Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ben would have been self-conscious of his walk of shame when the Uber dropped him off at his house from Jango’s, but he knew his siblings were dead to the world.

This was confirmed when he walked in the door. Surprisingly, the couch appeared to be near as clean as it was when he left the night prior. Immediately suspicious, Ben crept to Anakin’s room and silently peered through the crack to ensure that his baby brother was indeed sleeping alone. To his utter amazement, he was asleep alone.

‘Huh,’ he thought. ‘Maybe Anakin is more responsible than I gave him credit for.’

Just as he had that thought, he heard a commotion coming from the guest room down the hall. A bleary-eyed Padme exited the room, completely dressed in rumpled clothing. He could only assume she slept in last night's clothes.

Slightly concerned, knowing that she spent the night while not being with Anakin in the morning didn’t mean they hadn’t done anything inappropriate.

However, she met his gaze with a beaming smile, way too bright and alert for someone at this hour.

“Good morning, Mr. Kenobi,” Padme said quietly.

“Mhm,” Ben replied as he gave her the stare down of ‘you will comply and divulge your secrets.’

Apparently unintimidated by his stare, she proceeded to give him a brief tight hug before making her way downstairs. ‘That Padme certainly would have the temperament for politics’, he thought kindly. He had intimidated more than his share of men and women in the service; she is one of the few not to cower.

Whatever. He would get it out of Anakin later. He had yet to be immune to Ben’s stare and would cave quickly.

To be safe, Ben would ensure that she had everything she needed before she left the house. Even if he had to take her to the pharmacy himself. No babies in their immediate future. Ben couldn’t handle another Anakin running around. Especially in this time of change in his life.

He thought about the rapid changes they had all endured these last few months as he made his way to check on Ahsoka. Miracle of miracles, his baby sister was wide awake and playing quietly in her room. At 8, she was quiet and sparingly hyperactive. He was informed by her teachers that she was “anti-social.” That seemed surprising to him until he met the other parents and realized he understood her behavior. He would also be discerning with whom he spent time. He had met a few lovely people that he shared his contact with. However, the rest were vipers with which he had no inclination to spend further time with.

After years of watching his father bring woman after woman into his life with the hopes of one becoming a mother to him and his brother. He had developed a sixth sense that identifies people of concern. He trusted these women but over time he could determine which he should steer clear of, and most importantly, keep Anakin from.

It’s innate in that he can clock someone as they enter the room. This skill has saved his arse many times in his line of work. Being able to note the subtle shift of a person before they stab you, sometimes literally. When he was attending university in the states, he and a few friends went to a diner at 1 in the morning, when a young man entered the establishment. Immediately, Ben’s attention was caught on the man, even though all he had done was walk in. The man walked past Ben and his friends, who were oblivious, and began beating up a man sitting in a booth near the window. The poor guy’s girlfriend was seated between him and the wall of the booth, so, as her boyfriend was getting beaten, she was pushed further into the wall.

The cops happened to walk in and managed to pull the man off of the boyfriend, cuffed him, and removed him from the premises. It was the first time he had truly witnessed violence. His shock must have been obvious on his face as one of the older ladies at the next table began to laugh at him. She told them that they should know better than to be at a diner after midnight and not expect this to happen.

He loved Ahsoka’s mother, she was kind and caring. He immediately clicked with her, and she even managed to connect with Anakin. That was incredible, as Ani had written off anyone after his mom passed.

His sister spotted him, and with a wide grin, ran at Ben’s legs. He tickled her sides as she squealed and tried to escape.

He missed his father and the women, his mom, Shmi, and Ahsoka’s mom, who shaped him. Ani and Soka were the greatest gift they could have given him, and he would do everything to provide them with the best lives.

~*~*~

Approaching the restaurant, Le Diplomate, a playful nod on Ben’s spy moniker, he immediately caught sight of Kal seated outside on the patio. Kal was wearing a form fitted gold three-piece suit with a white undershirt. His hair is in a crew cut, highlighting the strands of gray that made him appear sophisticated.

Ben slowed as he realized that Kal wasn’t alone. As he got closer, he could see the stranger invading Kal’s space, hands flying dramatically as if to drive home the point of their argument. Kal, ever the ori’ramikade, remained upright and calm as he cast a cool glance at the man’s gestures. Kal immediately zeroed in on Ben as soon as he reached the gate surrounding the patio.

Taking advantage of the situation, Kal removed himself from the table and headed towards Ben. In the split second between Kal leaving the table and blocking his view, Ben recognized Jango.

‘What the bloody hell is he doing here?’ He thought. Unconsciously making a face as Kal approached him and commented.

“What’s that face for? Are you not happy to see me?”

“Cheeky bastard,” Ben retorted with a smirk.

“Please, right this way.” Kal said as he led Ben to the table where Jango sat, appearing unruffled by Ben’s appearance, and the altercation with Kal prior to his arrival.

Kal smiled brightly at Jango and retook the seat he had, before gesturing for Ben to take the seat opposite Jango.

“Well, thank you for taking the time to meet with me this morning Jango, perhaps we could catch up tonight. You recently opened a new club, let’s meet there.” Kal smoothly directed Jango while appearing to have given him a choice, despite them all knowing he wasn’t.

Jango smirked and stared Kal down as he unfolded the napkin to place across his lap.

