#piepeloe

The thing about being made for war is that having the end in sight suddenly becomes the scariest thing in the world.

Cody finds himself restless, pacing his temporary room in the Coruscant barracks like he’s trying to wear a hole through the floor. The 91st is on extended leave, due to General Windu having to return to the Jedi Temple for yet another thing relating to the late Chancellor. Three weeks in, the idleness is making him sick to his stomach.

He feels like he’s rotting from the inside out. It’s not that he wants to be out in the battlefield with his brothers dying all around him. It’s just that he doesn’t want to be here doing nothing at all. It doesn’t feel right to have everything so silent, without the hiss of pneumatics and creaking of clanker joints and barrage of constant blaster fire. He’s getting twitchy enough that even Ponds is giving him some side-eye, and as horrible as all the battles are, the thought of having it be over and going on like this indefinitely is just about the worst thing he can imagine.

After just isn’t something he thinks about. It’s not something he wants to think about. He needs to do something or he’ll drive himself nuts, and he can’t afford that. That’s just not a good look for a Captain.

With a frustrated sigh, he sits on his cot and scrolls through his contacts. He’s not really looking for anyone in particular, just someone who he can talk to and take the edge off the static that’s filling up his head. He ends up sending messages to about twelve different random brothers that he can stand seeing him like this, then lays face-down like that will somehow give him answers.

Some time passes--maybe a lot or maybe just a little--and his commlink beeps with a response.

Groggily, Cody checks it. It’s Rex.

Rex’ika: I’m getting my ass kicked in the north gym right now if you wanna talk

Cody blinks. He hadn’t even known Rex was planetside. The 91st and the 501st don’t, as a rule, get leave together--Generals Windu and Skywalker were just too important to keep off the field at the same time--but with whatever the hell happened to Skywalker two months back to knock him out of commission and the disaster going on in the Senate, there’s a first for everything.

He types out a response.

Cody: If I come can I get my ass kicked too

Rex’ika: let me ask

Rex’ika: he’s willing to but you have to ask him yourself

Rex’ika: he says it’s rude to ask for ass-kickings on other people’s behalf

Cody: He?

Cody: Who’s he? Do I know him?

Rex’ika: I don’t think so. he’s civilian and he doesn’t go off planet

Cody: So I definitely don’t know him

Cody: Wait

Cody: How do you know him then?

Cody: Why are you getting your ass kicked by a civie?

Cody: I didn’t realize you sucked so much

Rex’ika: yeah I’m surprised too

Rex’ika: pls come save me and my dignity

Cody: I don’t think you have any left

Rex’ika: help me cody

Rex’ika: you’re my only hope

Rex goes offline after that. Cody stares at his commlink for a few moments longer than strictly necessary, slightly baffled by the whole situation. Chances are, Rex is just making shit up to lure him into the gym, but ‘getting his ass kicked by a civilian in the barracks’ is an impressively bad cover story, even for him.

Well, if Rex wants his ass kicked, who is Cody to deny him? A round or two on the sparring mats is probably what he needs to work off his nervous energy. Decision made, he goes to the fresher to wash his face, then heads down to the north gym.

It’s...busy in the main barracks. There’s more brothers planetside than ever before in the war--enough that practically all of the barrack dormitories are occupied, though not quite at capacity yet. By the looks of it, almost everyone’s chosen to stay in the barracks or on their flagships instead of going out into the city, probably because there's not really anything to do out there--it's not like they've got money to spend or people to see.

When he gets to the north gym, there's a loose ring of brothers, some in 501st blue, some in colors from other units, around what sounds like a fight. Cody shoulders his way through just in time to see Rex in his blacks, getting thrown to the ground face-first and pinned in a painful-looking hold.

Rex struggles futilely against it for a few seconds, then gives it up. "I yield," he says.

A cheer goes up around the gym as Rex's opponent rolls back up to his feet and helps Rex up. Even from the back, it's obvious that Rex's opponent isn’t one of them--he's slightly taller and more wiry, with long reddish hair tied back in a simple plait that reaches his mid-back. He's wearing a civilian workman's plain canvas tunic and trousers, both of which are damp with sweat, and long black gloves that go up halfway to the elbow.

Suddenly, the man turns directly towards him and locks eyes without hesitation like he knew Cody was there, even though that makes no sense at all.

The man (short beard and mustache, gray eyes, square jaw, birthmark above the right brow) glances back towards Rex. "Is this the brother you were talking about, dear?"

Rex nods and waves to Cody. "Hey, you said you wanted your ass kicked?"

