Chapter Text
While Obi-Wan had wanted a distraction from Anakin’s shouting about the surprise addition of Ahsoka - and at him for some reason - he hadn’t wanted it to be the Separatists’ regrouping so soon.
Nor with a shield.
"The shield generator is somewhere in this area," Obi-Wan points out the growing shield from the once Civic District on their holomap, "They're slowly increasing the diameter and keeping it just ahead of their troops."
"Heavy cannons are gonna be useless against that." Rex grimaces as Ahsoka comes around his side to look at the map as well.
"As they get closer, I suppose we could try to draw them into the buildings," Obi-Wan suggests, taking a knee to look closer at the wrecked buildings of the city center, zooming in on them, "That might level the playing field a bit."
"Not for long though."
Turning to Tae’sie, his padawan steps forward having finished twisting her two braids into one to hamper the movement. Tossing her hair over her shoulder she points to different locations around the holomap. Places blocked by rubble. Some intentional and others from fighting.
"With most of the entrances and exits to the buildings blocked as a barrier against the droids or any crawl space available leading to open unprotected spaces it’s only a matter of time before we would get caught. Plus, you need to think about the supports of the remaining buildings." Tae’sie explains as she moves out of the way when Ahsoka steps around her, glaring at the map thoughtfully.
"Quite right. We’ll have the keep the fighting to ground level and to open spaces with better barriers and exits," Obi-Wan agrees and taps on Cody's comm. link code, "Cody, I need you to take some men and start clearing escapes for when we need to make our inventible retreat."
"Yes sir." He promptly answers over the popping static of the comm.
"If that shield's gonna be such a problem," Ahsoka starts, looking to him with a perplexed frown, "Why don't we just take it out?" She asks, genuinely curious that it wasn’t their first plan.
Though there was merit to it, if one could be devised, but there wasn’t enough time for it.
"Easier said than done." Rex answers tauntly.
And before Obi-Wan can add his thoughts to this as well it's cut off by the most halting and embarrassed tone he had heard from Anakin in a while.
"Well, I, for one," Then clearing his throat hard, Obi-Wan can’t help smirking as Anakin decides to agree to Ahsoka’s very Skywalker-like plan, "Agree with her. Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key." Gaining more of his confidence even as mild mortification trickles down their mostly unremoved bond.
"Right, then. Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together." Obi-Wan smirks as a sense of dawning realization takes hold of Anakin, the young man realizing what he's signed himself up for.
Ahsoka perks up immediately and any trace of surprise from before Anakin agreed with her was now fully self-assurance.
"Can do, Master Kenobi." She grins brightly.
"I’ll decide what we do." Anakin frowns, leaning over her.
Putting his focus back on the map and the battle soon to be at hand, Obi-Wan looks for an ideal location that they could make a stand to give this plan a chance. He finds it at the junction of the Great Promenade.
"If Rex, Tae’sie, and I can engage them here," Pointing to the south-eastern front, covered by denser buildings, "You two might have a chance to get through their lines undetected here." Then pointing to the south-western front that was mostly clear and one of the main roads into downtown.
The droids, per their programming, moved towards the nearest living organisms to engage in battle. With them amassing there they would draw their attention away from Anakin and Ahsoka, they would then have to deal with less droids overall if they encountered any.
Obi-Wan looks to everyone, and while his lineage nods in understanding, ready to make this work, Rex’s frown deepens. He always provided the more realistic element as he and Vode had and did have the most to lose. But his presence is calm and swaying with his notable truth and mantle of responsibility, like a sea breeze to Cody's sunburst of warmth.
"They won’t have much time," He argues, "The droids far outnumber us. So our ability to street fight is limited, like the commander said," The changing the map to show the worse and most likely outcome, "Without the use of heavy cannons, they will march forward under the protection of their shield until they are right on top of our cannons, then they'll blow them away."
‘And all of us as well’ is felt clearly between them. But Ahsoka energetically slams those morose feelings away, her determination swelling as she smiles at them.
"We'll figure out a way. Come on, Master, let's go." And turns to leave without Anakin.
He quickly makes up the distance only to then bend awkwardly over to reprimand his much smaller charge. It was so eerily similar to how he and Anakin once were that Obi-Wan’s lips twitch up into a fond smile at a cycle repeating itself. Only this time he hopes more lessons were remembered and followed.
"They make...," Then pausing to ruminate on the right words Rex settles on quietly, "quite a pair, don't they, sir? You think they have a chance?"
"I believe in Ahsoka," Tae’sie defends her new friend, "And Master Skywalker is one of a kind and has pulled off some daring feats so far on this mission."
"True." Rex admits and leaves it at that.
"She certainly has enthusiasm," Obi-Wan agrees as he watches them disappear over a destroyed road, "And they better. If they can't turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons there'll be no escape for any of us." Echoing Rex's assessment.
Tae’sie and Rex’s presences furrow at that, solemn at the constant reality of this, but one that was more present recently. Rex’s was an old and worn one while Tae’sie's was slightly weathered. But both had a deep resolve that flared alongside it to do all that they could to hold out as long as possible.
"But we will not let this planet and its inhabitants fall without an attempt to hold out," He says firmly before contacting his commander again, "Cody, how goes the clearing?"
"It’s going sir. One of our easterly encampments is blocked up and we could use your help."
"Right then. We’ll be there in a moment," Obi-Wan tells him as he starts jogging to Cody’s location, Rex and Tae’sie right behind him.
With both him and Tae’sie they make quick work of rearranging their defenses of the city, fortifying the stations and foxholes along the way to the cannons before moving back to the antivehicle weapons.
Tae'sie makes it back with Rex before him and is already standing with Rex and Pierce, her well adapted eyes squinting at the shield over the horizon while the two clones used macrobinoculars. Coming up to the cleared hexagonal end of the promenade Obi-Wan nods to them as Cody comes to stand at his right, handing him a set of macrobinoculars as well so he can watch the progress.
"Thank you commander. Are we ready major?"
"Charged and ready general." Pierce says, everyone marginally hopeful they could break through the shield.
