The pair continued on their journey not so long after that. Obi-Wan, along with sharing some of his Force generated warmth, provided Satine with a small amount of water and a square of food supplement. Although it tasted bland and had an unpleasant texture in her mouth, the Padawan assured her that that one square contained enough nutrients to support them for a full Coruscant rotation.
"A delicacy of the Jedi temple?" Satine joked, as she chewed on the square, wishing it didn't require so much chewing before swallowing.
"It's an actual Jedi practice." Obi-Wan said, in all seriousness. "Master Plo Koon has consumed this everyday since leaving his apprenticeship and has been able to unlock 47 flavours stored within it."
Satine just looked at him, only half remembering to close her mouth as the Padawan took his final bite and looked at her exasperated face.
"47 flavours?" She gasped, unable to imagine this little square having anything but this disgusting taste.
"Oh but the sacred 48th taste still eludes him, it's a secret Master Yoda refuses to share." Obi-Wan, swallowed. "They say that the square will turn pure gold and produce the sweetest of tastes." Obi-Wan turned to look at Satine as he spoke only to see her, in the light of the lightsaber, to be fully consumed by his words, much like a child who has been told a brand new story.
"You've got to be joking?!" She gasped, unable to imagine such a possibility.
"Of course I am!" Obi-Wan laughed, only to laugh harder at the furious embarrassment that appeared on her face. "How could you even believe that?"
"Well, what was I supposed to think?" She tried to defend, standing and allowing the clothes Obi-Wan had used to cover her to fall to the ground. He shivered at the cold that suddenly bit at his bare side at her departure. "You can jump impossible distances, use the Force to actually warm yourself up- it seemed very feasible and, honestly I think this is the closest thing to a joke you've ever said."
Obi-Wan could only chuckle as he slipped his bare hand into his sleeve and adjusted his shirt to more efficiently cover his chest and keep him warm as he, too, stood, choosing to ignore her comment about jokes. He joked, when he felt like and the mood permitted. The middle of a rebellion didn't really ask for such antics.
"Good to know you've regained some energy." And, carefully adjusting his outer cloak he looked at Satine, whose hands were crossed and still looking offended at Obi-Wan's misleading words. "We should get moving."
"Then lead the way, it's you I'm waiting for." She responded tartly. Obi-Wan just brushed off her words, still shaking his head and chuckling as he tightened his belt in place and began to lead the way through the icey tunnels.
They walked in curious silence, keeping an eye on the paths before and behind them. Since they'd encountered the Nydak, they hadn't met another creature and their chances were nowhere that good.
Satine even almost voiced this observation but Obi-Wan quickly hushed her, almost putting a finger to his lips for emphasis claiming that, if either one of them even uttered a word about that, they'd be jinxing it. So the two walked, with the same worry on their minds that they refused to voice. And the tunnel continued, on and on, its smooth walls unchanging, revealing no possible side routes or alternative passages, forcing the pair to follow a singular, predetermined path.
Obi-Wan saw the light before Satine pointed it out, her voice instinctively lowering into a whisper. Further away from them, at what proved to be the end of the tunnel, a soft, orange glow outlined the tunnel mouth, luring them to the unknown with its luminescent call.
Obi-Wan had seen many things since coming to Mandalore, most of which had wished him dead or as their next meal, but never had he described anything as beautiful. The cavern that they walked into was just that. It wasn't particularly large, Satine would have described it as smaller than the cave which had served as the site of their previous camp, and yet, it felt as if they had walked into a place of real magic. Most of the cavern was taken up by a dark mass of water, its surface so still, it was as if it had never been moved since its formation. Along the edge of the lake, where the water and the earth met, a ring of golden light illuminated the space with its soft light. A coating of mist danced across its surface, giving the place an even more mysterious feel.
Carefully, lightsaber still in one hand, Obi-Wan walked to the edge and knelt, allowing one hand to trace the water's surface. It was pleasantly warm to the touch, a shocking contrast to the outside air and the golden light swirled around his fingers as he caressed the surface.
"What is that?" Wondered Satine, as she knelt beside Obi-Wan to look at the lake in interest.
"Some form of fluorescent algae, I think." Obi-Wan deduced, as he continued to observe the light dancing around his fingers, intrigued as he felt Force pulsing throughout the whole lake.
Satine gingerly dipped her own fingers into the water, the sting of its warmth sent an almost painful sensation up her frigid arm. "Geothermal rocks must be keeping it warm- do you think it's drinkable?"
