#max: cody wants his older brother dead | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

siennahrobek · 3 years

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Future Past

4/5 BBY

Ben stared at Cody, his face scrunched up in something of pain and the ever-aching sting of betrayal. This…was something he had never understood, why the clones had betrayed them, the jedi, him. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, he did understand something, to some extent. He had led those boys to war, to their deaths. It may have not been the Jedi way, but he knew others could want their pound of flesh. He just didn’t think the younglings and babies deserved that same fate. He shuddered just thinking about it.

“Cody…” he murmured, aggrieved.

The former commander did not even twitch at the sound of his name, if he even recognized it all. There was practically nothing in his eyes, just dark circles underlying them like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Ben didn’t really know what possessed him to do anything, but he reached out with the Force towards his mind…

Only to find nothing there.

It had been near fourteen years since Ben had last seen Cody, of course, but he still knew what he felt like. But where his determined and steadfast orange-yellow-gold shine used to be, was replaced with oily and slimy darkness; an abyss of nothing.

That was impossible. Unless….

Ben’s thoughts were interrupted by a fist to his face.

He fell back to the floor, surprised as Cody struck at him again in near the same spot. “Use of the Force is prohibited and punishable,” his monotonous voice announced. Ben tried to scramble away, but Cody pinned him down with another blow, there was a brief crack to his ribs.

There was another blow.

And another.

Ben lashed out, desperately, both physically and with the Force which threw Cody back into the door. It wasn’t hard, it was easy to stand back up and stand the former commander did, but Ben rushed towards him, flipping over his shoulder and holding him to the ground. “Strop struggling,” Ben hissed as he tightened his grip.

“Good soldiers follow orders,” was the reply.

Ben just sighed. “I’m sorry,” he stretched out his hand, nearly getting thrown off in the process and whispered “sleep.”

Cody flopped over, unconscious.

Ben sighed and sat down on the floor, his back hitting the wall behind him. He let out a large breath and closed his eyes, running a hand through his thinning hair. This…what was this? What possessed him to do this, to reach for Cody’s previously familiar presence. Sure, there was nothing there at first glance but surely, he had to be mistaken. After he recollected himself, Ben leaned forward and reached out with his hand and the Force.

He reached.

And reached.

He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or horrified that he couldn’t find anything in Cody’s presence, or his mind. Perhaps it was both.

How could there be nothing there? Droids and machines were really the only things that could move and speak without having anything in their minds, being completely immune to any force suggestions or anything of the sort. And he knew that his old commander was certainly not a droid.

He had seen and felt his commander bleed too many times for that.

It had to be something else.

***

Luke and Boil had deviated from Ahsoka – she insisted to called Fulcrum no matter what – as she left to go distract Darth Vader. Neither one knew exactly what she did, but by the time they had gotten to the prison area, the dark cyborg was storming away, a dark cloud following him.

They took down the guards through a lot of the prison ward, pushing them in cells and locking them inside, whether they ended up dead or unconscious. It was quick work and although Boil rarely hesitated to shoot his fellow stormtroopers, Luke worked more with hand-to-hand combat, knocking them unconscious instead. It was something Ben could teach him on the ship, as they barely had enough room, but it was something useful. Luke had only wished they did more lightsaber sparring, but that was impossible in the space provided. The two of them eventually found the cell that held Ben – it was fairly evident due to the number of guards at the door.

It didn’t slow them down.

Boil certainly knew how to fight alongside a jedi.

It took a few moments to figure out how to open the cell door but when they did, they found Ben kneeling on the side of a purge trooper. He looked up at the movement of the door, his eyes widening as he saw who was there.

“Luke!”

“BEN!” Luke cried and threw himself forward.

“Behind you!”

Boil quickly tore off his helmet. “Sir, General! It’s me. It’s Boil! I’m okay-.”

General Kenobi – Ben relaxed immediately, and Luke threw himself into the older man’s arms, already crying rather loudly. He took to him and wrapped his arms around the boy. Ben tucked Luke under him as much as he could, holding him close.

“I’m so sorry, Ben, I’m so sorry,” Luke was all tears and snot by this point, apologizing every second as if that would undo everything that had been done at this point.

“It is alright, dear one,” Ben whispered, running a hand through Luke’s blonde locks.

“I never should have doubted you, you told me not to trust anyone and I….I broke all of your rules, I’m so sorry!”

“Luke, what you did was against my rules, yes, but we are alive, and you have even found some friends. We are currently uninjured. What happened has happened and we cannot change it so let us move on and do what we can, alright?” Ben explained, his voice kind and soft, full of such understanding and patience that made Boil miss back when he and his brothers were at General Kenobi’s side. Luke was different than General Skywalker in a lot of ways but their impulsivity tended to shine in both boys.

