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The incessant beeping of his comlink woke Cody up at what he deemed to be an un-makerly hour, now that he was in retirement. It blared its angry tune into his fragile eardrums from its position on his nightstand and did not cease until, after a couple of feeble swipes in its general direction, Cody’s fingers wrapped around it and his thumb pressed down on the answer button.
His former General’s irritatingly chipper voice echoed through the speaker and, though Cody had to admit that Obi-Wan’s honey-soaked accent was much better than the shrill alarm, he grumbled in protest.
“Morning, Cody!”
“I thought we agreed on no more early call times, Sir.” Cody swung his legs from beneath the comfort of his bunk’s warm sheets, planting his feet firmly on the cool durasteel floor.
“And I thought we agreed that you would no longer call me sir.”
Cody blinked the sleep from his eyes, brain still foggy. “Right.”
“Anyway, it’s not me,” Obi-Wan continued, a playful lilt to his tone. Cody could almost picture the Jedi dramatically clutching his chest, a glint in his ocean-blue eyes. “Rex needs us.”
Cody breathed a heavy sigh.
Now that the Clone Wars were over and a darker time had settled over the galaxy, the dynamics had somewhat shifted. Cody, finding the toll of war and betrayal too much to bear, had relented joining any more crusades. That was why, when Rex had approached him speaking of a Rebellion against the Empire, Cody had been reluctant at first, even when he knew several of his brothers had joined. The Empire had ruined his life, sure, but he also had little affection for some of the politicians and revolutionaries making up a good chunk of the Rebellion. Especially the ones that blamed him and his brothers for all that had happened and looked at them like they were a bomb that could go off at any minute.
But he trusted Rex and, perhaps more importantly, owed him. Without his blonde-haired brother, Cody would never have been liberated from his inhibitor chip, and Maker knows what state his head would’ve been in then.
So, he had joined the cause and found his General had signed up too.
Obi-Wan harboured a surprisingly similar sentiment to Cody regarding a number of things — whether rebellion was the path forward, whether they could stand to fight anymore with the ghosts of their past, whether they could lead as they once had, with conviction and strength. It turned out, together, they didn’t need to make those choices. This war was not the Clone Wars, and Obi-Wan and Cody had been more than happy to relinquish their leadership themselves. Instead of the two of them at the helm, leading the charge, both had settled comfortably into the roles of followers, allowing the younger generation (or at least, seemingly younger generation) of Rex, Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus to give them the orders for a change.
It was a decision he rarely regretted… until he was awake before sunrise with a ringing in his ears.
“Remind me why we joined the Rebellion,” Cody groaned, stretching an arm behind his back and bending to his left to release a knot in his spine.
“To fight the oppression spreading rapidly across the galaxy?” Obi-Wan suggested.
“Right,” Cody grumbled again, pulling on his slacks and a grey shirt.
“I’ll make sure there’s a hot cup of Caf here when you arrive.”
The mere thought of Caf tugged a warm grin onto Cody’s lips.
“Two — ”
“Sugars, I know,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “Now hurry up before I get Lemon to come and tell you about her new stand-mixer.”
Another dissatisfied grumble rose from Cody’s chest and he clicked his comlink off.
He didn’t much care for living on a ship again, not after his many years of blissful solitude on the forest-covered Sorgan that he spent in between the dark period after Order 66 and his joining of the Rebellion. Something about it set him on edge. So many things reminded him of the war — the steady buzz of an engine, the loud silence of hyperspace, the clink of boots against durasteel. All things he could do without. But if there was one thing that made up for it all, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi — ever present on the small freighter named The Sungazer they had commandeered under the Rebellion.
That was why, when he entered the common room and saw Obi-Wan already stood by the holoterminal, the projected holos of Rex and Ahsoka on the other side of the table, Cody only put half the usual malice in his steely glare and didn’t fight the warm smile that spread across his lips.
“Glad you could finally join us, Com — Cody,” Rex said, sarcasm dripping in his tone. Cody tried not to flinch at the near-mention of his old ranking and fixed a grimacing frown to his face.
“I’m here aren’t I?” he grumbled and then turned his attention to Obi-Wan. “I was promised Caf.”
His shipmate grinned, picking up a grey-coloured mug that sat next to what Cody guaranteed was a steaming cup of tea. Obi-Wan handed Cody the Caf and picked up his own beverage.
“Two sugars.”
“Thank you.”
Graciously, and perhaps knowingly, all in the room were silent until Cody had taken the first sip of his perfectly sweetened Caf, the rush of energy it instantly gave him enough to release some of the tension in his expression.
“We have a mission for you two,” Rex spoke first, and with a click of a button on his side of the transmission, another holo appeared in the centre of the terminal. It was of a planet, spinning slowly before them, as well as multiple datafiles surrounding it.
Planet: Auksinis
Location: Outer-Rim
Base of mining operation 24798. Mining Dedlinite for the Empire.
“The Rebellion has reason to believe the miners on this planet are considering staging their own uprising. We have received contact from a worker at the plant. They require assistance, supplies, and transport.” Ahsoka pointed at the map, where a red dot indicated the location of the mine. “They have provided us with as much information as they can — which we will send you now — but we need eyes on the ground to let us know exactly what they need.”
“You will need to land in this town here.” Rex gestured to a somewhat populated sector of the planet, just a few kilometres south of the mine. “From there, you should be able to get intel on Imperial presence, entrances and exits, and maybe some local sentiment. Our contact has agreed to meet with you on the third day in this forest.” Rex moved his finger to indicate the area he meant, a wooded area north-west of the town and south-west of the mine. “He will guide you into the mines to get more intel.”
It seemed simple enough to Rex, no different than any of the other recon missions he and Obi-Wan had been tasked with before, and much simpler than any of the bigger fights they’d been involved in since joining the Rebellion. He’d much preferred this type of mission during the war — minimal fighting and merely getting to know the locals, understanding their plight, and trying in the most peaceful way to fix it.
And yet… something about the glint in Rex’s eyes told Cody there was something more to this mission.
“What is it?” He narrowed his eyes at his brother, taking a long sip of Caf. He was sure whatever it was required more caffeine in his veins.