Cody goes up and punches Rex in the shoulder. "Speak for yourself. Who's this guy?"

The man smiles. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service." His accent is mild, but distinctly mid-Rim. He claps Rex on the shoulder, a weirdly...friendly gesture from some random civilian towards a clone. "Rex was showing me around the barracks and I asked for a demonstration of the type of combat training you and your brothers have received."

Well. At least this guy talks to them like they’re people. That’s a good start.

"It doesn't look like he's doing a great job," Cody says. "How many times have you beaten him?"

"I think this is the... fifth time?" Obi-Wan replies, stretching out his right arm. It seems to be a little stiff. "The first one doesn't really count, though--he was holding back. For some reason he didn't believe me when I said I could put him on the mat in ten seconds or less."

Cody looks at Rex, who's got a couple of bruises forming on his face. "And did he?"

"He did. Twice," Rex says. "I kind of regret telling him not to go easy. I haven’t won once."

"You wouldn't be having nearly as much fun if I was going easy on you, darling," Obi-Wan says, patting Rex’s shoulder. "And you, soldier. What's your name?"

"Captain Cody, sir," Cody says. "I serve under General Windu with the 91st."

"No need to call me sir. I'm no soldier, and certainly not one with any authority. It’s good to meet you." Obi-Wan accepts a water bottle from one of Rex's men and takes a long drink from it. "Since Rex's demonstration hasn't met your standards, would you like to do one of your own, Captain?"

"You should," Rex says. "He'll slam you to the mat hard enough to dislodge that stick up your--"

"Hey, now. Maybe you forgot because it's been too long since Kamino, but I'm a better fighter than you and always have been," Cody cuts in.

"Yeah, but are you better than Jango?" Rex asks.

"What? What does Jango have to do with anything?"

Rex shakes his head. "Never mind. If you're not interested in sparring Obi-Wan, there's plenty of others who want to. You just get first pick because you deserve to get thrown on the mat the most."

Cody crosses his arms and sizes up Obi-Wan. He looks like he can take a few hits and he's clearly got experience fighting--real experience, not just hitting bags and sparring--but he's not as built as any of the vode and he doesn't seem more exceptional than any other nat-born should be. He can't see how Obi-Wan possibly could have taken Rex down five times in a row.

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. “If you’re so skeptical, then allow me the opportunity to change your mind, Captain. I dare say I can surprise you.”

Cody blinks and glances at Rex. “Did I say that out loud?”

Rex shakes his head. “Obi-Wan’s just...like that.”

Cody looks back at Obi-Wan, who meets his gaze evenly. The longer he looks, the more a feeling builds in the back of Cody’s mind, that there’s something off about Obi-Wan--behind the man’s easy confidence and soft-spoken words, there’s something in his steady gaze and his presence that seems simultaneously untouchable and yet too present. Everything about him is as human as it gets, but if he were to get cut, Cody isn’t convinced he would bleed red. Like some kind of ghost, standing immovable in the heart of a storm, like some eerie shadow seen out of the corner of the eye under the churning waves of Kamino’s endless oceans.

It reminds him, for some reason, of the Jedi...or perhaps the Sith.

“You think you could beat me? I’m a lot better than Rex,” Cody says.

Obi-Wan grins. “I’m fairly certain I could. But I suppose there’s only one way to find out.”

Cody licks his lip. His heart’s racing and he’s not sure if it’s excitement or something else entirely. “That’s a lot of confidence,” he says. “I think I can give you a little more of a challenge.”

“I would like that,” Obi-Wan replies, still smiling faintly like he knows something Cody doesn’t. He steps back out to the sparring mat. “Let’s make it a good one, dear.”

Rex claps him on the shoulder. “I’m taking a holovid of the whole thing. Just so you know. Best of luck!”

“Luck doesn’t have anything to do with it,” Cody says as he steps up after Obi-Wan.

“I know,” Rex says. “I said that so you don’t feel bad when you lose.”

Cody rolls his eyes. That vote of confidence is really what brothers are for.

He takes a few minutes to stretch and warm up, then settles into a ready stance. Obi-Wan bows, then does the same, moving into a stance Cody doesn’t recognize.

Obi-Wan makes no motion to attack, so Cody strikes first. He jabs fast and hard, aiming for the face--

Obi-Wan slips just out of his line of attack and Cody over-balances, stumbling as his fist sails straight through empty air. He raises his arms to deflect the inevitable counterattack but there is none. Obi-Wan simply returns to his ready stance with nothing more than a raised brow.

