Chapter Text
“What’s this?” Obi-Wan asked, peering at the data disc on the desk. He read the title. “Compilation one. Five times Bly got shot down.”
“A gag gift,” Cody answered. “From some of my brothers.”
“Why would they send you video of Bly being shot down?” Obi-Wan asked, aghast. “You aren’t the type to be amused by someone else’s pain, even if you don’t get along.”
“It’s not about Bly getting hurt,” Cody assured him hastily.
Comprehension dawned and Obi-Wan’s lips twitched. “Ah, the other kind, then. I’m still not sure why you would find it funny.”
“They didn’t send it to me because I’d find it funny,” Cody replied grimly.
“Then why did they send it to you?” Obi-Wan asked curiously. He frowned thoughtfully at the disc.
“I told you, sir, it’s a gag gift,” Cody responded with a shrug. Not interested in sharing the details, then.
“It’s after hours, commander,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “You are welcomed to use my name.”
“As you say, sir,” Cody replied solemnly. Seemingly on impulse he asked, “Do you know Bly’s general well?”
“Aayla?” Obi-Wan smiled fondly. “You could say that. She was padawan to a good friend when Anakin was younger. We all got together for meals or a trip a few times. Aayla was one of the few padawans that Anakin could get along with for more than five minutes. Why?”
“No reason, sir,” Cody replied.
Obi-Wan was too quick to let that pass. He eyed the disc with more interest. “You mean this is a record of Bly’s attempts to hit on Aayla? I take it he failed, then.” His lips quirked up in a smile before he sobered. “I imagine neither of them would be particularly pleased by this,” he mused.
“Bly knows about it,” Cody assured him. “I don’t know about General Secura, though.”
“Hm.” Obi-Wan still eyed the disc thoughtfully.
“Why don’t you take it, sir,” Cody offered. “I don’t want it.”
“Perhaps I should check with her,” Obi-Wan agreed. He pocketed the disc and looked at Cody speculatively. “Dare I ask if this trend is spreading?”
“I’m not sure you want the answer to that,” Cody replied honestly. At Obi-Wan’s grimace he added, “I keep tabs on the 212th, sir. There are rules and no one is allowed to keep or show video that is detrimental to another person. I’ve suggested the other commanders implement much the same.”
“This isn’t detrimental to Bly?” Obi-Wan asked curiously. Perhaps the Vod’e weren’t as inclined to embarrassment as some human or near-human species.
“If Bly were someone else, maybe,” Cody responded with a shrug. “But Bly sees it like a mission, sir, and Bly is the kind of person who has to see a mission through. Plus, he thinks she just doesn’t get his attempts to pick her up.”
“That’s not very likely,” Obi-Wan confided, a smile quirking his lips now.
“We’ve all told him that,” Cod assured him dryly. “But he found this list of pick-up lines and he’s determined to find the right one.”
“Oh, dear,” Obi-Wan said, remembering Anakin’s own fledgling attempts at flirting. In fact, if he recalled correctly, there had been a time Anakin had tried to flirt with Aayla, although he hadn’t seemed particularly serious about it. He sent a quick message to Aayla and then turned his attention back to Cody.
“Did you find what you needed?” he asked. “I apologize for snooping.”
“I forgot it was there,” Cody admitted, waving his apology away. He pulled a data pad out of his top desk drawer. “I know better than to leave anything out I don’t want you to see, since you’re drawn to looking at everything.”
“I will try to control myself better,” Obi-Wan told him earnestly, slightly stung. He’d let himself feel too comfortable and had forgotten to mind the other man’s privacy.
“I’d rather you exercise that control while we’re planet side,” Cody informed him tartly. “I’ve got the schematics of this place loaded.”
“Commander, we’re just here to be representatives of the Republic,” Obi-Wan reminded him gently. “This isn’t a battle.”
“As you say, sir,” Cody agreed. “Is that why the information you sent me didn’t include the layout of the conference building?”
“Master Koon and Commander Wolffe are in charge of security,” Obi-Wan told him serenely. “Along with Anakin and the 501st.”
“And you wonder why I wanted a schematic of the building,” Cody said dryly. Obi-Wan had to laugh.
