Beyond - Legends Fragile: An Anakin and Tahiri Story A previously unposted outtake up 5/20/11

Good evening boys and girls! Here is the last short post; from here on out they are all pretty long.

Fragile

Chapter 3

You're my world, you?re every breath I take?


Anakin felt, for the third time in as many days, a sense of otherness, of unreality; it was as though he were not truly himself, but another being, observing the gathering before him from an alien body. What was happening in Eclipse?s main auditorium was absurd, and he simply couldn?t believe they were getting away with it. He was watching Tahiri?his Tahiri, sixteen year old Tahiri, not the time travelling, flow-walking, former Sith version who had been manipulated by his psychotic brother, but his actual Tahiri?lie like a champ to a room full of Jedi.

And they were eating up every last word.

He had to hand it to her, as disturbing as this was; she was good. But then, she had to be. And she had spent hours going over this stuff.

The Tahiris weren?t messing around when it came to the prospect of keeping him alive: they had become very methodical and business-like. Younger Tahiri had been taking copious notes while Older Tahiri continued her narrative of the ?last time? and all that had gone wrong.

This particular idea, the one Younger Tahiri was currently selling like fresh shura fruit on a hot day, was Older Tahiri?s, and though painfully obvious once she?d thought of it, had only come to her during one of her rest periods the day before.

She had reasoned that since none of the other Jedi had ever asked, or seemed to really care, about her shaping, and she had never volunteered anything beyond a very basic debriefing, that Younger Tahiri and Anakin had a free pass to use all of Older Tahiri?s knowledge of the ?past? and act like they knew some of what was in store for the Strike Team based on Younger Tahiri?s implanted ?créche training?. The reality was that Younger Tahiri had no direct experience of what she was talking about, but at this stage of the game, none of the three of them were inclined to let ?reality? stand in the way of getting stuff done.

There was no specific protocol for ?breaking? that any of the castes used, so Tahiri, or Riina, wouldn?t have learned anything about that while she was ?growing up? on a worldship, as she now claimed. No problem there. The Tahiris made that part up too, figuring the more information they could impart, the better prepared the team would be.

In horrid detail, Younger Tahiri explained that in group settings, it wasn?t the person being hurt that the interrogator was really trying to get information from; it was the ones sitting around listening to their screams that they were hoping to make talk, in an effort to protect their companions.

Also, just for fun, the team members would likely be pinned down, with blorash jelly or something, facing away from the action, left to wonder what was being done to the person being abused; the Yuuzhan Vong relied on the imagination of the listener to conjure up far worse abuse than even they could think of.

To get the point across, Tahiri turned to Jacen. She was beginning to develop a real dislike for his big brother, and Anakin couldn?t say he really blamed her?but that meant he took a moment too long to catch her eye when he realized what she was about to do.

?Jacen,? she said. ?Imagine what would go through your mind if you were bound to the floor like that, with Tenel Ka behind you?out of eyesight, screaming in pain, being taunted by the enemy.?

After several seconds of dead silence, it was Raynar who spoke.

?It seems odd that the Yuuzhan Vong would be so methodical and slavish in their interrogation methods,? he remarked, sounding doubtful and smug all at once.

Anakin frowned. If any of the others picked up on Raynar?s line of thinking all of the Tahiris careful plans could be laid to waste.

Anakin needn?t have worried. Tahiri simply acted put out?not hard for her?and told him that she didn?t think to ask the shapers why they implanted the information they did while they were torturing her, and tha

 

oh i can't wait for more

tahiri and anakin should just get married

great post

 

Superb update. I can see the reasonableness of the connection between some of the team members dissing Anakin and Tahiri's "teenage horniness" instead of seeing their true commitment and then taking that to the level of: "Someone like that can't be trusted to lead a mission and make command decisions that need to be made especially if something unexpected happens". Disrepct for authority: "I don't have to listen to you!" definitely would interfere with the automatic streamlined working of a team that makes for even the probability of success.

Looking forward to the speech. It'll be a doozy. It'll have Han's forthrightness blended with Leia's eloquence I bet.

 

very good can't wait for more

 

Hmm... The biggest problem with the Myrkr Strike Team was that they sent children to do an adult's job.

So there.

I love Anakin's internal POV here... Great work!

Sorry about being tardy.

CJM

 

Hmmm Anakin definitely had some interesting thoughts there, I hope their plan works.

 

I was bumbling around earlier today, and I happenned to come across this! Gah, its so amazing and unexpected that I don't know if I can convey it properly.


