Chapter Text
“Rex… Waxer…. Boil…. Echo… Fives…”
Commander Cody checked off every one of his brothers as they entered the ship.
“Jesse… Kix… Mando.”
He looked up after saying the last name. Mando… was a little bit of an outcast, more than Tech, Crosshairs and the other members of the Bad Batch…. In that he wasn’t a clone at all.
So far as they were aware.
It wasn’t like he took his helmet off or anything to prove it.
Deciding to just let it go, Cody continued with the checklist, wondering if Mando would help matters or make them worse. He was only bringing clones he knew didn’t have a negative attitude of Jedi, but Mando… well, who knew with Mando.
This trip was to help build relationships between the Mandalorian and the Jedi, and honestly, Cody was fairly certain Mando had no idea what was going on in the rest of the galaxy. Including about the tensions between the two factions.
“Is everyone here Commander?”
Turning, Cody saluted their leader, Jango Fett, and his son Boba.
“Yes Sir. All present and accounted for.”
“Good. Let us hope that these men that you’ve personally selected are up to the task.”
“They are Sir.” Cody kept his voice neutral. “I swear.”
It was the ones that Jango had brought that he was worried about.
“Good man.”
Only when the two Fetts moved past, did Cody relax enough to breathe, hearing someone come up behind him.
“Well, this is going to be fun.” Echo remarked, Fives looking like he was finding the entire situation hilarious, “Especially as the Bad Batch are tagging along.”
“What?!”
Cody loved the kids of the Bad Batch, he really did… but they were not who you brought when you wanted a mission to be peaceful.
“Echo, please- “
“- Me and Fives are on them, don’t worry.”
“Good.” There hadn’t been a full out war between the Jedi and the Mandalorians in years, and Cody was determined for this not to change.
………………………………………………………….
Hours later, when they were in hyperspace, Cody had a list as long as his arm of his current regrets, just regarding this mission.
One, was that he didn’t hand pick every single soldier, because some of them were causing… issues.
“Commander!”
Cody looked up from his data pad as Jesse came rushing into the room.
“There’s an incident in the canteen.”
“Incident?”
“One of the nat-born squards cornered… Tech, I think he’s called?”
Shit.
“And the rest of his team took offence and- “Jesse winced, “- Well, the cafeteria’s a mess.”
Cody got to his feet, already racing towards the cafeteria, bursting through the doors only to stop and stare.
Mando was standing in the middle of the room, a pair of goggle in his hands as he stared down another Nat-born. Cody wasn’t sure exactly what he was saying, but whatever it was, was making the nat-born look a little uncertain.
Looking around the room, he saw several clones crowded around a huddled figure.
Tech by the looks of it.
Which answered the question as to who those goggles belonged to.
Seeing Echo, Cody waved him over. “What happened?” He asked quietly.
“Honestly Commander, the Bad Batch were just sitting there.” Echo seemed furious on their behalf, “Called them the sad batch. Tech commented something in return and then… “he winced, “… they literally pulled him from the bench and started hitting him. We all joined in on the fight and- “
“- Mando got involved?”
“He practically threw the nat-born across the room.” Fives joined them, “It was amazing! When the others tried to argue, Mando completely shot them down.”
“Told them they were unworthy to call themselves Mandalorians.” Echo nodded, “Said that they were a disgrace… and continued along those lines mostly.” He gestured at the scene, where Mando seemed to have finished with his lecture and was heading over to the Bad Batch, gently handing the goggles back to Tech.
“Right.” Cody sighed, straightening up and clearing his throat, waiting until all attention was on him, “It’s disturbing to think that, even when on a peace mission, some of us find the time to start fights.”
The nat borns sneered but stayed silent as Cody outranked all of them.
“If you have enough energy to fight, you have enough energy to train.” Cody stared them right in the eyes, “100 standard training reps should do the trick.”
“You can’t- “
“- Yes I can.” Cody snapped, “Unless someone here got a promotion when I wasn’t looking?”
Silence.
“Training rooms. Now.”
Begrudgingly, they all headed out. Once they were gone, Cody cast a weary look to the ceiling.
Saw what you will about the Jedi, he doubted they would cause him this many problems.
“Thank you Mando.” he thanked the strange man, “I appreciate you stepping in.”
Mando just nodded sharply at him, before leaving to sit back at his own table. Cody then turned his attention to the Bad Batch and his trusted men who were gathered around them. “Is everything okay here? Tech, any injuries?”
“Some mild contusions to my chest, stomach and legs. A minor laceration under my eye- “
“- He’s got bruises and one little cut.” The one they called Crosshairs cut in, helping his brother to his feet, “I’ll take him to the medical bay.”
The look in his eyes dared Cody to argue, and after going through similar experiences with his own younger batch mates like Fox and Rex, he wasn’t going to argue.
“Go on.”
As the Bad Batch left, Fives turned to Cody, “It’s good preparation for dealing with Jedi, right?”
“I have a bad feeling about all this.”