Chapter Twenty-Departure in the Night
Revan slunk from the camp, using the sudden cloud cover that hid the moons glow to her advantage. She could have told them that she wanted to have some quiet time for her meditations, but she knew that they would see the deceit in her heart. She spotted a small copse of gnarled half dead trees, and made towards it. Kneeling, she unwrapped the holocron, placing it reverently on the ground.
Atton followed after her, skulking deep in the shadows. He watched as she removed an item from her robes, listening with rapt attention to the harsh garbled voices as they sprung from the dark pyramid shaped object.
"What are you doing…what is that thing?"
Revan hunched her shoulders, and lifting her hand over her shoulder, she flung him across the ground, where he landed harshly on his back. He rose quickly, and made for her again. She stood to her feet slowly, and glared at him.
"Don't give up do you, Atton?"
He shook his head, his eyes glowing strangely in the dark, "Not until you tell me what you're hiding." he sauntered over to her, and stood regarding her with a smirk, "I'm betting the others don't know about your little toy."
His hands shot to his throat and Revan smiled at the disbelief in his eyes, "Are you threatening me, Atton?" she hissed darkly, "I don't take too kindly to idle threats."
"It's not an idle threat…" he choked out, "I want to know what you're up to."
She walked over to him, and stood close to him, "I have eaten smaller men than you for breakfast," she laughed, prodding him in the chest with a finger, "You will not tell the others of what you have seen."
"Hate to disappointment you, Revan, but your persuade powers don't work on me."
She turned her back on him, and walked across to the holocron, feeling his eyes carefully watching her, "Why would I wish to tell you? What good would it do you? Turn back from this path Atton. It will bring you no joy."
Atton felt the pressure around his throat ease, "It isn't joy that I want," he spat, "Its revenge."
Revan turned and stared at him curiously, "Revenge? Against whom?"
"The Exiles Disciple."
"That is my General you talk about. Why would you wish harm against her man?"
Atton glared at her angrily, "He isn't her man…he stole her from me, and I want back what is mine."
"You should be more careful of what you lose, Atton," she smirked.
He strode across to her, and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him, "Damn you Revan. How would you feel if you lost someone…"
Revan raised her hand, and slapped him hard across the face, "Don't you dare…" she replied slowly, "I would kill you for that remark!"
He glared at her, rubbing his cheek with his hand, "So the mighty Revan has a heart," he laughed cruelly, "such hot emotions for the long gone Admiral! Tell me, through your many long and lonely nights, do you wish that you were back there with him?"
Revan smiled at him evenly, fool, she thought, how predictable.
"You do know that he is a Republic spy?"
Revan glanced at him, narrowing her eyes, "A spy?"
"Yes, he masquerades as a wannabe Jedi, the same as the rest of them, but all along he was spying on her for the Admiralty. Oh, I see you didn't know that," Atton laughed quietly, "There is a lot that you don't know about that him. Look, you care for her, the same as I do. He is a threat to her, and is using her for his own secret gains…"
Revan smiled at him grimly, "The only threat I see, is you, Atton. Do not cross my General, or her choice of partner…or you will have me to answer to. I will not have you hurting her in any way. Understand?"
Atton scowled at her, "I understand perfectly, Revan. But, I don't understand your loyalty to her…"
Revan shrugged, "It is of no consequence to you. And do not think that you can blackmail me. I will kill you if you breath a word of this to another," she smiled at him wickedly, "Remember, you are nothing to me, just another hungry Kath hound in the pack. Now go…leave me. You taint me with your dishonest presence."
He turned from her in barely contained rage, "Don't think that you will get rid of me that easily, Revan. I will have my revenge, and you cannot stop me."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jennra slipped the two packs on to her back, and glancing across at Mical, she nodded to him. She watched as he walked across to where the large Mandalorian was posted as watcher. He looked across at her and grinned.
"Have you seen Jennra?" he asked in what he considered a worried voice.
The Mandalorian shook his head, "I haven't seen her-thought she was with you."
Mical shook his head, watching as Jennra slipped past behind the warriors back, "No," he replied innocently, "Ah, my mistake. Maybe she is with Revan, I will go look for her there."
The Mandalorian grunted loudly, "You do that, and stop wasting my time. I am supposed to be on guard duty…"
Mical walked the long way around the camp, and glancing around him, he activated his borrowed stealth field generator and disappeared, only to reappear some distance away, near to where Jennra was waiting patiently.
He ran up to her, and smiled as she handed him his pack. He slipped the pack over one shoulder, and took her hand within his, "Are you ready?"
Jennra nodded, "Yes, but lets make tracks before we are missed at the camp."
They ran from the others, stopping only when they were at a safe distance to do so. Jennra smiled at him warmly, "Thank you for coming with me…"
"I would not have let you come alone, Jennra. Wherever you go, I go," he replied scolding her gently, "You should know that, besides you have need of my skills as a healer…"
She pulled him close to her, and kissed him, "You do have other uses," she replied suggestively, raising a dark eyebrow at him.
