MAJOR thanks to Ewanlover64 for major major edits! Go read her stories! But only after you read this here long-overdue update. :P

Chapter 5: Before the Storm

Atton clenched his teeth and muffled a bloodcurdling scream with his sleeve. He walked further down the hall, ready to hunt down Revan, in whichever room she was, and strangle her with his bare hands. Revan was the one who had dragged Alainna to the Sith to get infected. Revan who had put Alainna through incredible pain and against impossible odds.Revan was the one who should be facing death.

It had taken all of Atton's willpower to keep from screaming while he had been in the room with Alainna. He had wanted to kill something... someone. He had felt the familiar dark urges tearing at him, as they had so many times before... during those years in Revan's army.

Dying. He could not believe that. He would not believe that.

"Atton," said Visas, her voice sharp.

Atton spun to face the Miraluka. "What do you want?"

"Atton, that was uncalled for." The Miraluka's smooth voice carried a note of brittle anger. "You need to learn to control yourself."

"Shut up! You think that just because you can 'see' through the Force, you can tell us all what we need to do?! All you Jedi are all the same!"

"Atton, you are a Jedi."

Visas did not move. Her body language was typically inscrutable.

"Fine," hissed Atton. "I'll go back in there and... I'll calm down. Whatever. But this doesn't change anything. She--"

Atton bit his tongue to stifle the thought. There was a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes as he looked around, and it was obvious that he still wanted his revenge on Revan.

"She brought her. She... lured her there and now..."

Atton turned back to Visas and stood up straighter in an attempt to try and compose himself. An act, Visas believed, but let it go.

"Just leave me alone. I'll play nice." Atton's promise was met by silence. His gaze fell.

Visas nodded slightly, pleased with this show of submission. They turned and went back inside, Atton stomping ahead and Visas gliding behind.

Mical sat stoic, save for his twitching hands, as Alainna spoke quietly to Bao-Dur about the course of action ahead. Their grim words were inaudible, forcing Mical to be alone with his thoughts, which was not what he needed at the moment.

Alainna was superficially unmarked from the disease, as far as Mical could tell. She had lost weight, certainly, but that was probably a result of living in the hostile conditions of the Sith Empire more than of the disease.

Of course, Mical could not see much of Alainna's skin. Her garments, while tight enough to show her concave figure, covered her from neck to foot. Between her gloves and her sleeves, Mical was able to see the slightest bit of skin, but nothing that could give him any evidence as to her condition.

Not such a comfort after all, Mical reflected despairingly.

"You look gloomy," Mira said bluntly. "You're not beating yourself up about this, are you?"

"Should I be?" asked Mical, quiet. Mical had always been rather put off by the former bounty hunter's straightforward attitude. Frankly, he found it jarring.

"It's not that much of a stretch," explained Mira. "You're the doctor, she's got a disease you can't cure, and the only thing that can keep her from dying has a good chance of killing you both. You probably feel somewhat helpless and therefore guilty."

Mical shot her a frowning look.

"Just a thought." She shrugged.

Sadly, the thought made all too much sense to Mical.

"Look, it's not your fault. Don't feel guilty, okay?"

"And just why do you think you know exactly what I'm thinking?" asked Mical, curious rather than upset.

"Well, you may not stomp out of the room like some people do," Mira said, gesturing at the door through which Atton had left, "but you're still a man, so you're easy enough to read."

"Quite a talent you've got there," Mical said dryly.

"Yeah," sighed Mira. "Too bad it only works on most human guys."

"I see."

"And a handful'a Twi'leks. Nothing else," Mira concluded, turning to look at Bao-Dur and Alainna, still out of earshot.

"Speak of easy to read," muttered Mical.

"What?" snapped Mira, turning back to Mical, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing." Mical shrugged innocently. Mira turned back to Bao-Dur and Alainna.

"Wonder what they're saying," Mira mused. Mical shrugged again, uncomfortable and impatient.

"Relax," Mira urged. "You really need to learn to calm down. In my experience, jumpy doctors don't get a lot of repeat business."

Mical smiled wanly. He relaxed slightly, which left him vulnerable to the exhaustion that was bound to set in. His vision grew slightly blurry and he stifled a yawn, which Mira's keen senses caught.

"You wanna go back to the ship?" Mira asked. "I'm sure she'd understand. Better than falling asleep while you're undressing her with your eyes, which, take it from me, is not very flattering."

Mical looked at her, bewildered by her comment. Mira smiled and shook her head.

Finally, Bao-Dur broke away from Alainna and moved towards Mira and Mical.

"We've made our plans," Bao-Dur said, his gaze alternating between Mira and Mical. "We're going to leave as soon as possible. We'll--"

The door to the hallway burst open and slammed shut, but not before a red-faced Atton entered the room, followed by a calm Visas.

"As I was saying," Bao-Dur continued, "we'll take the Ebon Hawk--"

Mira groaned. Atton sighed with relief at the prospect of going back into space and off of this planet. He had been on that barren Dantooine for too long, and grassy Telos was certainly not much better. Fewer Jedi, perhaps, but otherwise...

Bao-Dur paused, and began again. "We'll take the Ebon Hawk out into wherever the General directs us."

He looked around, waiting for protests. Mical, who had been studying the ground, looked up.

"Alainna's coming with us? Isn't... is she in proper condition?"

"Her disease, as far as we can tell, will not slow her down. Not yet, at least."

Mical raised his eyebrows.

"Obviously," Bao-Dur clarified, "plans might change. But the General is... insistent."

Mira smiled. At least Alainna had her spunk back. For a while, that had been what worried Mira the most.

Mical stood and stepped towards Bao-Dur. He opened his mouth, but faltered as he glanced towards Alainna and then swallowed as a medical droid injected a solution into her arm. He caught a glimpse of a bruise that seemed to cover her entire forearm, and he suddenly felt furious.

He turned back to Bao-Dur, who blinked, surprised at the look in the doctor's eyes.

"Then what," Mical asked, "are we waiting for?"