Ben noted that Jango was wearing a black Brioni tailored suit, the top three buttons of his white shirt unbuttoned, and all his suit jacket buttons undone allowing his jacket to lay openly. The shirt did little to hide the musculature of the chest and abdomen Ben showered with appreciation. His hair is artfully styled while wearing a pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses seated atop his head.

Kal, admitting defeat, ignored Jango in favor of giving Ben his full attention.

“It was lovely seeing you at the Organa Gala. It’s been a while since we last spoke in person. How is the family?”

Ben smiled and informed Kal that the kids were doing well. Typical teen hijinks from his brother and the charm of his darling baby sister.

Now that the niceties have been observed, Kal, still ignoring Jango, directed his composed gaze onto Ben. He could hear the slight hum of a disruptor device surrounding their table. Whatever it was that Kal wished to discuss obviously mattered a great deal to him, and Ben would give him his full attention.

“I suppose you want to know why I have brought you here. I recently retired from my position at MANDA to spend time with my husband. Unfortunately, my skills have been needed as of late. You see, my riduur, Jaster, has been Mand’alor for over two decades.” Kal stated as if he hadn’t dropped a nuclear bomb on Ben’s head.

As a professional, Ben maintained his unaffected façade as he gestured for Kal to continue. One thing he did note, however, is that Jango didn’t seem surprised by this knowledge. Due to that, Ben would be researching Jango further.

“I see.” Ben replied.

Kal, the rascal, seemed amused by Ben’s reply, and continued.

“Jaster won the title of Mand’alor fifteen years ago when he defeated Tor Vizsla for the right of the Darksaber. An archaic and fancy sword that has seen better days and has been placed in Mandalore’s History Museum, where it belongs.”

Ben felt a small amount of discomfort with that, as he knew that the sword was stolen from the British Museum of Antiquities over sixty years ago. One look at Kal and he knew this wasn’t worth pursuing.

“The terrorist organization known as Death Watch collapsed at Tor’s death. Since then, the attempts on Jaster’s life have decreased dramatically. That is, until these last few months. We pride ourselves on our security and culture. It hurts my pride to admit it, but in the last month, an assassin had entered our bedroom overnight and was within an inch of murdering Jaster where we slept. Jaster may not have survived had he not had his reflexes.”

Kal swallowed and Ben could see the fear in his eyes. The sight of which caused a shiver to go down Ben’s spine. It was highly concerning when someone of Kal’s caliber was afraid.

“We researched the assassin, his background came back as clear, no criminal convictions, no arrest record, no background of military or special forces. The dental prints revealed his true identity and again, he had no hits. He has no living relatives and didn’t appear to have a connection to Mandalore.”

Kal took a beat, drank some water and began speaking again.

“Jaster wanted to shrug it off. He says it’s an ‘occupational hazard’ and that if he didn’t want to deal with assassins he should have retired. My gut says there is more to it. I am sure that there are traitors in our inner circle. Jaster disagrees and wants nothing to do with this. That stubborn man.”

Kal slightly shook his head with a bittersweet smile in admonishment and amusement of his riduur’s behavior. Curiously, Ben noted a tightening of Jango’s jaw as Kal discussed a traitor. Again, he wondered what the connection was between the three men.

Kal met Ben’s gaze, “I have put together dossiers for the suspected individuals. Additionally, I have all the documentation from the assassin for your review. I need someone outside of our group to identify our traitor. Jaster and I are too close to this and the less I know, the better. We don’t want to tip the traitor off that we are seeking them out. We will provide anything you need to handle this. All your expenses will be covered in your service to the Mandalorian government. In the meanwhile, send me a contract and I will sign off on it. For the sake of security, make the contract as vague as possible.”

Kal pulled a data stick from his inner suit pocket and was in the process of handing it to Ben when Jango swiped it.

Taking it in stride, Kal produced a second data stick and handed it to Ben.

Kal pulled up a tablet and displayed folders titled by individual’s names.

The first was titled, “Walon Vau,” then it was “Montross Lone,”” Adonai Kryze,” “Ursa Wren,” “Jax Eldar,” “Davi’r Awaud,” “Rav Bralor,” and “Vhonte Tervho.”

“Your data drives include dossiers of all of Mandalore’s intelligence on the individuals identified on this tablet. Here’s a quick rundown. It wasn’t discussed officially, but unofficially after Jaster’s exile, there were a sizable portion of Mando’ade Journeyman Protectors that resigned their post to follow him. Walon and Montross were two of those protectors. Walon Vau has been a staunch supporter, he’s a bulldog who is a technical wizard, his words. As such, he serves as the head of technological security and is a member of Jaster’s personal protection detail.

Montross, on the other hand, is steadfast, Jaster’s second. Jaster is affronted that I would even add him to this list. I don’t have anything to support him being a traitor but as he has a high position, I added him. Montross is like Jaster’s brother, they have their spats and tussles, but they always make up. Personally, I don’t have a great relationship with the man. He has never warmed up to me. He seems jealous of me taking Jaster’s attention more than anything. Kara, he’s jealous of anyone that Jaster loves.”

Ben notes that Kal briefly cuts his eyes to Jango, who is sitting up straight with an unaffected mien while his eyes bore a hole into the screen of the tablet. Having noted that Kal had stopped speaking, Jango looked up making eye contact briefly with Ben before looking at Kal. If he hadn’t had years of experience of studying human behavior and micro expressions, he wouldn’t have caught the quick look of love shared between them.

Ben turned his attention back to the tablet so as to give his companions a moment to sort themselves before continuing. He can’t confirm the nature of their relationship, but it isn’t his business.

