"I understand, but the droids upload their data to the GAR database. If your battalion has an influx of brain surgeries, especially when conflict casualties are low, it will flag something."
"Then we'll wipe the data."
"It will still get flagged. They will be able to see that the droids are being used, but now what they are being used for. It will take longer, sure. But eventually, you will get caught."
Rex ran a tired hand down his face. "Then what do you suggest? Because we cannot have the entire army wandering around with chips in their heads that will black them out and cause them to kill children."
Tech thought for a moment. "I shall secure a defunct medical droid from Kamino and bring it to you. Perhaps you can barter a room at 79's to conduct surgery on troopers who are drugged while on shore leave. And we can have one on every ship. The blind spot you are in now should be big enough for one."
"You want us to perform brain surgery in a bar and in a cargo storage bay?" Kix asked. "That plan has so many issues. Do you not know what germs are?"
"There is no better option," Tech replied.
There probably was. But, until Rex could figure it out, it was the best they had.
"Alright, fine. Focus on getting us the droid. I'll get Hardcase, Fives, and Echo de-chipped since they already know. Then, when we're on leave in two weeks with Cody, we can work on getting him and his medics de-chipped. Maybe some of the Corries too. I'll have to look and see who else might be there. I think Gree and Wolffe are set to meet up with us as well."
"Excellent." Tech seemed a lot better now that he had admitted what the chips did. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Sadly, that weight had been directly transferred to Rex's shoulders.
"Once Commander Wolffe is de-chipped," Tech continued, "I will need to discuss with him a better system for getting access to proper medical droids. If we can get one with every battalion, we might just be able to make quick work of it."
"Alright, thanks, Tech. Let us know when you've got that droid," Rex said.
"Of course. I will try to get one to you before you meet up with the Commander on Coruscant. Please, keep an eye on your comms."
They said their goodbyes and turned off the projector.
Rex sighed. "Grab me some yarn. I need to record the conversation."
"Yes, sir," Kix patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to Ahsoka or the other Jedi. We know now. We can react."
"Yeah, but we have to move fast. Maybe too fast."
"Good thing we're good at that sort of thing."
Rex rubbed a hand over the bandage on his head and headed back to the rec room. The panic from before had burned away. Now all that was left was rage. He wanted to burn Kamino down to the ground. He wanted to punish Lama Su and his people forever even thinking of having him hurt Ahsoka. As much as he wanted to bask in the anger, to let it fuel him, he let the feeling go.
Kix was right. If he wanted to keep the people he loved safe, and the people they loved safe, he was going to have to keep his head on straight. Anger may have fueled him, but letting it drive him would only end in disaster.
For now, he took a seat next to Ahsoka, wrapped her tightly in his arms, grabbed his yarn, and started knitting.
*****
"Any ideas what exactly we're supposed to be getting?" Tup asked as he and Hardcase trudged through the rain and mud to a ridge where they were supposed to meet up with Hunter's group for a supply drop.
A supply drop, mind you, that no one else in the 501st knew about so it was likely something to do with the chips. That didn't mean much to Tup, though. They could be dropping off anything. Weapons. Droids. People. Drugs. Who knows! Not Tup because Rex didn't tell him anything.
"No idea," Hardcase said. He seemed to be actually enjoying this hell-hike up a mountain; delighting in the mud caking his kit until the white was no longer white. "He told Ahsoka and the General we were going scouting though."
"Do you think they figured out what they did? The chips, I mean," Tup asked. His foot caught a particularly slick patch of mud. He fell face first.
Hardcase started laughing.
"It's not funny," Tup grumbled. It was so muddy and rainy out that even with his bucket on, he could still feel it caking his ears and hair. He was never going to get the tangles out.
Hardcase hoisted him back to his feet so they could continue the hike. "They probably did figure it out. I hear Tech's super smart about osik like this so it'd make sense. Plus, doesn't the commander want an update soon?"
"Next week. We're on leave in Coruscant then. Maybe I can finally get all the mud off me," Tup sighed dreaming of hot showers and fresh soaps and shampoos and hair oils.
"Come on, I hear mud is found in all the fancy spas those rich people go to. People literally paid to get covered in the stuff we're getting covered in for free!"
"People pay to get covered in mud?" That sounded like one of those made-up articles on the holonet.
"Exactly, so be grateful. You get a taste of the rich life for free."
Tup took a step. Only to find out he didn't step on solid ground. He stepped into a muddy puddle that looked like solid ground. A deep muddy puddle.
The water flooded the gaps in his armor and made his socks and underwear and blacks squishy, cold, and wet.
"I hate my life," Tup groaned.
"We're almost there," Hardcase once more hoisted him back onto solid ground. Seriously, how was Tup getting more covered in mud than Hardcase? Hardcase wanted to be covered in mud but he had managed to avoid every trap Tup had fallen into.
"I hope it's nothing bad," Tup said. They finally got to the ridge and he collapsed down on a rock. The only solid thing he had felt in nearly twenty minutes. He picked up a stick and started trying to scrape some of the caked muck off his boots.
It was… marginally successful.
Mostly it just smeared more and got even deeper into the cracks.
"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe it's something good. Like helping depression. Kix said that was a possibility." Hardcase brought the binocs to his face to observe the horizon. He sent a report to Appo. They were supposed to be scouting, after all.
"Yeah, maybe," Tup said. He wasn't sure if he believed the chips were truly nothing. If it did help with depression, why go through all the trouble to hide it? And Kix seemed to think they could also be used to control people; to completely erase their free will.
His hand went to brush against the side of his helmet, near where the chip had been extracted. If the mind control thing were true, that was horrifying. What could troopers be forced to do? And why would anyone want to force them to do something in the first place? And why use troopers at all if they were just going to have their personalities wiped? Why not use droids?
Hardcase clapped him hard on the back. "It'll be fine. You feel fine, right? No side effects or bad dreams or anything?"
He nodded and dropped his hand. "I feel great actually. The headaches haven't returned."
"That's good."
Their comms lit up, but not their normal comms. Oh no. These were the ones that had been smuggled to them, courtesy of Commander Wolffe's operation. Clean comms with no connection to the GAR network, which meant no records of what they said or talked about.
"Tup and Hardcase, come in," Hunter said.
"We're here at the drop point, Hunter. Reading you loud and clear," Hardcase replied. "ETA on your arrival?"
"Yeah… about that."
"You better still be coming," Tup said. "The captain needs whatever you're dropping before we head back to Coruscant. This is the last chance you'll get."
"Oh, don't worry, we're still coming. But we're going to be coming in hot."
"Hot?" Tup opened up the sanctioned scanners. "There are no seppies here. We cleared them out. We're getting ready to leave the planet. What do you mean hot?"
"They're not seppies."
Tup's scanners lit up with what had to be half a dozen ships.
"They're pirates. And not ones that like Commander Wolffe. We checked."
"That's a lot of ships," Hardcase said, looking over at Tup's scanners.
"We're blaming Tech," Wrecker's voice said.
"For the last time, how was I supposed to know that we were in their territory? It was not marked on the map. If they want me to stay out of their territory, they are going to need a better way of communicating where that territory is!" Tech shouted back.