Turning and nodding to Cody, the commander nods back and shouts,
"All cannons aim! Fire!"
...
...
...
It ... It’s dark... I don’t remember it being dark. It was mid-day... Wasn’t it? ... Why does everything hurt?
Buzzing. In his ears, it was nothing but buzzing and it was steadily growing into a deafening roar.
Beside the increasing noise there was a burning piercing agony that crashed into his mind like wild waves. Once one crested and crash another took its place, relentless in it onslaught.
But the pain is nothing compared to the worry. It smothers Obi-Wan. Smothers the pain as well, even if the fear around it was almost as painful.
He could hear – sense maybe – that the disquieted feeling wanted him to open his eyes, but it was difficult. His eyelids, his whole body in fact, were so heavy and everything was so loud and painful.
Yet this worry is comforting and familiar and Obi-Wan wants to do anything he could for that feeling, this unique presence. He doesn’t know why, but he also does somehow. It all feels so convoluted, but he wants to understand why, so he opens his eyes.
Orange.
He sees orange and white and – And it’s too much. But he’s urged to open his eyes again. He tries, but he can’t. The throbbing insistent ache was a thick sluggish weight on him, dragging Obi-Wan down, dragging him under...
Worn... Soft... Warm...
Something warm was touching his face. Gentle, but urgent.
A caress.
A caress that let him vividly experience the concern from before, blocking out all the hurt in one fail swoop. Obi-Wan could almost think clearly now and knew he needed to calm the anxiety and fear around him.
Blurring into focus as Obi-Wan squints up at the face eclipsing the light overhead, he finds they produce their own radiance.
And it was a face Obi-Wan knew.
One that was usually stoic with a hint of a dry smile, but now was marred by deep lines of worry across that handsome visage as his mouth moved frantically, eyes burning with despair. He still couldn’t see well enough to make out the words the man was mouthing, though they were very nice lips to look at.
But Obi-Wan was nothing if not a man of priorities, so he tries to listen pass the white noise filling up every part of his mind to hear what caused such concern.
" — eral! Gen— ! Obi-Wan! Can you hear me? Obi-Wan! Answer me please!"
"... Cody?" He rasps, the name being pulled to the front of his mind.
"Yes general," The worried lines somewhat clearing as Cody breathes out sigh of relief, "Are you okay?"
Am I? I don’t feel anything wrong. Not really, just my head. Why does my —
"Tae'sie!" He gasps. It was the only explanation.
Obi-Wan tries to move, but is taken over by a swell of nausea. Yet he can’t let something as minor as that stop him.
"General wait! Please," Cody pleads, and the sorrowful desperation halts any of his weak attempts, "No sudden movements."
In that moment things clear considerably. His head and temples were still ringing painful, but the nausea had subsided and he could feel most of himself again. With his mind clear of the fog it was under, Obi-Wan turns to his left and finds Tae’sie as she should be. But curled up with Pierce and Rex kneeling by her side, hands comfortingly on her back as she clutches the sides of a tac headset doing its best to muffle the sound of the cannons.
Obi-Wan was used to using the Force to create a bubble around him to quiet the sounds of close cannon fire, but hadn’t thought to warn Tae’sie of it. Tae’sie, who had sensitive ears that were more for detecting movement in echoing caverns. And in not warning her, Obi-Wan had put her in harm's way, which she was unknowingly transferring that pain down their new bond.
"Are they having any effect?" Cody shouts to Pierce during the small breaks between cannon fire, but all Obi-Wan can focus on are the whimpers of agony he can hear from her.
"None! And they’re at full power!"
"Cease fire," Cody orders tersely and Pierce is up and off to stop the cannons, "Rex. Tell the men to form up into their squads and start taking up positions."
Without the cannon fire a part of the agony stops enough for Obi-Wan to reinforce his shields and stay steady enough to roll to his knees. Cody holds his arm for support as he reaches out to rest a comforting hand on Tae’sie's back, knowing any other mental reach would pain her more.
"On it Cody. You heard the commander! Move it!"
"General, I have to — "
"Go Cody," He tells him sincerely, glancing back to his commander, "We’ll be fine." He says with a remorsefully smile.
Cody wavers only slightly before he’s locking up like a Venator, stern and stalwart. Nodding, he pulls his helmet back on and jogs off into the fray of clones rushing for their positions and leaving them alone, the men moving around them.
"Tae’sie. I — "
Frigid fear shoots over the still tender bond, stunning Obi-Wan at the whiplash of sensations. Blinking away the ache it caused behind his eyes Obi-Wan finds Tae’sie looking at him, but not fully, eyes glazed and wet with tears. Looking down he notices how she guards her covered wrists, one of which Obi-Wan had reached out for. He wonders briefly why it caused her to lash out, but as she takes another shuttering breathe her current discomfort overrides everything else.
"I’m so sorry Tae’sie," He whispers gently, moving slowly to place his outstretched hand on her shoulder, "I forgot to tell you about the cannons. I didn’t even think to ask if you knew how to bubble yourself."
Tae’sie’s terrified expression falls into blankness and she goes to say something only for them both to startle when Patch drops to a knee beside them.
That doesn’t bode well for our usefulness as of now. Obi-Wan thinks wryly.
He gently pulls the headset off, though Tae’sie is still wary, holding tightly onto tit, but she sits back on her knees and she let’s Patch inspect her ears with the scanner. Thankfully they weren’t bleeding, but Patch is muttering about short-term tinnitus and injects her with a hypospray to calm the nausea and help with the pain in her ears. Patch quickly scans him and give Obi-Wan the all clear as well as they help Tae’sie up, still disoriented from the assault on her senses. As he steps back Patch taps his vambrace twice for strength, mumbling in Mando'a ‘this better not be a sign’ as he turns away to hurry back to medical.
Obi-Wan can’t deny that he also sends a push to the Force that this wouldn’t be the case either. It had only been little over an hour on Tae’sie's first time out and already she had been hurt because he hadn’t thought about the recuperations of the cannons on her ears.
