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Cody wasn’t sure what the Jedi did on their “off days” or on any other day when they weren’t out fighting a war, really. But he knew that, for the most part, if you wanted to find a Jedi, you went to the Jedi Temple.
He felt only vaguely out of place as he walked through the halls, though he was hardly the only clone there (a couple wandering clones here and there nodded to him, but for the most part any of his brothers that he passed were discussing battle plans or plans for future operations with the Jedi with bowed heads,) and made his way to the dojo. He wasn’t sure that he would find whom he was looking for there, but it was always a smart place to start.
Cody could always count that there would be some Jedi in the dojo. If General Skywalker or Ahsoka weren’t there, there had to be someone who could point him in the right direction.
He leaned against the frame of the entrance, crossing his arms over his chest and peering around the room from behind his helmet. General Skywalker and his padawan weren’t anywhere he could see. But he noticed General Fisto and Plo Koon by the far side, circling each other on the far side of the room. They seemed to be having an active conversation as they took urns trading blows, flipped and spinning in a flourish of fabric and robes.
Pushing against the wall, Cody crossed the dojo, though he kept to the sides to stay out of the way of the Jedi who were training.
He stopped at a comfortable distance from the two Jedi and crossed his arms again.
“Something the matter, Commander?” Kit Fisto asked, sparing a glance at Cody with a small smirk before turning his attention back to Plo Koon across from him.
“Nothing’s the matter, general, I was only wondering if you’ve seen General Skywalker or his padawan?”
“You haven’t asked General Kenobi? He always seems to know where those two are.” Plo Koon piped up, ducking under a swipe from Kit. He spun, then elbowed the man in the back, which got him a grunt. A moment later, they were back to circling each other.
“I don’t need him to ask why specifically I’m asking after General Skywalker.”
A soft laugh, “Am I allowed to ask why?”
“It’s of no big deal, really, sir, just a couple questions I’d like to ask him.”
Kit made a face, bringing his lightsaber up to block a blow from the other Jedi, and glanced over at him briefly. “I saw General Skywalker not too long ago,” he said, pushing himself into the air with a quick use of the force. He landed a couple paces away from Plo Koon. “If you’re—”
“Looking for me, Commander?” Someone asked suddenly, startling Cody.
He spun, hands at his side and met the eyes of Anakin Skywalker walking towards him, a pinched expression of concern on his face. He offered him a smile nonetheless. Ahsoka walked behind him, but where her Master looked concerned, she looked amused.
“Is everything alright, Cody?” He asked.
Cody sighed gently, and then brought his hands up to remove his helmet and met General Skywalker’s eyes. “It’s about General Kenobi, sir,” he said.
For the briefest moment, fear flashed through General Skywalker’s eyes, but he quickly composed himself and hid all of his fear behind a cool mask. He crossed his arms. “Did something happen? Is Obi-Wan okay?” Cody, though he wasn’t sure why, was surprised to hear the shock and worry in General Skywalker’s voice.
Only then did he realize his mistake. “Oh— yes, I— sorry, sir, I. I didn’t quite choose the right words there. Apologies, uh— sir.” He rubbed at one eye with the heel of his free hand. “Only that I wanted to talk to you about the generals… ah, his… recklessness.” He winced.
Ahsoka snorted. “He is pretty reckless isn’t he?” He mused.
General Skywalker sighed. “I mean I… I can talk to him about it, but he’s always been like that. I don’t know if it will do anything.” He said apologetically.
“Actually, sir,” Cody began slowly, thinking of just the right words to say. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, and he knew what he was about to ask had a possibility of sounding very ridiculous to the Jedi. “I know that getting General Kenobi to be less reckless is a one in a million chance, I don’t think you could manage that if you tried.”
General Skywalker snorted, raising one eyebrow. “What do you propose then, Cody?” Ahsoka piped up, tilting her head.
“General Kenobi tends to lose his lightsaber a lot, as I’m sure you’re aware. I want to make a… point to him, about how much he loses it.” He said carefully. Then he took a breath. “I want you to teach me to use a lightsaber.” He told them, bluntly, meeting General Skywalker’s brilliant blue eyes. “I know that it’s only the Jedi that wield lightsabers but—”
A dangerous smile had crossed General Skywalker’s face, and Ahsoka was grinning as though she’d won the war. “You know, Commander,” General Skywalker said, nudging Ahsoka with a grin which she returned. “I think that… that would be a great idea.”
“Look out, Commander!” Someone shouted from his right, just as a blaster shot zipped past Cody’s helmet.
