Tahiri Veila: Victim or Villian?

So, ITT, we discuss whether or not Tahiri deserves the raw treatment she's been getting in the Fate of the Jedi books, when all factors are taken into account. Let's get one thing out of the way,I'm not going to deny she killed Pelleaon in cold blood, and anyone who does is in denial(or an even more rabid fanboy than I am, but I digress.)

But the question is, given the (sarcasm heavily implied in this next statement) illustrious chief of states relationship with the deadee in question(i'm being deliberately obtuse here, becuase i'm not certain i successfully blanked out the previous spoiler), is the treatment she's receiving at the hands at the GA really fair, especially considering all of the things that happened to her in previous books?

 

Everyone's a victim in one way or another.

 

She should be given a medal for her actions. Death to the Empire.

Okay, kidding, but still, she's more of a victim than a true villain. Her mind has been broken since Anakin died, and Jacen used the lingering guilt and eternal what-ifs associated with the Myrkr mission to manipulate her. Given that Flow-walking doesn't alter the past, but one's perception of it, Jacen used it to create a lotus eater machine in Tahiri's head. The idea of being with Anakin, live and healthy, was especially alluring to her and she could be manipulated into doing anything just for another visit to the Baanu Raas. Before that, she had been tortured and shaped, nearly going insane from the conflict between the Vong and the Human in her. Even the squicky incidents like trying to seduce Ben were more in desperation than in any adherence to the Sith way. Her villainy is really an exaggeration by Daala. The good Chief of State supported one half of the dictatorial military junta in the form of Niathal, and before that, she was a war criminal in service of the Alliance. Compound that with the fact that most of the GA military in FOTJ probably served under Caedus, and you don't see them called out.

 

Who cares that she Killed Pealleon. The man willingly served monsters for a good deal of his life. Dalaa wanted by Both the Empire and the New Republic he help kept hidden with a fleet of her own.

Helping her escape "Justice". The "Old man of the Empire" was a son of a targ with a lot of good publicity

Does one or a few Good acts negate a life time of evil? or spent in the service of evil?

does one year of madness or a few evil acts negate a lifetime spent in the service of "good" and justice?

Victim or Villian? I say who cares, few people earn the right to a second Chance, Tahiri has.

 

We have to accept certain facts:

1) Assassination is illegal.
2) As a soldier, you are to only obey legal orders.
3) Tahiri Veila assassinated Gilad Pellaeon.

Yeah, that's all you need to know.

 

Says who? on Earth yeah, well in the Major Powers on earth yeah. But in the GFFA?

But In the GFFA, Assassination was/is/and has been proposed to be used all the time.

There is not one party involved in LOTF that has not done 1 or all three. And yes Jaina Assassinated Jacen.

 

IT'S A FACT THAT jedi police themselves. And it's also a fact that they redeem darksiders. Kyp is a great example. He blew up planet -vs- Tahiri executing our favorite IMP Adm.. Difference in Tahiri's defense is SHE WAS FOLLOWING ORDERS. So does the GA, OR GFFA BELIEVE that Jacen was of legal authority. They do..So it's a fact that Tahiri IS-NOT a villain..

---Another case is Ben Skywalker.. He did snipe someone.

--

 

It may just be my lilly-livered liberal sensibilities, but I get suspicious at any group that claims it can police itself.

Onto Tahiri, I think that simply labelling her as a "victim" or "villian" is a disservice to the character; she's a little bit of both. On the one hand, she was being emotionally manipulated by Jacen Solo. On the other hand, she wasn't brainwashed, mind-controlled, or possessed (all very real dangers in the GFFA) and is still at least somewhat responsible for her actions.

 

Victim of a writing team who forgot/didn't care she got over her issues at the end of the NJO.

In-universe wise, both. Caedus played on her emotions, but she still had to make a choice to follow him. She murdered two people that we know of, tourtured and molested a 14 year old , and likly did other evil stuff as Caedus's apprentice as well.

 

I'm by no means an expert on the law related to warfare (both in the GFFA or RL) but I don't recall the Law of Land Warfare having any restrictions on targeting enemy officers who leave themselves exposed in a combat environment (I can only assume the same for ocean stuff).

 

In universe, she was so emotionally damaged that she was easy prey for Darth Jacen.

Out of universe, victim of one of the worst chracter derailments I´ve ever seen. And unless the authors missed the second half of NJO, completely intended.

 

Those who is yelling their heads off about villainy and other stuff, I direct you to read Edge of Victory: Conquest.

Edit:
On another front, all I hear is Tahiri this, Tahiri that... Doesn't anyone care about Riina anymore?

 

I would put Jacen is in the top spot for worst derailment, with Tahiri close 2nd.

 

Riina of Domain Kwaad is as real as cake. And as we all know, the cake is a lie, so why should we care about her?

 

Tahiri is one of the biggest victims of DR and Traviss bad characterisation ever. OOU she suffers from fans because she assassinated a character they liked. Which is really the only thing that makes her different from Jaina, Ben and Mirta Gev, who all assassinated politicians throughout the series. But as stated, we never 'liked' Jacen, Gejjen or Thracken like we did Pellaeon.

And it does make me sick slightly how everyone reacted to Pellaeon's death in Revelation 'is that what Sith do? murder men in their nineties after all these years of service?' First of all, I would condemn Tahiri more for killing a child rather than an old man. And second 'all those years of service' were for an evil regime and Pellaeon condoned some atrocities in his time whilst working with Thrawn and Daala. Tahiri's just unlucky that he was 'one of the good guys' at the time of his death. And this is coming from someone who likes Pelly.

