Catching a Dream; (Anakin/Tahiri, very AU) - COMPLETED 9/25

Haha! I have snatched 25!


Aha, things are moving right along!


Tihira..... hmmm? Change some of the letters around....


I wonder what's going on in her head?


More soon, more soon!

 

I just found this story. It's great.

"She was his age, if not younger. Her eyes were a fierce emerald green, and her hair was flowing and golden. She was simply beautiful. Anakin couldn?t explain why, but felt drawn to her. "

You describe Tahiri well.


Great job.

 

Yeah, good job. I have a feeling she isn't a agent

 

Ladies and gentlemen, it is official: Dart is impressed! Good show Kev, I like! A lot! It's the reason I've gone quiet in the chat! Excellent work! Some of the descriptions there were stunning, I think I'll be bobbing some of these in the quotes thread!

 

Very nice, Kev! Yes, I can tell that you like Chandrila. Not that I didn't believe you, but anyway.

I have a sneaking suspicion about this "Tihira" person . . .

 

I wonder who she could be.

Great job so far J_A_S!

 

EDIT: Whoops! I typed a new scene, and forgot that I had already posted the scene where Anakin landed on Chandrila - everyone go back and read the scene with the Jedi Council again, that's about to be edited. And there's gonna be more frustration for Anakin after the scene with Jacen and Jaina. Trust me, it's funny .

 

Heh heh heh.

 

Very good, very good! Sounds like Mr. Solo has a right debate rolling on his head, complete with commentary on the local "natives". Now we know he's not completely daft, and takes notice of a few more popular sights.

Looking forward to much more, Kev.

Am

 

More!! Great, J_A_S! More!

 

Three hours, a shower, and a change of clothes later, Anakin was fully recovered from his spaceflight and fit to reenter society. He clipped his lightsaber to his belt and slid the door open. As expected, Tihira was waiting for him. "Hi," he greeted pleasantly.

"Hi," she replied, favoring him with an admiring glance. "You look nice."

"Thanks," Anakin replied, caught slightly offbalance by the compliment.

"Shouldn't you leave your lightsaber here? It might make you too obvious."

That's the idea, Anakin thought. "It shouldn't be a problem," he said. "So, you're going to show me all the sights?"

"I was thinking of something a little more... personal," she replied with a smile. "Dinner for two, to be exact."

Anakin blinked in surprise.

"I know this probably isn't covered in your mission profile either," Tihira said with a half shrug.

Turn her down, Anakin. You can't get distracted. "Okay." 'Okay'? What is wrong with you!?

Tihira's smile became absolutely infectious. She took Anakin by the arm, obviously realizing that he was completely enthralled by her, and led him out the door. Anakin finally regained his composure, but did not pull his arm away. He liked the feeling of her hand against him... What is wrong with you, Anakin? Snap out of it!

Anakin ignored the voice and turned to Tihira. "It's a lovely night."

She offered a smile in return. "Like I said earlier, welcome to Chandrila."

After a few minutes of silence, Anakin tensed. "We have company."

"What?" Tihira inquired.

"Don't turn around. Two tails, distance of about thirty meters."

"Lose them?"

Anakin shook his head. "No. I was expecting this. Let's just keep walking, I'll know before they're ready to-" Anakin abruptly whirled around and ignited his saber with a snap-hiss. He blocked two incoming blaster bolts. He couldn't clearly see either of the attackers, they were good. To be that accurate at this distance -

Tihira raised her blaster and snapped off two quick shots. Anakin heard a muffled curse and a bitten off cry of pain.

"How did you -"

"No time," Tihira replied. "Kill the saber. We have to get out of here."

"Wait a minute," Anakin protested. "I have to check them for ID that could link them too."

"There's no time!" Tihira urged.

As if to compound her point, another blaster bolt soared towards them. Anakin blocked it quickly and Tihira fired another perfect kill shot. Anakin shook his head. "If this is an ambush, I want to know who's ambushing -"

When Anakin reached the body, he stared at it in dull horror. He was dressed in battle fatigues and draped with various weapons that just about screamed "bounty hunter." He whirled to face Tihira. "This is no anti-Republican. This is a bounty hunter."

"I told you, this is too dangerous. Come one, we have to get out of here."

Anakin didn't protest this time when she led him away from the street. She had him by the arm - she seemed to do that a lot - and pulled him into an empty building, probably abandoned.

"What was that all about?" Anakin finally asked. "I was trying to draw out the anti-Republicans -"

"And you got bounty hunters instead," Tihira replied. "I know."

