WARNING! Torture and implication of rape.
A slow applaud filled the arena as the nexu's final cry faded away, its body burning in a blinding inferno of green. Its unwanted warmth spread across Satine's body, dissipating the numbness that had filled her. And it sickened her.
She glared up at Balik, tired and swollen and defiant, her hate for the despicable man almost palpable. Obi-Wan continued to struggle against his restraints, frustrated with himself at having been able to do nothing as Satine was forced to fight. He was useless without the Force. He only looked away from Satine when the chief began his slow clapping.
"Impressive feat, don't you agree, wife?" He calmly asked the pregnant woman beside him in Mandalorian. Krishma only nodded her head in displeasure, she couldn't dispute results, even if at least two of them had been a result of luck.
"Are we done with these foolish games?!" Satine yelled back, clenching her fists so firmly her knuckles whitened. "What was the aim of all that?! Have I proven my worth?"
Balik gave a manic laugh, as if what Satine had just said was profoundly funny.
"Oh dear girl, those were merely creatures! Now you must fight a real challenger." Balik leered, pleased at the effect his words were having on the woman. "A Mandalorian."
"I will not!" She yelled back, tossing the cursed weapon away. "Were the deaths of those tortured creatures not enough for you? I will not kill a Mandalorian for your amusement."
"Then it will mean your death, girl." Krishma sounded overjoyed at the prospect.
"You may actually be doing this weary soul a favour." Balik admitted, gesturing to some unseen guards. Somewhere on her side, another part of the arena wall had begun to rise to reveal the next contender. Satine took a number of weary steps back as she heard something groan in the darkness, shifting as it came into the light. "This man's spirit has broken, he is now no use to us. Thankfully, when we harvested him he had had some fight left, his offspring will remain untainted. This will be your final test. End his life, he has served his use."
But Satine was not listening as she saw the man stagger out of the darkness, bare chested and wearing nothing more than a loincloth. His skin was covered in claw marks, one leg limp behind him while one of his arms was nothing more than stub until the elbow. His hair and beard were a mess of caked blood and grime, his eyes barely visible under their extreme growth. His eyes were clouded over, unresponsive to the arena, or to the sound of the gate closing behind him.
This man... Satine knew this man! or the man this husk had once been. Never, in her wildest dreams, could she ever imagine torment so severe to have broken a man so drastically, to turn him into something he himself would not recognise. However, Satine did.
"Captain Xak?" The name barely left her lips, not allowing herself to believe that this man was the same captain that had braved the tunnels in search of water all those months ago, the same man that had protected her and her sisters when the rebels had first attacked.
The man trudged on, his eyes unseeing as he looked at the woman before him.
"Captain Xak!?" This time Satine called out his name even louder, her voice echoing through the bizarrely quiet arena.
Obi-Wan perked up at the name. Had Satine just called the man Captain Xak? He was still alive? Though in the state the Donari had left him, that word had a rather flimsy meaning. However the fact the captain was here, on Deberoon, had just confirmed that the rebels were in fact transporting hostages here. Not only that, the last Obi-Wan had seen Captain Xak he had been when he had entered the tunnels alongside his master and Bo-Katan. If the captain had survived the tunnels and the cave in, did that mean his master was still alive somewhere? Maybe held captive here by the Donari? Or in the rebels' clutches back on Mandalore?
The man paused in his monotonous journey, finally lifting his head slowly to look at Satine. That simple motion seemed painful in itself.
"Captain Xak." Satine said in a soft, gentle voice, taking a quick step towards him however the man jumped back in response, shaking slightly. "Captain Xak, it's me, Satine."
Satine tried again, keeping her voice calm, and her movements slow as if she were talking to a scared animal.
"Do you recognise me? You used to work for my father?" She prompted again, watching as the man looked at her. He made to move back but the calmness in her step needed not promote a response from him. "You helped me and my sisters escape, do you remember?"
The more she spoke, the more the clouds seemed to disappear from the man's eyes, his eyes clearing until, although hesitant, he began to recognise the woman before him.
"Duchess?" He whispered hesitantly, his voice rough and tired.
Satine nodded her head slowly, covering what remained of the distance with her final steps. "Yes, it's me."
That was when the man finally looked at her and actually saw the beaten girl before him, recognising her as the duchess he had sworn to protect with his life. The realisation, and the dread, that she was actually there, in front of him, in this hell, was too much. His legs gave way. He collapsed onto his knees, his head shaking as he looked up at Satine.
