Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 Obi-Wan Kenobi thought he was ready. He knew when he'd taken the mission that it was going to be dangerous.  He knew Anakin and Ahsoka were going to be upset with him when they found out he'd faked his death. He'd wrestled hard with the decision, and in the end, he thought What is better, for them to lose me for a while or for the galaxy to lose the Chancellor forever?  He knew Anakin was close to the Chancellor. He knew either choice would... upset  his former Padawan. He remembered what it was like to hold his own dying Master, how he struggled with his own emotions. His volatile Padawan would blow up. So he was prepared for the cold glare Anakin sent his way, Ahsoka's downcast eyes, even for the way they avoided him like he had the plague. 

He was not prepared for this. 

He climbed from his fighter, felt the impact through the soles of his boots as he jumped to the hangar floor, and straightened his robe. Nobody said a word. The few men of the 212th who were in the hangar hurried on with their tasks, not even sparing him a glance. He turned to Cody, who stood silent, bucket on, feet spread slightly and hands clasped behind his back. 

"Commander?" 

Cody didn't move. His voice was expressionless. "Yes, sir?"
Obi-Wan was taken aback at the cold professionalism. He and Cody were friends. There should have been a little warmth in that voice. Of course. Cody was upset with him over his fake death. "I'm sorry about... recent events. If there had been any other way..." 

"Yes, sir." Something dangerously close to disgust radiated from Cody. 
 

"Cody..." Obi-Wan felt sick. He had not considered just how many people would be hurt by his decision. "Did they tell you that it was all a ruse, or did they tell you I was really dead?" 
 

There was definitely hurt in Cody's voice. "No one told us, sir. We found out via the HoloNet." 

Obi-Wan felt even sicker now. No one had informed his battalion? They had just...heard it on the news? "I'm truly sorry-" He touched Cody's shoulder, but the commander finally moved. 

 "Please don't touch me, sir." He stepped back, out of Obi-Wan's reach. The Jedi's hand dropped like he had been burned.

@@@@

Cody almost felt sorry for the General. 

Almost. 

The 212th had been deeply affected by their General's death, from Cody to the newest shiny. They all loved Kenobi and were very protective of him. To hear that he was dead had shocked them to their very souls. What made it worse was that they hadn't been there to protect him. Many troopers considered protecting Kenobi the most important aspect of their job, and they had failed. They had mourned him for weeks, bitterly vowing revenge on the Separatists who, through the bounty they had put on Obi-Wan's head, had killed their beloved General.

Then they had found out he had faked his death. The news had brought relief to every man, followed by anger. Kenobi had claimed from his first day to care about them, had proven it by every action. Half his battle wounds were caused when he leapt between a clone and danger. Yet he had betrayed them all. If he were a brother, he would never be allowed in a sleep pile ever again. 

Kenobi was not a brother. He was an outsider, one of the few the brothers trusted. He would likely never have the benefit of that trust ever again. Cody had seen how his brothers had reacted. He was fairly certain that if the man had simply shown up before they had had a few days to calm down, Longshot, Boil, Gregor, and Crys would have taken him down without a second thought. And not a nice takedown either. It would have involved blasters and fists and bruises. 

Cody probably would have done nothing to stop it. 

@@@@

Obi-Wan sank into his desk chair, shoved a few datapads aside to make room  for his elbows, and buried his face in his hands. Why had he ever thought it would be easy to come back? He'd allowed himself to imagine that everything would be alright, away from Anakin's anger and Ahsoka's teary eyes. 

Instead he'd found blank helmets, a disappointed commander, and a deep loneliness that made his heart ache. To distract himself, he checked his messages. Anakin had sent him a spiteful note to say that his approval ratings were plummeting (not that he cared, but the fact that Anakin had bothered to point the fact out made the ache in his chest worse). He had three messages from Senator Organa, two along the lines of how could you? and one that simply said, Call. Need to talk.

With a sigh, Obi-Wan called--voice only. No need to let the senator see the dark bags under his eyes from lying awake feeling Anakin's anger or how unkempt his uncombed hair was. Obi-Wan scrubbed at his eyes while he waited for the call to connect. He'd been holed up in his cramped office doing paperwork (he absolutely was not trying to avoid everyone) for the last two days, not even leaving to eat. He'd showered once, stepping from his office to his adjoining quarters. 

 The senator finally picked up. "Organa." 

 "Senator," Obi-Wan said tiredly. "How are you?" 

 "Fine," Organa said shortly. "We need to talk about your mission. The Hardeen one."
 

"I'm done apologizing." Annoyance rose in Obi-Wan. Must everyone rub the fact that I hurt them in my face?

 "That's not why we need to talk. I had no idea you were on such a mission." 

 "And?" 
 

 "I'm in charge of the army. You report to me, General Kenobi." 
 

 "I am aware of that, Senator." This was obviously not going to be one of their first-name conversations. This was going to be a superior scolding his subordinate.

 "So why did I not know that you were--" 

 "Because it was not a GAR mission. It was a Jedi mission, and while you may be in charge of the GAR, you are not in charge of the Jedi." 

 "You were protecting the Chancellor."

 "Exactly."  
 

 "Who is part of the Republic." 

 "Senator, my mission had nothing to do with the army." 

 "Everything has something to do with the army." 

 Obi-Wan sighed. "This discussion should be with the Jedi Council-" 

 "Which you are a member of."

 "I do not speak for the whole Council." 

 "Fine. Be difficult, General. I thought you were different. I thought I could trust you. It seems I was wrong." The senator's voice was cold. 
 

"Bail--" 

Click. 

Obi-Wan buried his face in his hands. He was not fighting back tears. He was a Jedi Master, and Jedi Masters do not cry. Instead, he sighed again and started in on his mountain of work. 

@@@@

Twenty-six hours, many forms, and one hot shower later he was due for his first briefing since returning to the Negotiator. He left his office with the feeling that he was throwing himself to the gundarks. The moment he closed the door behind him, he was swamped with resentment and annoyance and a thousand other unpleasant emotions that he didn't want to think about, all focused in his general direction. He knew his men weren't trying to project at him, but he also knew that since he was the object of their emotion, he was going to feel it more than a random Jedi who happened to be in the vicinity would. While hidden inside his office, he'd been able to mute the noise, but now he was finding it hard to shield. 

Obi-Wan walked down the corridor, eyes on his boots, aware that he was passing clones and that they were ignoring him as well. Just keep walking. The sooner you get to the conference room, the sooner you can hide away from accusing eyes. After what seemed an eternity, he pushed open the door of Room A117 and slipped inside, ready for his minute's solitude. 

His heart sank. 

Cody had beaten him to it. 

 "Hello, Commander," he ventured into the silence. 

Cody looked up from his datapad, unhelmeted face devoid of emotion. "Sir." 

 Obi-Wan sighed and sat down. "I know I can never apologize enough, never make it up to you, but I am very sorry." 

Silence. 

Obi-Wan slipped from his chair to kneel on the floor. "Ni ceta," he murmured, and bowed his head. 
 

"What?" 

 "Ni ceta," Obi-Wan repeated, not looking up. "Ni ceta, ni ceta--"

 A gloved hand slipped under his chin and raised his face. "General, stop." There were tears in Obi-Wan's eyes, but he blinked them back. He was so very tired and lonely. Cody dragged in a visible breath. "I--" the clone began, but he was interrupted by the beeping of the holotable. 

Obi-Wan got up and pressed the button to answer the call. As the figures of the Council fizzled into view, he straightened his spine and became the perfect picture of a calm, unaffected Jedi Master. 

@@@@

Cody was hardly able to pay attention to the briefing. His general had knelt, and, as if that wasn't enough, he'd said ni ceta, not once, not twice, but three times, and probably would have gone on saying it if Cody had not stopped him. Cody could count the number of times he'd heard someone say ni ceta on one hand without using all his fingers. Cody stared at his Jedi and wondered.

Was he really sorry? 

Did he know the whole meaning of ni ceta, or did he think it was just another way to say sorry, I messed up?

During the three days since General Kenobi had returned to the Negotiator (and promptly disappeared), Cody had done a lot of thinking. Yes, he would have preferred to have known Kenobi wasn't really dead. Yes, he would have liked it if someone had told the clones Kenobi was dead, instead of leaving them to find out for themselves. Yes, he had been angry and upset by the deception. 

Yet seeing General Kenobi in the flesh had changed something, something Cody didn't have the words to describe. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Seeing the tousled ginger hair and the tired blue eyes had been...comforting, somehow, and Cody, confused, had been cold and distant. 

Now, he felt sorry for the General. Cody would have made the same decision, chosen to save the Republic at the cost of his relationships. He had never considered how hard it must be, to make a decision and be completely rejected for it. Cody knew Skywalker was taking it especially hard. (If he and Rex talked about their CO's every now and then they could hardly be blamed, could they?) Kenobi and Skywalker were practically brothers, yet Skywalker was avoiding Kenobi, going so far as to turn down a mission pairing. 

This meant Kenobi had to be feeling alone, even if he would never admit it, since he and Skywalker were practically inseparable. 
Cody looked at the slight figure of the Jedi beside him, paying rapt attention to the holo, and made a resolution. 

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan closed the connection to Coruscant, picked up his notes, and stood. Launching a campaign now, while morale was so low, was going to be a disaster, but orders were orders. He turned to Cody. "Will you let the men know we're going to ship out tomorrow and arrive in two days' time? They'll need to be ready for action." 
 

 To his surprise, Cody blinked, looking like he was coming out of a trance. "I--what? Oh, yes, sir." 
 

"Thank you. I should get started planning." Obi-Wan edged toward the door. The sooner he could hide away again, the better.
 

 "Wait!" Cody's outburst stopped him. 

Obi-Wan turned around to face the clone. "Yes?" 

 "I just wanted to say--Do you know what ni ceta means?" 
 

 "It's Mando'a for 'I'm sorry', isn't it?" His ears burned as he realized he probably had it wrong. He'd likely insulted the poor commander. 
 

 "Yes. It literally means 'I kneel'. It's a groveling apology."

 "I--That's what I thought." 

 Cody cleared his throat, sounding embarrassed. "So you meant it? You're really sorry for, you know..." 

 "For faking my death? Yes, I am." 

 "Obi-Wan." Cody said softly. Obi-Wan startled. While he had told Cody multiple times to call him Obi-Wan when they were alone, the clone had never done it until now. "Obi-Wan, I forgive you." 

Something in Obi-Wan shattered. 

@@@@

 "Obi-Wan, I forgive you." Cody said. He didn't know what he expected the Jedi to do--give him that tired smile, maybe, or a soft acknowledgment. 

He did not expect those blue eyes to widen, or the datapad to start slipping from limp fingers. Cody took the datapad from Obi-Wan, setting it on the holotable, before he gently pushed the Jedi into a chair. Cody bent over him and touched his arm. "Obi-Wan?" 

 Obi-Wan grasped Cody's wrist. "What?" the Jedi said, breathless.

 "Sorry?" 