…………………………
It was several days before he remembered the disc. Well, technically he had been reminded of it, rather forcefully when the cleaning droid brought it to him.
“I have enough to do without returning belongings that should not have been in clothing supposedly ready for cleaning,” LC-13 informed him coolly.
“Of course. I assure you I will endeavor not to make that mistake again,” Obi-Wan said hastily.
“I have heard that too many times,” LC-13 retorted. It turned its whole body around so that it could roll back the way it came, pushing the laundry cart in front it. Obi-Wan was sure it had been carting it behind when it caught him outside of his office. Well, he didn’t pretend to understand droids. He left that sort of thing to Anakin and others more inclined to it.
He pondered the disc as he sat down at his desk. It involved a fellow Jedi, one not directly under his command as a General, but under his guidance as a Jedi. Not that he worried about Aayla, especially if Cody’s brothers found the whole thing amusing enough to use as a gag gift. No, she was a sensible person and a skilled Jedi. Plus, she had seemed amused by the idea. On a whim, he popped the disc into his computer.
The video shows Aayla walking through a forest, her skin making it difficult to see her in the intermittent shadows. Commander Bly is walking to her left, slightly behind her. His bucket makes it unclear if he is staring at the ground or her behind.
“They say Jedi can disappear,” Bly said.
“We can sometimes avoid detection,” Aayla said mildly. “But we do not turn invisible.”
“Can you make other people disappear?” Blye asked boldly. “Because I can’t see anyone else when you’re around.”
“Is your helmet malfunctioning?” Aayla inquired, concerned. She stopped to examine him closely. “Perhaps you should head back.”
“No, sir,” Bly answered, shoulders slumped. “I don’t need to head back.”
“We can’t afford to have your vision impaired, commander,” Aayla said seriously. “It could prove hazardous to everyone.”
Obi-Wan paused the video just as it cut off. He curled his hand in front of his mouth and fought the urge to giggle. More than once he had seen a similar scene on Coruscant, usually in a bar, but on one memorable occasion at a clinic in the lower levels. Aayla was still obviously in fine form. Perhaps he could pass this on to Ahsoka as a guide for handling unwanted attention. He’d have to view the whole thing before he risked that, so he pressed play again.
They’re walking on an open plateau this time. Same positions for Aayla and Bly, but the video is from the other side, getting a better look at Bly. The sun is shining, glinting off of the commander’s freshly buffed armor.
“Did you feel that?” Bly asked suddenly.
“Feel what?” Aayla asked, looking around.
“It felt like the ground moved,” Bly said as he drifted closer. In a lower tone he continued, “Either that was an groundquake, or you just rocked my world?”
“I’m not detecting anything,” Aayla replied solemnly. She turned to the person filming. “Galle, did you notice anything?”
“Not from the ground, sir,” Galle responded crisply. “Lot of hot air blowing around, though, making strange noises.”
Turned away from Commander Bly, Aayla let her lips twitch slightly. “I see. Thank you for that observation.”
“Any time, general,” Galle said cheerfully. He zoomed in on the sign that Bly sent him.
Oh dear. He knew most battle signs, but that was a new one. Obi-Wan wondered idly if he could get Cody to explain it to him. He looked up at a knock, unsurprised that Cody entered with mugs in both hands. The next time they were on Coruscant he really must convince his commander to be tested for Force sensitivity. Cody was developing an uncanny knack for showing up whenever Obi-Wan thought of him.
“Briefing at 1700,” Cody said to his questioning look.
“Is that the time?” Obi-Wan asked in consternation. “I’m sorry, Commander, I lost track of time.”
“Working?” Cody asked curiously. He came around to hand Obi-Wan his mug instead of leaning over the desk. His lips twitched as he studied the scene Obi-Wan had paused on. “Not working, I see. Decided to take a look, sir?”
“Well, you did offer,” Obi-Wan replied sheepishly. “And I had thought to show it to Ahsoka, if the scenes prove to be a good example of how to handle such situations. But after seeing that sign, I’m not so sure.”
Cody studied it critically. “We could get Tech to edit the video of everything like that.”
