In the Presence of Enemies: Act Four

"In the Presence of Enemies" is the first in a series of short stories featuring the KoTOR II crew, re-exploring their story with a slightly different take.

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From the hotel room he ran. Down through the lobby and past the concierge, out into the streets. Suddenly it all seemed so vivid where only days ago he couldn't even remember her name. He'd killed her and then he ran. For miles, for what felt like hours, before he even realized he needed a ship to leave. The red uniform stood out harshly amongst the soft colours of Taris' business sector on such a dark night; filled with the greys of businesspeople, the whites of the average citizen and the cold steel armour of the Sith soldiers. It all seemed so vivid to Atton now. Three years prior to this time he'd killed Arren Kae, and along with the air escaping from the engine room where he lay bruised and dazed now, the apprehension and the fear all seemed to drain from him. Atton remembered.

She told him there was no shame in loving life. She'd said it so longingly that he knew he could do nothing but go through with his mission, for it'd seemed so long since she knew what that felt like. For the targets of Atton Rand, Sith Operative, death had always come quickly. He could never stand to watch it for too long, lest it become real, take on meaning and follow him to old age and haunt him in his dreams. He wondered if that's why he dreamt so much of Arren's death: hers was slower.

He'd showed her the knife so she knew, and then in the most artless of motions, jabbed it up under her ribcage into her chest. It wouldn't have cut right through the heart, but would've made a hole large enough to let whatever was inside it bleed out. After that everything seemed to take forever in his memory of that event: getting to the door, hearing the concierge bellow, breaking through the threshold into the dimly lit street and watching the street lights hum one by one as he went by them. Everything seemed sharper, more alive and more real.

From there he never bothered going back to his Masters. Atton abandoned his uniform for a set of flight fatigues and took the first freighter off the planet he could find. He learned to play Pazaak and got damned good at it, and got as friendly with every exotic ale as he could. One day he found himself on a mining station, trapped in an electrical cage for Force knows what trumped up reason.

'No.' Atton snapped his consciousness back into the room where he was. He wasn't sure how much longer he had, but the air was escaping quicker now. Brianna still stood outside, watching joylessly as he got closer to suffocating. 'No,' he repeated to himself, stronger now. With all the force he could muster he stood up, as short of breath as a human could be, but still alive. The room was almost drained. 'Open...the door...' Atton threw his mind out as strongly as he could. The door started shaking. 'Open...you stupid...'

Outside, Brianna noticed it start to rattle while Atton's line of sight lay fixed on it with fierce intensity. With her own abilities she grabbed onto it as well.

But to no use. Atton's will threw the door aside and quicker than she could reach for her lightsaber he was out the door, hand to her neck and throwing her against the adjacent wall. His thumb firmly readied over her airway, he struggled for his own breath, listening to the terrible hissing of the pipes in the engine room start to draw air from the hall too.

'It would take me...half a second...to crush your throat.'

'Then do it,' Brianna spat back, 'so that my Master might know the truth!'

'She does know. I...told her...it's why she started...training me. Wanted to help me. But I didn't know who she was...the woman I killed...' Not forgetting his drained state she took her chance and shoved him back off of her and then came at him with fists flying. But this fight was perfectly Atton's style; he caught both her arms, drew her in by them and rounded a blow to her chest.

'Stay back!' he shouted.

She tried again, but just as easily he disabled her and threw her back against the wall, came right up to her and pounded his fist onto her face. The young woman's head hit the wall behind her and she slipped off her footing to crumble against it.

'Jayna knows what I've done.' Atton drew a deep breath, recovered now. There was no emotion in his tone. 'But I never knew who your mother was. Only what she wanted...to die.'

Brianna could only shoot daggers from her eyes; utterly defeated.

'I'm sorry about that. I could've picked...the better thing. Could've died like I was supposed to. But I was afraid.'

'You took her from me,' she sobbed quietly.

'Whatever those messed up people did to you on Telos wasn't my fault. I didn't take her from you. She left you with them to go fight, so if you want someone to hate for that you have to hate her.'

'How dare you presume that that vindicates you!'

'It doesn't.' The frankness of his admission cut through everything she was feeling, and for the first time she took notice. 'I shouldn't have listened...' He came in his mind to what Arren'd told him about her allegiances, but held back on that. 'She helped me when she could've gone and been there for you. That's what's gotta hurt the most.'

She was nearly broken down. Every inch of the Force within her confirmed his words. 'I can't hear this...'