But before the disgust of his own failings can take up root near the other gnarled longstanding emotions he could not shake, a softness and peace runs over the jagged roots and their sensitive connection bringing him back to the present. And Obi-Wan finds clear, though red rimmed eyes filled with sympathy gazing back at him.
"I didn't think it would be a problem either," She says quietly with a drawn smile, voice hoarse, "Don’t blame yourself Master Kenobi. Please."
Obi-Wan is struck by how even at her current worse she was trying to ease his pain, soothe his conscience. It was admirable and a kindness that Obi-Wan always strived for, but to have it shown to him like this was jarring as it was reassuring. He felt it so acutely now that Tae’sie wanted to make sure everyone around her, ever affected by her, was safe and well.
"General, we’re in position," Turning to face Cody, Obi-Wan is met with his commander’s sense of self twisting up in knots. His wariness of letting him – letting them – go hidden behind his firm façade, before asking curtly, "Did you get the all clear from Patch?"
"Yes. We both did. And I need to get to the front," He tells him, knowing that Cody was worried about him throwing himself back into the fight, but he wouldn’t lead his men from the safety of the rear guard, "Where’s Captain Rex?"
"He’s eastward," Tae’sie says, eyes focused in that direction, "But a klik or two over to the south."
Shock blooms from Cody as it does from Obi-Wan for a second before remembering that Tae’sie was quite adept at this type of tracking. And with Rex, and likely Cody too, being who they were it wouldn’t be a surprise that she was able to find them so easily.
"Then there’s no time to waste." Obi-Wan says and jumps off in that direction, Tae’sie following closely behind.
Rex moves quietly back to their position, crouching so not to be seen by the octuptarras further back, signing 'all good' for the other units he had just finished checking in with. Pulling his other blaster from his holster, the captain kneels between them allowing Obi-Wan to keenly sense the unease crawling off Rex. It hadn't decreased since they first showed up, Rex expressing his surprise that they weren't back near the cannons to recover.
"We’re inside the shield," Obi-Wan whispers as the skyline and themselves become bathed in sickly red, "Just stay away from those tanks." He warns as he ignites his lightsaber with a sharp snap and he looks to Rex, and more so Tae’sie, as he asks, "Ready?"
Softly pushing her own feeling of wellness to tell him saying 'she’s fine' and accepting of his concern, Tae’sie raises herself off the ground, form taunt to attack and eyes fiercely locked on the droids over the railing.
"As I’ll ever be."
With that Obi-Wan pulls himself into the Force, wrapping it around him to assists with his jump so he would land in the midst of a small squad of droids as they shout and start shooting, the battle blazing into full gear.
Spinning around as he deflected shots he sees Tae’sie land amidst B-2’s, dispersing them soundly with throwing them back into the B-1’s giving the clones stationed on the edges of the promenade time to pick off the front droids before more can take their place.
They won’t hold this ground for long so they must make the most of it and give Anakin and Ahsoka every second they could.
"Cover me!" Tae’sie shouts over the repeating blaster fire, maybe louder than she meant, but her ears were still ringing. Everything was still ringing.
Ringing from the growing cacophony of the battlefield, the air swelling with fear and anticipation. Her shields ringing at the eerie absence of the droids while being able to see them in comparison to the inherent thereness of the clones.
And seeing the incoming tanks and her master nowhere in sight as the beacons of the troopers flicker out, Tae’sie knew she had to do something drastic if only to stall the line of never-ending droids and save more of her men. To do so she was going to need some time.
"We’ve got you commander!" One of the 501st yells and she sprints to the giant sheared off crystal nearby.
Resting her hands on it she closes her eyes, searching for the cleavage of the mineral to shatter it. There were at least six now, but she only needed three. Snapping it along the points of weakness, Tae’sie raises her new projectiles into the air, turning them to the front. Honing in on the largest gaps in the Force, she sends the crystals hurtling into the three front tanks, the resulting cascading explosions throwing tons of droids out of formation in flames.
"Nice shot commander!" A clone shouts to her just as one of the surviving B-2’s gets up to take a shot. Mentally curling a hand around the Force that existed in that particularly trooper, Tae’sie pulls back and yanks the trooper out of the way of fire. Shaking himself he's back up and firing, "Thanks commander!"
Nodding to him she launches herself over the barricade and makes herself a target as she goes after that B-2's and starts throwing the flaming remains into the marching forms of the next round of droids.
The swirling mess of despair and rage abates as an inkling of trust spills in, blaster shots flying pass her, sailing perfectly around the arches of her lightsaber.
It works for a time, jumping around and deflecting then throwing burning shrapnel, but after four too close shots Tae’sie falls back behind the safety of the barrier, dispatching the ones that made it through.
Back-flipping off the droid she just destroyed she lands near Rex as he asks a nearby trooper,
"Where’s the general?"
"I don’t know sir."
"Commander!" Turning to her and his tenseness at their situation is all but shoved at her, "Do you know where General Kenobi is?"
It only takes a moment to find him and Tae’sie senses that he doesn’t like how removed from the rest of the front lines he is or how the droids seem to be moving in and around them to box them in.
"Pushed back through the western exit to a higher level – Ugh!" A blast too close causes the ringing to ramp up again as a snap of lights goes out, a swell of nausea accompanying it, "He’s almost surround."
"Osik!" Rex curses in the language she heard from the medics as he fires at incoming droids, hitting them dead on each time.
"The next row’s coming. Can we handle it?" She asks, but anger curls and drips from Rex giving Tae’sie her answer before he does.
"No sir. We’re too exposed and half of our unit is down."
Another shell explodes too close as if to punctate Rex’s report and sends a flash of dull pain through Tae’sie's skull from it all, shaking her to her core. But it would not stop her!
Shaking her head, she spins around to face the oncoming droids, reaching out into the Force to steady herself and starts moving forward. She had a duty to protect and she would fulfill it.
"Then start a retreat captain! I’ll cover you!"
Obi-Wan could tell it was no mere accident he was being pushed away from his padawan and men. Or that he was being corralled to a location higher up where below would also be filled with droids.
