In a secluded alley in district GL-5, Satine waited anxiously for her contact to arrive. She had spent hours attempting to access information through official channels at the Intelligence Ministry, but had been stonewalled at every turn. This forced her to rely on more... unconventional methods.
Satine wore a dark cloak with the hood pulled low over her head to avoid recognition by any passing security patrols or surveillance systems.
She soon heard cautious footsteps approaching through the shadows. Satine recognized her source immediately—Davu, her most trusted informant within the Ministry's intelligence network.
"I don't have much time. They're tracking my movements," he said urgently.
He led her deeper into the alley, hoping the maze of narrow passages would confuse any potential pursuers.
"You're putting yourself in terrible danger, Davu. I'll never forget this sacrifice."
"I had to come forward. The truth is worth the risk," he said, pulling a data disc from his inner pocket and pressing it into the Duchess's hands.
"Where did you obtain this?"
"Buried deep within the Ministry's classified evidence archives. It wasn't easy to locate, believe me."
What neither of them realized was that they were being watched by hostile eyes from the shadows above.
"You were absolutely right to be suspicious. Someone did falsify the evidence presented to the Senate. The recording they played was deliberately edited and incomplete, but this disc contains the full, unaltered transmission. You must show this to the Senate immediately—"
Before he could finish his urgent warning, a blaster bolt struck him down instantly.
"Davu!" Satine gasped in horror, dropping to her knees beside his fallen form. "No!"
She could hear panicked screams from civilians who had witnessed the shooting echoing through the nearby streets. Instinctively, she drew her personal defense blaster and frantically scanned the surrounding area to identify where the shot had originated. Before she could take cover, a Coruscant Security droid appeared just meters away from her position.
"We have a confirmed shooting incident in district GL-5," the droid reported in its mechanical voice before scanning Satine's face beneath her hood. "Subject identified: Duchess Satine of Mandalore."
This definitely wasn't going according to plan.
She didn't hesitate and immediately fled the scene, unwilling to be captured either by whoever had murdered her informant or by the authorities. While the latter option would inevitably catch up with her given her current actions, the immediate heat of the situation had clouded her judgment.
She needed to escape and regroup somewhere safe. The last thing she could afford was to be arrested and prosecuted for a crime she hadn't committed.
Racing along the pedestrian walkways, pushing past and dodging civilians in every direction, Satine desperately searched for an escape route.
As she rounded a corner at a major intersection, a barrage of blaster fire nearly took her head off. She spun around and looked up to see Davu's killer: a Death Watch operative with a high-powered sniper rifle positioned on a rooftop.
She wanted desperately to pursue the assassin and demand answers, but she had no opportunity—the security droids were closing in on her position. Worse yet, they had been joined by several Republic Clone Guards, all determined to apprehend her.
She turned and fired her blaster at the nearest security droid. It crashed to the ground in a shower of sparks, causing several other droids to tumble in a domino effect. Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, she continued forward and dove into another narrow alley.
She looked around desperately, hoping to find an alternate escape route, when she spotted a civilian speeder preparing for departure.
For the briefest moment, Satine considered commandeering the vehicle, but ultimately decided against it. First, someone was already aboard and just moments away from launching. Second, if she stole it, any criminal charges against her would become exponentially more serious. Third, she probably wouldn't get very far before being tracked down anyway.
But the moment the speeder lifted off into the traffic lanes, fortune seemed to smile upon her.
From the alley entrance, Satine could hear a Republic Clone Guard reporting over his comm unit: "The Duchess has escaped in a civilian speeder, heading toward sector IG-44."
Despite her dire circumstances, Satine silently thanked whatever gods might be listening for this stroke of luck.
Taking advantage of this brief respite, she ventured deeper into the alley and pressed herself back into the shadows. Once she found a reasonably concealed position, she crouched low and kept watch for anyone approaching her hiding spot.
"Obi-Wan," Satine whispered into her personal comlink.
Standing alone in a meditation chamber within the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan immediately responded to Satine's transmission.
"Obi-Wan, are you there?"
"Satine," Kenobi breathed with obvious relief, turning toward her holographic projection. "Where are you? Vice Chancellor Amedda is demanding your immediate surrender."