I have been against the idea of flow-walking being used to somehow save Anakin, mostly because I despise the idea that it can be used to undo anything. However, I love how you have done this! It is so very well thought out and adult. Older Tahiri seems mature, even somewhat at peace. Thank you for having a scene with 16 yr old and 32 yr old Tahiri side by side, and actually different. It is so frustrating the way she is still portrayed like a teenager in profic (and Jaina also, for that matter).


I am looking forward to seeing if what Older Tahiri has done will ultimately help the strike team. It seems they will avoid most of the issues that brought them down before, but I wonder what new ones will confront them? Hopefully it won't be just the details that are altered, but the outsome as well And I wonder what the reaction will be when Anakin brings up other Force users.

I would love a PM.

 

I can't wait to hear what Anakin has to say after all that. ....and I guess maybe they weren't quite as un-noticed as they thought.

 

another great post preggers! Can't wait for the next one

 

Hello kid; replies and pm's tomorrow.



Fragile

Chapter 4

The Power Of Goodbye



Anakin lay on his back on his bed, his head in Younger Tahiri?s lap, his legs across Older Tahiri?s. It was yet another experience in surrealness, but he was starting to get used to it, and wondered how he would adapt to having only one Tahiri again. At least he wouldn?t have to listen to them lecture him in unison anymore; that had to be good thing.

He glanced up at the chrono on his desk; ten more minutes til evening meal. It was time for Older Tahiri to say good-bye.

Taking a deep breath, Older Tahiri rubbed Anakin?s shin, then lifted his legs off her own and stood up, stretching. Anakin idly wondered if that was a nervous gesture; did flow-walkers need to stretch?

She turned to face the bed and Anakin stood to join her, and ignoring the awkwardness, wrapped her in a tight hug. She melted into him, and he tucked her head under his chin, swaying slightly as he stroked her hair. After a moment, he pulled back and placed a long, chaste kiss on her lips, then lifted his mouth and kissed her scarred forehead.

Looking deeply into her eyes, he said, ?Thank you. I really can?t think of anything else to say, except maybe, I know he loves you, and I know he?s going to be very happy to see you when this is all done.?

She smiled slightly. ?I hope you?re right. He?s going to be so upset with some of the stuff I?ve done.?

Shaking his head, Anakin smiled, brushed her hair behind her ear and said, ?He?ll forgive you.?

?Thank you. You?re not my Anakin, but you?re a wonderful man, and I?m really grateful that we?ve had this time together.?

?Me too. For more than just the obvious reasons.?

Younger Tahiri stood up to join them and her older self turned to face her, then hugged her hard and sighed again before stepping back and cupping her face.

?Remember; there is no right or wrong choice, only the one you can live with.?

Younger Tahiri burst into tears and wrapped her arms back around Older Tahiri, holding her so tight Anakin thought she?d crush her. Older Tahiri stroked her head and rubbed her back before pulling away again and forcing Younger Tahiri to look back up.

?You are far stronger than you think, and you are going to have to be far stronger than that, but you?ll be okay, no matter what choice you make. I promise.?

?Okay.?

?Now, have a good life. If I run into you again and you?ve kriffed this up, we?re going to have words.?

Younger Tahiri snorted a laugh, causing Older Tahiri to laugh with her, and they both made slightly helpless gestures. Anakin watched them, wondering how strange this must be. How do you say goodbye to yourself?

Stepping back from them, Older Tahiri tilted her head slightly to one side and smiled. ?Goodbye Anakin and Tahiri. May the Force be with you both.?

?May the Force be with you, too.? They whispered back, but before they had finished, she was gone.

The sudden silence was deafening, until Tahiri burst into sobs again. Anakin reached over and pulled her body into his, holding her tightly until she calmed down.

When she was almost quiet he asked; ?Are you going to tell me what that was all about??

Looking up at him, Tahiri traced a line across his forehead, moving the lock of hair that was hanging over his eye. ?Not yet. I need to go to my room and meditate for a while.?

?No evening meal??

?No. Go ahead without me. I?ll see you at the meeting.?

?Why am I suddenly feeling nervous??

Taking a deep breath, and chuckling softly, Tahiri answered; ?That?s the dumbest question you?ve asked me in ages.?



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Anakin looked out at the faces of the strike team members, the older Jedi, his parents, Lando, Tendra, contemplating how to begin. If he started off too heavy-handed, he risked alienating some of the team, if he was too soft, appeared to be asking them to obey, he risked losing their respect.

