Chapter Text
Kamino
22 BBY
As Obi-Wan expected, the Council is less than happy about the sudden appearance of an army. A Mandalorian clone army for the Grand Republic, at that, commissioned by a Jedi Master that had been dead for more than ten years.
He can't see that going over smoothly at the Senate.
"Surprising revelation, this is. Very curious, I am." Yoda hums, the blue hue of his form shifts minutely in the holo projection. "Troubling, it was, the matter of Master Sifo-Dyas' foresight. Believe him, we could not." He shakes his head sadly.
"He did push for the creation of an army for the Order, yes, but— a clone army, you said?" Mace rubs his temple, imploring Obi-Wan with heavy eyes.
"Yes, Masters." Obi-Wan shouts against the roaring downpour, standing as wet as a drowned tooka in front of his fighter. "They were cloned from a bounty hunter." He informs, clutching his robes tighter between his fingertips in a futile attempt against the harsh wind. It's thoroughly uncomfortable, standing out here in the rain, but Obi-Wan would rather sacrifice comfort for privacy. He knows that the building, technologically advanced as it is, could easily listen in on his conversation.
Obi-Wan had even used the secret comm codes, reserved only for dire situations in need of urgent secrecy, to reach out for the Masters. He figures they would appreciate this big revelation first before forwarding them to the rest of the Council.
"Bounty hunter? Did they tell you who?" Mace asks, straight to the point as expected.
Obi-Wan bites his lips. He’s more than tempted right now to skirt around the question, the shame burning brightly at the back of his mind, but the Force is also being insistent at its prodding, urging him to choose right now. When he finishes confessing Jango's deeds, the course of the fate will change, Obi-Wan is sure of this.
In all honesty, even he himself couldn’t quite wrap his head around what his former lover had done, much less trying to explain it to the Order. It was one thing to fake his death to Obi-Wan, but to sell his genetic data to build an army for the Jedi?
Has Jango lost his mind?
“-Wan? Can you hear us?”
Feeling the harsh rain splatters on his face, Obi-Wan suddenly realizes he’s been quiet for too long. The Masters probably think it was a problem with the connection, pouring rain and everything, and for once Obi-Wan is thankful that he’s so far away from the Temple that they cannot pick up on his anxieties through the Force.
Taking a shuddering breath, Obi-Wan decides to just get this over with. Like ripping off a bacta patch , he reasons. The Force feels tight, anticipation building under his skin.
Obi-Wan's tongue feels thick in his mouth as he pulls his cloak impossibly closer to himself. "It was Fett," he whispers, feeling like he's admitting a terrible secret. "It was Jango, Master." He croaks, voice breaking at the name.
The heavy burden in his chest does not dissipate at the admission, nor does the bitter taste in his mouth evaporate away. If anything, Obi-Wan catches himself bracing for the impact of the Masters' disappointment, not even able to maintain eye contact any longer. He struggles to release all of these conflicting emotions to the Force, to let go and obtain back the Jedi serenity that he's all but lost once he touched his feet on this planet—but they prove to be persistent in haunting him.
For a few tense moments no one says anything.
Obi-Wan is soaking wet under the rain, thoroughly drenched up to his boots, but manages to hold himself very still. He feels like a youngling again, about to be lectured on the matter of attachment and letting go. As if he was a Padawan once more under the scrutiny of Yoda and Mace, holding his breath as to what they thought of him.
Would they question him on the matter of his attachment? Jango was — is? — the closest thing Obi-Wan has ever had as a lover, a fact that is mostly known by the Council and Qui-Gonn, given that they've witnessed Jango and Obi-Wan's early days of blooming friendship. But he was merely a Padawan then, not yet a Jedi knight, and the matter of affection (although complicated) was still a learning subject for him.
But then again, Obi-Wan was also one step away from walking out of the Order that time, ready to walk away if Jango had just gone up to him and asked. But then he died, and Obi-Wan grieved for him— a part of his heart dying alongside Jango; only to find out that the man is still alive.
Obi-Wan braves himself to see them from under his lashes, watching as the two Masters collect their thoughts. He expects more shock and outrage, but Yoda only looks contemplative, his hand twitching on top of his gimer stick. His long ears go flat, a faint hum coming from under his breath, while Mace is already lacing his fingers together in front of his face, heaving the gravest sigh Obi-Wan has heard from him this month. He could almost see the vein ticking on the older Master's temple.
It’s Mace who opens his mouth first.
"Jango Fett..." He murmurs uncomfortably, taking his time in saying the name that it makes Obi-Wan tenses involuntarily under his heavy robes.
Yoda's long ears twitch. "Certain, are you?" He inquires, tapping his gimer stick. His wizened eyes, even through the mediocre quality of the holotransmission, stare right into Obi-Wan’s heart.
Obi-Wan nods, breath catching in his throat. He doesn't want to mention the fact that he'd actually talked with Jango (and his son ). Now is not the right time. "Yes, Master. They all have his face."
