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Cody pulled up the line and looked back towards where Waxer was squabbling with Boil over the crab traps they’d laid earlier that morning. A few rather grumpy crabs had been caught because their youngest brother, Wooley, only sixteen years old, had helped set the traps, most of them had malfunctioned or not gone very well, leaving them with a poor haul of crabs for the day. That was why they were out this time. They didn’t usually come out onto the waters at this time of day. The Savage brother’s company was usually out at this time too, which made it difficult to fish without altercations. It looked like today they were in luck. The brothers were probably out of town or out sick. Either way, Cody wasn’t sticking around to find out. They needed to fill the quota for fish to catch today, or they might not be able to eat next week.

The afternoon was going so slowly and Cody soon began to fear that they wouldn’t catch enough fish. They only seemed to be catching smaller saltwater fish, not the larger ones that would feed the family and keep them warm. Cody could tell that Crys was worried by the way his younger brother steered their large fishing boat to the new fishing grounds. Hopefully, this new area would get the larger fish they desperately needed.. 

Crys signaled to Cody that they were slowing down, and Cody turned to Boil and Waxer. “Get ready on the net! We’re about to catch some real fish!” He called out, hoping that it would get them moving. Longshot from the other side of the boat started to prep the nets that would cover the other side in case the fish decided that side would be the lucky one. Cody moved over to ensure the cinch that would haul the catch up was secure, and Waxer did the same as Boil threw the net overboard.

 “And now we wait.” Longshot grinned at Cody and moved over to check their already existing catch. Wooley was watching the already caught fish while he looked on, a perturbed expression spread across his face. Watching the fish was something of a tedious endeavor, and he really was just trying to learn how to set a crab trap properly, and it wasn’t going well. Wooley huffed and shoved the trap away, looking at Cody with a stressed look. 

“I’m not cut out for the fisherman’s life, Cody. I can’t seem to get this right!” Wooley cried out, looking close to tears, frustrated and upset that he wasn’t even helpful when he went fishing with his brothers. Cody sank down next to Wooley on the deck, not sure what to say just yet, so letting his presence be a comfort and just being there. It took a few more minutes for his mind to get what he wanted to say to the forefront. 

“It’s not an easy life. But you’re trying, Wool. That’s got to be worth something.” Cody pointed out, looking sideways at his younger brother. “Can I show you how I learned to set a crab trap?” He asked, smiling softly when Wooley slowly perked up. 

They spent the next twenty minutes slowly working on the crab traps and finally finishing them up so that Wooley now knew how to do them right. Wooley followed Cody, and they started to help Longshot reel in the catch. It wasn’t huge, but it definitely wasn’t scarce, and Cody’s fear started to relax a bit. The boat suddenly tilted oddly to the side, prompting a startled cry from Boil as he nearly got pulled over by the net he and Waxer had started to reel up. The boat tilted again and Crys’ panic was written on his face, even through the cabin’s window in the helm.

Cody moved over and started to crank the handle to get the catch up. “It’s a big one!” That brought Longshot over as well, and they began to haul up the catch, the winch screeching horribly as it attempted to draw up all the way. The waves sloshed against the side of the boat, and Cody adjusted his yellow slicker, looking at the controls and silently pleading for them to work. The other nets were drawn in, and Wooley started helping sort. Finally, the winch started to work again, and Cody motioned everyone to move back. 

That’s when he saw him. The tail came first, long and poking out the top of the net, other fish flopping around helplessly next to the gigantic fish and then a distinctly human torso. Long, lanky arms and what looked like freckles. Some scars, a human face, and a mop of ginger hair on top.
Cody cried out in shock and clung to the controls for the winch. The mer…merman?! That was a merman in the flesh. 

Link to Reaalikaasu's Ao3 post!

“Hello there.” 

IT SPOKE. Cody fell backwards, shock painted across his face, and Boil stared up at the giant fish-man with an open mouth, looking something like a fish himself before he spoke.
“That’s uh…that’s not a fish.” 

“It spoke,” Wooley said dumbly, and Waxer nudged their youngest to keep silent. The merman shifted in the net, looking perturbed and slightly annoyed. 
“Yes, I speak. Now, I would greatly appreciate it if I could be put back into the water? I don’t necessarily enjoy being out of it and stuck with a bunch of fish.” The man spoke, his accent crisp and proper. Not the type of thing anyone would expect from this coast or a fish-man. Cody had a death grip on the controls and Boil moved closer to whisper, “Should we…should we listen to it?”

Cody’s eyes met the merman’s, and the merman smiled warmly. “That would be much appreciated,” the mermen spoke again, and Cody nearly fainted. He shook himself a bit and turned to look at Boil. “I think…I think that might be best.” The merman wiggled around a little bit again. 

“If it helps, just lower the net so I can get out the top. Then your catch won’t get away.” He instructed, seemingly absolutely calm at the fact that the fishermen on the boat had just caught him and a bunch of his…brethren? 

Cody nodded again. “Okay, I uh…sorry?” He started to lower the net, his brothers moving to the edge of the boat to peer in after the merman in stunned silence. 

“Oh, and my sincerest apologies as well, fishers. Please don’t…don’t tell anyone?” The merman pleaded, smiling brightly at Cody, and then his…its? Ginger-topped head disappeared beneath the waves, and the weight on the side of the boat vanished, the boat evened out, only the waves rocked the boat now. 

