Atton sat with his eyes closed, his legs pulled up close to his chest, and his chin resting on his knees. He didn't know what else he could do but wait. He sighed heavily.
Should've lied to them. Like Bastila expected me to. This is what I get for telling the truth, really. Don't know what I was thinking. Telling the truth never did me any favors before… why did I think it would change now? Did I really think the Jedi would trust me if they could see I was telling the truth?
He laughed sardonically.
The bitterness faded from his brow and he glanced nervously at the Council Chamber door. Behind it, his fate—and Jena's—was being decided right at that moment. Should he even bother sticking around to find out what it was? In his cynical heart, he already knew what it would be.
I've got a bad feeling about this.
And if he was right about the outcome, what would be the point of going in to see the Council again? Technically, if he didn't know what their ruling was, he and Jena weren't breaking any rules by still being together. Technically. Sure, the Council was bound to catch up to them sooner or later and tell them officially that they were cast out. But until that happened, they could always… pretend… right?
Atton scoffed at himself. Of course, they couldn't. Jena was a part of the Council now. She would never agree if he went over to her right now and suggested that they leave the planet immediately. Being a part of the Jedi Order again was what she had been wanting since she was exiled from it… wasn't it? He frowned for a moment and shook his head. Of course it was. There was no way she'd ever pick him over the Jedi Order.
Hell, if I was in her shoes, I'd probably pick anything over me, he thought bitterly.
He peered impatiently at the door again. No, there really was no point in sticking around to hear their verdict. His muscles tensed and he made a move to get up, but he hesitated and slumped back down. Sure, on the one hand, he was convinced he had completely destroyed his chance with the Jedi Council; but on the other hand, if he was wrong, and he still had a chance to convince the Council members that his relationship with Jena was not going to lead him—or her—to the dark side… well, it certainly wouldn't work to his advantage if he wasn't there waiting when they opened the door to call him in. One simply didn't walk away from a summons by the Jedi Council like a spoiled child. Not if one wanted it to think one bought into its whole "there is no emotion" routine. And especially not if one's entire future depended on the outcome of said summons.
Atton's vacant gaze drifted over to the tip of his boots, as he wondered again how much longer the Council would be. He had left his chrono on the ship, and had no idea how much time he had spent in the hallway, waiting. He shut his eyes. An image came to mind, and it made him smile: Jena, sitting in their room, laughing and talking to Daynn. His eyes suddenly flew open and the image vanished. He sat up straight, apprehensive. There was a ripple in the Force. Something not quite right was happening—somewhere. He got a sense that it was on Coruscant, but that was all he knew for sure. He cursed inwardly at himself for not developing his sensing abilities any further.
He slowly got to his feet and carefully looked around. No. It wasn't here. He wasn't in any immediate danger. He frowned. If he wasn't in any immediate danger… who was?
"What's the point of having all these Force abilities if I can't even figure that out?" he muttered impatiently as he shut his eyes again.
He breathed in deeply over four counts, held his breath for seven, and exhaled over eight: that was the way Jena had taught him to clear his mind. He bit his lip and squirmed uncomfortably as his apprehension grew. This disturbance confirmed the 'bad feeling' he had had before entering the Council Chamber, and he did not like where this was headed.
He reached out through the Force and was suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of shock, dismay, and fear—emotions that weren't his.
Though he knew whose they were.
"No!" He leapt to his feet and began running down the hall, back the way he had come from earlier.
When Atton arrived back at his room, he was running out of steam and his heart was racing. Desperately trying to catch his breath, he wiped his sweaty palms down his robe. After unhooking his lightsaber from his belt, he switched his weapon on, opened the door and stepped steadily through the doorway. His eyes shifted in turn from Daynn to Jena, who stood across the room, lightsaber drawn; and then to each of the three strangers: the two who threatened Jena with their crimson lightsabers, and the one who clutched Daynn's arm securely to prevent him from escaping.
"Just what in blazes," Atton demanded loudly, firmly gripping his lightsaber and glaring at the man, "do you schuttas think you're doing with my son and my girl?"
Sith… There are three Sith. Here. In the frackin' Jedi Temple! How could the Council possibly let this happen?
The three men, all clad in jet-black robes, slowly turned around to see who had just walked in and who dared address them thus.
"Atton!" Jena hissed before any of them had the time to respond, her eyes still fixated on the Sith who held Daynn captive. "Get out of here. Go get help."
