Mirror Image, Chapter 1, Star Wars EU, Tahiri Veila, OMC, Rated Pg-13
I first wrote this about a year and a half ago but then kind of pushed it aside when I got busy with work and boring old everyday life.
Title: Mirror Image, Chapter 1
Author: caedusthewicked
Fandom: Star Wars EU (and probably AU)
Characters: Tahiri Veila, OMC
Ratings: Rated PG-13 (later chapters may possibly be higher)
Word Count: 1180
Disclaimers: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars characters; this is fanfiction; all characters are over the age of 18.
Summary: Tahiri Veila is unsettled by a mysterious stranger who reminds her of someone from long ago.
Mirror Image, Chapter 1
She was so tired even her bones seemed to ache. Her head hung low and her eyes closed for a moment, oblivious to the crowd of beings who surged around her on the busy sidewalk. Some glanced at her curiously but most did not, immune to the strange actions of off-worlders.
Tahiri wore nothing that marked her as a former Jedi. She appeared to be nothing more than a slim human female, dressed in plain clothing, and tired from a long journey. Sometimes she wished that was all that she was. That she could just vanish amidst the crowd.
She sighed deeply and raised her head. Slowly she started walking, not even sure where she was headed. This area of the city was older and contained a jumble of shops and eating-places and bars. Not that different from other places she’d been.
A sudden commotion made her stop in her tracks. Some kind of riot seemed to be breaking out, people were yelling in a threatening manner. The local beings were calling in their strange high-pitched voices and waving long tentacle-like arms. Tahiri quickly side-stepped into the nearest open doorway.
She paused, eyes adjusting quickly to the darkened interior. The outside noises were muted now and the air was cool against her skin. There were various types of tables spread throughout the room, some nudged into alcoves where the occupants watched her warily.
A bar, she thought. Not her first choice but perhaps it would do. At least she could sit for a while. She walked to the far end of the long bar that extended down one side of the room. Wearily she wriggled onto one of the tall chairs, turning it slightly so that she could still see the doorway. She let her tired feet dangle, wondering if she’d offend anyone if she slipped off her shoes.
The bartender walked towards her, wiping the gleaming black top. He was human, she thought, and wearing the now familiar garments of many of the city’s human populace, body fully covered except for his hands and upper face. He stopped across from her and stood silently.
“Just pick something for me, mild and non-harmful to humans.”
He turned to the shelves behind the bar and started mixing something in a tall glass.
Just what I like, she thought, a man who knows when to keep quiet. Her nerves seemed to strum and she rubbed at her tired and burning eyes.
There was a light thump as he set the class in front of her. She opened her eyes to see a tall, slender glass of amber liquid. She closed her thin fingers around the coolness of it and slowly raised the glass to her lips for a sip. Perfect. She didn’t know what it was but at the moment it seemed to be just what she’d wanted.
“Is it to your liking?”
His voice was soft and hoarse. He was wiping at the counter again and she saw that his right hand was mechanical and vaguely wondered about the circumstances of his injury. But then the planet was notorious for its warfare among both its military and its citizens. He’d likely gotten hurt in some kind of local skirmish.
“Yes, it’s wonderful. Just what I needed.”
He turned and busied himself with pouring more drinks, likely for some of the bar’s occupants she could feel stirring behind her. She glanced up at him, eyes running over him. His clothing was dark but she could still see the movement of the muscles in his arms and shoulders as he mixed the drinks.
In the mirror she could see his face, darkly covered except for his lowered eyes. He glanced up suddenly at her and for a moment the world skewed and then seemed to come to a standstill. The glass started to slip from her fingers but she was frozen and powerless to stop it.
Her body struggled against the unwelcome sensations but then the glass was lying on its side, the amber liquid glowing against the black top and running in a quick trail towards her lap. But the man was there in a second, his white cloth quickly mopping it up.
“I’m sorry…”
“That’s alright. I could tell that you’re tired. I’ll make you another one…and give you a straw.”