“What exactly is that sign?” Obi-Wan asked, studying it.
“It’s probably best you not know, sir,” Cody replied crisply. That tone meant he wasn’t going to be persuaded. Not right now, anyway.
“Well, that’s a problem for later,” Obi-Wan said with a sigh. He shut off the video and pulled up the map of their current destination. “Now, about these deposits of iron.”
…………………………
Cody finished his report and stretched. Obi-Wan watched him out of the corner of his eye. He was moving more easily than he had before. Apparently sitting in one place for three hours did count as some form of rest, even if you were doing paperwork. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to have done him as much good. He tried to hide his stiffness and sighed when he caught Cody watching him.
“We have a faster metabolism,” Cody announced suddenly. “So we recover faster.”
“Kind of you not to point out the obvious reason,” Obi-Wan replied tiredly.
“That it’s part of our design?” Cody asked dryly.
Obi-Wan flushed and ducked his head. “I was actually thinking about the age difference.”
“I know,” Cody said quietly. His gaze softened. “You didn’t have the lines around your eyes you get when you’re thinking about it.”
Obi-Wan managed not to wince, but it was a near thing. Which was worse, he mused silently. That he was so obvious, or that Cody could tell by the lines around his eyes? Were they really so prominent now? He set the thought aside. Jedi had no time for vanity.
“Sir?” Cody started to reach out, but balled his hand into a fist and let it rest on the desk.
“It’s nothing,” Obi-Wan assured him. “I’m just tired and overdue for some meditation.”
Cody studied him for a long moment. Belatedly, Obi-Wan realized he hadn’t asked him not to call him sir. The other man was sure to see it as a sign that Obi-Wan needed to rest, and he was right. But the work wasn’t finished yet.
“Have you made up your mind yet?” Cody asked, de-railing Obi-Wan’s thoughts. At Obi-Wan’s confusion he nodded to the monitor. “About that disc?”
“I haven’t finished watching it,” Obi-Wan confessed, grateful for the out. “I only started it earlier on a whim.”
“How far did you get?” Cody asked.
“Let me check,” Obi-Wan murmured. While he bent to the task, he saw from the corner of his eye his commander discreetly take the last data pad. He let it go without comment, feeling both relieved and annoyed at himself for that. Cody had already done his share and more. “I’ve only seen two.”
“The last three are pretty entertaining,” Cody remarked idly as he started work.
“I’m sure they are,” Obi-Wan agreed distractedly as he turned back to his own report. He finished double-checking in silence, then signed off on it. “I can finish that up.”
“Why don’t you play the video?” Cody suggested, not looking up.
“Do you want to watch it again?” Obi-wan asked, surprised.
Cody shrugged as he marked something. “This is only going to take a few minutes,” he pointed out. “Might as well have some background entertainment.”
“As you say,” Obi-Wan replied, not fighting his fond smile. He started the video.
Commander Bly trails Aayla by only a step and a half through the quiet streets. Most of the inhabitants must be inside, because only a few stragglers can be seen lurking down shadowed alleys or ducking behind corners. All of the buildings look the same at street level, medium gray-blue stone with the occasional door, all of them dark brown. Aayla’s skin color makes her stand out like a patch of sky in an overcast day.
“This place is a warren,” Bly announces.
“It is not that bad,” Aayla assures him calmly.
“I think we’ve passed that Abednedo twice,” Bly responds.
“We have,” Aayla agrees serenely. She paused to look over her shoulder at him, head tilted playfully.
“Do you have a map, sir?” Bly asks suddenly.
“I don’t need one,” Aayla answers confidently.
“I do,” Bly informs her, stepping closer. “I can’t find my way out of your eyes.”
“Well, can you at least go somewhere else to be lost?” a crotchety voice demands. The view swivels up to a second story balcony, where an older Aleena, short arms folded over its thick torso and a sour expression on the flat face. “Between you and the droids, I can’t hear the argument from downstairs. It’s the most action I get any more, so I don’t want to miss it.”
“We would be pleased to move on, if you could point us in the direction of those droids,” Aayla says earnestly.
“They only argue for half an hour,” the Aleena snaps irritably. “I’m already missing it.”