“Did…did that just happen?” Cody asked, reeling the catch back in and noting that there were a few more fish than before, flopping around helplessly like they’d been tossed in. Wooley nodded dumbly, and the rest of the brothers turned to look at Cody. “We’re telling someone about this, right?” Waxer asked. Cody swallowed and then looked back into the water. “No, no, we’re not. None of you tell anyone. Not a word. Swear it.” 

The shocked brothers looked back at their eldest and then sighed. “Fine, we swear.” 

The rest of the fishing expedition went without any sort of hitches in the plans and the Fett boys eventually pulled the boat into the harbor, all thinking that they might’ve had a simultaneous bout of hallucination. 
Putting the catches into the barrels was the easiest part of the day, and they all went about their ways. Odd things happened on the seas, and most of the time it was never talked about. They didn’t talk about them for a reason, and Cody wasn’t about to endanger his brothers for something that wasn’t even supposed to exist. That merman, as gorgeous as he had been, would have to be fine with being a child’s tale. A fairytale of caution, meant only for the seas.

A couple of months passed, and the Fett brothers were again out on the seas, trying to make ends meet. And that meant facing a storm out on the open ocean where they were trying to fish.

Wooley looked up at Cody, face wet from the splash of the waves coming over the rails. “We won’t make it back to the bay fast enough!” He yelled over the howling of the wind, and Cody nodded grimly. “I know! Bunker down and hang onto something. We’ve got to ride this one out!” 

A massive wave crested up and Waxer swore as it bore down on the crew. It slammed into the boat and tilted it, almost tipping it over. “Brace yourselves!” Cody shouted over the roar of the wave, clinging to the netting he’d snagged on as the wave crashed into the boat. 

Lightning crashed, illuminating another wave and ice-cold fear crashed into Cody. The wave was twice the size of the first one and the boat couldn't handle that wave. 

He was right, unfortunately. The salty water slammed into him so hard that he lost his grip on the net, hearing Wooley cry out in both pain and fear and terror gripped Cody. He was tossed into the waves and trying hard not to swallow seawater as he breached the surface, his limbs already becoming heavy with the effort of keeping above the water. 

Then he heard something. A weak cry for help, and choking... Wooley!! Cody swam towards the sound of his brother struggling just as the lightning flashed again, showing the wreck of the overturned boat and Waxer helping Boil into a life raft. Crys had made it into the life raft and was keeping steady in the storm. But Wooley wasn’t there. 

Cody swam for his little brother, the waves beating against his body and forcing him farther underneath the waves. He coughed up sea water and looked back at the life raft, another flash couldn’t quite show what was happening, and he wanted to scream for Wooley. 

He turned back, and he couldn’t see Wooley anymore. Cody cried out in fear, flailing in the water, the chill seeping through his heavy, waterproof gear.
He saw something brush past him, Wooley in its arms, and he weakly reached out, trying to cry out again as the waves dragged him under. 

Cody started to lose consciousness when he saw it; its tail flared out beautifully and brilliantly under the water. The touch spread warmth through him, and Cody’s head broke the surface, letting him cough in the fresh air. He was next to the life raft, and Waxer and Boil hauled him up into the raft. He looked back, but there was no merman in the water. Just the darkness and the sloshing waves threatened to toss the family into the ocean depths. 

“You good?” Waxer asked, and Cody answered by spitting up ocean water and nodding. He was shaken; they all were. But they’d all lived. They were all alive.

Wooley was too out of it to remember what had happened, but every time Cody sneezed during the cold they’d all caught, all he could see was that ginger head, saving him and Wooley. Why? Why had the merman come back? It just didn’t make sense. 

Two weeks later, they were on board an older fishing vessel. It was still seaworthy but creaked like hell and stank like rotten fish. But it was a boat, and it had large vats filled with water for carrying live fish. It’d been coming in handy since the fresh fish were selling incredibly well whenever they went back to port. Cody had an inkling that it wasn’t really the very fresh fish making profit but the community hearing about the near-miss. 

Regardless, they needed the money, and it was a good, honest trade, so Cody said nothing. 

Cody helped throw the net over the side and then helped Wooley with his. They’d been trying to scrub the deck clean to rid the smell, but it didn’t seem to help. Wooley seemed nervous to go to the edges, so Cody stood near the side to guide the net, only to stare at what was in the net. A heavily bleeding, ginger-haired merman. 

“Wooley, slow on the line. Into the empty live vat!” Cody called out, getting Wooley to lower the net enough to pull fish out from under the merman until only one or two flopped. The clearly unconscious mer was carefully dumped into the empty vat.

Wooley came over, along with Waxer and Boil stared down at the merman, who almost seemed to glow in the darkness.  
“So…he’s bleeding.” Boil said quietly, and Cody nodded. 
“Someone get me the medkit.”

The merman chose that moment to speak. “Make sure it’s biodegradable.” 
Cody twitched, and Waxer let out a soft scream. Waxer flailed into Boil and the two moved away from the vat, staring at it suspiciously, and Cody just stared down at the merman. 

“Hello there.” the merman said and Cody couldn’t help the blush that spread across his cheeks. 

“Hi, you’re looking a little worse for wear,” Cody said softly, leaning on the edge of the vat and leaning in to look at the gingerly floating merman. 

“Yes. Not doing too great, it would seem, but I knew I could trust you.” 
That was a lot of trust in humans and Cody blinked. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Wooley returned with the medkit.  

The merman smiled brightly up at Cody’s younger brother, who quickly handed Cody the medkit before retreating with Waxer and Boil, leaving Cody alone with the merman.

“I can stitch you up if you’d like. And yes, I think they’re biodegradable.” Cody said, shifting to look through the medkit. The merman floated more closely to the surface, gingerly holding the gash on his side. 

