Hand of Fate
Chapter 11 / Fugitives
Deep in the heart of the jungle and right off of the Krek river stood the village of Ipoch'na. It was a wall-protected small gathering of thatched huts with spires, all built to surround the Hul'aki people's small but proud central stone temple. Fashioned to look like a giant face with the gaping mouth as the entrance into the structure, the temple was where Demi had rushed Sabé and Obi-Wan to once they arrived. The surprised villagers had all regarded the alien sight of two pale people and their shining droid with fearfulness and suspicion. Even as Yez had helped Sabé dump Obi-Wan's limp form onto a pallet on the temple floor, everyone who had been in the temple quickly left, disappearing not to be seen again.
Demi and Takk had left the temple to speak to village leaders, leaving Yez to help Sabé build a fire inside since night was falling. After the fire was built, Yez fetched some water in a bucket and then disappeared again. DC hung back, wringing their robotic hands in some kind of programmed show of anxiety.
The temple was small and dark inside, the floor dirt and the walls rough stone that had been hewn hundreds of years ago. Designs and pictograms were etched into every inch. The fire made shadows dance off the walls, almost animating the designs.
Obi-Wan laid unconscious on the pallet, moving around as if tossing in sleep, sweat pouring off of him as his face contorted and he made moaning sounds of pain. Sabé stripped him of his robe and tunic to get a better look at the extent of his injuries, worrying the entire time. Angry red, oozing clawmarks marred either side of his torso, and it looked worse than she'd expected. They needed medicine for this, the kind she knew was not available on this planet. Even if he survived the poison Ronks apparently carried, he was going to be fighting off a severe infection from these lacerations and definitely have trouble getting around. He made another pained moan. A sound that was very hard to hear and made her heart break. Trying to do something against the helpless feeling inside, Sabé set to work cleaning the wounds as best she could, using the bucket of water and ripped up pieces of Obi-Wan's tunic to dab at the wounds then dry them too. She kept the bucket of water reserved as clean just in case, only dipping clean pieces of tunic into it then tossing them aside once they were bloody.
"I feel so useless," DC-10 said mournfully. "If only I were a medic droid."
Sabé shook her head grimly, now pressing Obi-Wan's forehead with a cool rag to try and cool him down. "He didn't kill the first Sith in a thousand years to die from a cat scratch, DC," she muttered, speaking to the droid as much as she spoke to herself. "He'll pull through." A declaration she didn't feel sure of because of how sick he currently was. Sabé remained tense and anxious, feeling a myriad of worry, fear, and despair at Obi-Wan's condition. Where was Demi? Sabé was half a second away from going after her.
"One can only hope," DC replied, then the entrance to the temple grew dark as someone entered. "Oh!"
Sabé looked up to see Demi carrying a tray. "I've brought you food and drink."
With other things on her mind, even though she was unspeakably thirsty and hungry, Sabé didn't move from Obi-Wan's side. "Thank you, what about him?"
There had been mention of some kind of herb. Demi gave the tray to DC with no shortage of cautious distrust—she had feared the droid from day one—then came over and crouched down with Sabé, pulling out a twine wrapped bundle of dark leaves. She handed them over, giving Sabé a significant look. "Applying new leaves every hour will help draw out the poison."
Flooded by relief and hope, Sabé took the bundle gratefully and promptly began to rip a new section off of Obi-Wan's discarded tunic again to use as a way to bind the leaves against his skin.
"I… do have bad news," Demi said hesitantly, settling at the other side of Obi-Wan across from Sabé. "I tried to convince them otherwise, but the elders aren't… happy to have you here. They say you've brought a curse."
Sabé paused mid-rip. "A curse?"
Demi appeared incredibly apologetic. "My people believe the pirates stealing our people is an act of the gods. Judgment for our wrongs. And the timing of it is just… bad. They've never seen people who look like you before." She glanced over at DC-10. "Or whatever you said that thing is called."
DC-10, while possessing no facial features, managed to look extremely offended in that moment. "Thing?! I am a protocol droid, thank you very much. The pinnacle of civilization and etiquette standards th—"
"DC, not right now," Sabé said a little more rudely than she meant. Leveling Demi with a very significant gaze, she tried to emphasis the dire nature of what was happening. "I understand what you're telling me, but if your people choose not to take an offensive fighting stance with these pirates, they'll take all of you captive eventually."