“Nothing,” Rex said, in a tone that would’ve been somewhat convincing to anyone who wasn’t a Jedi or a fellow clone. Rex cleared his throat, looking to Ahsoka but she too was looking at him with intrigue, eyebrow raised. “Everything you need to know is in the information we just sent.”
Cody fought the urge to argue again, wanting to squeeze whatever his brother was hiding out of him, but instead he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
“Just… tell me there won’t be any nasty surprises.” Cody looked back up at his brother, eyes tired. “I’m too old for this sort of thing.”
“No nasty surprises. I promise.” Rex’s grin was back but his tone seemed honest. Cody trusted him enough to take his word for it, and though he knew something else was going on, he only had to hope that it was in no way related to the mission.
“Alright, well.” Obi-Wan set his mug down and crossed his arms behind his back. “As Cody said, we’re getting too old for this sort of thing,” he said playfully, shooting a knowing glance at his shipmate. “So if you don’t mind.”
“We’ll leave you to it, Master.” Ahsoka smiled, only warmth and affection in her voice, but Cody knew Obi-Wan well enough to know that, when the word was uttered, he was frozen.
Taking it upon himself, Cody clicked the end call button before Obi-Wan could, setting his mug of caf down. Obi-Wan was still staring at the space in which Ahsoka’s hologram had just occupied, eyes glazed. Cody took a hesitant step toward him, and then another, before finally placing a hand on Kenobi’s shoulder.
The Jedi didn’t react at first, but eventually, he blinked and his blue eyes turned slowly in Cody’s direction.
“I — I’m sorry… I’m still not used to…”
“I know.” Cody smiled softly. “Let’s go give Lemon the coordinates.”
Obi-Wan nodded, flashing a somewhat embarrassed smile in Cody’s direction. Cody knew that if he could get Obi-Wan into the cockpit of The Sungazer, there would be enough distractions that his friend could no longer think about anything but the task at hand. The reminders of the days behind them and the people left in them would be gone… or at least muted for the moment.
Cody didn’t move his hand from Obi-Wan’s shoulder as they walked through the doors into the cockpit, keeping a steady pressure to let him know he was there. He wasn’t sure when exactly this sort of affection had started . Maybe a month or two after they had reunited. It had taken a while to trust each other again. Cody had plunged Obi-Wan to his almost certain death over a decade ago and Cody still wasn’t entirely sure what if any of the Imperial propaganda drummed into him after the war was true.
But Obi-Wan was Obi-Wan; nothing had changed there. He was still the same patient, stubborn and good-hearted man that led him in the Clone Wars. At some point, they realised their nightmares were the same and neither of them were the monsters within them. After that, it was only Obi-Wan that could comfort Cody in a way that made any significant difference, and vice-versa.
Mentions of their old titles from the Clone Wars caused a reaction that was often only perceptible by the other. Cody felt uncomfortable being referred to as a Commander because it spiralled him into thoughts of his purpose. The same went for Obi-Wan. He had mentioned in passing a few times that he wondered how the Jedi had let themself become Generals in a war when they were supposed to be peacekeepers. Cody found himself unable to answer a lot of Obi-Wan’s questions, which is how they had resorted to unspoken acts of comfort.
Whenever it looked as though one of their heads was spinning or something had triggered an upsetting memory, the other reached out. Obi-Wan tended to lean into Cody whenever he saw such a thing, his arm a comforting weight. Cody would rest a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder or forearm, pressure light yet present.
It was only when the other visibly relaxed that the weight was gone, the hand was moved, and they resumed whatever it was that they were doing.
It wasn’t until they entered the cockpit and Obi-Wan had sat down in the seat next to Lemon that Cody gave his shoulder one last squeeze, dropped his hand and sat down behind him.
“Morning, sunshine,” Lemon’s soft automated voice sang from her position in the co-pilot’s seat. She spun the chair around to look at Cody, who smiled warmly at the modified C3 droid.
She had taken some getting used to, that was for sure. Cody wasn’t particularly fond of droids during the war but there was no denying that Lemon was different to any of the clankers he’d found himself facing off against. She had been a C3 droid but she’d been inspired by a droid during a slave revolt on Kessel and had remodelled herself with pilot until she was unrecognisable as her original series. She had amended her joints so she didn’t walk in the stuttery fashion protocol droids tended to, had all the capabilities of a pilot, astromech and protocol droid and brushed down what was previously a shiny gold colour to a more subtle brushed bronze.
Her personality was also totally different to that of any droid Cody had encountered before. She was not built to serve in any capacity and instead had total free will over her decisions and actions. It was refreshing, and Cody actually enjoyed it when he’d ask her to do something and she’d simply answer “no”. She was helpful and kind and non-confrontational, but she had her own ambitions — namely, becoming the greatest baker in the galaxy.
“Morning, Lemon. Obi-Wan said you got a new stand mixer?” Cody asked.
The droid nodded happily, turning her chair back to face the dashboard.
“I ordered it on the holonet. We picked it up on our fuelling stop on Corellia.”
“That you conveniently slept through, by the way,” Obi-Wan directed at Cody.
Cody glared at the back of his chair.
Lemon, ever the pacifist, interrupted before the two could start a bickering session resembling that of an old married couple. She brought up the navcomp, prepared The Sungazer for a jump, and glanced between her two companions.
“Where are we heading, boys?”
The journey to Auksinis was painless enough. Obi-Wan napped for most of it which Cody decided he needed. Obi-Wan slept way too little for his liking. Cody could often hear him pacing around the ship when he should be sleeping, and he always offered to do the late night or early morning fuel runs.
Cody read up on the files for a large chunk of the time in hyperspace. The mission seemed simple enough. The Empire had a small Dedlinite mine that, from the looks of the data the Rebellion had managed to get its hands on, was nearly mined out. There was a large peak in the graph detailing the mine’s export, followed by a short decline and then a somewhat shaky plateau. To the Empire, this looked like the mine was finding its footing. To Cody, who had seen similar graphs across the galaxy, it meant that the less material the Empire could find to mine, the more hours they forced the workers to spend digging whatever was left.
Soon, either the resource would be depleted or, as in this case, the workers would decide enough was enough.
