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Data work always dragged, but it was especially difficult this shift. Cody had half an hour left, but it was the longest thirty minutes of his life. Starting tomorrow morning, the 212th would be on a week long leave on Coruscant. It would be one of the rare leaves they got with the 501st, and Cody planned to make the most of it. As soon as all the men were planetside and accounted for, he’d be making a beeline for their usual meeting spot and waiting for Rex. Cody looked up to where a plain brown flimsi package sat on the floor of his bunk. He smiled, looking forward to seeing his brother's face when he revealed the contents. Cody just had to get the reports on his desk filed and prepare the transports for tomorrow and he’d be that much closer to their reunion. Glancing at the chrono, he sighed when it showed that only two minutes had passed. Twenty eight more minutes to go , he reminded himself before burying himself in his work once more.
Rex was legendary within the company for his ability to remain calm and stoic in the heat of battle, but the night before shore leave with the 212th? Forget it . He might as well be a shiny on his first trip to 79’s with the way he was fidgeting and anxiously checking his chrono. Luckily, the rest of his men were just as eager to go as he was, so they mercifully did not mention his unusual behavior.
Only years of training kept Cody from running to the barracks as soon as the transport touched down. Ensuring that his men were accounted for and not about to anything too stupid was his first priority, but as soon as the task was done, Cody turned on his heel and began his search for Rex. In his excitement to find Rex, Cody forgot to grab the parcel he’d stashed in his planetside quarters that morning. Cursing, he turned around and jogged back to retrieve it before continuing his journey, making sure to let Rex know he was on his way.
As usual, Torrent was overjoyed to be on leave and made sure everyone knew. Their raucous laughter was infectious, but their antics left Rex exhausted. He was doing his best to mitigate any damage they might accidentally cause and keep the barracks in some semblance of order, but as always it was a losing battle. Once he was sure they weren’t going to hurt themselves or land in the Corrie Guard holding cells with Commander Fox, he retired to his quarters. It was barely noon, but Rex was already worn out. He checked his commlink, frowning when he saw no new messages. He’d seen the 212th arrive that morning, but it was odd that Cody hadn’t finished getting the men settled yet. Rex sat on his bunk, setting the commlink aside and grabbing the bag on the side table. He smiled fondly as he thought back to how he got the coveted Kashyyk treat. After liberating their village, the local Wookiee children had run around, climbing troopers and stuffing sweets into their hands. Rex’s favorite had been the gummy wasaka berries, and after some complicated pantomiming and a desperate search for a translator droid, Rex finally got his hands on a bag of them.
Rex’s trip down memory lane is interrupted by the shrill tone of his comm. Swiping it off the table, he quickly checks the message, relieved to see that it’s Cody saying he’s on his way. Rex quickly shucks off his armor, stacking it neatly in the small closet before moving on to his blacks. Throwing on some civvies, he snatches the forgotten sweets back up before leaving to meet Cody at their usual spot.
Even with his minor setback, Cody made it to the Clarennora public gardens in record time and, as usual, before Rex. He found a shady bench within view of the entrance of the small, almost unknown park and sat back, enjoying the pleasant day as he waited for his brother. He set his package on his lap, passing the time by thinking about just how he’d acquired it.
It’d been a tough campaign on Batuu, but in the end the 212th had managed to squeak out a victory. Before returning to the Negotiator for the next campaign, the men had a little time to relax in Black Spire Outpost, and Cody had used it well. He scoured the shops, jingling the meager credits he had and keeping his eye out for one thing in particular. It didn’t take long for Cody to find what he was looking for— a bag of puffer pig rinds. Puffer pigs were known for their value in the mining industry and their skittish nature, but here on Batuu they were a staple food. The locals had many ways of preparing them, but an almost universal favorite was a cheap treat usually available in any general store on the planet. Savory, salty, greasy goodness for only a couple credits. He hastily grabbed two bags off of the shelf and brought them to the register before making his way to the transports, finally ready to leave the planet.
Cody was jolted out of his thoughts when someone slid onto the bench next to him. “About time you showed up kih’vod , I was about to send a search party for you,” Cody said, not having to look to know who had joined him. Rex lightly punched his arm, “ I’m late, huh? I wasn’t sure you were even going to comm, did Ghost need that much babysitting?” he replied, with no real heat behind it. Cody shook his head before changing the subject, knowing that if he let it continue they could bicker all day. “Yeah yeah, just be glad I did, I was tempted to just eat these all by myself.” He shoved a bag of puffer pig rinds at Rex before tearing into the other. Cody had never had them before, but he knew that salty, greasy snacks were his brother’s weakness, so he figured he’d get a good reaction. Rex did not disappoint, groaning loudly after popping a rind in his mouth. “ Ka’ra , Cody, where did you get these?” he asked, before stuffing a handful in his face. Cody cackled, finding his brother’s reaction both hilarious and adorable. “Batuu. Puffer pigs are a big food source there. You can find a bag of those“--he pointed to the bag in Rex’s hand--“just about everywhere. Not sure it’d be worth stepping foot on that planet though,” Cody explained. They sat in silence, munching on their snacks.
When Rex finished his bag, he grabbed his haul next to him and dropped it in Cody’s lap. Cody rolled up the top of his unfinished bag of puffer pig rinds and gently opened the bag, curiosity evident in his expression. “‘Wasaka berries?’ What are those?” he asked, plucking one out and bringing it up to his face to examine it. Rex snorted at Cody’s careful inspection, so unlike Rex’s method of diving right in and asking questions later. “They’re from Kashyyk, Mostly used for desserts. The kids from one of the villages we freed gave them to us. Try it, you’ll like it,” Rex said, snatching one out of the bag and tossing it in his mouth. Cody gave him a look, but ate the candy he had been holding without another comment. Rex watched as Cody’s face lit up. He had a secret sweet tooth only his closest brothers knew about that Rex took great joy in exploiting. “I wouldn’t mind being stationed on Kashyyk for a while if this is the thanks we get,” Cody said after a moment, savoring the delicate taste of the candy. “Yeah,” Rex chuckled, “the wookiees were really kind to us. The Seps are throwing everything they got at the planet, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did get stationed there at some point.” Cody hummed, attention still on the candy he was chewing on.
Cody and Rex didn't move for hours, content to sit beside each other and catch up. As the war raged on, they worried more and more that there may be a day when they wouldn’t see eachother again, that the war would rip them away from one another. For now, they were happy to be alive, sitting on a worn out bench watching the sun set. Here in Clarennora Gardens, they could pretend that the war was long past and they were free, and Cody and Rex enjoyed every moment of their temporary peace.