The Jedi and the Duchess
Chapter 2
Hello there! This story will include both canon plots (actual events from the Clone Wars/Star Wars) and stories I have come up with myself. Things are going to start getting interesting in this chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: These characters are the creations of George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and Disney. I do NOT own them!
"Master!" Obi-Wan Kenobi yelled as he strapped a second seatbelt across his chest. It seemed their landing on Mandalore would not be a smooth one. "Slow down!" he added.
"Relax, young Padawan. We should be fine as long as the other stabilizer doesn't break. We hit a rough patch coming out of hyperspace. As long as the engine doesn't explode, we should be able to land this thing on Mandalore safely," Qui-Gon Jinn replied. "I think…"
"You think?!" Obi-Wan responded in horror. This was going to be the death of him. He closed his eyes and got ready for the ship to crash. However, to his surprise, the ship landed with a thud on a nearby landing platform.
"I told you everything would be fine," Qui-Gon breathed, implicitly shocked that the landing had been as smooth as it was, given the circumstances.
"Yes, I knew it would work out," Obi-Wan lied. He turned his head away from his master to hide the deep breath he exhaled in relief. He didn't mind flying, he was a Jedi which meant that he traveled regularly, but he hated when the ships went out of control. As he peered out the window to his right, he saw a group of people standing by them. "I think we have an audience," he alerted his master.
"Well then, let's not keep them waiting." Qui-Gon lifted the top of the spacecraft and jumped out. Obi-Wan followed.
From the outside, the ship looked terrible. The yellow paint was all scratched, and smoke was coming out of the left engine. "What a landing," Qui-Gon murmured. Obi-Wan dismissively acknowledged his master's remark, carefully observing the people in front of him. There were two guards and a prominent looking man staring back at the two Jedi and their broken ship.
"We'll have to get that repaired for you," a middle-aged man with receding blonde hair smiled.
"That would be very kind of you," Qui-Gon responded.
"No problem. I am Prime Minister Almec. Welcome to Mandalore." He then waved a hand at them to follow him inside of a beautiful glass palace towering over them.
The group entered the building and stepped into a gorgeous hallway that led to a huge room lined with stained glass windows. The elegant palace was spotless and showcased breathtaking views through its enormous windows. Obi-Wan couldn't help but turn his head around to fully take in his surroundings as he walked through the hallway.
"I'd like to introduce you to her highness, Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore," Prime Minister Almec announced, snapping Obi-Wan's attention to the front of the large room. Sitting on the throne was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her blonde hair was up in an intricate braid, and she wore a stunning blue and gold dress with matching jewelry around her neck and wrists.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Duchess. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn," the older Jedi said to the girl as she slowly examined everyone in the room. "This is my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi." She nodded at Qui-Gon, and finally glanced at Obi-Wan. He met her gaze and was automatically fixed on her blinding crystal blue eyes. The young duchess continued staring at him for a few more seconds and smiled faintly as she brought her attention back to Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan felt nervous all of a sudden. He didn't understand what was going on with his emotions. She had only looked at him, and his stomach churned. Obi-Wan knew plenty of female Jedi at the temple and never felt as vulnerable around them as he did now. He shrugged off his nerves and made a mental note to meditate on this later.
"It's a pleasure to have you both," Duchess Satine replied as she stood from her throne. "I believe that the protection the Jedi Order has provided me with is a kind gesture, but a completely unnecessary one. I am perfectly fine on my—"
"What she means to say is that she is very thankful for your presence despite her belief that she doesn't need assistance," Prime minister Almec interrupted. The duchess scowled and walked past the prime minister, but stopped before passing the Jedi.
"Allow me to give you a formal tour of the palace," Satine offered. "It's important that you familiarize yourself with the building as you will be staying for a while, correct?" she asked.
"Yes, your grace. We will be here for a few weeks," Qui-Gon answered. "However, I must speak to the guards about strengthening their protection tactics. My Padawan, on the other hand, would be glad to join you," he added.
"I would— Yes, I— Of course," Obi-Wan stumbled. He couldn't believe how strangely he was acting. He knew this was not normal behavior for a Jedi and was beginning to worry. Satine just looked at him with her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised.
"You're a funny one," she commented. Obi-Wan jumped when he realized she was talking to him.
"I promise I'm not usually this bizarre. I think the journey here messed with my head a bit," Obi-Wan replied. It was a logical answer. Maybe he was acting strangely because of the incident they had on their trip to Mandalore.
"Yes. I heard about your crash landing. You Jedi always know how to make an entrance," Satine sighed. She began walking out of the throne room and into a brightly colored living room, and Obi-Wan followed.
"Have you encountered many Jedi, duchess?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Call me Satine. And no, I haven't. I've only heard stories."
"Well, I hope you haven't heard anything bad. I'd hate to have my reputation tarnished already," Obi-wan joked. Satine looked over her shoulder to him and smiled. She was surprised by how personable he was.
"Are you worried about the news of you having a bad reputation reaching my ears? If you are then I suggest you tell me yourself," Satine played along.
"I hate to disappoint, your grace—"
"Satine," she corrected.
"Satine. But the Jedi are known for being disciplined."
"Well then I guess I'm in good hands," she smiled. Satine was shocked by how well they were getting along. She would never admit it, but maybe her council's insistence on Jedi protection wasn't such a bad idea. After all, at least they were friendly. She was also surprised by how young the Jedi in front of her was. He had to be no older than 20. He had a lean face, and his eyes sparkled with a youthful glow. He was very handsome.
"Your grace?" a timid voice from the entrance of the room asked, snapping Satine out of her thoughts.
"Yes?" she replied.
"The prime minister has to speak to you about new war developments," the maid squeaked.
"Of course," Satine sighed as she began following the young servant out. "Obi-Wan," Satine added before leaving the room.
"Yes?" he answered.
"It was nice meeting you. I hope to continue the tour tomorrow morning."
"I look forward to it," Obi-Wan smiled as he watched the beautiful duchess leave the room. For some reason, he couldn't help but hope tomorrow came fast. What is going on with me? Obi-Wan thought. He was confused by these new emotions and knew he needed to address them.
As Obi-Wan walked to his room, he took one last look in the throne room where he saw Satine speaking to Prime Minister Almec. He couldn't help but smile at her and was surprised when she darted her eyes to him and waved. He smiled back and resumed his walk to his quarters.
Once he got settled into the room, he sat on his bed and closed his eyes. He tried desperately to meditate, but his mind was racing. He couldn't stop thinking about Satine and when he'd see her again. Obi-Wan knew that he should probably alert his master about his feelings, but for some reason, his gut told him that he shouldn't, which only excited him more.
Author's Notes
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is just the beginning of Obi-Wan and Satine's story, and I'm so excited about the next chapters (I have a million ideas!). Please leave a review if you liked it or have any feedback and/or story ideas! Thank you!