Hearing a polite cough, Ben raises his head and meets Kal’s eyes. He is centered and Jango is exhibiting an aura of calm assurance that was missing.

“Alright, let’s continue. You know Adonai, and I’m certain that I don’t have anything further to add that you don’t already know.”

Kal laughs lightly while looking at Ben, trying to lighten the mood. Taking the olive branch, Ben joins him with a deep chuckle. Jango appraises him quietly before turning back to the tablet.

‘Interesting,’ Ben thought. Apparently, Jango wasn’t familiar with him and his marriage to Satine. Another thing he noted to bring up to Kal before they left.

“I can see the wheels turning in your head. No, Jango doesn’t know about you and Satine. Most of the suspects do though. Especially because she and Jaster have a public professional relationship. Everyone knows they don’t operate in the same social circles. Satine never disclosed your true background, just the one that was fabricated prior to your nuptials. None of these individuals know your true history and experience. In fact, it is believed that you are as pacifist as Satine. Only Jaster and I know because of my former employment at MANDA and working with you at MI6.”

Ben felt his burden was lessened as an unknown aspect, that he believed would be working against him, was removed.

Checking his watch with a frown, Kal stated, “I’m afraid I don’t have all day so let’s continue a down and dirty history of our remaining suspects. Ursa Wren, she’s a clan head of the Wren clan, and serves on the Mand’alor’s Council. Jax Eldar and Davi’r Awaud also serve on the council, and both are clan heads of clans Eldar and Awaud, respectively. Vhonte has a checkered past as a mercenary and bounty hunter and she’s serving as a member of Jaster’s personal protection detail. As for Rav, she’s clan head of Clan Bralor and serves on the Mand’alor’s Council. She’s also a close ally to Clan Skirata and a personal friend.”

He looks contemplative with that last sentence; Ben can read the conflict on his face as he considers the idea of her being a traitor. Ben suspects that Rav may be more like a sibling than a friend, but it can’t currently be confirmed.

Ben reaches across the table and places his hand over Kal’s with a sincere smile of reassurance. He and Kal aren’t best friends. Hell, they hardly know one another, as has become apparent today. However, Ben trusts his judgment. Every mission they served had an average 92% success rate, unofficially the best record of MI6.

Jango speaks breaking their small moment, “I’ll take half and you can take the remaining four.” He selects four file folders: “Jax Eldar,” “Rav Bralor,” “Davi’r Awaud,” and “Vhonte Tervho.”

Ben nods in agreement; while Kal nods in approval, signaling that this portion of their discussion is settled.

After the tablet has been removed and quickly hidden in Kal’s wardrobe, Ben can hear the disrupter disengage. At Kal’s clap, servers approach and take their orders.

They enjoy a silent but comfortable brunch. Ben would usually partake in La Pêche, consisting of Tito’s Vodka infused with Earl Grey Tea, Peach Liqueur, Lemon Honey Cordial and Orange Bitters. However, since this has become a professional meal, he chose a hot cup of lightly floral tea.

Kal took care of the check, and with a Mandalorian handshake to Ben and a hug with Jango, Kal left the patio and integrated seamlessly into the crowd of people.

Ben turned around and met Jango’s eye. Jango stood at the end of the table, wearing his sunglasses and his suit jacket having been buttoned up. He made to leave as Ben intercepted his path.

“Hello there,” Ben purred.

“Ben, is it?” Jango asked with a raised brow. He maintained an aura of disinterest and haughtiness in his stance.

“Yes. Jango was it?” Ben asked sassily.

It was faint but he saw a slight upturn of his lips into a ghost of a smile.

“Yes. I wasn’t aware that we had any mutual acquaintances, and now I know of at least three. If you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment to make.”

Again, attempting to brush him off, Ben lightly placed his hand on Jango’s arm in passing.

“Are there any other relationships or acquaintances I am missing? It appears that you and Kal are very close, since I now know he is married and due to your differences in age, I think he is a parental figure to you. You know I’ll find out eventually, why don’t you save me some time and just tell me.”

Ben presented his case succinctly.

Jango smirked, leaned in, gave Ben a quick kiss on the mouth.

“You know how and where to contact me. Ret’urcye mhi, Mesh’la.”

Jango quickly turned and strutted to a stretch limo parked across the street, a chauffeur exited the vehicle and opened the rear door for him. He didn’t look back at Ben as Ben watched the limo drive off.

Ben checked his belongings, ensured the security of the data stick, blew out a breath and made his way to his vehicle. What a day.

~*~*~

Chapter Text

He barely focused on the road as he considered everything he had learned. He will reach out to his contacts later this week. In the meantime, he had his own skills in his toolkit.

Pulling into the drive, he noticed a car in his spot. Frowning, he parked alongside it.

As he made his way inside, the culprit was immediately identified as one Quinlan Vos. Mentally sighing, Ben had hoped to have a chance to recharge his social batteries before having to re-enter the headspace needed to engage in social situations. He loved Quin, they trauma-bonded in boarding school.

Ben had come from old money, but his dad was a hippie and had renounced his claim of inheritance. Ben never really understood what had happened between Grandfather, the Count of Serenno, and Father. Grandfather Dooku was always kind, if a little intimidating. He and his father clearly had their differences. Qui-Gon’s mother took off when he was young citing that Dooku was too controlling. She tried to take custody of Qui-Gon, but Dooku won the legal battle. Qui-Gon never really forgave him for it, but something happened before Ben was born that pushed them over the edge that made reconciliation impossible to achieve.

