Chapter Text
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
The words were so familiar, so laden with history, that Cody's heart gave a little hitch. He glanced over at Obi-Wan, who was peering through a macrobinocular scanner at the jagged, craggy landscape of the planet, his brow furrowed in concentration. The wind whipped at their cloaks, carrying the scent of dust and ozone. The mission to a remote sector to investigate a supposed Separatist weapons cache was a standard one, but a strange silence had settled over the comms since they arrived.
Cody stepped closer, the familiar hum of his blaster-rifle a steady presence in his hands. He looked at the worry etched on his General's face, the slight tremor in his usually steady hands. He reached out, his gloved hand resting lightly on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Obi-Wan flinched at the touch, then slowly lowered the scanner to look at him.
“I know,” Cody said, his voice a low rumble against the wind. “This isn’t what we expected.”
Obi-Wan sighed, running a hand over his face. “It’s more than that, Cody. It's a feeling in the Force. A cold spot. It's... wrong.”
Cody met his gaze, his eyes full of unwavering certainty. "Then whatever happens, we face it together. Like we always do."
A genuine smile, so rare in the field, broke through Obi-Wan’s worry. It reached his eyes, making them sparkle with a warmth that cut through the desolation around them. He took a small step forward, closing the distance between them, and without a word, he quickly pressed a soft, firm kiss to Cody’s lips. It was a fleeting, chaste touch, but it held a universe of meaning: trust, affection, and a promise.
He pulled back, his smile still present, and gave Cody a quick, determined nod. He raised the macrobinoculars again, his focus returning to the mission. “Alright then. Let's see what’s out there. Together.”
Cody returned the nod, a renewed sense of purpose coursing through him. He checked the power pack on his rifle, his movements confident and precise. Whatever lay ahead in the dusty canyons, he wasn’t worried. Not anymore. Not as long as they had each other's backs.
The hiss of blaster fire was a constant, searing chorus against the wind. Cody moved with practiced efficiency, a blur of orange and white armor against the grey rock. He fired his blaster rifle, each shot a precise strike that dropped a battle droid. The metal bodies clattered to the ground in a cacophony of defeat. They were moving through a narrow pass, the droids pouring out of a makeshift Separatist base carved into the cliff face.
He dodged a crimson bolt, the heat of it searing the air inches from his helmet, and returned fire, taking out two droids in a single burst. His comms were filled with static and the chatter of his men, but his focus remained on the objective—pushing the line, getting closer to the base’s main entrance. He could see Obi-Wan ahead, a whirlwind of blue light and controlled power, deflecting blaster bolts with graceful, deadly precision.
Suddenly, a name cut through the noise, a sharp, urgent cry from Obi-Wan. “Cody!”
He turned his head just in time to see a massive object—something large and metallic, glowing with a dangerous red energy—falling from the sky toward their position. Before he could even register what it was, a powerful wave of energy, the Force made manifest, slammed into him. He and the clones around him were sent flying, skidding across the rough terrain. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs, his helmet scraping against the ground.
Cody scrambled to his feet, adrenaline coursing through him. He shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears and looked back at where he’d been standing.
An explosion of blinding light and fire erupted, consuming the spot where Obi-Wan had just been. A roar of sound followed, a violent shockwave that pushed him back a step, heat washing over him in a sickening wave. The world went silent, all other sounds swallowed by the ringing in his ears as a column of black smoke billowed into the air.
Cody's legs felt like lead, a shaky, uncertain weight beneath him. The ringing in his ears began to subside, replaced by the roar of his own frantic thoughts. He pushed himself to his feet, the sound of his general's name a desperate plea escaping his lips. "Obi-Wan!"
He sprinted into the billowing black smoke, the acrid smell of burnt metal and plasma choking him. The heat was immense, a physical force that seared his lungs with every breath. He was deaf to the sounds of retreating Separatist forces, blind to the scattered wreckage of the battle droids around him. Nothing mattered but finding Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan! Can you hear me?!" he yelled, his voice raw with panic. He began to search, his hands sifting through the still-smoldering debris. He threw aside a twisted piece of durasteel, his gauntlet scraping against the sharp edges. He moved a broken droid chassis, its photoreceptors still glowing faintly before fizzling out.
"Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan!" The name was a prayer, a desperate incantation against the worst possible outcome. He called it again and again, his gaze darting through the hazy ruins, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The world had narrowed to this single, terrible moment, to the fear that he was now searching for a ghost.
The strength left his legs, and Cody collapsed to his knees, his hands dropping to the charred ground. A choked sob escaped him, and then another, and he let them come, his shoulders shaking with the force of his despair. The smoke was still thick, but now he could see, through the haze of tears, the reality of the destruction. There was nothing left. No trace. No body. Just twisted metal and burnt earth.
A hand rested on his shoulder, and a familiar voice, quiet and steady, cut through his grief. “Commander. We need to fall back. We’re drawing attention.” It was Boil, his face smudged with soot, his helmet tucked under his arm.
Cody shook his head, his vision blurring. “No. I need to find him.”
Boil’s grip on his shoulder tightened, a comforting, heavy presence. “Cody, we can’t. We’ve swept the area. The wreckage is too much. He… he could be anywhere.”
Cody rose to his feet, a cold fury replacing his despair. He ripped his shoulder from Boil’s grasp, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “I don't care where he is! I don't care if he’s dead or alive! He doesn’t deserve to rot in this battlefield alone!” His words hung in the air, a raw testament to his fear and love.
