Chapter Text
Cody rolls his eyes under the safety of his bucket as he stands as behind his general to try and head off Merrick before he absconds with the Duchess of Mandalore. Frankly, Cody could hardly care any less about whether Mandalore joins the war as an ally or an enemy. Kryze has ripped the teeth and fire from the people of Mandalore anyway, and while the beskar would be useful, he would hardly expect it to be of benefit to him. The only reason Mandalore joining the war would matter is that it will simply become another contested world for the Republic and the Separatists to fight over. It will become yet another world destined to be soaked with the blood of his brothers.
If Merrick would stop talking and get on with it, maybe Cody will not live long enough to have to witness the spread of the war.
As it is, Cody is simply being forced to witness Merrick's premature gloating, topped off with what he suspects is supposed to be a very romantic confession on the part of the duchess about how she had wanted to ask Kenobi to stay with her on Mandalore. For all she seems to be confessing to still holding tender feelings for the man who was once her protector and lover, Cody finds himself wondering how much she really cares when she has spent so much of this trip antagonising General Kenobi rather than listening to him. Surely when you care about a person you don't spend quite so much time arguing with them? Cody would never dream to call himself an expert on the matter, or even try to assert that he knows anything about relationships at all, but part of him suspects that he still knows more than Duchess Kryze does. His sum total experience of the more carnal side of his near human nature is limited to a scarce handful of encounters with other beings in hotel rooms or in a back alley behind 79's. He lost his taste for those some months ago when he realised that he was nothing more than a curiosity or another number to people who simply wanted to see how many clones they could sleep with.
Rex has tried to explain it to him, having been subjected to Commander Tano's somewhat questionable taste in holodramas (there was reference to an Elizabeth and a Darcy in there somewhere, Cody doesn't even attempt to pretend to understand that one), but even Skywalker had withdrawn from what should have been his place as Kenobi's back-up citing that even he couldn't enjoy the awkwardness anymore. Much as Skywalker is known for enjoying the times he finds chinks in Kenobi's very impressive personal armour, it would seem that this is too much even for him.
A rare occurrence.
Cody agrees that it is too much to tolerate with any sort of equanimity, but while Skywalker feels able to abuse the authority given to him as general in order to avoid the awkward arguments and charged silences, Cody feels that it is his duty to ensure that his general doesn't have to endure this alone. Someone has to be concerned about Kenobi's well being after all, whether that means his physical or mental well being is up for debate, and since Skywalker has absconded so that he can spend time with Rex and lie about not calling his secret wife, Cody has decided that the job should be his instead. No one argues with him about it, not even Kenobi. Which is how he's ended up with this front row seat into Kenobi's romantic drama. Perhaps he could have lived without that.
He could definitely have lived without knowing that Kenobi would have left the Jedi Order for Kryze, and he refuses to put any thought at all into the surge of jealousy that stabs him in the chest at the statement. Kenobi didn't leave, Cody has had the privilege of knowing him and serving with him. He will not say that he is in love with Kenobi, although that ridiculous quiz on the holonet seemed to think that was the case. After all, Cody has no idea what romantic love is supposed to be like. He just knows that he feels more intensely about Kenobi than he does about anyone else, more intensely than his training to serve the Jedi tells him he should feel anyway. Fox says he's an idiot. Bly commiserates with him when they can get a few hours together. Rex would just prefer Cody had left him in blissful ignorance rather than inflicting him with the curse of knowing.
Cody didn't need to know about Amidala and Skywalker, he figures Rex having to know that he has a thing for his general is justified revenge.
Merrick is, of course, entirely oblivious to the fact that Cody has any sort of thoughts or feelings on the matter of Kenobi's confession that he would have left the Jedi Order for Kryze. With luck, even Kenobi is too focused on the whole mess to pay any attention to Cody's rioting thoughts on the confession. Actually, Merrick has ignored Cody almost entirely since they rounded the corner. He adjusts the grip he has on his riffle, triggering the switch between a straight shot and stun. For his own part, he really couldn't care less if the idiot holding a bomb over their heads dies. A dead enemy is infinitely better than a live one who can come back to bite you in the future. He knows, however, that Kryze will want Merrick taken alive and Kenobi is hesitating enough about running the man through to show that he does actually care about Kryze's opinion of him. Cody doesn't care what Kryze thinks of him, he was created to do a job and he fully intends on doing it. He'll simply do this job with a little bit of deference to his general's judgement.
