Setting the crate down, Jango smiled at his son as Boba came rushing down the ramp Slave 1, quickly checking his father for injuries. Ever since that fateful day on Geonosis, Boba had become rather protective of his buir and had not wanted to leave him alone for any missions.
Not that it was a hardship, not really, Boba was skilled but going into a clone camp…
Well, he would have stuck out and Boba realized it.
Didn’t mean he hadn’t worried and that was why Jango allowed the pat down, despite just wanting to load up the crate and get out of the damn body glove. He had already ditched the armor but he hadn’t wanted to run around nude. “I’m fine Boba, no one noticed me.” He soothed quietly, inwardly keeping his uncertainties to himself.
He actually wasn’t sure about that, even as Boba grumbled slightly and glared up at him with that adorable pout he had yet to grow out of.
While leaving the camp, he had felt like someone was following him, felt eyes in the back of his neck but…
Well, he hadn’t seen anyone, every clone around him rushing around doing their own things and the Jedi were all busy.
Well, except for Kenobi, he hadn’t seen him at all except for in passing when the man had entered his tent with his dragon around his neck, two black and silver painted clones following him. A bit strange honestly, they were the only two with black and silver on them at all, all the others had blue and yellow or completely bare armor but Jango had no interest in Jedi.
“We should leave then, we got enough supplies to head for the next system.” Boba spoke up, huffing a tad before bending and picking up the crate before Jango could, a smile crossing his lips.
Opening his mouth, Jango was about to answer when the trees rustled at a breeze… but it was the voice that spoke up that stopped both Fett’s in their tracks.
“Well, hello there,” A posh drawl echoed and Jango turned on his heel, firing in the direction of the voice on auto pilot. The blast echoed into the trees but there was no cry of pain, only a low chuckle. “Ah, I can throw my voice, so you won’t be able to hit me by shooting at my voice.” The voice continued, suddenly on the opposite side of the camp.
Jango gritted his teeth at that, pushing his son behind his back. “Come out.” He snarled.
The same voice chuckled again. “Admittedly, when I noticed what I thought was a rat in camp, I had to wonder,” The voice continued, Jango grinding his teeth hard with his blaster aimed at the trees. He couldn’t lower his guard even if he couldn’t see the person. “But to find out the rat was Jango Fett himself… well, it seems like I just came across a golden opportunity, oh Mand’alor.”
Jango froze.
He hadn’t been called that in years, decades even.
Not even the few Haat Mando’ade survivors he could find to recruit as trainers for the clones had called him that, mostly on Jango’s own wishes.
Now a Coruscantian High accented voice called him it.
‘…It has to be Kenobi. He’s the only one it could be, that could have followed me without a trace and has that kind of accent.’ Jango was sweating inside his body glove, the prosthetic of his throat working hard as he swallowed. “…There is no Mand’alor.” Jango answered instead, levering his blaster higher when he heard a small rustle.
There was an agreeing hum. “No… there is not. There’s a Duchess… did you know I was on Mandalore during the civil war and succession crisis?” It was Kenobi for sure then, though Jango’s brows raised a bit at learning he had been there.
But he didn’t say anything, simply kept Boba behind him as the breeze rustled the trees of the clearing again.
“I’ll take your silence as a no, but I was. The Republic sent Jedi to protect the Kryze you see, finding them the better alternative,” Scorn was dripping of Kenobi’s voice and Jango blinked, thoughts pausing slightly. “It was, compared to the Kyr’tsad of course, but it wasn’t what the people wanted. But between a despot pacifist and a murderous tyrant, what could they do…”
It was like lighting from clear sky. “You… don’t like Kryze.” He stated numbly.
The Jedi didn’t like Kryze, a figurehead for peace, someone he clearly knew by the way he was talking. He must have even personally guarded her, Jango knew there was a rumor about the Duchess and a Jedi.
But to call her a despot…
There was a loud snort in answer. “Satine is a woman of her words and her convictions, she’s strong in those… but if you aren’t willing to pick up a weapon to defend, to proclaim neutrality when others suffer, then I have no regards for them.” Kenobi stated strongly.
Numbly, Jango’s blaster slowly sunk and he glanced down at Boba behind his back, large brown eyes looking back up at him worriedly, clearly remembering the last time they encountered Jedi. “…What do you want?” Jango asked.
Kenobi could have stopped him at any moment if the theft of supplies was important.
