Mandalore (III)

Duchess Satine Kryze's POV 

The air on Concordia was thick with tension as the sleek transport touched down, its engines whining in the stillness of the barren landscape. Duchess Satine Kryze stared at the imposing structure ahead, her mind already buzzing with thoughts about the task at hand. The moon of Mandalore had always held an eerie desolation, and today was no different. But something felt... heavier. Like a storm waiting to unleash. 

She sat beside Obi-Wan Kenobi, his silent presence both comforting and unnerving. He had been her closest confidant in this delicate political game, though her feelings for him complicated things more than she'd ever let on. Now, with the ever-looming threat of Lelouch, she couldn't help but feel like they were walking into a trap. 

As the transport settled onto the landing platform, Satine's sharp eyes took in the figures waiting for them. Dark-armored guards stood at attention around a ship, clearly marked with Lelouch's insignia. They were silent, watching the new arrivals with a discipline that only Lelouch's forces seemed to possess. 

Satine arched an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth tightening in recognition. "Lelouch is already here," she remarked, her voice cool but tinged with unease. "Always one step ahead." 

Obi-Wan remained silent for a moment, his gaze scanning their surroundings. His brow furrowed slightly, the only indication of his concern. "Yes, it seems he's met with Pre Vizsla ahead of us," he finally said. His tone was calm, but the tension between them was palpable. 

The two of them disembarked, and as they approached the entrance of the facility, Obi-Wan leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered. "I need to investigate the moon's mining facilities. Something doesn't sit right here." 

Satine paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're leaving me to handle Pre Vizsla?" 

"Keep him preoccupied," Obi-Wan said with a slight smile, though the worry still lingered in his eyes. "Perhaps Lelouch can assist you in this matter." 

Satine sighed, her irritation barely masked. "Very well. Though I doubt Lelouch will make it easy." 

With a small nod, Obi-Wan mounted a speeder bike, the hum of its engine growing louder as he sped off into the distance. Satine watched him disappear, her apprehension growing by the second. Something was wrong here, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed Lelouch was at the center of it. 

As she was escorted into the facility, her mind continued to whirl. Pre Vizsla had always been a man of ambition, but there was something about his recent behavior that set off warning bells in her mind. Perhaps it was Lelouch's influence—an unsettling, insidious force that seemed to erode the will of everyone around him. She had to remain on guard. 

The long corridor felt like it stretched for miles, the weight of her steps echoing against the metallic walls. When she finally reached the doors to the meeting chamber, she steeled herself. Whatever was waiting for her inside, she would face it with the poise and resolve that had carried her through the worst Mandalore had to offer. 

The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and what greeted her on the other side only deepened her unease. 

Pre Vizsla sat at the head of a long table, his posture rigid, his hands clasped together in front of him. Across from him, relaxed in his chair as if he were hosting a casual dinner, sat Lelouch. His eyes, sharp and calculating, flicked toward her as soon as she entered. 

"Duchess," Pre Vizsla said, his voice a touch too eager, too rehearsed. "You've arrived at the perfect time. Please, join us." 

Satine's eyes darted between the two men, her instincts screaming that something was terribly wrong. There was a strange energy about the governor today, an unusual eagerness that didn't match his usual calculated demeanor. And Lelouch, sitting there as if everything were already under control, didn't make things any better. 

Lelouch stood, offering her a small bow and gesturing to the chair beside him. "Duchess Satine," he said smoothly, pulling out the chair for her. "It would be an honor." 

Satine hesitated, her hand brushing the back of the offered chair as she shot Lelouch a guarded look. "Thank you, Lelouch," she said evenly, taking the seat. As soon as she sat down, she leaned slightly toward him, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Kenobi has left to investigate the mining facilities. He asked if you could help keep Pre Vizsla preoccupied... as a favor to him." 

The moment the words left her mouth, she noticed something change in Lelouch. His posture remained relaxed, but the air around him seemed to grow heavier, colder. A small, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corners of his lips, and his eyes, once cold and distant, now gleamed with a dangerous light. 

