This is a companion piece to my story the Duchess Diaries. It takes place during the epilogue of that story. Duchess Satine came to Coruscant to attend Obi-wan Kenobi's funeral. She spent the night after the funeral telling Senator Amidala about her history then in the morning before leaving to go back to Mandalore she decides to stop by the tomb where she meets another mourner... This story will make a lot more sense if you have read the full Duchess Diaries or at least the prologue and epilogue. Also this is the 'nod and wink' version if you would like the 'full on gambit' you'll have to ask for a link ;)
"So you did find your way here." Satine had made her way back to Obi-wan's tomb for one last visit the morning after his funeral.
Clone Commander Cody who had been kneeling a moment before stood to attention at the sound of her voice.
"Please, at ease," She said the words half in jest but he followed the order automatically. She sighed and put a hand on his arm. "No, I just meant, you needn't jump to attention for me."
He looked down at her hand and then into her eyes and relaxed just a fraction. "Sorry, Sir," he winced. "Er, Ma'am, it's a reflex."
She could see the sorrow deep in his eyes. He truly was not the same man as the bounty hunter who had captured her long ago. He was a young man grieving just like she was grieving. He matched her gaze with and intensity that almost made her look away but at the same time it was like a balm to her loneliness. He covered her hand with his and a spark of electricity travelled through her. She suddenly wondered what other emotions this clone was capable of.
"I think he'd be glad that his friends had someone to comfort each other," She breathed.
He looked unsure. "Am I, er, is this a comfort to you, Your Grace?"
She smiled genuinely. "Yes, Cody, you are."
He answered her with a small shy smile and a nod that endeared him to her even more. Then looking around and remembering where they were he took a step back away from her so they were no longer touching.
It surprised her how much of a loss that simple action made her feel and she almost reached out to him again. Instead she mastered herself and asked, "Where will you go from here?"
"Back to the front, this evening." He looked at her warily, knowing her feelings about the war. "But I have a few hours before my transport will be ready."
After a lengthy silence, Cody cleared his throat and then said, "I'd like to escort you back to your shuttle to make sure you get there safely."
She nodded and followed his lead down the hallway to a lift.
When the lift doors closed he pulled off the helmet and jumped right in to a prepared speech. "When I was back on Kamino before this war ever began. I - I used to imagine that I would go on a quest, like... well, like in the old storyholos. I was going to go and find Mandalore's mask and present it to you."
She smiled, "You know our legends?"
Cody nodded.. "I wouldn't have asked for anything in return, just the satisfaction that I had delivered to you what was rightfully yours." He looked away from her embarrassed.
She was enchanted and her voice softened when she spoke, "If you know our legends then you know if you had been the one to find the mask then you would be the rightful ruler or Mandalore."
He shrugged. "I didn't want all that. Not unless," He looked her in the eyes again with a shy smile. "Not unless I could rule beside you."
Was she correct about the signals he was sending her? Maybe it was reliving the memories of her romance with Obi-wan, or how long she had resisted any other man's attention, hoping they would one day be together again. A hope that was now impossible. Maybe it was just the reminder that she was still an attractive woman at her age, worthy of being desired. Whatever it was, Satine's heart began to beat faster and her mind started to wander.
If he'd been a Jedi and could have read her mind at that moment his armor would have probably gotten a lot more uncomfortable. As it was, she realized, they were still in the temple and if any of the Jedi close by were paying attention they were likely to get an inner-eye full. Heat suffused her cheeks.
Cody's breathing was quickening. With or without the force he must have been able to sense her arousal. His fist slammed at the lift controls to hold it in place before he reached out for her.
She beat him to the punch, grabbing the top of his chest plate and pulling him close to crush her mouth against his. His lips were open to her probing and they tasted each other for the first time. His helmet dropped from his hand and rolled away unnoticed. His arms circled her.
She broke away for a breath, melting into his embrace but then straightened up again. "Not here."
Cody took a step back from her and looked around at the cramped lift. "Yeah." he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and smiled. "I can't exactly take you back to the barracks."
Satine giggled. She couldn't remember the last time she had giggled. "My shuttle. I came to Coruscant alone."
"I was escorting you there anyway." His eyes roamed over her while he stepped back toward her. "And I could do an extra security sweep, just to make sure everything's okay for your departure."
