A cool breeze ruffled Obi-Wan's hair as the hovercraft sped him towards the Sundari Royal Palace. Beneath the din of motor traffic, he could make out the sounds of a bustling city beneath him: peels of childish laughter, the shouting of goods for sale, the banter of happy families. The scene below, almost idyllic, highlighted his own discomfort. It was a good thing he tasked Ahsoka with the oversight of various training exercises. This mission required delicate precision that could not be jeopardized by the well-meaning inquisitiveness of youth - not to mention that he did not need a witness to his own ghosts and anxieties. Perhaps it made him cowardly, but it was done; Ahsoka remained with Anakin. His new padawan couldn't be in safer hands.
How many years had it been since he had seen Satine? More than Obi-Wan cared to count. He'd been a padawan when last they met, deeply infatuated with the intelligent, compassionate, beautiful woman under his protection. They had both been young then, still full of youthful hope and vigor, with stars in their eyes.
Would Satine find him as changed as he felt? In so many ways, the padawan that left Mandalore seemed to be an entirely different person. Many days, Obi-Wan feared that the padawan who had carried her to safety, only to drop her on those wretched rocks, ceased to exist years ago. The things he had endured since their parting had left indelible marks on his body and soul.
He was not the same man.
Nor, he supposed, would Satine be the same woman. She had weathered her own trials since their separation.
Obi-Wan paused outside the double doors. He took the moment to close his eyes and breathe deeply, settling his thoughts. This debacle warranted full use of his faculties - none could be spared on such trivial concerns as forlorn love affairs. The Duchess Satine's thoughts - or lack of thoughts - on his person hardly mattered when billions of lives were at stake.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes and nodded to the guards, who swung the doors open wide before him. Sunlight streamed in from every corner of the glass hall - doubtless a political statement of political transparency as much as a design feature.
Prime Minister Almec, a tall and stately gentleman, met Obi-Wan halfway. Although Obi-Wan sensed no malice from the older man, there was certainly something uneasy about him. Was it merely the treacherous allegations that brought a Jedi to their world or was something more nefarious underfoot? Obi-Wan suspected all politicians of a degree of corruption, but whether Almec organized the attack on the Serenity or rebuilding Mandalore's army only time would tell.
"Welcome, General Kenobi," Almec greeted.
Obi-Wan inclined his head and accepted Almec's extended hand. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Prime Minister."
"Naturally, General. We are as troubled as you by these false rumors. Mandalore has put our violent warrior past behind us. We would never turn against the Republic. Duchess Satine values peace more than her own life."
"Oh, I'm well aware of the Duchess' views."
Almec sighed. "We exiled all our warriors to Concordia years ago. They died out years ago."
Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "Are you certain?" Beliefs and traditions as deeply ingrained as Mandalorian warrior's culture never truly died out.
"Yes." Almec crossed his arms. "After the unfortunate attack on your medical convoy years ago, our government took harsh measures against the remaining warriors. Officials were even appointed specifically to keep a watchful eye on them lest they cause further harm. We are certain they died out."
"Ah, Master Kenobi, my shining Jedi Knight, to the rescue once again."
Obi-Wan's eyes snapped to the other end of the hall, where Satine sailed through the doors with more grace than a hundred queens. And, oh, but the years had been kind to the Duchess Satine Kryze. Even from afar, it was clear she was just as beautiful as she had been all those years ago. His vanity doubted she would think the same of him. Just that morning he had spied a few new stray gray hairs in the mirror. Obi-Wan shoved the useless thoughts aside.
He stepped forward to greet her. "Duchess Satine, you are as elegant as ever. It is a pleasure to see you again after all these years."
"Kind words from a man who accuses me of treachery."
Obi-Wan flinched internally. Well, Satine never had been one to pull her punches, even if she was a staunch pacifist. The circumstances warranted her ire, to be sure, although he couldn't help but wish their reunion was under more peaceful conditions. "I would never accuse you of personal wrongdoing, Duchess, however a Mandalorian saboteur attacked one of our Republic cruisers." Obi-Wan produced the security hologram and played the recording. Almec's mouth set in a grim line and Satine's aide flinched away. Satine's eyes merely narrowed as she sat straighter.
"This is obviously a mistake," Almec dismissed the recording with a wave. "As I said, no Mandalorian would engage in such violence. Where is this man now? I want to speak with him myself."