 "I-I thought you said..." 

 "I forgive you?" Cody said hesitantly. 

 "You're serious?" 

 "As death." 

Obi-Wan's face was as open as Cody had ever seen it. "Thank you so very much. I don't deserve--"

Cody laughed bitterly. "You deserve the galaxy, Obi-Wan, don't give me any of that." He pressed his finger to the Jedi's mouth, forestalling the protest that was sure to come. Cody knew he was being forward, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Obi-Wan probably hadn't had human contact in a while, and the last thing Cody wanted was a touch-starved general. Besides, they had been--were--close, and he knew all relationships involved touch. 

Might as well start now.

Obi-Wan shoved Cody's hand away. "You were so distant when I arrived, I thought you were upset with me." 

 "I was mad, until I thought that we'd get an assignment soon and if I die, I don't want to die holding a grudge. You seem to care about us clones, and I know you'd be beating yourself up if you thought I died mad at you." 

 "I do care about you, even if you aren't natborn." Obi-Wan stood and looked up earnestly into Cody's face.

 "I know." Without thinking, Cody pulled his Jedi into a hug. It took about a millisecond for him to realize what he'd just done, but Obi-Wan's head fell forward to rest on his chestplate, and skinny arms wound around his waist, and Cody knew his gesture was comforting the lonely Jedi. 

@@@@

It was a nightmare that first drove Obi-Wan to Cody's quarters. 

Cody was roused from his sleep by a quiet knock on his door. Grumbling to himself, he got up to answer the idiot who was knocking on people's doors at two a.m. 

Turned out it was Obi-Wan. 

The Jedi stood there in his sleep clothes, trembling and wide-eyed, his ginger hair tousled from sleep. 

 "Uh..." Cody said. It was too early for him to form a tactful question, so instead he blurted, "What are you doing here?" 

To his horror, a tear slipped down Obi-Wan's cheek. "Are you okay?" An idea occurred to Cody. "Are you sleepwalking?" The Jedi shook his head. "Alright, come in here." Cody sat Obi-Wan on the bottom bunk (the one Cody slept in. Honestly, he didn't know why a room intended for a single officer had a bunk bed.) and settled beside him. 

 "What's wrong?" 

 Obi-Wan sniffled. "You weren't there." 

 "What?"

 "Was looking, and you--" sniff  "--weren't there." 

Cody let his hand rest on Obi-Wan's lower back. In the two weeks since their conversation in the conference room, Cody had become much more lax about his policy of don't touch General Kenobi. As far as he knew, he was the only one who had forgiven the Jedi. Even the Jedi Council had been distant, although that was more normal than, say, Skywalker's total avoidance. 

Eventually, he figured out what Obi-Wan was trying to say: he'd had a nightmare that Cody, his only ally, was missing. He'd woken in a panic and come to see if Cody was still there. (Upon hearing that last part, Cody had stifled a smile. Clearly, Obi-Wan was more asleep than awake.) 

Now Obi-Wan was drooping against his side, eyes drifting closed. His head settled on Cody's shoulder. Cody gently shook him. "Obi-Wan, you should go back to your own room." 

 The Jedi startled and clutched Cody's arm. "No! Wanna stay."

Cody choked down his laugh. "Obi-Wan, you can't. You have to get some rest."

 "Canna stay?" Obi-Wan lifted his head and blinked owlishly at him.

 "But...your sig'ture's nice. Not grumpy at me."

Cody realized that Obi-Wan had been feeling the anger directed at him in the Force, which meant that Cody's kind signature was a relief. "All right," he said, resigning himself to sleeping on the top bunk. The man he was suddenly calling brother could sleep on the bottom. "You can stay." 

Obi-Wan made a happy little noise and toppled over, dragging Cody with him. 

Cody tried in vain to free himself; Obi-Wan had a death grip on his blacks. Instead, Cody pulled the blankets over them, tugged his Jedi closer, and fell asleep. 

@@@@

Obi-Wan woke with the feeling that he was not alone. Something pleasantly warm was pressed against his side. He opened his eyes. 

 "Cody?" What was the commander doing in Obi-Wan's bed? 

Cody yawned and stretched. "Ahhh, General--" 

 "Obi-Wan," Obi-Wan corrected, because if he was going to have only one friend that friend should call him by his proper name, at least in private.

 "Obi-Wan. No nightmares?" Cody propped himself up on one elbow to loom over the reclining Jedi, and Obi-Wan noticed--this was not his room. It was Cody's. 

Cody stared down into crystal blue eyes and smirked while his Jedi flushed. "You showed up last night mumbling something about your nightmares, so I kept you here for observation," he explained. 

 "I see." Obi-Wan sat up and ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. 

 "Anything else in my quarters you want to invade besides my personal space? Maybe the shower?" Cody, still smirking, waved his hand dramatically like he smelled something bad. "You kind of stink--"

 "I have a fresher in my own quarters, thanks." Obi-Wan fled with the sound of Cody's laughter in his ears. 

Chapter Text

Two months later, cosleeping had become regular. 

Obi-Wan found Cody's signature comforting, especially since the clone was the only person who genuinely enjoyed his company at the moment. Cody liked being able to keep an eye on his Jedi and make sure he was actually sleeping. 

Besides, they had become very close, almost as close as Obi-Wan and Anakin had been before. 

Obi-Wan started keeping a few extra tunics in Cody's room. They prepared for the day together, Obi-Wan dressing in the refresher and Cody in the main room. It saved them the trouble of a formal briefing when they could simply shout information through the closed door. Sometimes, Obi-Wan would bring a datapad to Cody's room so they could go over maps and plans for the next campaign. Thankfully, with the two commanding officers working so closely together, the disaster Obi-Wan had feared had yet to occur. 

 "We'll be taking on supplies from the Resolute later today, and then we'll leave for Calundi," Obi-Wan finished. He folded his sleep clothes and tucked them under the blankets of the lower bunk. 

 "Sounds like a plan," Cody answered with a yawn. He stretched his arms over his head. "Maybe they'll pass on some gold paint and we can paint a few shinies."   

"Paint their armor, you mean?" 
 

  Cody shook his head. "No, paint the shinies. It's more fun if they announce their names while covered in paint than if they just say it. There are three that are ready." 

 "How do you know--" 

 "When a shiny has chosen their name, he lets me or Longshot know and if he's passed through a battle, we do the announcement ceremony. It's a no-pressure thing. We have a shiny who's been with us for almost eight months and still hasn't picked a name." 

 "Well, I'll check the manifest and see if we're getting any gold paint." With a smile and a "see you soon", Obi-Wan headed back to his office to pick up the manifest. 

He would never admit that he jumped when he opened the door. 

Anakin Skywalker was sitting on his desk, scowling, datapads scattered on the floor where he'd tossed them. 

"Where were you?" Anakin asked crossly. 

Obi-Wan bent to pick up his datapads, looking for the manifest. "Meeting with Cody. Why are you here? You weren't supposed to show up until an hour from now." 

 "Well, we're early. Frankly, I'm surprised Cody tolerates you, after the stunt you pulled." 

 Obi-Wan found the manifest and stood up, adding the other datapads to the piles on the desk. "I want to make this clear: I will not engage with you on the subject of my death." 

 Anakin jumped to his feet so he could tower over Obi-Wan. "You mean the subject of your faked death, don't you?" 

 Obi-Wan turned away deliberately. "I refuse to argue with you--" 

 "Did you know Ahsoka has nightmares of you dying in her arms? Did you know she cried herself to sleep every night until you came back?" 

 "Anakin-" 

 "Did you even think about us?" Anakin's volume was rising. "Don't you remember what it was like when Qui-Gon died?" 

 Obi-Wan focused on his breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Stay calm. "I have work to do, Anakin.When we're done, we can sit down and have a rational conversation." He tucked the manifest under his arm and opened the door. "After you." 

 Grumbling under his breath, Anakin followed Obi-Wan to the hangar. Cody was waiting for them with Rex and Ahsoka. 

 "Okay," Anakin said when they were all huddled together. Cody let his fingers brush Obi-Wan's arm, and Obi-Wan slipped him a grateful smile; his commander clearly knew how tense Anakin was making Obi-Wan. "Let's get this over with quickly," Anakin continued, avoiding Obi-Wan's eyes. "We already have the crates loaded on transports; we just need to give them the OK and they'll be over here pretty quick. Ahsoka, go ahead and let Fireball know he can start."

Ahsoka nodded and stepped out of their circle, raising her comm to her mouth and murmuring something into it. 

  "Cody, tell Obi-Wan--" 

 "General Skywalker, I assure you that General Kenobi can hear anything you say perfectly well." 

 Rex snickered. 

 "Ok, Fireball says they're on their way." Ahsoka rejoined them. Obi-Wan looked her over. She looked well rested, but she could have been having nightmares and hiding it well. Ahsoka saw him looking and offered him a little smile. Anakin saw him looking and scowled.

@@@@

Once the transports landed, Cody could no longer stay at Obi-Wan's side; there was too much to do. Besides, he couldn't have kept up with the Jedi anyway: Obi-Wan was everywhere at once, cataloging, lifting, loading, checking things against his manifest, solving problems, and keeping the flurry of activity from descending into chaos. Only once, when he turned around and walked into Skywalker, did he falter. 

The monstrous task was finally finished just in time for dinner call. Cody looked for Obi-Wan, to take him to the mess hall and make him eat. The Jedi never ate enough and after the long day of hard labor Cody definitely needed to get some food inside him.  

It didn't take long to find him. His ginger hair and light coloring stood out against the dark-skinned clones. Obi-Wan was facing down Skywalker, arms crossed and chin tilted defiantly. 

 "...not mean that, and you know it," Obi-Wan was saying as Cody drew near. 

 "So you expect me to believe that you had no intention of making me feel what you did when Qui-Gon died?" 

Obi-Wan rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "I'm telling you that you have it all wrong. At no point in time have I ever considered forcing you to experience the grief that I did. I did it only to save the Chancellor. Your friend, Anakin." 

 "Excuse me, sirs," Cody interrupted. 

 Both Jedi ignored him. 

 "I want to spar," Skywalker said. 

 "Fine," Obi-Wan answered. 

@@@@

 "This is a bad idea," Cody muttered. He had insisted on accompanying them. 

Obi-Wan looked up from where he was adjusting his lightsaber to low power. A hit would be temporarily debilitating but cause no permanent damage. "We've already been over this." 

 "I still think it's a bad idea." 

 "So you've said." Obi-Wan clipped his lightsaber to his belt and turned to Skywalker, who was standing on the mat with his arms crossed, waiting. "Are you ready, Anakin?" 

 Skywalker nodded. His eyes were twin storms of destruction. 

Obi-Wan stepped onto the mat and bowed. Skywalker scowled and drew his lightsaber, stepping back into a balanced stance. Obi-Wan barely had time to draw his own lightsaber before Skywalker attacked. Cody noticed Obi-Wan was scrambling to defend himself and frowned. Skywalker wasn't holding back, using heavy-handed, powerful slices and cuts to drive Obi-Wan backwards. Obi-Wan, for his part, was struggling, clearly not willing to use his full strength for fear of harming Skywalker.