"Tup, Hardcase, come in," Appo called.
Oh, this was not going to be good. He couldn't just ignore him, though.
"Tup here, go ahead."
"Are you seeing anything out there? We're picking up some activity on our scanners."
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
"We're picking it up too. I don't think they're Seppies."
It was hard to concentrate on lying to Appo while Tech and Wrecker were arguing in the background.
"Keep us posted if you see anything. And maybe head back to base. We might need you if the Seppies are coming back for round two."
Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!
They couldn't head back to base! They were supposed to be picking up illegal shit from Hunter!
"Copy that. We'll start heading back now." Tup stopped the comm to Appo and turned back to the comm for Hunter. "Are you going to do the drop or not? You've been spotted by the scanners and we just got orders to head back!"
"We haven't been spotted by anything," Tech said. "My cloaking devices are too good. The pirates on the other hand…"
"I don't care! It's wet. It's raining. I'm covered in mud and currently lying to several of my superior officers. Are we doing this thing or not?"
"Oh, we're doing it. There's just going to be a bit of change in plans. And if this works, we'll even get you back to base," Hunter growled. "When I say jump, you need to jump."
Tup blinked a few times. "I beg your pardon?"
"Jump, reg. Off the cliff," Crosshairs voice said.
"Off… the… we don't have jetpacks! We walked up here!"
"Don't worry. We'll catch you." Wrecker said.
"I feel like I should be very worried. What do you mean you're going to catch us?" Tup said.
Hardcase grabbed the back of his armor and hauled him off his nice, solid rock and towards the edge of the very muddy, very unstable cliff. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I've always wanted to do a mission with these guys."
Tup let out an 'eep' as his brother dragged him to the edge of the cliff.
"Alright, vod, we're at the edge," Hardcase said. "You see us?"
"We have you on the scanners. Move ten centimeters to the right," Tech said.
"I really don't think this is a good idea," Tup said. He was helpless, though, as Hardcase dragged him ten centimeters to the right. To a spot that was somehow even more muddier and less stable than the last spot.
"Come on, Tup'ika. Live a little. Alright, we're ten centimeters to the right."
"Good, now when I say jump, jump. More specifically, go straight down. Not out."
"Gotcha." Hardcase turned to him. Even with his bucket on, Tup could tell he was grinning ear to ear. "Don't worry. They have us."
"They don't have us. They very much do not us. We are going to die. Oh, Force, I'm still a virgin."
"We'll fix that."
"How? We are going to die!"
"No, we won't."
"Jump now!" Tech commanded.
Hardcase didn't even hesitate. He held strong to Tup's armor and plummeted off the side of the cliff, letting out a whoop as the ground left their feet.
For a brief second, it felt like they were floating. Tup wondered if maybe the Bad Batch had a Jedi on board that was holding them up. Perhaps General Ti. He liked General Ti. She was very nice and he missed her calming presence. He trusted General Ti to catch him.
They started plummeting.
Tup had to come to terms with the fact that General Ti was not on board The Marauder and there was no Jedi holding them up.
Hardcase was laughing in his ear. He held tight as the ground got closer.
And closer.
And closer.
And closer.
Tup squeezed his eyes closed.
This was it.
This was how he was going to die.
In the rain and mud because his idiot brother jumped off a cliff because some other idiots told him to.
He hoped his obituary made his death sound cooler than it actually was.
They slammed into something.
Something hard.
Something metal.
Someone grabbed his foot as the world spun around him.
Tup opened his eyes to see that they were now on a ship.
A ship that was being actively shot at.
A ship that was being actively shot at while the side door of said ship was wide open.
He looked down to see Wrecker strapped into a seat, looking very green but holding tight to Tup's leg. And Hardcase was holding tight to Tup's body. Still laughing like he was having the time of his fucking life.
"I got you!" Wrecker gave him a very ill-looking and unsure grin.
"Tech, get us out of here!" Hunter rushed past them.
Tup barely had time to register that he had just clipped himself into a carabiner before swan-diving out the open door of the ship with a blaster in his hands.
"I am trying! There are a lot of them. Crosshair, why are you not shooting any of them?"
"Maybe if your flying was better, I'd be able to shoot better!" Crosshair shouted back from the gunner's mount.
They rushed up the side of a mountain, pausing for a brief second at the top before plummeting back down to the canyons below. Tup caught sight of Hunter, strapped to a cable, actively shooting as his body was flung around by the jerky movements Tech made to maneuver them through the tight canyons.
Something exploded behind them.
Hopefully, an enemy ship running into a rock and not their ship losing a piece.
"See, told you we didn't die," Hardcase said.
Tup didn't open his mouth. He wasn't sure he could keep himself from vomiting if he did. And, if there was one thing even more embarrassing than dying because your brother jumped off a cliff, it was asphyxiating on your own vomit because you couldn't handle a rough ship ride.
At least Wrecker seemed to have an appropriate fear of death. Everyone else on this Force-forsaken ship apparently had no fear of death. Except for Hunter that is.
Because he wasn't technically on the ship. He was hanging out the side of it. On a tiny-ass little string that was somehow supposed to hold his bodyweight and keep from snapping as Tech made sudden and drastic changes in direction to try and shake the pirates chasing them.
"Oh, we're going to die," Wrecker whimpered from his seat.
Never mind. Wrecker's fear of death was not exactly encouraging in this situation. If he, who was likely used to this sort of thing, thought they were going to die, then they were going to die.
The telltale sign of a comm chimed up in the cockpit.
"Who the fuck is calling us? We're busy." Crosshair shouted.
Tech answered it. "Oh, Captain Rex. What a surprise."
"What the fuck are you idiots doing? You've shown up on the scanners. It was supposed to be a quiet drop!" Rex hissed.
"We ran into some trouble with pirates. No matter. The package is still secure and we shall be delivering it, along with Tup and Hardcase, shortly. As soon as I lose these ships."
"You ran into some trouble?" Rex sounded like he was bordering on hysterical. "Skywalker is trying to get up there to see who the hell is flying! We've got canons being set up to shoot you down!"
"General Skywalker is impressed with my flying?" Tech sounded smug.
"That is not a compliment!"
"Sorry, captain. Must go. Have to focus on flying." He hung up before Rex could say anything else.
A few seconds later, Tup's commlink beeped.
"Please don't be Appo. Please don't be Appo. Please don't be Appo."
"Oh, I'll get that for you," Hardcase said. He was still clinging to Tup as they flailed around the ship.
At least Wrecker's grip strength could be trusted.
"Captain, how's it going?"
Never mind. He wished it were Appo.
"What is going on?" Rex demanded. Tup couldn't look at him. If he did, he'd definitely puke. And puking all over your captain's little hologram image was not a good look. And there was still the asphyxiation to worry about.
"Don't worry. Tup and I are with the Bad Batch now. We'll be back in no time."
"Don't worry! You want me not to worry!" Rex was starting to get hysterical again. "Tell Hunter that if he does not get out of this mess in ten seconds, I'm going to—"
Tech did an aileron roll. This time, the force was so great that it pulled Hunter back into the ship. Where he promptly crashed into Tup and Hardcase, wrenching them from Wrecker's grasp and smashing them into the side of the wall. Tup's commlink was in pieces.
