Beyond - Legends Night Skies - Vignette set just before Conquest

Night Skies

Just before Edge of Victory I: Conquest
The night air on Coruscant was cool and still. As Anakin stood on the balcony of his parents? large apartment, he felt his gaze being drawn upward, only to find that he couldn?t see the stars. Coruscant tended to generate the effect, as unfair as it seemed at the moment. Part of Anakin needed to see those stars, the promises they held for him and all the Jedi.

That same part of him needed to see one star in particular; the star that the gas giant Yavin orbited. Because, several thousand light years away, his best friend was on Yavin Four, the moon on which they had spent the latter portion of their childhood together at the Jedi Academy.

Anakin pulled his jacket tighter around himself as a gentle breeze washed over him. The chill that passed through him was not entirely due to the cold night air. He had been out of touch with Tahiri for too long; he hadn?t even sent her a message since the Battle of Ithor, and that had been a rather short message. If she was either mad or worried, Anakin hoped it was the former. Mad he deserved; mad he knew how to deal with. Worried? that was more complicated.

Anakin?s gaze wavered from the night sky and its hidden stars and instead was drawn downward; down towards the equally hidden surface of Coruscant, and the lower buildings between the surface and the balcony on which he now stood. In his mind?s eye, Anakin could see those buildings, and this one as well, torn half-apart by enemy weapons fire, ablaze with flames and smoke.

Oddly enough, a feeling tugged at Anakin?s consciousness that he wouldn?t have to worry about it. Whether that meant he wouldn?t be on Coruscant when it happened, that the Vong would be stopped before reaching Coruscant, or, perhaps more likely, that he would be dead before it happened, he didn?t know. He often felt vague impressions through the Force like this and, all too often, they were just as frustratingly unhelpful and not particularly detailed.

With a sigh, Anakin let his frustration bleed away with the help of the Force, and a sense of calm settled around him and stilled his racing heart. It didn?t matter which of the reasons for his premonition were true, or even if the premonition itself was true; the Force would guide him as it saw fit, and everything would happen as it was meant to happen.

Anakin almost jumped as the lights within all the buildings around him went out simultaneously. For a moment, he wondered if the imagined attack was going to happen right now. That idea didn?t last long; the New Republic was still at the peak of its defensive capabilities, which made it unlikely that such an attack would get through without warning. Power grid failure, he reasoned.

In a way, he was rather grateful for the surprise. Too often, everything went exactly to plan on the New Republic?s capital world. Even the weather was controlled and regulated to a frightening degree of precision. Though, Anakin realized, with a grid failure, that goes out the window. Maybe we?ll get a nice rainstorm or two while they fix it?

A smile tugged at the corners of Anakin?s mouth. Yes, there was value to a surprise every now and then. If not in the surprise itself, then at least in the subtle rebellion against the status quo that it entailed.

Anakin gripped the railing of the balcony and sighed. At the moment, nothing so mundane could lift his spirits. The dream had come again. Master Skywalker always said that Jedi never really dreamt, but Anakin wasn?t a fully trained Jedi yet. When it had invaded his sleep the night before, he had told himself that maybe it wasn?t a vision, but rather one of the occasional true dreams that Jedi apprentices were known to have. But such should not be recurring, and this one was.

The details were foggy in his mind, but the fierce green eyes that were as familiar to Anakin as his own name were clear as crystal. A few minutes ago, when the dream had torn him away from his slumber for the second night in a row, he had kno

 

Wow... what a great depiction of Anakin. I think you've got his character down pat J_A_S. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were Greg Keyes writing under an alias. Great work.

J_J

 

Absolutely lovely, I really enjoy the emotionn you've conveyed and typical Anakin not realizing how much he feels for Tahiri. Very sweet and romantic, it's nice that while Tahiri didn't get coverage in the earlier NJO, that you've managed to give her a place that she deserves-- that being a spot in Anakin's heart.

It's really nice how you have been able to (if looking at your vignettes as a series so to speak) work Tahiri into the early NJO and give a little more depth to Anakin and Tahiri's relationship. Very good word choice and style, it's appropriate and very nice.

-Arn

 

Wow Kev, I said earlier that you're a good author, and that just seriously confirmed it. That was EXCELLENT. I don't think any of the profic authors had Anakin pinned as well as you. But what else did I expect?

 

Whoops! I read this and forgot to reply!

It's beautiful, and I particularly like the premise. I think all young lovers look up at the stars at some point or another and wonder if their significant other is doing the same . . . *dives for the tissues* I'm such a sentimental sap . . .

 

Wow, J_A_S. That fits perfectly!

 

**claps hands excitedly** Yes, it was great Kev! It has a very NJO feeling, and you've got Anakin pegged very well. I like how his feelings for Tahiri are still very well buried, to where he doens't even recognize their potential. Which is, of course, right in character for him at this point in the NJO timeline.

Excellent descriptions, and I can sympathize with loving to look at the stars. I love it very much myself. Of course, I don't think that it's likely my significant other is tucked away on one of them

 

Awesome, J_A_S. Really great.

 

Another great viggie, J_A_S! The ending was perfect!

 

guys, guys, that was awesome.

 

Jedi_Johnson- Thanks

Arn- Glad you liked it . Yeah, as much as i LOVED the job Greg Keyes did bringing Tahiri back into the fold in Conquest, it still always annoyed me that it's just sort of like, "Oh, yeah, by the way, Tahiri still exists even though Anakin hasn't thought about her at all in previous books"

Wompy- LOL! Thanks

Em- Oh, of course they do. It's actually required now *Nods solemnly*. It's all in the handbook, didn't you get a copy?

Jedi_Knight_Satine- Thanks!

Sach- LOL, one would hope not .

J-A-S- Thanks

Lonewolf- Thanks!

Anakin_Solo02- Glad you liked it .

 

Just upping this *cough*in no relation to the fact that the Summer FanFic Awards have started*cough*

 

Just found this. I usually don't read fics revolving around the Solo kids. In fact, this is the first one that I've ever made it all the way through. It's terrific. Kudos to a job well done.

 

Great, work Kev! Thanks for showing it to me! You've got Anakin pegged... too bad the pro authors don't do as good a job with the characters we all know so well.