Chapter Text
Cody is a man of few words. Oh he can talk just fine but he keeps his true thoughts to himself. The Kaminoans made them with a very clear purpose, to fight. That's all they're good for, or so they're told. No one cares what they say, and even less what they think. They aren't supposed to dream and yet, Cody is a dreamer. He can’t help it. When the day is done, Cadet Cody lay awake, mind drifting from place to place. Ideas, questions, and fantasies floating through his mind until sleep finally claimed him. But Cody is also a good soldier, a great soldier. He learns that dreams have no place in war. He owes it to his brothers to do his best. So, he keeps is head in the present and tries not to get distracted.
Cody works hard; he's the best in his batch. He takes his duty seriously and fights with everything in him to keep his brothers safe. There isn’t a time or place for dreams, so he pushes them aside. He becomes the best of the CCs. Good enough to be made Marshal Commander of the Third Systems Army, and the 7th Sky Corps. After Geonosis, He receives his assignment to the 212th Attack Battalion under the leadership of General Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Cody stands tall in his immaculate armor in front of Ghost company. His hands rest behind his back in a perfect parade rest. Cody takes a steading breath as the ship carrying their new General lands in the hangar.
“Attention!” Cody calls out. He hears the sound of a resounding SNAP as his brothers move to salute. A man in jetti robes approaches. He is about Cody’s height with ginger hair and a beard to match. He smiles kindly at Cody and his men.
“At ease,” he says. As they move to obey the command, Kenobi walks to stand in front of Cody. Cody tucks his helmet under his arm to greet him face to face. “Hello there. I am Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’m assuming you are my commander?”
“Yes sir. Marshal Commander CC-2224 at your service, sir.” Cody responds briskly.
“Pleasure to meet you Commander. Do you have a name I might call you by? If it's not too personal of course,” General Kenobi asks hesitatingly. Cody hesitates in turn.
He did not expect this. Names were only ever shared amongst the vode because they were taught that no one else wanted them. Cody can practically feel the shared surprise from the men standing behind him. Cody shouldn’t really indulge this. It feels too much like one of his dreams. But no, the feeling of the General’s intense stare grounds him. He is here, this is reality. Well, it seems the Jedi are dreamers too.
“Cody.” He says finally. “My name is Cody.”
His General smiles.
The war is brutal, of course it is. Already, Cody watches too many brothers march away. Every battle feels the same yet distinctly different. They visit new planets, new environments, and new people. These places provide endless reasons to keep fighting but they also cause Cody to wonder. What might it be like to be a mechanic on Coruscant, a farmer on Tawl, or a resistance fighter on Ry’loth?
Cody tries to push the pointless thoughts away but once again, he struggles to sleep at night, his mind too full. It seems he isn’t the only one.
When he loses his battle to sleep, Cody wanders. It’s strategic as much as it is cathartic. He learns the ins and outs of The Negotiator better than anyone. One night, a month or so into the war, Cody wanders into one of the training rooms and finds General Kenobi. His lightsaber is drawn as he moves through a series of moves fluidly.
Kenobi hasn’t seen him yet, so Cody watches entranced. After being assigned to Kenobi, Cody did his research. Turns out Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the best duelists in the order. He even defeated the first Sith to appear in 1,000 years when he was no more than a Shiny. Not that Kenobi would ever admit it. The man is loyal and humble to a fault. General Kenobi quickly gained Cody’s respect. He always fights side by side with his men and protects them valiantly. He shows by action more than word that the vode are important. Valuable, at least to him.
They are developing a strong working relationship. Kenobi's wit and sarcasm is slowly wearing down Cody’s mask of professionalism. Cody tries to keep his thoughts to himself as usual, but the karking jetti has ears of a hawk. He laughs triumphantly whenever he catches some of Cody’s own sarcastic mutterings. Cody thinks that maybe he doesn’t need to hide them as much. Kenobi’s laughter is a good sound he decides.
“Oh! Hello Commander,” Cody shakes himself from his thoughts. Kenobi has shut off his lightsaber and is looking at Cody expectantly. He blushes slightly at being caught staring.
“Sir.” He responds stiffly.
“No need for that off-duty,” Kenobi says, waving a hand at him.
“Yes, sir.” Cody receives a playful glare for that. Cody smirks in return.