Cody ground his teeth together. Even though Skywalker had rejected Obi-Wan, the Jedi still held to his Code: Don't hurt anybody if you can help it because all life is sacred. Something along those lines anyway. 

Skywalker blasted through Obi-Wan's defenses, sending his lightsaber skittering across the floor. Obi-Wan ducked under Skywalker's arm and wrested his lightsaber away. It fell to the floor and the two fell beside it, locked in unarmed combat. 

Obi-Wan was good, there was no doubt of that, but Skywalker was bigger, heavier, and angry. He pinned Obi-Wan, though it wasn't easy for him. Obi-Wan squirmed but he couldn't get free. Skywalker was practically snarling in his face. "Did you really think you could just die in Ahsoka's arms and then come back and tell me you lied and I'd be like, oh, that's okay?" He punched Obi-Wan in the face. With his arms trapped, Obi-Wan couldn't block it. "So you honestly expect me to forgive you? Qui-Gon wouldn't have done what you did." Skywalker struck Obi-Wan again with the full force of his mechanical right hand. 

Obi-Wan's nose started to bleed, and he wriggled in a desperate attempt to get away. "Anakin, stop, I--" 

Cody was frozen with horror. 

 "Qui-Gon should have died instead of you!" Skywalker yelled. 

Cody scrambled forward. "Get off of him!" Skywalker ignored him in favor of striking Obi-Wan again. Cody seized Skywalker's shoulders and dragged him away before kneeling beside Obi-Wan. "General Kenobi?" 

 Obi-Wan groaned. His eyelids fluttered. 

 "Wake up, Obi-Wan!" Cody shook his shoulders. When Obi-Wan's eyes finally opened, Cody waved his hand in front of the Jedi's face. "How many fingers do you see?" 

 "Three?" 

 Cody breathed a sigh of relief. Obi-Wan had escaped concussion, but he was going to have some serious bruising. "Come on, let's get some bacta on you." He dragged Obi-Wan to his feet and slipped under his arm to support him. 

 "What are you doing?" 

 Cody twisted to glare at Skywalker. "Taking him away from you. Clearly, you can't control your anger, and General Kenobi isn't here just so you can take it out on him." 

 Speechless, Skywalker stood staring at them as Cody led Obi-Wan from the room. 

Fortunately, Cody's room wasn't far from the training rooms. He eased Obi-Wan into the lower bunk, pushing him down when the Jedi tried to sit up. "Lay still." 

 "Anakin..." 

 "General Skywalker isn't going to be on this ship much longer if I have anything to say about it. No, don't sit up." 

 Obi-Wan lay still while Cody gently wiped the blood from his face with a damp cloth, revealing a cut lip, a black eye, and other bruises swelling on his face. Cody unscrewed the lid of a bacta tube and smoothed the gel over the ugly purple marks. "Stay here. I'll go get you something to eat." 

 Obi-Wan protested, but Cody insisted. "It's been a long day for both of us, and with Skywalker still aboard, I don't want you to leave this room."  

It didn't take long for Cody to walk down to the mess, hiss to Rex that he'd better get Skywalker off the Negotiator or else, fill two plates, and walk back to his room. When he'd eased open the door and set the plates on the tiny table, he turned around to find that Obi-Wan had fallen asleep. Ruefully, Cody woke him; the Jedi needed to eat before he slept. 

Cody was tucking the blankets around Obi-Wan, who had started nodding off again as soon as he had a full stomach, when Rex messaged him to say he was heading back to the Resolute with Skywalker and Tano. 

Thank goodness. Cody brushed Obi-Wan's hair from his forehead and frowned. The swelling had gone down drastically, but he was going to have one heck of a shiner tomorrow. Cody applied another coat of bacta to Obi-Wan's eye. Hopefully, his Jedi would get a good night's sleep. 

Cody yawned. He needed sleep himself. Turning out the lights, he crawled into the lower bunk and pulled Obi-Wan close. Together, they would always be all right. 

Chapter Text

 "Commander Cody, sir?" 

 Cody looked up from his datapad. Obi-Wan had disappeared to his office, still sporting a black eye, and at 1900 Cody had taken his work to the mess where he could be around his brothers. He frowned at the shiny. "Yes?"

 CT-2727 shifted from one foot to the other. "I just wondered if General Kenobi was okay, sir. I haven't seen him since the orientation on the first day."

 "Oh, yes, he's fine. There's just some...tension between him and a few of the brothers right now." 

 "Can I help at all?" 

 An idea popped into Cody's head. If Obi-Wan saw there were others beside Cody who enjoyed being around him, he might be willing to leave his office and Cody's room. 

 "Yes, actually, you can." Cody said, leaning forward and lowering his voice. "Make a cup of tea, but use two teabags, stir a few honeysticks into it, and take it to his office around 0830 tomorrow." Obi-Wan was always up by 0600, and usually in his office by 0700. 

 "Yes, sir!" '27 said enthusiastically. 

 "And don't wear your bucket. Carry it under your arm, like the regs say, but don't actually wear it. General Kenobi likes to see people's faces." 

 "Yes, sir!" 

 Cody stifled a smile as '27 moved away. The shinies were getting younger. Or I'm getting older. He shook his head and turned back to his work. 

@@@@

Obi-Wan sat back and stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. He'd had another nightmare, although what else was to be expected when he'd been on seven different campaigns in the two and a half months since he'd returned to the Negotiator. Fortunately, he hadn't woken Cody. The commander was also forced to put up with so much; he didn't need to be dealing with Obi-Wan's nightmares too. 

So Obi-Wan had lain awake until Cody had woken, and then, before they'd even dressed, they'd gone over plans for the Calundi campaign that was going to start tomorrow. Standing barefoot in sleep clothes beside his commander, who was wearing long sleeved blacks, while having a briefing was an...interesting experience.

Obi-Wan had then dressed rapidly and dashed down to his office to finalize some of the details of his plan. He hadn't even had time to remember to grab a cup of tea, and now, two hours after reaching his office, he was feeling the lack of caffeine. 

He was drawn from his thoughts by a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, thinking it was Cody. 

He was mildly surprised when a shiny (he vaguely remembered the man's signature from their last orientation three weeks ago) poked his head in.  

 "Good morning--You don't have a name yet, do you?" 

 "No sir," the shiny answered. Obi-Wan groaned internally. Names he could remember. Designations were more difficult. "I'm CT-2727, sir."  

 "Yes, I remember you. Do you need something?" 
 

 "No, sir. I just wanted to bring you this, sir." CT-2727 juggled his helmet and managed to set a mug down on the desk. 

Obi-Wan felt a smile growing on his face as he cradled the warm mug between his hands. "This is tea?" It was a stupid question; he could smell the sweet honeyed fragrance. 

 "Yes, sir." 

 Obi-Wan took a sip. Double strong, just the way he liked it. "Thank you." 

 "Of course, sir!" 

 "Sit down," he invited, clearing the second chair.

 "Yes, sir." CT-2727 reminded him of Anakin, young and full of energy.

 "You haven't chosen a name yet?" 

 CT-2727 shrugged. "I haven't been in a battle yet, sir." 

 Obi-Wan frowned. "You must be newer than I thought. And you don't have to add sir to every sentence." 

 "Yes, s-I mean, I came in three weeks ago but missed the first campaign because I was in the medbay." 

 "What happened?" 

CT-2727 looked at his boots. "I had an allergic reaction. Please don't decommission me!"

 "Look at me," Obi-Wan said gently. CT-2727 raised his head. "I will never, never decommission you, for any reason. I am not a longneck. You, and every one of your brothers, are important to me."

CT-2727 smiled. "You said longneck." 

 Obi-Wan shrugged. "I pick up slang." 

 CT-2727 got up. "I have to go. Commander Cody said he was going to brief us on the plan, and I have to be there."

Obi-Wan smiled at him. "Go, then. And thanks for the tea." 

 "Anytime, General Kenobi."

 @@@@

Some things changed over the next month. Some things stayed the same.

It became regular for CT-2727 to bring tea in the mornings, on the days when they were on the ship. 

Obi-Wan slowly came out of his shell. He would go to the mess with Cody, pretending that he couldn't hear the whispers that followed him. He forced himself to endure the hostile stares when he started being present at briefings again. 

He tried to contact Anakin, but his former Padawan would have nothing to do with him. 

Cody and CT-2727 were still the only people on the ship who enjoyed his company.

 Obi-Wan still slept in Cody's room. Cody started keeping a full medkit under the sink in the refresher to help him care for Obi-Wan's battle wounds, which he refused to go to the medbay for. 

The 212th were constantly on the move from one planet to another. Tensions inside the battalion wouldn't stop them from protecting the Republic.

Chapter Text

Cody was in the middle of a charge towards the main part of the droid army when his comm chimed. 

 Four hours later, when he'd listed casualties (there were six), dug a grave, helped set up camp, hunted down and patched up a certain Jedi who insisted that he was fine while trying to hide the burn holes in his tunic, and eaten, Cody remembered the chime and checked his messages. He had one. 

You are being transferred temporarily to the 104th under General Plo Koon while CC-3636 recovers from wounds received in the line of duty. You must report to General Koon by 1200 two standard days from now. 

Cody groaned, rubbed his eyes, and went to find Obi-Wan. He was working on the reams of datawork generated by the battle. Obi-Wan listened quietly to Cody's explanation before he spoke.

"So Wolffe is at Kalida Shoals?" 

 "Yes, and I'm supposed to fill in for him while he recovers. It should only be a few months." 
 

 "A few months ? Cody, I need you. You can't-" With a visible effort, Obi-Wan stopped. "When do you leave?"
 

 "Tomorrow afternoon, once we finish up here. I'll take a fighter and travel alone. It won't take me long to get to the 104th."
 

 Obi-Wan dropped his head into his hands, propping his elbows on the table he was using as a desk. The wind rustled the tent flaps. 
Cody gently rubbed Obi-Wan's shoulder. The Jedi listed sideways and rested his head against Cody's hip, eyes closed. Cody suspected Obi-Wan was getting a headache after sixteen hours spent on the battlefield and another few hours staring at a screen. 
 

"You'll be okay," Cody said into the silence. "You have '27, and Longshot can take over my duties for a few months. He's capable." 

  Obi-Wan hummed. 

 "C'mon, let's get you into bed." 
 

 Obi-Wan lifted his head and squinted at Cody. "No, I'm fi-" 

 "You've been on your feet for almost twenty hours, not to mention however long you've been sitting here." 
 

 In the end, Cody won. He stripped his armor, wishing he had a hot bath for Obi-Wan, who was curled in the blankets wearing his scorched tunics and wincing at every noise, and a warm shower for himself, and lay on the cot beside Obi-Wan. In camp, they always shared a tent for efficiency, although Cody would usually be on the other cot, to avoid revealing just how close they were.