"Our fingers aren't burning or swelling, so that's always a good sign." Obi-Wan answered lightly, dipping his hand deeper into the water and scooping up a small amount. In the glow of his lightsaber he couldn't see any particles floating within the fluid and, by carefully bringing it to his nose, the liquid emitted no peculiar scents. Seeing that the liquid held nothing particularly noteworthy or dangerous thus far, he brought the fluid to his lips and took a careful sip.
Satine wanted to protest this carelessness but held her tongue as she saw the Padawan work. He had already proven that the Force protected him from environmental factors like the cold, could it also serve some protection against potential toxins?
"Well?" She asked, as Obi-Wan lowered his hand.
"I think we finally found that water we so desperately needed." Obi-Wan confirmed.
Satine looked down at the lake's glowing surface, she could just make out her own reflection, illuminated by the algae's glow. She could barely recognize the girl who looked up at her, dried blood streaked her face, her eyes looked too big for her sunken face and new lines crossed her brow. The girl in the reflection looked completely different to the one that had been dressed for her betrothal party so many weeks ago she'd now lost count.
"You should drink." Obi-Wan coaxed gently, as he noticed the girl refused to move. "For all we know Qui-Gon and the others did find a water source on one of their paths."
Guilt instantly flared in her stomach, she'd been so caught up in her appearance, Satine had forgotten that Bo-katan and a number of her guards, including Obi-Wan's master, had entered the tunnel system, based on a map and her calculations, in search of water. Had they risked their lives, each time, for nothing? Her sister could be in danger… or worse… in search for the water she'd stumbled upon by accident.
She could not think like that. Bo-katan was fine, she was a trained warrior, she would not die in those dark caves. Luna was alive, too, she had to be, her youngest sister, so full of light, was not to be buried in the darkness. Even Obi-Wan's master, Qui-Gon Jinn- he was a Jedi master, Satine had little doubt he's survived far worse than the fauna of Mandalore.
"Duchess?" Obi-Wan's voice was laced with concern when the Duchess didn't react and he almost stretched out his hand but she reacted before he could do so, cupping her hands and scooping the water, momentarily watching the glowing sections avoid her touch, and brought the liquid to her dry lips. She drank fully, feeling its warmth burn through her insides, warming her core and bringing all her senses back to life. It tasted strange, with a lingering salty aftertaste she couldn't quite identify however, she continued to drink, allowing the repercussions of her actions to haunt her later.
She scooped up another handful of water, and drank it ravishedly, allowing the warm liquid to trickle down her chin. She would accept this water and she would survive. Just as she was certain her sisters were fighting and surviving, she would do the same, for her people were out there suffering in her name and they would not fall as long as she drew breath.
"Don't drink too much, or else you will get cramps." Warned Obi-Wan as the girl continued to drink. He could sense the turmoil within her, overshadowed by a newfound determination.
For an indeterminable time that followed, for even in the algae's light, it was impossible to tell how long they had been by the underground's lakeside, they inspected the cavern. They discovered a number of tunnels leading into this same area, some smooth and even, much like the one they had traveled in, others rougher, more ragged, the ground clawed out of the way by unknown creatures.
"You'd think, with the number of tunnels leading here, we'd see more fauna." Mused Obi-Wan but, other than a few worms crawling on the moist surface, he hadn't seen anything.
Satine was looking at the lake, her eyes scanning the tunnels. "I'm more curious if one of these tunnels could possibly lead us to the surface." Then her eyes narrowed, unsure if she was seeing right. "Padawan Kenobi? Does that look like a rope to you?"
Obi-Wan's gaze followed the path Satine was pointing at. The dark ceiling of the cavern had been difficult to study, the algae's glow could barely reach the height but, in the area where the light merged into darkness a limp, unmoving shadow was barely visible.
Obi-Wan could think of a number of other things that the dangling object could be however, given the lack of flora and machinery, a rope seemed to be the most possible, if bizarre, answer.
"Well, you had said that there should have been a number of villages in the area." Obi-Wan observed, impressed that the duchess had noticed something so subtle. "We may be standing by an aquifer and that's a rope from a real old fashioned well."
"So that could, potentially, lead us back to the surface?" Satine concluded, straining her eyes to see where the rope was leading, maybe she'd catch a glimpse of the sky outside.
"Don't get your hopes up, Duchess." Obi-Wan warned. " It's already a miracle that the rope is still hanging like that, we can only imagine how eroded the outside support is, it may not be able to hold our weight." But as the Padawan said this, he saw the longing look Satine was directing towards the rope, and he could understand her feelings, this was the closest they'd come to finding a way to the surface. Even he was reluctant to delve back into the maze of tunnels when a solution was dangling a few feet above their heads.
