Chapter Ten

Making Plans

"Don't cry, love."

Atton Rand felt a finger touch his lips softly, and slide away. A hand passed through his dark brown hair, ruffling it gently. Something warm touched his cheek. He saw something moving near his face. "Don't cry, Jaq." The image was blurred, but he recognized-he knew- the voice.

"Is-are you-" Atton stammered, failing to find the words he needed. "Are you an angel?"

The woman laughed, and Atton could feel her trembling with happiness. "Oh, Jaq.."

Atton drew himself up to sit against the wall, pulling her along with him. Her beautiful silver blue eyes stayed fixed on his chocolate brown ones. "Adaliah, are you-- for real? Adali, why did you leave me without any warning? I had no idea.."

"Hush now," Adaliah said, sitting back. "Can't you understand why? I love you, flyboy. I didn't want anything to happen to you. Not even you can protect me where I'm going. I could never let anything happen to you, without something happening to me, too. It's gone beyond love, darling. It's the force."

"We have a-- a force bond?" Atton looked a little unsure of himself. He had seen the side effects of Kreia's force bond with Adaliah.

Adaliah nodded. "The moment I realized I loved you," she said simply. "It was forged then." Her hands slid up Atton's jacket-covered chest and wrapped around his strong neck. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, though. The force bond won't let me pull away, but I don't want to anymore." She sighed, blinking slowly. "Hold me," she said, sinking into him.

And Atton did. One arm went around her waist, and the other dragged through her pale blonde hair. Force, I don't know how I ever survived. You're the only thing that keeps me going. The only thing that's worth it. The only thing... Atton held her tighter, pulling her firmly against his body. He closed his eyes and brushed her lips lightly. Nothing equaled this.

Adaliah pushed him away. "Oh no, not now. There must be others waiting. Mandalore? Visas? Bao-Dur? Mira? Mical? Are they here with you?"

"They're here. They met up with me just a little while back," Atton replied- not caring, for once, that she had mentioned Mical's name. After she was here in his arms, not Mical's. "Carth Onasi is here, too. And Bastila Shan."

"They are?" Adaliah jumped up. "Where? Where are th-"

"Adaliah!"

Canderous, who had just finished taking care of the rest of the Ishi Tib with his security forces, caught sight of Adaliah and Atton. Adaliah untangled herself from Atton's arms, and jumped up.

"Mandalore!" She rushed to greet him, throwing her arms around him in her excitement.

The big Mandalorian staggered backward, but he rested one hand on her back awkwardly. "It is good to see you again, Lady."

"I have been missing your combat prowess, Mandalore," Adaliah said, letting him go with a wide grin. "It could have come in handy at the cantina."

"I was under the impression that it was your intent to be captured," Canderous said, his voice sounding slightly surprised.

"It was, and still is, my intent." Adaliah told him. "We have to find out who these people are working for. The force is guiding me to them-for a reason, I believe. They've been capturing highly force sensitive beings from all worlds beyond the outer rim. The age doesn't seem to matter. Infants, the elderly... All have been taken, it seems. Whoever their masters are, I think we need to find them. They may have Revan."

"Oh, so it's we now," Atton said, coming up behind her to lay a hand on her waist.

Adaliah smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, now that you've found me, I don't think I have the heart, or the ability, to send you away. I need you here."

Canderous coughed meaningfully. "Where was this ship headed before we stopped it? I assume you want it to remain on this present course."

"I do," Adaliah replied. "I want you to let the ship go, but follow at a distance. I will be able to communicate with you, through the Force. Atton will stay here and assist you with the Force bond we share."

Atton started and stared down at her. "No, I want to come with you. I'm not letting you go by yourself."

"Atton, I need you on the ship with the rest of them," Adaliah said. "You're the only one with a strong enough Force bond."

"But Adali-" here Atton halted. "Wait, the only one with a Force bond strong enough?"

Adaliah nodded, looking a little shame-faced. "I didn't tell you earlier because I hardly notice this one at all anymore. I have a Force bond with Bao-Dur, as well as you. He served under me during the Mandalorian wars, and it was from him that I learned all I know about droids. I've always formed bonds too easily, my teachers said. It was a fairly strong bond. I could feel pain in my arm when he lost his, but I had no idea why.. Not until Kreia lost her hand did I realize I had shared a bond with my mechanic. That was a long time ago, though. I seem to have lost my touch."

"Do you think you could rekindle it?" Canderous asked. Atton cast him a sharp glare.

"It's possible.." Adaliah said uneasily. "But it could take a while. I don't know how many hours Bao-Dur and I spent in the garage, but I can tell you that they're more than I could count. He may still have a hold on the bond, since he didn't loose his connection to the Force, but I don't know. He's been awfully hard to talk to since the war. I'm afraid I might reopen old wounds."

"I thought you helped him come to peace with that," Canderous said, "when you trained him as a Jedi, remember?"

"I don't know.." Adaliah said, her voice sounding weighted. "It could be that I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it."

"You do what you need to do," Canderous replied. "But it would be helpful if we have two people who could communicate with you."

"I'll stay the night in your cruiser and see if Bao-Dur is up to it," Adaliah consented.

"Thank you," Canderous said. He turned back to his security guards, who had all assembled behind him. "All right, boys, let's go back to the Longwing. Our work here is finished."

Atton watched Canderous go, and turned his gaze back on Adaliah. "Adaliah, I want to be with you. They can do this without me."

"No," Adaliah said, covering Atton's mouth with her hand. "No, they can't, love. You have to go with them, and I'll meet up with you soon, very soon."