This was possibly the last night they would ever spend together, however, and they could cosleep tonight.

Obi-Wan snuggled up against Cody, eyes already closing. The last sensation Cody was aware of was his arms around Obi-Wan.

@@@@

They said their goodbyes in the privacy of Obi-Wan's office. Obi-Wan was much calmer after a good sleep and a shower. They maintained their professionalism except for a few moments when Cody gave in to his emotions and hugged Obi-Wan. The Jedi startled but melted into the embrace. 
 

 "I'll be fine," Obi-Wan said into Cody's shoulder. "You gave Longshot all the information he'll need?"

Cody smiled, lifting his head out of Obi-Wan's fluffy hair. "We've been over everything."
 

 "Good." Obi-Wan pulled back and Cody let him go. "So I won't have to completely start over with a new Commander?"  

 "No. And Obi-Wan?" 
 

 "Hmm?" 
 

 "I've had words with Longshot. If he disrespects you, let me know." 
 

 "I can handle it." 
 

 Cody raised an eyebrow. 
 

 "I can do things for myself, you know." 
 

 Cody smirked. "Aww, my little Jedi, all grown up." 
 

 Obi-Wan swatted playfully at him. "Get out of here. I don't want to listen to you any longer than I have to." 
 

 But he walked Cody down to the hangar anyway, and watched him climb into the fighter, not moving until long after Cody had disappeared into hyperspace. 

@@@@

 Obi-Wan rolled over and checked his chrono. Not even midnight standard yet. Giving up on sleeping, he sat up and willed a datapad into his hands. If he couldn't sleep, he would work. He filled out supply forms and signed incident reports and other mindless things to keep his thoughts off the reason he was awake. 

 The comforting warmth at his side was missing. 

 Obi-Wan had decided to sleep in his own room, since there was no reason to use Cody's if Cody wasn't there. Now he wished he had at least taken a few objects, something with Cody's signature on it to help him rest. 

 Have I really become so attached that I can't even sleep without him?

 He set aside the datapad and crossed his legs, shoving the sheets away. This was an issue that required immediate attention. 
Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind of all thoughts but his attachment, channeling the Force to help him consider this from an impersonal angle.

 It was only natural for him to be attached to Cody. The man was the first person to accept him again, the first person to understand. Obi-Wan had been working with Cody for a long time now, and he was as close to Cody as he had been to Anakin. 

 Yet his attachment was dangerous. Contrary to what most sentients seemed to believe, love was not forbidden to the Jedi. Some of the greatest Jedi had loved the most. Platonic or romantic, it did not matter as long as that love did not transform into over-attached posessiveness. 

 While Obi-Wan's--yes, admit it--love for Cody was obviously platonic and was not yet to the point where he was over-attached, he had to guard himself to keep it from becoming so. 

 Thus his problem. 

 If he could not sleep because Cody was not there, he was teetering on the edge of becoming over-attached. 

 Obi-Wan summoned his precious flimsy book from its hiding place in his desk, propped it on his knees, and began to write. He'd always been good with words, and the easiest way to release it all to the Force was to write it down. It took him almost two hours to get it all out--how lonely he was, how the constant rejection hurt him, how he worried over how he would get on with Longshot. He even put into words the uneasy weight of anxiety that had settled in his stomach. When he was done he felt much better.

 Sliding from his bunk, he crossed the room to replace the book in the hidden drawer of his desk. He returned the datapad to its place, lay down, and easily entered sleep. 

@@@@

 CT-2727 hummed as he stirred the third honeystick into the General's tea. It was a good morning, even if Commander Cody was with the 104th. '27 had woken early and managed to get his caf seconds after it had been made; everyone knew it was best that way. 

 He carried a cup in each hand, which unfortunately meant his bucket stayed on his head. General Kenobi always frowned if '27 wore his bucket. '27 did not like to see the General frown. 

 '27 knocked lightly on General Kenobi's door and waited for the quiet "Come in". He heard nothing, so he knocked again. "General Kenobi?" There was no answer. 

 '27 nudged the door open and poked his head in. "General-" He broke off when he saw that the General was sitting at his desk, intent on a datapad. 

 "General Kenobi?" '27 tried again. 

 The General looked up suddenly. He looked tired. "Oh, '27. I didn't hear you."

 "If you're busy, I'll leave." '27 knew the General had a lot of responsibilities and, while he usually had time for '27, maybe today he didn't. 

 "No, no. How are you?" General Kenobi accepted the tea and watched '27 remove his bucket and swallow a healthy gulp of caf. 
 

 "I'm fine, General." 

 "Have you been named yet?" 

 '27 shook his head. "No. We're waiting for Commander Cody." 
 

 Was it '27's imagination, or did General Kenobi's eyes dim? "We all miss him, '27."
 

 "He'll come back though, won't he, General?" 
 

 "Yes, if he doesn't..." General Kenobi trailed off, and '27 realized he had been going to say die. 

 "He will," '27 agreed. "He thinks we'll burn down the galaxy if he doesn't keep an eye on us." 

 General Kenobi smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. The Jedi looked at his chrono, frowned, and drank the rest of his tea hastily. Leaving the mug on his desk, he stood and gathered a few datapads. "Well, I have to get to a meeting. Longshot and I are going over some things." 
 

 "And I have to get down to the shooting range. I have to do a weapons training session."

 "Well, good luck then." 

 Outside the office, '27 watched General Kenobi walk away and wondered, Will Cody really come back?

@@@@

Obi-Wan was trying, really he was. He'd been patient and calm, but he was nearing the end of his endurance. Either Longshot was purposefully misunderstanding, or he was completely stupid. 

 "No," Obi-Wan said again. "I simply didn't expect you to know everything Cody knows. You and I have never worked together as closely as Cody and I do. I wasn't trying to be rude, just trying to find out if we're on the same page."
 

 "Well, maybe we are and maybe we aren't," Longshot drawled. He was leaning against the conference table, legs crossed casually. 

Obi-Wan lost his temper. In three strides he was barely an inch from the stand-in commander. "Listen to me closely. I'm only going to say this once." Longshot, startled, straightened up. "I understand if you have a...difficulty with me. However, I will not tolerate this disrespect. You will cooperate with me or I will take measures. Do you understand?" 

 "Yes, sir." Something akin to shock permeated the Force as Longshot straightened to attention. Clearly, he hadn't expected the quiet general to stand up for himself. 

So there, Cody. 

Chapter Text

"Medic!"

Eeeeboom!

"Die, clankers!" 

"Aaaannnnghhh!" 

Zzzzt zzzzt zzzzt.

 The sounds of battle swirled around Obi-Wan in a confusing mess-men shouting, guns and tanks firing, wounded soldiers screaming, grenades whistling through the air to land among his men with devastating explosions. Obi-Wan twirled his lightsaber, jumping to intercept blaster bolts before they could take down any of his men. A whistle alerted him to danger. "Incoming!" he heard someone shout. Sheathing his saber, Obi-Wan twisted toward the noise, raising his hands and channeling the Force to catch the small missile and throw it back at the clankers. 

 They were being overrun, despite the fact that the droids had been whittled down, and Obi-Wan desperately needed reinforcements that he knew weren't coming. The communications center they'd set up at the camp was sending out a constant distress signal, calling any Republic forces in the area to help them, but there was no help in the area. 

 Five days had taught him that. 

 Their battlefield had turned to mud after the deluge of rain that had fallen the second day, the bodies of the fallen obstacles to make the fighting even harder. Obi-Wan had done the math and estimated roughly ten clankers to every man. Obi-Wan had barely rested over those five days, a warrior by day and a watchman by night. If his men had to stand guard, so did he. 

 Obi-Wan sliced through the droids as they advanced, trying to keep his men safe. He had to. He'd promised Cody that he would. They only had to hold out for another thirty minutes. The droids always stopped at dark. 

@@@@

 Longshot trudged through their makeshift camp, looking for General Kenobi. The man needed to eat and sleep and help Longshot plan a strategy for tomorrow. Even though Longshot disapproved of Kenobi's recent actions, the man was their best bet to get out of here alive, and Longshot could set his feelings aside if it meant more of his brothers survived. 

 It didn't take long to find him. Kenobi was standing at the edge of the camp that faced the battlefield, deep smudges under his eyes and his robes rumpled and torn. He was splattered with drying mud, yet he stood guard and would stand there all night if Longshot didn't do something. 

 Luckily, he had planned for this. 

 "Come on, General Kenobi," he said, gently taking the man's elbow.

 "Let's get some food in you." 

 "No," Kenobi protested. "Have to-" 

 "Waxer will take your place." Longshot pointed to his companion.

 "Mkay," Kenobi mumbled and allowed himself to be led away. This worried Longshot. Usually, the Jedi would have pitched a fit.

 Longshot's worry grew when he put a bowl of stew in front of the General and Kenobi ate it without a word, nearly nodding off into the food. The temporary commander took his superior to the tent where rows of cots had been set up and left Kenobi fast asleep, a thin blanket wrapped over his shoulders and a furrow between his eyebrows even while he slept. Longshot slipped away. Let the General sleep while he could. Force knew he needed it, and there would be another battle to fight tomorrow.

@@@@

 Obi-Wan was up before the dawn. They all were, the clones strapping on armor and loading weapons. They left the camp before the first rays of the four suns had appeared. The farther they could walk before the droids noticed and attacked, the more ground they could give up when, inevitably, the droids started pushing them back. Because their camp was on a peninsula jutting out into an impassable ocean, this move was incredibly important.

 Obi-Wan led from the front. Even if his men hated him, he would always go ahead to stop danger before his men died. It didn't take long for a blaster bolt to zing past his ear. Drawing his lightsaber, Obi-Wan led the charge. For every Separatist droid he cut down, three more took its place. He heard someone scream, the first casualty of a list that would only grow longer as the day wore on. 

@@@@

 Obi-Wan stumbled and took a bolt to the shoulder when all four suns were high in the sky. 

 No matter, he told himself, gritting his teeth and cutting down another droid to distract him from the pain. Halfway done. 

 Twice he'd considered a wild charge. Twice he'd discarded the idea. While dying dramatically might make a good story, it wouldn't help his men. And if he made it battalion-wide, it still wouldn't help. 

 Honestly, he couldn't remember why this muddy planet, where four suns burned his exposed skin and droids cut down men left and right, was so important.

 But here he was, and here he would stay, unless by a miracle someone picked up the distress signal and came to help. 

@@@@

 By the time dusk fell, Obi-Wan was bleeding from multiple wounds. 
The men around him weren't doing much better. Obi-Wan hadn't seen '27 in a while. Hopefully, he was nearby and not somewhere on the battlefield, cold and dead. If '27 made it out, Obi-Wan would personally see to it that the Negotiator was stocked with gold paint for the naming ceremony. 

 Longshot found him while they limped back to camp. Once again, the temporary commander forced him to eat and sleep, refusing to let Obi-Wan stand guard. "We need you, General. We need you well-rested and able to lead tomorrow." 