But that does not concern him as he tosses the droids in front of him off the side of the low roof before turning in the direction of beacons of light that were his troops and sensing intense fear. Looking through the smoke towards it he finds his next target and launches himself off the railing, dropping down and cutting the arms off the B-2, freeing the trooper. Not long after more of his men pour in, and in turning towards them comes almost face-to-face with another B-2 only for it to fall in a hail of blaster fire.
"They're right behind us, sir!" Rex calls out as they take cover behind one of their command post, "They wiped out half of my unit before the commander called for a retreat."
Head snapping to Rex, "Where is she now?" Obi-Wan stresses.
"Protecting our retreat." Rex answers morosely, conflicting emotions swirling around him even as he remained calm and in controlled.
Obi-Wan faintly, but swiftly, looks for her through the bond. He finds it humming with life, but also dull and raw with pain. But their concerns are for naught as Tae’sie comes sailing over an arch, dropping into a roll and bouncing back up to deflecting three shots before she crouching in front of them.
"They’re incoming. Fast." Clearly stricken by the speed the droids can employ.
And if they had been pushed back this far it wasn't long until this battle would be at its end, "The shield has almost reached the heavy cannons." Obi-Wan says to himself, already thinking of what would be best for Tae’sie and his men.
"We're not gonna be able to stop them, sir."
No, but we can save more if we fall back and their focus is momentarily on someone else.
"Move your troops back to the heavy cannons Rex. Do everything you can to protect them. I'll delay the droids." And hopefully delay long enough for Anakin and Ahsoka.
"But you’re — "
"That is an order, Captain!" Before surging up to stab another B-2 and flipping it over the command post.
Obi-Wan pivots neatly to deflect another blast to protect Rex and the others' retreat, but finds Tae'sie already doing so.
"Tae’sie — "
"I’m not leaving until I have to," She says coolly as she slices through three more droids, "Don't make me." Briefly looking to him, her pupils narrowed to slit conveying a steady determination that Obi-Wan knew he couldn't convince otherwise.
Spinning his saber to deflected incoming blasts he makes sure to hold her gaze as he tells her sternly, "When I tell you to fall back you do so without question."
"I will. But until then..." And she’s off, slicing through more B-1's with surgical abandon.
Cody didn’t like what he was hearing over the comms and he liked it less that no one seemed to have eyes on the general or commander.
He knew he couldn’t stop them from throwing themselves out onto the front and he wouldn’t have stopped them, because this was war and they were a tactical advantage in battle and for the safety of his Vode. But Cody couldn’t help agonizing over them after the attack they both suffered from.
He should have been ready for that. They were prepared for this and they still weren't ready for her!
Cody can't fully describe what happened during that heart stuttering moment, his breath sticking in his throat when the first blast went off and hearing a chocked off cry from Kenobi and a shout of anguish from Tae’sie. He watched them both go down, Kenobi crumbling back like a muddy bank and Cody didn't even think as he dropped to his knees to catch his general, cradling him close as he looked for a wound. His relief was only mild when Kenobi groaned in pain and Cody couldn't find a blaster wound.
Tae’sie, in turn, dropped harshly to her knees, screaming shrilly. She could be heard between the brief reprieve of cannon fire as she held her ears, tears falling freely as her face twisted up in agony.
He had no idea why or how this was happening, but something itched insistently at the back of his mind that it was a Force thing. And whatever it was unlocks a memory of Kenobi telling him as such months ago, that Jedi formed bonds to train.
But there was no time to be excited about figuring out the problem as the pain Tae’sie was experiencing so great it was effecting Kenobi, his breathing slowing, and Cody couldn't do anything. Nothing but hold this incredible man close and call out to him, hoping for some miracle because he couldn't think of anything else he could do. Thankfully something in his desperate pleads reached the general as he tired to crack open his eyes, but they struggled to hold focus. The second time was no better as Cody came face to face with daze bleary eyes, dull of all their usually liveliness and mirth.
Cutting the cannon fire had both Kenobi and Tae’sie coming around, General Kenobi more so, and after Patch left they were jumping up and off to the front without any concern for their health. They seemed fine, but it wasn’t sitting right with Cody that he was letting his jetiise go rushing to the front to lead the charge after such an intense injury so soon.
He wished that he knew where they were.
He wish he knew where Rex was too, but his comm had cut out mid-retreat. Cody had a vague feeling that his vod'ika was alive, but until he was standing right in front of him Cody tired to ignore such a foolish feeling. He wasn't some Jedi.
"What’s that!"
Craning his head up Cody finds the object Captain Cay had pointed out, falling from the sky and at a much slower pace than he expected. But immediately everyone's eyes and blasters are on the small incoming object.
"It’s the commander!" Pierce shouts as he runs up to stand by his second.
"Hold your fire!" Cody roars as he runs up to where the commander was likely to land.
If he wasn’t more concern about the battle he would be freaking out about the fact that he just witnessed Commander Ah’Dallir leap higher and farther than any Jedi he had ever seen and would be planning for the jetii osik she could get up to with that ability.
She slows her descend more, but still lands at a speed that has him wincing, but the commander just rolls and pops up like it was nothing, running up to meet with him.
"Commander Ah’Dallir, are you alright?" He asks in a rush as he looks her over for injuries. Luckily though she seems to only have a fine dusting of soot on her, no injuries of any kind.
"I'm fine Commander Cody." She sneers, focus turned towards the battle.
The viciousness of the answers gives Cody pause to look where she was and he doesn't see a burst of beige or feel the warming sense of the general's presence. It's an active measure to stifle a chill of dread, "Where is General Kenobi?"
"He said he’d stall." She hisses, looking back with an angry furrow across her brow and something snapping in the air in short bursts.
"Did he?" He can't help muttering to himself, trying to keep a lid on his fearful thoughts from running rampant.
"You don’t seem too thrilled either." She notes.
"Don’t worry commander I’m sure the general will be fine," Cay interjects, "Him and General Skywalker do stuff like this all the time."
With a strained frown Commander Ah’Dallir looks to the captain, "That's doesn't really inspire confidence or relief."
