Chapter Text
Cody was not having a good night. He was on some planet that Mandalore technically controlled for some peace summit shit between him and a few other systems that wanted to band together against the growing Empire being run by some old geezer named Palpatine. Palpatine had been a thorn in Mandalore’s side since Cody had been a child. He had been a thorn in his ba’buir’s side, his buir’s side, and now his side.
Don’t get Cody wrong, Palpatine was a demagolka who probably did need to be shot like a wounded animal, but he wasn’t sure if the other planets had the training or discipline to pull off such a complex maneuver like that. They seemed untrained, sloppy. Messy. Cody was not about to put his people at risk because some pampered Chancellor from the core worlds didn’t know how to train a fucking army.
A few people at the summit seemed to hold hope. Mainly one Bail Organa of Alderaan, but ultimately Cody did not want to risk it. Being the Mand’alor sucked and he should have never accepted buir’s offer to take the throne from him.
Fox had laughed in his face when he offered. Seventeen told him to fuck off. And then it was Cody’s turn to be asked since his buir wanted to settle down and start spending more time with his family. He took the job because he wanted to do right by his people and the galaxy. He wanted to be a good, strong, fair ruler that could keep Mandalore safe.
If only he had known how much of an absolute shit show doing something as simple as maintaining the status quo would be. The clans wouldn’t stop bickering. Palpatine kept doing more and more horrendous acts that would eventually bleed into Mandalore’s colonies if Cody let it go on for much longer. Pirates and gangsters were running amok. Trafficking (of people and drugs) was at an all-time high. He was pretty sure there was a slave ring dealing in ade that needed to be taken down now. And--
“Kote, vod, seriously, have you heard a word I’ve said?” Gree said, flicking him on the ear.
Cody turned to glare at him. “What?” he snarled.
“Seriously, lighten up. You look like that drink killed your firstborn or something.”
“Agreed!” Gregor said. “Come on. This was supposed to be fun. We wanted to get you out so you could stop thinking about politics for thirty seconds and start thinking about literally anything else.”
“Bar’s low,” Boil said.
“Could be thinking about ants for all we care,” Waxer added.
“So long as it’s anything else. You’re too stressed. Bones and Kix are worried about your health,” Gree said. “You’re starting to go grey.”
“I am not!” Cody snapped. He was. He had spotted three new grey hairs this morning in the mirror. He may or may not have called Rex crying.
Wolffe smacked Cody on his back. “You need to get laid. When’s the last time you had a good fucking?”
“I am not talking to you about this,” Cody groaned, thunking his head on the table of the dingy bar his brothers had dragged him to.
“No, please, do enlighten us,” Gregor said. “When’s the last time you had sex? Literally any form of sex. Oral. Anal—”
“Seriously, shut up. Now. I do not want to talk about my sex life with any of you people.”
“Cause we’re nosey?” Waxer ventured.
“Precisely,” Cody growled. He groaned and sat up, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Look, guys, I’m sorry. I know you wanted to cheer me up, but right now, it’s…”
“Hard,” Wolffe finished for him. “We know, Kote. We see the stress you’re under. But you can’t keep living like this. Even buir managed to find enough time to knock up half of Mandalore’s population.”
Cody wrinkled his nose. How Jango had ever managed to get this many women pregnant was beyond him. It didn’t help that Seventeen, Fordo, and a few other bavodu’e also had hordes of children. At this point, most of Mandlore’s royal family looked more like clones than individuals.
“And Ba’buir had hobbies too.” Boil pointed out.
“He’s not on the throne anymore. Of course, he’s got time for hobbies now,” Waxer said, elbowing his brother (they were full brothers. Twins, in fact. There were several sets amongst the Royal Family. Identical, of course, which just made the whole ‘clone’ rumor even worse).
“Yeah, but he was woodworking even as the Mand’alor. Said it helped him think through his problems.”
“We don’t want Kote to ‘think’ through his problems,” Gree groaned. “We want him to have sex that’s so good he stops thinking.”
“I thought I could think about ants and you’d be happy,” Cody grumbled. “Besides, having sex isn’t a hobby.”
“Yes, but a relationship might be good for you. Someone to support you,” Wolffe said. “Seriously, brother.”
“I don’t have time for a relationship right now,” Cody said. “And it’s not fair to bring someone into this mess. Politics is dangerous and boring at the same time. Who would want to do that? No one I’d trust to also be with me for the right reasons.”
His brothers all glanced at each other.
It was Gregor who finally relented. “Fine. We won’t push.”
“Thank you.”
“But! You have to talk to one person tonight for us to let it go,” he said, grinning at Cody as if he had caught him in a well-placed trap.
Cody narrowed his eyes and waited for his brother to elaborate on how much ‘talk’ would be enough to meet his demands. When he got no clarification, he took his opportunity and pounced.