"Tech, lose them!" Hunter shouted.
"Oh, incoming. I got it," Hardcase scrambled off of and rushed to the still-open door.
"Hardcase, no!"
Thankfully, Hardcase did not promptly fall out the door and plummet to his death. Instead, he pulled out a Z-6 (where the hell did he get that?) and started firing at a ship that had pulled up next to them.
"Hey, be careful. I'm modifying that," Wrecker called.
"I can tell! It shoots like a dream!" Hardcase shouted back.
He fired enough rounds into the attacking ship to cause them to crash. So that was two down. Four to go. Those were… better odds. Right?
"They've got tracker missiles incoming," Crosshair said.
Never mind. The odds were still bad.
"Everyone hold on." How could Crosshair still sound so bored with all this chaos?
"We're going to die," Tup whimpered.
"Alright. Then it's time to execute Plan 69," Tech said.
"Hah! 69." Hardcase slapped Tup's back as he settled back down beside him, modified Z-6 hopefully stored away where it couldn't accidentally shoot someone in the chaos. "You don't get it because—"
"I know what it means!" Tup snarked back. "And I regret ever telling you about that. Even if it was done in a moment of panic."
"You're going to need to strap in for this one." Hunter dragged Tup and Hardcase over to the nearest pair of seats and latched them in before securing himself.
"The door is still open," Tup said.
"Eh, this won't take long." Hunter shrugged.
"What exactly is Plan 69?" He probably didn't want to know. But he was also desperate to know. If he knew, then he could prepare himself.
Wrecker just whimpered. Again, not a good sign.
It also wasn't a good sign when Tech lurched the ship straight up and started climbing.
"Right," Hunter said, casual as ever, "the package is in that box over there."
The box in question slid across the floor, thunking softly against the back wall as Tech now had the ship perpendicular to the planet's surface.
"You're going to deliver it straight to Kix. Make sure not to break it. It's our only one and we don't have time to get you another before you get to Coruscant."
More items not strapped down fell to the back of the ship. It sounded like something broke.
"Yeah, but what is it?" Hardcase asked.
The Z-6 was not secured properly and hurtled past them to crash into the back of the ship. At least it didn't go off.
"I'm sure you'll find out eventually."
The air was getting thinner and thinner.
"Seriously, should we close the door?"
The planet's surface was getting farther and farther away.
"Nah, we'll be fine."
Just as Tup was about to argue that they were going to leave the atmosphere and would probably not be fine, Tech cut power to the ship.
They hovered above the surface of the planet for a breath.
It was beautiful looking out and seeing the curve. The sun is hidden just beyond reach. The mountains and valleys that seemed so large on foot were now mere specks beneath his boots. The stars were just beyond reach.
They plummeted.
Back towards the earth.
The missiles and ships that had followed them up here arcing back down to chase them.
"Tech?" Tup called out. "Tech, are you going to start the ship?"
"One second," Tech said.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster they plummeted.
The ground getting closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
The air rushed out of Tup's lungs. He was fairly certain he had left his organs behind in the stratosphere.
"We're going to die!"
"Wahoo!" Was Hardcase's response. He even had his hands in the air like a psychopath.
The mountains got closer.
The valleys got closer.
"Tech, cutting it a little close," Hunter called.
Oh, Force. If even Hunter was starting to worry, that meant they were all going to die.
"Tech," Hunter called again.
The ship roared to life mere seconds before they hit the ground. Tech pulled up on the controls. The sudden change in direction jammed Tup back into his seat and he swore he heard his neck crack as his body jolted against the seat.
He heard the explosions of several ships and missiles crashing into the ground. Fire and smoke rushed through the open door. The heat was nearly unbearable.
Somehow, Tup managed to keep his eyes open throughout the whole ordeal. He saw their base camp right out the door. And, oh, yup, they were gearing up the canons to start shooting.
Despite Tech's insane maneuver, there were still a few ships left chasing them.
"Right," Hunter said, unlatching his harness and standing up. He unlatched Tup's and Hardcase's as well.
Tup whimpered as Hardcase pulled him to his feet to follow Hunter.
"Here, hold this." Crosshair shoved a box at Tup. The same box that had slid past them during the ascent. His knees buckled under the weight.
"What is this thing?"
"Told you, you'd find out later." Hunter strapped it to Tup's front. "Either of you trained in using a parachute?"
"That piece of obsolete technology?"
Hunter's question was not a good sign in Tup's opinion.
"Nope," Hardcase said cheerfully.
"Haar'chak! Well, now's a great time to learn."
"I don't think it is."
Hunter strapped a pack to Hardcase's back. "It's easy. Pull the red chord when you hit two thousand feet." He shoved Hardcase so he was behind Tup and tied them together.
The 501st got the canons up and running and were now shooting at them. Along with the remaining two pirate ships chasing them.
"Two thousand feet. Red chord. Got it." Hardcase nodded.
Tech did another aileron roll.
Thankfully, the force of gravity was enough to not cause him to go hurtling out the side of the ship.
"Wait, hang on. Why is he behind me?" Tup asked.
"Cause we only got one parachute. Remember, don't break it. It's our only one." He kicked Tup out the door.
Tup held onto that box like his life depended on it. Hardcase was laughing. He was pretty sure all of his organs were still back on The Marauder.
"Pull the chord!"
"We're not at two thousand feet yet.'
They were going to die. They were actually going to die.
For the third time that day, Tup was forced to watch as the ground got closer. And closer. And closer. And closer.
Their bodies were twisting wildly around in the air. Spinning like tops on the ground. Only less graceful as their legs tangled together.
There had to be more to parachuting than simply pulling the chord at two thousand feet. There had to be!
Hardcase pulled the chord.
The force on Tup's body made it feel like all of his bones were being pulled in different directions. He didn't know if it was the parachute's fault or Hardcase's fault. Either way, it wasn't fun. And the landing wasn't much better.
Unlike jetpacks that would allow you to slowly put your feet on the ground, there was none of that. They hit a tree. The force ripped the parachute from Hardcases' back and they hit the muddy, dirty ground with a splatter, rolling several times down a hill and getting tangled in the cords that remained.
Finally, they came to a stop.
"Alright there?" Hardcase asked.
Tup let out another whimper.
Overhead, The Marauder roared one last time before leaving the planet behind and blasting into hyperspace. The remaining two pirate ships crashed to the ground about a hundred meters from where they were sitting. Tup could see a fire in the distance.
A tree fell.
Right into a puddle.
A puddle that was right next to Tup.
The resulting splash covered him in mud.
"See, told you we'd survive. Now we can work on getting you laid on leave." He cut the chords and pulled him to his feet. Because he had been behind Tup, he had not been covered in mud.
"Tup, Hardcase, status report," Appo called on the comm that hadn't been destroyed.
"We're almost at the base now," Hardcase answered. "The firefight got close to where we were scouting so had to take a bit of a detour so as not to get hit. I don't think they're Seppies. Or, were, I guess. Just pirates fighting over territory."
"Copy that. Look forward to seeing you in a bit. Over."
"Come on. Let's get back before the captain has a stroke," Hardcase said. He took Tup's arm and tugged him towards the base.