Grandfather paid for Ben’s education despite Qui-Gon’s complaints and sent him to the same boarding school his father and grandfather had attended.

Being a redhead, he was commonly called ginger and all the negative connotations associated. Due to this and his home life, he had trouble connecting with people. Quin was from a nouveau riche family and was immediately ostracized by those who came from old money. They decided to look out for each other in the form of an alliance. However, over time, they began to unravel each other’s layers and made a lasting relationship. Quin was his first boyfriend, they fooled around, and their relationship only ever remained physical. After they left school, Quin ended up in university closer to home in Kiffar, whereas Ben headed to the states for his education. Ben jokingly referred to Quin as a nuisance, but he loved the man platonically.

He hung up his coat on the coat rack near the door and made his way into the family room.

Quin was regaling a tale to his siblings and Ben hoped that it was age appropriate. It was too late for Anakin, but Ahsoka still had time to be spared of the sordid details that Quin had to offer.

“Your brother was completely oblivious to me and my special friend as he made out with..”

“Quinlan Eugene Vos. You will not continue that sentence.”

Quin turned, unabashed and unfazed by Ben’s use of his government name in Ben’s stern, clear tone of voice.

Ben made his way towards his friend in a quick fashion to derail the conversation further.

“Anakin, Ahsoka, my lovely dears, would you please excuse the nuisance and me for just a moment?”

Anakin was thoroughly enjoying everything that was happening, while Ahsoka looked confused and slightly affronted.

After a pointed stare at his brother, Anakin finally ushered their impressionable baby sister from the room.

Arching a brow, his arms folded, Ben asked, “What do you want, Quin?”

Smirking, Quin was proud of himself for his ability to get under Ben’s skin. A talent he had perfected over the years despite Ben’s many attempts to squander that impulse.

“Ben, my dear friend! I was worried about you after you disappeared last night. Your tongue was entrenched in that poor man’s throat, my companion and I feared he’d choke.”

“Ha ha, very funny. Speaking of companions, how was Mr. Super Fucking Hot Guy, what was his name again? Ah yes, Fox. How did you manage to acquire seating in the suite we were in?”

“Well, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

Rolling his eyes, Ben unfolded his arms and gestured for his friend to take a seat on the couch. Sitting next to him, Ben recounted his evening with Jango.

“Yes, Jango took me to his home, and we did dirty, wonderful sexy things to each other all night. It was glorious and that is all I will speak on the subject.”

Quin, with a gleam in his eye, leaned in, “Jango, eh? That wouldn’t happen to be Jango Fett, would it?”

Ben, obvious to his friend’s attempt at nonchalance nodded at him and gestured for Quin to divulge the details of his scandalous evening.

Quin, placing his face in his hand supported with his elbow on his knee, spoke, “Fox, or rather, Fox Fett, and I met at the security conference in Nashville last month. Between you and I, he immediately captured my attention. He played hard to get, but I knew he was interested. We had a fun night and went on our way. Turns out, he lives in the area, and we decided to hook up again. He invited me to his cousin’s club where we went last night. We ended up back at his place. Ben, I think I’m in love.”

He made exaggerated moon eyes at Ben, abruptly causing Ben to laugh. His best friend’s face turned serious, and Ben knew it was more intense than Quin was letting on. The man had always had an allergy to emotions and found it difficult to express them. Ben, having similar issues, knew that this was a large step for his friend to admit even this to him.

“I’m happy for you. I would like to meet him sometime. Did you say they were cousins?”

“Yes, they’re cousins. Long story. That’s literally all he said about it.” Quin stated as he shrugged.

‘Curiouser, and curiouser,’ Ben thought.

Startling back into the moment when Quin clapped his hand loudly together in Ben’s face, Quin smiled as he regained Ben’s attention.

“Where have you been all morning? I visited the munchkins and found them to be unchaperoned. I was surprised that you had granted Anakin the babysitting duties.”

At Ben’s look, Quin quickly added, “honestly, it was past time he should have had this opportunity. The kid’s responsible, and he has better role models than you or I combined.”

Ben wished he could take credit, but he attributed it to Qui-Gon’s childrearing. He didn’t have great female relationships, but he was an excellent father, especially to Anakin. Ben hated not being around more, he wished he had a larger role in his sibling’s lives. He was grateful for that time now; he just hated that it came at the expense of his father’s life. Even Grandfather became more withdrawn after his son’s passing, despite their estranged relationship. Reminding Ben that he needed to take his siblings to visit Grandfather soon. Serenno was on the way to Mandalore, perhaps the kids would benefit from time spent with Grandfather. Force knows that Grandfather wanted to send Anakin and Ahsoka to boarding school but Qui-Gon wouldn’t have it. He wanted his younger children to be “normal,” and stated that Dooku had his perfect grandson in Ben.

“Ben! You’re not paying attention to me! You’re being a terrible host.”

Ben gave Quin a cool glare and gently reminded Quin, “I am not a terrible host, you weren’t invited. If I had invited you, that would be a different story entirely.”

“You wound me!”

Rolling his eyes, Ben commented, “oh so dramatic. Are you quite finished invading my home, or will you be continuing your reign of terror?”

Quin laughed and assented that he would be staying for dinner.