"You can't be here." He begged, wishing this woman was simply a delusion of his tormented mind.
"No Xak, I am really here." Urged Satine, not comprehending the man's distress as she carefully knelt on the ground, every muscle and wound screaming in response. "I'm alive."
"D-did the rebels send you here?" He whispered but Satine carefully shook her head.
"A bounty hunter, but Obi- erm Padawan Kenobi is here and I'm alright." She lied, Satine could see the Padawan, straining his ears to hear what they were saying. Actually, it was only a half lie, but she could suspect it wouldn't be for much longer when she foiled the chief's little show. "How did you get here?"
"Rebels." He hissed the word, filling it with venom.
"At the tunnels?" Satine prodded, remembering the state their old headquarters had been in. But the captain carefully shook his head.
"Keldabe, I was there with your sister and the Jedi."
"Bo-Katan and Master Qui-Gon!?" Satine couldn't help feel exalted by the news, this was the first time in months they had heard anything about either of her sisters or the Jedi and she yearned to know more.
"What about Luna?" She tried, what were the chances he'd know the faith of her youngest sister as well? He had already confirmed that, until his capture, Bo-katan and Master Qui-Gon had still been alive, it would be greedy to ask for more.
"Stop with this pointless chatter!" Barked Balik, bored at the inactivity. "Kill him and call today done."
"I will not!" She yelled over her shoulder, clenching her fists once again.
"You must not anger him!" Squeaked Xak, his voice stammering and even rising in pitch. "You do not want to make him angry."
"Please, do you know anything of Luna?" Satine asked again. She had no doubt she should not be angering the chieftain, however she refused to kill a defenceless man, even if he had been some stranger. She had been pushed into a literal corner when facing those animals, tossed into a situation whose only answer was kill or be killed. She would not kill this man.
"Kill him!" The chief yelled again, this time getting to his feet.
"She's alive!" Xak quickly answered, his fearful eyes never leaving Satine's. "Held captive at Keldabe by the rebels. She was still there when I was sent here. By the stars she has never been sent here."
Satine nodded her head carefully, unable to believe that, beyond all odds, both her sisters were alive. This did mean that their trip to Draboon had been a horrible waste of time but, at least, they had learnt their location and, more importantly, that they were still alive.
Satine opened her mouth to thank the captain but his body suddenly jerked up. His mouth and eyes both a-gap and his body hitched, before he fell, face first into Satine's arms. D dagger, far larger than her own, and with a toothed edge, was protruding from his back.
Her world turned numb again as, shakily, Satine looked up, past the torch line. It was the same silent sentinel who had provided her with her weapon. His body was still adjusting to its normal posture from the throw that had just pierced through Captain Xak and taken his life. Captain Xak, the same man who, long before he had earned his title, used to watch over her and her young sisters, keeping harm at bay. The same man who had practically dragged them out of their home after their father's murder and who had pushed them to survive, who had used his final moments to tell Satine her family was still alive.
"You disobeyed." Balik growled, on his feet. "You were only spared a blade in the back because you are still useful to us. He was not."
"You monster!" Satine yelled, as she cradled Captain Xak's head on her lap. With a struggle she pulled the knife out of his back and forced his limb body to turn. She held back her tears as she saw his dead eyes looking up at her, still frightened, still so tired.
Struggling to hold back her tears, she whispered a short send off, preying he'd finally find peace.
"You monsters!" She shrieked, looking up at Balik and his spectators. The guards seemed to have moved even closer to Obi-Wan, either fearing that the Padawan, too, would retaliate, or that his wrath would be less fearful then their chief's. Balik's eyes were wide, his shoulders visibly heaving.
"It is your spirit, girl, that caught my attention, but this defiance... I do not like to be disobeyed."
And he turned his back on his captive and walked out of view.
"Satine!" Yelled Obi-Wan, struggling against his bonds as the guard began to tug at him. "We will get out of this!"
"He's dead, Obi-Wan." Was her choked reply as she continued to push away her tears. She watched Obi-Wan vanish, leaving her alone with the corpses she had made.
Obi-Wan rammed into the bars of his cell, pushing with all his might, only to bounce back. The Padawan gritted his teeth in frustration. Of course he had no hope of breaking free without the Force, these cells had been able to hold a nexu, no average strength man would be able to break out! He kicked at the metal barrier, instantly regretting it as pain ran up his foot but the pain was welcome after what he had had to endure. Having been forced to watch Satine fight for her life like that, while he stood safe and simply watched... Never in his life had he felt such agony. He had begged to take her place but the chief had just smiled as if he'd said something particularly funny.