 Obi-Wan begged the Force, before he slept, to send help before all of them were dead. 

@@@@

 The same cycle repeated for the next two days. Eight days, and they had done nothing but struggle to hold off the enemy, slowly whittling the Separatist army down. Less than half the droids remained, yet the 212th was still severely outnumbered.

 Every night, Obi-Wan pleaded with the Force to send help. Every day there was no help.

@@@@

 The night of the ninth day, Obi-Wan woke around midnight, senses tingling. He rose and made the rounds, but nothing was out of the ordinary. He reached into the Force and found no enemy movements. Exhausted, he crawled back into bed and fell asleep.

 By morning, he had completely forgotten about it.

@@@@

 Obi-Wan led the 212th out yet again, led good men to their deaths. He squelched through the mud, Longshot at his side. The temporary commander was actually acting friendly. 

 Oddly, the droids were all standing at the far end of the field.

 Something pricked Obi-Wan's senses. "Stop!" he shouted and spread his arms, using the Force to create a barrier between his men and the danger. 

 Cautiously, Obi-Wan stepped forward, looking down. The thing troubling him was in the ground, he could tell, between where they stood and where the droids clustered. 

 Obi-Wan bent down to pick up a piece of debris about the size and weight of a human fist and tossed it into the empty space, using the Force to lob it a safe distance away, because if the danger was what he thought it was...

 The debris blew up when it hit the ground.

 "Mines," Obi-Wan said over his shoulder to Longshot. "Can we-" 

 "No, sir. The defusers were used on those tanks." 

 Obi-Wan sighed. "Stay here." He gathered the Force, and jumped. 

@@@@

 Longshot stared, watching Kenobi leap several meters up and forwards. Spinning in midair, the Jedi spread his arms, palms down. The ground rumbled, and then it exploded. A massive fireball rose into the air, taller than three of Longshot's brothers combined, accompanied by smoke and flying mud. The debris and fire stopped short of the clones, as if held by an invisible shield. Kenobi dropped out of sight into the fireball.
 

 Moments later, he staggered from the dying fire, severely injured, bleeding and burned. "Attack," he managed to say, and collapsed.

@@@@ 

 CT-2727 was the first to move. While he desperately wanted General Kenobi to be alive, the horrible stillness of his body told all. Besides, the general had just given him a direct order. "For the Republic!" he screamed, and charged the droids. He was followed by his brothers, who carefully split around Obi-Wan's body and crashed into the droids like a wave of destruction. Moments later, clones wearing 104th gray began to rappel down from arriving gunships. 

The 212th was rescued at last, but at a cost none of them wanted to think about.

Chapter Text

When the battle was over and the last Separatist droid dismantled, General Plo Koon bent over Obi-Wan, pressing his fingers to the Jedi's throat. To his surprise, he felt a faint pulse.

 "Medic!" Plo shouted. "Medic! Get over here now!" 

 Obi-Wan moaned and stirred weakly. "Lie still," Plo ordered. Cracker, the 212th head medic, knelt beside Obi-Wan, calling for a stretcher. Cracker took one look at the injured Jedi and filled a hypo with a strong painkiller and sedative. Quickly, he took Obi-Wan's vitals before injecting the cocktail into him. 

 Cody dashed up, Longshot on his heels. 

 "What happened?" 

 "He's alive?" Longshot said over Cody. 
 

 Plo turned. "Not for long," the Kel Dor snapped.
 

 Cody paled. "He's dying?"

 "He could die any minute if he doesn't get proper care," Cracker said shortly. He and Plo lifted Obi-Wan onto the hovering stretcher and Cracker guided it away. Cody started to follow, but Plo called him back. 

 Cody hesitated, looking after the wounded Jedi, but obediently turned back. 

@@@@

 Cody paced the little room, four strides one way and four strides back. Every time he turned he glanced at the bacta tank. Cracker had set up a privacy curtain that concealed Obi-Wan from the waist down, and his face was obscured by an oxygen mask. Various wires and tubes, monitors and an IV, were attached to his body.

 Cody stopped in front of the tank and scrutinized his Jedi for the billionth time. Longshot had reported making Obi-Wan eat and sleep, but Obi-Wan was still far too thin, and from the deep circles under his eyes Cody guessed he hadn't slept much. Cracker had cut away some of his burned skin, replacing it with grafts and temporary artificial skin patches. Obi-Wan had been in surgery for seven hours and in the bacta tank for three. Cracker estimated at least another four hours in the tank, then a week of bed rest. "Then we'll see," was his response to any further queries. 

 Cody heard the door slide open and turned to see Longshot enter, carrying his helmet under his arm. The temporary commander offered Cody a weak smile. "How is he?" 
 

 "The same," Cody said shortly. 

 Longshot sighed. "Look, Cody-" 

 "No. I don't want to hear it. You could have gotten him killed." 

 "Don't pin this on me, Cody. You're the one who got yourself reassigned."  

 "And you're the one who had to hold a grudge and make him feel like nobody cared about him." 

 Longshot's eyes widened. "What? Of course I care about him! He's my general!" 

 "Well, you have a terrible way of showing it." 

 "Do you think I'm not upset? General Kenobi nearly died, could still die." 
 

 Cody stepped forward. "And if he does die, you'll go to your grave knowing he died rejected and in pain and you could have stopped it but you didn't."

 Longshot avoided looking at Obi-Wan. "I-" 

 "Get out of here," Cody growled. 

 Longshot fled. 

 Cody turned back to Obi-Wan's tank. "Hang in there, Obi-Wan. Longshot and all the rest are going to forgive you someday, you know. Don't give up."

@@@@

 Plo sent a short message to Anakin. 

 Obi-Wan's injured. He may not survive.

 He waited for an answered ping while he worked, but after several hours he came to the conclusion that Skywalker simply didn't care.

@@@@

 Cody paced the little room for another four hours. Finally, he was interrupted by Cracker, who shooed him away. Cody went down to the mess and ate something that tasted like sawdust before stopping by General Koon's office. 

 The Kel Dor understood Cody's situation and, after listening quietly, informed Cody that he was free to go sit with General Kenobi. "I'll call you if I need you, " he said. 

 "Thank you, sir!" Cody threw over his shoulder, already leaving. General Koon was almost as good as Obi-Wan; Cody was nothing if not fiercely loyal. 

 Cracker stopped Cody when he entered the medbay. "He's in room 221, but wait a few minutes. Waxer and Boil are in there now." 

 Cody raised an eyebrow. "They are?" 

 Cracker grinned. "See for yourself." 

 Cody cracked the door open and poked his head in. Waxer and Boil were sitting on either side of the medical bed, staring down at the unconscious Jedi under the blankets. The monitors and IV were still in his arms, the heartbeat monitor beeping softly. A mask hid the lower half of Obi-Wan's face, helping his fire-damaged lungs gather enough oxygen. Waxer was speaking softly. 

 "And we all ran and attacked and Cody, of course, had to make a grand entrance and show up at the last minute, and the short story is, we won. You'd be very proud of us." 

 "Jedi aren't proud," Boil corrected. 

 "Of themselves," Waxer retorted. "He could be proud of us." 

 "If he was awake." 
 

 "Yeah," Waxer echoed. "If he was awake." 

 They were silent. 

 "General Kenobi, if you can hear me... I'm sorry," Waxer finally said. 

 "And me," Boil added. "We, um, I hope-" He broke off, his voice choked. 

 "Don't die, General Kenobi, please." 

 "We need you, to make Cody happy." 

 "Hey!"

The two clones jumped. 

"Lots of things make me happy." Cody protested.

 "Like General Kenobi?" Waxer asked slyly. 

 "Like seeing two troopers doing their jobs."  

 "But we're done," Waxer said. 

 "Yes, sir," Boil said, grabbed Waxer's elbow, and dragged him from the room. 

 Cody smiled, but it faded when he got a good look at his Jedi. Obi-Wan looked much better, thanks to the bacta's rapid healing, but he was still pale and unconscious. 

 "He'll be coming off the sedatives soon," Cracker said from the doorway. 

 "Okay. Let you know when?" 

 "Yeah, if you don't mind." 

 "No problem," Cody said. Cracker shut the door quietly, and Cody was alone with Obi-Wan. 

 "Hi," he said softly, sinking into Waxer's empty chair. "You look awful." 

 Understandably, there was no reply. 

 Cody took Obi-Wan's limp hand in his own. "General Koon says we're staying with the 212th until you get better, so I'll be here every day until you're sick of me. I hope Longshot wasn't too bad for you. Aside from nearly getting you killed--oh, no, wait. That was you. Why are you so suicidal?" 

  Cody adjusted his voice into a horrible parody of Obi-Wan's accent. "Because I'm an idiot and have to give you as many heart attacks as possible." 

 Cody sighed and slumped in the chair, looking down at his general's fingers tangled with his own. "Cracker said you're going to wake up soon, and we have to keep you in bed for at least another week. I can't wait for that nightmare to start. You're going to be running off every time we blink." 

 He lapsed into silence, making little circles on the back of Obi-Wan's hand with his thumb. 

Obi-Wan's fingers curled around Cody's. 

 Cody glanced up to see Obi-Wan's eyelids crack open. "Obi-Wan," he greeted. Obi-Wan blinked and then tried weakly to sit up, propping himself on his elbow. Cody pushed him back down with a firm hand on his chest. "No, don't even think about it," he scolded while pressing the button to summon Cracker. 

 The medic arrived in less than a minute, checking Obi-Wan's vitals and listening to his chest while his patient scowled. At last he stood back, crossed his arms, and stared down the Jedi. Finally, he spoke. "I'll make a deal with you, General Kenobi. I'll take the mask off if you promise to stay in bed for three days." 

 Obi-Wan considered it, then nodded. With gentle hands, Cracker removed the mask. "Cody," Obi-Wan croaked. "Y'came." 

 "Of course I did." Cody smiled fondly at him. 

Cracker poured a glass of water and allowed Obi-Wan to drink a little. "Would you like to sit up so you can talk with Cody?" 

 "Yes, please," Obi-Wan said meekly. Cody hid his smile while Cracker raised the bed and fussed with the pillows until they supported Obi-Wan. The Jedi sank back with a sigh; sitting up unassisted even for a few moments had taken obvious effort. 

 "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" 
 

 Cody nodded. "I will." 

 Cracker left them alone. 

 Neither spoke. Cody held Obi-Wan's hand and kept him company. 
 

 "I'm alive," Obi-Wan finally rasped. He seemed surprised.
 

 "And you sound terrible. How much smoke did you inhale?"

 Obi-Wan ignored the question. "What are the casualties?" 

 "Obi-Wan..." 

 "Tell me, Cody." Even dressed in a medical gown and tucked up in bed, Obi-Wan had an air of command when he wanted it. 

 So Cody sighed, and told him. 

 "Three entire companies?" Obi-Wan repeated. Tears glittered in his eyes. 

 "Obi-Wan," Cody said gently, reaching over to brush his hair back. "Obi-Wan, it's okay. You did your best--" 

 "But I wasn't good enough," Obi-Wan sniffled. He leaned into Cody's hand. "This is all my fault." 

 Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Cracker hadn't reentered the room, Cody moved to sit on the bed beside Obi-Wan. He slid his arm around the Jedi's shoulders, careful to avoid aggravating his bandaged wounds. Obi-Wan slumped sideways, his head resting against Cody's shoulder. Cody was suddenly glad he'd worn blacks instead of armor.

 "Shh," Cody soothed. "Nobody blames you." 

 Obi-Wan choked back his tears. "Was my fault. Should have done better." 

 "How?" 

 "Don't know." 
 

 "See? You did everything you could. You even tried to kill yourself." 

 "Did not." 

 "Oh really?" Cody swung his feet up onto the bed and twisted sideways so Obi-Wan could snuggle up against his chest. Cody held him in a secure embrace, both arms around him, careful not to pull out any of the numerous wires and tubes. 

 "Had to protect the boys," Obi-Wan slurred. He was obviously hovering between asleep and awake. 

 "By dying?" 

 "Not dead," Obi-Wan mumbled. 

 "Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up." 

 "Mmm," Obi-Wan hummed, and was asleep. 

 Cody leaned his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes. 

@@@@

 Plo peeked into Obi-Wan's room and smiled. Cody was passed out, head back and mouth open, and Obi-Wan was nestled beside Cody with his head on Cody's shoulder. It seemed they had started out sitting up but slid down in their sleep until they lay flat in a pile of blankets and pillows. 

 "Sir?" Cracker asked from behind him. 

 "Leave them alone, unless you need Obi-Wan awake. Galaxy knows Obi-Wan needs the rest, and so does Cody." Plo turned to the 212th CMO. "After all, Cody has to keep up with Obi-Wan." 
 

 "Don't the Jedi discourage friendships, though?" Cracker asked.

 Plo smiled behind his mask. He'd always had that effect on troops; they were instantly more comfortable around him than other Jedi, and they always had questions. "No. We don't discourage friendships, or love, and Jedi are even allowed to marry. It's very rare, though, because a Jedi's first duty is to the Republic, and it's hard to find a person who will accept always being second in their spouse's life." 

 "So you don't outlaw love?" 

 Plo fought the urge to laugh. Or cry. So many sentients misunderstood the Jedi Code. "No. We don't allow over-attachment, because as I said, a Jedi's first duty is always to the Republic. A Jedi can never allow attachment to cloud his judgement. He must always put the mission and the good of the Republic first, even if it means someone he loves will be harmed or die." 

 Cracker's eyes widened. "I don't think I'd want to be a Jedi, sir. My brothers are the most important thing in my life."

 "Yes. It takes strength and courage and sacrifice to be a Jedi and love. Or to love a Jedi." 

 "Do you love someone, sir?" 

 "I don't have a romantic relationship with anyone, if that's what you mean. I do love the other Jedi. We are like you and your brothers. Yet I would allow one to die if it meant the Republic was safe." 

 Cracker shook his head. "I hope Cody knows what he's getting into." 

 Plo smiled and looked at the sleeping pair. "He does. He's worked with Obi-Wan long enough. Perhaps we should leave them to their rest, Cracker?"

 "Yes, sir." 

Chapter Text

 Cody was sitting at Obi-Wan's bedside, reading to him from a book Cody had never heard of before. It was full of action and suspense, not the sort of thing he would have imagined Obi-Wan enjoying, but it had been a specific request and Cody was happy to comply

 " 'At this Robin laughed again, and turning to the Tanner, he said, "Wilt thou join my band, good Arthur? For I make my vow thou art one of the stoutest men that ever mine eyes behold." 
 

 " ' "Wilt I join thy band?" cried the Tanner-' "

 Cody was interrupted by the quiet swish of the door sliding open. He turned his head to see Longshot enter.

  "What do you want?" Cody snapped. He didn't want Obi-Wan to be forced to deal with the disrespect and anger from the troops. 

 "I-I'm sorry, sir. I just wanted to see General Kenobi." 

 Obi-Wan shot Cody a look that clearly said stand down. "Well, I'm right here, Longshot." 

 "Yes, I, I just want to say--I'm sorry, sir. For being rude and for almost getting you killed." 

 Obi-Wan smiled. "Apology accepted, and according to Cody I tried to kill myself. It wasn't your fault." 

 Longshot smiled back. "Thank you, sir." He glanced at Cody, then back at Obi-Wan. "I have to go now, sir." 

 "Of course," Obi-Wan replied, but he was talking to Longshot's back.

 Longshot was the first of a deluge of 212th men who stopped by throughout the day to apologize for the way they'd treated their general. Cracker constantly came in and checked on Obi-Wan, making sure he wasn't being overwhelmed. In the late afternoon the medic bumped against Obi-Wan's bandaged arm. When Obi-Wan yelped, Cracker frowned and changed the IV fluids out for a painkiller. 

 So by the time CT-2727 stopped by in the early evening, Obi-Wan was half asleep and high on pain meds. 

 "'27!" he slurred happily. 

 "Hi, General Kenobi," '27 replied, taking the seat across from Cody. "You're looking better." 

 "It's Cody's fault," Obi-Wan announced brightly. 

 '27 raised an eyebrow at Cody. "Pain meds," Cody explained. 

 "I see." Turning to Obi-Wan, '27 asked, "What's Cody's fault?" 

 Obi-Wan frowned, confused. "Nothin'. Who said it's Cody's fault?" He tried to sit up. "Somebody blamin' Cody for somethin'?"

 "Never mind, Obi-Wan." Cody pushed the Jedi back down. "Nobody's blaming anybody for anything." 

 "Good," Obi-Wan mumbled. "'Cuz I would..." His eyes closed and he was asleep. 

 "Finally." Cody sighed. "He's been loopy for the last hour." He looked at '27. "How's the rest of the 212th coping? For that matter, how are you doing?" 

 '27 shrugged. "I'm fine, sir." 

 "Two things, '27. One, don't lie. Two, while I am a commander, I'm also a brother. My name is Cody." 

 "Cody," '27 repeated. He sighed. "In truth, I'm very tired, and sometimes-sometimes I have nightmares, but the other brothers have been helping me." 

 Cody leaned over and laid his hand on '27's knee. "If you ever need anything, even just to talk, remember my door is always open." His eyes shifted to the sleeping Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan would insist that I say his door is always open too." 

 "Thank you."

 "What of the others?" 

 "They were pretty shook up when General Kenobi went down." 

 "Yeah. I think they finally realized Obi-Wan's not indestructible. They've been coming by." 

 "Most of the brothers said they just wanted General Kenobi to be hurt the way they were hurt. They never expected him to get injured and almost die." 
 

 "We practically live on the battlefield. We don't have time for grudges." 

 "I agree." After a short silence, '27 continued. "Have you even eaten today?" 

 "No." 

 "Come on," '27 said. He stood and held out his hand. Cody took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. 

 "He's sleeping," Cody informed Cracker on their way out. 

"I don't want to see you again until 0800 tomorrow!" Cracker shot back. 

 @@@@

 One long, torturous week later, Obi-Wan was finally released from the medbay. 

 He was happy to finally be free from Cracker's prying eyes and the prickly IVs that Cracker refused to take out. He was happy to remove the skimpy medical gown and replace it with his own layered tunics. He was happy to stand up without someone yelling at him to get back in that bed now General Kenobi or I'll sedate you.  

 He was not happy to face Plo. 

 The Kel Dor had stopped by the medbay, of course, but he hadn't chewed Obi-Wan out yet. It was that lecture that Obi-Wan dreaded. Plo had been a close friend of Master Qui-Gon and seemed to think it was now his job to yell at Obi-Wan for his "stupid antics". 

 "I had to do it-" 
 

 "I don't care," Plo said, pacing between the desk and the door that led to Obi-Wan's private quarters. "It was dumb, and there was no reason for it."

 "So I should have simply let my men go on and be blown up?" 

 "No, you should have used your defusers." 

 "Didn't have any." 

 "Well, you should have waited for us. We had defusers."
 

 "I didn't even know you were coming." 
 

 Plo leaked confusion into the Force, and Obi-Wan knew there was a frown on his face, behind the mask. "Surely the Force-"

 "I didn't sense you coming." 

 "How did you not--Do you have Force exhaustion?"  

 "Not anymore," Obi-Wan muttered. He knew what was coming before it happened. 

 "You were-" Plo broke off, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're lucky you didn't go into psychic shock." 

 "I know. Blowing up those mines cost me almost more than I could afford." Cracker would be surprised at how forthcoming Obi-Wan was being, but Plo would see through a lie in an instant.
 

 "You're very worrying sometimes, you know." 

 "Oh, trust me, I know. Cody goes out of his way to remind me of how many non-existent gray hairs he had because of me." 
 

 "And Anakin?" 
 

 Obi-Wan's face fell. 
 

 "I'm sorry," Plo said gently. He put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I didn't think-" 
 

 "It's okay. He'll come around, I hope. Maybe I should tell him I almost died. The 212th realized I won't be around forever. Maybe Anakin will too." 

 "I messaged him and told him you were severely injured and he never answered." 

 Obi-Wan sighed. Thinking about Anakin made his chest hurt. "Maybe one day." 

 "Maybe," Plo echoed, but he didn't seem hopeful. "Oh, by the way, Wolffe is on his way back from Kalida Shoals, so Cody will be staying with the 212th." 

 Obi-Wan tried to conceal his relief. Although Longshot was very capable and they had made up, he preferred Cody.

@@@@

 The men of the 212th tiptoed around Obi-Wan for the next week and then suddenly acted as if nothing had ever happened. 

 One evening less than two weeks after Obi-Wan nearly died, Cody entered his quarters while he was trying to work. The commander leaned over his shoulder, eyes on the datapad. 

 "You know, reading over somebody's shoulder is considered rude," Obi-Wan said without taking his eyes off the datapad.

 "But you don't mind, do you?" Cody walked his fingers up Obi-Wan's arm. 

 Obi-Wan shrugged him off. "Cody, stop." 

 "I thought you agreed that when you aren't actively on duty you were comfortable with being casual friends."

 "That it doesn't mean you can be obnoxious! And how do you even remember my exact words?" 

 "Who says casual friends?" 

 "Cultured people, one of whom you clearly are not." 

 Cody pretended to be hurt. 

 Giving up on finishing his reports, Obi-Wan powered down the datapad. "What do you want?" 

 "I want you to come down to the barracks with me." 

 Obi-Wan was suddenly suspicious. Years of Anakin had taught him that a prank was probably in the near future. "Why?" 
 

 Cody smirked. "Cuz I said." 

 "Why do I feel like I'm going to walk into a trap?" 

 "It's not, I promise." 

 Warily, Obi-Wan followed Cody down to the troop quarters. They consisted of three huge rooms, lined with bunks, deep in the ship. Cody pointed to the middle door.

 "After you," Obi-Wan said. 