He hissed, dropping into a roll, and coming up in a crouch with his blaster up. He blasted a couple droids, finding satisfaction as they dropped with a heavy clank, but more just seemed to be coming. No matter how many seppie droids he took down, it always felt as though a million more were coming.
They could only create so many clones, especially after Jango Fett’s death, but Cody feared that eventually, they would run out of clones.
He turned to Waxer beside him. “Where did the general run off to?!” He barked, turning to take down a couple more droids. He snarled, jumped to his feet and then whipped his arm forward, smashing his gun into the neck of a battle droid before him, taking its head clean off. Quickly, he heaved a heavy breath and backed up, his back bumping with Waxer’s. “Where is our backup?”
“I saw the general on the other side of the hill, sir!” The man replied, sounding a little panicked. “He seemed like he was pinned down, but I couldn’t get to him. Didn’t look like he had his lightsaber, either sir. I didn’t see it.”
Cody blinked behind his helmet. “Oh, dank farrik,” he snapped. “You see the general’s lightsaber, you bring it to me, soldier, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir!”
Breaking off from Waxer and trusting him not to get himself killed, Cody jumped into the fray. If general Kenobi was without his lightsaber, again, he’d likely dropped it closer to his position, which meant Cody had to get over the hill. His first course of action was getting his eyes on Kenobi and making sure the man hadn’t gotten himself killed yet. Now would be the time for Cody to finally make his point to the general that the man needed to stop losing his lightsaber.
He fought his way up the hill, taking down droids as he did. Seeing all of his dead brothers surrounding him on the ground. Every clone body he passed on the ground felt like a stab to the heart, reminding him of all the men he couldn’t save.
“General!” He roared as he reached the top of the hill and found himself in a lull of the fighting.
Down the hill, General Kenobi was fighting off a couple of droids; Cody spotted two Droidekas’ nearing him and Kenobi… definitely had no lightsaber. He held a blaster, but Cody doubted the man would be able to take down those droids alone.
Glancing around, Cody frantically searched the rocky ground for the gold and silver shine of the general’s lightsaber. “Cody!” He heard General Kenobi yell. He whipped his head around and met the Jedi’s eyes from across the battlefield. “Cody, I’ve got this all under control! Focus on taking down those shield walls, just like we planned!” He ordered, bringing his blaster up to shoot down a couple droids.
He spun on one heel and shoved a number of droids back with the force, but more just kept coming.
Under any other circumstance, he’d have listened. But… “He must be out of his mind if he thinks I’m going to leave him to do that,” he muttered to himself.
He glanced down the hill, then jumped forward, sliding across the rough rock down the hill towards General Kenobi and the droids.
As he landed, he caught a shine in the corner of his eye, and turned, only to notice the familiar silver and gold glint of a lightsaber he was far too familiar with. “There you are,” he said, and then took a brief moment to assess what this war was doing to his mental health for him to be talking to a lightsaber.
Still. He broke into a run towards the saber, only for blinding pain to break out in his leg, only a couple paces away.
He landed hard on the ground, crying out in shock.
Rolling onto his back, Cody looked up, the shadow of a B2 battle droid eclipsing his view. It seemed to be taking its time with killing him, arm outstretched, red eye blinking dangerously. His leg ached, throbbing with pain.
Desperately, he reached behind him, his gloved hand grasping something hard and cool.
He pressed hard, heard the shhhhick of the lightsaber activating and swung in a wide arc before him.
He heard the crackling of metal sizzling, heard the head-splitting sound of metal grinding against metal as the B2 droid broke in two. Heard the heavy clank as it crumpled before him in a cloud of dust.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Cody brought his blaster close to his chest, letting his hand holding the lightsaber fall to the ground beside him. “That was too close…” he gasped, staring at the sky. After a moment, he sat up and then scrambled to his feet, despite the way the pain in his leg protested. Now was not the time to be taking breathers.
The weight of the lightsaber in his hand was still pretty unusual—not to mention Cody was more familiar with the feel of General Skywalker’s lightsaber than Kenobi’s—but Cody would have to make do.
This was going to be so much fun.
Breaking into a run, Cody began making his way towards General Kenobi’s position. He faced down the approaching droids with grim determination.
The thrumming of the lightsaber was a steady companion as he weaved in and out from between droids, taking them out with terrifying efficiency.