Atton raised an eyebrow. "Right… so I can let these chuff-sucking leeches make off with my son while I'm away?" He took another step forward. "And let them turn him into a Sith?" He sneered at the apparent leader who had a firm hold on the squirming boy's arm, and narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so. The Sith already had one Rand; they won't get a second one."
The Sith—the one who now had his hand secured around Daynn's arm so tightly the man's nails were turning white—had started to stare at Atton with an air of recognition as soon as the latter opened his mouth. His lips twisted into a half-smile, half sneer.
"Atton," Jena pleaded, "you don't know what you're dealing w—"
"Lord Revan's Favorite Little Killer," the Sith interrupted. "Well, isn't it a small galaxy? Still standing by Revan, I see. Interesting. I would've expected her to have you killed for leaving the way you did. Quite a surprise to see you alive… and protecting her son, no less. What did she promise you in exchange, Jaq? You know just as well as I do she can't be trusted. She'll turn on you in a second if it serves her own interest."
Atton could sense Jena's surprise from across the room, but no one was as shocked as Atton himself. Who was this man? And how did he know Atton? Clearly they had both served Revan during the Civil War. Atton scrutinized the man's face, to no avail. He looked strangely familiar, but Atton couldn't quite put his finger on the reason why he did. The Sith smiled mockingly.
"What's the matter, Jaq? Don't remember me? Funny. I'd have thought that of all people, you'd remember me."
Atton made a wry face. "Sorry. Guess I must've blocked your ugly mug from my memory."
The Sith chuckled quietly. "Oh, Jaq, Jaq, Jaq… You'll never change, will you? Here we are, you evidently outnumbered, and I clearly with the upper hand as I'm holding on to your boss's son, but you're still giving me attitude." He shook his head benevolently, though his eyes still mocked Atton. "How a person like you managed to make me fall… Well, I don't think I'll ever quite understand it, but you did. I suppose I should thank you. You helped me see the truth."
Atton's face was impassive, though below the surface he was wracking his brain trying to remember who this person was. He supposed he was one of the people he had single-handedly turned over to the dark side during the Jedi Civil War. The man certainly looked increasingly familiar.
N… it starts with an N… or was it an S?
"If you want to thank me," Atton said, his eyes briefly darting toward Jena, "you can start by letting them go." He knew the odds of that happening were about as good as finding a Wampa ice creature on Tatooine, but it was worth a shot.
The Sith now laughed outright. "Don't waste your breath, Jaq! How stupid do you think I am? I came all this way for Revan's son, and now I'm going to let him get away just because you asked me nicely? It's obvious you don't remember who I am, otherwise you wouldn't have bothered."
"If you want me to know who you are, you might want to start by telling me your name," Atton retorted.
The Sith smiled condescendingly. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to remember who I am so you'll know how to deal with me, how to manipulate me. You're thinking you managed to turn me over to your side before, and so you'll be able to do it again. You're so predictable, Jaq. It won't work, you know. For someone who used to make a living out of turning people to the dark side, you seem to know very little about it."
Atton shrugged. "If you're so sure it won't work, then what do you have to gain in hiding your name from me?"
"I wasn't. I simply failed to tell you. I don't care whether you know or not. I'm Darth Sondar. Though I suppose you only knew me as Sondar then. Not that you'll remember."
Atton furrowed his brow. Sondar… Sondar… His frown faded and understanding appeared on his face for an instant. Sondar. Yes. Now I remember. This was the guy who… Atton stopped and found it difficult to refrain from cringing.
"I could've easily killed you, Sondar. The only reason you're still alive is because I let you. You might want to try to remember that. Just be thankful I don't make you call me 'my Lord'. Now get the hell out of my seat."
As the nine-year-old conversation flashed into his mind, Atton groaned inwardly as his flimsy hopes of talking the Sith into leaving faded away. He remembered Sondar, all right. He also remembered the abuse, the threats—and Atton had originated them all. Atton had not felt the least bit threatened by him then. He hadn't had anything to lose, and he had had an alcohol-induced self-confidence that led him to believe nothing could touch him. But that was then; and things were different now. He now stood to lose a great deal through his own past actions.
In an attempt to conceal his fond wish of kicking himself, Atton flashed Sondar a strained smile. "Sondar," he acknowledged.