“Fine.” He stood up to the cheers of his brothers. “I’ll say hi to one person and then we can leave.”
“Wait—”
He didn’t stop to hear the response, turning and making his way through the crowded, dingy bar until he could find someone who didn’t look like they’d stab him on sight. He saw a pretty twi’lek woman sitting at the end of the bar who looked rather lonely. She’d be perfect.
He stepped towards her and…
“Oof!”
Right into a man, his beskar chest plate knocking the stranger to the ground.
“Shit, sorry,” Cody said, scrambling to grab ahold of the man’s wrist and haul him back to his feet.
“No, no, darling. Completely my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” the man stammered in a smooth accent. Coruscanti, maybe? It was lovely to listen to, whatever it was.
As Cody righted the man, he couldn’t help but stare. He was looking at what had to be one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen. Even in the dingy lights of the bar, something about this man shined. His hair had a reddish tinge to it. His eyes were bluer than the calmest sea. He had freckles across his nose. Probably across his cheeks too, but they were hidden under a well-trimmed beard that had Cody’s hands itching to touch.
The stranger seemed just as enamored with him, which made Cody feel better. At least he wasn’t ogling a stranger who wasn’t at least a little interested.
Finally, the man let out a breathy laugh and smiled. The corners of his eyes crinkled just a bit and Cody really, really wanted to kiss them.
“I’m very balanced now. You can let go,” he said, still smiling.
“What?”
“My arm, dear, you have a hold of my arm.”
Cody blinked a few times before realizing that he was, in fact, still holding tightly to the stranger’s elbow. “Shit. Sorry. I’m Cody, by the way.”
Okay, so his fake name wasn’t super original or different from his real name, but Fox still insisted he use it on any aruetiise until they could gauge their intent. Fox was the most paranoid one of the bunch, which only got worse when he became head of the Royal Guard.
“Ben,” the stranger said back.
Ben. What a nice name, Ben.
The moment was ruined by one of his idiot brothers letting out a loud whistle.
Ben blushed and peeked behind him. “Should I let you get back to your group?” he asked.
“Actually,” Cody said, “I think I’d rather spend some time with you. Is that okay?” Did that sound smooth? It sounded smooth in his head. Did it sound smooth when he said it out loud?
“Get it, Kote!” Gregor shouted, once more ruining the mood.
Cody groaned. “Sorry. Sorry, that was stupid. Ignore them. Ignore me. I’m just going to go.”
He turned to rush out the door before he could ruin his pride anymore.
A hand caught him on the elbow. “I never gave you an answer,” Ben said.
“What?” Cody paused and turned back to him.
“You asked if it was okay if you could spend some time with me. I never gave you an answer.”
Ben’s hand felt warm on his elbow. Cody’s mouth felt very dry and for a second, it seemed as though they were the only two people in the bar. In the world. Hell, even the universe. All he could focus on was Ben.
“Oh?” That was all Cody’s stupid mouth could say.
“I would like to spend some more time with you,” Ben answered, smiling at him once more.
Someone else let out a loud whistle and both of them flinched.
“Er, though, maybe not where we have such an invested audience,” he said. “I know a small café that’s open late that’s just down the block. Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah. That’s… that’s okay with me,” Cody said. Get it together, man! You’re the mand’alor! You should be able to flirt!
Normally he was a pretty good flirt. But something about Ben made his heart stutter and his brain stop working.
“Great, I’ll lead the way,” Ben said, beaming at him.
Ka’ra, he was like the sun. A beautiful, bright sun.
Without releasing his elbow, Ben pulled him out of the dingy bar and out onto the street. It was cool out. And still early enough in the evening that the streets weren’t flooded with drunkards stumbling their way to bars or hotels.
“Pardon the cheesy line, but what’s a man like you doing in a place like this?” Ben asked.
Cody laughed. “I think that should be my line. I’m here for work. Those other guys were family members. Mostly brothers, a few cousins.”
“The genes are strong in your family,” Ben said.
Cody glanced at him once more. He wondered how strong the genes were in Ben’s family. Did that auburn hair pop up often, or was it only Ben? Were his eyes the bluest in his family? Did all of them have freckles across their nose and cheeks like stars dotting the sky?
“What about you? Do you live around here or…” If he lived around here, then Cody would know where to find him again. And again. And again.
“Ah, no. Just passing through, I’m afraid.”
Damn.
No, no. There was still hope. After all, maybe Ben was passing through and going closer to Mandalore. Or Mandalore itself. Cody would be the luckiest man alive if that was the case.
The café Ben took him to was quiet with quite possibly the most robust selection of teas Cody had ever seen.
“I didn’t even know there were so many types,” he said, staring open-mouthed at the astronomical list.
Ben blushed again. “I’m a bit of a tea connoisseur, I’m afraid. One of my only vices.”
“Tea is a vice?”