Instead he had followed Jango, had made no move or reference to the stolen goods, outside of calling Jango a rat.
Away from the other clones, away from the other Jedi, away from camp.
There was a long pause before there was a rustle and Kenobi dropped from the trees, landing smoothly in the opening of the trees Jango himself had entered. Cool green eyes looked calculating and considerably at Jango, as if dissecting him.
Though, Jango was doing the same back.
His feathered dragon was wrapped around the Jedi’s neck, peering at Jango with curious wide eyes. The man’s hair was up in the faux mohawk with his helix piercing on display he had seen earlier and he was sporting the sleeveless black shirt and grey leggings that went with his black boots.
His lightsaber was on his belt.
The weapon was in full view but not in his hands.
Not a danger yet even if the man in front of him was extremely capable and extremely dangerous.
Kenobi placed his index finger to his chin and his thumb below it, rubbing lightly. “…I think that for now, I simply want a chat Jango Fett.” He stated before reaching for his saber.
Jango tensed only to jerk to when Kenobi threw his saber at him, catching the hilt of silver and black by reflex more than anything.
Kenobi didn’t need his saber to kill… but he had thrown it into Jango’s hands.
A gesture of good will?
Jango slowly looked at him, looked at Boba behind him again then back to the Jedi. “…Alright, come inside, we can speak over shig.” He settled on, watching as a slow but satisfied smile crossed the others lips.
Lowering his pad slowly, Cody stared at Helix, wondering tiredly how much information like this he could handle before his heart burst. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” He stated quietly.
“Chlamydia,” Helix repeated, sounding equally tired. “I got ping in my reports today, got confused for a moment since none of the other medics had logged anything about the vode but then… I noticed it was from the temple.” He rubbed his hand tiredly over his face.
Sitting back in his chair, Cody ran his hand over his face too.
Obi-Wan had chlamydia, his stint at the Rotunda had left even more marks than the visible ones. “…So that’s why I haven’t heard from him or seen him.” He whispered quietly, wishing more than ever that he could just… take a break.
But he couldn’t.
They were SO close.
So close to their goal, everything was in position, all the troopers on Coruscant had gone through the nanobot treatment and the ‘blanket’ was almost done.
When their operation went down, the slicers of the troopers were going to be set in motion, making it a blackout for all information to and from Coruscant, to avoid any senators sending of information or calling for aid.
Or for certain people to activate the clone chips of those that had yet to have it deactivated.
It didn’t change his desire to be able to take a break and go see Obi-Wan though, sit with him, have tea maybe.
‘Tea and hot scones… when this is all done… when… when the coup d’etat is done…’ Cody turned his head to look longingly at one of the floating gardens of Coruscant. Wrapped in a little protective bubble, clean and fresh with trees and plants and some of them even had running water.
He wanted to take Obi-Wan to one, sit with him in quiet peace, promise his Jedi safety.
Promise the entire order safety.
Sit with Obi-Wan with quiet calmness around them, fresh scones from one of Coruscant’s upper bakeries and tea and caff respectively for each of them, being able to relax for once in their damn lives.
And Cody also wanted the satisfaction of knowing he provided Obi-Wan safety. Perhaps a tad selfish of him, but his Jedi meant the world to him, to the entire 212th and Cody wanted the other to feel secure.
Especially on the planet where his home belonged.
To know that Obi-Wan could come and go without worry of being violated, of catching the eye of some sleazy Senator. That Obi-Wan could feel secure and happy that Anakin and Ahsoka was safe, that he could sit and read and not worry.
That Cody could sit with his Jedi and simply… exist.
‘…But not yet. There is still much to do before I rest and so little time.’ Cody turned his head back to Helix. “Alright, so we know why we haven’t seen our Jedi again, he’s likely resting and we know antibiotic messes with his systems,” Cody and Helix sighed together, equally fond and exasperated. “Now, has there been anymore information about the Senators that have started eyeing up troopers?” Cody returned to being the Vod’alor, being responsible and being there for the GAR.
Helix grimaced before nodding. “So far, they haven’t managed to single out a trooper, as far as we know. Fox has ensured that all of his guards are walking in groups of three or four, to prevent them being picked out by anyone with… suspect interests, but I doubt nothing has happened, there’s just too many of us and too many Senators for there to be no incident.” Helix stated grimly.
