Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hello Dungeon Divers! Check it out! I’m at the scene of the new gate here in Korda City in a lovely little place called Sector 6, where the famous Korda-6 outbreak took place! What happened was soooo fucked up and the Guild that was looking after the gate were busy fighting each other while–” The obnoxious, high-pitched commentary of the streamer faded in the background as the flashing of cameras started around Cody.

“I hate when we have a crowd,” Wolffe grumbled from where he stood next to Cody, battle-axe leaning against his leg as Wolffe’s eyes swept over the crowd. “Got nothing better to do.”

“Just smile and wave Wolffe, gotta make sure they get your good side,” Bly called out as he walked past the pair. The faint sound of a woman’s laugh emitted from the phone held to his ear, must be the mystery girlfriend that Bly thought he was so slick about. Cody snorted as Bly’s face dropped when the call ended, shaking his head at his brother’s sappiness.

Someone must have leaked the intel that the Beskar’ta Guild had mobilised as soon as the energy output around the city started to shift, signalling the formation of a new dungeon gate. Cody’s sure that buir and ba’vodu Silas were already hot on the heels of the leaker, but truthfully any hunter worth their salt would know that Korda-6 was the dungeon that led to the decline and eventual disbandment of the Haat Mando’ade Guild.

Cody sighed, tempted to flip the bird on the reporters that were busy trying to ask him questions as the Guild Leader, but a black car rolling down the road and parking right next to their own vehicles caught his attention. It looked official, and Cody narrowed his eyes as he watched the car door open.

It took a moment for Cody to realise that since the dungeon was unexplored, agents of the Hunter Association would be coming to do an assessment to determine the dungeon’s rating. It was standard procedure for all new dungeons as the government agency that oversaw hunters, but they were there first! 

“Fuuuuuck. It’s the Hunter Association, I forgot that they have to do an assessment,” Cody heard Fox hiss as he stabbed his sword onto the ground. A chastisement about dulling the blade was on the tip of his tongue, but it died down as Cody watched the most beautiful man he knew step out of the car.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Hunter Association mage that Cody knew well. Not to the point that Cody would call them the best of friends, but they were more than just passing acquaintances. After all, Obi-Wan had been present the day the Association had given Cody his Guild license and recognised Beskar’ta as an official Guild. It had been his soft words of congratulations, paired with a genuine smile, that stole Cody’s heart from day one.

It was rare to see Obi-Wan out of the plain suit that Association staff members wore on a day-to-day basis. Instead, the mage was dressed in beige robes with a wide belt tied around his waist that housed a few bottles and a small grimoire. Adorning his legs and forearms were cream-white leather armour pieces - not Cody’s first pick, but sufficient enough for most mages. Trailing behind him was a large case with the Hunter Association emblem plastered on the lid. It was locked tight, and hovered just behind him. 

Levitation magic, convenient. 

“Apologies for being late! Traffic is horrendous at this time of day. It’s good to see you, Commander Cody.” Obi-Wan held his hand out to shake, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes at the use of Cody’s title. 

“Obi-Wan, likewise. We’re just about to do a pre-entry huddle,” Cody informed Obi-Wan, who simply nodded. “Anakin not with you?” he asked, brows furrowed slightly.

Obi-Wan’s smile turned apologetic, “Unfortunately, Anakin reported he was quite ill as I was enroute to Korda City, so I will need a partner for the day to keep an eye on the reporting.”

“I’ll help,” Cody shrugged. He had a knack for paperwork and logistics from his childhood helping the Haat Mando’ade before their disbandment. It was why he was unanimously voted as the leader by his brothers and cousins.

“Thank you, my dear,” Obi-Wan beamed, looking up at Cody patiently. A faint flush settled on Cody’s cheeks as he cleared his throat, turning towards where the other Guild members were waiting. 

Judging by their shark-like looks, he’d been caught. Damn. 

“Hunters!” He amplified his voice using mana, smirking slightly as the noise of the reporters and crowd died down to pay attention to him.