Cody looks at him, trying to suss out what game Obi-Wan is playing. The man seems utterly uninterested in making a move. Maybe he's still underestimating Cody's abilities.

Cody launches another attack, striking open-handed at Obi-Wan's chest. Obi-Wan leans just out of reach, and Cody follows straight into a high kick.

That doesn't land either.

Cody presses onwards, raining blows down from every side, every which way, but none of them land--Obi-Wan dodges and weaves between each and every attack, barely moving in the process. It's like trying to hit a ghost.

He's starting to get an inkling of why Rex lost.

Well, Cody didn't get this far in life by giving up when things got a little tough, he thinks as he slowly circles Obi-Wan, who still looks placid and unruffled. Nobody's really untouchable--even Jango couldn't dodge everything, and fighting him had been like fighting air sometimes.

He swings at Obi-Wan again, looking for an opening. It seems for a few moments there isn't one, until he kicks at Obi-Wan's right side and sees it--he's weaker there. That stiff arm of his just can't move as fast as the rest of him, and Cody gets his first glancing blow against Obi-Wan's bicep.

He pounces on the opportunity, grabbing for Obi-Wan's arm--

In a flash, Obi-Wan grabs Cody's wrist, pivots back, and throws Cody over his hip straight into the mat, knocking Cody's breath right out of his lungs.

Cody twists his arm out of Obi-Wan's grip and rolls away just fast enough to avoid a kick in the stomach.

"So you do fight back," Cody says as he gets back to his feet, still short of breath.

"It's not polite to go after someone's weak side," Obi-Wan chastises.

Cody wipes his mouth. “We’re fighting. Anything’s fair game if it works.”

"I didn’t say it was unfair, just impolite,” Obi-Wan says. “Do you yield, Captain?"

Cody grins. "You know I don't."

He launches into another attack. Obi-Wan still stays infuriatingly out of reach, swaying this way and that just enough to not get hit by anything--except if it's coming on the upper right side. Only then does he move to deflect Cody's attacks directly.

"Stop moving!" Cody yells.

"If I do that, you'll hit me," Obi-Wan says, ducking another kick. "And you seem like a man who hits very hard."

Cody swings at Obi-Wan's face, and misses. "I'm faster than you. How are you dodging everything?"

Obi-Wan grins and sidesteps yet another attack. "Your hands might be faster than mine, but they're not faster than my eyes." Lightning-fast, he sinks a short punch directly in Cody's stomach. "You telegraph, darling."

Cody stumbles back, gagging--any one of his brothers can and do hit harder, but a solid punch to the gut is a solid punch to the gut. He coughs and tries to regain his composure. "I don't telegraph." Of that, he’s dead certain--Jango had spent several grueling weeks training it out of him.

"Maybe not physically," Obi-Wan replies. "But the Force moves through you as it does through anyone. If you know how to read it, you can read movements before they happen."

Cody's brows draw together. "The Force? You're no Jedi." He can't be. Obi-Wan moves too heavily, too deliberately to ever achieve that strange Jedi grace and fluidity. And last he checked, it’s not as if Jedi have the ability to dodge around every attack like this, either.

"No, I'm not a Jedi," Obi-Wan says. "But Jedi don't have a monopoly on the Force, you know."

"Then what are you? Sith?"

Obi-Wan frowns. "Those aren't the only two options, dear. Force religion isn't common across the galaxy, but there are hundreds or thousands of sects out there. Even among Force-sensitives, there are many practices outside of Jedi--some of them by choice, a lot of them because they can’t use the Force that way."

"So you're, what, a Temple reject?" Cody asks.

Obi-Wan's eyes go strangely unreadable, and Cody feels a chill down his spine. "Hm," Obi-Wan says. "That's not quite right, but it's not quite wrong, either." He brings his hands up again. “I only hit you once, Captain. Is that all you can take?”

Cody stands up straight with a groan. His stomach hurts, but it's nothing he hasn’t had before. He raises his fists. "You wish.”

He focuses himself and launches at Obi-Wan, forcing himself to move faster, strike after strike without pause. It’s obvious after the first few misses that Obi-Wan, even if he can see the hits coming, can’t quite keep up with the onslaught as he shifts from exclusively dodging to properly blocking and deflecting Cody’s hits.

Cody scores a glancing blow on the side of Obi-Wan’s face, and Obi-Wan snaps out a kick directly into Cody’s side, forcing him back.

Obi-Wan wipes his mouth and smiles. “That’s more like it.”

