Chapter Text
Ben Quinn was leaning lightly against a display cabinet in his mother’s sitting room. He was observing as his elder brother’s new girlfriend slowly and steadily charmed their mother.
Ja’elle, his wife, appeared by his side her grey eyes looked warmly at him. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. She had excused herself from the main sitting area to go to fetch something from the kitchen and now returned to stand by his side. Ben immediately wrapped one arm around her waist and rubbed her still small pregnant belly with his other.
“What do you think?” he asked her softly.
Ja’elle smiled. “I think she has Malavai in the palm of her hand, and she is working the same marvels on your mother.”
Ben nodded. “True. But do you see anything else?”
Ja’elle regarded the couple with a critical eye.
Ben’s elder brother, Malavai, was sitting on the sofa in front of their mother. He and Ben looked very similar to each other, with small differences, the main one being Ben’s green eyes to Malavai’s blue. When they were growing up they were often mistaken for twins, despite the three years age gap.
They had chosen different career paths to try and distinguish each other. Malavai had gone to the Navy, where Ben had opted for Intelligence. They had very different personalities resulting in Malavai’s meteoric rise and subsequent fall through the ranks, whereas Ben had been more cautious and had only attained the meager rank of Fixer. Ben had been quick to laugh and pull jokes on his peers. Malavai was almost always serious, preferring to go over the regulation book one more time instead of taking a few hours to relax. Perhaps it was one of the reasons he had ended up ensnared by Lorrel.
It was quite a change to see his brother so relaxed and content. Malavai was uncharacteristically dressed in civilian clothes – a simple white buttoned shirt and straight grey trousers. As always, his hair was meticulously combed and he was clean shaved. It was clear that some thought had been given to his appearance on this occasion. He was looking at his girlfriend with open admiration.
Malavai’s girlfriend, who had been introduced as Eshosria Loumer, was sitting next to Malavai on the sofa. She had chestnut hair which cascaded around her shoulders and down her back in great coils. Her skin was light brown, but the most striking feature she had were her eyes which were a deep yellow color. It was a little intimidating, but both Malavai and Eshosria laughed it off, so Ben had cataloged it in the back of his mind and moved on.
Eshosria was sitting primly with her hands folded in her lap. She wore a plain green dress that reached her knees and had long sleeves against the autumn cold. Her eerie eyes were sparkling as she regaled their mother with a tale of Malavai’s achievements and heroics.
“Well?” Ben prompted his wife.
Ja’elle shook her head. “I don’t know. They both seem happy.”
Ben grinned. “Did you notice Malavai keeps one hand on the small of her back?” Ja’elle nodded. “His fingers flex whenever he thinks her tales are getting too wild or too close to the real truth, I don’t know which. When this happened, Eshosria deftly switches direction and talks about something else.” Eshosria glanced fleetingly in their direction when he had spoken her name, Ben smiled and she returned to her conversation with his mother.
Ja’elle looked up at him, shaking her head. “I don’t know how you see these things. I can’t ever do it.”
Benn kissed her lightly on her cheek. “You’re coming along beautifully.”
His wife stuck her tongue at him, but then said. “What does it mean?”
Ben returned to studying his brother and companion. “It means that despite the appearance, she values my brother’s input.”
“What else do you see?” Ja’elle asked, she always enjoyed their little games.
“Well,” he glanced down at her, smiling. “What do we know about her, really?”
His wife frowned. “They work on the same ship, traveling around the galaxy investigating Rakgul plagues on behalf of Darth Gravus.”
“That doesn’t seem odd to you? Why would a civilian be sent out like that? Shouldn’t it be the army or a Sith?”
Ja’elle rested her head on his shoulder and looked at the couple. “She’s a scientist and they said they’re part of a group….”
“Hm,” Ben kissed the top of her head, he wasn’t convinced. “They also went to great lengths to point out they were not on the same chain of command. Makes me suspicious.”
He could feel his wife smiling into his shoulder. “Sometimes you overthink things. Look at them. Malavai looks really happy. When has that ever happened?”