Tup had yet to let go of the box still strapped to him. He hoped that whatever was in there hadn't been damaged by the landing. Or, honestly, anything that had happened prior to the landing.
How he managed to get back to the base was beyond him. His legs felt like jelly and half his organs still hadn't returned to his body from where they had been ripped out during any of the falls. But, he did make it.
They dumped the box on a cart and started wheeling it to Kix's makeshift med bay.
"Hey, guys, you missed all the fun," Ahsoka said, skipping up to them.
"Fun?" Hardcase asked.
"Yup! Some pirates were having a firefight overhead. You should have seen Anakin's face! He wanted to get up there so bad. Rex had to cuff him to the chair." She turned to Tup, who had finally removed his bucket. "Oh, Tup, you don't look so good. Is everything okay?"
Tup opened and closed his mouth several times. Eventually, he got his voice to work. "I stared death in the face today. It stared back. And it laughed."
"Um…Okay then."
Hardcase slapped him on the back. "Well, I had fun. Come on, let's get you to Kix. You took a bit of a tumble getting back here and then you can get a nice hot shower. Or, a warm shower. Actually, probably a cold shower since we're about to ship out. But a shower nonetheless. Later, vod'ika."
Ahsoka let out an indignant squawk as Hardcase swiped his muddy glove over her face.
"Ew, Hardcase. Gross!" She was laughing all the same. "I'll catch up with you guys in a bit! I need to go uncuff Anakin. I think Rex wanted to leave him there so he could get his work done."
"Alright, meet us in the mess tent. Dogma's got some new movies we can watch," Hardcase called back.
They got to the med bay, only to be met with a fuming Rex and a nervous-looking Echo and Fives.
"Is everything alright?" Echo asked.
"I hate your friend," Tup groaned as he shoved the box towards Kix. "He tried to kill me!"
"They can be a little much," Echo said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Rex still looked like he was seconds from spontaneously combusting.
"Relax, Captain. It all worked out. We got the package." Hardcase said.
Rex let out a growl.
"They gave it to you?" Kix said, peeling open the box.
"Can't be sure. They didn't tell us what it was," Hardcase said.
"A med droid? That's an AZ unit, like from Kamino," Echo said, examining it.
"Yup," Kix said.
Tup felt like he may have blacked out for a minute or two and missed something vital. Because one minute Echo, Fives, and Hardcase were all awake. Then he blinked and they were all on the floor. Rex and Kix were both holding blasters.
"What did you do?" Tup exclaimed.
"We'll explain in a minute. Now come on. We don't have much time." Kix hauled Fives off the ground and dragged him to a secluded corner.
Rex picked up Echo, which left Tup to drag Hardcase's muddy ass to the corner. Oh well. He couldn't get any muddier at this point. Right?
"Is this to get the chips out?"
"Yes, now hurry up. Inject them with sedatives. I'll get the AZ unit set up." Kix hurried back over to the box while he and Rex injected them.
Thankfully, because this was a temporary base, there were more blind spots and fewer cameras and listening devices. Kix was able to turn the AZ unit on and get Hardcase, Fives, and Echo's chips all out in under an hour. Mind you, they weren't very happy at being stunned, but when they found out what the chips did, everyone was horrified.
"Why don't we start taking the chips out now? We have the droid," Fives asked as Kix powered down the AZ unit and put it back in the box so it would get smuggled onto the Resolute with the rest of the equipment.
"Too risky. We can't tell people we're taking chips out of their heads. They need to be sedated and, I don't know if you noticed, but we're not exactly swimming in medical supplies," Kix explained. "We have to be strategic about this."
"Commanders and medics first," Rex said. "Once we've secured more droids and medical supplies, or have a system in place, then we can start expanding. I don't like it any more than you do. I'd rather we clean everyone out at once, but we don't know who has access to these chips. And it's not worth the risk of activating them."
"I am going to start de-chipping the 501st while we have the unit," Kix said. There are fifteen men currently under sedation that I can do before we leave the planet. Once back on the Resolute, I'll work my way through medics, comms, and commanding officers as time allows. Corric needs to be brought in so he can help. But other than that, as much as I hate to admit it, we have to move slowly."
"Or risk triggering something that gives the game away," Tup finished. He wasn't sure if that was the best course of option. But also, they only had one droid and only a handful of people knew what the chips did. Maybe once Commander Cody was debriefed, they could come up with a faster solution.
Echo sat heavily on the bed. "Those things… we were designed to kill the Jedi?"
"We don't know that," Rex said.
"Seems like though," Fives said. "Why else would they have that order on there? We're a trap. And they fell right into it."
"We don't know that," Rex growled. "What we do know is that they're there and we need to get them out. Keep it quiet. On Coruscant, we'll get the medics. And then we'll get the commanders. And then we go from there. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," Fives said, still sounding a bit frustrated.
Tup wondered if Rex wasn't willing to admit that they very likely were a trap for the Jedi. He understood why. All their lives they had been told that they were made for the Jedi. They were supposed to serve the Jedi. And now here they were, doing just that. But it was more than that. They had grown close to the Jedi. They had developed relationships with them. They loved them in many different ways.
To know that it had all been a lie, that one day the Kaminoans or someone planned for the troopers to kill the very people they loved and were told all their lives to protect, it had to be hard to come to terms with.
At the end of the day, though, whether they were a trap or not, there were chips in their heads. And those chips needed to come out.
*****
"I think we're finally done with all the paperwork," Obi-Wan said late into the evening cycle. He tossed his datapad down on the table and leaned back, stretching his arms over his head with a groan.
Cody bit back a yawn and put down his datapad as well. "That's a miracle. I don't think I've been able to catch up on paperwork since I was decanted."
"Come now, Commander, surely a man as efficient as you has managed to keep on top of things," Obi-Wan teased.
"I can keep on top of a lot of things," he said. Maybe it was because of the fact that it was late and his self-control was slipping due to exhaustion. Or maybe it was because Fox was an asshole with that little stunt he pulled on the last episode of "Creche to Command", but he was feeling a bit bolder than normal. He reined himself in, though. No need to push too far. "But paperwork, no. I came out of the tube with a stack of it and have been drowning ever since."
"Ah, I know the feeling. I was born with a datapad in one hand and caffeinated tea in the other," Obi-Wan sighed.
They returned to silence for a few beats. As much as Cody hated staying up late filling out form after form, he did like staying up late with Obi-Wan. At this point, most of his brothers were asleep so it was quiet. The dim lights also made Obi-Wan look even more ethereal than normal. And, sometimes he wore reading glasses, which Cody found to be absolutely adorable to see.
He wasn't wearing them tonight. Shame.
Cody let himself bask in the silence. The two of them watched one another. There was no expectation to talk or move. They could simply be. At least for a second or two.
It was Obi-Wan that broke the silence. "Spar with me, commander." His voice was soft, gentle. Like a warm embrace or hands running through Cody's hair. On his face, a small smile and warm eyes that could make anyone melt into a puddle of goo on the floor.
"Pardon?" Cody was proud he did not, in fact, melt into a puddle of goo.
"It's been a while since we've sparred. Spar with me." He repeated.