For the rest of the journey, Cody read a holonovel on his datapad. Lemon talked his ear off about a recipe she was planning on trying for a while, and for the better part of an hour, Cody did try to listen. But he could only bear so much analysis of a rare fruit she’d found on a market in the Corellian spaceport before he tuned out, humming and nodding politely wherever he deemed appropriate.
A few hours later, Lemon brought The Sungazer down in a small spaceport on the outskirts of Meilėna. There were a number of ships in the port, which was surprising for such a small town, but no one came out to greet them. Neither Cody nor Obi-Wan had expected them to — it had been a protocol droid that had processed their ship and landing — but they had expected Imperial guards, troopers… something.
Lemon decided to stay on the ship for the duration of their recon. If they needed help, they could com her, but a modified droid such as herself would draw attention, and they needed to blend in as much as possible.
Cody and Obi-Wan could see the town from the spaceport, but it was still a fair distance up the hill before them. It looked like a beautiful place. Painted stone buildings climbed in concentric circles to the peak of the hill, backdropped by a forest of yellow-leaved trees. The skies were almost clear, aside from a few cream-coloured clouds that looked like golden lichen ice-cream. The town also looked… alive, which was refreshing in a galaxy being drained of life by the Empire. There were decorations all around the spaceport; yellow flags, bunting and streamers scattered across rooftops and lampposts.
“Well, this looks nice.” Obi-Wan mused genuinely, as he scratched his chin in thought.
“Do you think it’s always like this?” Cody reached up, running his fingers over a soft yellow scrap of fabric wrapped around a lamppost.
“Must be a festival of some kind.” Then, Obi-Wan frowned, his brow furrowed into three soft lines. “Did you read anything in the files about cultural events?”
Cody paused, fingers still pinching the fabric of the bunting. “There was no cultural events section.”
Obi-Wan turned to him, eyes glinting with a look Cody knew from experience to be a mix of confusion and intrigue. He knew his partner well enough to know that a missing puzzle piece often entertained Kenobi. This was a missing puzzle piece; whether it was pertinent to their mission or not was something they were bound to find out.
“No,” he mused again, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “No.”
Cody frowned at him. Something was running through Obi-Wan’s mind - he could read that on his face - but Cody wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that was. Instead, Cody hummed a non-committal sound and began walking into town.
It was another few minutes before they saw anyone. An elderly Twi’lek woman was standing outside a small cottage, watering a planter filled with pale yellow flowers, a few shades lighter than the gold of the decorations. She was humming an unfamiliar tune, focused on her plants, and didn’t look up until Obi-Wan cleared his throat. She started a little, eyes flitting up and squinting at the two of them.
“Oh hello.” She laughed, setting her watering can down at her feet. “Are you here for the festival?”
Cody frowned. “Fest—”
“Yes, yes we are,” Obi-Wan interrupted, smiling at the woman. She beamed back at him then pointed her finger, wagging it between them.
“I could tell; I can always tell!”
Cody wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, but Obi-Wan was always the better spy. This was a mission to gather local sentiment. Gathering local sentiment meant gaining the trust of the people around them. Gaining trust meant playing the part.
The only issue here was, Cody wasn’t quite sure what part they were going to play.
“We are looking for a place to stay,” Obi-Wan said. “Just for a few nights.”
“Of course! Naturally.” She grinned. The blue-skinned Twi’lek woman pointed up the cobbled pathway towards where the small detached cottages with neat front gardens (all filled with the same yellow flowers) tapered off into terraced houses, winding up the hill into tightly packed streets.
“Follow this road up and then turn right at the wonky lamppost. There’s a B’n’B on that road. Let Shihvla know that Rey’la sent you and she’ll make sure you get a room.”
“Wonderful,” Obi-Wan beamed his winning smile that could soften the heart of anyone in a kilometre radius. “We can’t wait to partake in the festivities.”
“Naturally,” the woman chuckled.
Naturally. She’d said it twice now and something about it made Cody shift uncomfortably. It wasn’t sinister or cold, only knowing, as though she knew something both he and Obi-Wan did not. Though he knew better than to take things at face value, the brightness of the yellow bunting and flowers decorating the entire town didn’t suggest that this festival had any negative connotations. It was the not knowing, however, that was causing Cody’s discomfort and impatience.
Cody stepped closer to his Jedi companion, smiled a smile that was perhaps the only one that could come close to rivalling that of Obi-Wan Kenobi and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you,” he said. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve had a long journey and-”
“Of course, of course!” The woman, Rey’la, waved at him, bending down to pick up her watering can. “ Sena meilė nerūdyja !”
“And… and to you.” Cody nodded, squeezing Kenobi’s shoulder. Obi-Wan bowed a little, lingering momentarily, but took Cody’s hint eventually and turned in the direction Rey’la had pointed them in.
They followed the cobbled street up in silence for a little while, both taking in their surroundings. Cody tried to decipher from the patterns on the bunting what exactly the festival was. He had no luck there. All he could see were the same illustrations of the same flowers, the word meilė (which was not a word he recognised in any of the languages he had learned) and that phrase the woman had bid them farewell with. Without knowing the language, he couldn’t figure out exactly what this community was celebrating.
The further they walked up the road, the more people they saw. All were friendly enough, waving and smiling as they passed. They seemed to be preparing the town for something, adding more and more decorations to buildings, doors, comlines, lamposts. The only theme Cody could discern was gold and yellow.
Perhaps they were celebrating the colour, Cody thought. It was fitting, he decided, as he watched his former General take it all in, that they’d arrive for a celebration of such a colour.
“Any ideas?” he asked, as he and Obi-Wan approached the wonky lamppost Rey’la had told them about, a tall, charcoal coloured metal post identical to those lining the rest of the street aside from a large dent a few metres up that meant it leaned about 25 degrees to the left. To the right, there was a street — perhaps the most decorated they’d come across. One building had a hand-painted yellow sign hanging over its doorway, decorated with a detailed illustration of the same flowers that had been on both the bunting around town and in Rey’la’s planter. The name was in a language Cody couldn’t read but beneath it, in Basic, read ‘B’n’B’.
“Well, this looks delightful,” Obi-Wan said genuinely.