Boil stepped forward, just enough that he wasn’t in the hall. “Sir, General. There is something you should know,” he tried, uncharacteristically uneasy and stuttering. He looked around, ashamed and his hands gripping the helmet so hard he thought it would break. “We never would have shot you down. We-.”

“Were forced,” Ben finished with a nod, sympathetic and sorrowful. “I realized that when I reached for Cody’s presence here and found nothing in his mind.”

“Luke slammed me into a wall.” Boil suggested with a small but amused smile. It was partially amused. His head hurt, sure, but it got him out from that control and therefore, Boil would carry that pain with honor and without complaint. There wasn’t a complaint to be had; he had his mind again.

Ben smirked faintly at the attempt of humor; it was appreciated. “So, it is probably something in the brain, a chip of some kind. That seems to be the most likely scenario,” he turned to the boy and ran a hand through his hair once more. “Luke, I need you to reach for Cody, his presence. Focus on him with all your might and concentration. We may be able to find the offending device and disable it.”

“A-Are you sure, Ben?”

“Yes, I’m not powerful enough to do this by myself and you lack the precision. Together.”

The two of them kneeled next to the former commander, their hands outstretched. Boil had no idea what they were doing but he could feel some kind of pressure in the air. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” Ben mumbled, concentrating hard.

“I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” Ben repeated, Luke speaking in unison with him. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.”

They repeated the mantra several more times. Boil stepped out of the cell and looked around, standing guard while they worked so they couldn’t be surprised with anyone who came around and too curious. Hopefully they would be successful, Boil knew they would need to move, and he would much rather not leave a brother behind. Especially not one of those closest to him.

He glanced inside, his brows scrunching. He had been on this ship for quite some time. Of course, he didn’t really have a train of thought to follow, as his will was not his own, but he hadn’t realized that Cody had been here. A purge trooper no doubt. Why Cody as a purge trooper? Boil couldn’t imagine what the higher ups were thinking; rarely were clones applied to such a position. Cody was good, of course, but…

The realization hit him harder than he had expected.

What a purge trooper was.

A purge trooper hunted jedi.

His heart sank. Boil swallowed heavily and glanced back, briefly. Even if they freed Cody from his prison… how would he react? Boil hadn’t personally killed any of the jedi, he hadn’t even known about General Kenobi being shot down until long after the deed had been done. How would Cody feel, knowing he was trained and sent out to murder the jedi?

Boil felt sick.

Luke was suddenly right next to him. “We think we did it,” he confessed rather quietly. “But we won’t know if it worked until he woke up.”

“Will that take much time?” Boil croaked.

“A few minutes, max,” he answered, just as quiet.

Cody came to just a moment later, muttered to himself, tears already running down silently as he awoke. He knew what was happening and the years of suffering and heartache were coming back to a place where he could act and react, to where he could express. He couldn’t stop the tears. Boil knew how that felt. Upon opening his eyes and seeing Ben, his tears turned into quite sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry sir. I’m so sorry.”

“You are forgiven, for what it is worth, old friend,” Ben assured, quietly, kneeling next to him. “I didn’t blame you.”

“Please don’t haunt me sir. I don’t think I could take it.”

Ben frowned. “Cody. I am no hallucination nor a ghost. I am alive. I survived.”

Cody’s face scrunched up, disbelieving, as he shook his head.

“I swear, my dear,” Ben swore, taking his hand. Cody just stared at it, wide eyed and shocked. His own hands were shaking.

“Impossible.”

“I mean, its General Kenobi, commander. It shouldn’t be that surprisingly,” Boil snickered as he walked in, leaning against the doorway. He glanced back into the hallway, but his attention was on his former commander.

“Boil?” Cody blinked blankly.

“In the flesh, sir,” Boil saluted, a bit messily.

“This is real,” Cody noted, blinking rapidly, as if it would change in an instant.

“That it is,” Ben nodded and got to his feet, helping Cody and pulling him up to his feet and keeping him balanced. “But we must be moving if we are to escape the ship.”

“The ship…” Cody muttered, his gaze flitting around the floor before his eyes flew up to Ben’s in a realization the other soldier and boy didn’t understand. “Vader! Sir-!”

“I know,” Ben interrupted, flat but quiet. “I know, Cody.”

“Well, I don’t,” Boil pointed out with a small snort. “What about Vader?”

“…stay as far as you can from him,” Cody confirmed, staring straight at Ben. Whatever passed between them, Boil didn’t know, and they weren’t telling. Surely what Cody was saying was obvious and not what he had meant initially. It was something between him and the general and Boil didn’t mind, not as long as it didn’t hurt their chances of getting off the force-forsaken destroyer. “Chances are if we get into a confrontation with him, we die.”