"Are you sure? Don't you need to prepare for your next mission?"
Obi-Wan had been scheduled to do some diplomatic mission with a neutral system that was potentially interested in joining the Republic. He was going alone, though. That worried Cody. Because the rest of the 212th would have a few days in Coruscant for shore leave, no troopers would be with Obi-Wan if and when things went sideways.
"What is there to prepare? It's merely dinner with people too rich for their own good." Obi-Wan laughed.
"You say that, but have you met yourself?"
"My dear, whatever do you mean?" He grinned; wolfish and sharp.
Cody pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You attract trouble like honey attracts flies."
"Mmm, are you saying I'm sweet like honey?" Obi-Wan leaned forward, closer to Cody. Close enough so that he could feel his warmth.
Cody was not distracted by this. He was a professional with a point to prove after all. "Don't be too flattered. Dung also attracts flies."
Obi-Wan laughed once more, tipping his head back to expose his throat. Cody liked it when he laughed like this. True, pure, uninhibited joy. No thoughts of war or death tainting it. He wanted to hear that laugh more often.
"I'm just saying," Cody said, "that you're going to be all alone. No one will be there to help you if things go south. Like what happened on Concordia."
Only, this time Cody had even more reason to worry. Once more, Palpatine was trying to isolate someone he didn't like. While the mission itself was a little less suspicious than the one Ahsoka was sent on, he still had reason to believe that Palpatine would use this as an opportunity to get Obi-Wan out of the way. And, given the man's track record of getting into trouble, he could probably get away with it. There were only so many times one could escape death before death caught them. He had tried to find some way to send troopers with Obi-Wan to protect him, but nothing worked.
He needed to be on Coruscant to meet up with Rex and learn about the chips. And the rest of the 212th had been running back-to-back missions for months now. They needed a break. Even if Cody sent the best of the best there was a very good chance the troopers would pass out due to sheer exhaustion. And, when reaching out to other Commanders to see if anyone had troops to spare, no one did. Obi-Wan was going on this mission alone.
"I suppose you do have a point." Obi-Wan propped his chin on his hand. "I do need to go, though. They're next to a hyperlane and have valuable resources we can use. Would it make you feel better if I contacted Seventeen to see if he and a few cadets close to graduation can come? It'll be good practice for them."
Cody's shoulders relaxed. "Yeah, that would make me feel better. Mind you, Seventeen will absolutely leave you behind if you're dead weight. But he'll at least try to keep you alive."
"My dear, I expect nothing less from our favorite formidable alpha trooper. You never did answer my question though."
"About the sparring? Are you sure? Wouldn't you like a chance to relax or something?"
"Maybe this is how I relax," Obi-Wan replied. "Indulge me, commander."
"I think I indulge you too much, general." Who was he kidding? He was going to spar with Obi-Wan one way or another. This little song and dance was mostly for show. Another form of sparring.
He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and handed it to Cody. "I have one more meeting with the council. I'll meet you in the training rooms in, let's say, thirty minutes?"
Cody rolled his eyes and took the lightsaber from his hand. "Fine. What form do you want to practice?"
Obi-Wan tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Makashi. I want to see if you've made any improvements since we last practiced."
"I prefer Niman," Cody grumbled.
"Precisely why you should practice Makashi. Come now, Commander. Seventeen helped train you. Did he simply improve your strengths in whatever type of combat style you liked best while letting your weak ones languish?"
"I hate it when you bring up Seventeen. You know that, right?"
"If it gets my point across, then I'll bring him up whenever I like. Now go. Practice the katas. I'll be there in a bit."
"Sir, yes sir," Cody said, standing and stretching. He delighted in his bones popping back into place; cracking and stretching as the stress of the day fell from his shoulders now that his to-do list was complete.
He almost dropped a kiss on Obi-Wan's forehead before leaving.
Almost.
He controlled himself at the last second and only put a hand on his shoulder. In his mind, though, he kissed him. Soft yet firm. Gentle and loving. Warm and alive.
He let these thoughts carry him to the training rooms. They were empty this time of night, which was fine by Cody. His brothers knew he practiced often with the lightsaber. But there was something almost… embarrassing about them watching him practice? He wasn't sure if that was the correct word. But he did feel like an imposter with Obi-Wan's lightsaber in his hands as he ran through the various forms; practicing slashes and strikes.
It wasn't that it didn't feel natural to him. It did. It absolutely did. The lightsaber hummed pleasantly in his hands and sometimes, he felt as though it were giving him suggestions on how to move or what to do next. And, like all troopers, Cody was designed to pick up various fighting styles quickly to make him all the more deadly in combat.
But, he wasn't a Jedi.
Was it really his place to learn how to fight like one?
The lightsaber, warm in his hand, seemed to be saying Yes. It is your place to learn.
This might be wishful thinking on his part, though.
Cody placed the lightsaber on a box, well in his line of sight to make sure he didn't lose it. Just because Obi-Wan didn't care if it disappeared into a bush didn't mean Cody wanted to have it disappear as well. He stripped off his armor. Then, after thinking about it for a beat, he tugged the top of his blacks up and over his head. He might come to regret that later. The staffs they used during sparing could leave gnarly bruises. But there was something pleasant about the sharp chill of the air on his skin. It woke him up. Made him feel more alive.
He picked up the lightsaber, clicked it on, and began to work his way through a few of the Makashi forms Obi-Wan had shown him.
When he first started using the lightsaber, it took him by surprise just how it felt in his hands. He was used to blasters and electro-staffs and his fists being the weapons. All of these things were solid through and through. Their weight, while not necessarily equally distributed throughout, was present at every part of the tool. And Cody never realized how much he relied on the feeling of weight distribution to tell where the hell his weapon was pointing.
The lightsaber, though, was different. The handle was solid and heavy in his grip, true. But the actual blade itself was, well, nothing. The first time Obi-Wan had put a blindfold on him, he was convinced the lightsaber wasn't even on. He couldn't feel where the blade was. And that made for an awkward fight. He kept looking at his blade, trying to see where it was and what it was doing. This, in turn, made him slow and sloppy. Hence why Obi-Wan had started blindfolding him and having him run through the katas that way. It took time, and more importantly trust, before he was finally able to wield the lightsaber as an effective weapon.
With his other weapons, they were tools for him to use. He made them go where he wanted to go. With the lightsaber, it wasn't so much a tool as it was both an extension of his body but also a living thing with a mind of its own. Cody didn't know if he was crazy or not, but sometimes it felt like the lightsaber was the one controlling him, and not the other way around. If he wanted to win the fight, he needed to work with the lightsaber and not simply wield it the same way he wielded a blaster or electrostaff.
He ran through the katas slowly, to warm up his muscles and refamiliarize himself with the fighting style. Once he had run through them, he ran through them again, this time he sped up.
Obi-Wan still wasn't done with his meeting after the second round, so he ran through them again. Once more, he sped up.
That had been his new training routine: seeing how fast he could run through the katas without losing his forms. He had gotten pretty fast at them. Not Jedi fast, of course, but much, much faster. If he ever did need to fight Dooku or Ventress, he might be able to hold his own for at least a few seconds. If only because they'd be so shocked a clone could wield a lightsaber that it'd take them that long before they managed to regain their footing. Then they'd probably slice him to bits. He was good, but he wasn't that good. At least, not yet. Maybe one day.