There was that word again.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the holodisplay behind him, and stared at the sea of

 

little baby will solo

love the update

 

Anakin with the two Tahiris was quite amusing. Wow, a baby! I have to admit I didn't see that coming, and may I say I am oh so relieved that Tahiri won't be going along on the mission! I think it will really help Anakin focus, at least I hope it will. I wonder how they will explain her sudden decision not to go along. Anyway super sweet! I hope this story extends past the mission so we actually get to see them work this all out, and not just see "who" survives! Great post, as always looking forwards to more!

 

Beautiful!

Hopefully a fully pre-natal would suss out anything that's wrong...

But I'm still mega-worried for Anakin.

Cyn

 

Smokin' update!!! Anakin's speech rocked to the moon!!!!!

But wow wow wow wow!!! That was one plot twist I did not see coming!!!! Eeek!! Tahiri has to stay behind but it probably will be better for her and Will--great name by the way. looking forward to the mission and the mush afterwards

 

Urk! You made me de-lurk! (And mea culpa, I am the worst of lurkers.) But there's something about really well-written stories, and add that to a well-thought out and interesting concept--the best fics always have a reason for being written, and then make it a story about Anakin Solo and Tahiri, and I find it almost impossible to resist. And then you went and brought in a baby Solo!

I love Anakin's method of baby-naming, btw. Appropriate and hilarious and poignant all at once. Though it raises the question of what exactly IS the Will of the Force? If it's the Force's will that Tahiri got pregnant, was it also It's will that Old Tahiri miscarry? And if so, there must have been a purpose for the pregnancy other than producing a baby Solo. Was it to prevent Tahiri going on the mission? And was it therefore thwarted the first time around?. . . And so we enter the most eternal of debates, the Will of the Supernatural (or whatever the people in question call it) vs. Evil vs. Free Will.

When I start venturing into philosophical issues over a story, I know it's one of the best of fics.

And I love how Anakin's acknowledging the failures of the adults involved. My personal canon for the Vong War is that one of the Vong's earliest and most successful pre-invasion softening-up techniques involved advance undercover teams whose mission was to put Liquid Idiot Ball in the water-supplies of as many major planets as possible. How early on this happened, I'm not sure of, particularly now that we know that the Strike Team was part of an established Jedi tradition of padawan-killing clusterkriffs like Jabiim.

Please don't kill Anakin. I don't think you will, but I really don't need to see that (and get turned off Star Wars for years) again.


Rowan

P.S. Also, post more and faster? Or is there a schedule I've missed noticing?

 

wow, that was a great, great post!!

though I'm intrigued by how.... Anakin Skywalker-like Anakin is being after finding out about the baby

Anyways, great, job and I can't wait for the next post!

 

**scoots into thread**

Hey!!! How the heck are you?

I'm well, I'm well. Think I missed a chapter already Was struck down with that stupid swine flu crap for a week or so, but I think I'm over it now. I'm no longer eating like food is going out of fashion, so I guess that's a start

I know! After I swore it off forever, I got this in my head and had 7 chapters written in less than a week. I almost couldn?t not start posting.

Well, it's a happy day when you start posting again, and *anything* written by PregMe is always going to pique my interest, simply because you write so fabulously! So I'm excited... can you tell?

I know! I was suddenly, and far deeply, bitten by the A&T together bug and have become obsessed. To the point where the idea of T with anyone else is yucky. Can you believe that coming form me?



So does this mean no more F&L? *lip wobble* I mean, Jacen really irked me to the point where I'm not sure I could stomach him with anyone at all anymore, but you'd written their doomed romance so beautifully that I think I could make an exception for you Still, if F&L is on the back-burner, I'm all for you dishing out the A/T love in spades!

Now, onto the updates....

He had eventually realized that Tahiri?s devotion?his Tahiri?s?was not so frightening after all, because it was exactly what he felt for her; there was nothing that he wouldn?t do to keep her safe, nothing he wouldn?t sacrifice. If told he had to choose between Tahiri and his family, as much as he would wish he didn?t have to make the choice, he would choose Tahiri. If faced with saving her or any member of the team, he would choose her, without thinking twice.

This part *really* sums up how I feel about Tahiri and Anakin in just one short paragraph! I actually SQUEE-ed when I read this. No joke.

I love that Anakin would ditch his family for Tahiri in a heartbeat. I do. Theirs is such a perfect love. Pity he had to die. But I'm hoping you're going to rectify that little mistake here, right?

