Chapter Text
“They called the wrong Jedi.” Obi-Wan repeats from where he is standing next to Cody. He sounds either like he’s about to burst into tears or laughter. Cody can absolutely relate. It’s the way he feels every time the CCs get back on their banthashit. Cody just claps a hand on his jetti’s shoulder in solidarity, and Obi-Wan leans into it, shoulders shaking as he barely concealed whichever reaction he has decided is more appropriate.
From across the room, Cody watches as Nadia Grell fixes both him and Obi-Wan with a withering glare. Without his helmet, Cody can’t hide the way he smirks back at her. As Cody watches, Iresso kicks Nadia in the leg and gestures towards the holocall in front of them. Nadia fixes them with a final glare before turning her attention back onto the Republic soldier on the call. Obi-Wan, who, like Cody, has the benefit of not being visible on the call, turns and hides his expression in Cody’s shoulder.
“With all due respect, Master Jedi, you’re the only one close enough to help us.” The soldier who never properly introduced himself insists at Cody’s jed’ika in an angry tone that implies exactly zero respect and makes Cody want to commit an act of violence.
“I never said I wouldn’t help,” The barsen’thor pauses for a moment, her eyes scanning over the soldier in front of her, probably for a sign of rank. There aren’t any on his uniform. “I just don’t know anything about the situation.” This conversation has been going around in circles since they received the call. Cody admires (and secretly wishes he had) her patience.
“We transmitted the situation report both to your ship and to your council.” The soldier repeats the line that is basically his mantra. At this point, if it weren’t for the official Republic military channel that the call had come through, Cody would think this a prank call.
“I’m not the Jedi who received those files, nor was I sent a brief for the mission from the council.” The barsen’thor also repeats what she has said before, but raises a hand to head of the reaction she knows to expect. “That does not mean I can’t or won’t help, but I need to know the situation before I can help.”
“We need urgent assistance, Master Jedi-” As their caller launches back into his speech again, Cody watches as Iresso steps up from where he was standing behind his Jedi. He taps the side of her arm in a subtly request for permission. She tips her head towards him and steps back to be beside him.
“Hold that thought, soldier,” Iresso says with a commanding presence that reminds Cody of Bacara and Gree, or Fox on a good day.
“Warden.” Is the petty response, which at least explains why there was no ranking on the man’s uniform – a warden is technically a civilian post.
“Warden, then. Let me ask a question. What planet are you calling us from?” Iresso asks without so much as missing a beat, and the eyes of the other human man standing behind them (Tharan Cedrax, Cody thinks) light up with a comprehension of something, and he pulls a datapad from the inside of his long flowing red jacket.
“Belsavis, of course.” The warden responds, and with a flash of light from the datapad, a hologram flickers to life next to Cedrax. It takes the shape of a woman in a crop top and skirt,
“Belsavis is home to a highly secure republic prison used to contain prisoners with life sentences and war prisoners!” The hologram chimes in.
“Thank you, Holiday,” Cedrax responds.
“Anything for you, darling.” Holiday responds, and Cody sincerely hopes that Cedrax didn’t program that response. Or wait. Is it weirder if he’s actually in the relationship with the hologram? Food for terrible, terrible thoughts. Cody regrets that those thoughts are in his head now.
“Has something gone wrong at the prison?” The Barsen’thor steps back into the center of their hologram record and Iresso wordlessly steps back to make space for her in a move so smooth it reminds Cody of Bly and General Secura. Her hands, which up until now have been tucked closely at her sides, gesture in front of her, the only visible sign of her frustration.
“Yes. That’s what the briefing-”
“We are on our way, Warden, and then you can brief us in person.” The silver-haired Jedi gives a polite yet slightly strained smile, and with a flick of her wrist, shut off the holocall. As soon as the light on the holotable shows the call has disconnected, she and Iresso lock eyes, and then both burst out into giggles. Nadia, meanwhile, irritably crosses her arms and hums, looking Cody and Obi-Wan directly in the eyes.