Being good at his job, Cody nudges his general mentally. This mostly consists of thinking his general's name very hard while trying to emote as much as possible. Kenobi twitches, but his fingers flicker on the hilt of his lightsaber enough to know that he has noticed Cody's attempts to alert him to a plan in motion. Cody figures this is as good as its going to get.
He shoots.
Merrick drops.
Kenobi grabs the remote with the Force.
And Kryze does an excellent impression of a landed fish for a moment.
Fortunately, she doesn't even attempt to decry Cody's use of violence to subdue Merrick. She'd probably be upset to learn that Cody would have preferred to deal with the situation with a great deal more violence than he has. Merrick put over two dozen people's lives at risk and has more than likely dragged his own world into the war. Cody wouldn't say that he would be happy about killing him for that, but it would certainly remove a future problem even if it won't solve everything. Kenobi has always been verbose about respecting local customs and norms wherever possible, however. So, instead, Cody summons some men to come and move Merrick to a more secure location (what type of transport doesn't have some sort of holding cell?) and tunes out Kenobi and Kryze's conversation in favour of sending others to dismantle the bomb which still threatens to kill them all if someone gets careless.
"You will forgive me, Duchess, for wanting someone that I know is trustworthy guarding you until we reach Coruscant!" Kenobi snaps and Cody tunes back in to the conversation.
"My people are trustworthy, Obi-Wan!" Kryze objects.
Cody scoffs under his bucket as Kenobi gestures to Merrick in obvious frustration.
"Clearly, you and I have very different ideas of what trustworthy looks like," he snaps back.
"Think about the message it gives if I spend the next three days under the guard of a Republic soldier!" She objects. "It will tell my people that I can't trust them. No doubt many will assume that I have sided with the Republic in their war! I could have a Separatist army on my doorstep before I leave Coruscant!"
Cody can think of several contradictory messages that it might give depending on the assumptions made by others, but he is also of the opinion that it cannot be helped. Kenobi is right, they have no way of knowing just how far Merrick's rot spreads and their job is to get Kryze and the Republic senators to Coruscant in one piece. Cody would actually quite like to get himself there in one piece too. He may have been created to fight and die for the Republic, but he has no plans of dying any time soon.
"I am well aware that the optics are poor, Duchess," Kenobi says, obviously attempting to deescalate the situation. "But we have no idea if Merrick had other people onboard in agreement with him who might be willing to free him or attempt to eliminate you. Quite honestly, I am not willing to take the risk we will arrive on Coruscant with your corpse."
It is somewhat gratifying to hear his general put voice to Cody's own thoughts. Little wonder he's developed deeper feelings for the man than he should have.
"You aren't my protector anymore, Obi-Wan," Kryze points out.
"No," Cody cuts in. "I am."
Kryze turns on him in almost perplexed silence.
"Commander?" Kenobi's response is mild. "I am perfectly capable of protecting Duchess Kryze."
"Yes, Sir," Cody nods. "But you also have duties to the Republic senators to fulfil which I don't." Kenobi pulls a face but doesn't disagree. "And given the… history that you and Duchess Kryze share, I think it would be wiser if I were the one guarding her. My loyalty can't be questioned and ordinarily nor would yours. Unfortunately, on this occasion..."
"No, Commander, you have, as always, seen to heart of the matter," Kenobi sighs. "But you also have duties of your own to see to."
"I should be able to do that while guarding Duchess Kryze," Cody replies. "And Rex is aboard too, I'm sure he'd be happy to give me a hand if needed."
Actually, he suspects that Rex would tell him to shove the work somewhere rather delicate, but Cody is the best of the very best and Rex knows what's good for him. Kryze is spluttering her own objections, but they are entirely ignored by Cody. He knows that he's right and he has his general's backing. That's all he really needs. Kryze can be as difficult or aggressive about it as she chooses, there's nothing she can say to Cody to get under his skin. He doubts she has the imagination and her opinion of him means exactly nothing.
Less than nothing.
"With your permission, General, I'll escort Duchess Kryze to her quarters," Cody says as three of the men from the 501st appear and grab Merrick under the arms.