Cody scoffed, shaking his head. “We’ve definitely stayed in worse.”
Obi-Wan chuckled, nudging his elbow into Cody’s side. “This has walls and a roof. I’d say that’s a significant improvement over anywhere we’ve stayed before, my friend.”
They began walking toward the B’n’B and Cody’s smile was so wide it was hurting his cheeks.
“Remember-”
“Ord Radama?” Obi-Wan interrupted. “I remember. That planet is the reason my back is the way it is today.” He shook his head, clutching at his spine for emphasis.
Cody let out a breathy laugh.
“Well, at least the Rebellion sends us to planets with B’n’B ’s.”
They halted at the door to the establishment, turning to face one another. Something in Obi-Wan’s eyes sent Cody’s head into a spin. The overwhelming feeling was sentimentality and the lingering warmth of fondness. They had been through a lot together — perhaps too much — and yet, the very fact that they remained by one another’s side was proof of… something. Even now, even after the very worst… here they were.
“We’re too old for that sort of thing,” Cody murmured as Obi-Wan’s hand reached for the doorknob.
“Speak for yourself,” Obi-Wan teased, and opened the door.
The B’n’B was as yellow inside as Meilėna was on the outside. Some could perhaps consider it too much, were it not so joyfully crafted. Everything looked homely and warm, like sunshine and meiloorun juice and the armour of his brothers. Cody could never find it too much, even if it had all gone so wrong in the end. His only family had worn these colours — it only meant love to him.
He and Obi-Wan approached the reception desk where a small Mirialan woman was instructing a male human on the placement of some yellow streamers over the wall behind the desk. He seemed to be having some trouble reaching, so instinctively, Cody rushed over to help.
The man looked mildly surprised but allowed Cody to take the bunting from him, pinning it in place.
“Thank you, dear.” The woman rushed over to him, taking his hand and squeezing it. Cody smiled down at her and patted her hand gently.
Cody’s first impression of her was that she had kind eyes. The pink-skinned Mirialin looked about a similar age to the Twi’lek woman, Rey’la, they had met on their way into town. She was dressed in intricate yellow and gold fabrics, wrapped into a beautiful dress and headdress, clearly prepared for this festival, and though it looked a moment ago like she was in the middle of a stressful situation, there was no stress apparent on her face. Instead, she only looked… happy.
“My pleasure ma’am.”
“Please, call me Shihvla. Oh!” she exclaimed, turning to see Obi-Wan flicking through a flimsi leaflet on her desk. “I’m sorry, we didn’t hear you come in.”
“Welcome!” The male Mirialan called from behind her and then disappeared into a back room. The woman scoffed, but looked at where he had stood fondly.
“He’s a lazy skug but you can’t hate your husband at a time like this.” Shihvla chuckled and Cody matched her joy, if only to mask his confusion.
“Of course not.” He turned to Obi-Wan, only to find him still frowning at the leaflet.
“Uhh… Rey’la sent us,” Cody continued. “We’re here to celebrate—”
“Meilė!” She threw her hands up into the sky and then gave Cody a knowing look. “Of course you are!”
“Do you have a room?”
“You are a little late…” She tapped away at a holopad before her. “Most people arrived a week ago… but , given Rey’la sent you…” She turned around, took a gold keycard from a large cabinet behind her and slid it across the desk toward Cody. “I think we can spare our last room for such a lovely couple.”
For a moment, Cody thought he’d misheard her. Perhaps he was tired from the journey or maybe he really was getting too old. Then he thought… maybe she meant partner? His heart rate quickened and he could feel it thudding against his ribcage. It was a mistake…
He laughed, more at his own mind’s unravelling than the woman’s statement, and felt his face getting hot.
“Oh well, act—”
“That would be wonderful!” Obi-Wan interrupted, his voice shocking Cody given the Jedi had been silent for the past few minutes. Cody felt his friend’s hand tuck the flimsi leaflet into his jacket’s front pocket. Only… Obi-Wan’s hand didn’t move from Cody’s chest, resting over his heart as his other arm draped over his shoulder.
Cody couldn’t think straight. His mind was running a mile a minute and all he could think about was how embarrassing it was that Obi-Wan could feel his heart beating so fast.
“My husband and I can’t wait for the parade later. We’d like to freshen up beforehand.”
Now Cody was sure he was going to pass out.
Husband?! What was Obi-Wan doing? Cody could only hold his breath and try desperately not to appear like whatever the hell his partner was doing right now wasn’t short-circuiting his brain.
“Of course! Follow me.” The lady rounded the desk and began walking toward a staircase. It was covered in flowers, garlands of various yellow-coloured flowers wrapped around the bannister.
Though it was the very reason for his immobility, Cody was suddenly thankful for Obi-Wan’s arms around him because they turned out to be the only things holding him up. Kenobi guided him toward the staircase, following Shihvla up.
“You okay?” he murmured in Cody’s ear, and then added with a playful lilt; “Darling?”
The word dripped like honey in Obi-Wan’s smooth accent. It wasn’t like he’d never said it before around Cody. Obi-Wan was a flirt — in the Rebellion, in the Clone Wars and, from stories he’d heard from Quinlan, even before. But never had such a tone, such a word , been directed toward Cody. He was starting to realise why so many of Obi-Wan’s opponents grew to be obsessed with the man.
“Just tired,” Cody answered, trying his best to level his voice. “S-sweetie,” he added, and wanted to cringe at how unsure his tone sounded.
It seemed to entertain Obi-Wan, however, who laughed heartily and smiled up at Cody so widely that the crow’s feet beside his eyes deepened and smaller lines rippled out around them.
Obi-Wan moved his hand from Cody’s chest and for a moment, Cody thought he could breathe again. That was until the arm that had been around his shoulder circled around his waist.
Suddenly, Cody didn’t know what to do with his arms. His brain hadn’t completely melted. He had inferred that they were pretending to be married (although the why was the part his mind was struggling to reason). That was the role he was supposed to play — a husband.
Cody tried desperately to rack his brain, struggling to remember what married couples were supposed to look like… what someone did with their arms when their husband’s were around their waist.