She thought he was smiling now. She could hear it in his voice and see the crinkled lines at the corners of his pale blue eyes.
“Yes…yes, I guess I’m even more tired than I thought.”
He quickly made her another drink and set it in front of her, a brightly colored straw sticking up out of it this time, and she couldn’t help the reluctant smile she felt slide across her face.
“I’ll be right back. I need to get these drinks to that table over there.”
He picked up a tray containing an assortment of glasses and liquids and carried it to a table in the far corner, moving swiftly and silently. She turned to watch him, noting the gracefulness of his movements. He leaned over and she found her eyes dropping to his slim ass in the snug-fitting pants he wore and she quickly averted her eyes and turned back around.
She closed her eyes. It was only because he reminded her of…someone. That’s the only reason she was having these crazy thoughts about a stranger. But those eyes…
She opened her own eyes and was startled to see that he was standing in front of her. She’d not heard or sensed him there.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You didn’t…really…I was just…”
“Tired…yes, we agreed on that before.”
There was an unexpected note of irritation in his voice and she frowned at him.
“I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”
He looked at her, eyes that certain shade of blue that she’d rarely seen before, and hoped she’d not see again. She swallowed painfully and pulling the straw out, took a gulp of her drink.
She set the glass down carefully and stood up.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
She laughed, dismayed at the slightly hysterical edge she heard in it.
“You can’t do good business by giving your drinks away.”
She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out some credit chips and slid them across to him.
“I need to get to my hotel. I do thank you for your hospitality.”
Avoiding his eyes, she turned and walked quickly out the door. The excitement in the streets seemed to have died down, leaving only a few groups scattered here and there and talking amongst themselves.
She did feel a bit more clear-headed now. Looking around she quickly headed up the north street where she thought a large hotel was located.
Her hands were trembling and she hoped the bartender hadn’t noticed. She felt foolish. How many years had it been since Anakin had…gone? And here she was, a basket case, just because someone had reminded her a little of him. The wind whistled down the narrow street and she shivered, drawing her cloak tighter around herself. But those eyes…
Title: Mirror Image, Chapter 1
Author: caedusthewicked
Fandom: Star Wars EU (and probably AU)
Characters: Tahiri Veila, OMC
Ratings: Rated PG-13 (later chapters may possibly be higher)
Word Count: 1180
Disclaimers: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars characters; this is fanfiction; all characters are over the age of 18.
Summary: Tahiri Veila is unsettled by a mysterious stranger who reminds her of someone from long ago.
Mirror Image, Chapter 1
She was so tired even her bones seemed to ache. Her head hung low and her eyes closed for a moment, oblivious to the crowd of beings who surged around her on the busy sidewalk. Some glanced at her curiously but most did not, immune to the strange actions of off-worlders.
Tahiri wore nothing that marked her as a former Jedi. She appeared to be nothing more than a slim human female, dressed in plain clothing, and tired from a long journey. Sometimes she wished that was all that she was. That she could just vanish amidst the crowd.
She sighed deeply and raised her head. Slowly she started walking, not even sure where she was headed. This area of the city was older and contained a jumble of shops and eating-places and bars. Not that different from other places she’d been.
A sudden commotion made her stop in her tracks. Some kind of riot seemed to be breaking out, people were yelling in a threatening manner. The local beings were calling in their strange high-pitched voices and waving long tentacle-like arms. Tahiri quickly side-stepped into the nearest open doorway.
She paused, eyes adjusting quickly to the darkened interior. The outside noises were muted now and the air was cool against her skin. There were various types of tables spread throughout the room, some nudged into alcoves where the occupants watched her warily.
A bar, she thought. Not her first choice but perhaps it would do. At least she could sit for a while. She walked to the far end of the long bar that extended down one side of the room. Wearily she wriggled onto one of the tall chairs, turning it slightly so that she could still see the doorway. She let her tired feet dangle, wondering if she’d offend anyone if she slipped off her shoes.
