Chapter Four-Atton
Atton glanced at the green eyed woman sat next to him on the low wall of the Enclaves walkway. The sun was shimmering in her hair, sending out fiery sparks that glowed vibrantly against her pale skin. Her face was turned slightly away from him, and he watched as she raised a slender hand to tug at the dark head band that she always wore in her hair. Mira noticed him observing her, and smiled.
"Hey," she nudged him, "You've gone all quiet on me. Very unlike the Atton Rand that I know."
Atton grimaced, "It's just being here, on Dantooine. And seeing him again."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "I thought you were over all that," she asked.
He shrugged his shoulders, "It's just hard seeing him again, he really gets to me."
She sighed, "Oh Atton. When are you ever going to give up on that? It's getting, you know, so old."
Atton stared ahead of him. She never understood, hell, why would she? he thought to himself. If she only knew that I come here, because I like to see him in pain, in misery, she'd never forgive me. Hell, I don't think that I would forgive me…"Mira," he asked aloud, "Do you ever wonder what we are doing? Why we are here…what our greater purpose is?"
"Whoa Atton, since when did you start getting all philosophical on me, huh?"
"I was just wondering," he replied quietly.
She placed her hand on his shoulder, "I think you've been travelling far too long in space on your own. It's given you, like a major space chill."
Atton shook his head, "Do you ever regret becoming a Jedi?" he insisted.
Mira glanced at him in concern. "No," she said simply, "Why, do you?"
"I'm not talking about me, I'm asking you," he replied angrily, "Can't you give a guy a straight answer?"
"Well, I know that I've never regretted becoming a Jedi," she replied carefully, noting the look on his face, "even if I was a little late answering the call. I came here, and the new Masters took care of me, and have taught me well, even if I am an unruly pupil at times."
"Yeah, but don't you ever regret feeling everything around you? Sensing the Force, the good and evil and all that?"
"No, Atton. I don't. Look you are confusing me. What's going on here? Has something happened?" she turned around to face him.
He looked away from her, staring across the expanse of grassland that stretched into the distance. A breeze gently blew his dark hair about his face, and in annoyance, he brushed it back into place with his fingers.
"I've been having dreams," he said in a far away voice, "Unpleasant dreams, death and destruction…darkness. It's like a dark vortex, spinning and pulling me towards it. But at the centre, I can see her, and I know that I have to reach her, I have to go to her, but I just can't seem to. Every time I get near, it's like something pulls me back," he glanced at Mira, "I try to refuse it, to fight against it, but it still pulls me further away from her."
Mira frowned, "And it's Jennra that you can see?"
Atton nodded his head, "I think something bad is going to happen to her. So," he replied slowly, "I have decided to go after her…"
"What? You are going after the Exile? Do you or anyone else know where she actually is?" she asked in disbelief. "I thought that you had given this up, Atton. What are you trying to prove? Who are you trying to prove it to? Mical? Take a look at him, Atton…he misses her, and with good reason!"
"What do you mean by that?" he reached across and grabbed her roughly about the wrist, "What's this good reason?"
She pushed him away, and rubbed her wrist as she glared at him hotly. "You been blind all your life? Wow, you really do have a big problem there buddy."
"It's not what you think, Mira. It's just a feeling…I just, ah, I just can't explain it."
"Yeah, and I'm a green Twillek," Mira replied angrily, "She knew where she was going Atton, somewhere where she could not take anyone she loved… the big evil."
"Yeah," Atton sighed bitterly, "but as you say, she couldn't take anyone she loved, so that makes it fine for me to go."
Mira gently laid her hand on his shoulder, "Atton. That's not how it works. You know that, deep in your stubborn heart," she prodded him in the chest, "she didn't want to risk any of us. She went to follow Revan. If it's any consolation, she left suddenly."
Atton glanced at her, "She just left, without any warning?"
"Uh huh. I guess she didn't want Mical to know, or he might have tried to stop her."
"How do you know so much?" he asked her suspiciously.
"I was the last one to see her, before she left. I saw her boarding a small ship on her own. I chased after her, but it was too late. A few hours later, I saw Mical wandering the grounds searching for her; well you can work it out for yourself."
"That doesn't matter. I still have to find her."
"And where would you go Atton? Where exactly would you look?"
"To the Outer Rim, and beyond," he smiled at her astonished expression, "hey, me, the Ebon Hawk and her hyper drive, we can go just about anywhere we like."
"Have you got a crew?"
"Uh, not yet. I was thinking of asking you."
Mira laughed, "Wow, you sure know how to stun a girl. This is a lot to take in."
"I understand if you are reluctant, Mira. Maybe even scared at the thought…"
"Since when have you ever known me to be scared of anything, you …schutta!" Mira replied haughtily.
"So you will come?"
Mira stood up, and faced Atton, "Look, I need some time to think about this."
"Yeah, I guess you would," he stood up and brushed the creases out from his trousers, "Mira, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"
She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, "Shush Atton. I just need some time, that's all."
Atton watched the red head woman walk away from him, and smiled. She would come.
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The sunlight beamed down, strong and bright. Atton felt it lift some of the darkness he felt in his heart. He stepped over the stone wall, and strode into the long grass, keeping a careful eye out for Kath hounds. He saw a large lone tree, the grass lying thick and lush around its base, and smiling he walked towards it.
A sudden growling made him spin round. A large horned Kath hound was watching him, poking its great head from around the thick tree trunk. Atton cursed his luck. He fumbled at his belt, and grabbed hold of his saber. The Kath hound growled menacingly deep in its throat, and in his haste he dropped the saber in the long grass.
