Walking toward her transport, Satine felt as though her entire world was collapsing around her.
How had everything spiraled out of control so quickly? First, the rise—or rather, resurgence—of Death Watch on Concordia, and now these mysterious warriors claiming to be the "true Mandalorians."
In just a matter of days, there had been assassination attempts from multiple directions, and now this political catastrophe in the Senate. Jerec's fabricated testimony and these self-proclaimed authentic Mandalorians had revealed themselves to the Republic, presenting both the government and her personally with an unmistakable challenge to her authority.
It was honestly surprising that she was still conscious and functional instead of lying in bed overwhelmed by grief. She would have done exactly that if she hadn't been determined to reach the Intelligence Ministry immediately to uncover the truth behind these manipulations.
As her speeder approached, she heard someone running toward her position.
"Duchess!" Kenobi called out urgently. "Please wait!"
As he approached, Satine's royal guards immediately turned and raised their weapons toward the approaching Jedi. She quickly raised her hand and gestured for them to stand down.
"I just heard what happened in the Senate chamber," Kenobi said with obvious concern, and Satine's eyes dropped to avoid his gaze.
"Are you all right?"
Satine couldn't help but manage a small, weary smile. "Thank you for your concern, Obi-Wan, but I assure you I'll be fine."
"I'm worried about you. We are..." Kenobi hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "We are friends, aren't we?"
Hearing that particular word, Satine felt her heart sink with disappointment. She had been hoping to hear something more meaningful, something deeper.
"Yes, friends... and that's all we'll ever be."
Obi-Wan immediately realized the weight of what he had just said, and how it had clearly wounded her. The Jedi Master had intended to maintain appropriate boundaries, but Satine obviously wanted something more substantial than mere friendship.
Old memories stirred within him for a brief moment, but he quickly suppressed them. Now was definitely not the time for such personal complications.
"Satine, as your... friend... I simply don't want you to act rashly or do anything that might put you in even greater danger."
Satine couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Obi-Wan, I think we both understand that the moment I accepted this responsibility, my life became a constant target for those who oppose peace."
"Yes... but..."
"As a Jedi Knight fighting in this war, are you any different in that regard?"
Kenobi knew he couldn't really argue with that rhetorical question, much as he wanted to.
"Just... please be careful, Satine."
The Jedi Master wanted to say so much more, wanted to express exactly how he felt about her at this moment. But he couldn't allow himself to do so, because it might lead to complications and consequences that could compromise them both.
Satine couldn't resist reaching out and gently placing her hand against his bearded cheek. "You've always been my noble protector. When I truly need you, I know you'll be there for me."
The Duchess boarded her shuttle and settled into her seat as her guards quickly took their positions around her. She took one final look at her old friend as her pilot Aramis lifted off into the traffic lanes, heading toward the Ministry of Intelligence.
Just minutes after departing the Senate Building, her aircraft passed a solitary figure in Mandalorian armor bearing the distinctive colors of Death Watch, concealed in the shadows of a towering skyscraper. Observing the vehicle's approach, the saboteur pulled out a remote detonator and pressed the activation button.
In an instant, the engines of Satine's speeder were catastrophically damaged and began malfunctioning.
"What's happening, Aramis?" Satine asked in alarm as the aircraft began shaking violently and losing altitude.
The pilot gripped the controls desperately while struggling to maintain any semblance of stability.
"It's the navigation and propulsion systems—they've been sabotaged," Aramis reported with grim professionalism.
Realizing that the craft was plummeting toward the cityscape and unable to make a safe landing, the pilot made a critical decision.
"Get the Duchess out of here," Aramis commanded Satine's guards. "There's a landing platform ahead. I'll try to get us close enough."
The guards immediately followed orders and secured Satine firmly between them. She struggled against their grip and looked desperately at her loyal pilot.
"No, stop this! Aramis!" Satine pleaded with her friend, but he simply waved at the guards to perform their duty.
Maneuvering the failing shuttle as close as possible to a nearby platform, Aramis angled the craft to give the guards the best possible chance.
"Jump now!"
As the speeder drew within range, the guards leaped from the aircraft while protecting Satine between them. They tumbled toward the platform, the guards absorbing most of the impact to shield their Duchess. Satine was quickly released from their protective embrace as they all rolled to safety. The moment she regained her footing, she could only watch in horror as Aramis deliberately crashed the shuttle into a nearby building, where it exploded on impact in a massive fireball.
Back at the Jedi Temple, Kenobi stood alone in one of the meditation chambers, arms crossed and eyes closed in deep concentration. A deeply troubled expression was etched across the Jedi Master's features.
"Hey there, Kenobi. What's eating at you?"
Obi-Wan turned to see Colonel James Rhodes entering the chamber, carrying a pitcher of water and wearing his casual clothes.
"Rhodes," Kenobi acknowledged with a respectful nod.
"Alright, what's going on?" Rhodes asked directly. "Does this have anything to do with today's Senate session and your girlfriend?"
"G-girlfriend?" Kenobi sputtered in embarrassment. "Have you been talking to Anakin?"
Rhodes just hummed with amusement. "Come on, wise guy. What's really bothering you so much?"
Obi-Wan didn't respond immediately, clearly wrestling with his thoughts.
"Old wounds?" Rhodes guessed in a more serious tone. "Lost love from your past?"