"I would feel so much safer knowing you had." She lifted her face for him to kiss her again and he did not disappoint.
Cody seemed to be having trouble keeping his hands off her, even when he reached down to retrieve his helmet from the floor. She had to remind him that they wouldn't be going anywhere as long as the lift was not moving and he restarted it with the press of a button and a grin.
When they exited the lift, he had the benefit of his helmet to cover his expression. Satine had to be much more guarded. She had to look down and cover her face with her hand when Master Shaak Ti walked over to inquire after her.
"Yes, the duchess has just been down to the grave again. I was just escorting her back to her shuttle." Cody spoke for her so she only had to nod.
"That's very good of you, Cody," the Jedi Master nodded. If she sensed anything from either of their minds of their intentions she did not give any sign. "You may or may not have heard that General Skywalker and Padawan Tano apprehended the suspect and that he is now in prison."
"I had heard that, thank you." Satine managed. But Cody had not heard. She had forgotten to tell him.
"That's wonderful news!" Cody's helmet expressed no emotion but his hand found Satine's and squeezed it. Satine thought a blush might have crept up into her cheeks.
Master Shaak Ti's head tilted slightly to the side and a frown creased her noble brow. She had worked a long time among the clones on Kamino and could probably sense their emotions better than anyone. Then a smile of understanding seemed to spread over her face. "It is good for you to comfort each other in this time of sadness. I will not keep you."
What Cody took as permission from one of his Generals, Satine took as an insulting intrusion of privacy and she would have told the Jedi so if Cody had not dragged her forward by their still clenched hands.
"Cody," She said softly through her teeth, hoping to make him slow down and show a little more decorum. "Commander," she said a little louder.
He stopped and turned back to look at her. Then he took off his helmet with his free hand. He was beaming and Satine couldn't help but smile in response. Then he glanced to the right and left and seeing that there was no one close by pulled her into the shadow of a statue of one of the old Masters and kissed her deeply.
She indulged him for a few seconds and then pushed him away gently. "Please Cody, I do have a reputation to uphold." She smiled and touched his face. "We'll get there."
"I'm sorry," he gave her another quick, guilty kiss and then put his helmet back on.
This time instead of grabbing her hand he grabbed her upper arm and practically marched her the next few meters across the courtyard. Satine couldn't help but laugh. He stopped and tilted his helmeted head at her.
"Maybe something between rushing me off to make love to me and marching me to my execution," she whispered.
"But I am rushing you off to make love to you," he whispered back.
She smiled. "But not everyone needs to know that." She took hold of his arm this time as if needing him for support and set a slower pace. Mostly she kept her eyes down occasionally acknowledging beings that they passed on the way to the shuttle bay.
They were both silent until they reached her shuttle and she pressed a button on the comm on her wrist for the ramp to descend. "I told you we'd get here." She allowed him to escort her up the ramp. Then as the ramp was still rising back into place Cody took off his helmet and took her back into his arms.
"There you are, Mistress," a mechanical, female voice interrupted them.
Cody had placed himself between Satine and the droid with blaster drawn before she could blink.
LEP-1K0 raised her arms and squealed.
Satine put her hand on Cody's blaster arm. "It's okay. She's mine. I forgot to mention her."
"You're sure?" the clone still tense took a moment longer before he lowered the blaster and put it away.
"Absolutely sure." Satine slipped around him to see to her bunny droid. "1K0 this is Cody. He's checking that we're safe for our return journey."
1K0 peered apprehensively around her mistress at the clone. "You are ready to go home, Mistress?"
"Soon." Satine patted the droid and stood smiling at Cody. "But right now I need for you to go to the cockpit and power yourself down."
"Power down? But, Mistress, what if you have need of me?"
"I'll be fine, 1K0. Now go please."
"Fine. I will go but I do not know about this blaster wielding clone."
"1K0!"
The bunny droid lingered at the door to the cockpit for a moment and then stated loudly. "I am powering down now."
Satine hit the panel to close the door behind her and laughed.
"Sorry." Cody rubbed the back of his neck again. "I get a little jumpy around clankers."
The duchess crossed the cabin and sat down on the acceleration couch regally. "Then I guess I shouldn't tell you that she was a gift from Count Dooku."