Before Anakin could say anything else, Tihira backed him against a wall and pressed her lips firmly agaist his. It took several seconds for Anakin to realize that she was kissing him. His lips burned and he blinked in surprise. She pulled away before he could react.

"What -" Anakin started to say, then he realized he was growing increasingly tired for no reason. It wasn't an effect of the kiss, something was terribly wrong here. "Hey..." he started to protest. "Hey -"

There was a audible click, and Anakin glanced down to find a collar securely fastened around his neck. From the collar trailed a chain... which Tihira - if that was even her name - held in her hand, wearing a triumphant grin.

Anakin tried to run, but she simply yanked on the chain, sending him sprawling to the ground. Anakin's reflexes were now decidedly slow, and T

 

[face_shocked]

She got him!

 

I was going to say the same thing!!

But welcome to Chandrilla . jk.

 

What a way to go, eh?


"I like the Austrian way better..."

 

Yeah J-K-S, Welcome to Chandrilla!

Nice job J_A_S!

 

It was everything one would expect from a cage. Small, confining, and transparent to allow the captor easy access to visual inspection of her captive. Anakin had given up struggling against his restraints at east an hour ago; his muscles still ached from the effort. Fortunately, the cot he was strapped to was much more comfortable than he would've thought.

Yeah, sure, I'm being held captive by a bounty hunter at the best. At least the cot is comfortable. Anakin sighed and let his eyes drift closed. When he opened them again, she was there.

"What do you want?" Anakin finally demanded after an intentionally long pause.

"I hadn't talked to any non-bounty hunter for any reasonable length of time before I met you," she replied with a slight shrug.

She drugs me and tosses me into this cage, and she thinks I'll talk to her? The nerve. "So you are a bounty hunter," he said instead. "I take it your name isn't Tihira Lancer?"

"Tahiri Veila," she replied with a hint of a smile. "You might as well know my name, it won't do you any good. You're not going anywhere, Anakin Solo."

"I'm a Jedi," Anakin pointed out.

"Yes, you are," Tahiri agreed entirely too cheerfully. "And I caught you anyway. What makes you think I would catch a Jedi if I didn't have a way to keep you?"

"I have news for you, Tahiri," Anakin replied. "The Force -"

"Yes, yes, the Force," she replied sismissively. "If your Force could help you escape, you would've used it already."

Anakin sighed in defeat. When he spoke gain, there was something decidedly submissive about his tone. "How did you manage that, anyway?"

"Well, as I already said, you're not going anywhere. So there's no harm in telling you. You already deduced that the kiss was the delivery method for the knockout drug, yes?"

"I figured as much," Anakin replied bitterly.

"Oh, don't be too disappointed," Tahiri said with a smile. "I don't use that method for just anyone, there were much more unpleasant ways I could've delivered the drug."

"You flatter yourself to think I'm disappointed," Anakin informed her.

"No," she said in that same annoyingly all-knowing way. "No, I don't think I do. Your behavior is quite indicative of -"

"My behavior is quite indicative of wanting to crush your throat," Anakin informed her.

Tahiri, unpreterbed, continued as though he hadn't spoken. "I am, of course, immune to the drug I used on you. After your collapse, I injected you with Ysalamiri blood." She caught the sudden flash of horror in his eyes. "Oh, don't worry," she soothed. "The effect is temporary."

Anakin sighed helplessly and glanced up at her again. He tried to stop his voice from trembling, but couldn't quite manage to do so. "What are you going to do with me?"

"I've been ordered to turn you over to the guild," Tahiri replied with a little shrug. "I suppose I'll have to follow that order."

"You suppose?"

"Well," Tahiri replied, flashing him a rahter un-bounty-hunter-like grin, "you never know." She winked at him, and left, leaving a very confused Jedi in her wake.

 

Hmmmm, is Miss Veila having second thoughts already?

 

Great post!

 

Tahiri sighed as she slumped into the pilot seat. Her incoming comm message indicator was blinking again. She knew who it was. "Go away!" she shouted without hitting the message recieve button.

She had enough trouble sorting all of this out as it was. She didn't need more pressure from the Guild. What is wrong with you? This shouldn't be hard! You caught him, Tahiri. That's it, it's over, your job it done. All you have to do is take him to the guild.

But it wasn't that simple. Anakin made her feel... well, she didn't know how Anakin made her feel, but whatever it was, it was there.

He's too innocent. I can't turn him over to the Guild.


Too innocent!? He's older than you!

Tahiri dropped her head into her hands and stared blankly at her instrument pannel. I'm tearing myself apart. No, I'm not going to do this. I'm not.