Demi nodded, her expression troubled. "I know this. The problem will be convincing my people and our elders. Young people have little say here. Perhaps my father can persuade them better than I can. We don't know this… this… technology of yours and the pirates. It frightens my people." She drew a weighted breath. "Sabé, friend, you saved me and my brother and father. You helped us escape. That much, the elders understand. They'll let you stay the night only. In morning, you must leave."
Sabé felt deflated and her stress ramped up several more notches. Would Obi-Wan be conscious by then? Able to move himself around? And where the blazes would they go from here or get themselves off world? She stopped herself from going down that mental trail. It didn't matter, not right now. She would figure out the next move later on. "I understand." At least they had shelter for tonight. It would have to do. She returned to ripping tunic up and wrapping it around Obi-Wan's waist after pressing leaves into his wounds. Demi helped.
"Female Ronk carry the poison, not the males," the Hul'aki woman said softly, pausing to look at Obi-Wan's grave injuries. "Unlucky indeed." Another pause and then a guarded, curious question. "Who is he to you?"
Something about that question caused Sabé to stop what she was doing and look at Demi, gauging why she had asked that question in that particular way. Until just an hour ago, he'd been a memory. A hero to her people. Someone she wondered about often. Someone she'd once experienced very strong attraction to during a very volatile time. She couldn't say much with confidence except the following: "A friend."
Demi's expression gave little away, but her reply sounded like a challenge. "A very handsome friend."
Sabé wasn't blind and never had been—lit by the fire nearby and shining with sweat, he was as handsome as ever, possibly more so than when she last saw him. He was beginning to grow a beard, and his hair was longer than it had been when she saw him last—so long that it flopped over his eyes a bit in a wild, unkempt manner. His strong jaw, cleft chin, and eyes were details her mind had never forgotten. Sabé glanced over and saw that Demi was eyeing him below the chin: His heaving chest, strong arms, and muscled torso. They were surprisingly defined, not what Sabé had expected—the layers of tunics and robes he wore concealed quite the athletic, strong build. Something any red-blood male-attracted female could appreciate, however, this seemed a troubling time to be staring at his body without him awake to even know it was happening. Modesty and avoiding attention seemed to be pinnacles of Obi-Wan's character, and as such, Sabé knew instinctively that he would probably be quite self conscious to be ogled. So she pulled his robe up over him like a blanket for the moment, giving Demi a very steady, firm look that closed that particular branch of conversation: "Yes, a very handsome friend."
Demi took the unspoken cue and sat back, changing the subject after a short silence. "He seems strong. I think he will survive. If his fever breaks, we have hope."
Sabé nodded soberly, eyeing the leaves she had left over. Plenty for throughout the night. "What else can I do for him?" she asked. If it would give him a better chance, she would do it.
Demi was rising to leave. "Not much I'm afraid." She paused at the doorway. "Pray to whatever gods you worship."
Sabé's head canted to the side. "And if I don't worship any gods?"
Demi contemplated gravely. "Then I don't know." She glanced at Obi-Wan, then back to Sabé darkly. "I'll be back to check on you soon." With a swish of fabric, she was gone.
Obi-Wan's soft sounds of misery punctuated the sound of the cracking fire nearby.
"DC-10, program a reminder for every hour on the hour until morning," she said. "In case I fall asleep."
"Yes, Commander." DC-10 came closer and set the tray of food down onto a stone table as Sabé touched Obi-Wan's forehead again, which felt incredibly hot to the touch. She brushed a few hairs away that were stuck to his clammy forehead, then studied his familiar face while leaving her cool palm against his forehead. He relaxed a little under the touch, his pained expression softening as his muscles untensed. A bittersweet feeling tugged in Sabé's chest seeing him like this. How strange that he suddenly just dropped out of the sky and back into her life. And how awful that this had happened to him in his attempt to rescue her. She had questions about why he was here in particular, who sent him, and if someone else knew he was here. If so, would they be mounting a rescue? And where was Anakin, his padawan? So many questions that would have to wait. With Demi gone now, Sabé pulled the robe off of him, seeming to recall that the best solution for a fever was to avoid overheating the person.