"I know. I need you to listen to me carefully," she said, hesitating for a moment. "I need your help, Obi-Wan. The security forces are hunting me throughout the district, and... there's a Death Watch assassin stalking me. I'm certain of it."
"How can you be absolutely sure?" Kenobi asked with growing concern.
"I saw the killer myself. Full Death Watch armor and insignia."
"I understand. What's your current location?"
"I... honestly don't know. I lost track of where I was going during the chase. All I know for certain is that I'm somewhere in the GL-5 district."
"Stay exactly where you are," Obi-Wan instructed firmly.
"I'm not sure that's tactically sound," Satine replied, glancing nervously at her surroundings. "Remaining stationary will only make it easier for them to locate me."
"You're absolutely right," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Can you make your way to Fountain Square? Keep your comm channel open so I can track your signal."
"Are you certain about this?"
Kenobi nodded decisively. "Satine, please trust me on this."
"...All right. I will."
"We'll rendezvous with you shortly."
"Wait... we?"
"You'll understand soon enough. Trust me—it won't be Republic authorities coming for you."
After what felt like hours of navigating through maze-like alleys and side streets, Satine finally approached the outskirts of Fountain Square. It was an enormous risk to expose herself in such an open area, but what other options did she have?
The square was expansive, surrounded by four major structures that housed various cantinas, lounges, and restaurants. In the deep hours of the night, the area was moderately populated as Satine moved carefully among the diverse civilians of Coruscant. She peered cautiously around corners, spotting both Clone Guards and security droids conducting systematic patrols.
Finding an isolated bench, Satine sat down and adjusted her hood to ensure her face remained completely hidden from the roving patrols.
Across the plaza, Obi-Wan Kenobi had arrived and took a moment to survey the area methodically. It didn't take him long to spot her distinctive form, despite her attempts at concealment.
"Excellent disguise," he murmured to himself with a slight, worried smile.
After a few tense moments she noticed him approaching, her lips curving upward as he reached her bench and sat down beside her, both maintaining the pretense of being strangers.
"Seeing that you're unharmed is... well, it's an enormous relief," Kenobi said quietly.
Having him at her side again provided more comfort than she had expected.
"You should consider turning yourself in. We've all sworn sacred oaths to serve the Republic."
"Believe me, none of us have violated those oaths," Satine replied, pulling out the data disc and discreetly sliding it into Obi-Wan's hand. "This evidence will prove our innocence. I need you to get it into the right hands."
"But if the Republic Guard is actively pursuing you, that suggests..."
"Whoever manipulated Jerec's testimony could very well be operating from within the government itself."
"If you set foot anywhere near the Senate, they'll arrest you immediately."
"And this disc will be destroyed before anyone can examine its contents, which is precisely why you must deliver it personally to Padmé."
Noticing several Republic Guards beginning to move in their direction, Satine quickly stood and took Obi-Wan's hand. He was compelled to follow as they walked casually toward a nearby alley.
"Where will you be while I'm presenting this evidence to the Senate?" Kenobi asked as they continued through the narrow passage. "What if the security forces locate you?"
"They won't find me," Satine assured him confidently. "I—"
"Guards approaching," Kenobi warned sharply, as clone troopers entered the alley from the direction they were heading.
Satine's eyes widened, realizing that if they turned back now, it would essentially confirm their suspicious behavior to the patrol.
She acted quickly, pushing Obi-Wan against the alley wall.
"Satine, what are you—"
His words were cut off abruptly. This was completely unexpected and unconventional. Not because she had covered his mouth with her hand... but because...
Satine pressed her lips firmly against his and molded her body against his while making sure to wrap her arms around his hooded head and angle it downward to conceal both of their faces. She deepened the kiss when she heard the guards' footsteps growing closer, playing the role of young lovers seeking privacy.
When the clone patrol had passed completely out of sight and earshot, Satine finally pulled away, coughing nervously into her hand while blushing furiously beneath her hood. She was certainly grateful for the dim lighting and concealing fabric that hid her thoroughly embarrassed expression.
She took a moment to compose herself and check their surroundings once more, just to ensure they were truly alone.
"It appears we're safe for now," Satine said, her voice slightly unsteady. "We need to move quickly, Obi-Wan."
For his part, Obi-Wan stood there for a moment, still processing what had just occurred, before nodding and following her deeper into the shadows.