“We’re diving into an unexplored dungeon, keep your senses sharp and watch each other’s sixes. We have no idea what’s in store for us - standard post-entry checklist to be followed as soon as possible. Today, we have a representative of the Hunter Association here to assess the dungeon. Behave, or else I’ll tell Jas’ba’buir.” A ripple of laughter washed over his Guild, and even Obi-Wan let out a soft laugh at his threat. Cody’s eyes wandered across the assembled Guild, eager grins on their faces that Cody mirrored. “Let’s hunt! Oya!”

“ Oya! ”

The resounding roar had the media in a frenzy, the crowd cheering as the Beskar’ta Guild finalised their preparations and put on their helmets. The HUD flashed to life, overlay dimming slightly before adjusting to his preferred brightness. Pressing a button on the side of his helmet, Cody started the camera recording.

“Beskar’ta Guild Leader and exploration team Commander Cody Fett, recording entry to the new dungeon that appeared in Korda City, Sector 6 at 03:37 Taungsday. Recording party members: Hunter Association Agent Obi-Wan Kenobi. Beskar’ta Guild members Fox Fett, Bly Fett, Wolffe Fett, Rex Fett…” Cody listed all the names of those present, committing them to memory in case remembrances would need to be made. “Entry recorded at 10:30.”

Rolling his shoulders, Cody ensured his sword and daggers were fastened on his body correctly before he stepped into the gate, letting the bright light wash over him.

Chapter Text

Stepping through a gate - essentially entering an alternate dimension - always had some side effects. Hunters have posted on forums online to describe the peculiar sensation. 

Most reports recall the feeling of their body being stretched out like a rubber band before snapping back into place, others describe awareness of every single nerve of their body, or it even triggers a strong fight or flight response in some. It was a good way of weeding out hunters with a weak disposition, who would end up becoming a liability in the dungeon.

To Cody, it sometimes felt like his soul was violently suplexed back into his body. 

It used to happen one in every three dungeons, nowadays it’s one out of a dozen. It was just unfortunate that this was the twelfth dungeon out of a lucky streak of eleven. Queasiness aside, all his limbs and appendages survived the trip, and the rest of his Guild seem to be recovering well.

Rummaging through his belt pockets, Cody pulled out his compass and brought it to eye-level, clicking his tongue as he watched the needle spin rapidly.

“Look alive boys! It’s one of the weird dungeons!” he called out to the others, only to be met with a chorus of complaints and groans. 

Despite his calling it a ‘weird’ dungeon, the landscape was gorgeous. The portal they went through was situated at the top of a hill and gave Cody a good vantage point to survey his surroundings. 

A vast, mauve-coloured sky stretched out above them, without a cloud in sight. Squinting, it took Cody a moment to realise that there was no sun or an obvious source of light. The whole sky seemed to be glowing, but none of his equipment had an adverse reaction. 

To the left of his view was a mountain with little rivers that– no… not water, it looked solid, perhaps metallic. Cody’s heart leapt to his throat at the possibility that they had discovered another dungeon with beskar. Directly in the centre of his view was a dense forest that seemed to sparkle every time he turned his head. Was it crystalline leaves or magic? Cody hadn’t heard of this type of phenomena happening in other dungeons, that might be something Jas’ba’buir would be interested in. 

Movement in Cody’s periphery drew his attention, his eyes landing on Obi-Wan, who seemed fixated on something in the distance. Following the mage’s gaze, Cody spotted a ruined structure just beyond the forest’s edge. 

“What do you reckon that is? Don’t tell me that’s a dungeon within a dungeon. I heard they suck,” Cody groaned. Though double dungeons were rare, they were a whole other league with a high fatality rate, and that’s the last thing that any Guild leader wanted on their shoulders.

“Possibly, but I’m not feeling any malicious magical energy. Double dungeons tend to have a distinct feel to them,” Obi-Wan hummed as he started fiddling with the latches on the case he brought in with him. Cody noted down Obi-Wan’s words and watched silently as the box opened, peering over Obi-Wan’s shoulder at the contents.

Inside were a dozen metallic, palm-sized orbs fitted with sensors, letting out a shrill beep when Obi-Wan turned on the laptop that was also inside. The orbs slowly levitated out of the case, floating above Obi-Wan’s head in a circle.  

