" Atton"

" Atton, please."

The voices over lapped in his mind and a part of him knew that his friends were trying to contact him, but why. Pain lanced through him and his body jolted, but his eyes refused to open, his voice refused to scream. Darkness seeped in like a black vapor curling through his thoughts and feelings, sending him spiraling into the void.

" I know you can hear me. I know you can feel me in your mind. Let me inside so we can get this over with. Your resistance is impressive, but I am bored. Let's get to the good part."

Atton recognized the man's voice from his disturbing dream and instantly his guard slid back into place. The black vapor dissipated and he felt throbbing pain as his mind returned to his body. Still his eyes refused to open and he knew that he was severely fatigued. It was taking all that he had to keep his mind closed off. A hand trailed down his chest and he felt his insides begin to knit back together. Pain radiated as the nerves connected and the healing stopped. Finally his voice found itself.

" Arrrrrrghhhhhhh!" his eyes snapped open at last and he found himself staring into the dark wide pupils of the Sith Lord Rama.

" Wonderful. He's awake, Senka."

Atton was released from the force hold that had him suspended and he bounced like a pebble on the hard floor.

" Gentle, my pet. I don't want blood stains on the floor. It's so hard to get it out of the tiny cracks."

" Sorry, my Master."

Lord Rama chuckled and Atton saw his feet come to stop in front of his face. Kneeling, Rama lifted him by the hair on the back of his head so that he could look him in the face. " Now, I could torture you, but I know that you were a master of the art yourself. Although pain seems to lower your ability to block me from that delicious mind of yours. Oh, there are so many wonderful flashbacks to be seen. Torture, rape, mental anguish! You were very colorful in your choices, Jaq. Hmmmm, I think the best thing, and the most fun, would be for us to duel, don't you think? I'll give you a fighting chance, as they say. That and when I gut you, I imagine the pain will be severe enough for me to sneak inside and get a better taste." Ignoring his earlier comment to Senka, Rama slammed Atton's head on the floor and pain exploded through his cheek and jaw and he could feel the blood seep out as a muffled grunt left his lips.

" Marvelous! He agrees. Senka, be a dear and patch him up so that he can fight." He stated running a hand appreciatively over her backside as he walked past her. She smiled and walked over to kneel next to Atton. Warmth spread through Atton's body as it was healed and the barriers in his mind firmly shut. " There now, it'll be a little more of a fair fight."

Atton grabbed Senka's hand as it began to slide away and his eyes looked into hers imploringly. "Ariane" he murmured. She turned to look at Rama who's eyebrow shot up in an amused way and he nodded. Looking back down at Atton she brought her lips next to his ear.

" I remember the night I left. I remember the feel of our skin sliding over each other and the taste of your lips. I look forward to the moment when both you and my Master are buried deep inside me, fucking me until I scream."

Atton had never heard that word from her lips before and the context in which she used it left him trembling with rage. He snatched his hand away and stood drawing his saber from his belt. From across the room Rama smiled at him with hooded eyes.

" Don't worry, I'll let you have the front. I'll take the back." he murmured and with a yell Atton ignited his saber and charged at the Sith.

(~)

" I'm still reading three life forms." Mandalore shouted from the center of the Ebon Hawk.

" Should we go back? We can't leave him there. They'll torture him!" Mira cried as Mical began healing her broken arm.

Mandalore strode in. "We can't right now. Neither of us can fight until you get patched up and I get my implant repaired." He pointed to his head and the blood oozing from his ears. " Did you try his comm? We're you able to contact him?"

" Unfortunately no. But it didn't feel like he'd been taken by the dark side. I believe he was just unconscious for awhile so I didn't bother with the comm. I did feel anger from him a moment ago, though." Mical answered as he continued working on Mira.

" We have orders to get back to Republic space and warn the others. We've already lost Bao-Dur."

" To hell with that!" Mira yelled. " We can't leave him behind."

" He's as good as gone, Mira!"

" Enough." Mical held up a hand. " Let me finish patching the two of you up first and then we can decide the best course of action. From what you've said the Sith Lord seems interested in Atton alone so I believe we are safe for the moment. But I am afraid, Mira, that Mandalore may be right. Atton may be as good as gone."