'But I didn't make her do that. That part matters. What I did do...well, you're still right to wanna hurt me.' Atton summoned his lightsaber hilt with the Force and it flew off Brianna's belt into his hand. He moved back a ways into the engine room, and took a place amidst the hissing pipes. 'I just needed you to know that it's my choice.'

She could hardly believe any of this. She could barely even move, these words more crippling than any blows. From down the hall whispers crept and then grew into voices. Bao-Dur was approaching from the cockpit. Another voice met him in the central chamber, just out of Atton and Brianna's sights. She glanced down the way from where they could be heard, then back to Atton, hoping for an answer.

'This is the only chance you get,' Atton told his would-be assassin, giving her none. 'But I'm not gonna beg. Make your damn choice.' She froze.

'You hear that?' Mira asked the Iridonian. 'Damned hissing woke me up...'

'Sounds like the engine room, but what would it be doing a venting for?'

Silent as a wraith Jayna was suddenly there. 'That's what I'd like to know.' Mira and Bao-Dur came around the corner in time to witness the scene: Brianna at the door, tears matting her face, and Atton, a bruise forming on his cheek, standing tall in the middle of the room behind her.

Examining the scene only multiplied Jayna's suspicions. 'What's going on here?' she demanded. Brianna still couldn't find an answer.

'I killed her mother.' Everyone's heads wheeled to Atton as he confessed as plainly to them as he had to Brianna. 'Back before I left the Sith. She was a Jedi.'

'Kae? You mean Arren Kae?'

'Yeah. Her.'

'Who was that?' Bao-Dur asked Jayna.

'She was one of our Jedi field operatives during the Mandalorian Wars, but what would she...' Jayna stopped as it dawned upon her just what could've come to transpire. And then something else came to her. 'She was the one who showed you.'

Atton nodded his head and fought to hold it up proper as he walked out of the engine room past them. Bao-Dur and Mira stood behind their leader in a mixture of confusion and alarm, while Jayna moved her glare onto Brianna.

An hour passed. Jayna had went up and down the ship to verify everyone's whereabouts after having Bao-Dur reset the engine room, briefly questioning Kreia and Visas on whether or not they'd felt a disturbance as the conflict had occurred. Neither of the two said they'd sensed anything, which only agitated Jayna's frustration with the situation. Especially now, she couldn't help but think someone a liar. Atton sat blankly with his bruises on the med bay bench, with Mira tending to him. Rough and quick she took an ice pack and slapped it against his cheek.

'Hold your hand up.'

Atton took hold of the pack and held it against his bruised cheek. 'Thanks,' he muttered. 'You don't have to do this you know. You're probably kind of freaked right now so...'

'Well, yeah.' She continued prepping some other items; a strip of gauze, a cotton pad and some alcohol. 'But I've dealt with Sith. Only the ones with bad enough ideas about colouring to wear those capes really bug me. But a Jedi getting pissed is something new. I'll be here with the ex-Sith before I have to watch the boss-woman freak out at someone.'

In spite of his state he couldn't help but laugh a little. 'For little miss lone bounty hunter you're pretty quick to spill all.'

'And watching a Jedi yell is like watching your parents fight for the first time I'm betting. Not pleasant.' Mira yanked the ice pack from his hand and replaced it with a good-sized cotton pad damped in alcohol, which Atton then held up. 'Anyway, most people think that if you talk enough it means you're spreading out the important stuff you have to say. They don't listen as close to all your words. And me is my favourite subject anyway.'

He wasn't sure if he should compliment or insult her. 'You're a strange and short woman, Mira.'

'Guess I belong here then.' Finished with the task she leaned up against the wall. 'So, Sith huh? That must've been something.'

'Yeah. I was.'

'And uh..the kid tried to jump you? Cause it really looked kinda bad there...'

'It was,' he answered, fully mindful of his guilt. 'You've got it pretty much right.'

'Cause you killed her mother...and you didn't remember it was her mom until just now cause...'

'Recurring dreams.'

'Ah. Right.' The bounty hunter furled her lips and nodded like it was a math puzzle she was putting together. 'You know everyone on this ship is crazy right?' As she said this the door slid open to reveal Jayna. 'Hey,' Mira addressed her uneasily, 'I'm gonna go some stuff in a place...'

Jayna let her go and then came in. She took a moment to cross her arms and perhaps let Atton say the first words, but to no avail. 'Why the hell didn't you say something?'

'You sound pretty hurt about it,' he replied in a tone as tired as his body.

'That's because I am. You told me you were dreaming but you didn't know what about. I don't like being lied to.'

'Hey, I told you everything I knew. I couldn't remember who she was.'

'Do you realize how that sounds?'