He squeezed her to him. He didn’t tell his wife about his many other observations, some of which were a little alarming, deciding to let the matter drop. “I think it’s time to spice things up,” he said out loud and winked at Ja’elle.
He unwrapped his arms from around her and pulled her closer to the sitting area. Leaning against the back of his mother’s armchair he interrupted their conversation with the word, “So when’s the wedding?”
“Reaben!” his mother exclaimed. “Really!”
Malavai straightened in his seat and placed his free hand on top of Eshosria’s folded ones. His girlfriend looked at him with a half-smile on her lips. When their eyes met a rare smile appeared on his brother’s face.
“It’s a valid question, Mother!” Ben defended himself. “Think about it, they just told you they have been seeing each other for some time now. Malavai has always been very efficient. Why else introduce the lovely Eshosria to us?”
“It is not appropriate to ask such direct questions,” their mother bristled, but Malavai interrupted her.
“Next week,” he said.
All of them turned to look at him.
“What did you just say?” Ja’elle asked carefully. She had rounded Eloinora Quinn’s armchair and took a seat of her own.
“The wedding is next week,” Malavai repeated calmly. He was still looking at Eshosria, who had lowered her eyes, as if bashful.
Even Ben had not expected such a reply. He hoped this was not going to be a repeat of the previous time. He could see that his mother was thinking the same thing.
Eshosria lifted her gaze to survey the room. After a moment she tilted her head and said in an amused voice, “I’m not pregnant.” Their mother let out an audible breath, which Eshosria ignored. “Malavai and I have been making all the required arrangements for the past month.”
“We simply wished to surprise you,” Malavai added. It was clear that their reaction was not unexpected, but that he was still a little hurt by it.
“Then congratulations are in order!” Ben exclaimed, before a tense silence could settle in the room. It made everyone smile and Ja’elle and his mother immediately started bombarding Malavai and Eshosria with questions regarding the upcoming event.
Ben rescued his brother by extracting him from the sitting room to help him in the kitchen.
“Thanks,” Malavai said when they were safely away. “She says “we” but really it was her and her…” he trailed off and Ben looked at him curiously. Malavai noticed this and added, “her girlfriends.”
Ben busied himself with the kitchen cabinets, looking for something appropriate to celebrate the occasion with. He filed away his brother’s words for later. “I know. You weren’t here for Ja’elle and my arrangements, but believe me they weren’t any different.”
He heard Malavai chuckle behind him. “Now I’m no longer upset that I missed it.”
Ben laughed as well, then exclaimed, “Aha!” and pulled a bottle of what he hoped was wine. “Find an opener, will you?” he said over his shoulder.
Ben busied himself with finding glasses and cleaning away the dust from the bottle, as Malavai rummaged in the cabinets next to him for the opener. When he was done, he looked around for his brother.
It was clear that Malavai had indeed found the opener, but also that it was stuck in its place at the back of the cabinet and wouldn’t move. Malavai had pulled up his sleeve and was struggling to try and pry it out. When he finally managed to pull the offending appliance out, Ben couldn’t help but notice the markings on his brother’s arm.
Malavai straightened to give Ben the opener, but Ben grabbed his arm to look closer at the marks, the opener forgotten. The skin on Malavai’s arm, above the wrist was red and raw, the injury encircled the whole forearm, with small scratch marks visible.
“What is this?” Ben demanded, a little shocked.
Malavai pulled his arm away from Ben’s grasp and hastily pulled his sleeve down. “Nothing. None of your business.”
Ben looked levelly at his brother. Malavai was avoiding his eyes, busing himself with the cuff of the sleeve.
“Malavai, is she hurting you?” Ben asked. “Are you being pressured?”
This made Malavai look up at him, now his eyes were cold and angry. “Do you have so little faith in me? Why do you always think the worst? All of you?”
Ben shook his head. “We care about you and don’t want to see you get hurt, again.”
Malavai huffed a breath. “You’re not Father, Reaben. And I am capable of making my own decisions.”
“Yes, and what good did that do?” Ben hadn’t liked the jibe about their father.
