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Beginning

Atton Rand coughed in the smoky room. He hadn’t seen a cantina as messy as this one for two years, ever since he’d wrecked the one on Nar Shaddaa while fighting the Twin Suns. His eyes stung and his head spun. Maybe it’s just this corner, He thought. It looks clearer over there. He got up on unsteady legs and wobbled over to another table.

Atton sunk down into a chair. He chuckled at himself, never thought I’d be chasing her through the galaxy. He thought bitterly.

When he’d fallen in love with the Exile, he would never have thought he’d have to prove it by chasing her beyond the outer rim. Six months ago, Adaliah Starn had left for the unknown regions of space, taking her loyal droids, T3-M4 the astromech droid and HK-47 the assassination droid, with her. She hadn’t told anyone where she was going. Carth Onasi, an Admiral of the Republic, had given him his own starship to search for her… not that Atton wouldn’t have gone on his own money.

Thinking of the Exile reminded him of Mical, the Disciple. They both had silvery blue eyes and bleached blond hair, both were kind and gentle, but Adaliah had a teasing side to her that Mical lacked. Perhaps that was why they’d always seemed to just… go together. She always brings out his best side, but what does she bring out in me? My darkest secrets, that’s all. Atton thought miserably. His fists clenched under the table. He and Mical had never been very good friends and they had not parted on the best of terms. In fact, none of Adaliah’s companions were feeling very friendly toward him.

“Where are you off to?”

Atton flinched away from the voice. It was one he knew well. The voice belonged to a young, blond-haired, blue-eyed man. Mical.

“What do you want, Mical?” Atton said, stuffing his faithful mesh jacket into his bag.

“Nothing,” Mical replied. “Just wondering why you were packing.”

“Then leave me alone,” Atton punched an extra shirt into his duffel bag.

Mical raised his eyebrows and backed out of the room quietly, bumping into Mira, the red-haired bounty hunter from Nar Shaddaa. She slid past him and slipped into the room.

“What was that about?” She asked, ripping Atton’s fingerless gloves out of his hands.

“Nothing,” Atton said, avoiding her eyes.

“Well, obviously something is wrong,” She replied, raising her eyebrows, “because you don’t want to talk about it.”

“And that automatically means something is wrong?” Atton asked, knowing what she’d say next.

“I think we both know the answer to that,” the red-maned girl flopped down on the bed. “I suggest you start talking.”

“I don’t have to talk to you if I don’t want to,” Atton snapped, grabbing her under the arms and dragging her off the bed. He tossed her on the floor carelessly and jerked the gloves out of her hands. “I believe those are mine.”

Mira was up in a flash, her loyal wrist launcher pointed a poison dart right at Atton’s head. “You can’t throw me around just because you want to, Atton. I’m not some little girl, I can and I will pound you into the ground if I have to.”

Atton snorted and continued his packing without turning around. He pulled his gloves on and reached for his bag. Mira dropped her arm.

“Atton,” She said softly, which was unusual for her, “What is wrong?”

“All right, what do you think is wrong?” Atton shouted, “Adaliah left without telling anyone where she was going! That might make me upset!”

“Just because you’re angry that she left without telling you doesn’t give you leave to toss me like a rag doll and treat Mical like dirt,” the bounty hunter said coolly.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” Atton shouted back as he ran out of the room, shoving Visas Marr and Bao-Dur out of his path.

A Twi’lek serving girl came over, “are you all right?” She asked in her smooth voice.

“It’s this room, is the foggy stuff smoke or gas?” Atton asked, his voice raspy.

“Smoke,” The Twi’lek purred. “Maybe you’ve had too much to drink.”

“No, I don’t think so, “Atton replied, “I’ve only had one glass of Juma juice.”

The Twi’lek girl cocked her head and stared at him, “you look drunk to me.”

Atton looked up, “trust me, I can gulp down ten glasses of Juma before I start getting bleary- eyed. I’m telling you, there’s something wrong with the air. I’m not drunk, I’m sick.”

“Have it your way,” she shrugged. “Maybe you should go into the back room. The air’s cleaner there. There’s a lot of humans back there.”

“Thanks,” Atton said, “I think I will.” He got up again and went around to the back room. His breath caught as he stumbled into the room. The Twi’lek girl had been under exaggerating when she said there were a lot of humans. The room was clogged with men, women and serving girls. Their voices blended together and sounded like insects buzzing.

Atton lowered himself into a seat in the corner and put his hands over his ears.

“Feeling all right, Atton?”

Atton spun around, and groaned. “Mandalore, I should have known you’d chase me here.”

“I’m surprised that you didn’t notice me on the ship, these two weeks past,” The iron-clad mandalorian replied. “I heard you had a little argument with Mira, none of us are very pleased with you now.”

“I know, I know,” Atton sighed. “It’s just that I-I didn’t want to talk right then.”

“I know this must be pretty hard for you, not knowing where she went, or why,” Mandalore held his hand up for the waitress.

“You’re acting like you know why she went,” Atton raised his eyes to look at the mandalorian.

“That’s because she left me a little something,” Mandalore dropped something small and round onto the table.

“A projector?” Atton asked.

“Yes, go ahead and watch it if you want. I’m getting a drink,” Mandalore said as the waitress passed them by.

Atton watched him go. Then he slowly reached out a finger and activated the holographic projector. A faint, blue woman rose out of the projector.