His arms were still hanging limply by his side when they reached the door to their room. It was then that Cody realised he was holding the keycard. Obi-Wan squeezed his waist and Cody’s hand lurched forward, the gold-coloured card tapping against the access pad. The door beeped and opened, and Cody let out a breath.
“The parade starts at sunset but if you want to eat beforehand, I recommend heading into the town centre in the next hour!” The B’n’B owner smiled. “Enjoy your stay!”
She left quickly, dashing down the stairs with her yellow fabrics flowing behind her like a wave of gold. As soon as she had disappeared from their line of sight, Obi-Wan’s arm slid away from around Cody’s waist. Cody reached out to balance himself on the door frame and chuckled breathily, shaking his head. Obi-Wan grinned sheepishly and pushed the door to the bedroom open.
“A little warning next time, Kenobi.”
Cody stumbled into the room, still balancing himself on whatever stable surface he could find. The room was larger than he had been expecting, considering Shihvla had said that it was the last available.
A large bed sat in the centre against the wall to the right, made of durasteel and twisted into intricate patterns. It was covered in warm-looking blankets and comforters, all varying shades of gold and yellow, atop a duvet decorated in small yellow flowers. Besides that, there were two beige armchairs by the window on the wall to the left, and a small table with a vase of flowers on it in between them. A large armoire rested against the wall directly opposite Cody and to his side, by the door, was a small chest of drawers.
Cody sank onto the bed, hands finding purchase in the soft fabric of the gold comforter. Obi-Wan perched carefully next to him, grin widening.
“Sorry, Cody,” he sighed, and then reached over and patted the pocket of Cody’s jacket. “You should really read that flimsi.”
Obi-Wan fell back against the bed, draping an arm across his eyes. Cody watched his chest rise and fall for a moment, before pulling the leaflet from his pocket and staring down at it.
The front was illustrated with a depiction of a bustling market — stalls with marigold canopies and billowing bunting, lit only by the orange-gold glow of a sunset. It read ‘Welcome to Meilėna, the home of the festival of Meilė.’ Cody turned the page and read aloud.
“We’re so glad you and your loved one have decided to join us for the week-long festival of Meilė.” Cody narrowed his eyes at the pamphlet. “Celebrate romance this—oh…”
“I think we know why Rex and Ahsoka decided to omit the cultural events section.” Obi-Wan chuckled.
Cody frowned.
Kenobi sighed, removing the arm covering his eyes to reveal closed lids. “A joke, perhaps? Who knows. I am not well versed in the humour of Ahsoka’s generation.”
Cody pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “So… we’re married.”
“I do apologise, Cody.” Obi-Wan’s eyes opened and he sat up again, offering his partner an apologetic look. “I was trying to think on my feet.”
“Of course.” Cody nodded. Then, he smiled, genuinely and warmly. “There are worse covers.”
The air felt pleasant around them. Not stifling or stuffy, but comforting and steady. The sun outside was beginning to set, the once blue sky fading into a light orange.
“There certainly are,” Obi-Wan murmured. Suddenly, that once warm and comforting air felt charged, like someone had run an electric current through it. Perhaps it was the Force. Even with the amount of time Cody had spent amongst Jedi, he wasn’t entirely sure how it worked but this sure felt as close as he’d gotten to feeling it. He swallowed and found a lump in his throat, his heart beating fast again. This time, he turned away before he could devolve into a similar state to the one he’d been in five minutes ago.
“Did you notice any Imperial presence when we came in?” Obi-Wan asked.
“No. I saw a few notices on buildings and posts but no troopers.”
“Same.”
Cody decided to stand. His legs no longer felt as though they were going to give out from under him and he could at least think somewhat clearly. He walked over toward the open window and leaned out.
More and more people were milling about now, couples mostly, all heading toward the centre of town atop the hill. He still couldn’t see any troopers, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around… somewhere.
“I think we’ll get a better view of the mine from wherever the market is. We might be able to sneak up one of these buildings here.” Cody pointed upwards where the clay-coloured rooftops climbed through the city. “And if there are Imperial troops, we can get a handle on how extensive their presence here is.”
“Not to mention the food.”
Cody turned and found Obi-Wan beside the armoire. He pulled his cotton shirt over his head, rummaged around in his satchel and produced a shirt of a similar colour, only with three buttons at the neckline. He pulled the shirt over his head, looking at Cody over his shoulder.
Cody smirked, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Our mission was collecting intel on Imperial presence—”
“And local sentiment.” Obi-Wan pointed his finger in Cody’s direction. “There is no better way to understand people than through their food.”
“I thought you always said it was their stories?”
“Food contains stories.” Obi-Wan turned back to his satchel, unpacking the unnecessary items and placing them in the armoire.
Cody watched him affectionately, feeling the electricity settle and the warmth return.
“Sometimes I don’t know if you’re really wise or if you know how to say bantha shit in a wise way.”
Cody and Obi-Wan walked side-by-side amongst the crowd of dozens, all heading into the centre of Meilėna. The decorations only got more intense the further they climbed up the hill. Bunting turned into three-metre wide flags. Planters of yellow flowers turned into buildings whose fronts were covered in massive arrangements of yellow, orange, and cream flowers. The cobbled streets were blanketed with petals, children rushing around throwing small handfuls of them in the air like confetti.
Unfortunately, with the added celebration and joy came an increasing amount of darkness — the Empire. Cody had clocked four troopers so far and slipped his glareshades over his eyes, fixing a yellow-coloured hat over his head. He was thankful for the crowd for hiding them somewhat, but the feeble disguise and busy streets couldn’t completely allay the anxiety that crept up at the site of stormtroopers — a nasty byproduct of having one of the most recognisable faces in the galaxy.
Obi-Wan must’ve noticed, because after Cody visibly held his breath as they passed a fifth trooper, Obi-Wan slipped his hand into Cody’s, squeezing gently.
Where before, in the B’n’B, Cody had been overwhelmed by Kenobi’s touch, this was different. Though it was somewhat part of the façade they had been forced to adopt, it was also exactly what the two of them had grown to expect from one another — a comforting hand over the other’s when the galaxy got too much. As it always had, Obi-Wan’s calming gaze and gentle touch soothed Cody now.