Each and every single one of them. Same features, the same build, but still uniquely different in the Force. The clones' Force presence was numerous, given their numbers, and they are a sure sign of a living being, despite what Taun We claimed otherwise. They are nothing like Jango's once-familiar signature: sturdy and steady in its presence, but muted in the way all non-sensitive beings do. And Obi-Wan can faintly sense him now, from a long forgotten habit, his presence on edge, circling agitatedly somewhere inside the building.
Mace shakes his head. "Back from the dead, now? Truthfully, I wouldn't put it past him." He admits with great reluctance. Maybe he has seen it, Obi-Wan thinks, a possibility in one of the shatterpoints.
"Secrets, he has. Questionable, is his motive. Knows Sifo-Dyas, does he?"
This time, Obi-Wan’s answers come more easily. "No, he claimed to be commissioned by a Lord Tyranus on the moon of Bogden…" Obi-Wan rubs his chin. "I was under the impression that Master Sifo-Dyas had been dead over ten years ago, he couldn't have made the order, could he?"
"No. And neither he — nor anyone in the Order — had the authorization for making that kind of decision." Mace answers, which only makes Obi-Wan frown deeper.
Yoda tuts, the tap-tap-tap of his stick muted through the holotransmission. "A mystery, we have. Resolve this, we must." His withered eyes are closed now, presumably listening to what the Force has to say.
Obi-Wan agrees. This is no longer a matter of investigation for Senator Amidala now, it has transformed into a delicate operation the moment he unearths the Pandora's box full of questions, each one more worrying than the next.
“Do you think the Kaminoans are conspiring on the assassination?” Mace continues to ask, lips set in a straight line.
“The assassination? No.” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “I don’t think they are also allied with the Separatist. They’re just after the business.” Obi-Wan says. It’s apparent that the Kaminoans are simply a provider of a service here. On the matter of how Lord Tyrannus became the one who decided the template for the clones instead of Master Sifo-Dyas? Now that is still very much a part of the mystery.
Yoda and Windu share a static glance across the holo. Obi-Wan is not privy to the silent conversations they're exchanging, but he can imagine. Nobody in the Temple speaks outright of it, but being intimately connected to the Force as he is, Obi-Wan can feel the shroud of darkness hanging above the Force, dampening his connection to it. It happens agonizingly slowly, but once he was aware of it, he couldn’t mistake it for anything else. And if Obi-Wan can feel this, then he figures the Grand Master and the Master of the Order would have felt it as well.
"Is there anything else you want to elaborate on, Obi-Wan?" Mace asks instead, once he tears his eyes away from Yoda, sounding so casual that Obi-Wan knows that it means Mace is aware that he's withholding information. Obi-Wan sighs. This certainly won't help Jango's case at all, but it is the main reason he's here anyway.
"Jango, he… might also be the one behind Senator Amidala's assassination, Master." Obi-Wan says slowly, watching for their reaction.
More rain pours over him. The flicker of Jango’s presence starts to drift further and further away from him, and Obi-Wan knows he doesn’t have much time left.
"Find him, will you?" Yoda asks, but it doesn't feel like a question at all.
Obi-Wan himself already knew the answer from the very start.
"Yes, Masters." He bows, letting the rain drizzle across the hood of his cloak.
This was definitely not how Jango pictured their fateful reunion would go.
Because he’s not fooling anyone, here. One way or another, his Jetii would find a way to know that Jango is still alive, most likely through all that Force osik. He’s always expected the day would come sooner than later, but to prevail for over ten years had been surprising.
One second he was coming back from Coruscant, ready to see Boba again, and the next thing he knew he was staring once again at Obi-Wan kriffing Kenobi with his stupid blue eyes and even stupider hair. On Kamino, of all places. It's real funny how fate likes to twist Jango's sanity.
Jango had painstakingly ensured his hideout here very carefully and went through the troubles of making sure he covered his traces coming over here. Hells, even that karking Zam Wesell wouldn't know of this place, so how did Obi-Wan even find out?
Jango’s mind is a cacophony of questions now, faced with the one person he knew he couldn’t escape, streams of ‘what the kriff’ s and ‘how the kark–!’ s running through his head with the occasional, more quiet laments whispering slowly. Jango keeps those ones very close to himself because he is not wearing his buy’ce, and he’s been informed in the past that it makes him easier to read in the Force.
It's good to see you, Jango doesn't say, looking at Obi-Wan's eyes, the same shade of blue he's lost himself in many times in the past, and now they don't seem to recognize him . Not in the way they used to.
(Not in the way Jango wants him to.)
I'm sorry I disappeared on you, I can't even face you, Jango desperately thinks, but Jetii can read minds and emotions so Jango lash out instead, masking his guilt with anger.
Obi-Wan was used to his anger back then, able to match it with cold gaze and hard facts— but it's been a while. Jango barely even knows himself these days, so he doesn't blame Obi-Wan for turning sad instead.