“Anything can be a vice, dear.” The way he said those words sent shivers up Cody’s spine.
“I know nothing about tea, so I’ll trust your judgment.” He took Ben’s hand in his and gave it a squeeze.
Ben squeezed back. “I would be honored to pick your tea for the evening, good sir.”
Ben had picked for them some sort of fruity, earthy blend that wasn’t the worst thing Cody had ever tasted. He couldn’t complain, though. His drink of choice as of late was burnt, bitter caf chugged down at an alarming rate to keep up with the work. Besides, he’d drink just about anything if it meant he could keep talking to Ben.
The man was fascinating. He had been to so many planets and seemed to have a love for learning about other cultures and people. Cody sat there, chin propped up in his hand, listening as Ben gesticulated wildly, barely touching his tea and scone, talking about some tribe of little bears on some out-of-the-way planet that lived in treehouses.
“Absolutely fascinating the way they’ve built their societies,” Ben said. “They’re very small and aren’t designed to climb. But because of the predators in the forest, they’ve developed the tools to create whole civilizations in the tree canopy. One could probably go their whole lives without ever needing to touch the ground!”
He had to be a researcher of some type. He seemed like the kind. Maybe a professor at a university. He’d be a good teacher. Cody kept meaning to ask him what he did for a living, but Ben kept up the lectures. Who was Cody to interrupt something that so clearly brought the man joy?
“And then when you get to their gods and goddesses they worship it becomes even more fascinating—is that the time?” Ben asked, eyes finally falling onto a clock behind Cody.
“Hmm?” He turned to see they had been sitting there for almost two hours. Tea had long gone cold. “Shit. It’s getting late.”
“I’m so sorry, Cody. I didn’t mean to ramble on like that. I… I’m sorry I wasn’t a very good conversationalist.”
“No, no, I enjoyed it,” Cody said, eager to ease his mind. “Really, I did. I love learning about other planets. I don’t have time to visit them all so it’s nice hearing about them from someone who had. You’re much more interesting than a stuffy book. To look at anyways.”
Ben blushed once more. “I… oh, this is awfully forward of me, but would you care to go back to my hotel room? I’m leaving tomorrow and I don’t want to say goodbye just yet.”
That lit a fire in Cody’s gut like never before. He beat away images of Ben naked, spread out beneath him on the sheets of his bed before his body had time to react.
“I would love to,” he said.
Ben smiled at him once more. But, it wasn’t like the smile he had given him at the bar. This one was nervous. Almost like it was forced.
Cody put his hand on Ben’s and gave it another squeeze. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. I promise.”
Ben shuddered and nodded. “I know. It’s just, I don’t normally do this sort of thing. And it’s been a while.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t normally do this sort of thing either. And it’s also been a while for me.”
Ben laughed softly. “Oh, you’re a good man, Cody.”
Once more there was something odd about him; the words he spoke, the way he said them.
Before Cody could question him, Ben leaned over the table and pressed his mouth to his. He was warm, and tasted like the tea they had drank earlier. Cody let himself melt into the kiss, kept chaste by the fact that they were still in public.
Ben pulled away first, his pupils blown wide and panting slightly. “I think we should make our way to the hotel. Before we scandalize the rest of the clientele.”
Cody snorted. “If they come to a café after midnight, they shouldn’t expect any decency.”
Ben laughed and stood up. “Come on. It’s not far from here.”
He wasn’t lying. It wasn’t far from the café. Despite them walking to the café hand in hand, and the kiss they had shared, there was a surprising amount of distance between them on the way to the hotel. Cody didn’t question it. Some people needed to gear themselves up for sex, especially if it had been a while. Or maybe Ben was slightly afraid he was inviting a serial killer back to his place. Cody almost made a joke about that to ease the tension, only to realize that joking about being a serial killer may be the exact thing a serial killer would do. And then spent the rest of the walk trying to figure out if a serial killer would stay quiet, or make jokes.
He hadn’t come up with an answer when Ben pulled him into a dingy hotel room that had questionable stains on the carpets and bedding. Cody tried not to wrinkle his nose.
As a Mandalorian, he had been trained to be able to sleep in the shittiest of shitholes, but as a member of the royal family (and now the ruler of Mandalore), he had gotten used to a certain standard of cleanliness. Not everyone was as privileged as him. He had no idea what sort of financial situation Ben was in and didn’t want to come across as rude. It did, however, make him feel slightly guilty about letting Ben pay for the tea and pastries. Next time he’d have to take him somewhere nice.
“Do you want a drink?” Ben asked, pouring two glasses.
“Sure. I didn’t drink much at the bar,” Cody said, taking the glass. He downed it in one go, trying not to think about when the last time those glasses were cleaned. It was strong and burned the back of his throat.
Ben was facing away from him, staring out the window at the glittering city below.