Best thing for Tahiri is to run away, hide out for thirty years and perhaps build a secret fleet. She can return in about three wars time, help the good guys and then become CoS. I don't think its too unrealistic.

 

That would be interesting. If she fled and ended up going to the Imperial Remnant. That would be a good way to have her being the founder of the Imprrial Knights & maybe even marrying Fel and the source of Force sensitivity in that family.

 

hey i am all for her being an imperial knight. but i do think she is a major victim and it is her fault that she is, well... or the writers.

 

That's a bit of a stretch. She killed Pellaeon, pretty much Jag Fel's inspiration and mentor. As much as I think that action was justified, she isn't getting married to him anytime soon. But, oh hell, watch Troy Denning pull something ridiculous out of his ass, like he does in every SW novel he's written. He'll force it through somehow.

 

"Imp Knights this/that" This is the worst spoiler i've ever been assoiated with.. Easily pushes track 10 of Phantom Menace "QuiGonn's funeral" out o; the top spot..
---Umm guys, isn't wasn't it a GOOD thing they moved on w/ Tahiri? I think so. Every single chapter in the latter NJO i was in pain whnever she would show up & deal w/ these silly identity issues.. IMO They did a great job by Tahiri. Making her a follower of Jacen because of his connection to Anakin...So i'm pleased that alter eo thing was forgotten...

--We don't know what's illegal for the military in Jacens GA.
-If that's the case then every gunner on the Anakin-Solo are up for murder for cooking Kashyyk.. List goes on. And like i mentioned. Ben Skywalker sniped someone. Following orders!
---The GFFA politics have become rediculous. Shoulda stayed "New Republic" And the icing is a forced future. BAH! A reboot is sounding sweet. Problem is(w/ me) i loved the NJO & Tahiri was a key player cause ANakin Solo was.. I'd love to give AA & Troy Denning the keys to a reboot.

---Jedi police themselves!!

 

Only if you go back to the YJK series. Then it was a derailment. Otherwise, I thought dark side Jacen sprung quite naturally from what he was transformed into in the NJO.

I bet they'd have great hate!sex and get together through that.

 

No Mag, just cause you see conspericy everywhere dosen't make it so. I have read all your posts about him trying to "enforce is will" and whatever.

Fact remains he never forced his will on anyone, through all the NJO. He worked his best to prevent unecessary violence, or remove himself from such situations. Hell the Force Heritic Trillogy every scene he is in, Jacen is trying to talk someone or something down.

Just Because Denning pulled a Joe Quesada-esque One More Day, to turn him into a Straw-Darksider so he can attack Vergere/Unifiedforce/enternal darkside/whatever in LOTF dosen't make "Darkside" a natural part of Jacen's Character path.

 

Can´t talk about YJK as I´m keeping as far away from KJA as I can. And can´t help wondering if the jokes fom Invincible are for us to feel sorry for who Jacen was or to hate him more.

Jacen had a few hints from Vector Prime that could point towards him falling, such as his "might is right" fight againts Anakin when confrontinh philosophies. And he was very afraid of the Darkside, fear of fear is still fear, and as Yoda said... Then there´s Vergere, while I think she had fallen or was in the way to, the Sith retcon was jarring, and unnecesary. Anyway, from Swarm War on Denning and co changed whatever they wanted to fit a rehearse of the Prequels plot. It was painful read Luke and the others make the same mistakes Yoda and the OJO made. Full circle indeed.

With Tahiri I think they either find a way to bring Anakin back that is not utterly stupid, or mercy kill her and stop her suffering and her fans´.

 

I for one was/is a fan of Tahiri mainly because of her characterization in EOV duology.
and to a certain extent a fan of Riina.

This Post Star by Star Tahiri is not the innocent girl I would feel for.
See my ancient posts on my theory how the personality Tahiri was destroyed in Conquest, and that ever since she got out of that tank Riina was the dominant, and indeed only personality in that meat bag.

 

I would appreciate if you would not resort to ad hominems. I am not seeing "conspiracy" everywhere, and it is insulting to be slandered so.

What I remember from the NJO is Jacen whining incessantly about how everybody else was wrong for using the force in war, until the moment he almost let his mother die for his vaunted principles. Then he sabotaged the Myrkr mission by working against Anakin's leadership, which helped to lead to Anakin's death.

And if your perceptions differ, then that is fine, but I'd appreciate you affording me my privilege to have my own opinion and express it. I don't like Jacen. I haven't liked him since the beginning of the NJO and every development he went through since then only affirmed my dislike. Him seducing Tahiri to the dark side was just another entry in the "reasons to dislike Jacen" log.

---

Back on topic, I think Tahiri was terribly derailed as a character by making her a Sith apprentice. But the character already was mishandled in the DN trilogy. I think it has to do with an desire by DR to still make her relevant in the EU, but not knowing what to do with her. Paradoxically, it has lead to her being prominent and interesting in FotJ.

 

Do people like her so far in FotJ, with this trial and everything? I found her to be a bit ridiculous in Allies where she was still so stupidly wrapped up with Anakin

I wish they would find something for her, but she has really been a whiner since the NJO, where she whined about not getting to go everywhere with Anakin, whined her way onto the Mrkyr mission team, etc.
That was all fine since she was supposed to be 14 or whatever.

But now that she is still the same at 30 is just kind of pathetic

There is such potential for her with the whole Vong connection, it is just such a waste