“Is it water-soluble?” A fair question, given the ginger-haired mer was a creature that lived solely in the water. 

“I don’t think so?” Cody checked the labeling on the case and shook his head. “Not water-soluble.” 

“Good, that’s quite the relief.” The mer said, flashing a charming smile at Cody. Cody had to turn away briefly and hummed softly as he prepped the stitching and the antibacterial salve. He hoped it wouldn’t just wash away in the salt water, but after being dumped in a fish vat, the mer would need it. 

“I’m terribly sorry to intrude, but what is your name?” The mer asked, and Cody paused, almost stabbing himself with the needle at the out-of-the-blue question. 

“What? Oh…my name is Cody.” Cody smiled a bit and turned back to prepping the needle. “Sorry if this hurts. I don’t exactly have any topographical anesthetic on board.” Cody sighed, and the mer chuckled softly. 

“That’s quite alright, Cody. I’m glad that you and your brothers are okay after your ship capsized. I was worried.” 

Cody looked back up in shock and stared at the mer. “It was you,” Cody said quietly, setting the medkit to the side for the moment and reaching over the vat to draw the mer closer. “You saved Wooley and I.” Cody said, near breathless as the mer floated effortlessly closer. 

“I did, Cody.” The mer smiled again, and one of his hands came out of the water to gently trace Cody’s jaw. Cody steeled himself, almost throwing himself backwards, but managed not to. His jaw tingled, and the moisture gathered on it after the mer’s hand left. 

“Oh! Forgive me. I have been rather rude.” The mer didn’t float away, still keeping a hand pressed to his side. “I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance. And thank you for letting me free when we first met.” 

Cody stared at the mer–Obi-Wan– who apparently had manners? Who knew. “You…well…uh…” Great, Cody. Get yourself together. “It’s nice to meet you. Will you stop making me blush and let me stitch your gashes?” Cody asked and then blushed brilliantly as Obi-Wan laughed merrily. 

“Yes, Cody. Though I do have to say, I didn’t intend to make you blush, I rather like that look. It’s adorable and something I love about humans.” Obi-Wan said, his hand coming up to trace over Cody’s cheek, and Cody moved away this time, huffing slightly and trying to calm the pounding of his heart. 

Cody groaned a little as Obi-Wan laughed again, and Wooley snickered where he’d hidden with Waxer and Boil. Of course, they were watching. 

Obi-Wan gently gripped Cody’s hand. “Alright, sew me up, Cody. I trust you.” The mer said, and Cody almost screamed. This was the start of some cheesy romance-fantasy story, wasn’t it. Cody carefully spent the next bit stitching Obi-Wan up and smiled. 

“Okay, there you are. Just relax, and we’ll take care of you.” Cody promised, and Crys started to steer them back towards the docks. It only took about thirty minutes, and then Waxer was calling their medic brother. He got a good kick out of medical shit, so they’d taken to calling him Kix. He arrived quickly, and was rather confused when he saw all the fishing Fett boys safe and alive. 

“What’s wrong? Who’s hurt?” He asked, starting to pat Cody down insistently and then Wooley next. 

“We’re not hurt, Kix,” Cody reassured, and Kix glared at Waxer, still patting Wooley down to figure out through the thick coats they all wore if their baby brother was hurt or not. 

“Then why the hell am I out here?” Kix grumped. Before Cody could respond, a voice carried over the sound of the waves against the boat. 

“Oh, that would be my fault. Sincerest apologies, Kix, was it? I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi.” The ginger-headed merman had his arms resting over the side of the vat, smiling a little bit but clearly banged up, even more so now that Cody could get a better look at the mer.

“Oh hells, what is that?!” Kix exclaimed, and Boil rolled his eyes. “A merman, obviously. And he’s hurt. Can you help?” 

Kix sighed and moved over to the vat. “Sure I can. Wow…you look like you got shredded.” He frowned, plunging his hand into the water and motioning for Obi-Wan’s tail. 

“Well, yes. I kind of did get shredded. Those two brothers? The Opress…hm, the Dathomirian brothers. They’ve got something severe against mers. They knew we existed too, and apparently, they used to eat us.” Obi-Wan explained. 

Kix and Cody both stared at the ginger-haired mer. “That is not anything we like to hear,” Kix muttered but set about getting all of the equipment ready. 

It didn't take long to get the mer fixed up and healing better than Cody's patch job.

“There you are, Obi-Wan,” Kix said and stepped away, leaving the mer to smile brightly and gratefully up at Kix. 

“Thank you. I am indebted to you and your brothers.” Obi-Wan said, and the way the words rolled off his tongue had Cody’s skin tingling. 

Kix smiled again and shook his head. “Nonsense. This is my job; I’m glad my di’kut of a brother actually remembered to call me.” He said gently, nudging Cody with a good-natured weight behind the motion. Cody, for his part, turned away with a slight blush. He was notorious for trying to just power through heat exhaustion and other weather-related injuries. 

“You know I would never pander with another’s life, Kix.” Cody huffed, leaving his medic brother to shake his fondly. Obi-Wan watched the two with curious, bright eyes but seemed to accept that Cody was no threat and that Kix was genuine about being there to help. 

“Be careful with those stitches now,” Kix said, leaving Cody to rest against the edge of the tank and Obi to smile with angelic innocence.