Cody tensed, staring distrustfully at the door to the cockpit.
Satine chuckled. "That was a long time ago before he ever had a reason to have a grudge against me and 1K0 has been a friend and has rescued me from danger more than once."
The clone looked at her disbelieving. Satine smiled at him and patted the couch next to her. He came and sat but still sent glances over at the door between them and the droid.
After a long pause Cody whispered, "I was jealous of him." His voice was so low Satine almost didn't catch the words.
"Him?" she asked.
"The General," he admitted. "I wished I could have been the one to rescue you when you were in distress."
Satine really didn't want to talk about Obi at the moment. She initiated another kiss hoping to silence him. It seemed to work for a while, but then he spoke again.
"Then one of the other troopers started the rumour that the two of you had been lovers, which of course is impossible because he's a Jedi and they don't..."
"Cody," she stopped him and decided to be totally honest. "The General and I were lovers once but it was a long time ago, before he was knighted."
"Before..." before Cody had been born or created or however it is clones come into being.
"And never since we went our separate ways. We both had our lives to live."
He kissed her again before she could say any more, but then he asked, "You miss him?"
"Of course I do. He was a good friend."
Cody nodded, "He was a good General."
"Cody," Satine smiled sincerely at him. "I want you to know that I wouldn't have gone off with just anyone, that you weren't conveniently in the right place at the right time. Or maybe you were I..."
He nodded waiting for her to finish.
"I mean it. I could never compare you to... What I mean to say is that I don't think you're just... You are unique, Cody, and not just unique among your brothers. You are unique among men."
She saw for just a second his face light up. "My Lady," he whispered and then he pulled her into another kiss.
She ran her fingers through his short, thick hair. "Thank you, Cody, for rescuing me."
"Just doing my..." he looked her in the eyes frowning. "Duty."
She could see the turmoil in him. His life was all about duty, loyalty. But was he to be loyal to her now or still to his General.
Satine suddenly felt a bit of moisture on her cheek and quickly tried to brush it away. She didn't know when she had started crying.
He was waiting for orders but she couldn't, wouldn't order him to stay or go.
"You still love him." Cody stood, placing himself at a more proper distance from her.
She dropped her gaze, in not quite a nod. "Perhaps it's too soon."
"I'll just do that security check." He hurried out of the cabin toward the shuttle's small hold and refresher.
A quiet sob escaped her and a few more tears but she didn't want him to see and she knew it wouldn't take him long to check the safety of such a small ship. She stood and straitened herself up the best she could.
Cody brushed past her quickly on the way though the cabin from the hold to the cockpit.
She wanted to say something to him but he didn't give her the time.
He must have looked over the controls and equipment and then she could hear him reanimate her droid.
"You are still here," 1K0 said indignantly.
Cody responded calmly. "The duchess will be ready to leave shortly. You can prime the engines."
"You are not coming with us I hope."
Satine rolled her eyes and gave Cody a small embarrassed smile at her droid's behavior when he returned. But he didn't seem to notice.
He reached down and picked up his helmet from the cabin floor.
"Cody..."
He interrupted her, "Everything appears to be ready for you journey, Your Grace."
"Satine," she said. "My name is Satine."
He finally looked her in the eye again. "I'm a soldier, Ma'am. I don't have any right to..."
"This war won't last forever. Someday..." but she couldn't really promise him anything. "Survive it, Cody. Live and when it's over find some girl and settle down and have babies and," she frowned. "Clones can have..."
He let out a sort laugh which she took as a good sign, "Yes, Ma'am."
She smiled as well. "Then have a dozen of them and name one after me."
"Yes, Ma'am." He smiled.
Satine sighed. "Now I can't let you leave without a token. Isn't that the way it is in the old stories; the knight rides off into battle wearing his lady's colors?" She began to look around the cabin for something but she had no scarves or handkerchiefs in sight. Her eyes fell on a vase of her favorite flowers and she drew one out and turned to face him again. "Take this, with my blessing."
He silently took the flower with his free hand. His other hand still held his helmet.
She reached up and gently traced the scar over his left eye and then before he could object, pulled his face to hers and kissed him one last time.
"My Lady." He whispered like a prayer. "If you ever need..."
She nodded. "I know who to comm."