"He took his own life rather than submit to questioning." Salt in the wound. "I know commandos fought in many wars, often against the Jed-"
"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am!" Satine interrupted. Color flooded her cheeks. "Clearly your investigation was ordered because the Senate is eager to intervene in our affairs!"
"My investigation was ordered by the Jedi Council." Although, privately, he admitted that doubtless many in the Senate desired that very outcome.
Satine raised her chin. "I stand corrected." She stood. "General Kenobi, perhaps you'd care to join me for a walk through the city." She extended her hand to him.
Obi-Wan hesitated but a moment before leading her from the dais. He bowed his head to Almec. Arms linked, Obi-Wan and Satine stepped into the warm sunlight. He remembered a time when he had daydreamed of this scene - just the two of them, strolling through Sundari. He had dreamed of how together they would make Mandalore peaceful and prosperous, grow old together enjoying the fruits of their labor, maybe even with children and grandchildren running around their modest, happy home.
So why did holding her arm feel wrong? Obi-Wan released her arm.
Satine indeed succeeded in ushering in a new golden era for Mandalore, an era hallmarked by peace and generosity. She hadn't needed him to accomplish her dreams, and he was glad of it. Beholding the prosperity around them, Obi-Wan's chest swelled with pride for his old friend. Sundari painted a beautiful picture that no longer held a place for him.
And yet Obi-Wan could find no regret in his heart.
How…unexpected.
After a moment, Satine attempted to bridge the invisible chasm that spanned between them. "It is good to see you again, Obi-Wan, despite the circumstances."
"Your dedication to peace has paid off; Mandalore has prospered since the last time I was here." The Peace Park stood in proud testament to that fact.
Satine looked into the distance. She sighed. "Not everyone on Mandalore believes our commitment to peace is a sign of progress. There is a group that idolizes the old warrior traditions. They call themselves the Death Watch. I imagine these are the renegades you are looking for. I and other officials are working to root out the criminals."
"How widespread is this movement?"
"It's hardly a movement, merely a small band of hooligans who choose to vandalize public spaces, nothing more. We have tracked them to Concordia and will soon have them in custody."
Obi-Wan listened with growing unease, however, as Satine described the Death Watch. Satine too often underestimated her opponents. The Separatists regularly exploited groups like Death Watch. And, unfortunately, if the Separatists backed Death Watch, the Senate would demand involvement, dragging Mandalore into the war whether Satine desired neutrality or not.
"I hope you are right, Duchess. But if Death Watch is responsible for the attack on the cruiser, that means they have escalated from petty vandalism to acts of terrorism."
"An act by one member of a group hardly necessitates the involvement of the entire organization."
"I'm afraid in this instance it very likely does. He could not have done this alone. Our intelligence indicates the saboteur may have been acting under Separatist orders." Obi-Wan sighed. "I will do my best to keep Mandalore out of the war, but you should know that may no longer be possible."
Color rose in Satine's cheeks. "I will not allow Mandalore or any of the systems in the Council of Neutral Systems to be dragged into this unconscionable war. I am a peacekeeper; I will not abide being thrust onto these frontlines of conflict."
"A peacekeeper belongs on the frontlines of conflict, otherwise he wouldn't be able to do his job."
"The work of a peacekeeper is to ensure conflict does not arise."
"A noble description, but not a very realistic one." Obi-Wan understood Satine's aversion to conflict. Indeed, he admired her staunch dedication to peace above many of her other wonderful qualities. He did not, however, understand how she couldn't see that peacekeepers were required at the center of conflict to resolve it just as much as they were needed to prevent conflict.
"Is reality what makes a Jedi abandon his ideals or is it a response to political convenience?"
The gentleness in her voice did not fool Obi-Wan. Some small part of him deflated. To be sure, he and Adrina had discussed at length the evolving roles of the Jedi Order, lamenting the necessity of their involvement in the war. But where Satine viewed the war merely as a diplomatic failure, Obi-Wan knew that this war was inevitable. No amount of diplomacy would have succeeded against the Sith. Perhaps the superior diplomatic skills of Senator Amidala could have delayed the onset of the war had her sensibility prevailed in the Senate, but the longer the war dragged on, the more apparent it became that the forces orchestrating the war planned meticulously, leaving the Republic with no choice but to fight for peace or succumb to evil.
An explosion rocked the ground. Obi-Wan steadied Satine, squinting through the haze. Wisps of smoke emanated from the scattered remnants of the memorial shrine, intermingling with the panicked screams of the wounded and bystanders alike.