“Again, you have my gratitude, Kix,” Obi-Wan said smoothly as both he and Cody watched the medic move over to the other Fett brothers and check them over. 
Cody turned back and almost startled. Obi-Wan was staring at him with intrigue. “So, Cody? What is it like…fishing? I’ve only really interacted with the Dathomir Brothers up close once, and you’ve saved me twice now.” 

They talked long and late, discussing things such as mer culture and traditions and that of a fisherman. How they got up often before the sun was even on the edge of the horizon. And Obi-Wan talked about the mers great exodus out into the deeper edges of the ocean. Obi-Wan wasn’t technically supposed to be out here, but he was scouting and working out how to coexist with humans. And…Cody couldn’t help but feel he almost had the secret. Right at their fingertips.

It was a few days before Obi-Wan’s stitches had healed enough for Obi-Wan to safely return to the ocean and his people, of which he’d told Cody probably more than was safe. And that, for some reason, had Cody absolutely enchanted with the creature, the man and legend from the ocean. 

He’d learned that Obi-Wan was one of an entire clan of mers called Jedi, or Jetti in Cody’s heritage language and that had Cody excited. There were more! And Obi-Wan said that perhaps one day he would bring his younger brother and his little sister to see the Fett boys. 
“After all,” Obi-Wan said one day as Cody was helping the mer clean his stitches and wounds, smiling as the thread had started to dissolve, “I trust you and your brothers. I want my family to meet the man who saved my life.” 

Cody flushed bright red at that and ducked his head a little. “I would be honored to meet your family, Obi-Wan.” He said softly, smiling a little bit at how much that meant. It was amazing to think that this mer trusted him, and he would do anything to keep that trust. 

Cody blushed a little as Obi-Wan popped up on the edge of the tank they’d been keeping clean for the mer. “Hello Cody, good morning!” The mer said brightly; his face was flushed a bit which Cody personally attributed to being so close to the surface of the water that the sun’s UV rays were actually affecting the merman now. 

“Good morning, Obi-Wan. Today is a big day. We’re headed out to those coordinates you gave us and lowering you into the water. You’ve healed enough that Kix said you’ll be okay to do strenuous swimming again!” Cody announced and forced a smile as the sadness he’d felt was coming since getting to know and appreciate the ginger mer. 

Obi-Wan, perceptive as he was, seemed to notice. “That is good news, Cody. Though, I will be sad to leave you…and your brothers.” The last bit was an afterthought, but Obi-Wan’s smile was genuine and soft as it was wide. Crys flashed a signal down, and Cody sighed. It was time. 

“Alright, here’s the net; just go ahead and swim in it; you should be able to get out once it’s under the water,” Cody explained and gripped Obi-Wan’s hand for a moment as the mer nodded, growing more solemn and sober. 

“Thank you, Cody. You’re a good man. I mean that.” Obi-Wan said, sincerity ringing in his tone and his grip firm, as though he didn’t want to actually let go of this moment. Wooley moved over, signaling the end of the moment and Cody let go of Obi-Wan’s hand. 

There wasn’t much time between when Obi-Wan seated himself in the net and when Cody started to operate the lift, watching with a kind of achy feeling in his chest as the mer disappeared into the water, the weight coming out of the net and then only for a ginger head to pop up in the water a few feet away, waving at them and then disappearing. 

“He was cool,” Wooley said with a soft smile, moving closer to nudge Cody’s arm. Cody shook himself out of his reverie and chuckled at his little brother’s forwardness. “Yeah, Wool, he was pretty…cool…” He corrected himself, hoping the blush on his darkened cheeks wouldn’t be too noticeable. 

Life for the Fett brothers went on. It wasn’t anything new, and Cody’s focus slowly returned from the young mer he’d become rather obsessed with back to the family business. Even then, he’d be caught staring off at the ocean, hoping to see a faint glimpse of ginger hair in the water, and it never came. Perhaps Obi-Wan had moved on with his life and stopped straying into fishing nets or rescuing fish. 

Unfortunately for the Fett brothers, this peace didn’t seem to last. The Dathomir Brothers’ had caught wind of their kindness to the merman, or why else had they suddenly come into the waters that the Fett brothers had mostly been unbothered in for decades. 

Cody heard about it once from Trapper when talking about the crab traps and how he’d seen a new boat in the bay. At first it didn't seem to be anything to be super concerned about. New fishers always tried the waters a few times, and it never worked out since the Fett’s knew the best spots and kept their business secrets well…secret. The Dathomir Brothers’ were persistent though, and items started going missing, harassing the other fishers of the Fett’s fleet. 

Cody was irritated with it, and knew his clan of brothers were also irritated with it. Still, they didn’t provoke the Dathomir Brother’s illegal trades or their unconventional methods. 

And then it happened. A confrontation that couldn’t be avoided. 
Cody was reeling in a nice catch of fish, making sure the machinery was doing what it needed to. He blinked upwards as the heavily tattooed man jeered at him from the boat entirely too close to the Fett’s prize fleet ship now that it had been rescued and repaired. The Kote was a good ship, and it seemed the man across from him thought so as well. 

“Nice catch, boy.” This one seemed somewhat scrawnier, meaner and angry. The other man stood behind this one; both seemed to have pretty heavy tattoos, some blackout, some scrawling words and anger seemed to spark in their entire visage. Cody blinked at them and smiled a little politely. 

“Why, thank you. Took a bit to catch,” Cody said, making sure he was speaking over the water, the machinery and the flopping of the fish. 

“I’m sure.” One said, the one Cody surmised was the elder brother Maul. The brains of the operation the two had going on. 