So why had the other Anakin taken the amphistaff for Jaina? Because he didn?t realize what he was doing; what he was ultimately giving up. And when that mistake was compounded by his youthful brashness and the team?s sabotage by Lomi Plo and Welk, he ended up sacrificing the one thing he wanted never to sacrifice; his love.

Again, you're summing things up perfectly! I love that Anakin's figuring it all out in his head. But I wonder.... if he goes into the mission thinking only of Tahiri, what other catastrophies could/will happen because of it? Hmm, things to ponder there, that's for sure.

Next up: Older Tahiri says good-bye, Anakin gives a speech, and Older Tahiri's parting words to Younger Tahiri sure puts a new spin on things!

Ooh! Interesting! **rubs hands together** Definitely looking forward to reading that!

Thanks for the PMs.

Ant.

 

Hello everyone!

Forgive me for being remiss in my replies and PM?s this week? brutal summer schedule and I figured you?d rather have an update than me blabbering about how fab I think my own story is, so I waited until the kids were in day camp and I had enough work finished to justify to myself slacking off for this.


So: below? please find responses to your responses;


star_writer
You're blowing me away with your characterization of Anakin.
It's coming off so naturally and the tears geez...they worked incredibly well.
I?m thrilled you like my characterization of Anakin, he?s been a little hard to write. I?m going off of my numerous readings of the JJK books (my kids looooove them) and then the Keyes Duology? so I?ve been sort of closing one eye, extrapolating and hoping for the best. I?m thrilled that you? an Anakin writer is impressed. That means a lot.

I love how you are finally giving them the words to express how they feel about
each other and its coming off so realistically. So many other authors let things go unsaid and are just
assumed with this couple, which sometimes drives me insane. It's like you're breathing a new life and oxygen into
this ship that it was seriously missing! None of it feeling forced or trite.
Yes, I?m giving them words, because the fact that they have so few makes me crazy, and again; thank you for your approval! I like to think that given the fact that Anakin initiated what ?romance? we did see in the books; he told her he loved her, he kissed her first, that he would not have hesitated to stand up and be fully invested in this relationship.

So I guess what I am trying to say is amazing job again...I am swooning with
every post...LOL!
Thank you! I?m thrilled you are enjoying it. There is lots more to come.

You're making these last few miserable weeks of this miserable
pregnancy bearable with this story. (It's a boy by the way)
Anyway hope to see more up soon.
Anyway I can help you through, I?m happy to help! Yuck with the bed rest? and believe me when I say EPIDURAL!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO NOT PASS GO!!!! EPIDURALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!

A side note: when I was delivering the first time, bastards turned my epidural off wneh I started pushing, I felt every beautiful 8lbs 11oz of Darth Big Sithter coming out of me? I was cranky about that. With Darth Little Boy, my Dr had switched hospitals? new anesthesiologist? Dr. Feelgood? didn?t get around to turning off my epidural until Jr was about 15 minutes old? much more civilaized. That is the way to go. Delivery # two, I was on the phone with my girlfriend and told her I?d have to call her back because it was time to push?

Need I say more?

And if you?re really miserable afterwards, and need something to read during those wonderful hours of sitting and doing nothing but nursing and leaking out of places you didn?t know you could leak from, and being all crazy hormonal and not letting anyone touch your son (YEAH!!!! We love baby boys!) let me know? maybe I?ll hook you up with some reading treats.

But back to the story:

Hmmm Anakin definitely had some interesting thoughts there, I hope their plan works.
Anakin always has interesting thoughts? and most of his plans work in one form or another.

Anakin with the two Tahiris was quite amusing.
They were totally fun to write and I was sad to see her go.

Wow, a baby! I have to admit I didn't see that coming,
Yeah! I was hoping that would be the case.

and may I say I am oh so relieved that Tahiri won't be going along on the mission! I think it will really help Anakin focus, at least I hope it will.
Oh? He?ll be focused. He wants to get the heck out of there.

I wonder how they will explain her sudden decision not to go along.
You should be finding out Friday. I?m whipping the Beta to get it to me early so I can post Friday afternoon instead of midnight.

Anyway super sweet! I hope this story extends past the mission so we actually get to see them work this all out, and not just se

 

Love the two Tahiris side by side! Great show of emotional growth & maturity.
Not expecting the baby, and finding myself oddly happy and exicted....so I can totally relate to the feelings that Anakin & Tahiri are feeling too.
Can't wait to see how things change and how they stay the same as they proceed forward. Great work!!!!