"Well I needed a bath anyway." He muttered, taking a few, unnoticed, steps backwards .
"What?" But the word barely left Satine's lips as a wind ruffled her dirtied hair, as Obi-Wan ran past her and leaped over the edge, his brow creased in concentration as he urged the Force under his feet to push him further. He gritted his teeth as he extended his hands, the rope was still too far, he wouldn't reach it. He urged the Force to help him further, pulling the old rope towards him. The rope whipped forwards him, covering what remained of the distance. Obi-Wan gripped the rope in both hands, swinging over the aquifer as the rope lurched downwards under his weight, giving an ominous crack but, after a moment of slow swinging, the rope did not give way. What he had not anticipated was how the humidity within the cavern had caused a slime to grow upon the rope's surface. The Padawan tried, desperately, to retain his grip but, the more he struggled, the more he felt himself slipping down. As he reached the end of the rope, feeling the grip of gravity pulling at his gut, he looked up, it was hard to see how wide the path the rope led up to was but, what he could see were a number of uneven lines of light, of actual sunlight, peaking through.
He hit the water with an echoing crash, forcing Satine to take multiple steps back to avoid getting splashed on. The water churned at the sudden disruption, the algae diffusing from where they had been initially found near the edge as the ripples sent them in different directions.
Obi-Wan's head broke the surface, gasping for breath, warm water flowing down his head as he tried to blink it away. His whole body tingled as a result of the sudden shift in temperature.
"Are you crazy?" She yelled, as the crash of his impact continued to echo around them.
"It is a way to the surface!" He coughed, as he began to swim towards Satine, ignoring her anger. "If we can find a way to keep our grip, I think it should be able to…"
The remainder of Obi-Wan's sentence reached Satine's in a cascade of surprised bubbles as his head disappeared under the surface.
"Obi-Wan!" She yelled, running towards the edge when he did not resurface.
He is a Padawan! Trained at the Jedi temple, it's impossible he doesn't know how to swim!" She frantically thought as all she could see were bubbles popping on the surface. However, suddenly, the dark water was illuminated by a blue light as she saw the Padawan's lightsaber ignite underwater, allowing her to see his frantic form, struggling against the water's friction and slice the blade towards his leg where she could barely see a dark shadow with a scattering of golden flakes, with much the same glow as the algae, gripping his ankle.
The Padawan kicked as he felt the grip loosen from his ankle as his blade came in contact with whatever that was. The water hissed from the lightsaber, and, although the light gave him some form of vision underwater, a dark ink-like substance filled the water from where he had cut his captor, obscuring his vision. Obi-Wan kicked with all his might, he could feel an agitated energy accumulating below him, closer to the aquifer's floor, building a current that threatened to pull him deeper.
His head broke the surface, swimming to the edge even as his lungs begged for air.
"What's going on?!" Yelled Satine, kneeling beside the edge and extending a hand to Obi-Wan, who frantically took it and, with little regard of Satine's still dry status, he pushed himself out of the water, falling all over her in his frantic climb.
"Hey!" She protested, as he dripped water all over her legs as he struggled onto all fours and, still gasping heavily, he stood on shakey legs to turn his lightsaber towards the lake. Luckily, he hadn't dawdled within the water. A loud, echoing explosion filled the cavern, showering the two in water as the creature, which presumably had been sleeping undisturbed at the lake's bottom, erupted through the surface with a gurgling roar.
What in the world is that !?
The same thought ran through the minds of the two youths. It looked like some fictional experiment gone horribly wrong. A strange hybrid between a tentacle and waterweed, where the main proportion of the creature's body was translucent, allowing the pair to see the spiderweb of vessels within, which seemed to be pulsing with the same fluorescent algae that floated on the water surface. Two pairs of grey eyes glistened on either side of, what they assumed, was its head. Its beak seemed to be a continuation of its tentacle-like form, covering its wide, jagged mouth which it revealed to release another thunderous roar.
It whipped forward suddenly, causing Satine to jump sideways and Obi-Wan to flank, raising his lightsaber to attack but, for a horrendous moment, the luminescent blade spluttered, like a candle in the wind. Obi-Wan swore under his breath, Qui-Gon had warned him countless times that his lightsaber was not fitted for underwater combat, he most likely short circuited the power cells. It'd be a simple fix if he weren't in imminent proximity of a monster that wanted to eat them, again.