"Milady Commander, how do you know this fellow?" DC asked curiously, gears whirring from micro movements.
Exhausted from the past couple of days—survival, imprisonment, escape—Sabé shook her head, eyes still soft on Obi-Wan. Talking was not on her list of things she could muster right now. "Long story, DC." She took one of Obi-Wan's hands and held it tight, murmuring just loud enough for him to hear: "Obi-Wan. Fight this."
She stayed by his side the rest of the night, lost in memories of their time together before and worry over his survival.
That night, Obi-Wan dreamed in a strange and nonsensical way, seeing scenes and objects that melted into each other in a psychedelic kind of way. He felt like he was on fire, prickled by heat and pain in every vein of his body. Something cool touched him from time to time, giving him relief that never lasted long enough. He heard a comforting sound, maybe a voice, that accompanied the touch. Dimly, he could feel himself reaching for the Force in a deep trance, seeking healing and restoration. After what felt like years, he felt less pain and became aware of a sound in the distance. In his dreams he turned to it curiously. What was that? A muffled call, and the ground was shaking. Then his ears began to understand: Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan! You need to wake up now. Obi-Wan?
Obi-Wan's first coherent feeling as he awoke was an immense feeling of being sore and wounded, but he was no longer burning up. He cracked his eyes open to a blurry world which he had to blink a few times to see clearly. The light of morning was filtering into whatever space they were in, and over him bent a familiar person whose face showed worry and hope at the same time. He felt his grimace soften as he remembered and recognized. "Sabé."
Her face relaxed into a relieved smile and her shoulders grew less tense. "There you are."
He remembered now: the Ronk attack, the strange disorientation he experienced afterward, then Sabé and her ragtag refugee group rescuing him when he collapsed. He faintly felt he had foggily seen Sabé with a lightsaber. His lightsaber. Was that his dreams or had it actually happened? Obi-Wan evaluated himself: in one piece and alive, no shirt on, a makeshift bandage wrapped tightly around his torso, his robe covering him like a blanket. Pain radiated from both sides along his ribcage. His head was pounding too. He grunted and touched a hand to his head. "I took quite the turn, I gather."
She made a bit of a face that indicated that was putting it mildly. "Correct." She then pointedly looked to the left and he followed her gaze. A few stern older people holding spears with blue face tattoos were in the room and watching, and they did not look welcoming. Obi-Wan quickly understood even before she said anything. "Listen, I'd love to catch you up on everything but the villagers want us to leave," Sabé explained, patting him on the shoulder then handing him a light gray tunic he didn't recognize. "So we better go, before they get… stabby."
Obi-Wan nodded, knowing he would learn more about what was happening later. "I see." He made to sit up, grimacing as he did against the physical difficulty of doing so. Sabé hauled him up by the crook of his arm to a full seat and helped him when he struggled to put the shirt over his head. Under the watchful eye of the elders present, she assisted him to stand and then they walked out together, followed by DC-10, who was mumbling something about "rushing us off like this."
Outside, Demi waited with a spear and a pack, and she offered both to Sabé. "It's not much, but I hope these things help." Behind her, more villagers huddled in groups, looking at the Jedi, Commander, and droid in mistrust. Demi walked with them to the village exit, a pulley-system gate. Spiked trees lined the top of the wall that closed in the village. "Good luck to you," she said in farewell as they reached the exit and the gate drew up at two watchmen's work.
"And you, Demi," Sabé said, shouldering the pack. She grasped the younger woman's shoulder briefly and spoke lowly. "Watch yourselves." Demi nodded somberly, and with a final grim glance at the village, Sabé led Obi-Wan and DC-10 into the unknown jungle beyond.
The noise of the jungle was quite overwhelming. Teeming with life, the atmosphere was thick with the low hum of insects, the calls of birds, the sounds of movements of small and large animals alike, and the distant, ominous bellows of larger beasts. With the village behind them, Sabé led the way, using the quiet roar of the river to lead them onward. Gigantic trees and bushes surrounded them, their leaves littering the jungle floor in between ferns and a creeping ivy-like plant. The air was warm and dense, promising to make the travelers sticky and sweaty as they trekked onward.
