I'm fine."
Jaina scrutinized the younger girl's response, trying to get a good read on her. "Are you sure?"
"Jaina, I'm fine, really. Why--- why do you ask?"
Jaina sighed and leaned back in her chair shaking her head. "I don't know. It's just that Jacen has it in his head that you might not be. you know. over Anakin."
Tahiri froze and her heart lodged instantly in her throat. When would it stop hurting so badly every time she heard that name?
"I'm sorry, Tahiri," Jaina offered. "I didn't mean to upset you, which I've apparently done a bang up job of. Jacen's just worried about you. You're almost like a sister to us, you know, and we just want you to be okay." Jaina took Tahiri's silence as the end of that conversation and decided to start a new one. "All right. Enough of that. Do you want to hear about my last mission?"
Tahiri nodded her head and smiled weakly encouraging Jaina to continue, which she eagerly did. After a few minutes of Jaina's story, Tahiri tuned her out and began thinking about what Jaina had said about Jacen. Why was he so concerned about her? Why couldn't he just leave her alone like everyone else had done? He was sticking his nose where it didn't belong, and now it seemed he was bringing Jaina into it as well. Would he never be out of her life?
". and then Jag and I shot down the whole squadron of coralskippers and." Jaina continued to ramble, and Tahiri continued to nod every once in a while. But if the truth were told, she couldn't wait to get back to her room away from other people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Dinner was not as good as she had hoped. Perhaps it was the pre-meal conversation that had embittered the taste. The rest of the night was a bit strained, at least on Tahiri's end. She wasn't sure if Jaina even sensed her discomfort or not, she was so absorbed in sharing the latest relationship news between herself and Jagged Fel. Tahiri thought he was a little dry and stuffy, but he seemed to make Jaina happy which was all that really mattered she supposed.
She turned out her lights and crawled into bed, burrowing under her covers. After growing up on a desert planet with two suns, every other place seemed too cold for her liking. Using the Force, she tried to calm herself and stop thinking about dinner and Jacen. and Anakin.
Anakin. He was always somewhere in there, hiding out in the back of her mind and corners of her heart. It wouldn't take much of a trigger to shoot him to the forefront either. At first, the good memories came. when they first met. when he came to rescue her from Yavin 4. when he kissed her in the locker for the first time. But as her mind cycled through the good reminisces, her heart would start to constrict because she knew what the next image would be. There he was fighting the Vong in order to protect the rest of the strike team, and then. then he was just gone, his body merely an empty shell.
She tried to stop herself, but the sobs came anyway just like they always did, her only consolation being the fact that no one else could see her like this.
Some time later, she wasn't sure how long; she felt a light touch against her cheek and brushed it away. It came again, almost like a whisper in her ear and she flopped over to her other side.
"Tahiri."
She paused to listen without opening her eyes.
Silence.
She snuggled back into her pillow and let her mind begin to drift back to sleep.
"Tahiri."
Her eyes popped open. Did I just hear my name? she wondered as she lay frozen in her bed.
"Are you going to wake up?"
That voice!
She sat bolt upright and gasped. Sitting at the end of her bed was Anakin-- - or was it? He was smiling at her, his brown hair hanging down in front of his eyes like it always did, but something was different. All around him, an ethereal blue aura shimmered making him appear otherworldly. Was he real? She had had so many dreams over the past year that she didn't know the difference anymore.
"Anakin?" she asked warily.
"Have you forgotten what I looked like already?" he responded with a grin.
"Anakin? Are you real?" she asked again reaching out as if to touch him, her heart racing with the possibilities.
"Yes," he answered, "and no."
"What do you mean?"
He stood and walked over to her small desk. "I mean exactly what I say."
"Well, that really clears things up for me," she retorted, and he chuckled.
"Still got your sense of humor. That's good."
Now Tahiri stood up, still hesitant to get too close afraid if she touched him he'd suddenly disappear. For a dream, this was the most realistic one she'd had so far and she didn't want it to end. "Anakin," she ventured, "what--- what are you doing here? And how did you get here? Aren't you. dead?"
"I have something to show you," he stated moving toward her door. "Come with me."
She narrowed her gaze suspiciously. "Where?"
Anakin smiled. "Just come with me, Tahiri." He motioned for her to follow. Then he waved his hand, opening the door magically, and took off down the corridor. She paused for just a moment wondering whether to play along with this vision or simply crawl back into bed and pull the covers over her head.
She decided to follow.
Anakin, if indeed it was he or his ghost, was already at the end of the hall waiting for her. "Hurry up, slow poke!" he goaded. "I have something important to show you."
He led her through several dimly lit corridors, and she was concentrating so hard on keeping up with Anakin that she soon realized she had no idea where she was anymore. "Anakin, where are you taking me?"