(~)

" Come, come now. Are you even trying?" Rama taunted as he slammed Atton back easily with a force push. Sweat ran down Atton's forehead into his eyes, stinging them as he righted himself with his own force push and spiraled through the air back towards Rama, his saber a spinning circle of green. They connected and Atton pushed with all his might. " You don't want to share. I get it. That's fine. You can have me all to yourself. I'll even let you be on the bottom."

Atton jumped back and stood across the room catching his breath. A sinister smile broke out over the Sith's face and then lightening flew from his fingers. Atton jumped out of the way, but wasn't fast enough as one bolt stabbed through his shoulder blade and out through his chest, the wound immediately cauterizing. The burning seemed to go throughout his body and anger bloomed, dark and red, beneath his eyelids. He turned and felt the dark mist trying to enter his mind as his lightsaber fell from his fingertips.

" Well your saber skills are shit, boy, but your mind is the thing and the other can be taught. And you're so cute. Especially when you're angry. You'll make a fine apprentice indeed." In a flash the larger man was next to him and sliding his blade forward towards his stomach. Atton threw his hands in front of him and held the blade centimeters from his hand by using a force push. Atton could feel the darkness radiating off the Sith Lord, threatening to engulf his mind. Scenes of all the people he had tortured flashed in vivid red behind his eyes. Pushing harder with the Force against Rama's lightsaber blade he closed his eyes and tried even harder to close off his mind.

A dark chuckle was heard. " You can't stop me from getting inside your head, Jaq. I will find a way through those effective blocks of yours."

Despite his hardest effort Atton realized he was right as he felt a tiny tendril of darkness creep inside, but he couldn't give up. He had to keep trying. He had to save her.

" She's mine. And soon you will be, too." A hard push and Atton could feel his defenses crack. He tried to rebuild the blockade, but his hand was searing. The blade had pierced through his first hand and the pain was enough to distract him long enough for the darkness to seep in. He fell back slightly, his eyes still closed. He could feel and hear the lightsaber pull away from him and swing around as it made to break his body so that they could then break his mind. Blackness lurched through him as Rama focused his mind upon Atton completely.

' I'm sorry I couldn't save you.' he called out through the Force and heard the blade slash through the air multiple times. He felt the spray of blood as it hit him across the face and chest, but it was not his. Exhausted he opened his eyes to find three dismembered pieces of the Sith Lord in front of him and a silver glow. Focusing, he saw Senka standing just behind the severed body staring at him... waiting. She resheathed her lightsaber and her body lurched before falling to her knees in the pool of blood that continued to grow. Her head was hidden from him, but he watched as the pallid gray of her skin began to become rosy, the scars smoothing over to reveal healthy skin beneath. Atton stepped over the grisly remains and reached a hand towards her.

" No." she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. " Give me a moment." Atton's mind was whirling. What the hell had just happened? Finally her body stopped shaking and he could see her shoulders relax.

" Ariane?"

She raised her head to look at him and the sight of her beautiful unadulterated face caused him to fall to his knees in front of her.

" You were the only one." she breathed. " I had to make him think he had me. Had to lead him to you. You distracted him long enough for me to strike. I'm sorry. It was the only way I could think of." Her voice came in deep breaths. " I'm so tired."

He pulled her into his arms. " You can rest now."

" No. There's one more thing. But I need your help."

Atton nodded and they closed their eyes. Focusing, he allowed her to lead him through the current of the Force and deep inside her he found a small spark of light that began to grow until it radiated outwards from them and shot off into the distance.

He felt her body go limp in his arms. He held her, feeling her heartbeat against his chest and the warm current that flowed through the Force from her to him and back again.

' I love you.'

" Atton!" the startled voice static blared over his comm.

Pulling it from his belt he tapped the button on it's side. " I'm here. I've got her. I need you to come and get us."

" Is she alright?" Mical called.

" Better than." Atton replied smiling to himself.

" You'll never believe what the hell just happened here, Atton." Mandalore's voice sounded almost gleeful.

" We're coming to get you." Mical radioed before silence fell over the comm.

Author's note: This is how it always ended even before I started writing. It was such a relief to get this down and out of my head, you have no idea. Or maybe you do ;-) One or two more chapters to wrap everything up. Big thanks go out to all who have been reading this, have faved it or me. HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed: Eragon Peep, Nom Opii, Bloody White Rabbit, and artilyon-rand. Makes me feel that my crap isn't so crappy after all. Much love.