"Are you alright, Satine?" All color leached from her face as she surveyed the devastation surrounding them.
"I'm fine."
As the wind began to carry the smoke away, the true extent of the damage became clear. Obi-Wan counted at least a dozen injured staggering to their feet and another handful that required assistance - but he sensed no dead. The explosion, however, obliterated the shrine.
"Hooligans couldn't have arranged an attack of this scale." Whatever misguided notions Satine held, the Death Watch clearly had more resources at their disposal than Satine knew. The significant question now was, how did the Death Watch obtain these resources?
Obi-Wan knew the answer.
"Then this must be the work of an off-worlder."
"Are you sure of that?"
Satine followed Obi-Wan's gaze to the red hologram prominently displayed, announcing to all the perpetrators of the attack. "The sign of the Death Watch."
Obi-Wan kneeled in the rubble beside Satine. "This goes far beyond vandalism. This is a political statement against your government and against you. You aren't safe here." Obi-Wan helped Satine to her feet. "I'm taking you back to the palace. I want to interview everyone here. No one leaves this scene!"
0
After more convincing than comforted Obi-Wan, Satine agreed to escort Obi-Wan to Concordia and allow him to continue his investigation into the rumors and bombing. While Satine made his excuses to Pre Viszla, Obi-Wan slunk into the nearest mine, which Satine had assured him was no longer operational.
"Doesn't look abandoned to me," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath. Dim lights lined the tunnels, ushering Obi-Wan further into the mountain, a sure warning that if not operational, work of some kind certainly continued. Turning a corner into an assembly area, a workbench along the far wall caught his eye. Obi-Wan counted at least five sets of armor gleaming on the workbench, with several more jetpacks waiting beside them.
He'd discovered the Death Watch, without a doubt.
With a roar, an armored assailant launched himself at Obi-Wan. They tumbled to the floor. Obi-Wan leapt to his feet and ignited his lightsaber, but the assailant had vanished. Obi-Wan sensed him nearby. "I'm here on a diplomatic mission, under the protection of Duchess Satine."
Obi-Wan's taunts had their intended effect. "We do not recognize her rule." The man's helmet distorted his snarl.
Obi-Wan deflected the first of the man's blaster bolts, only to have the last graze his wrist. His lightsaber fell from his hand as the man tackled him. The man's back-up sprang up from behind benches and rocks.
The flurry of blows, dodging and tumbling, rekindled Obi-Wan's distaste for physical combat. The inelegance of fisticuffs hardly suited them.
Then, a sharp blow to the head and the world faded to black.
0
Obi-Wan forced his eyes open, groaning. His surroundings slowly blinked into focus. His two assailants stood nearby - upside down? No, Obi-Wan realized. He was suspended in a force field upside down above a conveyer belt. How distasteful. And they had his lightsaber.
Most unfortunate indeed.
One of the men chuckled as he tossed Obi-Wan's lightsaber in the air. "The boss will love this."
"Come on," the other said. "Boss wants us to check for other Jedi before he arrives. This one is helpless." Obi-Wan couldn't catch what he muttered under his breath, the venom strongly suggested an insult.
Obi-Wan breathed a little easier as he watched his captors slink down the tunnels. Their search would buy him a few precious minutes. He had a feeling that when they returned, they did not intend for him to live long enough to meet their boss.
At least Satine wore the com link he left with her. He was not totally alone or helpless. Fighting against the force field, Obi-Wan pressed the comlink on his bracer. "Duchess, come in, please."
After a moment, Satine responded, "Yes, certainly." She was not alone, then - a complication he doubted he could afford.
"I'm in a bit of an awkward spot, being held by the Death Watch."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"There is a tracking function on the comlink I gave you. Follow the coordinates due east to my location."
"I don't know if I can do that at the moment."
Of all the times…. "This is extremely urgent, Duchess!" Obi-Wan forced a deep breath. Satine would do what she could, he had no doubt. If only she could do it in time.
"Perhaps some fresh air would do me good."
She was making her excuses, then. Obi-Wan almost breathed a sigh of relief. She still had to get there in time. And when she arrived, what then? The Death Watch wanted her dead and here he was, forcing her into their lair like a lamb to slaughter. Two members of the Death Watch patrolled the area and based on an overheard comment, their comrades would be arriving soon.
Satine needed to arrive before the Death Watch. If she could free him before then, they stood a chance. They only needed to survive.
"Take a speeder. It's rough terrain."
"I'll find my way," Satine's uncertainty faintly echoed in her voice. "Never fear."