Boil’s face was a mask of sympathy and exhaustion. He didn’t flinch at Cody's outburst. Instead, he simply met his commander’s gaze with a steady, unwavering resolve. "I want to find him too, Commander. He's my general. My friend," Boil said, his voice softer now. "But we're no use to him out here, stranded and in the open. The Seppies could be coming back any minute."
He paused, letting the truth of his words sink in. "We need to get back to the base. We need to get checked out, to make a plan. We can't help him if we're dead."
Boil slowly knelt down, holding out a hand to Cody. "Come on, Commander. Let’s go home."
Cody stared at the outstretched hand for a long moment, seeing in it not just a lifeline but a promise. A promise that this wasn't the end, that there was still hope. With a shaky breath, he took it. Boil’s grip was firm and sure as he pulled Cody to his feet.
Supporting him with an arm around his shoulder, Boil helped Cody walk. The trek back to base was a blur of pain and grief, the only anchor in the swirling storm of Cody's thoughts was the steady, comforting presence of his brother at his side. He didn't look back at the swirling smoke, at the silent, burning tomb of his hopes. He just put one foot in front of the other, following Boil’s lead, one step at a time.
The makeshift medical tent was a chaotic, fluorescent-lit beacon against the growing dusk. Dazed and limping, Cody was guided by Boil toward the entrance. A medic with familiar red markings, Helix, saw them approaching. His expression, usually calm, was etched with concern. He quickly took over, placing a hand on Cody’s uninjured arm and gently but firmly taking him from Boil.
"Commander, over here," Helix said, his voice all business. "Boil, get to triage. We've got a lot of wounded."
Cody felt himself being lowered onto a stretcher, the rough canvas of it a sudden, jarring reality. He tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea washed over him, and Helix’s hands were on his shoulders, holding him down.
"Easy, Commander. You took a hard hit. Let me check for concussion," Helix said, his fingers deftly removing Cody’s helmet.
Cody pushed his hands away. "No. I have to go back. We have to find him. Obi-Wan… he's still out there." The words came out in a desperate jumble, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the tent, as if he could will himself back to the battlefield.
Helix paused, his eyes meeting Cody’s. The medic’s expression softened for a brief moment before hardening with professional resolve. "I know, Commander. We all do. But you're no good to him like this. We'll send out a proper search party, a full-scale sweep, as soon as the wounded are stabilized. I promise." He held up a medscanner, its light a cool comfort against the searing heat of Cody's grief. "But first, we treat everyone. Then we make a plan. One step at a time."
Cody’s gaze remained fixed on the entrance of the medical tent, his mind replaying the image of the explosion. "He told me we would do this together," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "Whatever happens… we do it together."
Helix, still holding the medscanner, saw the glassy look in Cody’s eyes, the way his body was finally surrendering to exhaustion and the shock of the hit he had taken. As Helix began to check for internal injuries, Cody mumbled again, a soft plea now. "He’s out there… he’s waiting."
The last word was a barely audible sigh as Cody's eyelids fluttered and closed. His body went limp, the tension that had been holding him together finally giving way. The silence of his unconsciousness was more profound than any noise, a sudden and terrible quiet that settled over the medical tent, broken only by the whirring of the medscanner in Helix’s hand and the soft cries of the wounded.
Cody’s eyes fluttered open slowly, the world coming into focus as a blurry mix of beige tent canvas and bright, pulsing lights. His head throbbed, a dull, rhythmic ache that made him wince. He took a moment to let his mind catch up, the smell of antiseptic and scorched metal confirming his location. He was in the medical tent, lying on a stretcher, a thin blanket pulled up to his chest.
“You’re awake. That’s good.” Helix’s voice was calm and steady as he stepped into view. He was holding a datapad, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Took a pretty nasty hit, Commander. You had a concussion, a bad one. Sprained your ankle, too. You're lucky that’s all it was.”
Cody closed his eyes, a familiar knot of dread tightening in his gut. The memories of the mission, of the fight, of the desperate search, came rushing back in a painful wave. The feeling of being thrown through the air, the bright flash of light, the roar of the explosion. And Obi-Wan.
He opened his eyes, a single question on his lips. “Obi-Wan. Did you find him?”
Helix's composure faltered. He looked away, his gaze shifting to the floor, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. “Commander, we... we haven't.”
The words were a hammer blow. Cody’s heart sank, a cold, empty feeling spreading through his chest.
“A team is out searching,” Helix continued, his voice softer now. “They’re doing a full grid sweep of the blast zone. We’re not giving up, Commander. I promise you that.” He placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder, a silent offering of comfort and hope.
Cody shook his head, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He ignored the dizzying protest from his head and the sharp stab of pain from his ankle. "I'm going to search, too," he said, his voice flat with resolve. He started to swing his legs over the side of the stretcher.
"No, you're not." Helix's voice was firm, and his hands were on Cody’s shoulders, pushing him back down with surprising strength. "You're staying put."
Cody tried to argue, "But-"
"I’m a medic, Commander," Helix interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, no-nonsense tone. "I'm outside the chain of command. You need to rest. You’ve got a bad concussion. You are of no use to anyone like this, let alone a search party. Now sit down. That’s an order.”
Cody met Helix’s gaze, seeing the stubborn refusal to budge. He knew the medic was right, even though he hated it. Defeated, he slowly leaned back, the mattress of the stretcher soft and unforgiving against his aching body. He let out a long, shaky breath, the familiar weight of helplessness settling over him.