Ben internally groaned, his intense need to know more about Jango Fett would be shelved until a later time. As for now, he would play gracious host.

~*~*~

The next morning found Ben quite tired as he and Quin had indulged in libations late into the early morning hours. He should have known, Quin always stated that Ben had better liquor than he did. Here he thought his friend truly loved him for his companionship, he thought sarcastically.

Checking on the monsters showed that they were still sleeping. Ben made his way to the kitchen and made a complicated coffee from his expensive espresso machine.

He breathed in the heavenly aroma of imported beans and proceeded to take a sip.

“Perfection.” He muttered to himself, wrapping his hands around his mug and holding it close to him as if it were a baby.

He internally groaned as he heard the stomp of feet coming down the stairs. He had hoped for a little more personal time. Then again, he had been neglecting his siblings. Nodding, Ben decided today would be a mandatory funday. Turning to his brother as he entered the kitchen, Ben flashed him a gleeful smile, bordering on feral.

Anakin halted quickly and squinted at Ben as he attempted to discern the face he was making.

“Oh, no. Hard pass.” Anakin declared.

“Oh, yes,” Ben stated. Barely catching Ahsoka as she barreled into him, he made sure not to spill the hot coffee on her.

“My little cretin that I love very much, what do you say about going to the zoo today?” Ben cooed at his baby sister.

Instantly he regretted his decision to get closer as she shrieked in his face.

“Hush please, darling. I haven’t been properly caffeinated.” Ben told her while brushing his hands through her hair. Speaking of which, she needed a hair treatment.

“Anakin dear, would you make toast. I’m going to make pancakes. What do you think, Soka? Chocolate or blueberry?”

“Strawberry!” She shouted.

“Of course, darling.”

~*~*~

Ben had had to muster dozens of soldiers under his command at a moment’s notice. But good Lord, children are nearly impossible. How could Anakin possibly misplace the shoe he just had?

Ahsoka, his darling angel, was seriously damaging his calm.

Ben moved his head back and forth watching them both as he decided where he could help. Nodding, he headed to Anakin and checked under the couch for the shoe that disappeared.

“Aha!” He exclaimed in triumph as he placed it in front of Anakin. Only to look up and see his brother only had one sock. Groaning, he decided to let Anakin handle it as he now had two matching shoes.

Ahsoka was fiddling with her braids as she smoothed her skirt in front of the foyer mirror. His little shadow, always trying to look her best. She had learned from the best, after all. He went to pick up her backpack and ensure it was packed with her uv umbrella, a raincoat, her water bottle, a few coloring books and some colored pencils. Zipping it up, he slipped both straps over her arms and placed it snug against her back. He turned her around and smoothed out her braids and made sure that the clothes looked smooth on the back. She would be disappointed in him if he failed to correct anything that was amiss. Checking her shoes matched and were tied, he lightly bopped her on the nose with his pointer finger causing her to chuckle.

He could hear the shuffling of Anakin and turned to see his brother had matching shoes sans socks, and his backpack stuffed with who knew what.

“Ani, do you have anything that can be construed as a weapon? Now’s the time to remove it.”

It was ridiculous. At security for a baseball game, his friend had portable nail clippers in her purse, forgotten from a girl’s weekend where she had packed the manicure set, and security had her throw out the entire set. They seemed overly concerned about the nail clippers, which seemed to astound him. He had never seen someone tactically use nail clippers to harm or kill a person.

Anakin smacked his backpack over his shoulder and shook his head. As if that was a sufficient way to ensure his pack wasn’t carrying anything concerning.

Deciding it wasn’t worth the hassle, he ushered the kids out of the house and to his car.

Despite the early hours of the day, the traffic was insane.

“Must you take a Sunday drive? It’s Monday for God’s sake!” Ben shouted to the driver in front of him, waving his left hand in a sweeping gesture, who either didn’t notice or care.

Ahsoka giggled in the back seat as she kicked her legs sitting in her car seat.

“You think that’s funny little one?” He smiled softly at her in the rearview mirror.

Anakin looked disinterested as he reminded Ben that it was, in fact, Sunday. He was enraptured with whatever was happening on his phone. Anakin was adamant that he work a job and earn the money to buy the latest Samsung phone. Ben was proud of him for taking initiative to find a way to earn money and save up for it. He had hoped to encourage his brother to continue saving money.

Finally, that young man turned and Ben was able to pass him, only to spot that he was on his phone!

‘Youths,’ he thought in his head. Wait, what did he just think? ‘Good God, I’m old.’

“Ok, where do y’all want to go first? Soka?”

“Giraffes!” At his look, she said, “please.” He chuckled at her. He couldn’t stay mad, she was adorable.

Ben waited to hear from Ani, but he was on his phone. Ben lightly tapped his arm to get his attention. Anakin jerked his head up and looked around.

“What” Anakin barked.

“I asked, where do you want to go first? Your sister has said the giraffes, how about you?”

“Oh, giraffes are fine.” He said, before turning back to his phone. Mentally shrugging, Ben was just happy he answered.

~*~*~

An hour later, Ben was walking through the zoo heading to the safari enclosure with Ahsoka on his shoulders. She wanted to be as tall as the giraffes, and even though Anakin was taller, she was adamant that Ben be the one to carry her.

He felt the light tap of her placing her overpriced specialty cup filled with cherry coke Icee on top of his head.

As they approached the giraffes, she began to wiggle a little. “Calm down dear, we are almost there,” Ben said.

