Atton
"Mical?" Alison muttered.
"Sorry, it's just me" Atton said with some disappointment.
Alison sat up and scooted a spot for Atton to sit.
Atton then noticed she was still in the very sexy outfit, "I didn't know you were expecting me." He said with some cockiness.
"Shut up will ya?" Alison said in a sleepy/cranky tone. "I wanted you to tell me something."
Atton crossed his arms as he sat on the spot, "Ok I hit on visas one time… and Mira, but definitely not Brianna. That handmaiden drives me crazy."
Alison laughed, "You can be so predictable sometimes, but I wanted you to fulfill your promise. I mean we have time now right?"
Atton glared at her, "I have done everything you asked, I don't owe you anything."
Alison couldn't help but think Atton looked cute, "am I your secretary now? Do I have to remind you about everything?"
"Well you have a better memory than me." Atton smiled.
"On Peragus when we were getting to know each other, I asked why you were locked up in that cell. Then you said 'look when we aren't getting attacked blah blah blah I'll tell you my whole life story.' Or something like that." Alison got up and threw a robe on, she could tell Atton was checking her out.
"Blah Blah Blah?" Atton raised an eyebrow, "Well it might take a while"
"Atton, you have my full attention…" Alison sat on her bed
Atton sat next to her. "For as long as I can remember I have been a scoundrel"
A young boy is running threw a crowded area, he bumps into some people and some Killiks dropping fruit, hurrying to pick them up.
"Alderaan was a beautiful planet to grow up on. I remember all the valleys and forests in my sector. The fruit that would grow on the trees would catch anyone's attention, but none were as juicy as the ones that grew in the university. And those weren't allowed to be picked."
The boy then made it to an alley where he tricked the people after him to go a different direction than him.
"Atton Rand." A tough young adult came out of the shadows, "when are you ever going to learn to stay out of trouble?"
"The day it stops being so fun." Young Atton snapped.
The other man couldn't help but laugh, "Come here you." He then started to noogie Atton. "You know if ma was still here she would have my hide. You know better than to steal that fruit."
"You're not saying I should return them are you?" he set down the bag.
"Well…" he looked at the fruit they were extremely fragrant of sweet smells. "You did go through all the trouble." He picked one up.
"I'm glad we think alike Astri" Atton smiled and grabbed a fruit.
"But…" Astri took the fruit from his hands, "You should be taught a lesson about stealing"
"Give it back!"
"I'm just kidding little bro." Astri then gave back the fruit and started to walk away, "Let's get home."
"He was always there for me. When we weren't spending time with each other he would work on ship repairing, he taught me basics, I'm no Bao"
Alison grabbed a pillow and hugged it close to her; she saw how Atton acted when thinking back on fond memories.
"He taught me what an older brother should teach his younger brother. What muscles to work out for strength, for looks…" He winked at Alison, of course she rolled her eyes. "Yeah it was just me and him until he left to fight in the republics army."
Astri carried two duffle bags filled with items that belonged to him. Atton walked with him to the ship that was preparing to take off. Others men were doing the same. All of them saying goodbye to their loved ones, girls kissing their men goodbye, sons hugging fathers etc.
"Well Atton" Astri said as he set a bag down for a moment. "This is where our roads separate."
"What do you mean?" Atton's face grew from disappointment to sadness.
"Of course our paths should cross again little bro." he observed his brothers demeanor. "Come on don't tell me you'll miss me." He smiled
"No. In fact I'm glad you're going" he crossed his arms and smirked; "Now your gal and I can be out in public."
The two then fought, of course in a brotherly way.
"It wasn't long after he left Alderaan when I left to go join alongside him. Only I was either too late or luck wasn't on my side."
Atton was in a staff sergeant uniform. He stood ready for command. The Sergeant Major then held a small metal plate, what was a holovid.
"At ease" he said calmly to Atton then handing him the holovid.
Atton then played the feed and it was his brother.
"Hey there trouble maker" Astri's voice played. "I'm sorry we never got a chance to meet up. If you are getting this it's because I didn't make it in the battle. "
The Major then handed some of his brother's belongings, a bag, a ribbed brown jacket, and a Pazzak deck.
Atton seemed to reflect on that memory intensely. Alison scooted over and patted a spot by her. Atton then sat next to her and lie back on the headboard.