The Sith's smile grew broader. "Yes… now you remember."
"I guess I do. And I think I'd be a hell of a lot happier if I didn't. Talk about the ol' past coming back to bite me in the ass. Forgive me if I don't walk over there and shake your hand, but with your men threatening my girlfriend with their lightsabers, and you holding my son hostage… well, it's kind of putting a bit of a damper on this happy reunion, don't you think?"
"Yes… your son…" Sondar mused. "You mentioned that when you first arrived. A commendable effort, but I'm no fool, Jaq. I am perfectly aware of the fact that this boy is Lord Revan's son, not yours. So if you're hoping I'll let him go, you're in for a disappointment."
Atton snorted. "Hey, newsflash, Sith-boy. I know a lot of people didn't realize this, but Lord Revan is a woman."
"Don't be ridiculous, Jaq," Sondar snapped. "I am perfectly aware of that."
"Right… In that case, I guess when your mommy told you how babies were made, she kind of skipped over the part where a father is generally needed in order for a baby to come along." Atton smirked. "They called me Revan's favorite for a reason."
Sondar's face betrayed his surprise for an instant, but he quickly recovered his wits. "Indeed!" He sounded highly amused. "I would accuse you of lying, of course, but I can sense that you are somehow telling the truth. And so Revan's son is also yours. How interesting. I always fondly believed him to be Lord Malak's son, but somehow, it all makes sense. I had heard rumors that Lord Revan had a weakness for you. I had refused to believe it until now. You were hardly the type to sweep a Sith Lord off her feet, underhanded scoundrel of dubious hygiene that you were…" He wrinkled his nose. "Not that any of that has changed, I'm sure. Though looking back, I suppose it would explain why Revan never sent you away to the Unknown Regions to have you trained as a dark Jedi, as she did with me." He waved his hand dismissively. "But no matter. The child's father is of no consequence to me. Revan's son is coming with us, and there's nothing a pathetic gravel maggot like you can do about it."
Atton narrowed his eyes. "I think you'll find I disagree with that," he said through clenched teeth.
Darth Sondar sighed heavily and shrugged, looking bored. "Very well. I was prepared to let you live if you allowed us to leave with Revan's son without any grief. You, and perhaps even the Exile as well, if she behaved like a good girl. But I see that's not going to happen now." With his right hand, he unhooked his lightsaber from his belt. "It is rather unfortunate that you felt you needed to die, Jaq. You were a good assassin once. You could have joined me and become powerful. But I suppose your son will have to do."
"Over my dead body," Atton spat.
The Sith smiled sardonically. "Yes, well… that is what I was alluding to." He switched on his bright red lightsaber. "And now, Jaq, be a dear and die quickly. I'm on a bit of a tight schedule. You know, galaxy to conquer and all that."
Atton sneered. "When have you ever known me to make things easy for anyone?"
Sondar shrugged again. "Can't blame me for trying." He let go of Daynn's hand and told the child sternly, "Now you go and hide in the corner. I need you in one piece." Daynn fearfully stared at the man and quickly ran over to the corner of the room.
"Yeah, you stay out of the way, Daynn," Atton ordered uselessly, feeling he ought to add something so it didn't seem as though the Sith cared more for his son's safety than he did.
Atton's eyes flickered back to Sondar, just in time to see him raise his free hand. Before Atton could react, blue lightning exploded from the tip of the Sith's fingers and struck Atton squarely in the chest. A searing sensation overwhelmed him and he heard a scream. It took him a second to realize it had come from his own mouth. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that his knees had buckled and that his lightsaber lay uselessly on the floor before him. And then the piercing pain came back. Only this time, as he had been staring at the floor, wondering how he got there, he didn't have the luxury of forewarning before the lightning struck. Through the screams he vainly tried to repress, he could hear a low, sadistic cackle coming from Sondar's direction. Atton swore and cursed at the dark Jedi, only to have his words transform into more cries of pain.