It felt like a dance. “It is like a dance, if you think about it.” Ahsoka had told him as she showed him how to twirl his wrist to spin the lightsaber in an arc. Every step, every twist, spin, or twirl he found himself doing was a smooth movement, as though the lightsaber was an extension of his body. The thrumming of the lightsaber was the song, each step he took a dance move, fluid and smooth, like flowing water, or the air blowing, caressing his face. Every droid he took down felt right, every kill he made seemed to lighten his soul.
Was this why Jedi often said their lightsaber was their life? Cody couldn’t blame them.
He ducked under the arm of another B2 droid, swung absentmindedly behind him and brought it down. He brought his blaster up, shooting down two more droids with clean shots to the head. He was getting closer to General Kenobi’s positions, and the man seemed to be holding himself well, but Cody noticed his armour was singed and there was a gash on his cheek.
Better pick up the pace, he thought, feet pounding into the earth with each step he took. If he didn’t get to General Kenobi in time and something happened to him… He’d never forgive himself.
The rough terrain made it difficult, but soon Cody found himself not far from General Kenobi, looking down on the man from another hill as he watched him take on the two Droidekas. Fear spiked through him as General Kenobi’s foot caught on a jagged piece of rock and he fell with a surprised shout.
Using the momentum of the hill, Cody slid down the harsh ground, and rolled into a crouch before launching himself towards the battle. Using stealth he wasn’t normally privy to, he slid under the Droideka and with a grunt, drove the lightsaber upwards, slicing through sheets of metal and wiring. He stood, cleaving the Droideka in two. He spun on his heels before the hulking piece of metal even hit the ground, deflecting a barrage of shots from the remaining Droideka and advancing towards it. General Kenobi stared up at him from where he’d fallen, but Cody refused to meet his eyes. “Looks like I’m the one saving your sorry ass this time, eh general?” He couldn’t help but quip.
“Cody…” General Kenobi said in a rushed breath.
Advancing on the droid, Cody brought his blaster up. “Alright, clanker. You’ve had your fun.” He mused. Then he dropped to his knees, rolled and came up in a crouch right in front of the droid—behind its force field. He pressed his blaster against the droid's centre component and relished in the, albeit faint, recoil from his blaster. He jumped back, bringing the lightsaber up to shield himself from the debris.
He twisted his wrist, listening to the swooshing sounds of the lightsaber, and then turned to General Kenobi, only to freeze on the spot when he met the man’s eyes.
General Kenobi was staring at him, with such unashamed attraction and heat in his gaze that Cody had to fight back a full body shiver. The power of his gaze rooted him on the spot, and Cody was glad he was wearing his helmet because he flushed so furiously, he felt his cheeks heat up.
“A— are you alright, general?” He stammered, too flustered to think straight.
He reached a hand out, and heaved General Kenobi to his feet when the man took it. Cody felt his touch like a burning brand, searing his skin even through both of their gloves. “Your face—” He said, reaching absentmindedly to take the general’s face in hand.
Gently, he brushed aside his hand. “I’m fine,” he said softly, sounding breathless, “thanks to you, Cody.”
Cody wanted to shout. He wanted to scream that he wouldn’t be if he continued to be this reckless. He wanted to snap at the man and pull him into his arms and shield him from all of the fighting. Instead, he took one of General Kenobi’s hand in his own. He couldn’t do much else on the battlefield but he needed to know that the Jedi was okay. That he was warm and alive. General Kenobi went still.
It looked as though he wanted to say more, that look hadn’t left his eyes, either. Instead of doing anything, though, his eyes dropped to his lightsaber, still thrumming softly in Cody’s hand. Cody smirked behind his helmet. “I believe this is yours?” He crooned, trying to act like he wasn’t worried.
“How many times have we done this, now?” General Kenobi asked, taking the lightsaber as Cody shut it off, handing it to the man. “I’ve lost count.”
“As have I, general. I thought your lightsaber was your life, but… you keep dropping it?”
General Kenobi scowled a nasty look at no one in particular and rolled his eyes. “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Cody laughed. “Of course, general.”
“You know, Cody,” General Kenobi said as they worked their way back up the hill to where Waxer and Boil had settled themselves and were picking off droids, “I think you and I are due a talk.” He waved his lightsaber around, almost absentmindedly. “I have a couple… questions I need answers to.” He added, pointedly. Cody found himself laughing again.
“I’m at your service, general. First, though, let’s get those shield walls down so General Skywalker and General Plo Koon can take down those cannons, yeah?”
General Kenobi looked over his shoulder at Cody, his face half eclipsed by the sun rising from behind the hill. It made him look vaguely angelic, and far too beautiful for any active combat zone, and gave Cody a devilish smile. “Let’s,” he agreed.