“You’ll hand it over if you don’t want your pretty ship all scratched up.” The lumbering giant glowered at Cody, a genuine threat, as the Dathomirian Brothers’ ship drifted closer to the Kote. Cody scowled slightly. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I could get you banned from this bay.” Cody warned, glaring at the man. Wooley was on the other side of the deck and didn’t seem to notice what was going on, and Waxer was with Boil, checking that the fish were secured properly. It felt like this was planned on the Dathomiarian Brother’s part. 

“You would try. Though, I suppose a little bit of incentive wouldn’t hurt. You seem to have a thing for redheads, Fett.” Maul snarled, and Cody felt his blood run cold. How did they know about Obi-Wan?

“That’s right…the fish man. Kenobi.” Savage, the younger of the two scum, growled from where he’d shifted the ship closer, almost touching now. Far too close for Cody’s comfort. 

“Back off you two. Or I’ll end up getting authorities involved. And do not speak of that which you don’t know.” Cody warned, eyes hard and sharp cold. At that point, Waxer and Boil had noticed the altercation and started to make their way over, motioning for Wooley to stay back. 

“What’s going on here?” Waxer called out, only for Savage to step over the gap and get in his face. “None of your business. What, can your older brother not stand up for himself?” Savage mocked, a harsh grin spreading across his face, showing a mouth full of unkept and rotting teeth.

Waxer’s face was twisted in discontent and disgust; Boil stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder with his twin. Cody jumped as Maul gripped his arm, laughing at him. 

“Oh, you don’t get it boys. We run these waters now. You’ll learn pretty fast that talking back to me? Is a fast way to get thrown overboard,” Maul glared, and Cody had been so focused on Savage getting in Waxer’s face that he didn’t have time to accurately react. 

Maul’s weight pressed against him and as close as he was to the boat's edge, it didn’t take much. A foot behind his leg, a well-placed shove and a startled cry from Cody as he was pushed overboard. He heard in the seconds before he hit the water, outraged cries and a terrified “CODY!” from Wooley before his head struck something, and the current washed him away from the boats. He fought for a moment, and the waves dragged him deeper, dashing him against some of the rocks, smashing his head a second time against the rock and scraping the side of his face. He lost all knowledge of time, starting to lose air and oxygen as his body floated but did not rise. 

Obi-Wan had known that those two mer-killing squid-faced awful men were now targeting the Fett boys, but he hadn’t realized how aggressive they’d become. It prevented him from being able to return to meet the boys again, and he dared not bring Anakin and Ahsoka into the bay with such a dangerous foe nearby. Anakin had already lost his arm to a mer-hunting trap, and Obi-Wan was not going to risk Ahsoka to the same fate. 

So, when he’d finally convinced himself that today was calmer since the Dathomirian brothers didn’t seem to be patrolling the entrance to the bay and none of their goons were, he’d decided it was safe to try and find the Fett’s ship and warn them. He knew when he saw the boat that he was too late. 

The scuffle on board was bad. There was blood, Boil was held by the throat by Maul’s buffer younger brother, and Wooley was leaning over the side of the boat crying in a panic, while Longshot and Waxer dealt with Maul and Savage. The Dathomirian’s Brothers’ boat was entirely too close and dread filled Obi-Wan, right down to the tips of his brilliant tail when he heard what Wooley was saying. 

“No!! Cody!! Cody, please!” He seemed to be searching for something…or someone…where was, oh no. 

There were tales and stories of Maul being brutal, almost like a pirate that had once been enchanted by the same mers that still roamed the seas. And now he’d tossed Cody over into a turbulent and angry sea. Obi-Wan wasted no time, diving underneath the waves and tasting the ocean water through his gills. He could taste the blood, and a sense of urgency filled Obi-Wan as he followed the trail.

Obi-Wan stared in shock and fear when he finally saw the man he owed his life to. There were nasty gashes all over Cody’s body and a bad looking one to the head. He swam faster, already realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get Cody to the surface before Cody’s body started to suffer the effects of the lack of oxygen. 

It was a split second-decision, and he knew, listening as Cody’s body fought for air, and only got water that it was the only way. He shifted to Cody, angling himself just right and pressed his lips to Cody’s brow, praying to the ocean Forces around him that he would have enough energy and power in his body to do it. 

A hand to Cody’s chest, seeking out the dwindling life force and then both hands gently against Cody’s face, and where the water had seeped into the man’s mouth, tilting Cody’s head a little, and then it was all Obi-Wan could do to focus on pushing the magical energy into Cody. 

A brilliant glow traveled through the man, just under his skin, through each pore.Cody’s lower half morphed into that of a tail, a mer’s tail designed to help them traverse the ocean with speed and agility. Gills formed, and Cody started to breathe, his body adapting. Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief and brought Cody to his chest, kissing Cody’s brow as the other floated aimlessly, only kept from going into the underwater current by Obi-Wan’s perseverance. 

“I have you now. You’ll be okay. It was…it was the only way.” Obi-Wan rationalized and made for the shoreline, Cody tucked close to his chest protectively against the waves. 

Getting Cody back onto the bank was much more difficult than Obi-Wan had expected, and it brought him some frustration as he realized there were rocks and sand all along the way and in the way that made the deadweight, recently turned mer Cody difficult to carry and to navigate the choppy waters. 

He persevered through, garnering several new scratches and bruises for his efforts, gently depositing Cody on the sands and squirming his way back into the ocean, watching from afar as Cody’s brilliant tail vanished and left the man in the tattered remains of his clothing, mouth slightly open and curly hair slowly drying with sand sticking to his body and wet clothes. It was…the best Obi-Wan could do. And he knew that. So with a heavy heart, he turned and swam back into the ocean. 