"So many questions," he called back over his shoulder. "Just trust me. It's for your own good."
He picked up the pace and she had to break into a trot to keep up with him. After a few more minutes of travel in which she strangely passed no one else, he stopped in front of a door. "Here we are," he announced. Then the door slid open and he walked inside. Tahiri paused and peered into the room. It was dark except for the light emanating from Anakin. "Come in."
She looked up and down the hallway before stepping into the room. Anakin was standing there smiling at her, his arms crossed against his chest. She couldn't see anything unless it was in his immediate vicinity, so she walked straight toward him. Just as she stepped to within inches of him, his image began to dissipate, breaking into millions of tiny shards of light, and then he was gone.
"Nooooo!!" she cried falling to her knees.
"Tahiri?"
Ignoring the voice, she sobbed uncontrollably into her hands, not even noticing the strong arms that moved to embrace her.
"Tahiri? What--- what are you doing here?" Her hands were pulled away from her face and she looked up into the eyes of someone familiar.
"Jacen?" she choked out in between sobs. "He was here. He was right here!" she sputtered before breaking down again. Jacen pulled her tightly against his chest, rocking her back and forth.
"It's going to be okay, Tahiri," he assured her. "You're going to be okay. I promise. I promise."
He was following her--- again.
It wasn't that Tahiri could feel him approaching through the Force. No, it was simpler than that. She could hear his heavy footsteps as they padded up the corridor behind her. Sighing inwardly, she refused to stop, even when he called her name. Instead, she continued on into the dining hall wishing he'd just go away and leave her alone. For the past week he'd been practically stalking her. Every time she turned around, there he was. at meals, in the training room, even in the local library, a place she'd been using as a get away for the past few months. Life on the planet of Mon Calamari, the current capital of the Galactic Alliance, was too full of people. Studying in the library helped to balance out her life between the ruthless daily workouts she put herself through and the peaceful solitude she'd grown to crave ever since.
Ever since Anakin had died.
Increasing her pace, she managed to put more distance between herself and Jacen, enough so that he would have to push his way through several people to catch up with her in the food service line. Taking a tray, she hurriedly made her way down the line, taking fewer items than she normally would have. Curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't resist a quick glance to see if he was still in pursuit. Peering around the Mon Cal beside her, she was met by the smiling face of Jacen Solo five people down the line. He offered her a friendly little wave, and she snapped her gaze away with a jerk.
She sighed again, annoyed at his undaunting persistence, yet strangely amused at the same time--- something she hadn't felt in a long time. Surely, he had better things to do than baby-sit her, and it was clear that's exactly what he was doing. Until he had returned, she had been able to stay under everyone else's radar, making them believe she was well over Anakin's passing. She had nearly convinced herself that she was okay, too, until Jacen showed up. He had some kind of second sense about her inner workings, and he was just enough like his younger brother to bring the memories flooding back, and with it, the pain.
Quickly, she paid the cashier droid and preceded to find a seat at an empty table in the large, open eating area. Glancing up at the transparent ceiling, she still felt queasy every time she came here. It didn't seem natural for a girl from the dry, sandy planet of Tatooine to be eating under water. Luckily, most of the time she didn't have to think about being submerged under the ocean, but here the ceiling of the dining hall was made of a transparisteel dome so that diners could enjoy the view of Mon Cal's wide variety of marine life.
With a shudder, she returned to the food on her plate.
"Credit for your thoughts," Jacen offered as he slipped into the seat across from Tahiri. She glanced up to find the Jedi smiling warmly at her. It was amazing how grown up he looked now, she noted.
"No thoughts," she replied and then stabbed a fork into something fishy and pink. Avoiding eye contact with him was a necessity. He was way too perceptive for her comfort.
"Oh, I don't believe that," he argued. "Why, there's steam coming out of your ears from all the brain activity happening inside your head."
Tahiri simply glowered at him. Did she dare tell him the steam was a result of the anger at being followed around all the time?
"Now, that's not a very happy face, Tahiri. Did I say the wrong thing?" Jacen was trying the innocent act she'd seen his father try so often on his mother. and it was extremely annoying. She sat her fork down and took a deep breath.
"Look, Jacen," she began, "I know what you're doing, and really, you don't have to bother."
His goofy smile was gone, a more serious expression taking its place, and suddenly she sensed waves of strength rolling off of him. "And what exactly am I doing that I don't have to do?"
So, he was going to do this the hard way.
Tahiri sighed heavily and gathered her thoughts. "You're baby-sitting me. Every time I turn around, you're right there, following me like I'm not capable of taking care of myself. I'm surprised you haven't jumped out of my refresher yet!"
Jacen covered his mouth and tried to stifle a chuckle, which only served to irritate the young blond even more.
