Chapter Text
It had been one week since Duchess Consort Renna Kryze died in a terrorist attack on her convoy as she returned from a public visit to a school. The medical examiner said she was killed instantly.
It had been five days since Satine Kryze returned to Mandalore from Alderaan where she was attending her final year of university. The stress of writing her thesis had been immediately supplanted by the overwhelming waves of grief that only those who have lost a mother would know.
It had been four days since the funeral of Satine's mother. She had followed behind her mother's casket, gripping the hands of her siblings. During the service, she read a poem from a Mandalorian poet her mother had loved.
It had been five minutes since Satine's father had called her and her sister and brother to his office. The three Kryze children sat across from their father, the large oak desk separating the two generations. Satine had always looked up to her father and saw him as a strong and imposing, yet loving figure. He had never before looked so old and worn as he did now.
"My children," he said, "this decision has not been easy for me. But, I believe it to be necessary. Your safety is of the utmost importance to me." he said. Adonai turned to the Satine's sister, a young, red-haired girl of 12 years old, "Bo-Katan, you will leave tonight to live with your grandmother at her estate on Kalevala," he turned again to Satine's brother, "Tomasz, you reached your eighteenth lifeday two months ago. You are a man now, and you will remain in Sundari with me," Adonai stated. "Satine," the Duke said, looking directly at his eldest child, "you are the heir to the throne. You are the heir to this project of New Mandalore that your ancestors began two hundred years ago. It is too dangerous for you to remain in Sundari or Kalevala. You may have heard rumors that Jedi Knights are coming to Mandalore. These rumors are true, and they arrived this morning. They are going to take you, Satine, into hiding with them for the duration of this conflict. I do not know where, and I cannot know. You will leave immediately."
Satine inhaled sharply, and felt the stares of her siblings on either side of her. "Father, I respect your concerns, I truly do, but my place is here on Sundari! You said I am the heir to the throne, how can I abandon Mandalore!"
Adonai reached across the desk and clasped Satine's shoulder. "This is not time for debate. If something were to happen to me during this war, you will be the one that Mandalore will turn to. I had one of your dressers pack some things for you. The Jedi are in the throne room, ready to take you immediately."
Obi-Wan was not happy to have been assigned to this mission.
He sat slumped in his seat for the entire two-day space flight, grumbling about having to miss the Coruscanti gravball championships. His best friend, Quinlan Vos, had scored tickets (don't ask him how), but Obi-Wan had been forced to miss them for what he had dubbed as a babysitting mission amongst his friends.
When Quinlan found out just who Obi-Wan would be "babysitting", he guffawed.
"Kenobi! What are you complaining about? Satine Kryze is not a woman that needs babysitting, I would gladly take your place, " he had exclaimed, after searching for Lady Satine Kryze of Kalevala on the holonet.
"Shhh! Quin!! Keep it down! The whole cafeteria doesn't need to hear," Obi-Wan shushed. He could feel the tips of his ears turning red. He only hoped Siri Tachi, sat across the table from him, did not notice. Obi-Wan and Siri had been engaged in some...extracurricular activities lately, as Quinlan would say. This was the real reason he was rather glum about leaving the Temple, but Master Qui-Gon did not need to know about that.
"Now, Obi-Wan. I expect you have been keeping up with your Mando'a studies this week? The planet we are taking her grace to is very rural and has many habitants that do not speak Basic," Qui-Gon asked, interrupting Obi-Wan's stream of thoughts.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan sighed.
After a tear-filled goodbye with Bo-Katan, Tomasz, and her father, Satine walked to the throne room, rucksack on her back and head held high. She imagined brave and wise knights who would protect her,regaling her with stories of adventures to far-off worlds. Satine had never met a jedi before, hardly any Mandalorian in living memory had. Thousands of years ago, a massive war ensued between the Jedi Order and the Mandalorians. When Satine's great-grandmother five times over led a rebellion against the old Mandalorian society and became Duchess, Mandalore was welcomed back into the Republic but still kept it's distance from the Jedi Order.
Therefore, Satine was quite disappointed to see a man her mother would have described as being "spritually inclined". He had long hair (very un-Mandalorian) and a beard. A young man, hardly older than Satine, stood next to hin with his hands shoved in his sleeves.
"My lady," the older man bowed, "My name is Master Qui-Gon Jinn. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. This is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi." He gestured to the younger man, who also bowed in turn.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Satine said, remembering her years of etiquite training.
"Obi-Wan, would you please take Her Grace's bags? Lady Satine, please follow us to our ship. We will be heading to Draboon and I would like to land before nightfall."