“Commander Cody, what is your Guild procedure for unknown dungeon exploration?” Obi-Wan asked Cody, fingers flying over the laptop’s keyboard. 

“Standard protocol is to move in small groups to cover as much ground as possible, minimum of two and maximum of four, but the headcount is also dependent on the dungeon conditions. Engage in combat only when necessary, surveillance is key. Once layout and monster population is determined, a report is written up and reviewed by other Guild members.” Cody paused, trying to recall the last time he had been part of an exploration team. “Most of the dungeons that Beskar’ta own have been with our Guild for a while or were purchased, so we knew the inside of the dungeon before entering. This would be my first exploration of an unknown dungeon,” he admitted.

His lack of experience didn’t seem to concern Obi-Wan. Instead, the thoroughness seemed to please him. 

“Thank you Commander, would you be able to gather everyone? I’ve just finished programming the spheres with their tasks, all that’s left is to distribute them amongst the teams,” Obi-Wan instructed as he closed the laptop and tucked it inside the case. With a wave of his hand, the case had locked itself back up, the Association symbol glowing faintly before returning to normal.

Cody banged his gauntlet against his chestplate, drawing everyone’s attention. He made a quick motion with his hand, signalling everyone to fall in place. Obi-Wan paused to take in the rapt attention before speaking.

“These are called survey-spheres. They were created to take readings of the dungeon: significant changes in energy output; scanning samples of plant-life and any monsters that one might encounter here; recording environmental data. These will all be uploaded to the datapad I have here. As Commander Cody had wonderfully explained Beskar’ta’s methodology, I believe it would be beneficial for each team to have an orb accompany them. Please think of it as a stubborn bird that insists on following you.” 

Obi-Wan’s explanation drew a few chuckles, before he continued on. “I am here to ensure that this dungeon is properly analysed, so that all Guild activities within the gate can be done safely.”

The majority seem to be content with the explanation, though Cody spotted Wolffe and Fox scowling at the notion of being monitored. Clapping his hands to draw everyone’s attention, Cody cleared his throat before speaking.

“Alright! Get into pairs, I don’t care who gets with who but no one will be bitten in this exploration. Before anyone asks, I specifically mean Guild members biting each other.” Cody glared at Fives, who had raised his hand to ask for clarification, only because Wolffe had bitten him in a previous raid when a monster had inflicted confusion upon the party.

Another round of laughter and playful shoving ensued, but soon enough everyone got into their little groups and approached Obi-Wan to receive their own orb before heading deeper into the dungeon. 

“Sorry about that, they’re not usually this rowdy,” Cody apologised, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

“Oh, please don’t worry about that. I’ve met plenty of Guilds who lack a great deal of decorum. You’ve certainly got a good handle on them Commander,” Obi-Wan praised. “I believe everyone else headed towards the forest and mountain range. Shall we start making our way towards the temple?”

After a quick moment of consideration, Cody swept his arm towards the direction of the temple with a flourish, head tipped towards Obi-Wan. “After you.” 

The action caught Obi-Wan off-guard, a laugh startling past his lips before he composed himself. “If you insist Commander, but do try to keep up. You’ll find that I’m quite eager when something catches my interest,” Obi-Wan warned, though Cody could hear the amusement in his voice as the mage swept past him with a swish of brown robes.

“You must have been inside hundreds of dungeons as part of the Association,” Cody spoke, kicking a fallen log out of their path. “Does it ever get boring?”

They were close to the temple, the journey quicker than Cody had roughly estimated when they first got their bearings in the dungeon. Brightly-coloured leaves adorned the trees on either side of them, the remnants of a worn, cracked path under their feet leading them forwards. There was no sunlight streaming between the branches, but the soft glow of the sky made a golden halo out of Obi-Wan’s copper hair.

“Never. Two dungeons may have the same enemy composition and terrain, but even minute differences in the environs could shape how a battle plays out or the tactics monsters may use against hunters. And for the record,” Obi-Wan paused, smirking towards Cody, “I’m not that old that I could claim as having visited hundreds of dungeons.” 