The bartender walked towards her, wiping the gleaming black top. He was human, she thought, and wearing the now familiar garments of many of the city’s human populace, body fully covered except for his hands and upper face. He stopped across from her and stood silently.
“Just pick something for me, mild and non-harmful to humans.”
He turned to the shelves behind the bar and started mixing something in a tall glass.
Just what I like, she thought, a man who knows when to keep quiet. Her nerves seemed to strum and she rubbed at her tired and burning eyes.
There was a light thump as he set the class in front of her. She opened her eyes to see a tall, slender glass of amber liquid. She closed her thin fingers around the coolness of it and slowly raised the glass to her lips for a sip. Perfect. She didn’t know what it was but at the moment it seemed to be just what she’d wanted.
“Is it to your liking?”
His voice was soft and hoarse. He was wiping at the counter again and she saw that his right hand was mechanical and vaguely wondered about the circumstances of his injury. But then the planet was notorious for its warfare among both its military and its citizens. He’d likely gotten hurt in some kind of local skirmish.
“Yes, it’s wonderful. Just what I needed.”
He turned and busied himself with pouring more drinks, likely for some of the bar’s occupants she could feel stirring behind her. She glanced up at him, eyes running over him. His clothing was dark but she could still see the movement of the muscles in his arms and shoulders as he mixed the drinks.
In the mirror she could see his face, darkly covered except for his lowered eyes. He glanced up suddenly at her and for a moment the world skewed and then seemed to come to a standstill. The glass started to slip from her fingers but she was frozen and powerless to stop it.
Her body struggled against the unwelcome sensations but then the glass was lying on its side, the amber liquid glowing against the black top and running in a quick trail towards her lap. But the man was there in a second, his white cloth quickly mopping it up.
“I’m sorry…”
“That’s alright. I could tell that you’re tired. I’ll make you another one…and give you a straw.”
She thought he was smiling now. She could hear it in his voice and see the crinkled lines at the corners of his pale blue eyes.
“Yes…yes, I guess I’m even more tired than I thought.”
He quickly made her another drink and set it in front of her, a brightly colored straw sticking up out of it this time, and she couldn’t help the reluctant smile she felt slide across her face.
“I’ll be right back. I need to get these drinks to that table over there.”
He picked up a tray containing an assortment of glasses and liquids and carried it to a table in the far corner, moving swiftly and silently. She turned to watch him, noting the gracefulness of his movements. He leaned over and she found her eyes dropping to his slim ass in the snug-fitting pants he wore and she quickly averted her eyes and turned back around.
She closed her eyes. It was only because he reminded her of…someone. That’s the only reason she was having these crazy thoughts about a stranger. But those eyes…
She opened her own eyes and was startled to see that he was standing in front of her. She’d not heard or sensed him there.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You didn’t…really…I was just…”
“Tired…yes, we agreed on that before.”
There was an unexpected note of irritation in his voice and she frowned at him.
“I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”
He looked at her, eyes that certain shade of blue that she’d rarely seen before, and hoped she’d not see again. She swallowed painfully and pulling the straw out, took a gulp of her drink.
She set the glass down carefully and stood up.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
She laughed, dismayed at the slightly hysterical edge she heard in it.
“You can’t do good business by giving your drinks away.”
She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out some credit chips and slid them across to him.
“I need to get to my hotel. I do thank you for your hospitality.”
Avoiding his eyes, she turned and walked quickly out the door. The excitement in the streets seemed to have died down, leaving only a few groups scattered here and there and talking amongst themselves.
She did feel a bit more clear-headed now. Looking around she quickly headed up the north street where she thought a large hotel was located.
Her hands were trembling and she hoped the bartender hadn’t noticed. She felt foolish. How many years had it been since Anakin had…gone? And here she was, a basket case, just because someone had reminded her a little of him. The wind whistled down the narrow street and she shivered, drawing her cloak tighter around herself. But those eyes…