He finished his katas once again. Sweat started to bead along his skin. His breath was coming out faster and shorter. His muscles burned from the exertion.
Again.
It was exhilarating to run through the katas, this time near double the speed he had started with. There were points he felt like he was flying; like his feet weren't even touching the ground. Like his body truly had become one with the lightsaber and they were moving in concert with one another. An extension of each other.
He finished the final kata, chest heaving with exertion and heart pounding as he stood still as a statue for a minute. His mind needed to catch up with his body.
"That was a wonderful show, my dear," Obi-Wan said from the door.
Cody jumped and turned to see him leaning casually against the doorframe. Damn, he must have really been lost in the form if he hadn't even seen Obi-Wan come in.
"You think so?" He turned off the lightsaber and put it back down on the box for safekeeping.
"Very much so. You've made a lot of improvements in such a short amount of time. You might even be better than some of the knights out there."
"I don't know if I'd go that far," Cody replied.
Obi-Wan's mouth quirked into a smile. He stepped fully into the room and began removing his clothes. He started with the armor, then the tabards and obi; gracefully removing layer after layer until he was stripped bare on top, mirroring Cody's own state of undress.
Cody watched him for a bit; watching as the long, lean lines of muscle flexed and contracted with the gentle movement. Watched as with every piece of clothing shed, more of his body was revealed. The pale skin, marred with scars. Some of them, Cody was there for. Some of them, he knew the story of. And some of them were still a mystery.
But what really drew his eyes, and what always did, were the tattoos he had. As far as Cody was aware, Obi-Wan had three sets of tattoos. The only one currently not visible was the symbol of the Jedi Order. This one was tattooed on his upper right thigh; at a place where Obi-Wan could rest his hand whenever he was particularly frustrated with negotiations. Cody liked to joke that it was Obi-Wan's way of reminding himself that punching Senators was not the Jedi way.
Obi-Wan never confirmed nor denied his theory.
The second set of tattoos was Cody's least favorite. On Obi-Wan's right bicep was a list of every war he had ever been a part of, along with their start and end dates. Melidaan was the first.
Cody hated looking at that tattoo. He hated the constant reminder that Obi-Wan had seen more war before he turned eighteen than most people would ever see in a lifetime. He had seen and experienced and been the cause of more death than most people in the galaxy. And he had to live with that every single day.
The Clones Wars was the most recent addition. It had the first Battle of Geonosis as the start date. There was no end date. And every day there was no end date, Cody felt that much guiltier that he hadn't been able to stop it. That he hadn't been good enough to stop it. It was foolish and useless thinking on his part. He was one man doing the best he could. He alone could not stop this war any more than Obi-Wan could. He still hated that there was no end date. And he didn't know when there would be one.
He also liked to think that after this war, no more would be added to the list. Again, it was foolish of him to think that way; that he could keep Obi-Wan and the Jedi from ever physically serving in a war instead of merely helping with aid or negotiations, but he liked to imagine that if he played his cards just right (and also maybe murdered Palpatine and got away with it) then that hope might just come true.
That, even if there were other wars happening in the galaxy, Jedi, and more importantly Obi-Wan, could be peacekeepers and not generals.
The last tattoo set, though, was perhaps his favorite. Actually, no, it was his favorite. On the left side of his ribs, wrapping around his back and front, was a colorful bouquet of flowers. At first, Cody thought it was just a random bouquet of random flowers. But, after Ahsoka had joined them, he noticed a red protea joining them and (perhaps a little drunk off some moonshine illegally made in The Resolute's kitchens) asked Obi-Wan what the deal with the flowers was.
People.
The flowers represented people.
Ahsoka was the protea. Skywalker was a hollyhock. Vos was a pink hyacinth. And so on and so forth. There was only one Cody was too much of a coward to ask about. A sunflower. Wrapping up Obi-Wan's ribs with the flower stopping right at his heart.
Cody never asked about it.
Obi-Wan never told him about it.
He was fine with that for now.
Obi-Wan finished pulling off the last piece of clothing and caught Cody's eye.
It was only then that he realized he had been staring while his commanding officer stripped for the last several minutes. He wasn't exactly ashamed of it. At this point, Obi-Wan had to know how he felt. And, if he didn't like it, then he would have said something or transferred Cody to another unit. Which made Cody think he felt the same way. Still, there were lines that couldn't be crossed. There were too many people relying on them. Now was not the time for relationships. At least, not a relationship between them.
He looked away and went to get the staffs they used while sparring. He suppressed a shiver as Obi-Wan's eyes followed his movement.
That was one of the things Cody didn't get. He didn't get why Obi-Wan found him of all people attractive. Okay, on a purely aesthetic level, he got it. Wolffe was proof enough that most people attracted to the male form found the troopers attractive. So, purely based on aesthetics, he got it. What he didn't get was why Obi-Wan didn't seem to look at any other trooper the same way he looked at Cody.
Cody, as far as troopers went, was more or less the standard model. He didn't have dramatically different hair or eye color. His face was almost a perfect match to Prime's down to a few moles scattered about his body. Other than the scar on his face he didn't exactly have any distinguishing features. He didn't have any tattoos, never really feeling drawn to a particular symbol. His haircut was standard. He kept his face free from facial hair. He wasn't exactly more or less muscular than your standard trooper. So why him?
What was it about him specifically that made Obi-Wan look at him like he was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on?
Maybe after the war (and after Cody got his hands on some more of Jesse's moonshine) he'd be brave enough to ask.
For now, though, the line stayed firmly in place.
"Catch." He threw one of the wooden staffs toward Obi-Wan. Because they didn't have another lightsaber, they were stuck using the staffs for sparring.
"Thank you, my dear," Obi-Wan said, catching the staff with ease. "Perhaps next time we have another Jedi on board, I can borrow their lightsaber so you can spar against one and get the feeling for it."
"Of course," Cody nodded. They stepped into a sparring circle usually used for hand-to-hand combat training. "Rules?"
"Hmm, let's see here. First strike to the body wins. Or if you step out of the ring, you lose. Sound fair?"
"As fair as it can be when I'm fighting against a Jedi," Cody said.
Obi-Wan smiled. "I'm not using the force, dearest. It's fairer that way."
"I'm not so sure about that."
"You're better than you give yourself credit for. Remember, the key to Makashi is understanding your opponent while also concealing your own movements. It's like a dance."
Cody dropped into his starting position. His hands gripped the handle of his makeshift blade as he thought through scenarios. How was Obi-Wan going to attack? Would he attack first? Or would he bait Cody to do it? Cody adjusted so that most of his body weight was on his front foot. He hoped that Obi-Wan would see this and assume he would spring forward instead of leaning back like he actually intended.
"I don't know about that. Can't say I know how to dance either." He was pretty sure when dancing you weren't supposed to keep your movements hidden from your partner.
Obi-Wan smiled at him. Cody blinked and Obi-Wan moved. He lunged forward to swipe at his side. Cody pivoted, changing his plans last second so he was leaning forward. His blade just barely managed to block Obi-Wan's attack. The force rattled the blade and his teeth. A loud CRACK reverberated through the room as the blades met one another for the first time.