"It’s an emotion you get used to." Cody says, trying to keep the situation mellow for now as he works out what flanking maneuvers would work best if the general's plan falls through and they need to retreat entirely.
Squaring her shoulders, as if coming to a similar understanding, and with the lighter feeling around him Cody can guess it has when Commander Ah’Dallir turns back to him.
"Well the best I can do now is help keep the line," She says, resolve fortified behind every word, "Where do you need me?"
"Front lines with Captain Rex." He answers immediately, even if he didn't know exactly where the other was.
That doesn't deter his commander though, as she closes her eyes to focus and turns to be angled in a southerly direction. Whispering 'found him' she takes off with a whoosh of air that was more of a breeze then the explosives Force jumps he had felt when near other Jedi. When he focuses his macrobinoculars on her, she already descending towards what must be the front lines and they weren't that far away any more.
"Woah." Someone whistles and Cody has to agree.
That’s something I'm going to have to deal with later.
Rex never lost his cool.
He couldn't afford it in war, with the 501st counting on him, or keeping up with Skywalker. But times like this he felt his temper flare to incredible heights at how quickly things went to shit.
With only ten kliks between them and totally failure and no end in sight with all their Jedi missing – and without cover fire! – Rex can't remember a worst situation and he had been at the first battle of Geonosis!
A prickly sense at the back of his neck that he got when Skywalker walked up behind him has him ducking for cover behind the barrier and turning around. And just in enough time to see Commander Ah’Dallir land from somewhere behind them, scaring the few Vode closest to her as they cursed and jumped back at her dramatic arrival.
"Commander! Where’s the general?" He bellows over the roar of the battle as he stretches his arm back towards the clankers and takes two shoots, knowing he needed to. He doesn't need to check to know he hit what he shot at.
"Stalling!" She shouts back as she rushes over to crouch near him.
"Sirs," Turning to the trooper Rex already has a bad feeling about what he'll say next, "General Kenobi’s been captured."
"Any word from Ahsoka or Master Skywalker?" Commander Ah’Dallir asks, her shoulders going tense and her jetii osik making the air chillier around her in the heat of battle.
"None sir." The trooper answers mournfully, ducking his head, and that seals it for Rex's temper, it bursting at the defeated tilt of his vod's head.
Commander Ah’Dallir flinches away as she turns back to him in shock. Rex's training dictates he apologizes for let his emotions mess with the commander, but he can't be bothered right now. Not when he was so angry, angry with how they got pushed into this corner, angry with how it was draining the life of his aliit before they lost, even though they wouldn't.
And Rex knew that they wouldn't, not if they didn't give up.
"That could mean anything. Don’t give up!" He shouts over the ear piercing shriek of a tank blast going wide, glaring at the two through his visor before turning to the Vode close enough to hear, "We’ve got to hold out. We can’t let that shield reach the cannons. Injured Vode are counting on us. The generals are counting on us. Keep fighting! Vode An!!!"
A roaring cheer takes up, falling away at a distance, but Rex can feel the rallying cry in his bones, like the heavy drumming of their song.
"Captain!" Commander Ah’Dallir shouts before turning her attention away to shove an incoming missile back the way it came. It doesn't make it back, but it does impact on the first line of incoming droids, devastating the line, "We need a better barrier, but against them."
It take Rex a ridiculous amount of time – seconds they don't have – for him to understand her meaning, but when he does he grins viciously at her. Commander Ah’Dallir returns it with a prideful one of her own that tells him she knows.
"Just what I was thinking sir. We got your back." Then clicking on his comm. to the all persons-channel says, "Jedi incoming! Watch her twelve."
Deflecting one more missile with a shove of the Force, the commander takes off across the top of the debris barricade in a blur. Staying out of the men's way she rips large pieces off it, slamming them down into the road in the way of the smaller droids, rerouting them into clone blaster fire and letting other pieces sail straight into the tanks and octuptarras.
It wouldn't confuse the droids for longer than a half an hour at most, but with how many they were funneling into a scrap heap via their blasters and the piles of wreckage doing their own work of stopping the smaller droids it gave them extra time they didn't have before. Despite not wanting to be optimistic about this, like a Jedi would, Rex can just sense something turning because of it and he's certain he can say he has a feeling this was going to go in their favor in the end.
The Seppies had made it closer to the cannons much faster than Cody had predicted, only three kliks away now, and all the units he had placed as a last guard to the heavy cannons and to medical rush forward with him to assist their Vode at the shrinking front lines. Cody could see that while most of the B-1 and B-2's were scrap, it was the tanks and octuptarras that were still moving, easily mowing down what looked like a haphazard maze of rubble.
Leading his mean to the front, Cody himself moves further to the inside, finding Rex soon enough with Commander Ah’Dallir out in front protecting him and a small group of brothers. No matter what or where he and Rex could always find each other to fight side by side, but he doesn't get through more than half a clip before Commander Ah’Dallir looks up to the red sky and says,
"They did it!"
And sure enough the red ripples out into the pastel blues and purples of the Christophian cloud covered sky. Wasting no time at all Rex shouts for him, "All cannons! Fire on those tanks!" as Cody reaches out for Commander Ah’Dallir's elbow, pulling her back to him as his left hand goes to his belt.
The commander tense up violently, rigid as stone, dropping her lightsaber to cover her ears, but Cody beats her to it. Still, her hands slam into his. She holds them there, but as seconds go by and each passing one pain free Cody can tell Commander Ah’Dallir is relaxing.
It makes it easy for Cody to slip his hands out from under hers, bending down to pick up her lightsaber to hold it out to his commander. Her hands were still on her ears when Commander Ah’Dallir turns ever slowly to him with the cannons sounding overhead, but none of them cause her to flinch or falter.
And then she let's her hands fall.
She tenses up, ready for the sound, but it comes and goes and immediately Commander Ah’Dallir’s eyes are wide with awe and Cody feels the light breeze he felt before when he first meet her, peppered with little burst of sunrays now as she takes back her lightsaber.