But then, just as suddenly as it had hit him, the pain subsided. Atton groaned and weakly raised his head: Jena's lightsaber collided with Sondar's. Atton's mind still a haze, it barely had the time to register the fact that the other two Sith, who no longer wished to stand idly by, were rushing toward the other obvious target: him. Scrambling, Atton realized he would never have enough time to get to his feet. He stretched his hand out in front of him and called on the Force. The Sith closest to him was violently pushed back, hit the wall, and slipped to the floor, unconscious. The other, however, was barely fazed for a split second, and then lunged toward Atton, who quickly leapt out of his way. Atton sprang to his feet and called his lightsaber to his hand. He ignited the weapon and parried an oncoming attack. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, he battled through the pain, drawing a deep breath as he lunged forward. His first attempt to strike the Sith failed. As he glanced over to his right, he saw his son sitting tearfully on the floor, his back pressed up against the wall, clutching his knees.
"Daynn!" Atton bellowed as he parried another blow. "Get out of here!"
His only answer was a pitiful whimper. Atton quickly turned his head and saw that the boy had not budged.
"Daynn!" he spat. "I said go—ARGH!"
A flash of blinding pain: it had come from his left hand. His eyes dropped to the hilt of his lightsaber. He saw his hand and understood.
"My finger!" he raged. His left index finger had been lobbed off at the knuckle and now lay at his feet. A string of profanity that would have made a Hutt blush escaped his mouth. Anger pumping through his veins, he violently brought his lightsaber down. It collided with the Sith's shoulder and burned through the flesh. "You took my bloody finger!" Atton cried, swinging his lightsaber again. There was the flicker of a familiar feeling as he struck the Sith's other shoulder. A feeling that had been buried deep inside him ever since Freedon Nadd's tomb on Dxun. Atton barely had the chance to acknowledge what it was when he heard a loud childish wail. His head snapped to his right. The wounded Sith, taking advantage of the distraction, struck Atton squarely in the side. A yelp escaped Atton's lips.
"Dammit, Daynn, I told you to go!" Atton half-scolded, half-pleaded, his eyes smarting. "Go… go get your mother! Anyone!"
Daynn narrowed his wide eyes and clenched his right hand into a fist. The next thing Atton heard was an agonizing scream. Through his watery eyes, Atton turned to look at the Sith in front of him. The man had fallen down to his knees and was clutching his chest, his lightsaber resting uselessly on the floor next to him. The Sith looked as though he was about to say something, but before any words could come out, blood dribbled from his mouth and he collapsed to the floor, lifeless.
Atton gaped, wondering what had happened. Knowing that he had not—even inadvertently—used dark Force powers, he looked at the body, and then at the boy who stood fearfully in the corner. Through the Force, Atton caught the tail end of the outburst of dark energy that had emanated from Daynn. He understood. The caterpillar… the gizka…
Atton repressed a shudder and shouted with even more conviction, "Daynn! Out! Now!"
This time, the boy did not hesitate and promptly ran out of the room.
Good! Well, that's one less target here. Great. This guy's here trying to turn Daynn into a dark Jedi, and it looks like he's already got his work cut out for him, seeing as Daynn's falling to the dark side just by trying to help us.
Determined to get this unpleasantness over with, he took a step toward Jena to help her out, but suddenly felt unable to move.
What the…?
Had Atton been able to move, his eyes would have widened drastically as he realized what had happened: the Sith, the one who had collided with the wall and who had been written off as a threat, had seemingly regained consciousness, gotten back up onto his feet, and paralyzed Atton with the Force. This was a new experience for Atton, and he quickly realized that the only thing he could do was breathe, stand still, and watch in horror as the Sith rushed toward him, lightsaber drawn. Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the dark Jedi from killing him, he focused all his strength toward shutting his eyes.
He failed.
Well, this is it, Jaq… or Atton… or whatever else you want to call yourself… This is it… You're going to die… and after all this, you didn't. Even. Get. To save. Jena!
He desperately wanted to shake his head.
Once a failure, always a failure.
Atton breathed out regretfully as he watched the Sith rush toward him, and just as he started to resign himself to the idea of dying a failure, he heard a voice behind him; a normally gentlemanly voice, now uttering foreign-sounding words.
"Nice try, schutta! If you think you are going to cut down Atton with a lightsaber, you are greatly mistaken… you… Hutt spawn!"
Atton barely had time to register whose voice it was when he saw Mical wedge himself between him and the Sith and immediately parry an attack with his lightsaber. Unable to do anything else, Atton stared in awe at the young Jedi who had jumped into battle to rescue him.
Him.
Atton Rand.
Did Mical just save my life?
Atton watched as Mical parried a few more blows and changed his strategy from defense to offense. Atton mentally groaned.