"What more is there to say?" he let out a breath and continued to reminisce, "I guess after realizing my brother was gone. I had to look out for myself and myself only. I mean who else was there for me. Yeah I guess I knew people in the ranks, but I knew I would never have that kind of connection again." He glanced at Alison, she had a small look of disappointment, and it seemed a small hope was erased. "Some time went by and the Mandalorian wars were finally over. Then talk of a new war began, but this time within the republic."
"The Jedi Civil war…" Alison murmured.
Atton looked at her, he then realized that not even Meetra Sunrik was present during the civil war.
"I keep forgetting about your case, well I told you about the Elite units. Well I skimmed the surface"
Atton was saluting with several men to Malak. They all then looked at Malak who stood straight with his arms to his side, as his master approached. A man came walking pass the other units, each step seemed to make the ground shake but without a sound or thump. It was very intimidating. The man wore a mask with red and a gray color. Atton felt his heart actually skip a beat but he maintained a respectable demeanor. The man's cloak dragged slightly behind him as he passed by all the unit. He then stood before Malak. Atton's unit was then dismissed to a training area.
"Wait" Alison interrupted. "Was that Revan?"
Atton rolled his eyes, "Yes, right after the Mandalorian war I had no place to go, Revan was my future. I was to follow him to the ends of the rim. During our training he would himself pick a few of us to become a special unit. Revan trained elite Sith units into assassination squads, whose duty was to capture the Jedi. I was one of the special units trained to do this." He then felt a scar on his back. "The real battle was going to be the Jedi's on both sides. And whoever were the strongest would win. So Revan would try to convert them, if it didn't work then they would be killed." Atton took off his jacket and shirt and showed Alison his scar.
The memory replayed in Atton's mind. A Jedi was meditating, he then sensed Atton too late and his saber scarred Atton's skin, but Atton knocked him out and he hit the floor hard.
"After this incident it inspired me to come up with a way to prevent this from happening again." He just put on his shirt. "It's hard for a Jedi to sense what you're really thinking if you throw up walls of strong emotions and feelings"
Another memory played of a Jedi walking alone in the forest on a different planet. He then looked and saw nothing behind him.
"Most Jedi awareness don't cruise beyond the surface feelings, to see what's deeper."
The Jedi then looked around and saw nothing, suddenly the strong feelings overcame him. Then a powerful electric shock stunned him, Atton then signaled several other men to help carry the body. Atton then went back to the transporter his elite came on and sat down. He felt the emotions consume him for a moment.
"Jaq…Jaq!" a soldier called to him.
"What!" Atton snapped.
"Are you fit to fight?" he replied.
"I always am! Now mind your own dam business!" Atton said angrily.
Atton noticed Alison's facial expression, "I know what you're thinking…"
"Yeah I would have definitely smacked you if you spoke to me like that. Id smack anybody that would treat me in a rude way."
"What do you expect? We were the Sith proud and arrogant… either you were fit to fight or you were in the way. And we brought down anything, anyone who was in our way."
Several missions went by, Atton was perfecting his technique. But with each Jedi he brought down, each he tortured it took a toll on him. He would have to try and keep a hold of himself.
"It wasn't long after some of the guys in the unit were disappearing, some said that they died, they weren't strong enough. Then I trained myself to keep the walls up and control my deepest feelings. And that's when she came…"
Atton was at a camp and saw a glowing light, he looked around but no one else noticed it. He then went to it, it was deep into the cave.
"Beautiful isn't it?" a woman's voice spoke.
Atton then grabbed her and had his blaster to her forehead.
"I can't believe I fell for a Jedi trick." Atton grunted angrily.
She tried to breathe, "it's...no trick… I came to…to" her breath was running out.
Atton looked in her blue eyes "you're smart getting me away from my unit. What is it you want scum?" He saw her eyes turn gray, he then threw her to the floor.
She coughed and shuttered, trying to catch her breath. "I came to warn you."
Atton let out a cocky laugh, "Oh please I'm all ears!"
"Quite down you fool, listen I am serious. I can't stand by as another victim is about to be taken." She felt her neck bruising. "You're leader is using you…"
"Everybody uses each other." Atton remarked.
"Have you noticed your ranks shrinking?" she tried to stand up.
"What of it?" Atton's tone was mocking.
"Revan is sending the Jedi you capture to a terrible place… where they are being broken, and anyone in your units is force sensitive. Then…they will be sent there too."
"Give me a break, what does this have to do with me?" Atton replied with disbelief.