 Rolling his eyes, Cody pressed the button and stepped through the door when it hissed open. Obi-Wan followed cautiously. 

 "General Kenobi?" 

 "You came!" 

 "Hi, General!" 

 "Hi," Obi-Wan responded, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the voices talking at him. "Cody, what's going on?" 

 "We're naming a few shinies, including your favorite-" 

 "-I don't have a favorite-"

 "-and I thought it would be good for you to come." 

 "Cody!" Longshot was waving at them from across the room. "Can we start now?" 

 Cody smiled. "Sure." He took Obi-Wan's hand and dragged him through the crowd. It looked like the whole of the 212th was crammed into the barracks. 

 "CLEAR A SPACE!" Longshot was yelling. "SHOO! MAKE SPACE!" 
 

"Are your brothers always this loud?" Obi-Wan whispered to Cody. 

 Cody laughed. "No. This is actually pretty quiet."  

 Obi-Wan found himself standing on the edge of an empty floor space, the crowd of clones jostling for positions along the edge. Longshot was standing in the middle of the empty space, still yelling. 

 "ALL OF YOU BE QUIET!" 

 The sudden silence was honestly a little creepy. 

 "Thank you," Longshot said, bringing his volume down. "Alright. I need CT-2839, CM-206, and CT-2727." 

 The three shinies came forward and stood in empty space. Longshot directed them into a row, facing the crowd. Obi-Wan recognized the medic and of course, he knew '27, and he remembered the other trooper from briefings. None of them wore armor, only long sleeved blacks and training shoes. 
 

 "CT-2829, name your paintmaster." Longshot sounded like he was organizing a game, not a naming ceremony.  

 "What's a paintmaster?" Obi-Wan whispered. 

 "The man who dumps a bucket of paint over the shiny's head. There's one rule: it has to be an officer." 

 "Why?" 

 "Control and safety. Enlisted sometimes get too excited." 

 "Gregor," '29 said. Somebody whooped and the lieutenant came forward and took his place behind '29. 

 "CM-206, choose your paintmaster." 

 "Cracker." 

 "CT-2727, choose your paintmaster." 

 The shiny didn't hesitate. "General Kenobi." 

 "Me?" Obi-Wan said, surprised. 

 Somebody wolf-whistled. He felt Cody's palm between his shoulder blades pushing him forward. 

 Longshot pushed a metal can into his hands. It was full to the brim with gold 212th paint. 

 "Need a chair to stand on, General?" One of the clones had evidently decided that the laid-back atmosphere permitted teasing the Jedi. 
 

 "I'm not that short," Obi-Wan shot back.  

 "Gregor," Longshot said. The lieutenant poured the can over '29, and the shiny wiped it from his eyes and shouted out his name. "Blue, for the oceans of Veska." Obi-Wan vaguely remembered the mission from two standard months ago.
 

 "Cracker." 

 "Fixit, because I do." 
 

 "General." 

 Obi-Wan stood on his toes and tipped the can over '27's head. Paint splattered on his tunics, but he didn't care. The thick gold liquid oozed down '27's blacks and dripped on the floor. 

 "Sparrow, because they're beautiful." 

 "Blue! Fixit! Sparrow!" the clones chanted, then broke for a celebration. 

@@@@

 Ten minutes later, Cody found Obi-Wan, sweet muja juice in hand, talking to Longshot and Gregor about a yoga class the two clones were planning to start up. 
 

 "Cody," Longshot said, "Help us convince General--sorry, I mean, Obi-Wan, to come guest teach." 

 "Oh, I know better than to try to make him do something he doesn't want to do." 
 

 "I didn't say I wouldn't do it, I said I'd consider it." 

 "And get him a drink," Gregor said. 

 "I don't drink." 

 Gregor choked on his own drink. 

 "Alcohol messes with my-" 

 "Connection to the Force?" Cracker finished for him, walking up with Fixit. 

 "Yeah, that." Obi-Wan turned to Cody. "Yes, my dear commander?" 

 Cracker giggled. It was quite possible he'd had too much to drink. Cody sighed. He was going to be dealing with hungover brothers tomorrow, he knew. "Help me break up the party? People do need to get some sleep." 

 "How am I supposed to do that? I'm a Jedi, not a party-breaker-upper." 

 Longshot pointed to a chair. "Climb and yell party over."

 Obi-Wan actually did it, to everyone's amusement, while Cody wished for his bucket so he could record it. 

 Cody walked Obi-Wan back to his quarters to make sure he got through his office and into his actual quarters without any distractions. Obi-Wan hadn't slept in Cody's quarters since he'd been released from medbay. 

 Cody had to admit he missed him. 

Chapter Text

 Obi-Wan was staring at him again. 

 He'd been glancing over at Cody through the entire briefing, but he'd taken a chair at the opposite end of the table. Is he mad at me or something?

 "Uh, Commander Cody?" 

 Cody jumped. "What?" 
 

 Gregor was giving him a concerned look now. "I said, is that all?" 

 "Oh, yeah. Unless General Kenobi has anything to add?" 
 

 Every head in the room turned. Obi-Wan blinked like he'd been caught off guard. "No, that's all." 

 The men slowly trickled from the conference room until only Cody and Obi-Wan were left. Cody stood and started gathering his datapads. 
 

 "Cody?" Obi-Wan's voice was small and hesitant. 

 "Hmm?" 

 "Did I do something to upset you?" 

 "No," Cody answered, surprised. 

 "Oh," Obi-Wan whispered. "Okay. I'll see you-" 

 "Obi-Wan, is something wrong?" 

 Obi-Wan's ears turned pink, a certain sign of his discomfort. "No, I just--We should have sleepovers, or something." 

 "What's a sleepover?" 

 "It's where you, um." Cody had never seen his Jedi so flustered. "Um, like your piles with your brothers, only with two people, and you don't usually sleep in the same bed, but--"

 "Ah, so you miss me?" 

 "It's a stupid idea," Obi-Wan mumbled. 

 "You never have stupid ideas." 

 Obi-Wan raised his eyebrow.

 "Well, no, I take that back. Exploding mines while you're standing on them is kinda dumb. So is agreeing to General Skywalker's plan--Oh. I didn't mean--" 

 "It's okay," Obi-Wan said, but his eyes were dark. 

 "Truth be told, I don't like having an actual briefing in the morning. Maybe it would be easier, these sleepovers." 

 "It doesn't have to be every night," Obi-Wan assured him, as though Cody didn't want Obi-Wan's warmth beside him forever. 
 

 "Obi-Wan," Cody said seriously. "You'll always be welcome in my quarters." 

 "Cody-" 

 "Shut up," Cody said, not unkindly. "And be in my quarters by 2100." 

 "You can't order me around. I do happen to be the High General of the 3rd Systems Army." 

 "Sure. General, kindly be in my quarters by 2100 or I will set Cracker on you." 

 "Oh, I'll be there." 

 @@@@

 At exactly 2100 there was a soft knock on Cody's door. He opened it to find Obi-Wan, carrying a sleep tunic and datapad, waiting for him. Cody glanced up and down the hall before he closed the door. Thankfully, at this hour of the night, there was nobody around; the last thing Cody needed was brothers seeing them and getting the wrong idea. 

 "Tea?" Cody offered. 
 

 Obi-Wan smiled. "Stop reading my mind." 
 

 "Never. Peach or ginger?"

 "Peach, please." 

 "With honey?" 

 "Yes, thank you."

 By the time Cody had turned around with the mugs (his full of decaffeinated caf), Obi-Wan was sitting on the bottom bunk, staring at the datapad and frowning. 

 "Seriously, Obi-Wan. I didn't ask you for a workover. There's a reason my desk isn't attached to my quarters." He took the datapad from the Jedi. 

 "Cody!" 

 "Nope. You're going to drink this and sleep." 

 "Commander-" 

 "Don't even start. Here, you aren't my CO." And oh, an irrational part of him wanted to have a panic attack because he'd just given Obi-Wan basis to have him disgraced in a court martial. "Here, you are my brother. A workaholic, redheaded brother with no sense of self-preservation, but a brother all the same." Obi-Wan opened his mouth, but Cody beat him to it. "I know how the Code works. I know that you can have friendships, and can even love, it you don't let your emotions get in the way of good judgement. And I know that if I have to die for the Republic, you would let me. You might try to stop it, but if you couldn't, you would let me go. So I say to you: Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are my brother, and I love you." 

 Obi-Wan gaped, his mouth open, but no sound came out. The great Negotiator was speechless. 
 

 "Now, go change in the 'fresher, and don't come out until I tell you, 'cuz I'm gonna change out here." 
 

 Obi-Wan did as he was told. 

 They laughed and joked like actual brothers over their drinks, and then broke for sleep. Obi-Wan curled up beside Cody, and Cody tugged him close and thought that Fox was going to be very jealous when he found out Cody had a Jedi brother. 

@@@@ 

 Anakin Skywalker jumped down from his fighter and shoved past Rex to reach Ahsoka. "C'mon, Padawan," he ordered gruffly and kept moving without waiting to see if she followed. 

 Of course she did, good old Snips, one of only three people in the galaxy  he trusted. Of course, he knew the clones wouldn't betray him the way that idiot Obi-Wan had, but he didn't count them among those he trusted. 

 He needed to debrief the Council, shower, check his comm, and call Padmè. In that order, unfortunately. Padmè hated to see him sweaty and disheveled from fighting; it evidently reminded her that she could lose her husband at any time. 

 When he finally had time to pick up his comm (which he'd left on the ship; it might have been stupid, but he didn't want to see the message Koon had sent him.) he found that he had several messages. He deleted the two junk messages from a bar he frequented on Coruscant, saved Padmè's for later, glanced over the receipt of purchase from a necklace he'd had shipped to Padmè for their upcoming anniversary (even if he couldn't be there in person, nothing would stop him from pampering his wife), and scowled at the last. 

Incoming transmission from High General Kenobi to General Skywalker
Sent at 24:36:51 
Anakin, I'm very sorry for what I did. 
There, I've said it. 
....

 It trailed off; to view the whole message, he'd have to open it. Growling to himself, he glanced at the chrono. Padmè would be stuck in meetings for the next thirty standard minutes, and the thought of Obi-Wan didn't make him feel so sick that he was above distracting himself by reading a message the traitor had sent. 

 Although Anakin wondered why he sent it over official channels. (He knew why. Obi-Wan had messaged him multiple times on private channels and Anakin deleted the messages without opening them. Perhaps Obi-Wan had thought using official channels would make Anakin pay attention.) 

 He clicked the message. 

 Anakin, I'm very sorry for what I did. 

 There, I've said it. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Perhaps it's because I'm so tired. Cody would have my head if he knew I was still up.

 No, that was the easy part. This will be much harder. 

 Anakin, I love you. 

 You have probably fallen down in shock, so I will wait for you to get up again.

 Recent events have reminded me that the Jedi Code allows affection. I could let you go if I had to. I would hate it, and I would do everything I could to prevent it, but I would let you go. 

