Chapter Text
“Obi-wan!”
The Jedi’s spirits were ever so slightly lifted by the sound of that familiar voice as its owner jogged up to meet him.
Cody offered him an armored forearm, helping Obi-wan slide from atop the dewback onto the sand below.
A mess of grief, uncertainty, and fatigue swirled about in Obi-wan’s battered mind and body. As if to punctuate this, Obi-wan’s knees concluded at that moment that standing was no longer a viable strategy, causing him to stumble before all but collapsing against Cody’s breastplate.
The clone caught him easily, eyes already darting across Obi-wan’s form for signs of injury as he spoke. “Whoa there, cyare…you’re gonna be okay… what’s wrong, talk to me…”
“Just— tired, I suppose,” Obi-wan replied.
Cody’s brow furrowed in concern. “How far out in the desert did you go, Obi-wan? And anyways, didn’t you plan to camp out at least one night? I helped you pack all the supplies…”
He glanced at the reptilian steed his Jedi rode in on, concluding, “that appear to still be with you and intact.”
Obi-wan nodded. “I did, multiple nights, in fact… “
Cody whistled. “You?”
Obi-wan kicked him in the shin as best he could manage in his condition. “Commander Cody, you know full well I’ve gotten significantly better about taking care of myself as of late.”
Cody kissed the top of the Jedi’s head. “You have and I’m very proud.”
“Anyways… the call, in the Force, the one that lead me to venture out in the first place… was clearer out there, surrounded by nothing but the living Force and my connection with it.”
“And what did it say, cyare?” Cody asked, cocking his head with the same expression of sincere interest he wore whenever his partner talked about what the Prime would’ve called ‘Jedi nonsense.’
“Wait,” Obi-wan replied simply. “That something was happening, something that had the potential to change the course of many things… and that the Force demanded I be there, to… play my part in it.”
Tears pricked at the corners of Obi-wan’s eyes. Cody wrapped his arms more securely around his Jedi.
“Obi-wan… it’s alright. I’m here.”
Obi-wan allowed himself the temporary solace of the sun-warmed plastoid against his cheek for one last moment before pulling back to properly face Cody.
“It was Maul, Cody,” Obi-wan blurted out.
Every one of the clone’s protective instincts flared at that name. But he held them back. To call Obi-wan’s feelings about the man that murdered his master complicated would be the greatest understatement since the Jedi had described Kamino as ‘rainy.’
“Are you hurt, General?” The words came out calm, calm enough to be somehow more unsettling than the snarl that was curling impatiently in his throat.
“No. No, I’m alright. Physically, at least.”
“Obi-wan…”
“It’s fine, Cody, he was— no match for me.” Obi-wan made a largely unconvincing attempt at a cocky grin. “He’s…”
“Dead. For real this time,” his former commander finished. His eyes widened as the truth of it settled over them both. It was what he had hoped for, but… it didn’t seem real.
Obi-wan just nodded.
“How… do you feel?”
“Awful, really.” He shifted in Cody’s arms, as if he felt unworthy to be there in the first place. The clone squeezed his shoulders comfortingly in response.
He carefully preened through his Jedi’s hair, beard, and uppermost robes, assessing every inch of him for signs of injury. Obi-wan let him, well aware that the ‘are you okay’ was more of a formality for the people Cody decided to protect.
Kenobi had noticed similar behavior with members of the 212th and even Rex during their joint operations. When asked, Cody had flatly said he knew how little he could immediately do for a trooper’s mental strain, so it eased his mind to check on their physical condition, regardless of the faith he had in the G.A.R. medics.
Obi-wan exhaled, taking comfort in Cody’s familiar concern.
“I should be relieved— that he’s gone— o-or maybe just that he’s finally at rest, but…”
“Hey. There’s no right or wrong way to feel, cyare.
He couldn’t fully suppress his triumphant smirk. “Besides… I believe I’m feeling relief enough for the two of us.”
Obi-wan smiled faintly. “Is that so?”
Cody kissed the top of Obi-wan’s head. “Quite. But that is a topic for another time.”
There was a suggestive undertone to the clone’s words Obi-wan was certain he’d want to follow up on at a later date, but for now, Cody was right. Another time.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep just yet, love,” Obi-wan murmured, his current state of exhaustion making that fact unfortunate. “Could we talk inside for a while?”
Cody smiled, warm as the twin sunrise that had slowly but surely continued behind them. “Of course. Want me to carry you, cyare?”
“Cody, you don’t—“
“It isn’t a matter of have to, love, as much as how significantly you’re leaning on me is bringing that into question— do you want me to?”
Obi-wan opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately seemed to decide against it. “Yes… your help would be appreciated, Cody.”
Gently as he could manage, Cody collected the Jedi and his layers of robes into his arms, heading towards the house before hesitating just a moment to shoot a warning glare at the untethered dewback.
The large reptile did not seem fazed in the slightest, but neither did it seem in a rush to go anywhere. Cody came to the conclusion that the beast would likely stay put long enough for him to settle Obi-wan and come back to tie it up, and even if it didn’t, it couldn’t get far anyways.
Satisfied, he turned and ducked inside their home, Obi-wan chuckling softly to himself at the stern look Cody had given the dewback.