Anakin, who was meandering quietly in their vicinity, had put his phone in his pocket and was looking around. He seemed to be searching for something.

“Padme!” Anakin shouted before he took off running ahead. Where Ben indeed saw Padme with a few of her girl friends at the drink stand.

‘Well, that explains that.’ Ben thought ruefully.

Ahsoka, finally having caught on began to shout for Padme as well.

Ben beelined to them and had to catch Ahsoka before she hit the ground headfirst, as she ran full out to the girl.

Padme rushed to meet her and grabbed her up in a hug. Ahsoka giggling all the while. Ben’s heart felt full at seeing his siblings so happy. Anakin was quietly chatting with a girl, Sabe, he thought was her name, while watching Padme with his sister.

“Padme, lovely to see you.” Ben spoke. “Would you be so kind as to introduce your friends?”

“Of course, Mr. Kenobi. There’s Sabe, Rabe and Yane.” Padme told him diplomatically.

“My dear, as I have told you before, you can call me Ben.” Ben said with a smile.

“Of course, Mr. Kenobi.” The girl cheekily replied.

After speaking with the girls, it was decided that Anakin would join them, and Ben and Ahsoka would catch up at the gift shop in an hour’s time.

“Anakin,” Ben said, drawing his brother’s attention for the first time since they ran into the young ladies.

“Yeah?” Anakin asked.

“Come here dear.” Ben said as he crooked a finger gesturing for Anakin to come closer.

Wrapping his arm around his brother, he turned them to face away from the girls as they spoke with Ahsoka.

“I was hoping we could have a day together, but I was also young and enamored once. Be on your best behavior, have fun, and we will meet up later,” Ben said while slipping a $50 dollar bill in Anakin’s hand. He winked and told Anakin, “Be sure to spoil your girl.”

After managing to disentangle Ahsoka from Padme, they waved farewell and proceeded the see the giraffes. He took great joy in seeing her face light up upon watching the majestic giants easily chew leaves taken from the tree in their enclosure. These were the moments he missed with Anakin, but he would be damned to miss Ahsoka’s.

After her admiration of the giraffe’s, she dragged him to the kid’s play place where she could sit on a giraffe statue while he took candid photos of her. He had to stifle a laugh when his sister shoved her hand into the face of another girl trying to climb up.

“Soka darling, no. Come down, let’s go.” He looked to the girl’s mom, who similarly appeared amused, and apologized for her behavior. “Soka, please apologize to the girl you hurt.”

She looked up at him with full sincerity and apologized. “No silly girl, apologize to her.”

She pouted but turned and made intense eye contact as she apologized for shoving her in the face.

The little girl, wearing a turban that matched her mother’s, graciously accepted the apology after checking with her mom.

“Hi, I’m Ben and this is my sister Ahsoka. Thank you for being gracious. She’s old enough to know better.” He said with a stern look at her sheepish face.

“It’s alright.” The mother said, chuckling. “My daughter, Bariss, can be just as callous. Girls, perhaps you both could play nicely together while Ben and I speak?”

At their nod, the girls fled, acting as if they had been friends forever. Children were so strange. He thought that adults could learn a lot from them regarding social interactions; at the ease with which they accepted the other without further conflict.

Turning back to Bariss’ mom, he gestured to an open bench under a nearby tree.

“I’m Luminara, but you can call me Lumi. I have seen you around the school a few times. Ahsoka and Bariss aren’t in the same classes, but it never hurts to make a friend.” She twisted her fingers as she looked down into her lap, “my dear Bariss has been having difficulty making friends in her classes. Maybe we could have a few play dates with the girls?”

Ben nodded, “of course, we can do that.” He assured as he turned to see the two girls approaching another girl on the tortoise. Recognizing that mischievous expression, he excused himself and sped his way over to grab his sister before proceeding with whatever plan she had in mind. He herded Bariss to her mom as he held Ahsoka on his hip. Ahsoka pouted at him as he quietly scolded her.

“Ahsoka, what were you thinking?” He asked sternly.

“Bariss was sitting with me and that girl said a rude thing about her turban. I was just gonna talk to her, I promise.” She told him earnestly while she had her fingers crossed behind her back.

“My dear, we don’t assault people, verbal or otherwise. You should have told Bariss’ mom or me. Come, let’s talk to Lumi about this.”

As he approached, Lumi was standing while glaring at a woman across the play place from them.

He deposited Bariss in her hold as he looked at the woman.

“Who is she? Is she one of the parents at the school?” Ben asked Lumi.

“Yes.” Lumi stated succinctly.

‘Ok then,’ Ben thought.

“Come on Soka, let’s move onto the lions. Lumi, would you and Bariss like to accompany us?”

She smiled slightly as she gathered hers and Bariss’ bags. He took one of them as he ensured his baby sister was unharmed and unruffled. She had put her backpack back on and grabbed Bariss’ hand as they moved toward the lion enclosure. He loved her big heart and the empathy she exhibited. He was proud of his fierce little sister.

He and Soka stayed with Bariss and Lumi until they had to meet Anakin at the gift shop. They exchanged numbers and a tentative time for the girls to spend time together at the space museum.

Anakin was staring at them as he impatiently waited. Ben had to admit he was surprised his brother hadn’t left with Padme, but he was glad.

When they arrived home he engaged his siblings into a game of Super Smash Bros on the Switch. He was losing horrendously but he couldn’t care less, he loved having this time with them to just be siblings with friendly competition, roasting and pizza.