“Hello, Mandalore. By the time you watch this, I will most likely be on my way beyond the outer rim. I’ve taken the Ebon-hawk and the two droids, they will keep me quite safe. You’re probably wondering why I left. I can’t tell you everything, but I think I’ve found a lead to Revan. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to come with me, I know how much finding her means to you, but I didn’t think I should take anyone other then T3-M4 and HK-47. No one will be offended that I took them.

“I haven’t left holograms for anyone else, I only wanted to let you know that I’ve gone to find Revan. And please, don’t let Atton follow. Good-bye.”

Atton’s hands balled into fists once again as the blue woman, Adaliah faded. Mandalore came back from the counter and saw him gritting his teeth in rage.

“Atton, you look almost like a Sith! Stop it!” Mandalore said, plunking down in the chair across from him.

“Why’d she do it, Mandalore? Why doesn’t she want me to follow her?” Atton asked.

“I don’t think she wanted either of us to follow her, you know how they say Revan left all she loved behind,” Mandalore said, looking into his drink.

“Yeah, but-” Atton started, “wait. Did you say ‘either?’”

“I’m looking for her too, Atton,” Mandalore said. “I’ve already lost Revan, and I’m not about to lose Adaliah. Thing is, I may have already lost her. I should have been on the first ship out since Adaliah left. Now, I’m not sure how we’ll find her.”

“Y’know,” Atton said, “for the first time since I started out, I think I’m gonna find her. Come on, maybe she stopped at this cantina. We’ll ask the owner.”

Mandalore looked up, “You go ahead. I’m going to finish this drink.”

Atton shrugged and walked away. Stepping up to the counter, he raised a finger for service. The owner of the bar stepped up, “What you want?” He hissed, “I got to keep pouring up drinks.”

“I need some information about someone who may have passed through here,” Atton said.

“I can’t help you if I don’t know who your talking about or when she passed through, and even then, it’s bad for business to tell about other people’s affairs,” the old man growled.

“It was a woman of about thirty years, she has silver-blue eyes and light blond hair. She’s a Jedi, but she might have hidden that. She might have had two droids with her, an assassination droid of a rust-red color, and a protocol droid,” Atton said urgently. “She would have passed through only a few days ago.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been gone for two weeks, sir. I know nothing,” the man said slowly. “But…”

“But what?” Atton asked.

“I do have a serving girl who is on duty from the time this cantina opens ’till the time she closes. She’s always here, dancing or serving,” the old man said.

“And how much would it take to buy her time?” Atton asked slyly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t take less than 1000 gold credits…” The owner trailed off. “But that’s a lot of money, I doubt that anything she’ll say would be worth 2 red credits,” he said in a hurry.

Atton reached into his ribbed jacket and pulled out a handful of gold credits, “here’s your money. Now where’s the girl?”

The owner looked at the money, then back at Atton. “She’s dancing right now, go speak to Uduundin. He may let her off thirty minutes early. Oh, and she’s the human one.”

Atton frowned, nodded and headed to one of the back rooms. Through the smoke he saw several men and women standing around, laughing and talking and occasionally getting a glimpse of the dancers on the platform. A Twi’lek man stood near the platform, and when the music paused, the dancers went to him and he spoke to them.

Atton approached the Twi’lek. He was dressed in such fine things that no one would have ever guessed that he lived in his own corner of the rickety cantina. He stroked his shiny lekku and frowned down at Atton whom he towered over.

Atton glared right back, “are you Uduundin?”

“That I am, sir,” The Twi’lek said. “I am surprised that you do not know me immediately.”

“What do you mean?” Atton asked sharply.

“I am known throughout the galaxy for training dancers. Several of my dancers have become stars,” Uduundin said unhappily. “These two girls on the platform, I toured the outer rim worlds with them two years ago. They’re quite the dancers.”

“I’m not here to talk about that,” Atton said.

The Twi’lek sighed and nodded, “what then?”

“I’m looking for one of your dancers, the human one,” Atton said, noticing the Iridonian girl on the platform beside a human whose face was hidden from him.

“And what do you need her for?” Uduundin asked.

“I believe she can give me some information on someone,” Atton replied. “The owner told me to see you.”

“Ah, well I can’t do that. I’m working for a living here,” Uduundin said. “The owner allows me to keep the profits of these girls’ dancing for myself since I trained them.”

“And how much would it take to… ensure your well being?”

“500 silver credits ought to do it,” Uduundin said slyly.

Atton again reached into his jacket pocket, “500 silver credits.”

Uduundin grabbed for the credits, stuck them in a bag around his neck and whistled sharply. The human girl hurried off the platform. Atton stared at her. She seemed so familiar… The girl seemed to recognize him too, she trembled so when she caught her first glimpse of him and a smile pulled at the corners of her lips.

You are to go with this man and answer all questions he puts to you,” Uduundin said, shoving her towards Atton. Atton took her arm and led her to a table in the shadows. As soon as they sat down, the girl cried out, “Oh, Atton! I never thought I’d see you again!”

And then Atton knew why she looked so familiar. He had found Taliana Rand at last.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 12:19 pm and is filed under Atton Rand, Bastila Shan, Carth Onasi, Exile (Female/Light Side), Hanharr, HK-47, Jolee Bindo, Juhani, Knights of the Old Republic, Mandalore, Mira, Mission Vao, Revan (Female/Light Side), Star Wars, T3-M4, The Disciple, Visas Marr, Zaalbar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.