Cody isn’t sure what to do with that, except to roll his neck and ready for a last assault. “Do you still think you can beat me?”

Obi-Wan nods. “Oh, absolutely.”

Cody bristles. “You’re not going to win by dodging around. You’ll have to attack at some point.”

“Yes, I suppose I will,” Obi-Wan says, and strikes.

His fist slams into Cody’s palm, and Cody grabs for Obi-Wan’s collar.

Obi-Wan slips Cody’s grip and grips him by the wrist. He twists Cody down, directly into a knee to the jaw that makes him see stars.

Cody swings back and grabs hold of Obi-Wan’s tunic, then pivots and yanks him into the strongest throw he knows--

It pulls Obi-Wan over his back and down to the ground, but Obi-Wan twists and grabs Cody’s shoulder, dragging them both down. They hit the ground hard and they roll, one over the other until Obi-Wan pushes down, forcing Cody pinned flat on his back with Obi-Wan’s knee against his diaphragm and his arm against his throat.

Cody tries to push Obi-Wan off of him. Obi-Wan punches him in the face. It hurts enough that Cody decides it’s better to stay down.

He sighs. “I yield.”

Some spectators shout and holler at his defeat, but it’s not too bad. He did agree to get his ass kicked, he supposes. Might as well be to this guy, whoever the hell he is.

Obi-Wan gets off of him and offers a hand up. “Well fought, Captain. That’s a throw I haven’t seen in over a decade.”

Cody takes his hand and gets to his feet. “You’re not supposed to be able to counter that throw. You’re not even supposed to know it.”

“Do you think Jango came up with it on his own? I’m the one who taught it to him,” Obi-Wan says.

Cody stares at him. Obi-Wan must be, what, about thirty? He’s definitely younger than Jango. “You what? You taught Jango?”

“I taught him some things. We knew each other for two years--you don’t know someone that long without learning a few things from them.” He smiles. “You fight much more like Jango than Rex did.”

Vaguely, Cody remembers Jango mentioning someone from his past who he’d been very close to, but Cody had been under the impression that Jango’s friend was dead.

“You’re Jango’s riddur?” Cody sputters.

“That’s kind of a strong word,” Obi-Wan says, wiping off his face with the hem of his tunic. “It’s not like we ever exchanged vows or armor. Strictly speaking, we were business partners.” He claps Cody on the shoulder. “Are you feeling better now, Captain?”

“What?”

“When you came in, you seemed a bit off-balance,” Obi-Wan replies. “Emotionally, I mean. Did sparring help?”

Cody blinks. He didn’t realize he was quite so transparent--or perhaps it’s just another one of those Force things. Even after all his time fighting alongside the Jedi, he won’t pretend he understands them.

He thinks for a few moments on how he feels, and decides that he does feel better, his dignity notwithstanding. Thinking about the future and the end of the war still fills him with dread, but at least he doesn’t feel too twitchy anymore. Eating mat twice in ten minutes can do that, if nothing else.

“I think so,” Cody says. "Were you going easy on me?”

“Maybe a little. Not so much towards the end, when you were more serious about it. It was quite close, I think.”

Rex tosses Cody a bottle of water, and Cody drinks half of it down in one go. He doesn’t think he’s had a spar that intense in months. “Sure didn’t feel like it,” he says. “I barely even hit you.”

“When I go down, I go down hard,” Obi-Wan says. “Too much of a glass jaw, I’m  afraid. I had some very close calls there.”

Cody’s not sure if Obi-Wan’s just saying it to make him feel better, but it is a little reassuring that it wasn’t completely one-sided. Just mostly one-sided. He’ll take what he can get.

There’s some shouting behind them of others who want a round, and Obi-Wan says, “I think some of your brothers would also like a chance to hit the mat, so I’ll leave you here with Rex. Have a good day, Captain.”

Obi-Wan goes to speak with the others, and Rex loops an arm around Cody’s shoulders to give him a good shake. “How’s that for getting your ass kicked?” he asks. “I think you impressed him--he seems to like you.”

“How can you tell?” Cody asks, slowly rotating his jaw. He’s really going to feel it in the morning. “Does he usually punch people he likes?”

“He punched you with his left hand,” Rex says. “His right hand is metal.”

Internally, Cody swears himself out. He should have known--that must be why Obi-Wan was slower on the right side. Suddenly, he is very happy that his jaw is only bruised. Behind them, he hears a thud and cheers as yet another brother gets thrown to the ground.

“That’s quite a civilian you’ve gotten acquainted with,” Cody says.