This was not the Death Watch's main base, but the armor and munitions scattered around supported his suspicion that the Death Watch ran deeper than Satine knew. If he could get his hands on some of the weapons and bring it back to Coruscant, they could perhaps conclusively know.
Survival took precedence.
The two terrorists reconvened in the assembly area minutes later, chatting jovially in Mando'a, no doubt about their good fortune to capture a Jedi. The one repeatedly patted Obi-Wan's lightsaber on his hip, even as they suspended rocks in a force field on the conveyor belt directly in front of Obi-Wan. So they intended for him to witness how he would perish, in perhaps one of the most undignified manners.
"Time for the Jedi to have his untimely accident," one chortled.
"With pleasure." The other jumped up behind the control panel. With a few levers pulled and buttons pushed, the assembly area rumbled to life. To Obi-Wan's horror but not surprise, he began slowly progressing forwards. Yards ahead, two heavy plates clanged together. Little imagination was required to imagine his own bones being pulverized between them.
"Where exactly are you?" Satine's hushed voice in his ear couldn't quite soothe his increasingly frayed nerves.
"Listen for the loud metallic clanging sound," Obi-Wan snapped. "That would be the machine about to smash me to bits!"
She wouldn't arrive in time.
He was going to die.
He was going to die alone and disgraced.
Perhaps he should have brought Ahsoka. He'd never live this down.
We never discussed the worm analysis, Obi-Wan thought. Adrina would be so disappointed.
He sensed Satine drawing closer.
Red lights on the ceiling flashed and an alarm blared. The Death Watch men ran towards the entrance. Satine's blond head popped up behind the assembly line as she darted to the control panel. "What took you so long?"
"I haven't saved you yet, you know!"
"No need to remind me of that!"
"Be patient!"
"I happen to be a bit short on patience at the moment." His eyes darted between the controls and his impending death. "Satine, turn the machine off!"
"I'm trying!" Satine's fingers flew over the control panel before finally punching a button. The metal press halted just as Obi-Wan passed through. His sigh of relief, however, was cut short by the rubble grinder approaching. He was not out of danger yet.
"Satine!" He sensed the men returning too late for his warning to be effective.
One of the Death Watch barrelled into Satine, who had enough presence of mind to kick an empty barrel into the gears just as the conveyor belt released Obi-Wan to his hopeful death. Finally free of restraint, Obi-Wan launched off the barrel, kicking the man attempting to restrain Satine squarely in the chest. All three fell with grunts.
Two swift kicks and the Death Watch men collapsed against the wall unconscious. Under different circumstances, Obi-Wan would have hauled them away for questioning, but escaping safely would have to suffice for the moment.
Obi-Wan brushed himself off and tossed Satine a wry grin.
"For a man sworn to peace you take unseemly pleasure in the injuries of others," Satine scoffed as they headed for the exit. They stepped on the elevator and he quickly keyed the door closed behind them. The elevator creaked and rumbled as it rose to the surface.
Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose. "For a woman sworn to nonviolence, you don't seem troubled that I could have been killed back there."
Satine rolled her eyes. "But you weren't and I still haven't heard any thanks."
Obi-Wan pressed his lips together and turned away. "Well, it appears some things never change."
The elevator doors parted to reveal a Death Watch member who seemed just as surprised to see Obi-Wan and Satine. Obi-Wan executed two quick upper-cuts to the man's jaw and he fell unconscious. "This isn't the way we came in." To make matters worse, the landing pad the elevator deposited them onto was swarming with Death Watch and the elevator doors jammed when Obi-Wan tried to shut them back inside.
Obi-Wan grabbed Satine's hand and hauled her into a nearby outcropping amidst blaster fire. "We'll have to stand and fight," Obi-Wan said. He glanced down at Satine. "Or in your case just stand." Obi-Wan stood and reached for his lightsaber only to realize that in his rush to get Satine to safety he neglected to retrieve his lightsaber. How many times had he lectured Anakin about his lightsaber's importance and not losing it?
Lack of lightsaber left Obi-Wan with only one feasible option to combat the three assailants with jetpacks flying towards them; diving quickly, he snatched the blaster from the unconscious guard. When was the last time he had fired a blaster? He couldn't remember. He took careful aim, letting the Force flow through him. He fired three quick shots, each finding their mark. The men dropped as three ships rose and retreated into the night sky.
The remaining four Death Watch strode forward. The man in point position, undoubtedly the leader, tossed his helmet to the side. Satine gasped. "Governor?"
