Although Duchess Satine Kryze had been installed to her position in Mandalore, thanks to the help of the Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Satine thought, no knew, that peace and tranquility would never truly remain on her planet. She would fight hard and try her best to keep stability as much as she could, but the threat would always be there, and a few minor details had complicated things. Mandolore was never a peaceful place, but she would try her best to make sure that it became just that, whatever it took. It was important to move from it's violent past and keep independence always for the entire system of Mandalore.
Mandalorians often had a great mistrust of the Jedi, and those strong with the Force often passed their sensitivity to it among generations. Not always, but just the thought that it could be possible, would be enough to warrant suspicion. Not to mention, the Jedi themselves, because Mandalore needed to move on without the Jedi's help, and there was the fact that it could sabotage the dedication that she knew...oh she could never do that to him. It would ruin him. Attachments were forbidden among the Jedi. Being a Jedi was his life and he was devoted to it. The fact that it even entered his mind to leave was flattering to her, but she knew that it would always be a regret and a wedge between them. She knew he loved her, that was enough. They had made a choice together, and it was better this way, but was it fair that he didn't know? As for Satine, Mandalore must be her priority, and it must appear to be so to her people.
She looked back at the time with fondness. It seemed odd that such a treacherous way to live could be so exciting and so wonderful, always on the run, hiding on Kalevale, battling insurgents on Concordia, establishing safe enclaves on Mandalore. Then, those that wanted Satine dead had hired the bounty hunters, forcing her to completely leave Mandalore, and with the help of the Jedi, she was able to return. It was on Daboon, where nature was hostile, and though safe from those who wanted to kill her, it was where she almost died and not from those that were hunting her. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had brought her there for her own protection. Qui-Gon was a Jedi Master, yet his own padawan questioned him often, wondering if his devotion to the Jedi was as true as that of his own. Qui-Gon was a bit of a Jedi maverick, and from what she could tell, was often at odds with the Jedi Council on a great many things. Obi-Wan Kenobi, his apprentice, who often brought this up with his master, but his master would reply that it was as the Force directed him, and he was only directed by the Force.
Obi-Wan was so handsome. When she first saw him, she noticed that right away, but his rigidness and devotion to Jedi principals, he was so stubborn and rigid, and yet, he could be so lighthearted when you got him in the right mood. He could be very funny when he wanted to be, and quite a charmer. She immediately became uncomfortable with him due to her attraction to him, and to the more rigid side to his demeanor. At night, the three of them would tell stories to pass the time, well, mostly Qui-Gon did, as he knew quite a few. Obi-Wan would often wonder if Qui-Gon's stories were true, or made up, and had questions for his master about the validity of his seemingly tall tales. Qui-Gon did often stretch the truth, or was it really a truth told as a story to be a lesson. One could never tell with Qui-Gon, he had a way with words. While Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan seemed to get along very well, they were often at odds about what a Jedi should be and what he should not be. Qui-Gon would often bring up that he thought that Yoda and Mace Windu collaborated together and chose young Obi-Wan as his apprentice to teach him, rather the other way around. Obi-Wan being so strict with his Jedi code, and Qui-Gon being more in tune with what he felt was the way the Force was leading him. Still, they both seemed to be the pair, with each challenging the other in a great many ways, even though one was technically the master, while the other the student. Obi-Wan being such an old soul at such a young age.
Draboon was rife with venom-mites, a creature who were known to carry a poison that could be quite dangerous. While it kept them safe from bounty hunters and those who wanted Satine dead, it was dangerous to be around when they were about. There was a small village, but they kept away from it, as you never knew who or what would show up there. Traders could have spotted Satine and recognized her from a wanted list, or a holo. If they ever had need to go there, she would hide in a cloak, and pretend to be a servant of some sort. They would find shelter in caves, and had at one time, found a little shack they had made into a sort of home for a time. There were fruits and various other things to make meals of, and after a time of running from danger, there were moments of solitude and peace. That was until the swarm.
