MHA #12, Monday Night

[nonelikemesince]

Given the way their last week had gone, Anakin thought it was a good idea to get in some sibling time, so he'd gone over to Jaina's with plans for dinner and ice cream (this was your fault, Ben) and nothing really strenuous.

He must have been more exhausted than he realized, because he didn't mean to fall asleep on the couch. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very restful sleep: his dreams were a constant barrage of images, things he'd seen in the dungeon for the past week mixed in with flashes of his family back home and his friends at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4, and through all of it a building sense of urgency.

There was one image that kept reappearing in his dreams, the only one he could remember clearly, and the first thing he thought of when it finally got to be too much, and he sat up with a panicked gasp.

"Tahiri!"

[OOC: For the sister!]

Comments

[solo_sword]

Jaina had been fine to let Anakin sleep, though she'd have told him to move to the spare bedroom if it got too late, and had been in the middle of putting the ice cream away when he woke up.

"What is it?" she asked, coming back to the living room.

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

Anakin was already on his feet, wearing the mulishly determined expression that usually meant he was going to do something whether anyone liked it or not.

"I need to go. Something bad's about to happen at home, I know it."

In situations like this he'd learned not to give more details than necessary, just to give people less material to use to talk him out of whatever he was going to do.

[solo_sword]

She who knew things that happened in his future was going to try and get some details out of him anyway. "What's about to happen? What'd you see?"

She had reasons to worry, especially after this weekend.

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Anakin said, digging both hands into his hair (like it could get any messier). "I can't remember most of it, but whatever it is, I've got a really strong feeling about it."

He bit his lip. "And I think it's going to have something to do with Tahiri."

[solo_sword]

...Oh. So it was time for that.

"Where are you going to go?" she asked.

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was about to happen.

"I'll figure that out while I'm on the way." Typical Anakin planning, really. He pulled out his comlink to signal Fiver to prep his X-Wing and gave Jaina an apologetic look. "I'm guessing Yavin, though. Uncle Luke left me a message while we were all stuck in the maze, and the Peace Brigade's really starting to ramp up operations. And if they really want to round up as many Jedi as possible . . ."

[solo_sword]

"Then it'll be Yavin," she confirmed, and not feeling okay about the fact that she couldn't warn him about this before now.

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

"Then that's where I'm going, and you're not --"

You could tell Anakin was agitated by how slow he was on the uptake, comparatively. He'd been halfway through saying 'you're not going to stop me from going' before he realized she was . . . kind of doing the opposite.

"I have to. You know that, right?"

[solo_sword]

Jaina nodded. "I know how this goes. That's why I'm going to let you go," she told him. Her instinct was actually to go with him, but she knew she couldn't do that. She knew from experience that he could handle it. "But Anakin, it's not going to be fun or easy."

To say the least.

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was just that the last week was still too fresh in his mind, but for once Anakin didn't bristle and insist it would be no big deal, he could handle it.

"I know," he said instead, more seriously than usual. (His normal overconfidence was still there, just more subdued, like he was choosing to go because this was something that had to be done, not just because he believed he could.) "But I can't let her deal with it alone, whatever it is."

He paused, remembering something, and added, "Especially since I haven't been in touch with her as much as I probably should."

[solo_sword]

Had she not warned you about that, Anakin?

"She'll at least want to kick you some," she said, trying for light when she knew what Tahiri was going to be facing. "She'll need you."

It was so weird to be going along with this, but she couldn't not.

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes, she had, but where Tahiri was concerned Anakin tended to be at his most clueless. It was sad, really.

"Of course she will. She's been beating up on me for years," he said with a tiny grin. Their relationship was so special.

"And I'd kind of like to keep it that way," he went on, and had no idea why saying that felt a little strange (not in a bad way), "so I should probably leave soon."

[solo_sword]

"I want you to call me when things settle down," Jaina said. "Or I will blow up your comm calling."

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

Anakin didn't even sigh like this was some huge imposition, even if he did give her a resigned look.

"It's your right, I guess, but I promise, I will."

You know. If he could, which was never a guarantee.

[solo_sword]

"And I'm reminding you of that if you don't call," Jaina said. "And be caref- Okay, I know you won't actually be careful but humor me anyway."

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

"I'll remember you told me to, how's that?" Anakin suggested, bounding over to give her a quick hug.

[solo_sword]

"Good enough," Jaina said, hugging him back and feeling only a little nervous about this, really. It was different when she knew what was going to happen. "May the Force be with you."

[nonelikemesince.livejournal.com]

"And with you," Anakin replied seriously.

He was halfway out the door when he stopped and turned around. "Thanks, Jaina," he said, then took off at a run.

For understanding, and not lecturing him too much, and -- he was fairly sure she knew what he meant.