“That was some great fighting down there, sir!” Waxer said as he jogged up to Cody’s side, shrugging his helmet off. He shot Cody a grin. “Especially with the general’s lightsaber, I’ve never seen that before! Where’d you learn?”
Around them, clones and Jedi alike bustled about the hanger they had managed to take, clearing out the fallen droid and the body’s of operatives who had been there beforehand.
Cody huffed out a soft laugh and glanced at Waxer. “General Skywalker and his padawan were more than willing to teach me the basics to help me make a point to General Kenobi,” he said, shooting another quick glance at Waxer, “I don’t want to hear that you went and bothered them to teach you, Waxer.” He added, just as the hanger doors on the far side opened, and General Skywalker, Kenobi and Captain Rex walked in. “Speaking of General Kenobi…” he muttered.
The man’s eyes landed on Cody, and even from the other side of the hanger, Cody noted that Obi-Wan’s eyes were shades lighter than General Skywalker’s, but a darker colour. A little gray, like storm clouds.
“Maybe he won’t come over?” Waxer tried.
Obi-Wan’s eyes narrowed on him from across the hanger. He leaned his head toward General Skywalker, said something, and then they were all heading their way.
“Or… not,” he said sheepishly. Then he turned to Cody, gave him another sheepish smile and then turned and jogged away.
Cody sighed. “Or not.”
Steeling himself for a conversation he wasn’t sure he was going to enjoy, Cody tightened his grip on his blaster and straightened his back. “Generals. Rex,” he said in greeting as they approached, nodding to his brother. “I’m glad to see you all safe.” He offered them a smile from behind his helmet.
“Likewise, Commander,” General Skywalker said with a knowing grin, “those were some lightsaber skills I saw. I didn’t know you knew how to use one.” He said innocently, blue eyes shining with mischief.
“I’ve had ample time to watch,” Cody said with a tilt of his head, “what brings you here, generals?”
“What are your casualties, Cody?” Obi-Wan asked, the expression on his face at odds with the soft tone of his voice. “We suffered heavy casualties by the end of the battle,” he placed a hand on his forearm, “how is the 212th?” His voice was gentle but his eyes, stormy gray, narrowed. The way they shined reminded Cody of the thunderstorms on Kamino, unrelenting and ever present.
“We lost Kestrel, Topaz and Cornelius, sir,” he said with a frown, “I thought we’d lost more.”
Obi-Wan nodded, then turned to General Skywalker and Rex. “Go find Master Plo Koon and Commander Wolffe, would you, Anakin?” He asked, almost sweetly, but almost condescendingly. Anakin sighed and crossed his arms, but then nodded and turned to Rex.
“C’mon, Rex,” General Skywalker mused. He gave Cody a wink, then stalked off.
A moment of silence passed between them. Cody didn’t want to speak. He didn’t want to say anything that might start an argument, but Obi-Wan was looking at him like he was looking for an excuse to start one.
Cody shrugged his helmet off. “General,” he said with a cough.
“Commander Cody,” he returned, voice cool and unimpressed. “I believe you and I are overdue for a conversation?”
“…Here, sir?”
That made Obi-Wan laugh, which was a very welcome sound, and as quickly as it came, the tension seeped out of the general’s shoulders. He reached for Cody’s hands, then took them in his own and gave him a gentle look. “Of course not here, Cody,” he said with a smile that made his eyes crinkle and shine with affection, “come with me. I’ve got temporary quarters set up outside the hangar.” He dropped his hands, then turned on his heels and started walking out.
They didn’t say anything as Obi-Wan led him out of the hangar and towards a smaller building off to the side. Could be an office, could be barracks, but Cody didn’t feel like asking. He followed Obi-Wan inside as the general led him into a comfortable, despite everything, looking room with a bed and a table that was already cluttered with data pads and Obi-Wan’s lightsaber.
The moment the door was closed behind them, Obi-Wan turned on Cody, grabbed his face in his hands and crashed their lips together.
Cody let out a shocked grunt, but let his blaster and helmet drop to the floor with a clatter as he brought his hands up to grasp Obi-Wan’s robes and pulling him as close as he could. Obi-Wan kissed him desperately, as if he was afraid that if he wasn’t touching Cody, he’d vanish. “Cody—” he gasped into the kiss, hands shaking as his grip loosened to something gentle, something tentative and sweet. “Cody, oh, Cody,” he whispered, pressing their foreheads together and shutting his eyes tight.