“I do apologise for the implication,” Cody said smoothly, unable to keep himself from grinning. “I’m merely calling you experienced.”

“If you say so, Commander,” Obi-Wan hummed, hands clasped behind his back as he walked. 

Cody pursed his lips, opening his mouth to protest against the title before hesitating. “You don’t have to call me Commander. I know that you’re here on official business, but you can just call me Cody.” He mumbled the last sentence, glad that his helmet was hiding the heat rising to his cheeks.

“Cody, then.” Obi-Wan smiled. “I do apologise for the formality, it’s a habit that I can’t quite shake off even in the presence of such fine company. How is your grandfather these days? I heard that he’s published another academic paper that had a friend of mine at the university quite excited.”

Hearing about his ba’buir always brought a smile to Cody’s face. Sure, his buir was his own powerhouse of a hunter, but Jaster Mereel was a once-in-a-generation hunter that had brought the Haat’Mando’ade Guild to the top of the world, until a betrayal had caused it all to crash and burn. The Guild couldn’t recover from the damage to their reputation and numbers, so Jango had disbanded it with Jaster’s blessing.

He remembered finding old shoeboxes of newspaper clippings and clips online of their feats when he was younger, when the Guild was steadily declining. Cody had a taste of the golden days, and yearned for it even when it lost its luster. Beskar’ta was Cody’s desire to continue on the legacy Jaster and Jango had built and tried to preserve.

“Madame Jocasta Nu right? Ba’buir walked the line between scholar and hunter well. I’ll tell him you said hi, or you can visit the Beskar’ta HQ to say hello yourself. He’s still working hard, even though we tell him he can just let us take the reins,” Cody chuckled, thinking about how Jaster had seen him off in the morning while everyone was rushing to get geared up.

A breeze swept through the pair, carrying fallen leaves down the broken path and into the edge of the forest. As the two stepped out of the trees, Cody’s jaw dropped and he heard Obi-Wan gasp from beside him.

The temple was massive, retaining its grandeur in spite of its dilapidation. White marble walls, weathered by time and the elements, made up the body of the temple. Broken statues line the open courtyard, a bird-like symbol etched onto the cracked ground. Cody could have walked over it to get to the sealed entrance, but something inside him recoiled at the thought of desecrating the symbol with his bootprints. He walked around the symbol instead, following Obi-Wan’s steady gait.

Cody’s fear of the temple being a double dungeon rose in the back of his mind as he watched Obi-Wan approach the doorway. The same symbol from the courtyard etched onto the marble, an electric sensation tingling up Cody’s spine. This temple was sacred, but forgotten.

“Do you feel that, Cody?” Obi-Wan mumbled, palm laid flat against the marble door. Cody noticed Obi-Wan’s voice took on a sonorous tone, tapping into something deeper that shook right into his core. 

“Put your hand on the wall Cody, please.” Obi-Wan whispered, lost in the harmony of the arcane. Obliging Obi-Wan’s request, Cody’s gloved fingers brushed against the smooth marble before pressing flush against it.

Something inside Cody roared, the furious drumbeat of an eternal march setting his blood alight. Too much. Too much . He wrenched his hand away, panting heavily before he realised that the temple door was now wide open. There was a breeze that beckoned him in, something pulling Cody’s feet deeper into the unknown. Glancing at the mage, Cody saw how close Obi-Wan was to him, a hand outstretched towards his face in concern.

“Are you alright, Commander? Have you experienced mana overload?” Obi-Wan’s hand curled around the edge of his helmet, fingers catching the bottom of the armour.

“I’m fine, just experienced something… weird. I’m not quite sure how to describe it.” Cody licked his lips, brows scrunched together as his helmet came off and his eyes adjusted to the light.

“Any dizziness? Nausea?” Obi-Wan asked gently, cold fingers touching Cody’s cheek.

”Nope, right as rain.” Physically, that is. Mentally, he’s trying to puzzle out what the fuck just happened. “I’m good to go.”

Obi-Wan frowned at Cody, eyes going over him three times before he relented. “Alright,” Obi-Wan sighed, “but the second that you feel out of sorts, we’ll exit the dungeon.”

