Ars moriendi

only. I'm sure its hard for someone like Obi-Wan, who wears his Negotiator persona and silver tongue like a Beskar mask, to just... turn it off.

What if he starts subconciously doing this with the clones. And not anything big! ever. Obi-Wan does know how little choice the clones have in their lives and never wants to put them in a situration where they loose all choise. (battle orders are different).

so little things. Waiting for the newest medic to check on him to say just the right things to get him released. stringing together complex words and themes to confuse troopers to agreeing to a wild scheme. dropping little phrases that will get a trooper to react how he wants in training.

I can see it coming to a head one day when Obi-Wan realizes that many of the clones do not engage in conversations with him much anymore. Even Cody has started to be short with him during their holopad form nights.

So of course he tries to talk to Cody about this, but he can't just come out and ask it! no of course not! so he talks circles around the elephant in the room, trying to get Cody to talk to him. Until finally he snaps.

"Do you know how little we clones have to ourselves, sir?"

"Wha- Yes, Cody I do, what does this have to do wit-"

"Becuase from where I'm sitting, you don't know a damn thing... sir."

"Cody- I- I assur you that I-"

"No. because if you knew, you would know the only things, the ONLY things that is really truly ours is our mind. and our paint. Not even the armor itself is truly ours, it all belongs to the Republic. but the designs we print on the armor is ours. its our identity. Our mind wasn't even always safe. Got to out of line, to independant and the Kaminoans took you way and made you different."

"cody..."

"But now we have our own space, away from the long necks, away from the fear of being reconditioned, of taking one of the few things we clones consider ours. And you go and take away what little we have left."

"I would never-"

"but you have. You have General. How many times have you waited specifically for Steth to get him to realese you from the medbay when you know Bones did not give you the clear. How many times have you twisted our words to win some silly little argument. How many times have you called on Wooley, because you know he'd take yourside in almost anything becasue he believes in you and the Jedi so much."

"..."

"these might be small things to you General. but to us. they show you are no longer safe"

and that would just break Obi-Wan. Being a Jedi is all about being that one safe person. and Obi-Wan, conciously or not, has been deeply betraying his men to point most of them no longer feel comfortable even talking to him. It would probably send him into a panic attack right then and there when realizing what hes done. (of course he doesn't let cody know hes having one, that would be even more manipulative (obi is a lil dumbass)) would wait till Cody left to have a full breakdown.

He was on the diplomatic track as a Padawan, following Qui-Gon's specialty. He's had to wear his negotiator mask far longer they even he himself realized. constantly being reinforced by the things he experienced and the people he talked to. It just became so ingrained in him, the mask = staying alive.

I can imagine this going 2 different ways. either the full angst mode, where Obi-Wan is never able to get back to the comraderie he once had with his troops, trust too far strained. Obi-Wan grieves those connections, and it definitely takes a toll on his physical health. But Obi-Wan carries on. he was expecting something to happen. after all, everyone always ends up leaving him or hating him.

OR the hurt/comfort mode, where Obi-Wan goes full isolation as "retribution" or whatever and the clones, while still wary, realize that his Negotiatior persona, and his manipulations, are just as much a defense mechanism as the clone's armor. maybe after one too many reckeless missions where Obi-Wan has thrown himself infront of troopers to save them, desperately trying to attone for the mistakes he made. So they come together and help the General from his isolation and lack of self care and self depricating thoughts and actions. They talk, and Obi-Wan talks directly. no metaphors, no fancy word play or beating around the bush. Obi-Wan talks about his padawan ship, and how his wit and quick words have been the only things that have protected him in the past. they work together to losen that mask, and come up with a code word that basically means "you are getting a lttle to negotiatory right now, please talk as plainly as you can". and it works. Obi starts to differentiate between friends and family, from work. able to keep The Negotiator separeate from Obi-Wan.