The cannons clear out the remaining droids to the cheer of thousands left before shadows from above start to take over, and looking up Cody sees the outlines of Acclamator assault ships.
"Ha! Reinforcements. And after all the fun is over," Rex scoffs lightly as he starts walking off in the direction of some landing LAAT/i, "Well I don't know about you, but I think we have some generals to retrieve." His vod'ika sighs as he waves one down.
Cody agrees with an exhaustive grunt as he pulls his bucket off and clips it to his belt, making to follow. But he's stopped by a hand to his right elbow. Looking over and down to Commander Ah’Dallir, he sees her putting away the hastily printed earplugs made by Patch into her belt pouch as she says softly,
"Thank you Cody."
And looking up her smile is soft as it was grateful, and Commander Ah’Dallir could almost create that same warmth that the general did when he was thankful for something that Cody did, all that was in the line of his duty to the Jedi and the Republic.
"Don’t worry commander, we’ll get you something more permeant." Cody assures her, because something like this was never going to happen again.
"Cody," Rex calls out to him, waving his hand over, urging them on, "I got the coordinates for General Skywalker. General Yoda is picking up General Kenobi," Rex tells them as they step inside and he takes off his own helmet, "And good job out there, commander."
Commander Ah’Dallir smiles that soft smile again and goes to speak only for the static-pop of Cody's comm. turning on without his permission silences them all. Rolling his eyes to the ceiling of the LAAT/i with a slight smile he signs to the trooper next to him to hold the ship.
"Cody is Commander Ah’Dallir or General Kenobi with you?" Helix's harried voice comes over the comm. before he turns his attention to the reinforcements that had just arrived, talking to them for a few moments in hushed tones before focusing back on them, "Cody I need an answer."
"The commander is here with me." He answers, Commander Ah’Dallir's smile curling into a tiny pout as she halfheartedly glares at him, while Rex does nothing to stifle his chuckles at the commander getting caught in Helix's far reaching grasp.
"Good. Send her over. I heard what happened."
"I’m okay Healer Helix. I —"
"Is there still ringing? Nausea? Are you suffering from a mild to severe headache?" Helix asks in a sharp clip before he's talking to someone else again, the sound of a stylus scratching against datapad screens just louder than him.
Meanwhile Cody has to bite the inside of his cheek as Commander Ah’Dallir's mouth opens and closes in disbelief at the medic calling her bluff. Eventually her lips twist down as her eyebrows knit together.
"It's mild." She mumbles.
"That’s what I thought. I expect you here soon," Helix says matter-of-factly, "And Cody, get me the general too." The he disconnects without another word.
Breathing out a heavy sigh through her nose, Commander Ah’Dallir sags and looks up to him with tooka eyes that would kill a lesser vod and asks, "Must I?"
Cody chuckles, pushing down the need to ruffle her hair at that look and says, "You must."
With that signature medbay pout that every Jedi had a version of she steps off the LAAT/i with Cody right behind her.
"Sorry commander," And Rex at least looks sympathetic to Commander Ah’Dallir's plight, "Maybe you'll wiggle pass next time." He says with a shrug and not meaning any of it. It was a wish of many clone commanders and medics that the Jedi would just go to the medbay without being near threatened to.
"You don't mean that at all." Commander Ah’Dallir fires back with a slight grin.
Head falling back and laughing out loud, Rex smirks at her, "Not at all. One of these days all you Jedi will just go without prompting."
"Apparently that is not today." Commander Ah’Dallir jokes back and Cody shakes his head as he motions for the gunship to take off.
"Apparently not," Cody agrees before resting a hand on the commander's shoulder and steering her in the directions of medical, "Now let’s get you back to Helix before I get in trouble too."
Amusement drowns Cody in that moment and glancing down the commander is looking up with a mischievous little smirk and he can't help returning too. But Cody's allowed to because he is happy. He lived to see another day with Rex and his Vode, and his jetiise are okay as well. Any day like that was a good day.
"Hmm... Missing someone you are." Master Yoda says as the gunship takes off.
The troopers quickly rearrange themselves to block the open doors, for fear – Obi-Wan assumes – of Master Yoda falling out. Master Yoda was a great many things, old being one of them, but even at his age it was not a fear of him losing his balance, but the concern for his safety was sweet.
"Yes. We got cornered in a small alcove and I pushed Tae’sie to go with Captain Rex for safety. He said she was perfectly alright."
And as if he could feel himself being talked about through the Force, Rex checks in as does Cody to tell him that Tae’sie was going back to medical. Obi-Wan had a feeling this would happen and fully endorsed her going back to make sure nothing was truly long-lasting from one simple mistake.
"Trooper, tell the pilot to land behind the cannons."
"Yes, General Kenobi."
A tug laced with curiosity pulls Obi-Wan away from his brief musings to see Master Yoda's expression looking quite dour.
"It's nothing to worry about Master Yoda," Though that didn't convince the elder master, "She had a minor injury due to the cannons sounding off, but knowing Helix he has a remedy ready. I'm impressed with how quickly he intercepted her after the battle though. He's getting better at that." And something Obi-Wan was going to need to watch out for.
He understood their worry, he did, but he was never that bad off after battles and he didn't want his men to think his life was above theirs. But in trying to set that example, as many Jedi had, had turned into disgruntled or pleading medics trying to get them to the medbay immediately after any encounter with the Separatists.
Likely catching the impressions of his thoughts Master Yoda chuckles, "Cautious and caring the clones always are, are they not."
"Yes they are." Obi-Wan agrees readily, smiling to the team inside the gunship.
The amusement that filled the ship from before at his lamenting of his medic turns into embarrassment with a small bit of pride mixed in at being acknowledged as such. Soon enough they're landing just pass the cannons at the same time that Tae’sie ends up exiting the skyscraper.
"Master Kenobi!" She shouts running up to him, "I could tell you were okay and that you were close, but I didn't know you were this close." Beaming, she gently reaches out to take hold of his forearms, giving him plenty of time to step away, and holds them out to check him for any injuries. And finding none steps back, smiling even wider.
"Yes I'm quite alright. How are you?"
