Obviously, I don't own either the Knights of the Old Republic games or anything worth suing me for about it.
Standing at the centre of the Trayus Core, at the very heart of Malachor, Kreia waited for her challenger. She knew at least one of those children would come, armed with pathetic beliefs and lightsabers they barely knew how to use. Most of them were worth nothing more than death, too wrapped up in their meaningless quests to see the larger picture.
But she could sense one of them, coming closer. One that she certainly had no use for.
"Ah, the fool. I wondered if it would be you who came," Kreia said.
Atton drew his lightsaber. "Like any of them are stupid enough to face a Sith Lord on their own."
"She is. She'll be here soon."
Atton snapped on the lightsaber, the green blade coming alive instantly. "So let's get this over with."
"You fool, bound to your lightsaber…" Kreia said softly, raising one hand. "How much did she try to teach you? Would you bother to learn of the subtleties of lightsaber combat?"
"The glowing end goes in the Sith scum," Atton said, shrugging. "That's all I really need to know."
"I am Darth Traya. I have destroyed worlds, manipulated the most powerful people in the galaxy-"
"Are we going to fight or not?"
"Very well, fool," Kreia said. She snapped her fingers.
Atton's lightsaber jerked in his hand. He frowned, concentrating, and the weapon stayed firmly where it was.
"Gotta do better than that, you old hag," he challenged.
Kreia was surprised. She had not expected this one to have any power worth speaking off, but beyond the simple tricks and forced emotions, there was something. Maybe she could use this one.
"You did learn something then. I wonder, did you learn enough? Come, fool," she said, forcing her way through his basic mental defenses. "Be the man you used to be."
Jenna was running when she reached the Trayus Core. When she found Atton, she was going to kill the idiot. Provided he was still breathing, that is.
There were two figures standing at the red centre of the Core. Jenna knew both of them, even from this distance. All of this had started with these two, Force take both of them. Atton and Kreia.
"I thought you would get here quicker than this," Kreia said as Jenna came closer.
"I got held up by a friend of yours," Jenna replied. "Atton, what the Force are you doing here?"
He didn't reply, still staring at her feet.
"Atton?"
"He won't answer," Kreia said. "He's mine now."
Jenna stepped forward, putting fingers under Atton's chin and making him look up. His eyes were dead and cold, unfocused.
"What have you done to him?" she asked, unable to take her eyes off this cruel parody of Atton.
"I merely scratched the surface a little. Of course, he isn't quite finished yet. There are still sparks of the fool in there, possibly. Revan prized this one as an assassin above all others. Did he tell you that? A man good enough at death and destruction to earn the grudging respect of a Sith Lord must have a real passion for the suffering of others. Did you really think a man like that could just walk away from it? Part of him still hungers for the kill. For the feeling when a life is snuffed out by his hand."
"You let that part out. How?"
"Some would say manipulation is what I do best."
Jenna turned back to her friend. "Atton? Atton, listen to me. This isn't you, you hear me?"
Atton looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time. "Jedi," he hissed, his voice filled with hatred and disgust. He activated his lightsaber, pointing it at her.
Jenna stepped back. "Damn it, Atton, what are you doing?"
But she knew what he was doing. The stance he was slipping into, the casual way he held the lightsaber. He was going to attack.
"Aren't you going to attack him?" Kreia asked. "You did come here to fight the Sith."
"He's not Sith!" Jenna yelled. "Now, undo what you did or I'll make you!"
"Jedi," Atton hissed again, taking a step forward.
"I won't fight him!"
"Apathy is death, Exile," Kreia said.
Jenna kicked out, catching Atton in the stomach and knocking him down. She faced Kreia, her lightsaber in her hand.
"Not apathy," she said, raising the lightsaber, ready to strike. "Foolishness."
Kreia leapt back as Jenna swung and drew her own lightsaber, the yellow glow bright against her dark robes.
Atton scrambled to his feet and tried to grab Jenna from behind. She seized his arm and flipped him over her shoulder onto the ground.
She darted forward as Kreia did the same. They met in the centre of the Trayus Core, two robed figures surrounded by the flash of colliding lightsabers.