 Therefore, it is appropriate for me to say I love you, and mean it. 
Please forgive me. I won't say faking my death was wrong, but I apologize for the pain I caused you and Ahsoka. I admit it, I should have let you in on the secret. You should never have been forced to experience what I did when Master Qui-Gon died. 

 With love, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 Anakin slammed his palm down on the desk in anger. 

 How dare he. 

 How dare Obi-Wan pretend to care. How dare he say 'I love you', something Anakin had longed to hear from him so many times, after betraying him! 

 The buzz of his comm drew him from his thoughts, and he looked down to see that Padmè was calling. Quickly, he answered it, her little blue hologram appearing in front of him. 
 

 "Hello, my angel," Anakin said.

 "You look upset, darling. Is something wrong?" 

 "No, well, just Obi-Wan-" The whole story of the message came pouring out. 

 Padmè listened quietly until he was done talking. "So Obi-Wan's asking forgiveness?" 

 "Yes." Anakin rubbed his eyes. "He didn't even call, just sent a note, like I'm not worth his time." 

 "I think you'll be passing supplies to the Negotiator again soon." 

 "Yes." 

 "Talk to him. He said he loves you, so he'll make time for you." 

 "No he won't." 

 "Anakin." Padmè looked at him with sad eyes. "Senator Organa says Master Koon said Obi-Wan is practically pining for you."

 "Pining? Padmè, he faked his death." 

 "And I faked mine just before the war started. Do you remember?" 

 "That's different." 

 "Would you prefer the Chancellor to be dead?" 

 Anakin was silent. 

 "Promise me you'll talk to him."

 "Okay, fine." 

 Padmè raised her eyebrows and waited. 

 Anakin sighed. "I promise." 

Chapter Text

 "Keep your head down!" Cody's hand accompanied his words, his fingers warm on the back of Obi-Wan's head as he forced Obi-Wan's chin to his chest; the Jedi was long overdue for a haircut.

 "Never had to before," Obi-Wan mumbled. 

 The quiet snip of the scissors was drowned out when Cody snapped, "I'm not a professional, okay?" 

 "I know. I'm sorry." 

 Cody combed the ends of his overgrown hair and cut another section. "It's fine. I shouldn't have yelled; I'm just on edge." 

 "So am I," Obi-Wan admitted. 

 "It'll all be fine. Just get the supplies and leave. Don't even have to talk to him." 

 "I kinda have to." 

 "Why?" Cody's tone was sharp. 

 "I might have written him a note." 

 "That said what?" 

 Wordlessly, Obi-Wan held his datapad up, carefully not moving his head. Cody read in silence. 

 "Did he answer?" 

 "No, but I have to talk to him, Cody. I have to explain. Like you said, life's too short for grudges." 
 

 "I'll say something else: you're not going to talk with someone who beat the daylights out of you the last time you saw him." 
 

 "That was my fault." 

 "I don't care whose fault it was. No." 

 "Do I need to remind you of the fact that--" 

 "Don't pull rank on me." 

 "--that I am a fully grown man and can take care of myself?"

 "Yeah, just keep telling yourself that." 
 

@@@@

 Twenty minutes later, Obi-Wan inspected his reflection, pronounced it good, straightened his tunics, and strolled down to the waiting gunship fleet with Cody at his side. 
 

 "You're in charge, Commander." 
 

 "Yes, sir." They were very professional when on duty; they alternated between friends (when off duty) and soldiers in a strict military hierarchy.  
 

 "All right, then. Pilots are ready?" 

 "Yes." 
 

 Obi-Wan stepped up into the gunship, leaning out the open door to speak. "Have them start unloading when the first ships get back so they can take another load."

 "And pile all the crates at one end of the hangar," Cody recited, "to open later." 
 

 Obi-Wan smiled, pulled his head in, and shut the door.

@@@@

 Cody watched him go, hoping he knew what he was getting into. Shaking his head, he laughed at himself. Of course Obi-Wan knew what he was getting into: he'd known Anakin for at least ten years, if not longer. 

 He would be fine. 

@@@@

 Obi-Wan hopped down from the gunship, glancing at the hundred or so crates they had to move. Five crates to a ship. Yes, five ships will do nicely. 

 "Master Kenobi!" He turned to see Ahsoka barreling toward him, leaving a trail of startled men in her wake. 
 

 "Ahso-omph." She slammed into him, skinny arms around his middle. 

 "I haven't seen you in ages!" 

 "It's been four standard months." 

 "I want you to see my jar'kai! Skyguy's been working with me, and I'm getting a lot better."

"Later," he said, untangling himself. "Right now we have a job to do. Where's Anakin?" 

 She was suddenly the serious Padawan. "He's over by the hydraulic floatbeds." 

 "Of course he'd be with the machines," Obi-Wan said. 

 "Let's go see if he's broken any." Ahsoka's eyes darkened. "No, you two still aren't talking, are you?"

 Obi-Wan sighed. Poor Ahsoka, probably feeling caught in the middle.

 "Never mind that, Ahsoka. Why are you almost as tall as me?" 

 Ahsoka giggled. "Skyguy says we have to keep you the shortest member of this lineage." 

 Obi-Wan faked a pout. "Not fair." 

 "Obi-Wan," a new voice said. He looked up to see his former Padawan stalking towards him. 

 "Anakin," he greeted. 

 "Snips, you and Rex are in charge. Obi-Wan, come with me." 

 "If this is another sparring match..." Obi-Wan's attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. 

 "It's not," Anakin said over his shoulder. 

 "What's going on?" Ahsoka interjected. 

 "Nothing," Anakin said. "But, like I said, we're leaving you in charge. Consider it a sort of reward for your good work recently." 

 Ahsoka looked from Anakin to Obi-Wan. "Go ahead," Obi-Wan encouraged. "You've watched me and Anakin long enough." 

 She flashed them a smile and turned away. 

@@@@

 Anakin took Obi-Wan to the Resolute's unused general's office so they wouldn't be interrupted. 
 

 "Why?" Anakin snapped as soon as they had closed the door. 
 

 "Why what?" 
 

 "Why did you send me that note? Were you trying to make fun of me?" 

 "Of course not! Anakin, I meant every word." 

 "Even when you said you love me?"  

 Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes. I--you know I don't talk about my feelings." 

 Anakin knew that. Obi-Wan was a very private person. He hated talking about his emotions and had difficulty showing them. It was one of the things that made him such a good negotiator. 

 "I haven't ever told you how much I appreciate you, or how much our friendship means to me, and I'm sorry. I didn't properly explain attachment and love and how that relates to us and our lives as Jedi, and I made you think that you have to hide your marriage." 

 "My--" 

 Obi-Wan smiled. "It's the worst-kept secret in the galaxy. I'm very excited for you. Padmè is a wonderful woman, and she accepts her place as a Jedi's husband. Besides, she makes you happy." 

 "I have to sit down." Anakin lowered himself to sit on the desk. 

 "Did I break your mind?" 

 "This isn't funny, Obi-Wan," he growled. 

 "I only did it because it was necessary. Don't you remember before the war when Padmè faked her death?" 

 Anakin put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why does everybody keep talking about that?" 

 Obi-Wan sat down next to him. "I am sorry, Anakin, sorry that you had to endure the pain of losing me."  

 "You keep saying that." 

 "Because I mean it." 

 Anakin lifted his head and looked over at Obi-Wan. He was facing forward, hands clenching and unclenching in his lap, but tears glittered in his eyes.

 "Obi-Wan?" 

 Silently, Obi-Wan turned to look at him. Anakin held his arm out. He knew Obi-Wan wasn't big on physical contact, but maybe...

Obi-Wan melted into Anakin's side, shaking with repressed sobs. Tears blurred Anakin's own vision. His brother was crying, probably had been emotionally unbalanced for some time, all because of Anakin's stupid arrogance and pride. 

 "Hey, it's okay," Anakin said gently. "I'm right here." 

 "I'm sorry," Obi-Wan whispered. 

 "I know, and I'm not mad at you. Not anymore." 

 Somehow they ended up on the floor, Obi-Wan halfway in Anakin's lap and Anakin leaning back against the desk. Obi-Wan finally calmed enough to sit up and scrub at his eyes. "Sorry," he said again. "That was embarrassing." 

 "No," Anakin said seriously. "This sounds really dumb, but I used to wonder if you even had feelings."  

 Obi-Wan swatted his arm. 

 "Add annoyance to the list," Anakin teased. "Two emotions. That's pretty poor." 

 "Sometimes I want to throw you out an airlock." 

 Anakin stood and offered Obi-Wan a hand. "But you won't, cuz you love me." 

 "Don't think that'll stop me. I'll just pull you back in before you die." 

 "Such a comfort." 
 

@@@@

 Some things changed. Others stayed the same.

 Cody and Anakin looked after their brother like a gundark looking after its offspring. They frequently manhandled him to the medbay or into a bed or to the mess or simply away from his desk when he became too wrapped up in work to care for himself. Obi-Wan grumbled and complained but they didn't mind because they knew he was grateful for their love and care. 

 Anakin came to Obi-Wan late one night, deeply troubled, and confessed that he had murdered the Tuskens who had killed his mother. Obi-Wan listened in silence, frowned, and recommended a Temple counselor. Hesitantly, Anakin agreed. Obi-Wan stayed at his side through the whole process as the younger Jedi learned to manage his anger and attachment, and talked him through his frustration at what Anakin saw as a lack of progress and what Obi-Wan saw as a slow but sure improvement. 

 When Chancellor Palpatine began blatantly badmouthing Obi-Wan to Anakin's face, Anakin looked him in the eye and said, "With all due respect, if you expect me to ever come here again you're wrong." Anakin was the head of the team that took Sidious down after his attempt to turn the clones against the Jedi and mount a military coup. The Sith seriously underestimated the clones' loyalty to the Jedi and the Republic and was shocked when they resisted Order 66. Sidious's death lifted the cloud of the dark side and restored the Force to balance. 

 After the war, Anakin revealed his marriage to Padmè and left the Order a hero.  The Skywalker family soon included two twins that Obi-Wan regularly babysat for and adored, although if asked he would deny that fact until he ran out of breath.  

 The Order financed the removal of the chips from the clones, which ended the accelerated aging, in return for the Senate to offer each clone the choice to leave the Grand Army of the Republic.

 Cody left the military to help Obi-Wan find and establish a home planet for the clones. It took them two years, but when the planet formally belonged to the clones, Cody was elected Senator. If Obi-Wan ended up his Jedi bodyguard more often than not, well, it definitely wasn't the result of Cody's extremely specific requests. 

 Obi-Wan took leave from the Order and went to Mandalore, where he helped depose Death Watch from power, killing Maul in the process, and established Korkie as the Duke of Mandalore. Korkie followed in Satine's footsteps as an excellent ruler. 

 Ahsoka finished her training under Obi-Wan, was knighted, and three years later took a Padawan of her own. 

 Obi-Wan was at peace. The war was finally over. Sidious and Dooku and Grievous and Maul were dead. 

 He was happiest spending time with his brothers, however.