“You are unbelievable.” She deadpans at them. Cody shrugs, and Obi-Wan just tucks his arms into his sleeves. Cody knows from experience that he has a very innocent who me? expression on his face. Cody has a love/hate relationship with that expression. He has seen it in a great many situations, from when Cody returns his lightsaber to him, to other contexts far less appropriate to be thinking about in front of the child currently glaring at them.
“Felix and I are going to change the hyperspace co-ordinates!” The younger Jedi calls to the room, winding her hand in Iresso’s and pulling him along after her.
Oh yes, that’s definitely what they’re going off to do. Cody’s lover's voice echoes in his mind, and it takes all of the self-control that was drilled into Cody on Kamino to avoid snorting out loud. He lightly kicks the back of the redhead’s legs instead.
“You two made it really hard to look attentive during all of that.” Nadia comments from where she has crossed the room to stand in front of them.
“My apologies.” Obi-Wan delivers the line with a smooth grin. Nadia snorts.
“Yeah, you’re not sorry at all.”
“Guilty as charged,” Cody responds before his lover can protest.
“Yeah, I figured. The lovebirds both do the same thing.” Nadia says with a gesture towards the cockpit. Cody snorts. Nadia grins at him. “I see you also have noticed our most adorable workplace romance.”
“Hey!” Cedrax protests from where he’s still chatting with the hologram – Holiday.
“Sorry T, still not over the whole hologram thing,” Nadia calls back with a grin. “No offense, Holiday.” She adds, and Holiday shoots her a thumbs up.
“Okay, what’s up with those two?” Cody asks the younger girl, who gives a helpless little shrug.
“I’m not really sure. They’re definitely together… somehow, but I don’t think they’re exclusive? Cedrax at least has implied that he had a brief fling with our favorite silver-haired Jedi, and she hasn’t denied it, so she probably knows more than I do, but, again, not something I need the details on.” Cody agrees. Also, he would hope that his jed’ika would have better taste than that. Given the sweet talk he’s currently tuning out, Cedrax is a flirt, and not a particularly talented one.
“This is pointless.” The green twi’lek rolls his eyes at all of them, his lekku twitching irritable. “Fess, come get me if something important happens.” He directs the comment at the trandosian who is sitting at a table in the corner, who dips his head in agreement. With that, the green twi’lek leaves the room.
“See you later Zenith!” Nadia calls after him and is totally ignored. “Geeze, what’s his problem?” She mutters irritably.
“He’s still mad that Balmorra chose Tai Cordon as their new president rather than him after we drove the empire out.” Cedrax chimes back in.
“That’s no reason for him to be such a jerk about everything,” Nadia mutters. “Why she invited him to join her crew, I’ll never understand.” At that, the trandosian cuts back in with a long statement. When he finishes, Cody turns to the protocol droid in the corner, who sees him and launches into a translation.
“Mr. Qyzen Fess says that the little herald invited Zenith to join her because he is dedicated to fighting the empire and very good at what he does.”
“… Little Herald?” Cedrax asks from where he has sprawled out over a couch opposite from Fess.
“It’s a title of respect, correct? It’s a reference to the heralds of the scorekeeper, a trandosian deity. The scorekeeper has heralds who represent them. They’re supposed to protect and guide gifted hunters to good hunting in exchange for their loyalty if I’m remembering correctly.” Obi-Wan chimes back in. Cody assumes his lover is right. When it comes to this kind of thing, he usually is. A quick nod from Fess confirms that.
“Huh, cool.” Nadia comments before she rounds on Cody and Obi-Wan. “Anyways, come on, you gotta tell us about yourselves now!” Obi-Wan opens his mouth to say something, but Nadia continues. “Come on, please? It’s not like we’ll ever meet anyone from the future again!”
“Oh, alright.” Obi-Wan agrees and settles down on the ground exactly where he was standing. Cody goes to find a chair.