"Oh, so that is it," he coloured slightly, "You are a devious woman, Jennra," he smiled at her affectionately, "And there I was under the impression that you required my medical skills," he sighed quietly.
She giggled at his feigned indignance.
"Can you hear something?"
He glanced behind them, "No, I do not hear anything out of the ordinary…"
She clamped her hand over his mouth, "I think someone is following us," she whispered.
Mical listened intently, and nodded. He gently removed her hand, and pointed over his shoulder.
"Stay there," Jennra hissed at him quietly. She opened the pouch at her side and retrieved her light saber. She glanced up at him, and slowly crept back the way they had come.
Jennra paused as she heard the soft tread of footsteps, and frowning, she watched as a pale blue glow neared her. Standing quietly in the darkness, she waited for the presence to approach, and igniting her blade, she stepped out. The yellow light fell on the horned head of a lone Zabrak.
She sighed, and shut her blade down, "Bao-dur!" she reprimanded loudly, "What are you doing here?"
The tech looked at her, and grinned sheepishly, "General," he admonished her, "You don't think I would have let you go alone!"
"I have Mical with me."
Bao-durs eyebrows shot up, "Oh. General…I…ah, I didn't realise that you were looking for some quiet time…"
She slapped his arm and tutted, "It's not like that…"
He nodded his head wisely, "Whatever you say," and grinned as he walked past her.
Jennra rolled her eyes, and hurriedly followed him.
Mical wearily watched as he saw the two figures near him, Bao-dur, he sighed in relief. For a moment he was sure that he had seen Atton.
Jennra slipped her arm around his waist, glancing across at the Zabrak whom was stood away from them, adjusting his pack, "He thought that we were….you know, wanting some quiet time," she whispered.
Mical stared down at her, "Well…if that is the general opinion on why we have gone missing from camp, what on earth will they make of the fact that Bao-dur has joined us?" he replied, raising an eyebrow at her.
Jennra put her hand to her mouth, and stifled a giggle, "Oh…oh, I hadn't thought of that!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atton strode back into the camp, and hurled himself at his bedroll. Damn Revan, he thought angrily, No, there has to be another way. He glanced around the camp, his eyes resting on Mira, where she was sat in meditation with the blind Miraluka woman. No, that's not it.
He became aware that Jennra and Mical were nowhere to be seen.
Atton sat quietly, and used the Force to sense where she was. He smiled slowly, and crept stealthily out of the camp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bao-dur walked along side Jennra, his hand resting on the butt of his blaster pistol. He felt slightly nervous. Someone had been stalking them for the last two hours. He wondered if he should alert the General to the fact, but glancing across at her, and the way she was talking to Mical, he decided not to for the time being. Moments are fragile and far between, he thought, let them have some time together, before things get bad. He earnestly wanted to protect her. He listened intently, the footsteps were getting nearer. He sighed; he had no option but to warn her.
He laid a gentle hand on her arm, "General?"
She smiled at him, and Bao-dur felt his heart melt at the sincere look she gave him, "There is someone following us, General…."
"Gees, Bao…this is starting to form a pattern!"
"No," he whispered, "They have been following us for the last few hours…do you want me to go back and look?"
She shook her head vehemently, "No, I will not risk you, Bao-dur…I will go back and see."
He watched as she crept away from them, her hand resting on the pouch her saber rested in. General, he sighed to himself, can't you see that you are the important one here, just for once?
She snuck back, bumping into the figure that was following them. She looked up, and saw the familiar profile of Atton in the deepening gloom. "What are you doing here?" she questioned him.
"Gees, Jennra! I thought you might need another pair of hands…"
She frowned at him worriedly, "But why were you stalking us?"
He grimaced at her, "Look, if they knew that we all had left the camp, they would be hot on our tails. I just figured discretion was more suitable, than all out chasing after you! Anyway, I am as concerned as you are for Revan. She is not acting herself…"
Jennra felt relief flood through her, "I can't deny that another pair of hands would be useful…come," she replied catching hold of his arm, "Mical and Bao-dur are just ahead."
They walked towards where Mical and Bao-dur were stood, waiting in the darkness.
Mical glanced at Atton, noting with concern the covetous look that he was giving Jennra, as they neared him, will this ever stop? he asked himself, I will not compete with him for Jennras affections, I know how she feels-even if he does not.
Atton saw Mical observing them, and he smiled broadly at him, wrapping his arm around Jennras shoulders.
"Well, we are all together, I guess. We should really move on, before Revan suspects anything." Jennra replied glancing around her. She pushed Atton's arm away from her, and walked across to where Mical stood. She smiled up at him, and reaching down in the darkness, she clasped his hand tightly in her own. He tightened his fingers around hers, and raised her hand to his lips, kissing it gently.
Atton fell in with them, as they moved away, his eyes on Mical's back. Just you wait, he thought smiling darkly at him, she will be mine, and you will be beyond caring, once I have finished with you.