It was several hours until the Fett brother’s found Cody on the beach. Wooley saw him first and started running, too breathless to cry out or to tell his brothers that he could see Cody. 

“Wait! Wooley, stop!” Waxer ran after Wooley, only to choke on his cries as he saw Cody’s limp body. Wooley skidded to a stop next to Cody and carefully lifted Cody’s head into his lap, looking at the gashes and the head wound, Waxer only seconds behind him, checking for a pulse. 
 "Oh, thank the gods, he's alive!" Waxer gasped, checking Cody's body for bruises and cuts and looking for internal injuries or broken bones. He came up miraculously short, except for Cody’s somewhat shallow breathing.
Cody stirred faintly, turning on his side with Boil helping and started to cough up seawater roughly. 

After a moment, Cody rasped weakly. “H-how…everyone okay?” He reached up to brush his hand against the bruise on Wooley’s face from the skirmish with a twisted expression, and Wooley let out a tiny sob, gathering Cody close. 

“We’re fine, we’re okay, Cody.” 

Healing from the ordeal took a little bit. And the next couple of weeks had Cody alternating between random sicknesses to being okay to finally being able to get back out there and work. 

Cody’s brothers still wouldn’t let him do any heavy work. Still wouldn’t let him go out on a boat, so he was stuck on the docks, sorting fish and selling them like what Wooley had usually handled. It was a good thing their youngest was getting to learn these things. 

The Dathomirian Brother’s were too much of an opponent to take on in any sort of legal form, so while Cody’s family had been all for pressing charges, they simply didn’t have the evidence or backing to do it properly. 

It was late afternoon when Cody first started to notice things were different. He was the only one working the docks, which meant he had to wade out to get the crab traps. He’d not touched the ocean in a while, and while part of him longed to be back on the sea, he knew it wasn’t a great idea. So he’d listened and now waded into the water to grab the crabs. 

That’s when he noticed the change. His body shifted, and he felt the adaptation to being able to breathe on both land and water. Confusion filtered through him…right up until he looked down.

He’d drifted into deeper water, and where his legs and pants had once been was now a tail. A fucking tail. Kind of like the one that Obi-Wan had. 

Cody gave a startled shout and flailed back, but the action had him falling into the water, slipping off the small ledge into the deeper water, propelled by the tail and panicking because he was under the water but…but he was breathing?! Panic welled up inside of Cody, and he struggled not to hyperventilate, thoroughly confused as to how this could have even happened and not sure what to do with himself, swimming back towards the surface and breaking it. He couldn’t understand why it felt so natural but…wrong at the same time. 

He floundered onto the deck, pulling his tail out of the water only for it to slowly shift back into two humanoid legs. “Wh..what the fuck.” He rasped out, feeling along his now soaking waders. He hadn’t just hallucinated that now, had he? He shook his head and stood, going back to pulling the crabs out next the dock, avoiding the water slightly with growing paranoia. 

He didn’t tell anyone, afraid that if he did, he would be judged for being some sort of monster. Some hybrid freak. Eventually, he was allowed to go back to fishing on the boat with his brothers. Still he avoided getting too submerged in water. Just splashed seemed to be fine, but fully submerged, even in a bath, would have his legs turning from the two individual limbs into one unit of a tail. 

Gorgeous as it looked, it was also scary, and Cody couldn’t help but be terrified of what it meant. The day was nice and sunny, a breeze chasing away the heat of the summer and the fish were all eager to hop in the nets. When the boat tipped to the side suspiciously, Cody was already moving towards the controls. 

The load of fish came up, and in it was the lower half of a fish and the upper half of a man with a bright mop of ginger hair and freckles. Obi-Wan. 

“Cody! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I was so worried!” Obi-Wan shuffled upright in the net, and Cody had to stop the machine for a moment to just stare. Obi-Wan had been looking for him? That was…different, though it might prove to be useful given Cody’s current predicament. 

“I…you came looking for me?” Cody asked, shaking himself out of his thoughts and directing the controls to bring Obi-Wan’s body to the deck, hurrying to help the mer out of the net, trying not to blush as Obi-Wan smiled brightly at him. 

He swallowed nervously and sat down next to the mer, conscious of the water on the deck now. He sighed a little bit, trying to figure out where to start only for Obi-Wan to grasp both of his hands, worried blue eyes peering up at Cody.

“I need to apologize. I have a feeling you found out about the…changes…and well, it’s my fault. You were drowning, and the magic we Jedi have lets us…do things like this, and I didn’t think that you might not want it, and I just acted, and you’re alive, but…” Obi-Wan spouted worriedly, hands gripping Cody’s more tightly and almost desperately.

Cody gave Obi-Wan a soft smile, finally able to get a word in edgewise. “Obi…Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan, breathe. It’s okay. You saved my life. I don’t…I don’t understand all that’s happened, but you saved me.” Cody explained, gently prying a hand free to reach out and place against Obi-Wan’s cheek. The mer instantly leaned into it, the line of tension that was the mer’s body slowly relaxed, and he gave Cody a soft smile. 

“I…sorry. I didn’t think this through before I came aboard, but I’m glad I did. I’ll explain everything.” Obi-Wan promised, and for the first time since meeting the mer, something eased in Cody’s chest, and he could breathe enough to nod.

Obi-Wan started to quietly tell Cody all about what a mer could expect, and Wooley came over to listen, not being aware that Obi-Wan was telling them this simply for Cody’s sake. It got to the point that Obi-Wan glanced over at Wooley and then back at Cody and sighed. 