"Better than Healer Helix thought I'd be so he's in a good mood," The adding slyly, "And apparently he would be in an even better one if he saw you soon."
Which was very likely, but Obi-Wan was barely suffering from a minor ache at the base of his skull and it had been dissipating. There was no need to get mixed up in the changing of medical officers or the moving of 212th and 501st troopers out of the medical center and to their ships or onto transports to medical stations. That deserved more attention. Though never in his whole life did Obi-Wan think he would meet someone more intimidating than Master Vokara, and yet, Helix was giving her a run for her credits.
But Master Yoda soon derails those thoughts as he was more interested in how Tae’sie and Ahsoka were settling in. By the time Obi-Wan is finish filling in his great grandmaster on the happens of dropping not one, but two, padawans on an active battlefield – to which he is somewhat shamed, it was impossible to do much more in his old age – Anakin and Ahsoka join them, looking nothing worse for wear.
Then Master Yoda questions Anakin about Ahsoka's placement and Obi-Wan lets a small smile slip by as his former student defends her, his presence in the Force light and hopeful as he speaks about the young Togruta's potential.
The pride was short-lived though as the Jedi’s ethics about associating with crime lords is tested with Master Yoda informing them about their mission to rescue Jabba’s son, an innocent in all of this though, in exchange for use of his hyperspace lanes. It's more painful that they are the only ones available to do so putting Anakin in a difficult position. Obi-Wan has every confidence that his former padawan can overcome this, but it didn't dissuade the deep-sated hate that Anakin still held for his homeworld.
"Come on Master, that doesn’t sound that hard. I’ll find Rex and get the troops organized." Ahsoka says brightly waving goodbye to Tae’sie as she goes.
"Don't worry, Anakin. Just teach her everything I taught you and she'll turn out fine." At least trying to take his mind of his mission for a more long-term one.
"You know, something makes me think this was your idea from the start." Anakin accuses him, but with no ill-will towards him, no that was still towards Tatoonie.
"I hope Anakin is ready for this responsibility." Sighing, but Obi-Wan's not sure which responsibility he's referring to in that moment.
"Ready, he is, to teach an apprentice," Master Yoda decides the greater topic at hand, "To let go of his pupil, a greater challenge it will be. Master this, Skywalker must."
Nodding accordingly as he watches the gunship take off he turns back to his own responsible and says to Tae’sie, "If I've got to make a deal with Jabba the Hutt we best be on our way."
Leaving Master Yoda behind they don't get far before Tae’sie curiously tugs at their bond and asks, "Did you plan this? You knew Ahsoka - Or about her. I could tell when she introduced herself."
"Yes, I knew of her. And she was part of a plan, but not directly or like this."
Distaste prickles at their bond as her lips twist down, and with how well connected the two seemed to be it was no surprise. Stopping, Obi-Wan reaches out to placate her,
"Tae’sie I promise it was not malicious in anyway. I had plan to make mention of Ahsoka the next time we were planet-side. Master Plo spoke of her skills, and her personality just happened to well aligned with Anakin’s. I believed they would be a good match and do so now."
The distaste cease, but is quickly filled with skepticism, "I still don’t get how this happened then if you didn’t say anything?"
"Master Yoda decided to be involved." Is all Obi-Wan could say on that matter. The Grandmaster had his way of hearing everything in the Temple.
Tae’sie mulls over this reveal, humming to herself, and little by little her presence lightens then levels into something of concern.
"Well either way I’m happy she’s here... Master, will Master Skywalker be okay?"
Even if she was not so attuned with the Living Force – likely experiencing the lava hot simmer of contempt Anakin carried for the desert world much more potently – the tone Anakin used gave away his revulsion about dealing with the Hutts to anyone within hearing distance.
"It will be a trial, but one I’m certain Anakin can overcome it." He’ll have to need learn to understand to let go and this will be another lesson in that.
"Okay," Tae’sie says lowly, letting it go, and starts walking to the hanger again, "Should I talk to Lieutenant Wave or Lieutenant Deck to get a ship ready for us?"
"You’re quite the quick study." He lightly praises Tae’sie's attention to detail as he follows.
"You and Commander Cody seem like ones to favor high efficiency."
"You are not wrong, but we will not expect you to be so knowledgeable so soon. You are all new to this."
"I don’t mind it. I like being informed. But now I believe we need to get a ship ready for our mission and for you’re getaway plans." That brings Obi-Wan up short, not so much stumbling as it was stopping abruptly.
"I don’t believe we need to refer to it as such." Coughing into his hand and adverting his gaze.
Tae’sie giggles at him, much to his dismay, and Obi-Wan can barely get a word out before Tae’sie's leaping off in that direction, moving like a kybuck over the damaged urban landscape. Huffing at the display Obi-Wan indulges just a bit and follows after in shorter jumps.
Directing the supplies off another ship outside the hanger, Cody gets the idea to turn around and happens to see his commander and general land on the scene.
"Hello again Cody!" Commander Ah’Dallir calls out with a wave, rushing inside.
Raising a hand in a parody of a wave Cody finds his focus stuck on General Kenobi.
He moved easily, not hiding any limps or injuries, but Cody can't deny he finds his focus almost solely on his general's face.
Vibrant auburn red hair carefully windswept across his forehead, making a more endearing picture as the general cards his hand through his hair to fix it, removing the fine barrier that momentarily hid his stormy blue eyes that were bursting with life. Lips quirking up into a gentle genuine smile makes the general just inhabit that untouchable etherealness that the trainers and Kaminoians always spoke of when referring to the Jedi.
"Cody." He greets him, tone light and full of fondness as he strolls the rest of the way up to him.
"General," He says equally soft, "How are you sir. Really?"
"A few aches, but nothing to worry about. I’m more concern about Tae’sie." His eyes cutting away to where she had disappeared into the hanger, likely talking to Deck.
"Don’t be" His voice hard, his guilt morphing into anger at that critical mistake, "We took care of that, but we’ll work on something more permanent." But its drained away as the general lays a hand on his arm, thoughtful and gracious.