Cody hadn’t allowed himself the opportunity to think too hard on his feelings, particularly not any he may have about the situation he and Obi-Wan Kenobi found themselves in at the moment. He tended to avoid these feelings in any and all situations he and Obi-Wan stumbled into.
In the GAR, he hadn’t always had the luxury of feeling, no matter how often his then General argued otherwise. He was born to be a soldier — that had been his purpose. Any other dreams, thoughts, feelings… they were secondary to war. Until suddenly, they weren’t anymore.
After Rex had removed his chip and the Empire had no use for the clones anymore, Cody found he had an abundance of feeling, along with the space to feel and the time to dwell. It hadn’t meant he was unfeeling before, far from it. He had only allowed himself to feel what was expected of him — the empathy toward those victim to war, the hatred of Seppies and Clankers, the love of his brothers and family. But there had been multiple things Cody had neither need, time nor desire to feel.
Namely, romantic love.
Now he found himself in the middle of a celebration of it.
“I wonder why they let this go ahead,” Cody mused as they passed a sixth stormtrooper. He hated seeing armour so similar to that which he’d worn and yet so plain and lifeless. “It’s not exactly customary for the Empire to welcome a celebration of love.”
He glanced around at all the happy faces and, though seeing so much joy in a dark time should make him feel joyful too, Cody had seen the Empire destroy too many good things in the last fifteen years, a lot of them his own, to be anything but sceptical.
“You didn’t read far enough into the flimsi,” Obi-Wan murmured, leaning closer, his breath warm on the shell of Cody’s ear. “The Empire has seized control of Meilė’s tourist board. They are making an arm and a leg from this.”
Cody frowned. “So why do people keep coming? Why does the town still hold the festival?”
He and Obi-Wan halted at the edge of the market and turned to look at each other. Obi-Wan smiled and leaned even closer. His face was centimetres from Cody’s and suddenly the composure Cody thought he’d regained control of was gone yet again. His heart felt like a machine blaster in his chest.
“This festival is about love, Cody. Not money,” Obi-Wan said. “In times like these, you take any chance you can get to celebrate love.”
Obi-Wan turned back to the market, not even giving Cody a chance to recover. He was frozen, and it was only when Obi-Wan’s outstretched arm, hand still clasped around Cody’s, tugged him forward that he moved. Cody stumbled after him, dazed and suddenly mildly irritated. A cover was one thing but this… how did Obi-Wan expect him to complete their mission if he kept… distracting him.
Obi-Wan dragged Cody through bustling streets. The sun was setting, the sky a vibrant yellow-orange. Stalls bustled, cheerful music spilt out from windows two stories up, and a beautiful aroma of a mix of sweet-smelling flowers and spiced, freshly cooked food infected the air.
The more they walked, the more traditions they discovered. When Cody and Obi-Wan passed a stall selling garlands of yellow flowers, the stall owner rushed up to them, two garlands in hand, and draped them around their necks. When Cody reached into his pocket for credits, the stall owner laughed and shook their head.
“No silly,” they said. “It’s Meilė .”
Halfway through the market, they noticed people gathering around an old stone building — much older than any of the other houses — writing notes on flimsi and stuffing them into the cracks between the stones.
Cody frowned. “What’s that about?”
Obi-Wan just smiled and pulled him toward a cart selling food. “Let’s get something to eat first.”
At the stall, Obi-Wan purchased a myriad of treats: gold-coloured steamed buns stuffed with barbequed meats and vegetables; a sweet bread with a crispy cracked surface served piping hot; noodles in a spiced broth; tarts with a caramelised yellow filling; waffles shaped like sunshine. The vendor put it all into small flimsi bags and then bagged it all up in a larger carrier, handing it to Kenobi with a beaming smile. For a moment, Kenobi leaned forward, muttering something under his breath to the stall owner. The owner nodded rapidly, and then leaned over the side of the truck, pointing up towards the top of the hill.
The price of the food was ridiculously cheap (the Empire had clearly been greedy enough to take the profits from the festival but not smart enough to monitor the prices) and before Cody could utter a thank you or question Obi-Wan about what he had discussed with the stall owner, Obi-Wan was pulling him back into the crowd again.
“Obi-Wan, hey!” Cody called after them when he nearly dragged him into a sweet old Togruta couple. He mouthed an apology at them and then glared at the back of his false-husband’s head.
“We’re going to miss it,” the Jedi shouted over his shoulder.
Cody jogged a little, catching up to Obi-Wan so he could lean into him and murmur just loud enough for him to hear, “Are you forgetting we have a mission?”
Obi-Wan seemingly ignored Cody’s question and instead made a sharp left turn, dragging Cody into the open doorway of a building right at the top of the hill.
Sometimes, Cody forgot how strong Obi-Wan was. Sure, he was a Jedi. Sure, he’d been a war General. But he was also Obi-Wan Kenobi. He radiated patience and pacificity and sometimes, Cody forgetting how strong Obi-Wan Kenobi was often led to Cody’s downfall.
As Obi-Wan pulled him into the house, Cody didn’t have a chance to push back to slow his momentum. Instead of merely being pulled through the doorway into the building, he was pulled full force into Obi-Wan’s chest, nearly sending the both of them toppling over, were it not for that strength of Obi-Wan’s that Cody so frequently underestimated.
Obi-Wan’s arm circled around Cody’s waist, steadying him and keeping him fixed against his chest, as the other held the bag of food aloft in the air. The house was dark, the owners most likely out enjoying the festivities, but the golden glow of the market lit by the setting sun illuminated Obi-Wan’s face enough that Cody could see the smirk.
“Careful,” Obi-Wan teased, “ darling .”
And before Cody could react, he stepped away and turned toward the staircase, his arm gone from Cody’s waist and his hand no longer holding Cody’s.
Maybe it was because, for the better part of an hour, Obi-Wan’s fingers had been firmly intertwined with his own, but their sudden lack felt distinctive. Cody’s hand felt cold, empty, and he found himself clenching his fist around nothing.
He took three deep breaths, and by the time the third had been exhaled, Obi-Wan was at the top of the first staircase.
“Hurry up, the food’s getting cold,” he said, and Cody finally moved.