Obi-Wan attempted to calm himself, raising his lightsaber as the creature attempted to swing at him again. He sidestepped with the elegance of a dancer, raising his lightsaber, ready to slice down and decapitate the thing. However, as his arms descended, the lightsaber flickered off, causing him to simply swing the empty hilt as it ignited again, singing the underbelly of the creature in a haze of steam form where it touched the wet ground. However, Obi-Wan did not falter as he pivoted on one leg, dodging the creature's retaliation and hoping to stab it, only for the lightsaber to flicker again. He jumped back, almost slipping on the wet surface as the monster reared its head again, the glowing fluid beneath its skin moving more fervently as it became more agitated.
This was not going to work.
"Duchess!" He yelled, dragging Satine out of her mesmerised stupor as she watched the elegant way the Padawan fought. "Toss me your blaster!"
"R-Right!" She stammered, struggling with the hook of her belt. The creature shrieked again, a yell that sent ripples across the water's surface as it whipped towards Satine, causing her to stagger frantically out of its reach and causing the blaster to slip out of her hands and across the ground. She gritted her teeth at her own clumsiness. Obi-Wan had given her one simple job! The creature loomed over the blaster, its four eyes focusing on Satine as its head moved in a serpentine manner, from side to side, momentarily intrigued at the prey that had yet to harm it.
The creature lifted its tentacle-beak to reveal two rows of circular teeth and mould-scented breath. Its face loomed closer to Satnine's as she continued to take multiple steps back, only for her to let out a startled squeak when her back collided with the cold wall of the cavern- she had run out of space to escape.
Obi-Wan's eye's fell on the blaster. He ran, falling to the ground as he almost came in contact with the monster's body. He lowered his head and extended his arm, pulling the blaster with the Force towards him. He aimed the blaster upwards, the translucent underbelly of the creature filling his vision, and shot, not caring where he hit. The creature's body shot back at the sting of the blaster's shot, shrieking in pain and surprise as Obi-Wan came to a halt, standing before Satine, a blaster in one hand, his deactivated lightsaber in the other.
The creature roared in outrage, its eyes slowly glowing gold as it retracted its head preparing for the kill. It shot forward, its teeth bared, ready to consume the two nuisances whole.
With a steady hand, Obi-Wan aimed the blaster and pulled the trigger. The creature anticipated the blast, dodging to the side only to be pierced through the bottom of the jaw as Obi-Wan swiftly ignited his lightsaber. The creature shuddered as the weapon pierced all the way through its head and fell to the ground in a heaving mess as the lightsaber flickered out of existence. It trashed slightly, struggling to recapture the life that was slowly draining from it. Decades it had spent in the darkness, using its light to draw prey to their watery demise. Never had the creature imagined, its end would to be brought about by a weapon of light.
The two held their breaths as the creature's thrashing slowed and finally halted, its glowing blood spilling from where the lightsaber had pierced, mixing with the water until it was indistinguishable from the algae that had returned to their natural position.
"It's finally dead." Satine sighed, leaning back against the cavern wall in disbelief, almost sliding down as the adrenaline began to ebb away. Obi-Wan lowered his blaster and, carefully, rehooked his malfunctioning lightsaber to his belt. The Padawan was breathing heavily, exhausted from the battle, he could still feel water within his lungs, urging him to cough, to force it out of his system.
He felt a tug at his sleeve, surprised to see Satine had gripped it to capture his attention.
"Are you hurt?" He began, as he tried to see her in the darkness.
She shook her head but spoke quietly. "Thank you... Obi-Wan Kenobi."
The duchess looked him straight in the eyes as she thanked him, her cheeks flushed as she spoke, most likely remnants from the whole ordeal. Thank him for what? The list was only getting longer. He wanted to tell her not to thank him, that he needeth not such things. But as he looked at her, her features illuminated softly in the light, his heart seemed to race again and an unusual, unfamiliar warm feeling swelled in his chest, something he had never felt before and could not find a word to describe.
"It's my mission." He finally said, pulling his hand free from her grip gently, his mind still churning from this alien feeling. Was that the first time she'd called him by his name since they met? Not that couldn't be right… she had called him by his name just minutes ago when the creature first attacked… but had that been the first time? "You don't need to thank me."
"Yes… that's right… your mission." Satine tried to cover up her disappointment by walking towards the now dead creature. "Do you think it's the only one?"
"I'd rather not take another dip and find out." Obi-Wan admitted, shaking his head as he tried to get his emotions in check.
"What is wrong with your lightsaber?"
"The water." He said, pointedly, "I'll fix it once we get out of here."
"You think it will hold?" Satine asked skeptically, her eyes falling on the rope once again.
"It has to." Stated Obi-Wan, also looking up at the rope. "I'm sick and tired of these tunnels."
"You and me both." Agreed Satine.
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to drop and comment and next update will be on Friday :D