Title: Breaking Their Hold

Author: CarthsLostPadawan

Rating: Teen

Summary: A little songfic about Atton's thoughts as Exile goes back to Dantooine to meet with the newly reunited Jedi Council alone.

Disclaimer: I do not own the KotOR characters nor do I own the song which is "Breaking Their Hold" by Avenged Sevenfold. I do, however, own the name I gave the Exile.

When you see them coming in form

And they say they do what's best for you

Fighting for one total control

They are planned and organized for you

"Stay safe, Rhi." I called as the hatch closed behind you and immediately the mask I was wearing all morning came off. There sly smuggler smile had been stripped away to show what was really underneath. Worry. There just wasn't anything right about the Jedi Council. Not these ones that we've been searching the entire Galaxy for. There's just something not right about this entire thing. Something planned about you being conveniently sent on a search and rescue mission for the very Jedi Masters who threw you out of their Order so long ago.

They told you they were doing what was best for you, what was best for the Republic. Exiling you, waiting instead of acting during the Mandalorian Wars. You were right to say that the Jedi served no one with inaction. Truth be told, I believe they wanted only one thing and that was control back then. The Republic was fighting a war that it could not win and they were setting back in their chairs on Coruscant thinking? There's only so much meditating a person can do, only so many lives they can sit back and watch slip through their fingers, before you have to stand up and do something about it. That is, if there's any humanity left in you.

But that's how those Jedi work. No emotion. Erase the base emotions and there's nothing left for anything deeper to develop. You're left an empty shell for their molding. That's why they catch you while you're young, before the habits start forming. Once they erase all that is normal from you, you're a robot for their controlling. That's all they're worried about is total control. They wield the Force and bend it to their will, and with the Force existing in all living things, then I suppose they think they should be able to control those too.

They haven't had much control on you since they exiled you, I know they're back to finish the job. You're a risk, we've all felt the echo in you. It's empty and hungers for more. More killing, more acceptance, more power. They're afraid you've got what it takes to take over. Maybe even make a new order with some common sense. Stay safe, Rhiannon. For all our sakes.

Breaking their hold. Breaking their hold of control

They strive, to keep you down. Behind your back the time has come

The end is near

It's when you sleep, so late at night

And in the light getting prepared

It's not to help you, but to help their cause

Under one system, you won't exist

I know it's not right to spy, but you gave me this gift of the Force, why shouldn't I use it to our advantage. I'll tune in to your mind, watch what's going on from your eyes. You know we're too far away to get there in time, keeping us safe from trying to save you. You've got to end this here, break their control over you. Stand up and fight for control of your life. You're a good person, not a single person here would testify against it.

It's like they've been watching you. They're in your head, in your dreams. We've watched them break you down into nothing and you keep fighting back. There's only so much you can impress someone, even those Jedi, before they toss you away under the pretense of darkside taint. They won't purify you, they'll kill you. That whole "We're protecting you from yourself" thing won't work. They're saving their own asses from being exposed for what they really are.

They are few, with all the power

Our system screams, we can't let them tear our hearts out

Screaming, pulling on our pride

Stand together for the right cause

One system to our demise

No, I can learn to control it. I hear you argue against their want to sap you of your power. Your resolve is waning and I try to surreptitiously put a little of my will in you without you knowing. They won't have in and before I know it you're screaming… the Force is screaming around you, around us. Even Mical can feel it, but only I know what's going on. This can't be the end, we've fought too long, gotten too far, to be defeated now.

There's another presence there within you, lending you their aid. I can tell right away it's him and instinctively put out a little more just to show him up. It takes a lot, I know it's not a competition, but your life that's in the balance. I'll pull off if only to save your life. And then it's over and Kreia emerges having slayed them down. You're down, but you're safe. They should have known that it would take a lot more than their little order to hold us down. We stand together…. I stand with you.