It was a quiet afternoon, and the three of them were out gathering some fruits for the evening's meal, when they were ambushed by the venom-mites. Qui-Gon started pushing them away with the Force, while yelling for Obi-Wan to bring Satine to safety. The communal shack has been in the distance, but there was no way to make it there and get through the massive swarm. As Obi-Wan and Satine were running towards a cave, Obi-Wan himself did his best to battle them off and keep them off of them, but a small window of opportunity had allowed Satine to get attacked by them, and she collapsed to the ground. Obi-Wan continued to fight them off, they were smaller than they seemed, but they moved so fast they seemed much bigger. Using his hands and his lightsaber, he did his best to kill and deter them away from them, and was able to keep them from stinging himself. Obi-Wan picked up Satine, and gently carried her slowly, while battling the swarm with Qui-Gon, and eventually, the swarm left them, with Satine pale and very ill from the poison. Qui-Gon had himself gotten injured, it appeared a possible fracture and he was having trouble walking, so he insisted that Obi-Wan take Satine to the village on his own, while he would go to back to the shack and take care of his own injury. He would either try to catch up to them in the village, or wait for them there. Satine clutched Obi-Wan tightly, as he tenderly carried her to the village. It was important to keep Satine awake, as falling asleep could make the poison worse, so Obi-Wan told a few jokes as he walked. Obi-Wan, in his eagerness to get Satine to the village quickly, carried her without paying attention to his surroundings and found himself, and Satine, falling into a small hole.
"Well at least that had to have kept you awake." he said in a concerned, yet jovial manner.
"Oww" Satine weakly cried.
"Oh you are bleeding." He said, as he noticed her injury from the fall. He tore a piece of his clothes to stop the blood. "Can you move at all? I need you to help me get you back up." And she weakly helped herself up so that Obi-Wan could carry her again. It took all of her energy to get back up.
They finally got to the village, where they found a doctor of sorts, really calling him a doctor was a stretch, but it was all they had and he knew how to treat venom-mite stings which was most important. It was a blessing as Satine was pretty ill with the venom-mite poison by this point. His first-aid supplies were quite primitive, not the type that Obi-Wan or Satine would find in a more civilized place, but good enough for the time being. The doctor insisted that Satine be under observation for 3 days and not be moved, as it would take that long for the antidote to completely work, and her injury would leave a permanent scar. The doctor brought in a pallet for Obi-Wan to use as a place to sleep in the room with Satine.
The doctor administered the antidote, and shortly after, Satine became delirious and was shaking. Obi-Wan screamed for the doctor. "I'm too late! She's dying!" Obi-Wan cried.
The doctor said. "That's the antidote working. She will be in a state for several hours, then this will pass. I am sorry to say that it will seem that the antidote is worse than the venom, but trust me, it is the only way. Stay with her. Watch her, and make sure she doesn't try to get up."
Obi-Wan was tired, but he kept his word and watched Satine through the night. At times, she had started to shake and sweat, and cry out with phrases that made no sense. Obi-Wan took a small rag, dipped it in warm water, and wrung it out to blot her forehead as she tossed and turned. At one point, she grabbed him and held him tight, not hurting him, but with fright. She felt warm as if she had a fever. Obi-Wan found the sensation strange, and it made him fall briefly in a trance. He had a vision of a lake, and a large bird. The bird was flying high over the lake, while Obi-Wan sat and watched. The bird then flew to him, landed, and stood in front of him, and began to speak. "Learn to let it go." it said.
When he came to, he was lying on a cot with the doctor over him, patting his own head. "You had a fever, young man." He said. "I think you may have gotten some of the venom as well. I treated you, and now I think you will be fine. Your friend is better, but in need of sleep. You both should stay here a couple more days. It's important. Many times the venom reemerges in the body, and you need more anecdote. You have been out for over a day. Rest, please, rest." He said.
Obi-Wan sat up, remember Qui-Gon he asked, "Has anyone come looking for us?" He asked the doctor.
The doctor said, "No, but your little device made a noise or two. I talked to your friend. I'm afraid he is stuck in the house for now. He said to comm him when you could."
Obi-Wan looked over to Satine. She looked weak, and drained. She smiled at him, relieved to see him up and about a bit as well. "It looks like we may be here a little while longer then. No one has come and asked about us?"
"No one, Sir, besides your friend on the communicator." The doctor said, "It's only been me and my sister here. No one else."
"I would like our presence here to be a bit, quiet, if you will. Thank you for your, hospitality." Obi-Wan answered.
"You are a Jedi aren't you?" The doctor asked. "The lightsaber, and the braid. A padawan I would imagine as well."
"Indeed. I am. The man you talked to is my Master, my teacher." He said.
"I have great respect for the Jedi, I myself was once helped by one, and I will never forget it. Your secret is safe with me. I imagine you are protecting the young lady?" The doctor asked.
"Yes. I can say no more, however. For her protection, and for yours." Obi-Wan answered.
"I understand." The doctor answered. "Let me check you and let you get some rest. Then I will return to see how you both are doing after you have had some rest."
Obi-Wan looked at Satine, and she looked at him with a smile. "Looks like we are stuck here for now. I guess we should make the best of it." He said with a worried grin.