"Damn it!" he hissed, "Where is the blasted thing!" He searched through the grass, and just as the beast leaped at him, he retrieved his saber, and flicked the switch that activated it. A loud hum and burst of blue sprang forth, and rising up from the grass with his back still bent, he lashed outwards and upwards as the beast descended upon him. It fell dead at his feet.
"Well done," a woman's voice exclaimed, "the Force truly rises strong within you."
He stood up slowly, glancing down at the slain creature in the grass.
"You let your guard down," the voice told him, "but you recovered well enough."
He stared at the woman in front of him. She was a most unusual creature; her head was devoid of hair, apart from a long top knot. But that was not her most striking feature. Her ears were elongated, rising to points at the tips, and her yellow eyes were slanted, feline almost in their appearance.
She stood regarding him with narrowed eyes, one hand resting on the hip of her red Jedi robe. She was obviously used to being stared at, but it seemed that she was uncomfortable with his staring.
"I'm sorry," he replied in embarrassment.
She shrugged her shoulders, "On Taris, I was accustomed to being looked at with hostile intent. I have not had the pleasure of being stared at so intently by a member of the opposite sex," she purred, "in such a long time. But forgive me my manners," she held her hand out to him, "I am Master Juhani."
Atton wiped his hand on the leg of his trousers, and extended his own hand, "Atton Rand," he said uncomfortably.
She glanced across the grasslands, "I see you are making yourself knowledgeable with our natural predators?"
He coughed loudly, "Ah, I was distracted by…" he shook his head in embarrassment, "a tree."
Juhani laughed, "A tree?"
"Yeah, well, I was feeling a little tired, and I figured that it would be as good a place as any to catch a bit of shut eye."
"Have you not been to Dantooine before? Surely you are aware of the Kath hound problem that we have?"
He glanced at her, as he put his saber back in the pouch at his belt, "Yeah, I have been to Dantooine before."
She tilted her head slightly to one side, "Ah, you are one of the ones that accompanied the Exile, no?"
"Look, I don't know what you have been told…"
"I sense you are a tortured soul, Atton Rand. You walk a long hard path. You are often misunderstood for your actions…"
"Hey," he objected, "I am not after a seer, or whatever you call yourselves!"
"I did not mean any offence."
"None taken," he replied with hostility in his voice.
"Just heed my words. I see a darkness dwell within you. Do not let it overwhelm you."
Atton laughed harshly, "If I wanted your opinion, I would ask for it. Now excuse me, you don't know anything about me. You don't know what is in my heart. Keep your opinions to yourself; I'm not one of your Jedi minions…"
"Atton," she commanded in a loud stern voice, "do you not hear the anger in your voice, the shadow that lies within your heart? You will imperil all that you love. Take heed of what I say. I was once like you, with much anger in my heart. I fell, but was redeemed by Revan…"
Atton pushed past her, "Mind your own business, and keep out of my affairs!" he demanded hotly.
He strode across the long grass, his shoulders hunched with barely contained anger. Juhani watched him sadly, "You have much to learn, as I once did," she said softly.
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Atton strode towards the Enclave sublevels angrily. He wanted to speak with Mira, and find if she had come to a decision. The sooner they departed from Dantooine, the better he thought. Damned Jedi and their do-goodness. He marched down the corridors, avoiding the startled glances of students as he passed them by.
He walked across to a heavy wooden door, and rapped his knuckles against the dark wood. "Mira?"
A bolt was pushed from the other side, and green eyes regarded him, "Yeah?"
"Let me in. I want to talk."
The eyes cautiously watched him.
"Oh come on! Give a guy a chance! I just want to talk," he said, leaning against the door frame, giving her what he considered to be his most roguish look.
"Come on in then," Mira replied smiling, "but be quick!"
She shut the door after him, and drew across the bolt, "What is it?"
"Have you thought about what I asked you?" he asked roughly.
"Yeah, I've thought about it. I think you are crazy, but I will come with you, on one condition."
Atton sighed, "What now?"
"We talk to Mical about this…"
"Huh?"
"He has a right to know, Atton," Mira replied softly, "I wont come with you until we have spoken to him."
Atton sat down heavily in a chair, "Whatever you think. But we have to set off soon. She is in danger, and the sooner we get there, the sooner this will all be over."
Mira pulled up a chair, and sat across from him, "How can you know this, I mean its been three years since she left, so how come now?" she replied frowning.
He leaned forward in his chair, staring at her intently, "I have felt something through the Force…" he stopped when he saw the curious smile on Mira's lips. "Yeah, so what if I do sense it?" he said angrily, "I am a Jedi, remember? I may not be the most conventional one, not like some I can mention, but I am one!"
"Hey, cool down Atton! I was only asking."
"Yeah, alright," he said apologetically, "I'm having a bad day. Got lectured by that stuck up Cathar, Juhani…Jedi schutta."
"You can't call Master Juhani that!"
"Well, if she wants to go poking her nose in my affairs…"
"What did she say to you, Atton?"
"Look, it's no big deal; I don't want to talk about it," he replied edgily, "Anyway, since when did this get to be about me, huh? I was talking about Jennra," he reminded her, "Like I said, I have been having these strange dreams, visions almost. I can see her in a dark place, and she's hurt. There is hate all around her…" he broke off, and stared at the walls. "I…I can't explain it, it's like she's calling out to me. I have tried ignoring it, but the dreams are getting worse every day. What can I do, Mira? What am I supposed to do? It's like she's in my head…"
Mira looked across at him, "Hey, Atton," she replied gently.
He glanced at her, and she was shocked to see the pain shining deep in his brown eyes.
"I don't want her hurt," he swallowed hard, trying to choke down the sudden surge of emotion that he felt, "We have to go after her…we need to find her before anything happens."