 

Fragile

Chapter 5

If You Could Only See (The Way She Loves Me, Then Maybe You Would Understand)


Anakin and Tahiri stood in silence, in the hallway leading out to the hangar, their hands clasped together tightly.

They?d watched the other team members say goodbye to Luke and Mara and Anakin?s parents, had watched the other masters leave to go back to their work, had felt everyone wonder where they where.

Moments earlier, Anakin had used Tahiri?s commlink to call Luke, to tell him that the others should board, and that he would be along in a moment. His uncle had been in mid sentence, asking what was going on, when Anakin had cut the transmission and wrapped his arms back around Tahiri.

They?d been up all night, had said everything they could say, had held each other until the very last moment they felt they could get away with, and now here they were: seconds away from saying good-bye.

Anakin took a deep breath, squeezed Tahiri?s hand - it felt so small in his - and took the first step into the hangar, pulling her along behind him.

Mara turned around first, her movement alerting the others to his arrival.

?There you are.? Lando greeted. ?I was beginning to think you?d changed your mind.?

?I wish.? Han muttered, and Leia leveled him with a sharp look.

?Sorry,? Anakin offered, but didn?t elaborate.

Releasing Tahiri?s hand, he hugged Luke, and kissed Mara?s cheek, but didn?t say anything to either one of them; he?d already said it all.

Moving to his parents, he wrapped his mother in a tight hug.

She reached up and brushed a hand over his hair - he felt like a lot of people were touching his hair lately - and said; ?Be careful, Anakin. You and the twins need to keep each other safe.?

It dawned on him that she hadn?t mentioned Tahiri, and that no one had commented on her lack good-byes - but now wasn?t the time to take his mother to task for thinking only of her children.

?We will mom. I love you.?

?I love you too. This is going to be hard, but what you said last night was wonderful and strong, you?re a natural leader. You?re going to do a great job. I know it.?

Feeling suddenly self-conscious at the praise, he ducked his head and moved over to his dad.

Han, as he often used to do during emotional situations, before Chewie, became suddenly very affectionate, and pulled Anakin into a firm hug, then pushed him away and held his shoulders tightly.

?It?s still not to late to back out, kid.?

A stifled sob from Tahiri, standing just off to the side, caused the whole group to jump slightly, and it was only after her whispered, ?sorry? that everyone turned back to father and son.

Han grabbed Anakin?s attention again and continued. ?I?m proud of you, and I have faith in you. And I?ll see you soon.?

Anakin nodded, and looked deeply into his father?s eyes. He could tell by the change in his expression that Han recognized that something was going on, then caught the flicker of his father?s gaze toward Tahiri and then back to him.

Anakin took a breath to steady his nerves and very quietly, but with the force of all the emotion he felt for Tahiri said, ?Take care of her. Until I get back.?

Han Solo was not a dumb man, and his son knew that. Anakin read the understanding on his father?s face; read that his father knew what this was doing to him, and knew that Han would do as he asked.

Nodding solemnly, he said, ?I promise.?

?Thank you, Dad. I love you.?

?I love you too, Anakin.?

As Anakin turned back toward where Tahiri stood, he felt what seemed like glowrods begin to go on in the Force. His aunt and uncle were beginning to realize, mentally circling what Han had already figured out, but they were not quite there. It was no wonder his father had been able to keep up with his all Jedi family so easily for thirty years, despite having no ability to touch the Force himself.

His mother was apparently going to need it spelled out for her.

With a slight tilt of his head, Anakin beckoned Tahiri forward,

 

now for the shock that comes with that news

cant wait for more

 

What do I think? That I can't until Friday! That was a genius update. Anakin with his folks and Han with Tahiri -- very lovely. You detailed the differences in the outworking of the mission very well indeed. It never occurred to me that Anakin would be lost... interesting indeed that Vergere's not around to twist things as she did with Jacen... but if Anakin's been captured, I'd hate to think he's going to be warped into a future Sith.

 

Han promising to take care of Tahiri was beautiful!

I feel sort of bad for Jacen & Jaina....they were kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Listen to all Anakin's orders, and they're blamed for leaving Anakin behind. Do what they think is right and it's considered not respecting him enough. Lose-lose. Of course, poor Tahiri isn't exactly in the best position to be objective right now either.

Can't wait to see what happens next in your "fixer-upper" galaxy!