Jem'ah tensed, sensing a shift in the Force.

"What's the matter?" Satine whispered, unable to raise her voice for fear of breaking the silence that had fallen over the forest. Even through the thick canopy, the light of where the Donari tribe resided could be seen, escaping through the spaces between the leaves and branches, reaching out towards the stars to which their light was of no comparison.

Jem'ah put a tense finger to her lips, to silence the girl, focusing not only on her sight but also her ears. Her expertise lied in healing, not the perception of her surroundings, that was a scout's or a guard's job. However, even she could sense the approach of lifeforms, too distant at the moment to recognise however she could sense their emotions, fear and excitement and haste.

Satine craned her neck to see into the darkness, she could see shadows shifting in the distance, obscuring the glowing insects and berries from her sight. However, many creatures of the night resided in the canopy. It was impossible to tell what was approaching, impossible to recognise if it was sentient or not, friend or foe.

"I can sense people approaching." Jem'ah whispered cautiously, lowering her body until her head barely peaked over the canopy.

"Are they our people?" Whispered Satine, doing the same, Jem'ah's actions answering her question in her stead.

"I'm not sure." The healer admitted. "The Donari wouldn't be able to manoeuvre in the dark up here, not without torches or the Force, but I can sense multiple individuals coming this way."

In the distance, coming from the direction of the village, the changing shadowing caused the fluorescent creatures to hover out of the approaching individuals' way, the only clear indication, to Satine, of their position.

It was only when the shadows were upon them that Jem'ah stood, finally certain of who was going to cross the bridge.

"By the stars!" Lie Ren exclaimed, jumping back as the healer appeared from within the canopy, causing the bridge to sway aggressively under his feet. Soot and grime covered the younger man's face but, other than that, he seemed unhurt. "You almost caused me to jump off the bridge!"

"And you would have done us all a favour." Jem'ah retorted but, although her words held little delicacy, she put a reassuring hand on the youth's shoulder. "At least I won't have to explain to your father that his son never got home- again."

"I didn't know you cared." Lie laughed, accepting that that would be the closest thing Jem'ah would say that would indicate that she had been remotely worried.

"I don't." Jem'ah answered without hesitation, as she pushed Lie forward onto the platform where the two women had been waiting, causing him to stumble with the force.

"By the gods he was right! Satine's here as well?" The Miraluka asked, finally noticing the second woman who had appeared out of the canopy. "Wait until she sees…"

"Trust me, she already does." Jem'ah admitted, sensing the shift in emotion in the night air. Satine took a tentative step forward, looking past the two Miraluka to the shadow that was becoming clearer and more defined the closer it got. Even the faintest of light defined the most minute of detail until it was impossible for Satine to misinterpret who was approaching.

"Why don't we head to the lower platform?" Jem'ah suggested, gently directing the man towards the ladder.

"What? Why would we do that? I'm certain those two don't know the way-Hey!" Complained Lie Ren, rubbing his head where the healer had, not so gently, whacked, as she muttered under her breath about reading the room, and the Force. After that, Lie Ren began climbing down the ladder, mumbling about being under-appreciated and abused as the healer rolled her eyes. She spared Satine only a single glance before heading down the ladder herself, she'd give the pair some privacy.

Satine looked at Obi-Wan, as his face came into focus, covered in soot and grime, his clothing singed from his recent confrontation. He must have been in pain, the Donari must have been merciless in their fight to stop him. She too, even with the medication given to her by the Miraluka, remembering her time as their captive, could still feel the sting of the chief's whip against her back and yet, as the Donari's village was engulfed in the light of fire, engulfing the monsters donning human flesh, it was merely an echo of the past.

She walked towards the Padawan, finally noticing that a body was being carried in his arms. Even in the darkness, she was unmistakable. Her crimson hair was as striking in the night as it would have been in the day. Her sister, Luna, was being carried in his arms. Bruises covered her exposed skin, her lips were split and the remains of tears had left streaks across her cheeks, but the steady rise of her chest filled Satine with an indescribable sense of relief- Luna was alive, and she was finally safe.