Great. If we do get out of this, I'm going to owe him big. Maybe he should've just let me die instead. Thank the Force I'm not a Wookiee… I wouldn't want to owe this guy a life debt.
Atton felt a smirk trying to form itself.
And then, from the corner of his eye: Jena. She was in trouble. A lot of trouble. Her robe was scorched and ripped around her thigh, and she was badly cut up.
Jena! he yelled in his mind, still unable to utter a sound. Dammit, Mical, forget about me! Help her!
Atton watched in horror as Jena parried blow after blow with increasing difficulty, never going on the offense.
She's injured. She'd getting too tired to fight. Mical's too busy to help her, and I can't help her because I can't move. Dammit! This isn't fair! The one time I could save her… the one time she really needs me, and I can't do a thing about it! If Sondar kills her… it'll be my fault. I'm the one who turned him to the dark Side in the first place.
Darth Sondar, seemingly tired of the duel that wasn't going anywhere, held his lightsaber steadily in front of him to shield any incoming blows, raised his right hand and squeezed his fingertips closer together. Jena's eyes widened with shock and her face slowly grew a darker shade of red. As veins started appearing on the side of her temple, she unconsciously reached for her throat in a vain attempt to stop herself from choking. Her lightsaber wavered and lowered slowly as Sondar looked smugly at her. He slowly and deliberately hooked his lightsaber back onto his belt.
Atton watched in horror. This couldn't be happening. No! Jena! Be strong! Fight back! Don't…
He tried to move his lightsaber. It didn't even budge. He mentally repeated his entire repertoire of curse words in his head as he focused on trying to restore feeling in his body. And then he felt it: a slight tickle in his foot.
Now we're getting somewhere. He felt the corner of his mouth curl up into half a triumphant smile. Come on… come on… Snap out of it, Rand! You have to save her… If you don't ever do anything else… you have to do this…The pins-and-needles sensation spread to his other foot and to his hands. Come on! He watched Jena sink closer and closer to the ground. She turned and looked at him with fearful bloodshot eyes.
"JENA!" Atton suddenly heard himself scream. Before he even realized he had moved, he was standing before Sondar, his lightsaber crackling mere inches from the Sith's neck.
"Let… her… go!" Atton snarled through his teeth. He clenched his jaw and grasped his weapon more firmly.
"Atton!" Jena wheezed as her color darkened further. "Don't… anger… dark…"
But Atton was past paying attention to her. Anger and hatred thrummed through his veins as he glared at Sondar.
"I said let her GO!" he spat, bringing the beam of his lightsaber even closer to Sondar's neck. The blade crackled and popped, and the stench of scorched flesh surrounded them.
Jena gasped. "A…n! …o!"
Sondar sneered and lowered his hand, releasing his grip on Jena's throat. She breathed in deeply and stumbled down. Atton maintained his lightsaber next to Sondar's throat and its viridian light reflected against the Sith's sweaty skin.
Atton's tone was deadly. "Now. It looks as though I've got the upper hand now. And so…" His hands tightened their grip around the hilt of his lightsaber and he pulled the blade back a few inches. This was it. He could end it all. He had the upper hand and with one swift stroke of his blade, he could slay the man who tried to kill the woman he loved. The man who tried to take away his son.
Daynn.
In a flash, he remembered the horror he had felt when he realized Daynn was in danger of falling to the dark side. He bit his lips. The temptation and the opportunity to kill Sondar certainly were there. But—
There is no passion…
He pursed his lips. "And so," he repeated, "you and your remaining buddy…" He swallowed hard in an effort to bury his anger, and continued, "…will kindly drop your weapons… and come with me. And if you behave nicely, I might put in a good word for you when the Jedi Council decides what is to become of you." His tone indicated that there wasn't much chance of that happening.
Sondar glanced sideways at Atton's lightsaber and his mouth contorted into a grimace that was meant to be a sardonic smile. "So," he commented, "I see you've finally picked a side to stick with, assassin Rand. Never thought I would live to see the day when you should become a Jedi Knight. How quaint." He sneered. "And may I ask what you will do with me now, Jedi? Will you kill me? I know you want to… I almost killed her. I can tell she means a lot to you. I could kill her yet."
"You could." Atton spoke evenly. "But you won't; because you're afraid. Afraid of what crazy Jaq Rand will do to you."