"I'm not a kid anymore, Jacen. I don't need to be looked after like a child."
He straightened in his chair and wiped the smile off of his face. "You're right, Tahiri. You're not a kid, and truly, I wasn't trying to act like your baby-sitter. I'm just concerned about you, that's all. You're part of our family, and---."
"No, I'm not," she interrupted firmly. "I'm not part of your family."
Jacen instantly felt the pain behind her words, words that really said, "I could have been a part. before Anakin died, but not now." At that moment, he knew that his suspicions had been correct. Tahiri hadn't worked through her grief. Not at all. And keeping all of that bitterness bottled up inside would only lead her down a path she'd later regret.
"Well, whether you think you are or not, the rest of us look at you as one of us. We all care about you and want you to be happy."
Tahiri laughed out loud and the coldness of it sent a chill down Jacen's spine. "Happy?" she asked unable to hide her frustration. "Happy?! And how would you suggest I do that, oh wise one?" She snorted and shook her head. "You have no idea."
Jacen's hand shot out and covered one of hers. "Yes, I do know. And if you let me, I could help you."
Tahiri pulled her hand out from underneath his large one and thrust her chin in the air. "I don't need your help. I'm perfectly fine."
Jacen held her gaze for a few silent moments, studying her face, especially her eyes. He could see them begin to glisten with tears, which she was fighting bravely to prevent. She wasn't yet ready to let it all go, and so Jacen relented.
"Tahiri, you're not fine. You and I both know it." She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to stop her. "I know you're in pain from all that's happened--- your capture by the Vong, Anakin's death." He noticed a tear escape and trickle lazily down her cheek at the mention of his brother's name and almost stopped. But it would do her no good if he gave up now. "I've experienced those same things and more, but I've learned that holding on to that pain won't do you any good. You've got to learn to deal with it, get over it, and move on to make yourself a better person or else it was all for naught."
He stood to go and she refused to look at him. "When you're ready to stop suffering, I'll be here to help. All you have to do is ask." He waited for just a second, hoping she'd respond, but instead she stared blankly out the wall at a passing fish.
Then he turned and left her more alone than she'd been in months. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next few days passed by and Tahiri saw no trace of Jacen anywhere. However, instead of feeling relieved, she was surprised to feel a little miffed. Deciding he must not have been as concerned about her as he implied, Tahiri slunk back into her usual routine. After a restless night's sleep, she'd get up early, shower, go to the training room and push herself past the point of all sensibility, clean up, grab some breakfast and then head to the library for some peace and quiet. Most evenings she'd spend alone in her room or sometimes strolling around the city.
One afternoon after she returned from the library, a message was waiting for her from Jaina Solo. She wanted to get together for dinner and just catch up since she had been gone on a mission for several days with Twin Suns Squadron. Tahiri accepted. The company would be nice for a change, and besides. she had to eat anyway.
They met in a small café Jaina had heard about from another pilot, and Tahiri was pleased to find the place did not serve any seafood whatsoever.
"If I have to eat one more piece of fish, I think I'll throw up!" she exclaimed as she and Jaina were led to a small table.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm dying to have a good nerf steak, and this place is supposed to have the best."
They settled in and took a look at the menu. In just a few moments, the waiter returned to take their order and bring them drinks. Tahiri realized as she sipped her beverage that Jaina was staring at her.
Jaina plopped her elbows on the table and asked bluntly, "Are you okay?"
A bit taken aback, it took Tahiri a few seconds to answer. "I'm-I'm fine."
Jaina scrutinized the younger girl's response, trying to get a good read on her. "Are you sure?"
"Jaina, I'm fine, really. Why--- why do you ask?"
Jaina sighed and leaned back in her chair shaking her head. "I don't know. It's just that Jacen has it in his head that you might not be. you know. over Anakin."
Tahiri froze and her heart lodged instantly in her throat. When would it stop hurting so badly every time she heard that name?
"I'm sorry, Tahiri," Jaina offered. "I didn't mean to upset you, which I've apparently done a bang up job of. Jacen's just worried about you. You're almost like a sister to us, you know, and we just want you to be okay." Jaina took Tahiri's silence as the end of that conversation and decided to start a new one. "All right. Enough of that. Do you want to hear about my last mission?"
Tahiri nodded her head and smiled weakly encouraging Jaina to continue, which she eagerly did. After a few minutes of Jaina's story, Tahiri tuned her out and began thinking about what Jaina had said about Jacen. Why was he so concerned about her? Why couldn't he just leave her alone like everyone else had done? He was sticking his nose where it didn't belong, and now it seemed he was bringing Jaina into it as well. Would he never be out of her life?
