Woman without a Country

The Sith Marauder circled warily, trying to find a weak spot in the Jedi's defense. The Jedi cut down another Assassin easily, his lighstsabers flashing in the dying light, his brown robes swirling around him as he fought. The Mandalorian and the rust-colored droid continued shooting down the Grenadiers who should have been providing support to the Dark Jedi, while the red-haired woman launched grenades of her own into the scattered Sith at the mouth of the Valley. The Marauder snarled beneath his mask. What should have been a simple trap, an easy catch, had gotten more of his men killed than he had lost all year.
He charged again, testing the Jedi's skill one more time, but fell back before the flurry of blades. The Marauder swore under his breath. He couldn't fail, not again. He had to bring this Jedi to his Master, alive or dead. He blinked suddenly, at the sudden wisp of a shadow just behind the Jedi. The Jedi took advantage of his momentary distraction, pressed the attack, and the Marauder had to use all his skill to stay alive. The Sith fell back again, and the Jedi and his companions withdrew slightly, regrouping.
Suddenly, the Jedi staggered and fell, his lightsabers wrenched out of his hands by the shadowy figure that had appeared out of nowhere. Before his companions could react, the figure had deactivated the lightsabers, dropping them at the stunned Jedi's side, and had drawn a pair of blasters, leveling one at the Jedi's head and the other at the girl with the grenades.
"Don't tempt me. You know how much I really want to shoot you, Mira, but I'm supposed to bring you in alive."
"What? You're a traitor? You're a fucking Sith?" screamed Mira in rage.
The Mandalore froze, not certain what to do, for the first time in his life.
"HK. Take their weapons. Make sure you get all the lightsabers."
The droid's motors whirred, processing the command. "Suggestion: Do not resist, Mandalorian." Canderous didn't move, and the droid walked forward and took the heavy rifle from Canderous, then collected Mira's grenades and blasters, and the lightsabers from the ground near Atton's feet. "Query: Is anything more necessary, Master?"
"Watch the Jedi. I've waited a long time to do this." Atton stepped forward, and slammed his blaster into the side of Mira's head, then drove his knee into her stomach as she fell to the ground unconscious. "Skank."
"I thought – you're the one who repaired HK? I thought you didn't know anything about droids," said Canderous, stunned and disbelieving.
"Still a master of the art of deception, I see," said the Sith Marauder slowly, as he pulled off his mask. He gestured to his men. "Bind them."
Atton glared at him. "And you're still slow and clumsy. I didn't realize you needed them gift-wrapped before you could bring them in." Atton glanced at the soldiers tying Mical's arms together. "Careful with that."
"Are you planning something special for this Jedi?" asked the Sith Marauder, as he slowly walked up to Atton. "I hope we get to watch. You have no idea how dull the torture sessions are these days," he said slowly, his dark yellow eyes taking in every line of Atton's body. "I'd forgotten how beautiful you are," he said hoarsely.
Atton glanced at him from under his eyelashes. "This counts as my catch, by the way. Not yours."
"Of course," the Marauder agreed. "It will be worth the punishment to have you back again."
One of the soldiers tried to take the weapons that HK was holding, and Atton moved, striking the man so hard that he staggered backwards, a bright red mark appearing across his face where Atton's hand had struck him.
"Do not touch," hissed Atton fiercely. "Those are my trophies."
"Come now, he's just a fool. Leave him alone," said the Marauder soothingly. "Please don't start killing my men."
"You know how much I hate working with people," said Atton viciously.
Instead of answering, the Marauder took Atton's hands, and raised them to his lips, kissing the backs of Atton's hands, then his slender, elegant fingers, and finally the inside of Atton's seemingly frail wrists. By the time he was done, the Sith soldiers were done putting restraints on Mical and Canderous, and tying Mira's unconscious form to a stretcher.
"I suppose we should get going," said Atton. His voice sounded bored, but there was a quiver of dark excitement in his words. "That is, if you're done making love to my hands."
"Never," said the Marauder passionately. "But yes, we should be going. This planet is very unwelcoming after dark."
"Really?" Atton looked curiously up at the Sith, who was the same height and breadth as Mical, but had dark hair and skin. "I've met some interesting ghosts here," Atton smiled in a very wicked way, and pulled his hands away. "They talk about the most unusual things." He laughed, and followed the soldiers, occasionally using HK to support himself over the uneven terrain, not sparing a single glance for the obviously infatuated Sith, or a word for his former companions.
Canderous looked at Atton, then at Mical. Once he had thrown off the effects of Atton's blow, Mical had pressed his lips together in a hard line. He hadn't looked at Atton at all, or even acknowledged his presence. Canderous looked at Mira, lying still and quiet on the stretcher, then at Atton again. The Mandalore chuckled to himself, and the guard next to him looked at him sharply.
"What are you laughing at?" snarled the Sith guard.
Canderous answered with a string of vicious oaths in Mandalorian.
The guard raised a hand to strike the bound prisoner, and tumbled over, a gleaming knife in his throat.