Chapter Text

Entering his study, he booted up his computer and gathered the usb drive that Kal provided. As soon as it started, he plugged it in and ran a few scans, one of which was malware. It wasn’t that he thought Kal would plant anything, he was being cautious.

After everything came back clean, he connected to the files and ran through them.

Starting with Walon Vau, he discovered that Walon was born as the son of a Count in Irmenu, a small country, and was exiled following an affair with a princess. Following his exile, he fell off the face of the Earth for a few years before he was registered with the Bounty Hunter Guild. Records indicated that he joined the Haat’ade shortly after. He has no outstanding debts, hasn’t married nor has any children by any means, as far as records show.

Reviewing the Mand’alor’s files, he found that he has an exemplary record of successful hunts utilizing his technical skills. He was top ranked in his training courses across the board. Since his inception to the Haat’ade, he hasn’t had any contact with his home country, nor does his home country have any trading relations with Mandalore or any of its territories. He has a loyal striil named Lord Mirdalan that he trained and is considered to be his greatest love.

As Kal stated, Walon considers himself to be a “tech wizard,” and has significant influence on the Mand’alor’s technological security and defense. If he were implicated in being a spy or mole, the only avenue Ben could conclude would be if he were taking bribes. Ben doesn’t know how the last assassin was able to make it into the Mand’alor’s rooms. He should have asked further questions. Overall, his assessment of threat would be low for Walon Vau.

Moving onto Montross Lone, the man is a ghost. There aren’t any birth or census records for Montross Lone in any country. Lone is typically a Mandalorian name but Ben can’t find any records of adoption. It’s as if he appeared from the ether. As of now, there aren’t any records that indicate he has any debts, a spouse or children.

According to the Mand’alor’s files, there isn’t anything about his childhood or home country. Therefore, he has no known family ties. There is a note that there have been a few public verbal disagreements with Jaster about his adopted ad. Interestingly, the adopted ad’s name is redacted. It isn’t indicative of the number of adopted children either. Overall, Ben’s threat assessment for Montross would be high.

Next up is Ursa Wren, she is the youngest Clan Head in the Wren Clan in its long history. Records indicate that Clan Wren has been around since Mandalore’s founding. Ben wasn’t able to find any documentation to assert the rumor; however, if it were true, it would be highly concerning. The rumor is that Clan Wren was rewarded for their part in usurping the Mandalorian government to seat the Taung leader to the throne. Additionally, they have had many defectors in their line over the centuries.

Most notably would be in recent history when Death Watch emerged. Most of the older generations sought to reinstate the Taung’s conquering ways. The younger generations didn’t take part in this endeavor. Ben found records of lost or stolen children that were taken into Death Watch. According to the Mand’alor’s files, following Tor’s death, a majority of those children were recovered but there are still several who are missing. Ben scribbled a note to himself to research further on any Wren children that were unaccounted for. Perhaps his contacts have more knowledge than he does. If they were part of Death Watch, they may show up in other terrorist organizations or affiliated groups.

His heart breaks at the news that Ursa’s parents were the first to side with Tor and Death Watch. Thus, resulting in her being made Clan Head in their absence. Due to her Clan’s history, they are routinely monitored for suspicious activity. The Mand’alor have records that outline the multitude of accomplishments she managed in her time as Clan Head ranging from trial by combat, showcasing cunning strategy, and instilling fierce loyalty of her clan. She also has an exemplary reputation with other clans and no notes of public or private disputes.

Ben doesn’t find any record of debts, personal or of the clan. In fact, their clan’s payment history is excellent.

In her records, she has one spouse, Alrich Wren, and two children, Tristan and Sabine. Tristan is 7 and Sabine is 2.

She has honorably served on the Mand’alor’s Council with impartiality. Her votes tend to vary between old-world and new-world values. Her most recent vote was unprecedented as she voted ‘aye’ for a measure to interfere with clan spats that were responsible for the decimation of Clans resulting in orphans. It was unprecedented in that, the old-world values strictly state that the Mand’alor and his Councilmembers are not permitted to insinuate themselves between clans unless one party has approached for intermediation or reconciliation. Ben scribbled another note about clan spats and decimation. The footnote to the measure states that there was recent activity and was added as a key issue in a special session. What had occurred that would prompt the Council to take legal action? He would need to research how widespread this was.

Overall, despite her numerous accomplishments, Ben’s threat assessment is moderate. There are too many unknown factors, and her voting record is note-worthy.

Finally, Ben opens the personal file he has on Adonai Kryze.

Adonai was born into the royal Kryze family on Kalevala, his early years were under the tutelage of the clan and house Kryze. They weren’t radicalized but they weren’t pacifists, as they encouraged self-reliance and defense. They honored the Resol’nare, including beskar’gam. The unspoken truth was that they lorded over all clans on Kalevala.

Kryze was raised as the heir, he became the warlord of Kalevala, eventually spreading his influence into nearby states. He couldn’t outmaneuver Tor, so he joined him in Death Watch. However, after Bo-Katan’s abduction, he publicly renounced any affiliation with house Vizsla. Despite this, and his positive relationship with Jaster Mereel, he never officially promoted him.

After his public and volatile separation from Death Watch, he proposed pacifism. He could still be warlord and make himself an important leader outspoken against Vizsla. He wouldn’t join Vizsla, but he wouldn’t actively take up arms against him.

