*This almost looks like what happened last year on blarthog,* he thought to himself. They actually had plans to celebrate the Tamaranean holiday when it came around again, as, despite the seemingly ridiculous decorations, it was enjoyable to reaffirm their friendship this way. *Right about now we started to argue, and then Star came in...*
On cue with his thoughts, the doors opened and Star walked in. Smiling at everyone, she walked over to the kitchen and began to search the cupboards for something. Just as Robin began to think something was off here, she spoke to him.
"Robin, might you help me reach the candlestick? I do not wish to risk damaging it." She pointed into one of the higher cupboards.
"Sure, Star," Robin said as he walked forward. Smiling at him, she picked him up and he grabbed the candlestick for her. As she set him down, he handed it to her and asked, "But, couldn't you have just flown to reach it?"
She smiled at him, somewhat sadly. "I will not be flying today," she said as she turned back to the counter and placed a candle in the candlestick. She lit it with a small starbolt, and stared into the flame.
Robin watched her for a while, then spoke. "Star? Is something wrong?"
As she stared into the flame, she spoke to him. "Today is my i'shka'nar, rememberance. Among my people, when one cares for someone deeply - a family member or beloved - and loses them before their time, we perform this ceremony on the day of their death, to remember them. If the exact day of death is unknown, it is performed on the day of their birth. We stare into the flame until the candle has burned down all the way, in a wish that the lost one had remained amongst us until their flame had burned fully. Also, during remembrance, we do not express joy through flight, in honor of the one who can do so no longer."
Everyone was silent at this point. Robin finally asked, "Who was it?"
Star shook her head, still staring into the flame. "I do not speak of them today. Tomorrow, if you wish, I shall tell you."
Robin nodded. "Okay, Star." He backed off, leaving her to the ritual. The others did likewise, returning to their normal activities.
Deep in space, a small object rocketed at high speeds through the inky vastness. Those who saw it from a distance would only notice a brief blur before it was gone. Those closer would wonder how an object so small could move through space so swiftly. Those close enough to see details would wonder what led so young a Tamaranean to travel so dangerously.
She had been lucky so far. She was unable to bring the slightest joy from her situation, and she was desperately afraid. Without joy to power flight, she could not change course once she launched herself into space, and there were many places and spatial anomolies that could cause her great harm. She would have to do as she had, face her fear and hope for the best.
Her hair was a honeyed blonde, unusual for a Tamaranean. Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue. She had not yet passed through her transformations, and by earth terms she could not be more than nine. As she flew through space now, a planet slowly entered her vision. It seemed strange, for she had never seen a planet so blue before. Her trajectory took her into the planet's atmosphere, and she winced at the heat friction of re-entry. As the ground rapidly approached, she braced for impact.
As the candle finally burned itself out, Star sighed sadly and turned back to the others. "So tell me, friends, what do we have planned for today?"
Suddenly, there was a shrieking in the air, followed by a deafening impact in downtown Jump City. The alarm went off.
"Titans, trouble! Space debris of some sort have impacted in the city, and Doctor Light is on the move. Titans, GO!"
As they rushed to head out, Robin was surprised to find Star getting on the R-cycle behind him.
"I do not fly today, remember?" she said sadly. He nodded, and passed her a helmet. They headed out to the scene.
"Well, well, well...what have we here?"
She could not understand what the strangely configured humanoid was saying, for it was a language she did not yet know. However, the small Tamaranean did not like the way he was looking at her. It made her feel hunted. She turned and ran. He made to pursue.
Not understanding what he was saying, she dodged around several objects and buildings, seeking shelter, or at least somewhere to hide. Finding none, she dodged past a pole just as a blast of light from the strange one knocked it over.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are." The sounds had no meaning to her, but she was afraid. She could not let her fear rule her though. Her eyes began to glow as she gathered her courage and seized the fallen pole.
The Titans arrived on the scene in time to hear a deafening boom, and see Doctor Light go flying into a building, before slumping into unconciousness. The Titans rushed forward to see what happened.
The small girl hefted the pole like an oversized club, glaring at these new people. She spoke in Tamaranean.
"Stay back! I have no wish to harm you, but I will defend myself as necessarry."
Starfire quickly stepped forward, recognizing the language. "We mean you no harm. These are good people, and we will help you."
The girl stared at Starfire for a time, then dropped the pole. Staggering forward a bit she became fully visible. She was wearing an armored body suit, not unlike a child's onesies, and an armband identical to Starfire's. She finally seemed to make her mouth work.
"K-k-k...Kor'i?"
Star's face took on a totally stupefied expression, as she could not believe what she was seeing.
"X'hal..." she swore to the godess. "...Mim'h?"
The little girl started running towards Starfire, tears in her eyes. Star suddenly rocketed forward, seized the girl in her arms, and swooped 100 feet into the air, hugging the girl tight. Tears of joy flowed freely from her eyes. Finally she spoke.
"Dear sister...you're alive."
The ritual of Rememberance I made up out of whole cloth, but it seemed to fit with the warrior culture demonstrated by the Tamaraneans. The little girl's full name is Mim'hander, and is an original character. She is, as you can guess, Starfire's long lost little sister.