They climbed five stories quickly. Far too quickly for Cody’s liking.
“I’m too—”
“Old for this, I know,” Obi-Wan sang, shooting him a grin over his shoulder. “If you keep saying that, it might actually come true.”
The sixth staircase brought them up to the rooftop, or rather, a small flat section of the roof where the sloping clay tiles didn’t quite meet the edge of the building. The ledge had a waist-high wall surrounding it with small, arch-shaped holes carved into it, and most of the space was taken up by various generators and water tanks. But, there was a small section toward the end of the building where two people could sit easily.
Obi-Wan walked there with intention and sat, legs crossed in a position Cody had seen him adopt many times when meditating. The Jedi shrugged off his jacket, lying it on the floor before him. Cody sat down opposite, knees bent to his chest and arms hugging his shins. He glanced out over the town and squinted into the sunset. In the distance, beyond the forest of yellow-leaved trees sat a large grey building, a stark contrast to the brightly-painted houses of Meilėna.
“Found the mine,” Cody muttered.
Obi-Wan turned, glancing in its direction, and hummed.
“Bigger than I thought.”
“Everything with the Empire is always something more than you think it is.” Cody sighed, lifting his hat from his head and removing his sunglasses.
Obi-Wan’s blue eyes turned back to him, glinting playfully. He began removing the food out of the bags and placing them on his tan-coloured leather jacket.
“You sound like a Jedi.”
“Spent enough time around one,” Cody bit back with a smirk.
Obi-Wan chuckled, shaking his head, and bit into one of the steamed buns. He groaned dramatically, pointing enthusiastically at the flimsi bag containing them. Cody took his hint and picked one up, biting into it. It was delicious. Definitely groan worthy.
They worked their way through the food they’d purchased, not speaking. Occasionally, after trying a new piece of food, Obi-Wan would make a non-verbal sound of appreciation. Other than that, the pair enjoyed the peace of one another's company and the sound of the festival below them. Halfway through eating, a kloo hornist began playing a crooning tune from the third-floor balcony of a building across from them. Cody turned his attention to the musician, watching the man raptly as he moved smoothly to his own music.
“What do you think?”
Obi-Wan’s soft voice almost made Cody jump. He was so entranced by the musician, so full of good food and so soothed by the atmosphere. When Cody turned to Obi-Wan, the other man wasn’t looking at him, his eyes turned down to the street.
“It’s… nice,” Cody murmured, moving his gaze back to the street also. He watched as people scattered flower petals across the cobblestones, dancing through the blanket of gold. His focus stuck on two Twi’lek women twirling as a stall owner showered orange petals over their heads. They both stumbled, falling into each other's arms, and laughed, still smiling as they kissed softly. Cody smiled. “It’s… a nice thing to celebrate.”
Obi-Wan was silent, and for a moment, Cody worried he’d said the wrong thing. He’d forgotten how… particular the Jedi were about attachment and perhaps this sort of thing was against what Obi-Wan believed. Cody quickly turned to him, checking he wasn’t upset or angry, but instead found his friend staring at him with a strange look on his face.
It wasn’t negative — no sadness or malice in his expression — but it wasn’t anything Cody had seen before. His eyes were soft and curious, his lips parted as if confused and his eyebrows curved inward inquisitively.
“What?” Cody asked, and found his voice a little hoarse with surprise.
“Have you ever been in love?”
The question sounded heavy in Cody’s ears. He suddenly wished he wasn’t looking at Obi-Wan because he was sure his reaction to his question wasn’t just internal. His jaw dropped and then clamped shut again. His eyes widened and then he blinked rapidly to cover it up.
Still, Obi-Wan looked at him expectantly, attentively. He didn’t smirk at Cody’s reaction and Cody was grateful for that. He was embarrassed enough for the both of them.
“I… I mean…” Cody looked down at his hands, frowning. “I love my family. My brothers.”
“I know,” Obi-Wan said softly. “That’s not what I mean though.”
Even though the kloo hornist was still playing and the street was still bustling below, Cody could feel the silence. It was like a weight hanging over his entire being. He was vaguely aware of the cheer of the crowd, the parade starting, but he still didn’t look up from his hands.
He wasn’t sure how to answer Obi-Wan’s question. He wasn’t sure he had. Instead, he asked his own.
“Have you?”
“Yes.”
Cody looked up. Obi-Wan was smiling sadly and suddenly Cody felt stupid for asking. Of course he had. He’d seen how the General had acted around Satine and the toll her death had taken on him.
“I thought… I mean… I know you had… but the Jedi…” Cody couldn’t get his words out, unsure as to where he was going or what he was saying. He was trying desperately to keep Obi-Wan talking, just so he didn’t have to.
“Yes.” Obi-Wan said, and then repeated it quieter, “Yes.”
Cody watched his eyes glaze over a little. He was ready to change the subject, steer the conversation away from upsetting memories, but Obi-Wan continued.
“Sometimes, it can’t be helped.”
His tone was knowing and, although Cody hadn’t admitted anything, he felt exposed. He shifted, bringing his legs closer to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.
“Do you still see it the same?”
Obi-Wan paused and for a moment, Cody thought he wasn’t going to answer. But Obi-Wan’s eyes bore into Cody’s and his smile widened fractionally.
“No.”
Cody didn’t know what to say, so Obi-Wan continued.
“I think the Order was wrong about a lot. Attachment is dangerous. Jedi have an immense responsibility, and we cannot let our emotions determine our actions,” he said. “But we also are only sentient… Love is an integral part of life. Depriving ourselves of it, forcing those who feel it into hiding it… it can lead to a darkness stronger than you could possibly imagine.”
The words simultaneously warmed and chilled Cody. It was comforting to know that Obi-Wan had relaxed his stance on love… but when he talked of darkness… the air felt charged. Cody knew it came from experience - what exactly he couldn’t know - but knowing he had experienced it scared Cody.
Obi-Wan turned his eyes back to the festival and this time it was Cody’s turn to watch him.
“Do you want to know the story of the wall?” Obi-Wan asked.
Cody frowned, confused for a second, before he remembered the wall they had passed before where people had gathered, placing flowers and flimsy notes between the cracks of the stone.