"Let me out of here!" He yelled, his bars rattling slightly as he gripped them, his voice causing some of the captive animals to squeal in surprise. But the guards that lined the entryway ignored him, refusing to answer. "Where is Satine!?" He roared, frantic. "What have you done with her?!"
"O-Obi-Wan?" The soft voice cleared his thoughts, his head turning to the source. Satine was being led into the guarded passage, behind her, he could just make out the torchlight of the arena. Had she been left out there all this time? Up close she looked like even more of a mess. Although it appeared her hands were not tied, she was in no state to fight any actual trained and armed warriors. She was dragging her tired feet slightly as she was led in. Her clothes were ripped in multiple places, blood still seeping out from the injuries they revealed. Her face was swollen, one of her pale cheeks was already turning a nasty shade of purple. The bruising was barely visible under the blood and grime that coated her face and hair, making her golden hair stand up, almost like the mane of some animal.
She looked so much worse then Obi-Wan had ever anticipated that it filled him with unprecedented hatred for the people who had done that to her. However, it subsided slightly when he saw the light in her eyes that appeared when she saw him. The Duchess ran towards him, although the guards shifted their weapons, they didn't stop her, knowing that the woman, even under normal conditions, wouldn't have stood a chance against them. Satine ran straight to Obi-Wan's cell, her slightly shaking hands gripping at the bars, her dirtied hands holding on to Obi-Wan's.
"Satine, I'm sorry." Obi-Wan whispered, looking at her red tinged eyes, he could barely face her. He was meant to protect her and yet he had yet to receive even a scratch. He wanted to raise a hand, cup her bruised cheek in it, wipe away the tears she was trying so desperately to repel but such desires were illogical in such a situation.
"Obi-Wan" She quickly dismissed. "They're alive! All of them are alive!"
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan felt confused, he couldn't understand what the duchess was referring to.
"Bo-Katan? Luna? Even Master Qui-Gon! Captain Xak told me they were still alive!" She quickly explained. So it had been this information that had urged the duchess to keep going, even after all she had just endured, a flicker of hope she continued to reach for. "Or at least, they had been before he was sent to this horrible place."
That had been the best news Obi-Wan had heard since being captured by the Donari but a shadow fell over him. This information would be useless if they didn't escape.
"Such a beautiful moment.'' The voice that echoed through the passage felt like acid to Obi-Wan's ears, making every muscle in his body wish to grab Satine and escape. Satine actually gripped his hand more firmly, her tremor too severe to even try to hide.
"She's survived your primitive games, now let her go!" Obi-Wan growled, his voice rising as Balik came into view of the torchlight, the guards shifting slightly, bowing their heads in respect to their chief.
"That had never been our agreement." Balik corrected, stopping a hands length away from the pair, savouring the moment of their reunion in full. His mouth watered at what was to come next. "Her reward for surviving would be to bear our children, one of which may be yours. However, she must be punished first for her defiance." Slowly, savouring the shift in their faces, from his waist, on the opposite side from where Obi-Wan's lightsaber hung, a new weapon was brought into the crimson light- a whip.
Satine's face paled as she knew what this meant, how the chief wished to punish her. Every nerve in her body was already screaming in fear of the pain that awaited her.
"No!" Yelled Obi-Wan, watching the evil gleam of the tool's smooth leather edge. "I'll take her place! Punish me instead!"
"No!" Balik answered, whipping the air, allowing its sickening snap to cause Satine to cringe. "She must take her own punishment."
"No! You can't! I won't let you!"
It was a naive act, foolish and useless, just as he had been throughout Satine's torments. Obi-Wan knew this but refused to idly stand there and do nothing after knowing what the chief wished to do to Satine. He released the bars and pulled Satine to him, his arms surrounding her small frame as she staggered forward in surprise. She knew, just as much as the Padawan did, that such things could not protect her but that didn't mean it did not create an inkling of comfort as she felt herself surrounded by his warm protection. Even if it were fleeting, even if it were false, it may give her the strength needed to fight, to survive, this next step.
Balik allowed them this moment, and savoured their expressions as he pressed the button the bounty hunter had given him. He enjoyed how the Jedi's handsome face contorted in pain as he struggled not to release the girl from his grip.
