The Delusions of Dreamers

Nineteen

Oh, dear.  "Satine, run!" Obi-Wan shouted, whipping out his lightsaber just before venom-mites came tumbling out from deep within the cave.  They were hideous creatures with rows upon rows of sharp, jagged teeth and angry, black eyes.  Their bodies almost seemed like those of a large lizard, but their numerous legs reminded the Padawan of spiders.  They seemed to crawl like spiders, too, and they were gaining ground fast.

Even though it only took Obi-Wan a few seconds to take all of this in, he was not quick enough to react.  The venom-mites were upon them within moments, snarling and screeching.

I can't let them block our escape, Obi-Wan thought, so he thrust his arm out and pushed the creatures into the walls of the cave.  Satine screamed as the force of the collision caused rocks and boulders to crash to the ground all around them.

"Satine! You were supposed to run—!" Obi-Wan started, but was cut off by an agonizing sound.  A rock had landed on her leg, and the duchess was crumpled on the ground.  "No!" the Padawan roared, and a huge wave of anger washed over him.  He flexed his fingers, lifting the boulder with the Force before hurling it into the onslaught of venom-mites.  

Then he shoved his lightsaber into his coat and gathered Satine into his arms as fast as he could.  "It's alright, my dear." he panted.  "I've got you." Some of the arthropods seemed dead, but others were arousing themselves, and more were clawing their way into Obi-Wan's part of the cave. 

The Padawan snarled and brought the cave down around him with a clenched fist, barely escaping the cave before it collapsed.  And then he kept running because he knew it would not keep the venom-mites at bay.

The thunder rumbled above them and the lighting crashed around them and the rain lashed out, burning Obi-Wan's eyes as he struggled to keep the duchess on his shoulder.  He had just entered the woods near the caves when he heard screeching behind him.  The arthropods had found a way out, and they were hungry. 

"Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan screamed into his comlink as he slipped over the leaves on the forest floor.  

"What is it, my Padawan?" the young Jedi could hear the strain in his voice.

"Come pick us up, now!" Obi-Wan cried, and Satine moaned.  "We are in between the base and the caves!"

"What happened?" his Master demanded.

The creatures were getting closer.  "Venom-mites!" the Padawan cried.  He didn't think he had ever been this terrified in his life.  He whipped his head around and cursed when he realized the monsters were mere feet away.  One tried to snap at him with its sharp teeth, and Obi-Wan pushed it back with the Force.  But this caused him to lose his grip on Satine, and they tumbled to the ground.

She landed on a fallen branch and let out a painful wail, and Obi-Wan grimaced.  They would not die this night.  He would do anything to protect the duchess, even if it meant sacrificing himself before Qui-Gon could arrive.  So the Padawan flung himself into the air, using his feet to kick the head of one venom-mite.  It growled and reared back as Obi-Wan flipped in the air, and he took his stance in front of his duchess.

Then he threw out both of his hands, sending all of the creatures flying into trees.  There had to be about twenty of them, if not more, and Obi-Wan would take on all of them if he had to.  A gash had appeared on his forehead from his fall and the rocks, the blood mixing with the merciless rain.  He wiped his face and spat blood on the forest floor.  "Who's next?" he sneered.

The venom-mites screeched in response, their dark blue bodies flashing through the forest as they came for him.  But right before one of them pounced on top of Obi-Wan, Darling crashed through the trees and shot down many of the creatures with blue lasers.  

Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief, even though the fight was not over.  He could hear more arthropods over the roar of thunder and the crack of lightning.

"Come on!" Qui-Gon shouted.  The ship was floating several feet above the Padawan because it was too large to fit in between the thick trees, but that hadn't stopped Darling from knocking down a few of them.

The Padawan swiftly bent over and threw Satine to his Master with the Force, and together, the two Jedi kept the duchess in the air until she was safely in Qui-Gon's arms.

"Watch out!" the older Jedi warned, and Obi-Wan slashed through one of the venom-mites with his lightsaber before jumping onto Darling.  "Are you alright?" Qui-Gon asked, hurriedly closing the door of the ship.

"Yes, but Satine is the one who matters right now," Obi-Wan rasped and bent down by the duchess.  She was curled up on the cold floor, and tears were streaming down her dusty face.  There was a deep gash in her thigh from the branch she had landed on, causing blood to pool around her.  The Padawan growled.  "I should have been more careful.  I shouldn't have—"

"It's alright," Satine whispered, reaching up to cup Obi-Wan's cheek with her dirty hand.  "I'm alive.  You saved me." The young Jedi smiled down at her, a tear landing on Satine's face.

"Well," Qui-Gon sighed.  "I think it's time to leave this planet." He patted his Padawan on the back.  "I'll go get bandages." Then he walked off.

"I thought we were going to die," Obi-Wan murmured and leaned into Satine's touch.

Her blue eyes glimmered like the hottest flame.  "Not me," she responded with a weak smile.  "I knew we we would survive... because if we died, I wouldn't get to do this." The Duchess of Mandalore pushed herself up and curled her fingers around the nape of the Padawan's neck.  Then she parted her lips, but she didn't need to meld their lips together.  Because Obi-Wan Kenobi did that for her.

Her pink lips were so soft, so gentle, and he was exactly the same, perfectly in sync with her.  It was not a hungry kiss; it was more curious, more like exploring.  The two had become voyagers, meandering through new oceans.  Beautiful oceans.

Obi-Wan knew he should not be doing this.  He knew it was against the Jedi code, but he had almost lost Satine, and he had to make sure she was really here in his arms.  He had to make sure she felt the same about him.

Slowly, their lips parted for breath, and Satine smirked up at him.  "You may be a fantastic kisser, Obi, but you might want to get better at carrying girls through lightning storms."

He laughed lightly and curled his fingers in her golden hair.  "I'm sorry, Satine.  Truly, I am.  You must be in so much pain—"

"I don't want to talk about that right now," the duchess pleaded, shaking her head.  "I want to talk about... this thing between us." She pressed her forehead against his.  Obi-Wan bit his lip.

"I don't know what to say," he whispered.  The Padawan longed for this moment to last forever, but he knew Qui-Gon would arrive with bandages soon.  He knew that one day Satine would go back to Mandalore and he might never see her again.  "What I do know, is that we can't do...  this, no matter how much we want to.  Maybe in a different world, but not this one..."

Satine's dazzling eyes squeezed shut.  "I know.  Yet... maybe there is a way." She leaned back slightly and beamed at him.  "Maybe the Jedi Order can station you on Mandalore, and you can stay at the palace, and—"

"Satine." Obi-Wan gently grasped her chin and tilted her face up.  "Those are delusions, figments of your imagination.  And unfortunately, they will stay that way.  We are not dreamers, my darling.  We are leaders and examples for the galaxy."

The duchess frowned, a tiny crease appearing between her slender brows.  "It doesn't have to be that way." But they both knew that wasn't true.  She glared up at him, although the Padawan suspected that the anger was not directed at him.  It was anger for the world, the rules, and the Jedi Order.  Obi-Wan also harbored the same contempt sometimes.

His lips tilted up in a sad smile.  "Why are you so beautiful when you're mad?" Satine reluctantly grinned back, and Obi-Wan brushed his lips against hers.  They tasted of rain and dirt, but there was a hint of sweetness there, too, and the Padawan wanted more.

"I thought you said we couldn't do this?" the duchess murmured against his lips, her warm breath washing over him.

Obi-Wan caressed her mouth with his thumb.  "Just one last time, then."