The Jedi sighed in weary defeat. "You could say that, yes."
He felt the Colonel place a supportive hand on his shoulder. "We've all been there, Kenobi. This kind of thing isn't new to any of us Avengers. Or to you, for that matter. Come on—talk it through if you need to. Sam's particularly good at relationship advice."
Obi-Wan nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Rhodes, but I—"
He paused mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly losing focus as if sensing something through the Force.
"Colonel," Kenobi turned slowly toward the Avenger. "Would it be possible for you and your team to... assist me with a small favor?"
In Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's luxurious office, Duchess Satine was having an unscheduled and increasingly heated meeting with the leader of the Republic.
The unexpected attack on her life had left her in a particularly volatile mood when she learned the official response to her assassination attempt.
"What do you mean 'no investigation'? At all? Someone just tried to murder me. The control systems on my transport were deliberately sabotaged."
"Regrettably, my dear, there is simply no concrete evidence that anyone tampered with your vehicle's systems," Palpatine said with apparent sympathy. "I'm afraid the preliminary report indicates this was a tragic mechanical failure."
"A mechanical failure? And this just happens to coincide perfectly with my defense of my homeworld's sovereignty?" Satine retorted with obvious skepticism.
"I must agree with the Duchess on this matter."
Both Satine and Palpatine turned toward Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda as the two major political leaders looked genuinely surprised by his unexpected support.
For a brief moment, Satine felt a glimmer of relief that someone in authority was finally seeing reason. "Thank you. Finally, someone with sense."
"This incident clearly proves what I've been arguing all along," Amedda continued smoothly. "Death Watch has grown completely out of control. The Republic must intervene immediately to provide military assistance."
Amedda's statement shocked Satine, while Palpatine barely suppressed a satisfied smirk.
"No, wait. That's not what I—"
"Obviously, you cannot maintain control over these terrorist elements on your own. Therefore, we will," the Vice Chancellor interrupted decisively. "And let's not even begin to address these so-called 'true Mandalorians' who so brazenly challenged the Republic's authority in such an public manner."
"This is completely unacceptable. You cannot do this," the Duchess protested vehemently.
"Unfortunately, the final decision now rests with the Senate," Palpatine said with feigned regret. "I am confident they will reach a reasonable and well-considered conclusion."
Rushing out of the Chancellor's office, Satine felt overwhelmed by stress and frustration. She desperately wanted to escape this political nightmare, but found herself trapped by circumstances and unable to express the emotional turmoil building within her heart.
As if experiencing déjà vu, Kenobi appeared at her side once again.
"Satine, I just heard about the attack on your transport."
Suddenly, all the emotions she had been suppressing came flooding to the surface, and the Duchess expressed them with unusual intensity.
"Those two bureaucrats are... Ugh! The supposed leaders of this government... Impossible!"
Obi-Wan reached out and gently grasped her arm, turning her around so he could speak to her face to face. "Satine, please tell me exactly what happened in there."
"I'm fine. I wasn't seriously injured. I didn't want you to worry unnecessarily," she said defensively.
"Well, I'm afraid at this point you've already failed spectacularly in that regard," Kenobi said with a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood despite his obvious concern.
"I'm sorry," she said, beginning to walk away and prompting him to follow. "Satine, please. Help me understand what's really happening here."
"Understand what? This attack proves that I've made someone very angry. Which means I must be on the right track."
"This attack proves that your enemies have operatives even here on Coruscant. They're willing to risk exposure to see you eliminated." Kenobi studied her expression carefully. "You're not going to let the Republic authorities handle this investigation, are you? You're not going to back down."
"Republic authorities? Of course not," Satine continued walking, her mind focused on her original destination. "I'm heading to the Intelligence Ministry to meet with my contact there."
Obi-Wan's concern deepened, and he gently grasped her shoulders and turned her around so they were facing each other directly. "Satine, you need your friends standing beside you, not kept at arm's length." She broke away from his intense gaze, but he wasn't finished speaking. "In your pursuit of complete self-reliance, have you decided to cut all your friends out of your life? Even... me?"
Satine clenched her jaw in frustration. "I... I don't know anymore."
"Master Kenobi. Duchess Satine."
Both turned to see Senator Padmé Amidala approaching them with obvious urgency and a deeply worried expression.
"Senator Amidala? What's wrong?" Kenobi asked immediately.
"The Senate has completed its emergency vote," Padmé announced, exchanging concerned glances between the old friends. "They have decided to authorize immediate military occupation of Mandalore."
"When did this happen?" Satine asked in complete shock. "The vote was scheduled for tomorrow's session."
"During your meeting with the Chancellor," Padmé explained grimly. "The unexpected challenge from those rogue Mandalorians, combined with the attempt on your life, accelerated the Senate's decision-making process. Republic forces will deploy to Mandalore at dawn tomorrow."
This revelation made Satine visibly pale as the full implications hit her. She turned to look at Kenobi, her hands clenched into fists of frustrated rage. "I was right from the beginning... trusting the Republic was a catastrophic mistake."
With that bitter declaration, she turned away from both the Republic Senator and the Jedi Master, determined to handle this crisis in her own way.
As the Duchess departed, both Padmé and Obi-Wan exchanged deeply troubled looks, realizing that events were spiraling far beyond anyone's ability to control.