"Yes, thank you," Kenobi smiles at him, all warmth and gratitude. "I need to go and check up on Anakin and the senators. And I will ensure Rex comes to relieve you so that you can get some rest. You've had a long day as well, Cody."
"This?" Cody snorts. "This didn’t even classify as a workout."
"No," Kenobi chuckles. "I've seen your workouts, I very much doubt you even broke a sweat. Duchess," he turns to Kryze who seems about ready to get her voice back and start shouting. "I will leave you in Commander Cody's incredibly capable hands."
He presses a hand to Cody's shoulder as he passes, glancing back only once before continuing down the corridor, arm already lifted as he talks urgently into his comm. Cody already knows that he will be communicating with Skywalker, organising the clean up of the corridors and droid parts evacuated into space so that they cannot be used to cause more damage through remote bombs or anything similar. You never know what weird and terrible thing the Separatists are going to come up with after all.
"Duchess, if you would," Cody gestures.
The woman is annoying, but serving alongside General Kenobi has introduced Cody to all manner of annoying people, and has given him some insight into remaining calm and polite with them as well.
"You don't have to babysit me," she grumbles.
"Your safety and security will bring a great deal of peace of mind to everyone else aboard this ship," Cody replies, carefully neutral. "My job is to live and die for the Republic in this war. Which makes looking after you part of my job for the time being."
"Mandalore is not part of the Republic," she reminds him, her tone more patient that he has heard it be with his general.
"No, you're right, it isn't," Cody agrees. "But you don't want your world to be a part of this war and the quickest way to drag Mandalore into it would be to kill you. As we've just seen."
"But the Republic clearly wants Mandalore on it's side," Kryze points out. "Why go against their interests? You can't claim it's because you're Mandalorian."
"Because General Kenobi clearly respects your desire to stay out of the war," Cody replies. "Even if he doesn't entirely agree with your philosophies. I respect my general and I've found that in diplomatic situations it's usually best to follow his lead."
"Yes," Kryze mutters. "Obi-Wan has always had something of a silver tongue."
Cody doesn't deign to respond to that observation and they walk in silence until they reach Kryze's quarters, rooms which Cody insists on inspecting before he will permit her to be alone in them. She splutters an objection for a moment, until a tiny spiderdroid scurries out from underneath her large bed. He deals with it swiftly, with the kind of efficiency which earned him the rank of Marshal Commander, and then turns his attention to the details of the room. The mountains of pillows and cushions which had no doubt been piled on the bed have been shaken around by the violence of the Separatist boarding party coupling to the hull of the Coronet, and glass crunches under his boots where a vase of flowers which had been on a side table has fallen and smashed. Kryze's quarters are not a single room, rather they are a bedroom, a dressing room, refresher, and sitting room, neither the bedroom nor the sitting room are big but both large enough to accommodate half a dozen of Cody's brothers, more if they have no problem sleeping in one another's armpits. Cody knows a few squads and platoons like that.
"I'll leave you to change, Duchess," Cody says, stepping out of the bedroom and into the sitting room.
He has his own work to do.
"Commander," she pauses, her hair still in disarray and her clothes stained with oil and hydraulic fluid from the droids.
"Ma'am?"
"You and Obi-Wan are close," she states.
"We're friends," Cody says.
"Friends?" She repeats, eyebrows raised. "You seem closer than friends."
Cody takes a deep breath and slips off his helmet, taking a moment to discretely disable the feature which records everything that he sees and hears when wearing it. Kryze sucks in a breath, staring at his face in that way Cody has seen so many people who were familiar with the Prime do. He meets her gaze, challenging her search for Prime in his face with bland impassivity.
"Even being friends with Kenobi is pushing the fraternisation rules," Cody tells her. "For us to be any more than that, there are certain things that would need to change. First; Kenobi would need to leave the Jedi Order, and, like you, I would never ask him to give up that part of himself. Second, I would need to be more than canon fodder or flesh droid. The Senate would have to admit that my brothers and I are sentient. Given that would mean they would have to pay us and allow us the freedom to choose to leave the GAR, I doubt that will ever happen."
Cody's mouth snaps shut and he finds himself wondering why he has finally put voice to words that he has hoarded for so long, why Satine Kryze, of all people, is the one to draw that bitter confession from him. He expects her to turn away. Instead she opens her mouth, and begins to speak.