“What are you doing up and about? You’re not on shift are you?”
“No sir. I just- … couldn’t sleep is all.” Cody stutters. He’s never explained his… difficulties to anyone. And he doesn’t plan to.
Kenobi gives him a look of understanding. “Nightmares?” He asks gently.
Cody shakes his head. He does get nightmares from time to time, they all do. But usually he is too bone-deep exhausted. He almost wants to say yes to shut down the line of conversation, but he has never been a dishonest man.
“No, not exactly.” Cody says instead.
Kenobi’s brow furrows slightly. Cody knows he won't push but he also won’t let it go. Kenobi, Cody has witnessed, has a habit of trying to solve everyone else’s problems. Often quite successfully too. Cody sighs.
“I just can’t seem to get my mind to shut off. That's all,” Cody admits.
Kenobi hums to himself. He crosses his arms and strokes his beard in thought, just as he always does when facing a strategic problem. Cody can’t help the amusement that bubbles up in him at the sight. He mentally insures his shields are in place, he doesn’t want to seem disrespectful.
“I used to struggle with that myself.” Kenobi admits. “Is it a common occurrence?”
Cody shrugs, “Common enough.”
He nods to himself, seeming to understand. “I always found a good book helpful. Or even a bit of poetry.”
“Sir?” Cody asks, confused at the shift in conversation.
“To help you sleep,” Kenobi explains. “Reading lets me focus on something other than my thoughts. And it is far more enjoyable,” He laughs.
Cody mulls over the idea. He isn’t against it, and it would probably help. Only, “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
Kenobi’s smile dims a bit. “No. I suppose you’ve never had many options for literature.” Kenobi quickly sheds his morose and smiles at Cody brightly. “But that's nothing that can’t be fixed now.”
Cody tenses a bit. He recognizes that determined glint in his eyes. “Sir?”
“I’ll send you a list of the classics, as well as some of my favorites. You can start to figure out what you like. I’ll ask Anakin for some ideas too.”
“That's really not necessary sir!” Cody says quickly, trying to put a stop to this.
“I don’t mind Cody! Honestly, it's a tragedy you and your brothers haven’t been more exposed to such things.”
“But sir, it's not your responsibility-”
“You are my responsibility.” Kenobi interrupts seriously. “Not just on the battlefield but off of it as well.” He sighs and shakes his head. “Too much has been asked of you and your brothers. None of you ever had a choice in any of it. It isn’t right…” He trails off but holds Cody’s gaze firmly. Cody almost feels trapped by it. “You were created for war and have never known any differently. But if I can, in any small way, expose you to the beauties of life, I will.”
He speaks with finality as Kenobi sometimes does, and Cody knows there's no changing his mind. “Alright. Thank you, sir.”
Kenobi smiles kindly, “I hope it will help.”
“Do you think it will?”
He shrugs, “Everyone is different. You don’t know until you try. Although if reading doesn’t help, journaling might.”
“Journaling, sir?”
“Yes. Sometimes even a book couldn’t drag me out of my head. Instead, I’d put the thoughts elsewhere. I think it helped me work through them.”
That seemed to make sense to Cody. “I’ll try.”
“No time like the present. Come, I’ll walk you back to your quarters. Can’t have a sleep deprived Marshal Commander on our hands.”
Cody chuckles softly at that. They walk back in comfortable silence. A thought nags at Cody. Something the general said earlier in their conversation. As they near Cody’s door, it dawns on him.
“Sir, may I ask you a question?”
“Always, Commander.”
“Earlier you said you used to struggle with my same problem. Do you not anymore?”
Kenobi thinks for a moment before responding, “Not necessarily. I just have far more pressing matters.”
Cody doesn’t think that's much of an answer but they’ve reached his door. Kenobi gives him a final nod, “I hope sleep finds you Commander.” With that, General Kenobi walks away leaving Cody to his thoughts. At this point, he really is quite tired. Maybe he’ll finally be able to drift off.
As Cody closes his eyes, he realizes a few things. General Kenobi never told him why he was up. He skillfully avoided the topic. Which is fine, his General is entitled to his privacy. Cody just assumed Kenobi was also on his way to sleep. But actually, the general wasn’t walking towards his quarters, he was walking towards the bridge.