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Oh, blast! Cody hated this planet. Sometimes he wondered how many of these planets he would actually have liked, had it not been for the horrible experiences he'd had on most of them. This one was probably one of those. Nothing about the environment or the planet itself was particularly bad. But he knew he could never set a foot on it again without having to think about the shiny that just died in his arms, the pained cries of his brothers writhing in pain on the ground, who he had to leave behind to die, and the frantic calls on his comm cutting off before they were finished.
The 212th was pinned down, the men dying around them. Their situation was dire. Really dire. In a sense of There's-no-chance-we'll-make-it-out-alive dire.
Cody was still there, barking orders and hoarding his remaining brothers from cover to cover. By now, he was running on his training alone, his years of experience taking over, preventing his mind from shutting down and his body from giving in to the all-consuming exhaustion that had long settled deep in his bones.
The standard procedure for a last stand was to call all the remaining troops together. And even though Obi Wan was supposed to lead the fight somewhere else, when Cody comms him to order him and Ghost Company back, he complied without any discussion.
Then, suddenly, his general was at his side, covering behind a rock, and Cody felt some weird kind of relief wash over him. He is glad that if he dies now, he will die at Obi Wan's side.
When he looked into his stormy blue eyes, he saw them burning with the battle fire, which was well known to Cody by now. The pain, the exhaustion, and yet the unbroken will, the refusal to give up, the need to protect. When he looks at Obi Wan's beautiful snarl, his auburn hair falling into his face, his naturally soft features cut sharp in the humming blue shine of his lightsaber, and the small strain of blood running from his nose, he realized he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Hadn't expected it any other way.
Yet he feels a stingy ache in his heart because he couldn't finish his job. Wouldn't be able to protect his brothers anymore. Wouldn't be there to make sure Obi Wan made it through this bloody war. Wouldn't get to see the smile on his face when it ended. He imagined it would be beautiful, so much brighter, so much more free, so much happier.
"I'm going to make a run for the canons", his general interrupted his thoughts. Cody started to protest, realized his voice modulator had been broken, and took off his helmet. He shook his head: "I had two squads try that earlier, they have ray-shields, mines, Spider-Droid guards and the new FT 302bs, not to mention the 3000 B1s and B2s between us and them."
He doesn't mention that none of the squad made it back. Their situation makes it pretty clear.
Obi Wan peeled over the rock, but quickly took cover again when a canon blast hit it full force.
He looked back at Cody. "I can make it."
Cody's heart ached. He shook his head. "It's too risky!"
"Not more risky than staying here, doing nothing!" Obi Wan shouted, his point emphasized by a blast that caused a bone-shattering explosion only meters away from them.
When the dust settled again, Obi Wan turned back to Cody, the fire somehow shining even more vibrantly in his eyes. "Status?" He asked. Cody didn't answer immediately. He knew grief always made Obi Wan weaker, more uncoordinated. And he needed all his strength right now.
"Status, Cody!" Obi Wan snapped, but there was more pleading in his voice than ordering.
"Ghost Company is down to 4 squads. We've lost contact with the rest."
He watched Obi Wan squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He knew the pain that was cursing through him right now because it was his own.
When the Jedi opened his eyes again, they were full of sheer determination.
"I will not stand by as they die. I can make it. You know." Now it was Cody's turn to squeeze his eyes shut and take a deep breath.
"I know." And he did. He knew his General would not idly stand by and watch his brothers die. That was why he loved him so much.
The feelings he tried not to think about, and was yet painfully aware of all the time, flooded through him with such intensity that he couldn't resist them any longer. Yes, he loved this man. With all his insanities, his weaknesses and his oh so big, much too big heart.
Cody leaned over, grabbed Obi-Wan's neck, and pulled him down to kiss him.
His general stared at him, rendered speechless. Cody smiled apologetically: "Wasn't going to die without doing that."
Obi Wan didn't answer. He just pulled Cody towards him and kissed him back even harder before he let go and met his eyes with nothing but understanding, love, and a silent promise in them.
Cody smiled and pressed their foreheads together. "May the force be with you," he whispered. He knew if anyone could pull off such an insane maneuver, it was Obi Wan.
So, even though it broke his heart, he let him go. Even though it meant he would die here alone and not at Obi Wan's side like he would have wanted to. Even though he knew it meant he would probably never see him again. That he would die, painfully unaware of what would happen to his beloved.
He took a moment to look at the beautiful man in front of him, to take him in, and to feel the by now familiar, all-consuming love rush through him. Then he made his peace.
Obi Wan swallowed and nodded silently. For a moment, they stayed like this, neither of them wanting to part. Eventually, they did anyway. The war wasn't stopping for them.
Cody put his helmet back on and readied his blaster.
"Go. We'll buy you as much time as we can."