Sondar laughed cautiously. "Oh, I'm not afraid… I might be afraid if I was in fact dealing with 'crazy Jaq Rand'… but I am not. No, the man I am talking to right now is a Jedi." His voice dripped with disdain. "And a Jedi does not kill in anger… or out of revenge. Because anger leads to the dark side, doesn't it, Jaq? I may walk the dark path now, Jaq, but it doesn't mean I forgot the lessons my Jedi Masters taught me. I still remember my Jedi Code. Remember 'There is no emotion; there is peace', Jaq? What about 'There is no passion; there is serenity', Jaq?" Sondar smiled mischievously. "Yet… I wonder… I wonder if you truly believe this. After all, you're the one who taught me that through emotion I gain strength. And that through strength, I gain power." His smile grew wider. "Yes. I think that perhaps… with the right trigger… you'll find all your new found resolve will fly out the window. I can feel your anger, Jaq." He chuckled. "I think I should like to watch you fall… just like you enjoyed watching me fall."
Atton swallowed his anger once more, finding it increasingly difficult to do so. He straightened himself and held his lightsaber closer to Sondar's throat. "I know what you're trying to do, and you're going to stop right now. You're going to get your buddy over there to back off from my buddy, and you're both going to come with—"
Darth Sondar pouted and said, "No… no, I really don't think I will."
He held up his hand and blue lightning bolts burst out of the tip of his fingers once again. Atton braced himself for the hit, which never came. He opened his eyes when he heard a scream.
"Jena!"
Sondar laughed. "Yes. Now you understand. And now, Jaq Rand, you will watch her die. And then you will fall—or you will die." More bolts shot out of Sondar's fingers.
Jena screeched again and collapsed. Atton's eyes grew wide and he stared at her, helpless. He could hear her screams of pain, but there was nothing he could do to stop them.
If I strike him down now in anger… I fall to the dark side… and he wins… but if I let him torture her and kill her while I stand here and do nothing… he still wins. Dammit, at this rate she's going to die either way. I… I can't let him kill her… I have to kill him! I have to… I have to…
The dark Jedi glanced at Atton and let out a cruel, triumphant laugh as bolts of electricity coursed through Jena's contorted body.
Sondar smiled jubilantly. "Do you feel it, Jaq?" he asked. "Do you feel the hate swelling inside you? I know you do… I'm torturing her… and you love her. Anyone can see that. Are you going to just stand by and let it happen? What kind of a Jedi would you be if you did? Strike me down, Jaq. It's the only thing that will stop me from killing her."
Atton narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he moved his lightsaber up against Sondar's throat again. The air reeked of scorched flesh and singed hair again. "If you kill her, I will make you suffer, Sondar."
Despite the burning sensation on his throat, the Sith smiled triumphantly.
"How does it feel to be on the other side of the fence, Jaq? To now be turned to the dark side, instead of being the one turning others to it?"
Atton eyes wavered and in a barely audible voice, muttered, "There is no ignorance…"
Sondar cocked an eyebrow. He could see that Atton had spoken, but the sounds of battle had drowned his words out. "If you're going to say something to me, Jaq, you might want to speak up. Any"—he scoffed—"names you want to call me? Any death threats you want to utter? Any Force powers you want to use to crush me or burn me, or torture me? Just like I crushed, burned and tortured the woman you love, Jaq?"
"…there is knowledge," Atton finished, not bothering to raise the volume of his voice.
Atton had finally understood. He had never fully grasped the concept of that line of the Jedi Code. He had always wondered how ignorance could possibly lead anyone to the dark side. But at that moment, he realized it meant that in order to make the right choice, he had to know all the viable options. And he finally knew what he should do.
"I said 'There is no ignorance; there is knowledge'," Atton said calmly.
Sondar's stared at him. "That's it? Your useless Jedi drivel is supposed to make me change my mind about what I'm doing?"
"Not at all." Atton withdrew his lightsaber from its position and switched it off. "What I meant was, killing you is not the only thing I can do to save her."
He darted in front of Jena. The bolts of lightning that were torturing her hit Atton squarely in the chest. Jena gasped weakly, opened her eyes, and muttered, "Atton… no… Not… the way…" The room danced before her eyes.
As electricity surged and burned its way through his body, Atton was unsure whether he screamed from the pain, or from the sight of Jena slumped down on the floor, motionless.