"I’m sure she will be grateful for it. Both of us."
"I didn’t know that could happen," Cody sighs in a huff, the anger sliding into tiredness, "It didn’t with General Skywalker."
And his mind plays back to the awful state that Alpha and General Kenobi were in when they returned from Rattatak. At the same time they were being tortured Skywalker had lead the 212th on Jabiim and had handled it well enough as he could, nothing like what happened today.
"It usually doesn’t," The general confesses with a weary sigh, "But her empathy is much stronger than I was counting on and this bond is much newer than the one I have with Anakin."
Cody doesn't want to ask, but other things – other lives – are more at stake then propriety, "Will this be a problem?"
"Not at all," He answers with an easy smile, arms falling into their usual position, folded against his chest, "We’ll fix it on our end and you will provide her with something to handle the high decibels until she can employ the Force enough to muffle the sounds."
"If you say so general."
"I do. Don’t worry about this so much Cody. I have it under control."
"So you can worry about more pressing matters?"
"Always. Though the most pressing one now is thanking you."
Startling, only his eyes widening, and he's glad for the fact he put his bucket back on so no one can at least see his confusion.
"Sir?"
"For catching me," The general says with a light smile before he looks away shyly, right hand coming to rest against his chin, "Not very glamorous of me swooning into your arms. But I have you to thank for one less bruise, noticeable on my skull. So thank you Cody." He says genuinely.
"Just doing my job sir," And a flash of fear bubbles up as Cody remembers the limp dead weight that rested in his arms, face twisted in discomfort. But successfully pushes it back as he takes in the general fully, reminding himself he was alive, "But I am glad you’re okay."
And he doesn't know how he said it, but it sounds different to his ears. Softer, sweeter perhaps? Whatever it was the general must feel what Cody can't as he gazes at him with a gentle glimmer in his eyes, the warmth the general causes warming fervently against Cody's skin even with his armor on, but it was fully welcome.
BUZZ-SNAP-BUZZ
"Cody!" Helix's shout breaks whatever spell they were under and they both quickly look away to Cody's commlink, "I know you’ve found him by now. Send him over."
Not ready to raise his head just yet he's glad the general is fine with defending himself.
"Helix. I am perfectly fine." He says with a heavy sigh.
"I’ll be the judge of that."
"Really. I’m —"
"You experienced transferal blowback," Helix interrupts sternly, "I may not be General Che or any of her medics, but they’ve giving me enough reading material and it matches with the report Cody gave when he called me and the readings Patch showed me. At worst you’d be comatose and bleeding out every orifice on your face. The lower scale of that is a major headache."
Cody's head snaps up at that and the general at least has the decency to look sheepish.
"That may be the case, but I am performing perfectly —"
"General," And Cody can hear that triumph, though strained, smirk as Helix continues, "If our command’ika can muster up the courage to come on her own to the medbay then you can too. You have ten minutes High General Kenobi." The commlink snapping off viciously.
"I believe you’ve been summon." Cody deadpans and is prepared to frog march his general back there if need be. He wasn't worse off, but he could have been and that was the whole point.
"It seems I have." General Kenobi mutters, his jaw locking up as his lips twist down.
"Master Kenobi," And they both turn quickly, startled again for the second time in mere minutes. General Yoda with one of the newer trooper frowns as he hobbles over to them, "Gone you should be. Time is of the essence it is." General Yoda says, stopping to shake his stick at his general.
"Quite right Master Yoda." The general says happily, sneaking his way out of the medbay with new orders apparently.
"Handle the security of the planet I can." General Yoda says before leveling an impressive scrutinizing look at Cody, but in a blink General Yoda's expression brightens and he hobbles off, his escort taking the tiniest steps possible as he follows.
"Should I tell Helix you’re otherwise engaged." He asks after General Yoda is a little ways away, turning to his general.
Cody is met with eyes dancing with mischief and a passive innocent face and smile to boot, one Cody had become very acquainted with before one of the general more outrageous plans.
"If you could be so kind."
"You’re delaying the inventible sir."
And surreptitious smirk that was as sharp as his saber and dangerous too fits onto General Kenobi's lips, "But you can vouch for my fitness. Can’t you commander?"
Cody doesn't know why that has heat rolling over his skin, prickling sharply across it like freezing rain. His heart thuds out of sync as his throat dries up for no reason. Even behind the safety of his helmet Cody can feel his face warm considerable as he stares into those dazzling grey blue eyes dancing with all the liveliness he had come to know.
"Y-Yes."
And Cody curses everything that his strangled voice isn't even hidden by his vocoder.
Immediately the general's expression drops, "Cody are you — "
"I’m fine sir," Trying to get back in control of ... well whatever this was, "And I’ll vouch for you if you promise one painkiller by the time all this is over. It’ll make us all feel better if you did."
It would make me feel better, Springs to Cody's mind only to be quickly stifle and buried under a panicked cascade of questions of why he thought he needed to make it personal and why did it sound like so much more than what he wanted to implied.
The general isn't convinced in the slightest, but after looking him over sighs lightly, "Alright, but only after we’ve settled all of this."
"Thank you sir."
"Master, the shuttle is ready," And thankfully that doesn't spook him as much as the last to time or Cody might have to demote himself, "Engines are checked. Hyperdrive is functioning at hundred percent and our coordinates laid in. We just need to get clear of the exosphere for the jump." Commander Ah’Dallir chirps.
"Right. Be safe you two." He says, wishing them luck and tapping his vambrace, for them and himself.
"Of course Cody." General Kenobi says, back to looking graceful and put together.
"Don't worry I'll keep him out of trouble." Commander Ah’Dallir grins cheerfully at the incredible task she just gave herself.
"That's a tall order commander." Cody chuckles.
"I'm up for the challenge."
General Kenobi level a dry look at the both of them, "Yes well, I think that enough communication bonding for now."
He says as they both smirk at the general and as they leave Cody's smile falls to something softer and briefly he wonders why, before his mind is back on the tasks at hand and getting the 212th ready for departure.
Oh, and of course handling Helix's passive-aggressive wrath.