Jenna ducked a clumsy attack and twisted round, aiming a strike at Kreia's side. The old woman blocked it at the last moment. Jenna struck again and again, Kreia blocking every attack. The lightsabers locked together as the two women fought to gain the upper hand.
"You're getting old, teacher," Jenna said, forcing the blades closer to Kreia. A swift kick sent the woman tumbling to the ground.
She lay on the red gem at the centre of the Core, looking up at her old pupil.
Jenna kicked Kreia's lightsaber away and raised her own, ready for the killing blow. "I am sorry."
Blood spattered the red floor.
Jenna looked down at the green blade running through her chest.
"Atton?" she whispered, twisting her head to see him.
He was standing behind her, his face blank. He switched off his lightsaber, the blade vanishing back into the hilt and Jenna fell to her knees, blood running out of her chest.
"And so it ends," Kreia said, standing up. She looked at the docile Atton. It had been so easy to control him, but for him to be truly useful, he must be broken beyond all recognition. Kreia walked away from him, letting her mind tricks fail. Let him see the results of his freedom. It should be enough to drive him over the edge, drive him to the Dark Side. Then he would be useable.
Atton's bloodstained lightsaber fell to the floor with a dull clunk.
"Jenna," he said, dropping to his knees. There was so much blood, on her, on the ground, on his hand. "I didn't… I didn't want…"
Jenna blinked, looking up at him. "I know," she whispered. "Oh, Atton, it hurts."
"I know, babe." He blindly reached for the Force to heal her.
"Don't!" Jenna gasped. "It's too evil here. It'll hurt you. Don't let her get you. Oh, Force, don't let her get you."
Atton pressed his hands against the wound, trying to stop the blood. "Babe, hang on. I'll get you out of here."
"No time. Always knew I was meant to die here."
"You're not going to die, Jen. Force, I'm sorry."
Her voice was getting weaker. "Been dying for ten years, Atton. Doesn't scare me anymore."
"This wasn't meant to happen," Atton said, stroking her hair away from her face. "I'm sorry. I was meant to save you."
"You did." Jenna forced the words out, feeling her life draining out of her chest.
"Jen, I don't know what to do. Don't leave me."
"Not… Not leaving you," she said, so softly that Atton had to strain to hear her. She lifted one hand, covered in her own blood, and pressed it against his heart. "Always be… right here playing… playing pazaak… with… with you."
"But you hate pazaak."
Jenna chuckled harshly and winced. "Hurts… when I laugh. You always… always make me laugh."
Atton clung to her hand. "Jen, don't go, please."
"Not scared…" Her eyes closed. "Always… always with you."
Her head lolled to one side, blood running from her ears, nose, mouth. Her eyes stared at Kreia, the dead stare of eyes no longer in use.
"Jenna? Jenna, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Come back, please, just come back!" Atton was sobbing, tears streaming down his face. "Come back!"
Kreia was still standing by the edge of the Core, watching the little scene. "Come. You have taken the first step."
Atton looked up at her, tears still in her eyes.
"But there is much still to be done. The Jedi will return and I will need weapons such as you."
"Why?" he asked, looking at his Jenna, lying bloodied and broken before him. "Why her? Why me?"
"She made you weak through her weakness. I have no use for someone so emotional and impulsive. But you, you I can use." She smiled. "My foolish assassin."
Atton muttered something, still looking at his Jenna.
"What was that?" Kreia demanded.
"Not yours," he repeated, pushing himself up.
Kreia reached out with her mind, trying to force Atton back under her control. But it was no use. The sheer force of his emotions beat at her mind, destroying her concentration. With so much rage and grief burning inside him, Atton didn't need to play pazaak or count hyperspace routes to keep her out. His thoughts were pure animal, all reason and order gone. She stumbled, clutching at her head.
Atton lunged forward.
He didn't need Force powers, he didn't need a lightsaber. His grief and pain exploded in a silent scream that reverberated through the Force.
He caught Kreia around the waist, forcing her back.
Throwing them both over the edge.
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