"Ah, Obi-Wan isn't joining us, then?" Lelouch's voice was soft, almost a whisper, but the chill in it was unmistakable. "That's... unfortunate." 

Satine stiffened in her chair as he continued. "I had prepared a small show for him. But... since he isn't coming, it's no longer necessary. We'll just continue with the main act." 

Before she could even begin to process what was happening, Lelouch's voice lowered further, the words slipping through her mind like a cold breeze. "When you wake up... do me a favor and kill everyone around you... starting with our governor right there." Lelouch said as he pointed at the unperturbed governor sitting in front of them. 

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as her vision blurred. His eyes—they were... different.... — drawing her in, locking her mind in place. She tried to move, to speak, but it was as if her thoughts had been wrapped in a dense fog, his voice echoing endlessly in her mind. 

It banged around her head, never stopping, not pausing for a moment... she needed... she needed to kill him. Pre Vizsla needed to die first, he mustn't live... there was a knife on the table... a blaster on Lelouche's belt... her own hands would do the job as well, but not fast enough, and it wasn't guaranteed... blaster it was. 

Before she could make sense of anything, a powerful hand gripped her head from behind. The world spun as her head was slammed into the cold, metallic table in front of her. Pain shot through her skull, her vision exploding in white as everything started fading to black. 

... 

When Lelouch's cold voice broke the silence again, it was distant, barely registering in her fading consciousness. "I leave the rest in your hands." 

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Bo-Katan Kryze's POV 

Bo-Katan removed her helmet, her face a mask of steely determination. She cast a glance at her unconscious sister, lying sprawled across the table, blood trickling from a small cut on her forehead where she had been struck. Satine, so pure and idealistic, had no place in the reality that Mandalore now faced. 

Turning her back to Satine, Bo-Katan addressed Pre Vizsla, her voice cold and authoritative. "Make the necessary preparations." 

Pre Vizsla, still seated but visibly unshaken after the sudden turn of events, nodded stiffly. His hand raised slightly as he gave the command to his remaining soldiers, ensuring they moved quickly to carry out the plans. 

Bo-Katan allowed herself a single, fleeting glance at her fallen sister, her expression unreadable. Her loyalty to the cause, had long since overshadowed any familial ties she may have once felt. There was no place for weakness in the fight ahead. With a scoff, she turned away from Satine, her thoughts already on the next phase of their plan. 

As she left the chamber, the thin red circles that now surrounded her irises glinted briefly in the dim light. Bo-Katan Kryze had made "her" choice. 

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Obi-Wan Kenobi felt a creeping unease as he ventured deeper into the mines of Concordia. The stale air clung to his skin, the dim lighting casting long shadows across the rusted corridors. He could hear the faint hum of machinery in the distance, growing louder with each step. His instincts screamed at him, urging caution. The mines weren't abandoned—someone had kept them operational. 

As he moved further, he came across evidence of activity. Crates marked with the insignia of Death Watch, weapons being readied, and transport ships quietly tucked away in hangars. This was no mere mining operation. It was a staging ground, and worse, a clear indication that the Death Watch was preparing for something significant. 

"This can't be allowed to continue," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath, quickly activating his communicator. "Anakin, I need backup. I've discovered Death Watch forces operating here on Concordia. Get a landing party ready and be prepared for heavy resistance at the governor's residence. I'll be there shortly." 

Anakin's voice crackled through the commlink, firm and confident. "Roger that. I'm on my way. I'll bring a full contingent of troopers—this ends now." 

Obi-Wan felt a brief moment of relief before his mind shifted back to Satine. He quickened his pace, sprinting through the metallic corridors, his cloak billowing behind him. The thought of her being under the same roof as Pre Vizsla unnerved him, knowing that the man was capable of extreme violence. 

Emerging from the tunnels, Obi-Wan leapt onto a speeder bike and raced towards the governor's residence, his mind racing. He needed to get to Satine before it was too late. The speeder's engines whined as he pushed it to its limit, weaving through the narrow paths that led up to the ornate estate perched atop a ridge. As he arrived, his heart sank—Lelouch's transport was already docked, its gleaming hull reflecting the setting sun. 