He strode towards Satine, who was shrieking for the chief to stop. But Balik only released the pressure from the button when he'd grabbed a handful of Satine's hair and pulled her away from the Jedi, fresh tears spilling from the sudden pain.
"Obi-Wan!" Satine shrieked, as she tried to kick away from the chief's iron grip.
"No! Bring her back!" Obi-Wan shouted as both Satine and Balik disappeared into the cell beside his, out of sight. "Bring her back." Obi-Wan almost sobbed as he heard the sound of rattling chains.
The torture started soon after that.
Satine's screams from the other cell were like needles in Obi-Wan's brain. The swift lash of a whip hitting skin sent electric pulses down his body far worse than the cuffs that held him back ever could. With each sound, with each whimpering shriek from the woman, Obi-Wan gripped at the bars of his cell, his fingernails digging so deeply into his palms he made them bleed. His teeth gritted so fiercely he almost caused some to crack.
The torture of both Satine and Obi-Wan seemed to last for hours, her shrieks echoing long past their cessation, leaving Obi-Wan empty and numb.
"Did you like what you heard?" The chieftain's horrible voice dragged the Padawan out of his equally horrible thoughts.
"You monster!" Obi-Wan roared, the chieftain appeared so smug. His hands were splattered in blood, the long tailing whip he'd been using on Satine was rolled in his hand, glistening with her blood. It was the chieftain's face that finally confirmed he was no man, but a monster. The smile he gave Obi-Wan was of an artist unfoundedly proud and pleased with his bloody work.
"Such a beautiful voice." The chieftain continued, testing how far he could push the Jedi, "such pleasure it gave me, has made me very excited for the next part."
"Don't you dare touch her!" Obi-Wan growled, rattling the bars of his cage, wishing he could grab his lightsaber, that still hung by the chieftain's waist. He wished to slice off this sickening man's face.
"Oh, you shouldn't fear, your little flower hasn't been touched by me yet. But only imagining her voice as she succumbs to me. Do you think she will beg?" The man mused on his disgusting fantasies."No… even after all this she did not beg me to stop...will she call your name? Oh yes… she'd call out your name, praying you'd stop me…"
"I swear if I ever get out of here…" Obi-Wan hissed but his warning fell on deaf ears, like a trainer being barked at by a pup.
"Oh yes… having you there watching us... seeing your eyes as I break her will make the whole experience even more enthralling."
This was sick beyond words. The feeling of disgust and horror and pure hate that seared through Obi-Wan's core at the older man's words, Obi-Wan had never felt such pure, raw emotions before.
The chief slapped the whip against the bars where Obi-Wan stood, causing him to grunt in pain and stagger back. Electricity shot through his cuffs, making him unable to respond as the chief opened his cell and pulled the reluctant Padawan out and dragged him to where Satine was.
Obi-Wan would never believe that the mess of blood and flash that knelt on the ground held the title of Duchess of Mandalore. She was bent over her knees, her whole body heaving, racked in strained tears. Her bare back was a mess of blood and ripped flash from the numerous lashings she'd received. The torch light gave them a more menacing effect, like the battle tattoos the Donari had burnt onto their skin. Satine's hands were wrapped around her bare chest, her embarrassment and humility probably the effect the chief had hoped to achieve. Chains, still moving slightly from recent use, swayed at the back of her cell. Bruises from where she'd struggled against their hold were already forming across her slim wrists. Her head jerked up at the sound of her cell door opening, her arms tightening around herself further in anticipation of what was to come next.
She raised her head, her face and eyes swollen from tears but her eyes still defiant, refusing to let the man think he'd succeeded in breaking her. But even the strongest of warriors would have succumbed to such bloody torment.
"O-Obi-Wan?" She stammered, her thoughts muffled by the pain, unable to fathom any reason her tormentor would bring him here.
That was it, that one action, the simple uttering of his name caused the force of emotion within Obi-Wan to flood out like a river tired of being restrained. Sudden, invincible power surged through him as he finally, somehow, sensed the Force... but it felt different from what he had trained with... from what his master had taught him how to use. This felt colder and darker but, somehow, so much more powerful.
Satine blinked as she seemed to see a change in Obi-Wan's face, a cold seriousness cementing his emotionless expression. Somehow, by some bizarre trick of the torchlight or a pain induced hallucination, Obi-Wan's usually crystalline blue eyes seemed to take on a menacing, yellow hue.
Note:Thanks so much for reading! If you guys are wondering about Captain Xak I think he first appeared back in chapter 3. Feel free to drop a comment and next update will be out Friday :D