“You’re going to need to tell them all about this,” Obi-Wan said cryptically, causing Cody’s shoulders to dip slightly. 

“I know. I know I need to tell them, but I don’t know how.” Cody said almost hopelessly, only for Obi-Wan to reach out and gripped his hand. 

“You can do it, Cody. For…for now, would you like me to show you how to be a mer? If you can get away, we’ll do swims and stuff.” Obi-Wan offered. It was enough to get Cody to calm down, and he smiled. 

“Alright, Obi-Wan. Let's get you back into the water, and I’ll meet you by the docks in two days?” Cody asked, smiling softly and unable to help the blush on his face. Hells, this mer was pretty.

It didn’t take long to get Obi-Wan back into the water, and a well-toned arm waved above the water as the mer swam away. Wooley came over to Cody and nudged him gently, a grin on his face. “What was that about?”

Cody could only shake his head. He wasn’t even sure how to tell Wooley what all that was about. Or to tell them about his changed state.

It was only a few days later that Cody found himself on the pier, waiting on Obi-Wan to show up to teach him how to use a tail to swim. To show him the life of a mer. He didn’t have to wait long as the mer soon popped out of the waves with a brilliant grin on his face. “Cody! You came!”

Cody grinned widely and moved to the water, sitting on the pier's edge
and dipping his toes into the water. “Yes, I came.” He reached out to gently help Obi-Wan sit on the edge of the pier as well. Obi-Wan’s tail draped into the water, and the mer seemed far too excited. Well…not too excited, but enough that it put Cody at ease. 

“I’m excited…I want to show you everything!” Obi-Wan exclaimed, gently taking Cody’s hand and squeezing it. Cody couldn’t help the blush that spread across his face, and he gently squeezed back. 

“I…I’m excited too. And sort of nervous.” He confessed, only to find himself enveloped in a half hug from Obi-Wan. It was a little wet, as was to be expected, but it had that same sort of gentle tingle and Cody couldn’t help but lean into it. Obi-Wan chuckled and slid off the pier. 

“Come on! You won’t do much just sitting there and only getting your toes wet!” Obi-Wan teased and promptly tugged Cody into the water. Cody came up spluttering and laughing, mer tail swishing gracefully to keep his head above water as the rest of his biology shifted.

“Hey now! That was uncalled for!” Cody protested, to which Obi-Wan only laughed and grabbed Cody’s hand again, dragging him under the water and pulling him along, trying to get him to swim. 

The more Obi-Wan swam along with Cody and led him along, the more confident he got. And soon enough, he was zipping alongside Obi-Wan with soft laughs as Obi-Wan taught him to launch out of the water. At one point, so deep into a chase of tag, Cody just reacted and ran onto the beach, laughing as he changed back and looked to where he expected Obi-Wan to be, only to be tackled into the sand by a very much human-looking Obi. 

“I have legs!” Obi-Wan cried, a brilliant grin on his face. He didn’t hesitate, and Cody wasn’t given time to think before Obi-Wan’s lips mashed with his, and a sharp buzz of pleasure and intense longing slammed into him, resulting in a moan and a frenzied push back against Obi-Wan’s kiss, frantic for more. Pulling Obi-Wan closer, and they lay panting in the sand. 

“Obi” The name slipped from Cody’s lips, Obi only responded with his lips smashing against Cody’s again, a soft and desperate whisper slipping free from the mer. “Cody”

A few breathless moments later and Cody tucked Obi-Wan close to him. Pressing a soft kiss to the ginger-haired man’s forehead and a soft sigh slipped out. “I…I love you, Obi-Wan.” So much. He really loved Obi-Wan, and it had taken him this long to figure it out. The thought had him blushing, and Obi-Wan giggled softly. “I love seeing your smile, Cody.” He whispered, leaning in close. 

The two spent most of the day in and out of the water, learning what the other could do, and Cody found some clothes for Obi-Wan. A small talk when they watched the sunset, and then Cody found himself holding Obi-Wan’s hand as they got to the hard part of the conversation. 

“So…do you want to…have a relationship?” Cody asked quietly, staring at where the water lapped at their toes. Obi-Wan’s toes wiggled every time the water touched them, and Cody found that endearing. Obi-Wan shifted to lean and rest his head against Cody’s arm. 

“I want to be with you. I…I want to take you to meet my family in Coruscantia. I want you to be a part of my life, Cody. But I know you have a life up here too. Wooley, and Boil…Waxer, Crys…your family. I want to meet them too.” Obi-Wan said quietly. 

They lapsed into silence for a moment, and then Obi-Wan chuckled. “I’ve got it. We’ll go between the two families. Sometimes we’ll both be mer, and I’ll show you our customs. I’ll never keep you there, but you'll be welcomed and loved. And then sometimes we’ll both be human, and then be with your family and fish and do all that!” Obi-Wan suggested, straightening up to look at Cody hopefully. Cody had to admit; that it was pretty well thought out. And it brought a smile to his face. 

“Alright…alright, yeah we can. Obi-Wan? Will you be my boyfriend? If…if we run into trouble, we can always work it out. I owe you so much, and I love you.” Cody said softly, smiling at Obi-Wan, watching the mer’s expression brighten with excitement and hope.

“I would love to! I…want to make this work. And I know we can.” Obi-Wan said brightly, shifting to press a kiss to Cody’s chin and jaw. The action had Cody gasping softly and leaning into it. 

“Alright, it’s settled then.” 