Canderous burst into open laughter. "If I'm annoying enough, you'll run out of guards before we get to wherever we're going." The Mandalore glanced at Mical. "And I can be really annoying."
The Sith Marauder sighed, and gave stern commands to his men to stay away from the Mandalorian.
"Could you get that for me?" Atton pointed at his knife, and a guard quickly ran forward to return the knife to Atton. "Thank you." He wiped it clean and the knife disappeared again.
Canderous grinned, and continued being irritating to the guards, but only got two more killed before they approached the entrance of a tomb. "We're going in here?" Canderous looked at his captors. "I try to avoid tombs if I'm not dead. It's a Mandalorian thing. You wouldn't understand, seeing as how you're all filthy grave-robbing vermin."
The nearest Sith gritted her teeth in frustration, but knew better by now than to try to chastise the prisoner.
"The tomb connects to the remains of the Academy," explained the Marauder, moving to the door to unlock the seals, using the Force to activate the controls.
"Whose tomb is this?" asked Canderous curiously.
"This is the tomb of the Sith Lord Ludo Kressh, but don't worry, we won't be disturbing any relics."
"Hunh," Canderous grunted, "I've always thought that Sith Lords were ludicrous, but this is the first time I've ever heard a Sith say so."
Mical coughed, almost shocked into a laugh by Canderous, and the Sith Marauder glared at the Mandalorian.
"What? You two are friends. I'm sure he wouldn't try to kill you for playing with his toys." Canderous smiled, and the Sith Marauder turned away to finish unsealing the tomb. Canderous snickered cruelly.
The tomb opened, and the Sith led them into a secret hallway. They emerged in the remains of the Sith Academy, in what appeared to be a dining hall.
"Take them to the interrogation room," commanded the Marauder.
"And where are you going?" asked Atton sharply.
"I'm going to find my Master and report that the mission was a success."
Atton rolled his eyes, and flung himself into a chair. "Fine, whatever, ruin all my fun."
The Sith stood still, watching Atton as he gracefully sprawled in the chair, tapping his elegant foot petulantly. "You had a different idea?"
Atton looked at him. "It involved me having fun," he grinned, "not me sitting around listening to some pompous, lazy ass Sith Lord yell at you, and then take my prisoners away."
"Good point." The Marauder considered. "Perhaps you are right. It would be more useful if I presented him with the information he requires."
"Of course I'm right," snapped Atton. "Please tell me you have a decent interrogation room."
The Sith laughed. "It's more like training wheels. Remember, this was part of the Academy, not a fortress or anything."
Atton sighed in disappointment. "So, it's what? Cages and a console? No tables? No knives?"
The Marauder shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not."
Atton stood slowly. "How are you supposed to work under such conditions? Where's the fun in pushing a button? How," he said softly, carefully not looking at the Sith Marauder, and fully aware that everyone in the room was watching him, "can you ever form a connection without that personal touch?" Atton stepped away from the table, seeming not to notice how close he was to the Sith, seemingly still lost in his own question. "How do you get to that point where your… companion… kisses your hand in gratitude when the pain stops?" Atton looked up at the Sith, questioning.
"I am sure," said the Sith, carefully lifting one of Atton's hands to his lips again, "that you, of all people, will find a way." He gently kissed the tips of Atton's fingers.
Atton smiled in pleasure, as if noticing him for the first time. "Oh, now you flatter me? I thought you had to find something. Something important, wasn't that right, Perten? Something more important than me?"
The Sith's eyes fell, then he raised them to Atton's beautiful face again with a smile. "I was mistaken. I found that I had all that I needed."
"I see," Atton smiled, and pulled his hand away. "Isn't there work we should be doing? Before the scary Sith Lord interrupts us?"
"Of course." He gestured, and the Sith guards dragged the prisoners into the interrogation room, and threw Canderous into a force cage.
"Oh, he bounces!" Atton laughed. "That was cool. Be more careful with the Jedi, though."
"Yes, sir," said the guards, and locked Mical in the next cage, then laid Mira on the floor of another.
The cold woke Mira, and she blinked and slowly staggered to her feet. "You goddamned Sith fucker! I hate you! I've always hated you! I've never trusted you, not from the first day I met you."
"Oh, Mira, Mira, you're so cute when you're angry." Atton leaned back, seemingly unaware that he was leaning on one of the consoles. "Oh, oops," said Atton, as the torture cage activated, sending waves of pain through Mira. "Sorry."
She screamed in agony, then collapsed to the floor sobbing. "You bastard!" she screamed.
"What?" smiled Atton innocently. "I said I was sorry! Here, let me – oops. Damn," grinned Atton again as another wave ripped through her. Mira fell again, unconscious. "My bad."
The gathered Sith laughed, and Atton stepped away from the console. Mical continued to stare in stony silence, and Canderous started singing a song in Mandalorian.
"I hate Mandalorians," hissed the Sith Marauder. He walked up to the cage holding Canderous and glared at him. "You and your people destroyed everything."
"Will of the Force," Canderous grinned.
"You dare!" He slammed his hand on the console, and the cage sparked with waves of painful energy. Canderous flinched, but did not scream, despite the pain. "You dare to speak of the Force! We will wipe the Mandalorians from the galaxy! No one will remember you, or sing your ridiculous battle songs!"