Cody gave a cheeky salute, grinning at Obi-Wan’s eyeroll before following the mage through the temple door.

“Fascinating,” Obi-Wan breathed out, neck craned upwards to survey the high ceiling of the temple. 

While yes, utterly fascinating, this was the fifth time that Obi-Wan had said the word as they ventured deeper.

“Is there going to be a sixth fascinating , or will your vocab list expand as we go further in?” Cody teased, not even bothering to dodge the kick Obi-Wan sent to his calf. If he had aimed a little higher at the back of Cody’s knee, he would have side-stepped it.

”You, my dear, are a hater,” Obi-Wan sniffed haughtily. 

Fair. Cody wasn’t going to profess being a saint - Fox and Wolffe outclassed him in that particular department - but he just smirked in response to the barb. He had opted to leave his helmet off from the earlier episode, so Obi-Wan was able to see the toothy grin Cody wore.

Despite being locked tight, the air didn’t smell or taste stagnant. There was an undercurrent of the arcane that Cody felt tingling his hands, an electric coolness that numbed the tips of his fingers as they walked down the main temple hallway. 

Semi-faded murals covered the walls from floor to ceiling, depicting figures dressed in colourful robes wielding blades of light in scenes ranging from peaceful to violent. Obi-Wan had ventured closer to one mural showing a group with their light blades raised high, pointed towards the same symbol on the doorway. He wore an expression that Cody couldn’t quite puzzle out, almost wistful, with his hands clasped together in front of him.

Cody opened his mouth to call out to Obi-Wan, when a sound reverberated from down the hall, deep and loud enough that Cody felt it in his ribcage. Another beat, and again, until Cody felt it synchronise with his heartbeat. 

“I know you said earlier that you didn’t feel any malicious magical energy from the temple direction, but how about now?” Cody tensed, hand settled on the hilt of his sword. 

Obi-Wan’s eyes snapped to him, confusion clear on his face. Cody looked back in bewilderment at the mage’s relaxed posture, jerking his head towards the source of the sound. 

“Could you not hear it?” he asked, watching as Obi-Wan’s face pinched in concentration. “It’s loud .”

“I can hear something, very faint, but I am noting a large concentration of magical energy down there. Though it isn’t malicious, almost… restless? I can feel it pulsing. What do you hear, Cody?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Drums, I can hear it– feel it. Do you remember when you explained how mana feels for you, how it’s everywhere? Something’s here, and I have no idea why I’m the only one experiencing it. We should get the othe–” Cody’s words caught in his throat as he saw a figure standing a few metres away.

Clad in blue shining armour, navy cloak draped elegantly across broad shoulders, it took Cody a moment to recognise the distinct T-shaped visor that mirrored his own. He held his breath as the figure seemed to regard him, before moving down the hall silently. Cody’s feet moved without him realising, falling into a brisk pace. He belatedly realised that Obi-Wan had called out his name, his footsteps echoing behind him.

The edge of the strange figure’s navy cloak disappeared behind an open door as the beat of the drums grew louder and louder. His mind screamed in caution to follow the dungeon protocol, but something in Cody threw it all out. He was running on pure instinct as he stumbled through the stone archway.

Golden light shone from above, casting an almost divine glow on the statue in the middle of the room. A Mandalorian, the very same one that Cody had seen entering the room. A memorial, perhaps. The drumbeat seemed to emanate from the statue, frantic and thunderous, matching the beat of Cody’s heart thumping in his chest. No– that was him trying to breathe, the air compressing around him. Yet he kept moving forward. Closer, and closer. He reached out, hand trembling, towards the hilt of the sword that the statue held. 

Darkness filled his vision, a storm of stars swirling into existence as drums echoed around him. Voices surrounded him in the void, a chant that had imprinted itself in Cody’s soul from the moment he was born, rallying him around him in an ancient cry as boots marched on.

A blinding light, a pathway formed by stardust, forging the eternal march that he knew would take him away some day. The same figure from earlier appeared once more, silver and blue armour sparkling in the dark, and regarded him.

The last thing Cody heard before he blacked out was a whisper, warm with affection and pride.

“ Kote. ”