It never ceased to amaze Cody just how much power Obi-Wan had in his body. Not just from the Force, but physical power as well. The strength he wielded every day. It was breathtaking at times.
Obi-Wan grinned at him, pleased. "Perhaps then I should teach you to dance first."
Cody spun the blade to unlock them. He used his momentum to spin on the ball of his back foot. The lack of pressure caused Obi-Wan to stumble forward. He recalibrated, taking two steps back to retreat slightly.
"Perhaps you should. Seems like more fun than sparring." Cody lunged forward. The blade pointed slightly down as if he were going for Obi-Wan's sternum.
Obi-Wan dropped his blade for a block only to have Cody switch his trajectory at the last second to instead go for his neck.
Obi-Wan didn't even bat an eye as he leaned back, narrowly missing the blade and spinning like a dancer. He was on the ball of his foot but still low enough to the ground to avoid Cody's strikes. He swiped at Cody's back. Cody slid forward, putting some distance between them.
"I think this is plenty of fun though, darling." Obi-Wan stepped forward.
Cody stepped back.
Obi-Wan moved to the right.
Cody feinted to the left.
Their blades kept meeting, the loud Crack seeming to fill the room every time their blades met.
Cody thought he was keeping up well enough with Obi-Wan's strikes. There was just one problem: Obi-Wan was still clearly leading the battle. He had Cody retreating, reacting, and defending more than Cody was able to actually attack. If he was going to win, he needed to change who was leading this fight.
Obi-Wan seemed to agree. "You know, if you actually want a chance at winning this fight, you should start leading me. Not the other way around." His eyes sparkled; alive and giddy with the exercise and challenge.
Cody attempted another swipe at Obi-Wan's body, but it was blocked like everything else.
"Are you sure you're leading me?" he asked.
"Oh positive, darling."
Cody paused and grinned. "Are you really sure? Sure that every move you've made is your own?"
Obi-Wan also paused. For a brief second, he seemed to doubt who was actually leading this fight.
Cody didn't hesitate and attacked.
He almost landed a hit on Obi-Wan's side. Almost. So close.
Obi-Wan blocked, just barely. "Clever," he said as he met Cody's heated gaze with his own.
"I aim to please."
"Well, maybe you should aim to win instead." Obi-Wan stepped forward. He pressed Cody to the edge of the mat with quick, powerful strikes that were intended to have him trip over his own feet and fall.
Damn, Obi-Wan was right. If Cody wanted to win, he had to get Obi-Wan moving backward instead. Then again, would that be enough? He had never won a fight before. Obi-Wan had been training with a lightsaber since he could walk. He had decades of experience and thousands of hours of practice that Cody would never hope to match.
But, he was not going to give up. He was not going to roll over and accept defeat just because his opponent was more powerful than him. Everyone had a weakness. Everyone had a blind spot. And Cody could exploit that.
He had a plan. He didn't know if it was going to work, but he had to try.
He waited until he was right at the edge of the mat; teetering just off the back on the tips of his toes. This was how Obi-Wan was planning to win. Cody's defense was too good for him to get a strike in quickly, so he decided to use his superior agility to get Cody to trip trying to keep up with him, and step outside of the ring.
Well, Cody wasn't about to let that happen.
Obi-Wan pulled back, just a bit, just enough to line up for what he thought would be the killing blow. It would be close. If Cody miscalculated by a centimeter, he'd roll straight off the mat and into defeat.
So, better not miscalculate.
He dove to the side, twisting his body so that he followed the trajectory of the ring and stayed inside. His left shoulder hit the mat first. It was possibly the least graceful roll he had ever done but he didn't care about what it looked like. He only cared about results.
And he got his results.
Using his momentum, he was able to roll to his feet, staff still in his hands as he lunged at Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened slightly and he also had to roll back to the middle of the mat to avoid Cody's strikes. Cody did not let up; chasing him to the center and bringing down his staff just as Obi-Wan barely managed to block. Cody pressed his advantage, forcing Obi-Wan to step backward to stay just out of reach of his weapon.
"I suppose it is fun knocking you down a peg or two, ner Jetii." Cody grinned. He had to keep his shields locked up tight. Makashi was a mental game just as much as it was a physical one. Obi-Wan could not sense any of his upcoming moves if Cody actually expected to win this thing.
"You're very sure of yourself. Aren't you, ner al'verde?"
Cody stumbled. His heart sped up at the way the Mando'a sounded in Obi-Wan's accent. "Using Mando'a is cheating."
"You started it."
"And I'm going to finish it."
"Please, be my guest. I look forward to being defeated by your hands." Obi-Wan blocked Cody's lightsaber, though this time it was different. The angle of the block was different and intended to lock their blades together.
Cody gritted his teeth. If he tried to take a step back, Obi-Wan's staff would smack him in the face and he'd lose. If he tried to take a step forward, the lock would only grow stronger. Based on how Obi-Wan had his lightsaber positioned, he could break the lock at any time. And he knew this. Cody was stuck. He wouldn't be able to win this fight.
Unless…
"You're too confident." He pressed forward. Just slightly. Just enough so that he could feel the heat radiating from Obi-Wan's body. Feel his breath on his skin. See the sweat drip from his brow.
"You've given me no reason not to be," Obi-Wan replied, practically batting his lashes in Cody's direction.
He grabbed Obi-Wan's right wrist and pulled him to his body.
For a breath, it was like they were actually dancing. Obi-Wan inhaled sharply, seeming to steal the breath from Cody's lungs. He could feel his pulse beneath his fingers. He could feel their skin, sticky and salty from sweat, sliding across each other. Their legs pressed together. For a breath, Cody had the desire to wrap his other arm around Obi-Wan's waist properly. To dip him low and press their mouths together. To steal the air from his lungs. To kiss his jaw. His neck. His collar bone. To dance properly, with a man he loved so much.
He twisted his right leg and yanked Obi-Wan forward. As he did so, he lifted his left leg and delivered a spinning kick to Obi-Wan's ribs, right to the flowers. He let go of his wrist as he did so.
Obi-Wan let out an 'oof' and crashed to the floor. Cody didn't waste any time. He hadn't technically won yet. He brought the staff down on his neck, only stopping a millimeter away. Obi-Wan froze, hand still clutching his staff; one arm underneath his shoulders as he readied himself to spring back up.
"I win." Cody tapped his neck with the staff.
Obi-Wan huffed and dropped his head to the floor. "That's cheating. It's a lightsaber duel, not hand-to-hand combat."
Cody laughed and grabbed his wrist to tug him back to his feet. "I'm not a Jedi. I can do whatever I want."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. You're a very skilled duelist and you've finally bested me, my dear. I hope you're proud of yourself."
Cody's grin widened. "Very proud of myself."
"If you can use your legs, then I think I can use the Force."
Cody tapped him again with the staff. "I won one duel against you. I think the Force may be pushing it a bit."
"Nope. I've decided. I'm using the Force next time. You need to challenge yourself, my dear commander."
"I suppose if you think you need to cheat to win, then that's fine," Cody laughed. "I am very good at fighting."