“Just point the way,” Aayla responds encouragingly.
“Oh, alright, just be gone,” the Aleena gripes, pointing to the right of the cameraman. The figure peers down at Aayla. “I hope you’re not following that one. With eyesight that bad you’ll never get anywhere.”
“It does seem that way,” Aayla agrees, amusement coloring her tone.
“I don’t believe we’ve encountered any Aleena’s ourselves,” Obi-Wan mused as he studied the figure. He couldn’t fight the smile that pulled at his lips. “I hadn’t thought they retired to other planets, but apparently some must.”
“Retire?” Cody asked sardonically.
“Well, they are a warrior species,” Obi-Wan explained. “From the planet Aleen. I can think of no other reason for an Aleena to make a life so far from home.”
“So when it said action, it meant fighting?” Cody asked.
“Probably?” Obi-Wan offered hesitantly. “I don’t actually know enough about Aleena to feel confident on a guess. Maybe arguments are part of their mating rituals.”
“Makes sense,” Cody said with a shrug. “I know a few vod who only get revved up after sparring or a fight. And plenty of arguments get settled that way.”
There are so many questions he wants to ask, but that is a line he probably shouldn’t cross. Just because he is fascinated by the way their culture is developing so rapidly, that doesn’t mean he has the right to ask intrusive questions. Encourage, don’t dissect. Obi-Wan has repeated it often enough it’s become a mantra for these conversations.
“Sir?” Cody eyed him.
“My apologies, commander,” Obi-Wan replied, fighting a sigh. They’d gone almost five whole minutes without a ‘sir’. “I lost my train of thought.”
Cody eyed him speculatively now. Obi-Wan felt warmth in his ears and floundered for a moment, unsure how to address the issue. His commander’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully and Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “Shall we watch these last two?” he asked in a surprisingly normal voice.
“Might as well,” Cody said with a shrug. “We’ll be meeting with the 501st in a few days. I want to have Tech clean it up for Ahsoka before then.”
“Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan asked, then recalled their last conversation about the disc. “Yes, right. It will be interesting to see her reaction to it.” He turned the video on again.
Aayla perches on a waist-high boulder, meditating, a bandage wrapped around her waist. Her squad is fanned out around her, in perfect defensive positions. Commander Bly hovers only a few inches away, slowly shifting around from one side of the boulder to the other.
“I do not sense any further combatants,” Aayla announces quietly, keeping her eyes closed. “We should be undisturbed until our transport comes.”
“ETA ten minutes,” Bly says. “I’ve got Bonecutter on standby.”
“I do not need further medical attention,” Aayla chided him gently.
“Standard procedure,” Bly tells her crisply. “All personnel must be checked out after a battle, every time. No exceptions.”
“You’ve already tended to it,” Aayla reminds him, finally opening her eyes. They’re narrowed slightly in annoyance.
“A medic needs to see it,” Bly replies. “Don’t worry, sir, I’ll be with you.”
“Were you injured?” Aayla asks, concerned.
“No, sir, just need a check-up for my eyes,” Bly assures her cheerfully. He shifts so that leaning close on her left side. “I can’t seem to take them off of you.”
“Oh?” Aayla asks softly. “That’s a shame. You’ll miss a truly interesting show.”
Bly hesitates, but the lure proves too much for him. He pulls away and turns around. The camera cuts from him to a pair of troopers, one of whom dramatically throws his hand to his visor and lets his knees buckle while the other catches him. They’re snickering so hard they fold together on the ground, clearly paying no attention to their advancing commander.
Obi-Wan smiled fondly. He’d often found the younger vod’e reminded him of initiates in those last few years before they became padawans or joined one of the Corps. They played around and teased each other in a similar manner, walking that thin line between ‘harmless fun’ and ‘vicious’. Or stumbling over it, as the case may be.
“So, it is a Jedi thing,” Cody commented wryly. He was still looking at the data pad, but Obi-Wan was suddenly sure he was also being observed.
“What is?” Obi-Wan asked innocently.
“Very funny, sir,” Cody replied, actually meeting his gaze for a moment. He flicked his glance at the monitor. “One more to go.”