"That village needs a protocol droid, the lack of etiquette and hospitality is frankly outrageous!" DC-10 complained.
Sabé and Obi-Wan walked in stride together a few steps ahead of the droid. "I take it we were seen as a liability?" Obi-Wan asked. He was having to move a little slower than usual because of his injuries.
"Something like that," she said, shaking her head and muttering almost to herself. "Absolute faith corrupts the mind just as much as absolute power." Obi-Wan looked curious and waited for an explanation which came once she saw his expectant look. "They think the pirates are some kind of act of god. And that our presence was bad luck, essentially." Short on sleep and full on stress, Sabé was already onto her next thought: "You know now that we're aware of the trafficking situation we have to do something about it, right?"
"Of course," Obi-Wan replied readily. "I plan on reporting these pirates and their base here to the council as soon as I can." Her expression must not have been too approving because he hesitated. "…Do you have a different idea?"
Sabé evaluated for a moment. Yes, she had different ideas but didn't want to be misunderstood about her urge to act quickly. "I only fear that waiting on procedure in this case will result in people disappearing off this planet and into slavery forever. Who knows where these Nikto bastards take the people they 'export' from here."
"A very valid concern," Obi-Wan conceded. "What alternative do you have?"
Sabé didn't have to think about it. "Blow them to smithereens." Frustration set in. "With all the bombs and cannons I don't have."
Obi-Wan appeared unsure if he should be amused or concerned. "While we're on the subject of weapons, did I dream it or did you… use my lightsaber?"
Immediately chastened, she was self-conscious. "That did happen." She winced briefly in his direction. "Sorry, I didn't really have another choice in the moment."
Obi-Wan seemed to have little reaction. "Consider it forgiven." He wiped at his forehead, which was growing sweaty again, but this time from the humidity of the Cilpar air. He was thinking hard and hesitating about asking something. "They didn't… hurt you did they?"
She understood the implication. "No," she answered truthfully, but she was sure they weren't above what Obi-Wan was getting at. "They only pissed me off."
Obi-Wan smiled ever so softly and nodded conspiratorially. "That certainly doesn't bode well for them."
Sabé glanced his way, trying to hide a smile, remembering now very clearly now how easy their back and forth was. He had a way of giving her compliments without saying anything directly and making her feel understood in a way that lifted her spirit naturally. It was hard to place a finger on what exactly drew her to him, but even here and now, she felt herself being drawn in again. Taking in a deep breath and refocusing herself, she rehoisted the pack she carried and felt the spear that she carried on her back shift slightly too. After checking the pack to see what it contained, she'd seen that Demi gave them some food, water, and firestrikes. All things that could be very useful here, especially the spear. She glanced over at Obi-Wan again, studying him closely and trying to evaluate his overall wellbeing. He looked tired and it was also strange to see him in a Jedi robe with a plain tunic underneath instead of the multiple layers of a Jedi's traditional garb. His struggle through the night had exhausted them both. "How are you feeling, Obi-Wan? You gave me quite the scare last night."
He thought for a second, visibly evaluating his own current condition. "I feel drained and sore, but I'll survive." He looked over at her, the same curious concern she felt for him mirrored in his eyes. "And you, Milady?"
She was honest with a dim, non-humored laugh. "Exhausted as kriff. But I'll survive."
He appeared sympathetic. "Thank you. For staying at my side." The way he said it made her feel a certain way that was hard to ignore, and she attempted to sidestep it by smiling thinly and avoiding looking back at him. A distant sad looning call echoed, causing them both to look upward and around, reminded of how out in the open they were. After a moment's pause, Obi-Wan looked at Sabé with a slight frown. "Where are you leading us, anyway?"