“Hey, are you sure you’re okay with this? I’m not going to be offended if you tell me to leave,” Cody said, stepping forward to put a hand on Ben’s shoulder.
Ben tensed. Then, his shoulders dropped. “Cody, I’m serious. You’re a good man. I can sense it in you. The amount of honor and care you have for other people. You are a good man.”
“Oh, um, thank you?” Was it just him or was it hot in here? No, not like that. Like, actually hot in here. Stuffy. He tugged on the edges of his chest plate. His vision started going spotty. What… what was happening?
Ben turned around and grabbed Cody’s elbows. “Cody, I’m so, so sorry. I really wish there was another way.”
“What?” His tongue felt floppy in his mouth. “What did you do to me?” he slurred. He pitched forward, right into Ben’s body.
Ben practically crumbled underneath his weight, crashing to the floor with a gasp. “Just relax. I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry. I wish things could be different.”
Cody’s vision was completely dark now, but he was still slightly aware of what was going on. Ben grunted and Cody’s body lifted off the ground. But he didn’t feel any hands on him.
He was dropped onto the bed. A warm hand ran itself through his hair. More whispered apologies as he felt someone pick up his arm. The vambrace pulled off. Then the other one.
“I’m sorry, Cody.” The hand was back in his hair, stroking his forehead softly. “You will go to sleep now, and have pleasant dreams.”
“I will,” he muttered, body feeling like a melted candle, “I will go to sleep now, and have pleasant dreams.”
He fought against it. Or tried to at least. The drugs finally took complete hold over him and he lost consciousness.
He woke to the sound of someone angrily pounding at the door.
“What?” He sat up on his elbows, squinting at the bright lights streaming in through the windows. His armor was all still attached. Well, almost all his armor.
Both of his vambraces were missing.
“Shit!” He scrambled out of bed and looked around. There was no sign of Ben or his missing armor pieces anywhere. “That piece of shit stole them!” He snarled.
He slammed the door open. A very angry hotel owner was shouting something about how check out was thirty minutes ago and Cody now owed for another day.
He grabbed the man by the collar and shoved him against the wall. “The man who was staying here, what was his name?”
“I… I don’t know, man. I don’t know, I swear,” the man said, now realizing that Cody was a very legitimate threat who was also very angry.
“How did he pay?”
“Gave me credits. Said his name was Ben Nobi. I've never seen him around here, man. Swear.”
It was probably useless to question the man much more. It was probably a fake name and ‘Ben Nobi’ was more than likely long gone.
“Passing through my ass,” Cody snarled, dropping the hotel keeper and storming outside.
He must have looked terrifying as people practically threw themselves out of his way as he headed toward where their ship was being kept.
“Hey, how was your evening, brother?” Gree asked.
“Let’s go,” Cody said. “Now.”
“Where are your vambraces?” Wolffe asked. He grinned. “Don’t tell me you proposed to that hot redhead. I mean, he was hot, but at least go on a second date.”
Cody whirled to face his brother, towering over him despite the fact that they were the same height. “I said let’s go.”
Wolffe’s smile dropped and he nodded. “Right. Alright. Let’s get out of here.”
The ship left in record time and Cody sat as far away from the rest of his brothers as he could manage, nursing his wounded pride with whatever alcohol they still had left on the ship.
No, it was his pride that was wounded, it was his heart. It wasn’t even the fact that he had stolen his vambraces, it was the fact that he had lied about the connection. Because he felt like he had really connected with the man in a way he hadn’t connected with anyone for a long time. It hurt knowing he was just being used. Had it all been a lie?
“The amount of honor and care you have for other people. You are a good man.”
He seemed so sincere when he said it. And the look in his eyes as Cody succumbed to the drug, apologizing profusely, keeping him from crashing to the ground.
“Hey, is everything okay?” Gregor said once the ship was in hyperspace and on its way back to Mandalore.
“I have terrible taste in men,” Cody grumbled.
Gregor laughed and sat down next to him. “I’m surprised. He seemed like he really liked you too. The way he looked at you like you were a sun.”
“Yeah, well. Now he’s probably got loads of credits from whatever sleemo he managed to pawn the vambraces off to.”
“We can try and track him down.”
Cody shook his head. “Pretty sure he gave me a fake name. Don’t waste your time, Gregor. Just please support me when the Armorer kills me for losing my vambraces.”
“The Armorer and Seventeen are going to team up to kill you.”
He groaned. “Don’t remind me. Think I can borrow yours until I get new ones?”
“In your dreams, Codes.” Gregor bumped against his shoulder.
“Next time I say I don’t want to go out, listen to me,” Cody said.
“Yeah, that’s fair.”
They settled down into silence once more. Cody only hoped that he could get over Ben quickly. He was just passing through. With any luck, he would be heading as far away from Cody as possible. Surely the Ka’ra could grant him that one, small mercy.