Chapter Text
‘Sometimes leaving without goodbyes and explanation is the only option available.’
“You know what makes us different from the battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices and we have to live with them too.”
The final words spoken to his friend, Crosshair. While trying to make the sniper understand the simple truth of the consequences of the actions of the clones, and others, serving the Empire.
The look on the sniper’s face just then? The myriad of the emotions visible there, only detectable for someone familiar to him.
Cody could only hope he had broken through those barriers the other man had setup.
The rigid soldier of the Empire Crosshair had painted himself to have become as. Still a shock to see for Cody. But had he not been in the exact same position himself, just a few moments ago? Just before…
Well, having seen how other clones had simply left. Disappearing into the shadows when no one was looking? And the reasons behind it all? Good soldiers refusing to follow orders?
Cody himself having done just that on Desix? Refused a direct order? To kill? Because there was a no reason to?
And then, Crosshair had delivered the kill shot.
Why? Was all Cody could ask.
Sure, there might have been some good reason behind it. Other than simply following the order? There had to be, right?
The once member of the Bad Batch, the squad Cody had been quite fond of. All of them. Considering them his friends even.
But this very moment, it wasn’t about Crosshair though. Nor the other clones, those having gone nor those still serving the Empire.
This, was only about Cody. His thoughts, his mind, the very essence of his being. Telling him, it was wrong to stay serving a regime which did nothing to better the galaxy and those living in it.
And so, with a heavy heart, Cody, had reached a conclusion.
He, would leave.
Go AWOL like so many others before him.
Whatever that meant for Cody in the future, near or far, well, that remained to be seen. As the only thing he knew right now, was that staying, was not an option.
And so, in the midst of the darkest hours of the rotation, Cody picked up his meagre belongings and headed towards the hangar.
Stealing a ship was easy enough, picking up a small size shuttle while the guards weren’t looking.
Because the recruits never did look. This was something Cody, as a clone had learned long ago. The fact that the maintenance workers serving the Empire only did their bare minimum, nothing more, nothing less.
Cody still had his access as he was, after all a Commander of the Empire. Nobody, at least, that was his hope, suspected anything like this to happen, not from a decorated soldier. For him to shift allegiances.
Feeling bold and rather good about his very decision, Cody made his way in the shadows of the silent hangar bay, heading towards the pre-chosen ship.
As suspected, the two guards on duty, were sleeping at their post, making it all the easier for Cody to escape. As that was this was, an escape. More so, than Cody feeling it to be desertion, nor betrayal.
Because in his mind, after a lot of hard thinking, the Empire was the one doing the betraying. The Empire, was the real traitor in this picture. Not him or others servicing the regime.
The voice of Crosshair, the comment he had made about the other vod’e having left though. About them being traitors, like the Jedi… Well, Cody now knew that Crosshair had been wrong in his assessment.
And so, with that in mind Cody threaded through the silent space, past the guard station and into the farthest corner of the hangar where the decommissioned shuttle craft were at. And there, was the pick of the litter, the one vessel which would lead Cody the Sith out of Coruscant.