Beyond - Legends Sunset (Tahiri, one-shot)

Title: Sunset
Author: Kidan
Timeframe: Post NJO
Characters: Tahiri, Riina
Notes: This started out life as a short viggie in the First Sentence Challenge. Looking back over it I realized a few mistakes that were within it, and decided to expand it. Hope you all enjoy!

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[b]Sunset[/b]


Though not one usually interested in the beauty of a simple sunset, she could not help but be mesmerized by the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows that were mixing with the fading blue of daylight and coming black of night. How could she not be interested? The colors, the darkening, it all reminds her so much of herself, of her life. It reminds her of just how bright her life used to be, and just how dark her future is.

She thinks back and remembers the bright fields of day, of happier times. Of a time when there were no cares, no Yuuzhan Vong. Just her and her love getting into simple mischief, driving Master Skywalker crazy with their antics. She smiles as she thinks of the trips taken in the Lore Seeker, searching out various Jedi artifacts and history alongside Master Tionne, Irkrit and of course Anakin. Back then there were no troubles, no danger, just living and having fun.

[i]You know it wasn?t that much fun.[/i]

She spins around dropping into a Yuuzhan Vong fighting stance, trying to find who had just spoken, but there is no one else around. Her eyes harden slightly as she scans the tree line. She is slightly disturbed by the fact that no one is there, yet the words she heard are still echoing in her head.

She turns back to the sunset and her thoughts. With the sky getting darker, her thoughts turn that way as well. The sky is now deep oranges and red, with purple and navy of nighttime quickly encroaching on them. Now she thinks about the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. Of the pain and suffering she went through during her shaping. The Yuuzhan Vong taught her a lot during that time, about pain, about love, and ultimately about growing up. It took her a long time to realize the lessons she learned, but the ones that she learned first are still the ones that give her the greatest troubles. Her mind skips and she thinks back to her rescue, of the pain and abject horror that went along that time, of learning to accept that pain, and when Anakin rescued her, wanting to fight and kill. Her mouth quirks into a smile at that memory, fighting and killing, the desire to taste blood stirs in her heart at the thought. She remembers the desire she felt as Anakin stood there in front of her, that desire to do deeds that were dark and terrible, that would have changed her irrevocably.

[i]Not that terrible. Personally I think giving into those desires would have been grand fun. Definitely more fun than the antics you used to perform.[/i]

Once more she turns, twisting her body, making her profile smaller; she once again scans the trees and brush around her trying to find the speaker. Yet once more there is no one there, just the echo of that soft and silky voice.

Turning back once more to the setting sun, she notices that it has now fully set. There is only a slightly lighter coloring to the sky where it had been. An afterimage of the day, a false promise that the sun will shine again, a lie saying the light wins. This too sends shivers of self recognition through her. With the sun finally set, with darkness fully upon her, her thoughts plunge fully into the dark.

She starts to remember the mission to Myrkr. She remembers the bickering and fighting between the young Jedi, between Jacen and Anakin. She feels the first of her tears as she remembers the reckless abandon with which he threw himself into the protection of his sister. She wants to scream at the sense of sacrifice he had which caused him to constantly throw himself into danger. Then she feels even more tears, their salty taste tingling as they cross her lips, and she remembers that she refused him a final kiss. She knew even then, that he would not return to her, and she wanted to punish him for it.
[i]
That killed him yo

 

Wonderful! This is how I like Tahiri and you're one of the few to really pull it off right.

 

Kidan: that was beautiful. Insightful, and such an amazing change of pace from the equally awesome Pleasure & Pain...

I'm not really sure what needs to be said - the 'fic had pretty much everything it needed...

... 'cept Anakin, of course - but I guess that's kinda the point.

Good stuff, as ever, though!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

SilSolo
Wonderful! This is how I like Tahiri and you're one of the few to really pull it off right.
Thanks!! I always thought Tahiri got the short end of the stick in profic...


Healer_Leona
Nicely done.
Thanks!

I particulaly liked the change up from 'If the sun' to 'If her sun'.
I actually hesitated on it, but decided that it added a lot to the narrative...


Thrawn McEwok:
that was beautiful. Insightful, and such an amazing change of pace from the equally awesome Pleasure & Pain...
THANKS!!

I'm not really sure what needs to be said - the 'fic had pretty much everything it needed...
... 'cept Anakin, of course - but I guess that's kinda the point.
ya, that lack of Anakin is kinda the point....

Good stuff, as ever, though!
again Thanks!

 

Tahiri's conflicted mind has always interested me. I like your portrayal of it. Too bad it's only a one shot. Tahiri seeking revenge would make a great fic.

 

StarFighter5
Tahiri's conflicted mind has always interested me. I like your portrayal of it. Too bad it's only a one shot. Tahiri seeking revenge would make a great fic.
Aye, Tahiri's brain makes for interesting conflict...and yes, Tahiri seeking revenge would make a great fic..but I'm not sure if this is the particular way to start it...

 

Great work -- I really liked the quiet pace of this vignette, the way Tahiri's creeping darkness is mirrored by the setting sun. It creates a very melancholy sense by the end of the story. Poor Tahiri. But excellent work.

 

Very nice, Kidan! Loved the voice out of nowhere and how her mood was reflected in the sunset. Poor kid.

 

Very powerful imagery.

 

Knight_Aragorn
Great work -- I really liked the quiet pace of this vignette, the way Tahiri's creeping darkness is mirrored by the setting sun. It creates a very melancholy sense by the end of the story. Poor Tahiri. But excellent work.
Thanks! and the melancholy was what I was hoping to get across...and yeah, poor Tahiri...

RK_Striker_JK_5
Very nice, Kidan! Loved the voice out of nowhere and how her mood was reflected in the sunset. Poor kid.
Thanks! And the voice was no so much out of nowhere, as in her head...but i guess that's the same thing eh?

DarthIshtar
Very powerful imagery.
Thanks!

 

Woah! That was wonderful!

"If the sun had not set, she would have been able to ignore the voice. If the sun had not set, she could have been happy. If the sun had not set, she could have stayed a Jedi. If her sun had not set, she could have stayed in the light.

But Darkness has fallen, and the sun has set."

Very powerful and moving, Kidan!

Bravo!

 

What can I say?

I truly love what you do with the sentences from our little challenge. Have I told you that I've started constructing sentences with something for you in mind, just to see you take it in another direction? I think I have, but there, I've said it again.

You're writing is phenominal, again repetition of my prior responses.

When I grow up I want to be just like you. I'm just saying.

I think that's the first time I've said that, probably only because I finally decided to think about growing up.

 

Oh, wow. This was deep.

I love how you incorporated Riina in. Excellent job!

 

Jade_Pilot
Woah! That was wonderful!

Very powerful and moving, Kidan!

Bravo!
Thanks!!! and thanks for reading


Lola64
What can I say?
well you can start with un-ending praises...err..wait, that was a rhetorical question wasn't it...

I truly love what you do with the sentences from our little challenge. Have I told you that I've started constructing sentences with something for you in mind, just to see you take it in another direction? I think I have, but there, I've said it again.
yes...and oddly enough, I think it might have been on the initial version of this story, but don't quote me on that...

You're writing is phenominal, again repetition of my prior responses.
Thanks!

When I grow up I want to be just like you. I'm just saying.

I think that's the first time I've said that, probably only because I finally decided to think about growing up.
Aye, I think that's the first time you've said it...though it did cause me to notice something VERY interesting in your profile...according to it, you were a showgirl at age 11....

ZekksGoddess
Oh, wow. This was deep.

I love how you incorporated Riina in. Excellent job!
Thanks! an thanks for reading!