"Ludicrous," Canderous corrected. "Isn't that the word of the day?" Another wave of shocking pain dropped him to his knees, but he still didn't cry out.
"Beast," the Sith hissed. "Unthinking, mindless beast." Canderous was breathing hard, and didn't answer. The Sith looked at Mical. "And you, Jedi. To travel with a monster like this? Have you no memory of the past? Of their atrocities?"
Mical looked curiously at the Sith, but didn't answer.
"Speak!" The Sith stepped forward, then paused suddenly. He looked at the cages again. "Why is one empty?" he asked suddenly.
"Sir?"
Mical blinked in surprise, and Canderous choked back a laugh.
"Did we get everyone?" he asked in confusion.
"I believe so, sir," said the guard uncertainly. "I don't remember anyone else."
"There was someone – there was," the Sith insisted, trying to remember. He turned around, then looked back at the cages. "We missed someone."
There was the distinctive sound of a lightsaber, then the blade appeared, brilliant yellow – almost golden – emerging from the Sith's chest. He made a single shocked noise, then the lighstaber ripped him in half and the body fell to the floor. Before anyone could react, Atton had moved again, his lightsaber flashing brightly, cutting down hapless Sith.
One of them, with slightly more presence of mind than the others, ran to the door. She touched the control panel, and electricity arced from it, sending her flying with a shocked scream. She hit one of the force cages, and died instantly, falling lifeless to the floor.
Meanwhile, Atton had continued killing the guards in the room. When they were all dead, he opened the door to the hallway. Atton looked down the hall, and swore under his breath. "HK."
"Acknowledgment: Yes, Master?"
Atton took the weapons away from the droid, leaving only the droid's own heavy weapon. "That hallway is filled with Dark Jedi."
"Statement: Your grasp of the obvious is superb, as always, Master."
"Dark Jedi that have disobeyed the will of Revan."
The droid's head swiveled to focus on Atton, and the red eyes glowed balefully. "Statement: Then they must be eliminated." Something whirred, and HK's shields seemed to change color. "Update: Configuration corrected. Update: Primary target type altered." The droid stalked out of the room, and a chorus of panicked screams and angry shouts erupted from the hallway, along with the sound of bodies crashing against the walls and falling to the floor.
Atton set the weapons down on a table, then ran over to the control console. The cages opened, and Canderous jumped out, grabbed his weapon, and joined HK in killing the Dark Jedi in the hallway beyond. Mical raced over to Mira, and gently woke her.
"Ugh, what hit me? Oh, those damned Sith. I hate torture cages," she moaned, and staggered to her feet. "What's going on? Where's Canderous?"
"He and HK are clearing our path. Stay here," Mical commanded, "I'm going to go help them."
"What? Hell, no, I can fight. It just hurts, I'm not gonna die from it." Mira picked up her blasters and grenades, tossed Mical his lightsabers. She forced herself to walk to the door. "You coming?"
"One moment," said Mical vaguely, looking down at his lightsabers.
"I'm going to go help Canderous before he gets himself killed, the big dumb lummox." Mira staggered into the hallway, and added grenade explosions to the noises of combat.
Mical looked around slowly. "No, this isn't right." He stood up, and looked around again. He raised his hand, trying to think, and brushed his lips. "Atton," he said in shock, and glanced around the room. "Atton! M'adouin, where are you?" he cried desperately, suddenly understanding Ludmilla's wild fears. "Oh, M'adouin, don't do this, don't do this to me," he begged, falling to his knees in despair. "M'adouin. Please." He looked around the room again, hoping against hope, and from the corner of his eye, saw a crumpled form lying in the corner. "M'adouin!"
Mical rushed over to him, and knelt down beside the still form. "M'adouin," he gasped. Atton hadn't escaped unscathed from the combat with the Sith – the poisoned blades had left cuts on his arms, his chest, and along his side. "And you still hid from me? Oh, M'adouin, why?" Mical pulled him into his arms. "Why?" He kissed him, sensed that Atton was wounded badly, suffering more from the poison than the cuts of the blades. Mical concentrated, forcing the poison to become innocuous and fade from Atton's body, encouraging the wounds to heal and close. He felt Atton stir slightly, take a deep breath, coughing a little. "M'adouin!" He pressed his lips to Atton's again before he could pull away.
Atton whimpered gently in protest, and tried to push Mical away. Mical pulled him closer still, putting both arms around Atton. "M'adouin," he said hoarsely, the sound of tears in his voice, "I thought I had lost you."
"Let me go," Atton protested weakly. "You don't – you can't – not now. You can't," he repeated, but Mical ignored him, and lifted Atton in his arms. "Mical," Atton moaned miserably, "don't. Don't do this to me, you don't mean it. Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not lying," said Mical softly. "I'm very foolish, I know." He kissed Atton's forehead. "Just rest, M'adouin. You've done enough for now." Mical kissed him again as Atton slumped against him, unable or unwilling to protest any longer. "You saved us."