“What in the world were you thinking back there?” He said in a whisper, leaning against Cody and hiding his face in the crook of his neck. His beard tickled his skin, his breath ghosting his neck.
When he pulled back there was poorly concealed fear in his eyes. “Cody I—”
“I had to make a point, Obi-Wan,” he said gently, his name falling off his tongue easily enough. It always shocked him how easily he could speak Obi-Wan’s name after calling him General Kenobi in the field so often. The way Obi-Wan’s face softened at the sound of his name, though, eased Cody’s worries. “You lose this,” he said tapping Obi-Wan’s hip and lightsaber, “far too often.” Gently, he took Obi-Wan’s face in his hands. “You’re vulnerable without your lightsaber, and constantly putting yourself in danger is…” he shook his head, “we can’t afford to lose you. You’re too important to the Republic. You’re too important to me.” He said, narrowing his eyes. “Fighting in this war wouldn’t mean anything to me if you don’t survive.”
Obi-Wan kissed him again, softer this time before cradling Cody’s hands in his own again. “The moment you step out there with a lightsaber… my lightsaber, Cody, you put a huge target on your back. Do you know how horrifying it was to see you like that all of a sudden?”
“You didn’t look horrified. If anything it looked as though you wanted to mmph—”
Obi-Wan pressed his hand to his mouth, glaring at him again. “I don’t want to hear one more word, Cody.” He warned, but there was a smile in his voice. “You looked… good, Cody. Great, even, I have to admit. But you are the last person I want to see with a lightsaber in their hands.”
Cody blinked, stepping back.
Obi-Wan smiled softly at him. “I don’t mean to say that you weren’t any good. If you were force sensitive, well… you’d be half-way to becoming a Jedi,” he made himself laugh with that, “but the danger that you put yourself into when you wield a lightsaber on the battlefield is far too great.”
“I’m always in danger on the battlefield,” Cody said softly, bringing his hands up to cradle Obi-Wan’s face, he couldn’t stop touching him, “it isn’t anything new. I’m a commander, I was made to fight.”
“The Separatists want the Jedi dead more than anything else. I don’t care what you were made for, Cody. You’re more than that, and you’re far more than a fighter to me.” He pressed their foreheads together again, pulling them down onto the compact cot that was nestled into the corner of the room. Cody caught Obi-Wan’s gaze, met the steely determination in his stormy eyes, and sighed softly. “I don’t care what you or the clones think, you’re not expendable. To lose you…”
Cody huffed a soft laugh, then turned towards Obi-Wan, crowding him against the wall. Obi-Wan stared at him with poorly concealed want. “I had to protect you.” Cody said earnestly.
“I’m the Jedi, Cody. Protecting people is my job.”
“It shouldn’t be yours alone.” He frowned, and placed his hands on either side of Obi-Wan’s head. Obi-Wan curled his leg around the back of his calf, pulling him down so their chests were pressed together. “Maybe it makes me selfish; but keeping you alive is in my own best interest, general.” He said quietly, a soft rumble to his voice.
Obi-Wan shivered under him. “Contrary to what you—and many others—might think, I don’t want to die, Cody.”
“You wouldn’t know it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Obi-Wan huffed, but he pulled Cody down to kiss him again. Despite their position, they didn’t do anything more.
Obi-Wan kissed like he was trying to tell a message without using words, as though there weren’t words to say what he wanted to say. He was gentle and slow and brought his gloved hands up to run his fingers through his hair.
After a while, Obi-Wan sat up, gently pushing Cody off of him. “I should go find Anakin,” he said softly, “and the others. There are pressing matters we have to attend to. And you have troops to lead.” He said with a small smile and knowing look. Cody rolled his eyes, and stretched his arms over his head. He could feel Obi-Wan’s eyes on him as he bent down to pick up his helmet and his blaster from the floor. He holstered his blaster at his hip and brought his helmet up.
“Wait,” Obi-Wan said, and Cody paused, helmet just above his brow.
“Yes?”
Obi-Wan stepped up to him and took his helmet from Cody’s hands, then pressed his lips to Cody’s, giving him a soft, chaste kiss. Then he pulled back and gave Cody such a soft look that it made him flush. “Just one more,” he smirked.
Then he softly pulled Cody’s helmet down over his head and patted his cheek. “Thank you for saving my life, my love. I do promise I’ll try not to lose my lightsaber often but… I really can’t promise anything” He crooned, snatching the saber from, with a wink, he turned on his heels and stalked out of the room, leaving Cody a flustered mess.