Malavai was really angry now. “Are you really bringing up Druckenwell now?”
“No, I’m bringing up Lorell.”
“You can shove Lorell. Eshosria’s nothing like her.”
Ben was about to reply that Malavai’s girlfriend was much worse when Eshosria’s voice cut through their arguing.
“What is going on here?” She was standing in the door of the kitchen, one arm on her hip, yellow eyes blazing.
Ben watched as Malavai’s anger ebbed away and he shrunk into himself. He couldn’t let his brother be mishandled like this. Ben took two steps, grabbed Malavai’s arm and pulled his sleeve up, so that a little of the marking would be visible. “This,” he said. “I asked my brother about it.” He looked accusingly at Eshosria, But she wasn’t looking at him.
Eshosria stepped fully into the room and went to take Malavai’s hand in her own. She undid the cuff and bared his forearm, to look at the marks.
Ben watched in surprise as she pressed a finger to the laceration and Malavai hissed in pain, but did not pull away. Malavai was not looking at his fiancée, and she was studying the wound intently.
“The other,” Eshosria said in a commanding voice Ben hadn’t heard her use before.
Without any hesitation, Malavai presented her with his other hand. She pulled the other sleeve up and pressed both forearms together. Ben could see that both arms had similar markings. In fact, they were complimenting each other. It was the kind of wound that would be caused by someone struggling against rope bindings. Ben was really alarmed now.
“I thought I told you to heal these,” Eshosria said quietly.
Malavai tried to pull away his arms, but she held on. “I didn’t.” His voice sounded defiant.
“And why is that, Captain?” Ben couldn’t see her face, but her voice sent a shiver down his spine. She let go of Malavai’s arms and he let them hang by his sides. His head was low and he didn’t say anything. It appeared that they forgot Ben was even there.
“We will be discussing this when we get back,” Her voice was sharp and broke no arguments. She took a step back from Malavai and outstretched her hand. “Kolto.”
Ben looked on in alarm as Malavai knelt at Eshosria’s feet. His alarm turned into surprise as Malavai pulled up one of his pant leg and took out a field tube of kolto from a special holster secured to his shin.
Malavai stood up and held the tube in his hand. “I don’t want it gone,” he said quietly.
Eshosria’s shoulders sagged a little and she sighed, when she spoke her voice was softer than before. “Tell me.”
“I like having your mark on my skin.” Malavai’s voice was barely audible. “I wanted to continue feeling it. Every time the shirt or anything else brushed against it I was reminded of how I got it. It gives me comfort.” He was looking at his fiancée intently now.
“Malavai….” Eshosria placed a hand on Malavai’s chest and kissed him on his lips. Malavai leaned down to her. She pulled away, took the tube of kolto from his hand, grabbed one of his arms and started smearing the slave on the marks. “Why don’t you tell me this things? What if your mother saw them? Are you really prepared to have that kind of discussion with her?”
Malavai stood quietly, with his eyes lowered as Eshosria applied the kolto to both arms. Ben’s mind was reeling from what he had heard.
When Eshosria was done she let Malavai roll down his sleeves re-cuffed them.
“We are going to address this issue in full, when we get back.” Eshosria repeated, some of the sternness returning to her voice. Malavai nodded, not looking at her. She lifted both hands to cup his face and forced his eyes up.
“I love you,” Malavai whispered and she kissed him in reply.
Ben chose that moment to slip quietly out of the kitchen and return to the sitting room. Ja’elle and his mother looked up when he entered.
“Where have all of you disappeared?” his mother asked. Ja’elle only tilted her head as Ben took a seat beside her. “First you and Malavai, then Eshosria…” Mother shook her head.
“Is everything alright?” Ja’elle asked.
Ben smiled and nodded. “She’s good for him. I can see that now.”
Ja’elle’s eyes widened, then she smiled. “Then your worries were unfounded.”
Ben nodded and both Ja’elle and his mother beamed.
His mother reached over and patted Ben’s knee. “It is good then. Let’s have us a wedding.”