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at Governor Vizsla. That certainly complicated matters. For a member of Satine's own government to be a leader of the Death Watch…
"For generations, my ancestors fought valiantly against the Jedi as warriors. Now, that woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian." Vizsla pointed a contemptuous finger at Satine, who had recovered from the initial shock and leveled a seething glare at him. Obi-Wan sensed her betrayal. "Defend her if you will."
Vizsla tossed Obi-Wan's lightsaber, which Obi-Wan caught deftly, and drew his own lightsaber, an antique but no less deadly. The black blade sliced the air with a familiar hum as Vizsla flourished the blade. "This lightsaber was stolen from the Jedi Temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic. Since then many Jedi have died upon its blade. Prepare yourself to join them!"
Obi-Wan allowed Vizsla to press his advance. Vizsla struck with strength, but no elegance or skill. He wielded the blade as a club without precision. Obi-Wan met his blows with ease. He could end the fight with a single swing, but he needed Vizsla alive. Obi-Wan's mind raced through his options to keep Satine alive and take Vizsla into custody. There was still the matter of the three Death Watch behind Vizsla, blasters at the ready.
Vizsla growled and lashed out with his leg. Obi-Wan side-stepped the kick and, deciding to play by Vizsla's rules, responded with a jab to Vizsla's jaw. They traded a few more blows before Vizsla retreated, rubbing his shoulder where Obi-Wan had landed a sharp blow. "Finish him!" Vizsla ordered his men.
The Death Watch stalked forward in unison, each reaching for their bracers in a way too reminiscent of Jango Fett and his rockets on Kamino. "This is not good," Obi-Wan muttered, already reaching back for Satine. "Satine…"
Satine grabbed his hand as three projectiles launched into the air, barreling directly towards them. Obi-Wan pushed her to the ground and the rockets shrieked over their heads. He hauled Satine to her feet and they raced towards the mine as the rockets made a sharp turn back towards their targets.
"Run!" Obi-Wan shouted. A rock, kicked up as their feet pounded against the dirt and rubble, grazed Obi-Wan's cheek, but the trickle of blood from the scrape paled in comparison to the danger at their backs.
They would have to jump. Satine inhaled sharply; she reached the same conclusion.
With one quick burst of the Force, Obi-Wan hurled them into the mine shaft. Air whipped their clothes and whistled in their ears, loud enough to almost drown out the explosion mere feet above their heads.
The impact of their bodies on the dirt floor knocked the air from their lungs.
"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan pushed to his feet and extended a hand to Satine.
"Yes."
Obi-Wan inclined his head back the way they descended. "I sense them departing. I don't think we will have any more trouble, for now."
"Good." Satine brushed dirt from her tunic. "Now we simply have to find our way out of this mine."
After taking a moment to assess their surroundings, Obi-Wan pointed to the hallway on their left. "This way."
Satine raised an eyebrow, but kept her skepticism to herself. They walked in silence until they successfully felt the open air on their face. Were it not for danger still looming, Obi-Wan would have felt relief to find their speeder bikes untampered.
"I suppose we're even now," Satine said.
"How so?"
Satine spread her arms. "I saved your life; you saved mine…"
"Yes, well." A smile crept into his voice. It was almost like old times. "Mine was the more daring of the rescues."
Satine snorted. She swung her legs over the speeder.
Obi-Wan allowed Satine to lead the way back to their ship. The foot between their speeders stretched as long as the deafening silence.
The banter they had parried, so familiar and foreign, echoed in his ears. Obi-Wan hardly expected to simply resume their friendship as they had left it all those years ago and he certainly did not expect Satine to be unchanged, but he had not anticipated the thinly veiled contempt leveled towards him. He sensed her disdain. She still cared for him, yes, but she did not respect him.
And that would only make his next steps more difficult.
The Separatists supported the Death Watch. Of that, Obi-Wan was absolutely certain. It was Death Watch who attacked the Cruiser. Although he could not prove it, instinct told him Adrina truly had been the target, serving the double purpose of removing a significant player and slaking Death Watch's bloodlust. It was also all too apparent that the Death Watch was stronger than Satine would admit, and they were intent on destroying Satine, whatever the cost.
The Death Watched showed their hand. There was now no way for Mandalore to remain neutral. The Death Watch - and Separatists - wanted control of Mandalore and they needed Satine gone. Her only hope - Mandalore's only hope - was allying with the Republic.