He was married twice, widowed both times, and had three children. His first spouse was Nova Draxen, she was the mother of his oldest and only son, Dren. She was of clan Varad. There was a scandal because he was a nobleman, and she came from a lesser house that had long ties to Mandalore. However, it was smoothed over as she was a “true blooded” Mandalorian, an important attribute. Clan Varad had the reputation of being one of the most combative clans in Mandalorian history. As such, when she was called to rally her clan, she died in a skirmish early in the clan wars.

His second spouse, Socrata Tenau, was the mother of Satine and Bo-Katan, and she descended from clan Tenau. Clan Tenau had ties to all three factions during the clan wars. Her marriage to Adonai was formally approved by her parents and the noblemen of Kalevala. She was also considered to be a “true blooded” Mandalorian. She died in labor with Bo-Katan.

His children, Dren, Satine and Bo-Katan. Dren was the oldest, and as the son, he was heir apparent until he was murdered by Tor Vizsla. It’s rumored that Tor killed him as a warning to Bo-Katan of what would happen to his enemies. He was married and had one son, Korkie Kryze. Satine was devastated by his murder; whereas Bo considered his death justified as she perceived him as weak.

Satine was the middle child and spare heir. She was sent to Coruscant in her youth to study Republic history and politics. Of all of Adonai’s children, she was the most outspoken supporter of pacifism. She refused to wear armor and all forms of violence. Satine is his successor; she has learned from her father’s choices and pledged herself and her house to the Mand’alor.

Bo-Katan was the youngest, she was taken by Death Watch at the height of their reign and indoctrinated by the time she was 10. Her faith in Death Watch was reinforced with Dren’s murder. Since Tor’s death, she has been in and out of private rehabilitation facilities working on cult de-escalation. If it hadn’t been for her father’s wealth and influence, she would have died with her fellow Death Watch members when they committed mass suicides following Tor’s defeat or ended up in prison for war crimes.

He is currently retired, playing house with his remaining family and acting as if he was never a warlord.

He never officially supported the Mand’alor, even after Satin’s pledge. His clan has a long history of debts with other clans, but it is well leveraged. His personal accounts appear squeaky clean but, as far as Ben knows, which is corroborated by the Mand’alor’s files, there isn’t any definitive bribery or suspicious activity. His greatest weakness would be Bo-Katan. He has shown how far he is willing to stretch himself and his resources for her well-being. Ben doesn’t know where she is currently residing, but he will take note of any activity on her whereabouts. Ben doesn’t note any other affiliations or areas of concern, but he would still classify Adonai as a moderate threat.

Taking a deep breath, Ben calms his mind and racing heart as he begins researching Jango. Of course, he knew the name. Jango appeared suddenly as an entrepreneur and playboy about twenty years ago at the age of twenty. His life has been publicized since and appears to be well off.

Based on the sparse documents in the Mand’alor’s files, he is able to determine that Jango was born on Concord Dawn, has an older sister, Arla, and comes from a long line of Fett’s. There is a note that Fett’s were originally spelled as Vhett, their history is cemented from the inception of Mandalore. They were the original leaders of Concord Dawn when it was annexed into the Mandalorian empire.

He and his sister are direct descendants of Cassus Fett who was famous for fighting alongside Mand’alor the Ultimate.

His father was a Journeyman Protector that was murdered along with his wife during the clan wars. It appears that Jango and Arla were orphaned and their whereabouts are unknown until twenty years ago.

Ben sees records recently added of other Fett’s discovered living in Concord Dawn in the last fifteen years. One of the recently entered records is titled Cassus Fett. At first, he assumed it was about their distant ancestor, but his curiosity gets the best of him.

Cassus Fett was Jango and Arla’s paternal uncle and is shockingly listed as the biological father of twenty children with ten women. He notices that there are records with twenty names, one is titled as “Fox Fett,” who Ben assumes is Quin’s paramour.

He can’t find any records tying Jango and Arla to Cassus following the death of their parents. Based on that, he concludes that it is unlikely that they were raised by their uncle.

After a quick internet search, he found numerous news articles depicting his many successful businesses. He is a well-known angel investor and owns and operates multiple night clubs in and around Washington, D.C. His sister lives in a modest area with her husband and three kids.

Ben can’t find any mention of where Jango came into his wealth, as it is inferred that his family were farmers and didn’t come from money. Ben doesn’t note any financial discrepancies; he has several significant debts with various companies and lives a lavish lifestyle.

There aren’t any records of spouses or children, and he has no apparent ties to Mandalore itself. In fact, between the ages of twelve and twenty, there aren’t any records of education or proof of residency. Ben finds this highly suspicious. Someone has scrubbed any records of Jango and Arla during that time and he doesn’t understand why. Based on Jango and Kal’s behavior, Ben can presume that Jango isn’t another suspect.

He compiles a list of outstanding questions and sends them to his various contacts for further clarification, apart from Jango and Arla. He will talk to Jango directly.

Backing out of everything, removing the usb of Mand’alor files, and clearing his computer, he pulls out his phone.

He presses call and Jango answers on the second ring.

“Took you long enough Mesh’la.” Jango says with an apparent smirk in his voice.

“Do you have time to meet later today?” Ben calmly asks, before amending himself.

“We can discuss all that we found together in person.” Yeah, that was smooth.

“Sure. I am available all night. Come by when you can.” Jango says before the call ends.

Ben takes a few deep breaths to compose himself before he leaves his office to find his siblings to sort out arrangements.