"I sensed you… you have much potential indeed." She moved her blonde hair from her face. "I can't allow myself to just let them do what they did to me, to my allies." She stood before him, "you can't lie and hide from me that you have felt something awaken in you. Haven't you ever wondered about how your skill has become so great in taking down Jedi? When the Sith finds out you will forevermore become an instrument of the dark side. No point of return, no escape…"
Atton thought, he felt a glimpse of light flicker within him, he then clench his fist. "No! You lie!"
"It's all true!" she pleaded to him. "You have to leave while you still can."
Atton then grabbed her by the neck once again, "I've heard enough of your Jedi lies."
"Please dont" she felt a glimpse of fear rise within herself.
Atton kept squeezing harder. She tried to fight back. He was too much for her. He then dragged her out of the cave by her hair and threw her she hit a boulder really hard, the sound of her spine breaking. He then picked her up and shook her.
"Come on, no more to say?!" Atton taunted her. She tried to force push him, but it was no use. "Come On! Admit it! You Lie!"
"I hurt her, and when I thought she couldn't take anymore"
Then when Atton was about to give the last blow she grabbed his shirt and placed her hand on his forehead her eyes glowed as Atton's did as well.
"She showed me the force in my head"
It was then the force was shown to Atton. He felt the heartbeat of life itself. He saw colors that weren't even known to him. He felt the rush through his whole body, he then felt the Jedi dying before his eyes…
Atton then held her in his arms, "I'm so sorry…" he began to feel her life draining away.
"I think I loved her..."
Alison saw the hurt in his eyes, the look of regret stained his face.
"but it wasn't that kind of love. It was the kind where you're willing to give up everything for someone you don't even know."
The soldiers heard Atton yelling, some were sent after him. All armed just in case. They then came onto a scene of a Jedi bloodied and bruised with the life drained from her, and Atton stood brooding over her. He then turned and saw his comrades all terrified of him. He walked past all of them and back to his tent.
"In the end, I killed her because I loved her... and in the end she sacrificed herself to protect me. And after that I couldn't stop feeling things before. I couldn't keep doing what I was doing."
Atton was packed and snuck out of the camp, out of the war zone, he hijacked a small shuttle and headed away from it all. He took out the bag with his brother's items and put on the jacket.
"So I left to Nar Shadda and I lost myself there until the war was over. I wanted no more of Jedi light or dark or the force. I just wanted to be left alone."
Atton was then in the refugee sector, two Tweliks saw him, Atton looked at them and they took off. He shrugged then went to a Pazzak table and gambled away. Several weeks went by. Weeks turned into months, Months to years. Three years went by and Atton decided to take work in the mining facility. He kept to himself but on some occasions gambled with the others. Two years of that passed and talk was spreading of a mysterious ship harboring a Jedi.
"And when I thought I was going to live my life of solitude the other workers were conjuring a plot of mutiny for a bounty on the ship. It so happened the ship was harboring something that was very rare, a Jedi. You…"
Atton looked over and saw Alison asleep. She leaned against him with her arm around him.
"I didn't want anything to do with the Jedi, so they set me up. Causing me to end up in that cell. Some time went by and then in come storming in what I thought to truly be a dream… and when I realized this beautiful girl was the Jedi I thought of the woman… And I thought maybe, she had saved me so I could help you, and if I can't then I have to try. And as time went by I realized that I didn't want to be anywhere else in this galaxy I would follow you to uncharted territories and not care of my being as long as I was at your side."
Alison tensed up in her sleep, seemed she was struggling in her dream.
"because this girl isn't like anyone ever. I might be a fool but I know I will never amount to the goodness you deserve in your life. I have loved, a brother so close to me. I have loved, a woman that I would have protected. But never have I been in love. The only reason why I confess this is because you're asleep…"
Atton rose up as slowly as he could trying to not wake Alison. He then covered her and put his jacket on.
Alison mumbled in her sleep. "Don't…"
Atton looked back and saw her still asleep.
"Don't leave me… I need you" Alison then went silent. Back into her sleep.
Atton felt his chest… he then sighed and ignored the feeling. "You have no idea how much that would mean to me if it were about me." Atton then thought of earlier when she dreamed of Mical. He then walked out of Alison's room and went to the cockpit.
Brianna then went out of hiding, she thought to herself. "I heard what I needed to. I know your feelings. But trust I would never use them against you."
In the other part of the ship Kreia was meditating. She then thought to herself. "At last it is all out, the fool is under my complete control…"