". and then Jag and I shot down the whole squadron of coralskippers and." Jaina continued to ramble, and Tahiri continued to nod every once in a while. But if the truth were told, she couldn't wait to get back to her room away from other people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Dinner was not as good as she had hoped. Perhaps it was the pre-meal conversation that had embittered the taste. The rest of the night was a bit strained, at least on Tahiri's end. She wasn't sure if Jaina even sensed her discomfort or not, she was so absorbed in sharing the latest relationship news between herself and Jagged Fel. Tahiri thought he was a little dry and stuffy, but he seemed to make Jaina happy which was all that really mattered she supposed.
She turned out her lights and crawled into bed, burrowing under her covers. After growing up on a desert planet with two suns, every other place seemed too cold for her liking. Using the Force, she tried to calm herself and stop thinking about dinner and Jacen. and Anakin.
Anakin. He was always somewhere in there, hiding out in the back of her mind and corners of her heart. It wouldn't take much of a trigger to shoot him to the forefront either. At first, the good memories came. when they first met. when he came to rescue her from Yavin 4. when he kissed her in the locker for the first time. But as her mind cycled through the good reminisces, her heart would start to constrict because she knew what the next image would be. There he was fighting the Vong in order to protect the rest of the strike team, and then. then he was just gone, his body merely an empty shell.
She tried to stop herself, but the sobs came anyway just like they always did, her only consolation being the fact that no one else could see her like this.
Some time later, she wasn't sure how long; she felt a light touch against her cheek and brushed it away. It came again, almost like a whisper in her ear and she flopped over to her other side.
"Tahiri."
She paused to listen without opening her eyes.
Silence.
She snuggled back into her pillow and let her mind begin to drift back to sleep.
"Tahiri."
Her eyes popped open. Did I just hear my name? she wondered as she lay frozen in her bed.
"Are you going to wake up?"
That voice!
She sat bolt upright and gasped. Sitting at the end of her bed was Anakin-- - or was it? He was smiling at her, his brown hair hanging down in front of his eyes like it always did, but something was different. All around him, an ethereal blue aura shimmered making him appear otherworldly. Was he real? She had had so many dreams over the past year that she didn't know the difference anymore.
"Anakin?" she asked warily.
"Have you forgotten what I looked like already?" he responded with a grin.
"Anakin? Are you real?" she asked again reaching out as if to touch him, her heart racing with the possibilities.
"Yes," he answered, "and no."
"What do you mean?"
He stood and walked over to her small desk. "I mean exactly what I say."
"Well, that really clears things up for me," she retorted, and he chuckled.
"Still got your sense of humor. That's good."
Now Tahiri stood up, still hesitant to get too close afraid if she touched him he'd suddenly disappear. For a dream, this was the most realistic one she'd had so far and she didn't want it to end. "Anakin," she ventured, "what--- what are you doing here? And how did you get here? Aren't you. dead?"
"I have something to show you," he stated moving toward her door. "Come with me."
She narrowed her gaze suspiciously. "Where?"
Anakin smiled. "Just come with me, Tahiri." He motioned for her to follow. Then he waved his hand, opening the door magically, and took off down the corridor. She paused for just a moment wondering whether to play along with this vision or simply crawl back into bed and pull the covers over her head.
She decided to follow.
Anakin, if indeed it was he or his ghost, was already at the end of the hall waiting for her. "Hurry up, slow poke!" he goaded. "I have something important to show you."
He led her through several dimly lit corridors, and she was concentrating so hard on keeping up with Anakin that she soon realized she had no idea where she was anymore. "Anakin, where are you taking me?"
"So many questions," he called back over his shoulder. "Just trust me. It's for your own good."
He picked up the pace and she had to break into a trot to keep up with him. After a few more minutes of travel in which she strangely passed no one else, he stopped in front of a door. "Here we are," he announced. Then the door slid open and he walked inside. Tahiri paused and peered into the room. It was dark except for the light emanating from Anakin. "Come in."
She looked up and down the hallway before stepping into the room. Anakin was standing there smiling at her, his arms crossed against his chest. She couldn't see anything unless it was in his immediate vicinity, so she walked straight toward him. Just as she stepped to within inches of him, his image began to dissipate, breaking into millions of tiny shards of light, and then he was gone.
"Nooooo!!" she cried falling to her knees.
"Tahiri?"
Ignoring the voice, she sobbed uncontrollably into her hands, not even noticing the strong arms that moved to embrace her.
"Tahiri? What--- what are you doing here?" Her hands were pulled away from her face and she looked up into the eyes of someone familiar.
"Jacen?" she choked out in between sobs. "He was here. He was right here!" she sputtered before breaking down again. Jacen pulled her tightly against his chest, rocking her back and forth.
"It's going to be okay, Tahiri," he assured her. "You're going to be okay. I promise. I promise."