Obediently, Obi-Wan pressed play again.
They’re in a commissary, probably on the Liberty. Bly and Aayla are in the center of the view, two tables away, just the two of them. Only a handful of vod’e are around, none of them within two tables of the pair. Both are finished with their meals, the remnants piled to the side.
“It has been some time since we made it back to Corsucant,” Aayla comments softly, idly swirling her mug.
“Yes, sir,” Bly says casually. “Have you got any plans?”
“Oh, there are a few things I need to look up,” Aayla answers with a shrug. “And some people I need to catch up with. The usual. You?”
“I have some plans I’d like to work on,” Bly replies carefully.
“Oh?” Aayla asks with interest. “Short term or long term?”
“Hopefully both,” Bly tells her, glancing away. The camera swings away for a moment.
“What kind of short term plans?” Aayla asks almost coyly as the view returns to them.
“Well, I need to figure out where I’ll be spending my free time,” Bly says. The camera swings back to show him looking sly. “Coruscant is big enough to get lost in.”
“I see.” Aayla is almost perfectly serene, except for the twinkle in her eyes. “And the long term plans?”
“I plan to find a place on Coruscant to settle down,” Bly admits softly. “There’s someone I’d like to be with, you know.”
“Well, I hope they don’t like travelling, if you plan to stay in one place,” Aayla says sweetly. “If they’re anything like me, they’ll be off world more than they’re on it.” She rose and took the pile of dishes in one hand, her mug in the other, and left her commander looking grim.
Obi-Wan shakes his head in admiration. “She is very clever, isn’t she?”
“Sir?” Cody asked.
“She answered the question he didn’t ask by pointing out the major flaw in his plan,” Obi-Wan replied. “He’s getting ahead of himself and wherever they might be in their relationship by making assumptions about the future and what she might want from it. At the same time, she told him what he really wanted to know.”
“Which was?” Cody asked, looking at him.
“She acknowledged that he had shown himself willing to put effort into their relationship, but Aayla is planning on staying in the Order,” Obi-Wan explained. “She plans to keep going on missions, serving the Force and the Order, and has no desire to settle down. If he truly wants a relationship with her, he’ll have to accept that.” He chuckled as he leaned back. “Quinlan will be so proud.”
“So they can have a relationship?” Cody asked mildly. He kept on working, expression as serene as his Force signature.
“Relationships are not forbidden, no matter what Anakin and others try to pretend,” Obi-Wan told him carefully. “But there are guidelines that must be followed and above all, serving the Force and the Order is expected to come first. If you can’t do that and be in a relationship, you’ll have to choose one or the other. Walking that line is less easy than it may sound, and too difficult for most, especially younger Knights, but it can be done.”
“What about the regs?” Cody asked. “She is his general and he her commander.”
“That’s mostly a subject for the military,” Obi-Wan reminded him. “The Order would have no problem with the relationship so long as it doesn’t interfere with her duties in any way, but it’s true that as they are now the conflict of interest in the military might be seen as such. We do realize different people, and couples, have different needs and we try to be accommodating to a point, but we haven’t been in this situation for so long we don’t have a clear reference for what is or isn’t acceptable. None of us can imagine taking advantage of someone, but the implicit power imbalance makes a relationship between them about as problematic as Anakin and Senator Amidala.” He shook his head. “Actually, even more so in a way because they work so closely together and can have a direct effect on the safety and welfare of each other.”
“That’s good to know,” Cody said as he handed the data pad over. “It’s ready for your signature.”
“Thank you,” Obi-Wan murmured, stifling irrational disappointment. Cody had only been curious for Bly’s sake, after all. Obi-Wan hadn’t expected anything else, so there was nothing to be disappointed by. He ejected the disk and offered it back. “Well, it looks like there was only the one sign, unless I missed something?”
“It shouldn’t take Tech long to get it ready.” Cody took the disk and his own pile of data pads and stood. “Good night, General.”
“Good night, Cody,” Obi-Wan replied quietly. He organized his data pads and placed them back in his desk. It only took a moment to tidy up and then he pulled out his second meditation mat, the one he kept hidden in the office. Some meditation would help him let this strange melancholy go.