Cody had to agree to that, nodding slowly. ‘Fox must be very angry, I wouldn’t be shocked if there are more dead Senators now, he’s very protective of his boys.’
Likely, several troopers had experienced the same thing as the Jedi but were hiding it. Cody knew that Fox was trying his best to check with all his men, as were the other leaders but…
Well, unless the victims themselves stepped forward, figuring it out would be hard if a brother was hiding it.
‘But troopers wouldn’t be able to avoid medical help like Jedi do, healing using the Force and such… and vode aren’t meant to be alone. We’re raised together, train together, sleep together… die together. Its going to come out sooner or later, who has been hurt.’ It meant at the very least, no trooper had been injured as severely as the Jedi before had been.
No broken bones or large wounds but there were other ways to harm and hurt a person after all.
Cody once more glanced longingly at the floating garden closest to the barracks.
He had often felt that it was a deliberate taunt.
Placing the garden so close they could see it but knowing they weren’t allowed to enter it, not without special permission.
There were many days he wished he could go back to being just CC-2224, when the responsibilities laid heavy and hard, when the death of his own vode hurt just so much.
But in that moment… he wanted to be Cody.
To sit on the grass with a clear blue sky in the distance and Obi-Wan leaning against his side, warm and steady, his breathing slow and his heart calm.
‘…Soon.’ He reminded himself again, shaking himself slightly as he looked up at Helix standing in front of his desk. “I agree. That’s why we have to be ready. Those who have been hurt will need us, their vode, to help and care. Just as we’ve done for the Jedi. Hopefully, they’ll feel more comfortable coming forward once the Senators are dealt with or their natborn officers.” Cody stated calmly, his mind flashing to Tarkin.
Sighing, Helix nodded too before turning his head to look out Cody’s office window too. “…There’s a large, red sun setting,” He stated slowly, frowning slightly and Cody curiously peered at the setting sun too. Helix was right, it was bright red. “…The General once told me, that a red sun setting often proclaimed violence to come in many cultures.” Helix whispered, staring at the sun.
Cody tilted his head.
He wasn’t sure if he believed that, it was after all just a part of the celestial bodies with no thought of its own except for reflecting rays but…
Well, the sun wasn’t wrong.
Violence was coming for sure, Cody knew that several Senators would not be leaving the Rotunda come two days time, several would be ‘accidental’ casualties in the coup. Then there would be those that would fight, many of those would also die.
The memory of Obi-Wan’s broken body in his arms spurred Cody on and his lips pulled taut into a white, bloodless line. ‘They will all burn, I’ll make sure of that. They will rue the day they thought to touch a Jedi.’
“Ah, one more thing,” Cody returned his attention to Helix, the CMO tapping at his thigh plate slowly. “A few of the CIS Senators that we were going to take out are already deceased.” He stared seriously at Cody.
Cody cocked his brows in surprise. “Oh, natural deaths?” He wondered, a tad bitterly only to blink when Helix shook his head slowly, a smirk curling on his lips.
Only one word came from the medic. “Dooku.”
Freezing, staring at Helix, Cody breathed out. ‘…Former Jedi master, Yan Dooku… Oh.’
“Anakin.” Obi-Wan’s voice had gone soft, and his hand was warm on
Anakin’s arm. “There is no other Jedi I would rather have at my side
right now. No other man.”
Anakin turned, and found within
Obi-Wan’s eyes a depth of feeling he had only rarely glimpsed in all
their years together; and the pure uncomplicated love that rose up
within him then felt like a promise from the Force itself.
[image ID: Digital art of Din and Paz fighting. Din is levying a kick at Paz and Paz has fallen back on one arm to dodge it. Both Paz and Din are shirtless and shoeless, though they are still wearing their helmets. In the background, the Armorer is standing with arms akimbo. She yells, “Vizsla! Djarin! What did I say about fighting in the armory?” to which they simultaneously respond, “He started it!” /end ID]
“On Tatooine, fruit is something of a rare commodity. So, finding it, peeling it, and feeding it to someone is a significant act of love. My mother fed me fruit, I guess I fell into the habit too…” – In which Ahsoka, Rex and Obi-wan ask why Anakin always gives them fruit.
–
Its about the softness yall, the non-verbal forms of little love– I had this thought like a week ago and had to draw it out, im totally not obsessed with star wars… He cares them… and I care him
edit- fixed some of the lighting so Rex should look darker now!
SWpromptsandask 