He jostled his shoulders around to loosen them up, becoming more defensive. 'No weirder than a fully trained Jedi who can't even read fear or crazy on the person next to them.'

'Fine. You didn't know. That still doesn't change...'

'What I did? I know that for damned sure. But you didn't. You've known all this time the kind of things I did when I was Sith. The only thing that's different now is you know someone who I did them to.' To hear this spoken clicked a final piece into place within him.

Jayna conceded the point and abandoned her emotion on the issue. It was curious how she appeared to Atton now, standing in a silent way that hinted at pure authority. 'This is my ship. If anything else like this comes up, I want to be told.' With nothing more to say she left him alone and returned to the central chamber.

Mandalore and HK waited for her there. The two of them watched the young Brianna as she sat on the console, though HK watched her closer, hoping for her to just give him a chance. The Mandalore had his attention divided between her and the scorch marks and blood on his upper chest plating

'Talk about a fight, huh,' he mused sidelong to Jayna as she entered. A soaked rag in hand he started cleaning the plate. 'I really have to give you credit, Jedi, you can put one up when you want to. All those tricks you did on Dxun weren't flukes.'

'No they weren't.' The Exile put her attention on her pupil right away. Her angry eyes seemed to soften and fill with pity at the sight.

The HK-47 noticed this. 'Statement: I've monitored her as you instructed, Master. Regrettably, she has made no sudden movements. Yet.'

Jayna nodded. 'Very good, HK. Mandalore,' she called the other, 'Thank you for your help. If you feel your people's needs don't outweigh mine at this time, I'd ask your help on the rest of my mission.'

He considered the question, though he already knew the answer. 'You've got me, Jedi.'

'Good. Now, if you wouldn't mind...'

'Already gone.' Mandalore turned and left, disappearing into the dim labyrinth of the ship. Jayna took a deep breath through chest and stepped forward, HK following close behind.

As soon as she reached her the Padawan started up. 'Master, I...'

'I didn't tell you to talk,' Jayna cut right in. Brianna instantly fell silent. Off to the side, from the hall down to the port dormitory, Kreia emerged only slightly, concealed back in the shadows so as to listen. 'I asked Atton why he didn't say anything because before, I thought I knew what was going on inside his head. He confides in me, listens to me. So his side surprised me. You and I aren't that way my Padawan, but what you did here...it doesn't surprise me at all considering.'

'If I could...'

Jayna shook her head a stern no. Stealthily, the HK slipped out of Brianna's sight and moved to her back. 'I'm sure you thought you were acting on good reasons. Believe me, that counts for a lot. It's why I didn't throw you right off the ship. But the fact still remains that you tried to kill your fellow Padawan because of a dream.'

'It was a dream about a true thing!'

'That may be so, but beyond that, you saw fit not to tell me. What if he really was still a threat? He may have had a chance to do something terrible, and he would've gotten away with it because you were holding a grudge. You lied to yourself.'

'I didn't..'

'I said NO!' Jayna snarled frightfully. The force of it all but sewed the girl's mouth shut. 'Your revenge, by your own design, could've cost someone else their life,' she continued, unabated in her anger. 'Deep down there was that knowledge of what you really wanted, you just couldn't admit it. Or maybe you didn't even know yourself.' She took a moment to calm herself and searched out what she could of her pupil's feelings. 'I know what that's like, Brianna. The uncertainty is what gets to you more than anything...and it can lead you to do things that make you question who you are even if you have the best of intentions.' Still observing, Kreia took a closer interest. 'And right now I can't have that.' The Exile extended her hand. 'Your lightsaber.'

Brianna swallowed. She shook her head a desperate no, but to no effect of mercy. Still the other waited. She took grip of her hilt with a slow draw and then let it go, watching the world drop into Jayna's hand and then disappear under her robe. 'The price of food and a place to sleep will be your obedience in any work I ask for, and there will be no use of the Force under any terms. Do you understand?'

All Brianna's features stuttered and shook. 'Yes,' she whimpered, no longer able to hold back tears. Thoroughly done, the Exile nodded to HK, who then backed down and retreated to its storage compartment. As she made her way towards the cockpit she noticed her Master standing off to the side but made no effort to go over. Kreia managed a closed-lipped smile. The ability to unearth the past in others was one of her particular talents, but rarely had the effect been so brilliantly sublte. It was fitting at least, as dreams always held answers for those who knew how to look at them. The only challenge had been concealing the ripples in the Force created by Atton and Brianna's fight. But for her efforts, the old woman retreated to her dormitory with a renewed hope about her.