The sight, like every other time Jango saw it, grates on his heart. Obi-Wan's sadness is never easy to face. His fury, Jango can handle. His cold shoulders and scathing remarks— Jango can take that. That means Obi-Wan still cares enough to be angry. But his sorrow has proven to be Jango's downfall before, and now it seems that he's going to face it once more.
Obi-Wan is many things: tenacious, stubborn to a fault, karking naive sometimes, but one thing he's not is a fool .
So the second Obi-Wan’s form disappear from the doorway with Taun We, Jango immediately pulls up to Slave I in his full beskar'gam with Boba in tow; because he’s not about to face Obi-Wan when the man had just realized what Jango had done, millions of clones and all, and his first priority is Boba now. Getting them out of Kamino is a need, and avoiding Obi-Wan is a requisite, if he wants to keep his son safe.
But, of course. The universe hates him and all that osik, because Obi-Wan’s impeccable timing literally caught Jango in the act. It has barely been twenty standard minutes— Obi-Wan was supposed to be more than occupied with the longnecks still, and not running in the rain trying to catch up with him. Jango knew Obi-Wan would love nothing more but to get his hands on the Kaminoans’ contract and what they entail regarding the clones, to comb through the fine details and tearing them apart politely to their faces, and that kark takes up a long time . He really, really shouldn't be here.
Now what follows is not entirely Jango’s fault, alright?
For the record, Obi-Wan pulls up his lightsaber first. Jango is just reacting. Self-defense, he’ll say, as he shoots both of his blasters that makes Obi-Wan roll out of the way.
Boba is already on the ship, and Jango needs to go, fast, before Obi-Wan comes up with any clever ideas. So he does the only logical thing someone would do when faced with a Jetii: knock their lightsabers away.
It should work out fine, it should be able to buy Jango some time to slip away to his ship where his son is waiting— but again and again, Jango is painfully reminded that Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t do things the easy way ever.
Fine, alright. Jango's been hoping he can kick Obi-Wan out of the way and quickly take off somewhere the Jetii can't follow, but if Obi-Wan wants a fair fight? Jango will give him a fair fight.
But maybe it slips his mind for a little, for as much as Obi-Wan had been known as a great swordsman, his ex lover had also been a fantastic fighter, one that is used to Jango's fighting style.
Jango has to whip out his cable cord to catch Obi-Wan's wrist in an attempt to wrangle his lightsaber away from him, because the Jetii managed to summon it back to his hands, and he cleverly pulls Jango by his cable cord instead, causing Jango to stumble. Jango curses out loud because he must've used that Force osik and now Jango is struggling to fly away, feeling like a heavy hand is pushing him towards Obi-Wan.
Jango manages to get a shot in on the hilt of the lightsaber, bouncing it away from Obi-Wan's hand, and shoots it once again so it'll be out of reach for him to use his Force magic.
At the same time, Jango lets himself go lax so that Obi-Wan loses his balance because of the sudden lack of tension, and zooms away, dragging Obi-Wan with him.
Obi-Wan, never one to be underestimated with, resorts to blasting away Jango's jetpack.
Karking hells, of course he still knows Jango after all these years, and he's not at all above knocking Jango's treasured jetpack away to level the playing field, just as much as Jango liked to toss his stupid laser sword away at the first opportunity.
1 for 1, then.
Now unable to fly, Jango rolls as he lands on the stupidly slippery landing, knocking Obi-Wan to the ground with him. A bad choice, that one, because Obi-Wan swiftly kicks him in the face, nimble as always even when he's on his back. They brawl like that for a while, the rain making it slippery and wet and Jango is so karking over this—
Boom!
Something huge —the blaster cannon, Jango realizes— forces them to separate, and he hears Boba's cry from inside the ship. "Let's go, dad!"
Stars, Jango is proud.
The shot is nowhere near close to either man, but it does make Obi-Wan falter, skidding precariously into the edge, and allow Jango to effectively make a run for it at the same time, hauling his shebs into the ship.
He's panting and swimming in both of his sweat and rain as Boba closes the ramp, barely missing Obi-Wan's dangerous light sword. Boba has already prepared the ship, ready to go at a moment's notice as Jango tucks himself haphazardly into the pilot seat.
"Jango!" He can hear the muffled voice of Obi-Wan's indignant cry, and several shots from what must have been his blaster, but Jango elects to close his eyes at the sound, wishing they would be drowned out by the sound of perpetual rainstorm and engine noise.
His chest aches with something that is not quite physical as they zoom away, his breathing harsh from exhaustion and — fear.
"Is he going to follow us, dad?" Boba's voice is laced with anxiety as he asks, brown eyes wide in trepidation.
He suppresses a huge sigh. "We'll see him again soon, I'm sure."
Obi-Wan is one determined bastard that doesn't rest until he's satisfied. Jango could hide all he wants in those abandoned backwater planets, but he's sure that the Jedi will come knocking at his door somehow.
No attachment, my ass.