Tahiri closed her eyes and forced herself not to cry. He was so brave. But he knew she had him, and Tahiri had tried to ignore the helplessness in his eyes. In his blue eyes. She jolted bolt upright as though hit by a blaster beam. "No! No! It can't be! He isn't!"

Tahiri covered her face with her hands and wept. It wasn't fair. No,
don't do this! You can't fail your first assignment. Damn it, Tahiri, you know what you have to do! What was the first thing Lancer told you? Don't ever let your personal feelings get in the way. You're a bounty hunter, that means you have to be cold sometimes. You don't have to like it.

Blinking back the last of the tears, Tahiri hit the message recieve button.

 

Upped for reader convenience

 

I was hoping it wouldn't take her too long to figure out.


Now she is in a bind.

 

A torn Tahiri.

Great post, as are they all!

 

Ooh. Temptation! Tempted to cut 'em loose.

Great post.

 

::J_J delurks::

Sorry I just got around to delurking. I've been here for a while... I just hadn't posted yet. I really like what you're doing her J_A_S. Its a very interesting AU and its quite captivating. Keep up the good work.

 

THREE













Anakin barely glanced up as Tahiri slid open the transparent access to his energy cage. He didn't even bother struggling when she released his restraints only to replace them with a stuncuffs. She bound him at the wrist and ankles and stepped away from Anakin's cell. Leveling her blaster at his chest, she motioned for him to exit. "Okay, nice and easy. Out of the cell."

Anakin complied without argument, he didn't so much as meet her gaze. "Now what?" he inquired, still not looking at her.

"Now, we walk," Tahiri replied emotionlessly.

"Is this the part where you turn me over to them like a good little bounty hunter?" Anakin inquired.

"It's the part where you behave like a good little prisoner," Tahiri countered. "Let's go," she said, gesturing forward with her blaster.

Anakin sighed and moved in the indicated direction. Tahiri followed, the muzzle of her blaster pressed against his lower back. They strode down the boarding ramp, and Anakin glanced out back at the ship, unable to contain his curiousity.

"It's a Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-2400," Tahiri informed him. "Heavily modified."

"Nice choice," Anakin replied casually, as though there was nothing unusual about their current situation.

Tahiri winced. He has no idea how endearing that bravery of his is--stop this. Pull yourself together, Tahiri. You're a bounty hunter. They reached a rather large and obviously armored building. "The Bounty Hunter's Guild?" Anakin guessed.

"Yes," Tahiri affirmed. "Your new home, for awhile. The prison levels, anyway."

Anakin glanced up, and up, at the vast building. It was built like a fortress, and only a fully equipped New Republic strike team would have the slightest chance of taking it down. Heavy durasteel discouraged any entrance, and Anakin could see several obvious traps. And there are probably unobvious ones too.

They entered, and were immediatly met by a guard. Half a dozen others stood at attention inside the doorway. There were more security systems on the main entrance than most Galactic Banks had on a vault. "This your prisoner?" the lead guard inquired.

"No," Tahiri replied sarcastically. "He's a friend of mine, I just keep him in stuncuffs for the heck of it."

The guard sighed and slid Tahiri's ID through a reader. "Ah, Miss Veila. Cradossk has been expecting you."

Tahiri blinked in surprise. "The head of the Guild is expecting me?"

"When he learned of the identity of your prisoner, he was quite pleased."

The identity of my?--stay out of it, Tahiri. You don't care. It's just some Jedi brat. There's no reason for you to care. Anakin's face fell, and she knew that he had been hoping against hope that they hadn't identified him. Even though I have no idea who he is, beyond his name.

Tahiri's gaze met Anakin's briefly. His ice-blue eyes were pained and haunted. She saw helplessness there, and yet she saw hope. The incongruity took her by surprise. Those eyes seemed to bore into Tahiri, knocking down every barrier she had. In its place was freedom. Freedom to do whatever she wanted. Freedom to choose. And that was it. Something in her mind clicked. She chose to use her freedom. For a reason she couldn't quite explain, she made her decision.

In one smooth motion, Tahiri hit the release for Anakin's stuncuffs and
tossed him his lightsaber. Her blaster came up firing, catching the lead guard in the chest before anyone could realize what was happening. Anakin's saber came alive with a snap-hiss, and by then the other guards were firing.

Tahiri dived behind Anakin, who was still blocking blaster bolts, and did a quick shoulder roll to end up at his right side. She fired repeatedly, downing two more guards.

Anakin began backing away and Tahiri followed suit, still firing. She downed three more guards, and the last ducked farther into the building, doubtlessly calling for backup.

"What was that!?" Anakin inquired, obviously confused.

"Ask later," Tahiri replied. "Run, now."