"Very good indeed." Obi-Wan's eyes still sparkled. He seemed happier. Younger. More energetic like this. He rolled his shoulder and started to stretch. "That was a good workout. Nice way to work off some steam before having to deal with politicians for a week. And you were worried about me relaxing."
"I think you just like to teach people," Cody said. He pulled back on the tops of his blacks, well aware that Obi-Wan was watching his every movement. He may have moved just a little slower and flexed just a bit to show off.
"Yes, well, I did always want another padawan after Anakin," Obi-Wan said, finally tearing his eyes away from Cody to gather up his own things. "I'm sorry, my dear. Until the war is over, I'm afraid all my teaching energy is going to have to be channeled towards you." He shot him a smile that was probably supposed to look apologetic but wasn't actually. He had also pulled back on his shirt. Shame. Cody would miss those flowers.
"Why lightsaber techniques, though? You're just as good as hand-to-hand."
"One: You're better at hand-to-hand than I am."
"And you don't like to get beat." Cody teased.
Obi-Wan glared at him. "Two, you're going up against Ventress, Dooku, and Grevioux. I don't like the idea that you don't know how to fight them. You only know how to shoot droids."
Cody nodded. "Makes sense."
"And three, my lightsaber likes you."
He laughed. He stopped laughing when he realized Obi-Wan was not joking. "Wait, seriously? It has opinions?"
He nodded. "Very strong opinions. Did you never notice?"
"What? No. Why would I notice?"
Obi-Wan chuckled and handed him the lightsaber. Cody took it. It felt the same as it always did. Warm, like wrapping your hands around a fresh cup of caf. Or perhaps holding hands with a certain somebody.
"You mean, not every lightsaber feels like this."
"No, my dear," Obi-Wan said with such a fond look on his face, that Cody's chest ached. "It doesn't."
He handed it back before he could do something stupid. "Well, then. Thank you, lightsaber. You're going to call Seventeen, right?"
"Yes, Cody. I will call Seventeen as soon as I get back to my quarters so he can babysit me while I eat canapes and sip champagne that's very expensive but tastes like shit but I can't say it tastes like shit because it is very expensive."
"Good. And don't hesitate to call if you need help."
"You won't have access to a ship."
Cody shrugged. "Fox has an impound lot. I'm sure he won't notice if one or two goes missing."
Obi-Wan smacked his shoulder playfully. "Do not go committing crimes for my sake."
"Is it really a crime if your brother runs the police and won't arrest you."
"Cody, dear, do you really think that Fox will not hesitate to arrest you for the slightest infraction?"
Cody winced. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll have Bly steal the ship instead. Bly and Ahsoka. Maybe Thire too. Fox won't arrest them. They're the babies. He'll let them get away with anything."
"Good to know Fox has favorites," Obi-Wan said.
"Very clear favorites." Cody smiled at him as once more a comfortable silence settled over them.
Once again, Obi-Wan was the one to break it. "Go, get some rest. I'll see you before I leave."
Cody nodded and went to step out the door. He was meeting with Rex in a few days to figure out what the chips did. And he knew that it wasn't going to be anything good. Once more, everything was going to change. He was going to have to recalibrate his plans and his timelines. His entire world may be turned upside down. Everything could fall apart based on what Rex had to say.
His eyes flicked up to the camera in the corner of the room; recording everything he did. Palpatine was watching him. He and Obi-Wan. He shouldn't risk it. He shouldn't make a bigger target on either of their backs.
But, he also wanted Palpatine to know. He wanted him to understand that he was playing with fire. That Cody wasn't just going to let him try and kill Obi-Wan.
He was still in control, but he decided for just this once, to let that control slip. Just a bit. Just enough.
"Oh, by the way," he called before he lost his nerve.
Obi-Wan turned to him, a questioning look in his eye. He had only gotten a few layers of his robes on, the rest still on the ground where he was trying to bundle them up along with his armor so as to not have to make multiple trips or put it all back on just to take it all off.
He grabbed Obi-Wan's wrist and waist, spun him around, and then dipped him low, just like he had wanted to do during their sparring match.
Obi-Wan sucked in a breath, eyes wide and cheeks flushed in such a way that Cody knew it wasn't due to the exercise they had just done. One hand came to grip his shoulder. The other tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck; just a bit longer than regulation because he hadn't had a chance to cut it with all the missions and paperwork.
He leaned in close. Like he was sharing a great secret. "I lied. I can dance."
He dropped Obi-Wan without another word.
He landed on the mat with an uncharacteristic lack of grace. Cody spun and marched out of the room before he did anything else stupid and potentially dangerous. But, as he went, out of the corner of his eye, he caught Obi-Wan's smile. And that mischievous glint.
Yes, everything was about to change once more. But he had faith that he could deal with it, save the people he loved, and stop this war once and for all.
*****
Kix: Hey, you guys are going to be in Coruscant next week, right?
Tener: Yup
Locke: Yes
Dice: Is this a joke? I'm always on Coruscant
Helix: Thank fuck, yes. I am tired of back to back campaigns and no one ever going to the kriffing med bay
Kix: Same. Y'all want to meet up 79's with Corric and I
Kix; I need to complain about people.
Corric: Every time we try with the rest of the 501st, they poke fun at us
Helix: Same here, vod.
Tener: A medic's night out might be a good idea.
Locke: I'm down.
Dice: Let me just make sure no one's dying but I should be able to get out of it.
Corric: Don't you have to like, stun the commander or something to get him to sleep?
Dice: Lately no. Commander Cody and Wolffe yelled at him so he's now sleeping four hours a night 😊
Helix: Shit, that's it? Is that healthy?
Dice: Not at all 😊
Locke: Those smiley faces are oddly menacing.
Dice: Good 😊
Dice: They're supposed to be 😊
Kix: Alright, then. I guess we'll deal with that next week.
Dice: 😊
Notes:Not to brag or anything, but this is probably my favorite chapter to write. Every single section was something that I was so excited to get out. Believe it or not, the first part with Tech discovering what the chips do was one of the first things I ever wrote for this fic. Of course, I rewrote it to incorporate other plot points, but it has always been leading to this turning point. I am kind of doing my own thing for the chips and how they work. So, there might be some discrepancies between this and Canon. But that's part of the fun, right? For the Obi-Wan and Cody sparring match 😉 I wanted to write the horniest fight scene ever. As a little Yuletide treat. And I did that by listening to Roxanne Tango from Moulin Rouge 8 million times while choreographing (that's right, I physically map out how I want certain fights to go. Because I have no chill. Just look at that word count!) While a song about jealousy is probably not the best fit for a ship that seems designed to never be jealous or suspicious of one another, it's still a banger of a song. And Ewan McGregor sings a part of it. How could I not! The Hardcase, Tup, and Bad Batch scene was actually choreographed by listening to "Welcome to the Jungle" 8 million times as well. I loved writing that. And it was so much fun to challenge myself to write an style of action scene I don't normally do. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don't worry, Obi-Wan and Cody will eventually kiss. I just got to rachet up the sexual tension by 10,000% until both of them are frothing at the mouth. Enjoy the rest of your holiday and winter season. I'll see you next year.