Rex’s face goes unmistakably fond. “Yeah. He’s really something.”

It takes Cody an entire two seconds to connect the dots. “Rex, do you have a crush on him?”

“What?” Rex says, way too fast. “No, I--No! How could you say that? That’s--” he sniffs and schools his face to seriousness. “I can’t believe you’d be so unprofessional, Cody.”

“You do!” Cody crows. He shoves Rex, saying, “Come on, tell ori’vod all about it!”

“I don’t!” Rex protests, going completely red in the face. “And even if I did, I don’t think Obi-Wan’s into that kind of thing.”

“What, clones?” Cody asks. The guy did know Jango, after all.

Rex shakes his head. “Dating.”

“Have you asked him?” Cody asks. “No? Come on, I’ll do it for you right now.”

“Wh--No! Don’t you dare!”

“It’s easy, just--” He turns towards where Obi-Wan is and shouts, “Hey, Obi-W--!”

That’s as far as he gets before Rex tackles him to the ground. Cody laughs, blocking Rex’s wild punches.

He’s going to have the time of his life giving Rex hell over this.

“Ah, you got my message,” Obi-Wan said, smiling “Good! I was a bit worried you’d have your nose buried so deep in reports you wouldn’t see it.” 

“Well, it’s hard to ignore a message from someone who’s usually so wrapped up in the Force, he forgets that his communicator exists.” Cody retorted, which earned a soft laugh from Obi-Wan. They looked at each other for a bit, and, with a slight jerk of the head from Obi-Wan, began walking together to the taxi Obi-Wan had rented. 

“I’m glad you came,” Obi-Wan said softly, and Cody felt the slight brush of Obi-Wan’s knuckles against his own “It’s not often we can meet like this.”

“I know, it’s why I came.” Cody replied, repeating the action. It was as close to hand-holding as the two got, and while Cody knew they would both love to just clasp their hands together, never let go, they also knew that it wasn’t a good idea. Unlike Senator Amidala and General Skywalker, they knew that they were in a public place, and that their positions would be in too much danger if they were to be caught.

If they were asked about being out together, well, that was easy: Plan discussions. Most people wrote them off as being way too invested in their work, and didn’t bother them again.

“You’re going to love this place. Dex is an old friend, and he’s been supporting the army with various donations since the beginning of the war.” Obi-Wan said, looking out the side of the cab at the hustle and bustle of the city, hooking his pinky over Cody’s pointer finger as both their hands lay flat against the seat. Cody discretely moved his own pointer finger to curl around the pinky.

“I trust your judgement, sir. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, as long as they’re not a pirate with the last name Ohnaka

The diner didn’t look like much, especially from the outside. It could’ve been any other backwater diner on some random planetoid that was only there to accompany a refueling station, but when they entered, despite the appearance, there was something that instantly told Cody Obi-Wan hadn’t been exaggerating when he said Dex was an old friend.

“Obi-Wan! Welcome back!” The besalisk that Cody assumed to be Dex called out, already exiting the kitchen “And you’ve brought a friend! Please, take a seat. I’ll be with you two in just a moment.”

“Thank you, Dex! Come on, Cody.”

They spent a lot longer there than Cody had originally anticipated. They ate, paid for their food, and spent the rest of their time just drinking Jawa Juice and talking. Talking about the war, the army, the Jedi Order, how annoying politics were, and, in small, bittersweet bursts, themselves. It took Dex a lot longer than a moment to get to them, considering how busy it got after Cody and Obi-Wan sat, but when he did sit with them, taking the seat opposite them as Cody slid next to Obi-Wan, the already relaxed air became more casual, somehow. The three were in the middle of laughing at a really, really bad joke made by Dex when Cody realized the time with a rather harsh gasp and “Kriff.”

Obi-Wan’s smile faltered, but he reclaimed it. There was longing in his eyes, Cody could see it plain as day, but there was also a tired sort of acceptance. Until the war was over, these moments would always be cut short, something not spoken of until the next one. Knuckles brushing against each other. Single fingers intertwining. Dex, apparently, could see it too, because he frowned, and made a thoughtful grunt. 

“Ya know,” Dex drawled slowly “If you want to kiss him, Obi-Wan, I ain’t gonna stop you. Nobody else in here would, either.”

Obi-Wan and Cody’s expressions must’ve been priceless, because Dex laughed again, moving to get up and out of the booth to go back to the kitchen again. He gave Cody a hearty pat on the shoulder on his way past, and Cody simply looked at Obi-Wan, who looked right back, just as mortified.