“Yes.”
“Centuries ago, a woman fell in love with a local florist. She was just passing through Meilėna, but because of the florist, she decided to stay. She rented that house there from a local and they spent months together, falling deeper and deeper in love, before suddenly… she disappeared.” Obi-Wan’s voice was gentle but compelling, loud enough to be heard over the festival below but soft enough to give the beautiful story the care it deserved. “For decades, the florist refused to believe she was truly gone. He never fell in love with anyone else, never married or started a family. Every day before opening his shop, he’d lay a bouquet of those yellow flowers outside her house and every week he would write her a letter and put it in between the bricks of her house. Every day, every week, without fail, even when she wasn’t around, he made sure to show how much he loved her.”
Obi-Wan paused and Cody found that he was leaning forward, invested in the story.
“Did she come back?”
Obi-Wan turned to him and smiled.
“Yes, she did.”
Cody held his breath, his head spinning. His feelings hit him all at once: years of bottled up emotions, things he’d convinced himself would never come into fruition, suddenly felt… enough. He felt a swell of confidence. Perhaps it was what Obi-Wan had just said or perhaps it was the energy of the Festival of Meilė. Whatever it was, it reassured him. Even if everything he’d felt for decades was rejected, Cody knew it would be okay because it wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t too late or too much.
“I have been in love,” he admitted, voice surprisingly level.
Obi-Wan’s eyes glistened, intrigued, and he quirked an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Cody felt a little self-conscious again and looked down.
“I… I thought I could never act on it. When I first started feeling the way I do, the dynamic was… off. And then during the war, I didn’t know if I was supposed to. I was… I was scared if I admitted wanting anything but to fight for the Republic, I’d be classified as faulty and sent back to Kamino—”
“I would never have let that happen,” Obi-Wan said, almost angrily. Cody looked up, meeting his partner's eyes. He offered him a smile.
“I know.”
They looked at each other for a moment and then Obi-Wan tilted his head to the left. The festival had quieted a little, the parade moving most of the crowd down the street, away from the building they were sitting atop. The sun was almost completely set, the two of them bathed in a heavy orange light that reminded Cody of the exact colour of the 212th’s armour.
“You said ‘do’,” Obi-Wan said.
Cody frowned. “Do?”
“You said, ‘when I started feeling the way I do. ” Obi-Wan leaned forward. “Present tense.”
Heat flooded Cody’s face, but he had come too far to back away now.
“Yes.”
Obi-Wan smiled. It wasn’t teasing, but sincere and tender, and for a moment, Cody swore he could see a blush creeping up the Jedi’s cheeks.
“I see,” Kenobi looked down at his hands, cradled in his lap.
Cody unravelled his hands from around his shins, stretching his legs out. There was one last sunshine-shaped waffle sitting on Obi-Wan’s jacket. He picked it up.
“You do?” Cody asked, unable to hide the hopefulness in his tone.
“I do,” Obi-Wan said, eyes lifting again. “I… I have struggled with similar… affections.”
Cody laughed and Obi-Wan frowned.
“I’m sorry… I just… you make it sound like a bad thing.”
Obi-Wan reached out, hand covering Cody’s.
“No, not a bad thing.”
Cody sucked in a breath, holding it for a second, and then exhaled it slowly.
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
A part of Cody wanted to throw himself across the space between them and pull Obi-Wan Kenobi into his arms and never let go. He decided against it, deeming both of them too old for such athletic feats and not wanting to destroy the serenity of this moment.
He was overwhelmed, with joy, relief, wholeness, love. It coursed through him like liquid sunshine and he tried to stifle his grin, looking down at their hands. They were age-worn, calloused by time and particularly by war. And yet… nothing looked more perfect.
“Cody,” Obi-Wan murmured, getting his attention.
Cody watched as Obi-Wan took the waffle from Cody’s hand, setting it down again. One moment Cody’s hand was empty, and then the next it wasn’t. Obi-Wan’s fingers wrapped gently around his own and squeezed. Cody looked up and found Obi-Wan making no attempt to stifle his beaming smile.
Obi-Wan let out a breathy laugh. “I want us to be clear, now.”
“Clear?”
“Yes, clear,” he teased. “I’m in love with you, Cody.”
Cody pursed his lips as they strained his cheeks.
“Present tense?”
“Present tense.”
“Well, I…” Cody looked down at their hands again and instinctively tugged Obi-Wan’s hand closer to him. Obi-Wan watched as he lifted their conjoined palms to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against Obi-Wan’s knuckles.
“I’m in love with you too,” he whispered against Obi-Wan’s skin and closed his eyes. His mouth stretched into an unrestrained grin, wide and joyful.
They stayed like that for a while, relishing in these new and yet so old emotions. The festival continued around them, music serenading the town as the sun dipped below the horizon. At some point, they moved to sit next to each other, backs leaning against the clay tiles of the sloping roof. Obi-Wan rested his head on Cody’s shoulder and Cody ran his thumb in smooth circles across the back of Obi-Wan’s hand.
“What now?” Cody murmured, as the sun completely set and the stars flickered in the now-dark sky.
“We finish the mission.” Obi-Wan smiled up at him. “ Darling. ”
Ahsoka frowned at her datapad. She was double-checking the information Rex had sent Cody and Obi-Wan, intrigued as to what it was that had entertained her friend so much.
“Rex,” she called to the Captain, lounging on a box of supplies in the Ghost ’s hangar.
“I’m asleep,” Rex grumbled, and Ahsoka rolled her eyes.
“Did you remove the cultural events section of the data pack you sent to Cody and Obi-Wan?”
She was met with silence. She frowned, turning to narrow her eyes at her friend, who sat up on the crate, a sheepish look on his face.
“That was useful information,” Ahsoka warned.
“It’s more fun this way!” Rex whined.
For a second, Ahsoka was confused. She scanned the information on her datapad once more before three words jumped out at her.
Festival of love .
“They’re too old to be acting like teenagers,” Rex said and lay back on the crate again.
Ahsoka was going to argue, to tell Rex he was the one acting like a teenager right now. But instead, she smiled.
Maybe a little surprise was exactly what those old fools needed.