The residence itself was a grand structure, a stark contrast to the bleakness of the mines. Towering pillars framed the entrance, and intricate Mandalorian art adorned the walls. The hallways inside were wide, with banners depicting the ancient glories of Mandalore draped from the ceiling. But there was an eerie stillness, a silence that chilled Obi-Wan to the bone. 

Bursting through the grand entrance, he moved swiftly down the corridors, ignoring the ornate decorations and the flickering torches that lined the walls. His focus was entirely on finding Satine. The deeper he went, the more wrong it felt. The governor's residence, normally a place of grandeur, now seemed tainted, corrupted by an unseen force. Every step echoed through the stone halls as he pushed forward. 

He sensed her presence, but there was something different about it—something dark. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached the entrance to the throne room. The large double doors swung open before him with a flick of his hand, revealing a sight that made his blood run cold. 

Duchess Satine stood, tall and proud, over Pre Vizsla's lifeless body. Her hands clenched the hilt of the Darksaber, its black blade humming with an ominous energy. Satine's face was emotionless, her eyes hollow, but her stance was rigid, as if she was barely holding back a torrent of fury. 

"Satine…?" Obi-Wan's voice faltered as he took a step forward. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. "What have you done?" 

Her head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. There was no recognition, no warmth in her gaze—just cold resolve. Without warning, she lunged at him, the Darksaber slashing through the air with terrifying speed. Obi-Wan barely managed to ignite his lightsaber in time, the blue blade meeting the black with a sizzling clash. 

"Satine, stop this!" Obi-Wan called out as he parried her blows, his voice pleading. "You don't have to do this! Whatever's happened to you, I can help!" 

But she said nothing. Her face remained a mask of indifference, and her strikes became more vicious. She was relentless, her movements precise and deadly, as if she were a trained assassin. Obi-Wan had fought Mandalorians before, but Satine had always stood for peace, always preached non-violence. Now, she fought with a ferocity that bordered on madness. 

He dodged to the side as she thrust the Darksaber at him, the dark blade grazing his tunic. "Satine, you have to stop!" Obi-Wan's voice grew more desperate as he sidestepped another vicious slash, the Darksaber crackling with raw energy. "This isn't you! It's—" 

Her response was another barrage of attacks, each one more aggressive than the last. Obi-Wan could feel the weight of the battle bearing down on him. She was fast—too fast—and he could see no hesitation in her actions. 

Obi-Wan had no choice but to fight back. With a swift motion, he disarmed her, sending the Darksaber skittering across the floor. But Satine was undeterred. She swung her fists at him, her strikes wild and furious. He caught her wrists, trying to restrain her without hurting her, but she broke free, her strength fueled by something unnatural. 

With a pained look, Obi-Wan struck her with the hilt of his saber, hoping to knock her unconscious. But even after sustaining a heavy blow to her ribs, Satine kept coming. She was like a force of nature, unstoppable and unyielding. Her face twisted with anger, her body battered but still moving toward him. 

Just as she prepared to charge again, a voice rang out from the doorway. 

"Satine!" 

Bo-Katan Kryze stood in full white Mandalorian armor, her blaster drawn. She hesitated for a split second before squeezing the trigger. A red blaster bolt hit Satine square in the chest, causing her to stumble. 

"SATINE!!" Obi-Wan shouted, his eyes wide with shock. 

Satine paused, looking down at the wound. Another shot rang out, hitting her dead center once again. Satine's body jerked as she fell to her knees. 

Obi-Wan rushed to her side, catching her just before she hit the ground. He cradled her in his arms, his heart racing. Satine's breathing was ragged, her body trembling in his grasp. 

As she saw him, Satine's hands struggled to reach towards him slowly... failing as her entire body collapsed a moment later. 

A.N: Just realized i made that last part look romantic... i meant that her hands struggled to reach and try and choke him, but for the love of me couldn't find a way to put it in an acceptable sentence. Oh well, hope you like it, we continue from Lelouch POV as he comments on this little experiment of his and Tzeentch thoughts on it... might have to start making the chapters slightly longer.. .we'll see. Hope you enjoyed it.