"Back to the pirate's base." His eyebrows raised up high and Sabé shrugged. What else did he possibly think they could do? "Have you got a better idea? They're the ones with a way off this place." Having been to their base, which was in some old ruins, she knew they were using a cave as their hangar, and she had a small plan in mind: sneak in, steal a ship, get the hell off this world. But probably not before inflicting some major damage. Obi-Wan did visibly concede she was right, but she already knew that. There wasn't another option as of this moment. A few beats of silence passed as they continued to pick and duck their way through a thicker section of foliage and vines. "So where's Anakin?" she asked conversationally as they came out the other side. "Is his still your apprentice?"
That question garnered a very distinct reaction from Obi-Wan. "Oh yes," he chuckled darkly then sighed lengthily. He sounded like a tired parent. "He's currently being held in the intensive care unit at the temple. He broke just about every bone in his body during a particularly absurd stunt involving some Rodians and a Wookie."
Sabé was intrigued and felt like she knew that kind of scenario well. Not that Zana was a daredevil, but she did have her moments. "Sounds like you have your hands full."
"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed. "This break is nice."
What? He got quite the look for that one as well as a disbelieving, growing grin. "You got attacked by a rabid Ronk, almost died from the poison, are critically injured, currently have no way off this planet… and you're enjoying yourself?"
Obi-Wan spread his hands in huge shrug, a devilish little trolling smile playing on his stubbly face. "I needed a vacation!"
Sabé chuckled, then glanced back at her droid. "His sense of humor is intact, must mean survival is imminent."
DC-10's head swiveled slightly one way then the other, as if thinking. "I don't follow your meaning, Commander."
"As usual, DC," Sabé sighed. She tilted her head to the side in thought, eyeing Obi-Wan again. "Who sent you here after me, anyway?"
She had anticipated the answer already: "Queen Amidala. She contacted me directly asking for assistance." But not the following sentence: "I saw your sister when I went to Naboo. She's quite worried."
A pang of guilt and heaviness struck Sabé. "I'm sure," she said quietly, urgency to escape renewing inside her all over again. "All the more reason to get off this blasted planet quickly." She thought quickly for another moment. "Will Naboo be sending rescue?" Maybe they only needed to wait, not storm the pirate's base.
Obi-Wan sounded unconfident. "I'm not sure. Typho knows the planet I went to, at the least. One could assume, eventually yes."
Eventually wasn't going to do much for them. "Perfect," she muttered. "Those wounds of yours are going to need bacta sooner rather than later."
Obi-Wan dismissed that. "I'll be fine."
She gave him a reproachful look. "Not forever, you won't be. What's your pain level right now?"
He opened his mouth to reply. "It's—"
The second that word came out of his mouth, they both unfortunately stepped onto what looked to be a portion of jungle floor, but in fact, was huge leaves laid carefully to conceal a hole. With a couple of shouts of surprise, they both fell in and hit the bottom hard as leaves and vines from overhead crashed down onto them.
Pain blossoming in her ribs, knee, and shoulder from the impact of fall, Sabé squinted upwards to see they'd fallen about fifteen feet down into a very large and crudely dug hole. "Oh my! Oh dear!" DC-10 exclaimed, peering down and waving their arms around in distress. "Commander, look out!" Look out? Wasn't it too late for that after falling in? Even as Sabé stirred, pushing herself up to arm's length off the ground, she went totally still as she saw that on the opposite end of the hole, about ten feet away, there were two huge problems. Beside her, Obi-Wan was also stirring, groaning pathetically against no doubt a doubled pain from falling onto his injuries. She grabbed onto his arm hard.
"Obi-Wan…?" she whispered. "Don't make any sudden moves."
Across from the two fallen humans were two huge, if scrawny looking yellow animals with glinting teeth and shining eyes. Their tails whipped back and forth, as if they were preparing to pounce. One of them let out a spine-curling rattling growl. "Oh dear," Obi-Wan said softly, and the two of them exchanged a dire glance.
They had just fallen into some sort of trap. A trap that contained two very hungry looking Ronks.
Author's Notes: they just can't stay out of trouble! But it's okay, because I love seeing our dynamic duo facing things together. They kind of make the perfect team. But hey I might be biased… #sobiwanforever lol. Can't wait to hear what you're thinking of this Cilpar adventure so far guys! Leave a review, go interact with the blog (you can ask me questions, see story guides, find feels-y stuff etc), and have a good day. Thanks for reading, means so much to me!