"Luna!" She called, unable to believe her eyes as Obi-Wan walked towards her with an ease that one would not expect from a warrior having just survived an encounter with a tribe that thrived on bloodlust. She ran towards them, stumbling over the overgrown branches, ignoring the sting of her wounds as she finally reached them, almost falling forwards as she took a step onto the bridge, steadying herself and allowing Obi-Wan to stop on the platform rather then remain on the bridge, that had swayed with each movement. Unable to believe her eyes, Satine stretched out a slightly trembling hand, pausing just beside her sister's face, before she caressed Luna's cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin, her pulse under her fingers.

She was alive.

"She's going to be okay now." The Padawan assured her, as he looked down at the Duchess, speaking for the first time since his return. His voice sounded hoarse, the fumes of the explosion having dried his throat.

But Satine didn't notice.

Luna was alive.

They both had come back to her, alive.

The words echoed through her mind as she looked up at the man who had saved her more times than she could ever repay. Who had stood by her side when all odds had been stacked against her. Who had just rescued her sister.

Satine, with her vast knowledge of words and languages, could not find the words to tell the man just how grateful she was. She struggled with them and yet none seemed adequate. So, instead, she set aside linguistics and allowed her actions to speak for her.

It happened so fast that Obi-Wan had no time to truly comprehend what was happening, in all honesty, he hadn't even wrapped his head around his second successful escape from the Donari. Satine had been looking at him, her eyes wide and glistening, the light of the fireflies giving them an unusual shean. And then he had felt one soft hand on his cheek and another on his arm as she rose slightly onto the balls of her feet, bringing her face towards his, bringing her lips towards his own.

Obi-Wan had never kissed a woman before, such things and their physical implications were frowned upon by the Jedi Order. However, he felt every sensation intensified, her touch was soft against his skin, her lips like velvet. There was no force in the contact, no pressure for him to return the kiss and yet every inch of him felt as if it were ablaze, as warm as the fires that raged within the Donari's village.

"Thank you." She whispered, opening her eyes to look up into his as their lips parted. Obi-Wan was not breathing, his skin and lips burned and his mind had gone numb as to how to respond. However, movement from the girl within his arms directed Satine's intense gaze away from his. Her hand fell from his cheek to her sister's as the teenager moved, slightly, in his arms again, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to open them. Obi-Wan found himself feeling disappointed at the shocking absence of her touch which, in turn, left him feeling confused and guilty. But the moment, whatever that moment between them had meant, had vanished with the waking of the girl.

Luna jostled awakened, thrashing and frantic as her eyes darted from side to side, unable to focus and yet remembering the pain and torment that had plagued her.

"No! Let me go!" She squealed, tears already running down her cheeks.

"Luna," Satine said gently, caressing her sister's cheek and forcing the girl to look at her. "There's nothing to be scared of now, you are safe."

It was then that Luna's eyes finally seemed to focus, to finally recognise the woman before her as her oldest sister.

"Satine?" She breathed in disbelief, "Satine!" She yelled again, raising her hand to grasp her sister's. "You're alive!"

"And so are you." Satine said softly, smiling at the girl.

"And you found me." Luna sobbed, fresh tears running down her cheeks as she gripped both Satine's hands in her own, her body wretching as she wept. For all the youngest Kryze knew, this could have been the afterlife and Satine and Obi-Wan were simply there to lead her away from the world of the living, or that she'd close her eyes to see her mother and father waiting for her as they had in her dreams. However, if that were to happen it didn't matter. Her life these last few months would have put even the hellish torments of Darthomere to shame. At last, she had found her family.

"And we found you." Satine reassured her, holding back her tears.

This was not intentional but may the 4th be with you all today Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the update. Next chapter will be up Friday and feel free to drop a comment. Thank you once again 😊