That night, Obi-Wan went back to the ocean, and Cody went back to his brothers and family, telling them he had a boyfriend…and telling them everything. Buir’Jango invited Obi-Wan for dinner in two nights time, and when the appointed time came, Cody met Obi-Wan on the docks with Wooley. 

It was a pleasant afternoon and didn’t take long to walk to the Fett household. Cody’s hand slipped inside of Obi-Wan’s and the two explained to Wooley how this had happened. 

“Well…you see, Jedi have special abilities, and when I realized Cody was going to die, I shared half of my own life force with him. Which…inadvertently turned me half human as well. I can shift between mer and human, and so can Cody,” Obi-Wan explained, leaving Cody grinning softly as he listened. Wooley stared in shock and amazement.

“That’s so cool! You should tell me more about Coruscantia! And the Jedi Temple!” Wooley bounced up and down, still young and so new to the world. 

The rest of the Fett family was waiting at the house, and upon introducing them all properly to Obi-Wan, the moment of truth came. Jango came out, leaning heavily on his cane and smiled softly at seeing Cody’s hand intertwined with Obi-Wan’s. 

“My son says he’s in love with you,” Jango said quietly, his gaze scrutinizing as he studied the young man before him. “I trust his judgement. Time will tell if I trust you.” That said, the disabled veteran father of the Fett clan turned back into the house. “Come on, dinner’s already set out.”

The Fett boys followed Jango into the house, settling down around the table and listened as the boys started to tell stories, all eager to get to know Obi-Wan and show Cody their support. After a bit, Obi-Wan was deeply intrigued in a story and Jango leaned over to talk to his eldest. 

“You love him?” Jango asked, watching Cody closely. His pride and glory, his eldest and the future of his clan. All of them were, but there were high expectations of the young man. He was about to exceed all of them. 

“Yes, Buir. I love him.” Cody said quietly, smiling over at Obi-Wan where the mer turned human was animatedly telling the Fett boys the time the mer had escaped from a giant eel fish in the depths of the ocean the likes of which none had ever seen before. It brought a smile to his face, and Jango chuckled. 

“He better treat you right or I’ll harpoon him myself. Oh, and the Dathomir Brother’s business was shut down. Permanently. Turns out they’d been laundering money.” Jango said, effectively steering the conversation away from relationships and back to the common ground the two shared. 
It didn’t take long for Cody and Obi-Wan to fall into a rhythm. They switched off where they were every month. Sometimes every week, depending on how bad the fishing business was or what troubles the two needed to face under the water. They were deeply involved in the other’s life, and Cody was something of a study in the Coruscantia Jedi’s sect. They were intrigued by how the magic had not only healed and saved Codybut bound Obi-Wan to him. It was deep magic, not dark, but old and…completely centered in a selfless love that reflected their relationship so well. 

Cody would do just about anything for Obi-Wan, and it was so apparent. So shockingly clear to everyone who met Cody that this was partially why Obi-Wan had chosen Cody over dozens of full mer suitors. No, Cody was chosen because he got Obi-Wan. The thrill of adventure, the need to help, the inability to sit by while there was injustice. All of it. 

They were a match made by the seas and the stars themselves, and when the day of their anniversary came, they spent the week beforehand on land, enjoying celebrations with the Fett family and deciding on the final things for the human wedding before descending into the ocean to celebrate the other things with the mers. It was going to be soon. Life hadn’t always gone as expected, but it was still going, and they were still in it together. That was as good an answer to any fisherman, turned full fishman, as any mer.

Spending only a few days under the water and in Coruscantia before they were back on land, on the pier…staring out at the rising sun while they waited for the ceremony to be readied. The Fett clan had been sworn to secrecy, and it was only the closest relatives who saw this ceremony. The one where man and mer were bound to each other for eternity, taking both sets of vows and following all customs. It was as it was meant to be. The two kissed just as the sun started to touch the water, bathing the scene in a golden light that sparked through Obi-Wan’s hair and beamed off of Cody’s well-toned skin. The waves splashed against the pier as though the ocean itself was cheering the union, hopeful for the future, bright as it was in the forefront of their minds and guiding as it helped the boats on the water make it closer to the docks. 

The mers may hide under the water, but stories still come and go. Mostly stories of Obi-Wan’s siblings, his dearest and most precious family. The Jedi under the water learned to use their skills to help more and more and Cody started to manage the economic impact on the oceans above. Finally, when Cody and Obi-Wan had decided they were ready to settle down, they came to the surface. The adoptions under the water would go smoother for a more long-term distance relationship, but then they were gifted with another thing. A mistake from another mer and human pairing that had gone hidden for several long years, but was very much a gift to the two of them. A mer that could turn human. A child that they would love and care for, that could follow them into both worlds, learn of both, and represent the unity of their cultures. And they called her Joy. Joy Gloria Fett-Kenobi. One could almost see the Kenobi in her, even though she had no blood relation, bright red hair showing the sun off, beautiful brown eyes that contrasted her hair but looked so much like Cody’s and the dashing bit of freckles and darker skin tone. A gift. 

Years passed, and retirement went a long way; their child grew and continued on with the next generation and Cody and Obi-Wan? They followed what had always been their dream. The one they’d lived with for ages now was made better by their ability to go to their own home on land and then also in the water. Spending months, even years at a time, in either world. They were whole, at last. They’d found their other half, and they would live out the rest of their days, hand in hand, hearts intertwined together just as their souls and life force were. One man’s kindness, and another mers hope. The mer who'd caught his heart.