The four of them got out of the prison ward as quickly as they could. Cody and Boil were certainly an asset, knowing the layout of the ship. They dodged soldiers the best they could but fought as soundlessly as they could when they had to. Luke was in between staying close to Ben and trying to get close to Cody, with his eyes shining. He couldn’t help but try to ask questions in the quiet and slow moments of their escape.

“How do you know me anyways?” Cody asked, hefting the weapon at one point. He had a lightsaber, something they all noticed looked vaguely familiar in design, but he took a blaster from a fallen soldier and didn’t touch the thing.

“Oh! Ben has told me loads of stories,” Luke replied with a bright smile as they hid temporarily in a closet. Ben and Boil were across the hall, waiting for the guards to pass through. “Of all of your adventures! You’re amazing!”

They got out of the room by that point, as Boil gave them a signal. Although his feet kept moving at their pace, everything else kind of paused, stunned until he met Ben’s gaze briefly. Whatever passed between them, it couldn’t be translated but it was nothing but kind and proud. Boil couldn’t be completely annoyed with this silent communication they seemed to still have, after all, Cody had been General Kenobi’s second in command at one time. They knew each other well.

They had eventually got close to the hanger bay where the ship was parked. Although it wasn’t actually in the dock, it was very close. Luke hadn’t exactly told them about the person that brought him here except that Bail Organa had sent them and they went by the name Fulcrum. He would glance at Ben once in a while when her name came up, but he didn’t give her up.

They were so close.

They thought they would make it.

Luke was first, moving towards the entrance to the ship, with Ben right behind him, Boil bringing up the flank. Vader approached and the entrance to the ship closed tightly as he held out his hand, using the Force to prevent their escape.

Ben put his hand on his saber, ready to use it. Luke had found it near the guard station, where Vader had temporarily put it due to his immediate attention bringing drawn elsewhere. The master hadn’t used it during their escape. Cody couldn’t imagine why.

“Of course,” Vader hissed through his vocoder.

Cody glanced at the ship and then at Vader. Again. Again. He…he knew what he had to do.

In a dead sprint, he bolted in the opposite direction, away from the ship and away from his general and brother.

“Cody!” Luke shouted.

“Cody?” Ben’s voice rose. A second later, “Cody! No!”

Instead, the former commander shot a few rounds at Vader before throwing the gun away. He needed to distract Vader as long as he could. The beast battled the bolts away easily but his grip on the entrance had wavered. Close. Not quite enough.

Cody wanted to say he hated the feel of this saber; the one he had been using as a Purge Trooper, one that had trained amongst Inquisitors. There were few purge troopers that trained with the darksiders, as they generally used double ended electrostaffs but for some reason, Cody had been singled out by Vader. He kept the former commander close, got him trained with a saber. It was easy, he supposed, since he had already had some of the basics down from his time working with General Kenobi, going through katas and even sparring with him on occasion. Cody had never been entirely sure why Vader had chosen him. He knew who the Sith was, to him it was apparent. Vader always came across as obsessive and he wanted people to hurt. Cody just wasn’t sure who he was trying to hurt. Cody, General Kenobi, or Vader himself.

But he couldn’t completely hate the hilt of the saber, because the design was reminiscent of General Kenobi’s and that was a saber he was used to holding. It was so natural in his hand; nearly a comfort.

He held it in his hand and ignited the red blade, moving into an opening stance that he had been using during his training. Then he threw himself at Vader, swinging the saber as hard as he could.

Vader was much too strong. Cody’s own strength would never hold, as well built and solid as he was, and he knew it. He had blocked a few blows, but the monster of a man was pushing him hard. It took everything the older commander had not to be tossed away like a ragdoll, but he was being pushed back.

“Commander!” Boil yelled. “Get out of there now!”

“Go, Boil, get them out of here!” Cody shouted, gritting his teeth as he slashed against Vader, only to be blocked too easily.

“Not without you, sir!” Boil hollered back.

“That’s an order!” Cody replied, in something of a growl and a yell.

Boil’s heart was breaking, and everyone knew it. But he turned into the ship, shoving the boys inside.

The last thing Cody saw was Ben and Luke’s horrified expressions…

Before Vader slashed down with his saber through Cody’s shoulder, taking his head.

***

Boil flew the ship. It felt like he had lost the last of his brothers. He was numb. They all were.

Ben and Luke had crumpled to the floor from where Boil had pushed them inside and hadn’t moved since. It took hours to get back to the planet that they had come from, to retrieve their own ship. They had left ‘Fulcrum’s’ where Luke had first entered, not too far from the pirate base. Ben hadn’t even asked Luke what had happened between passing out and awaking in front of Vader.

There was nothing really to bury aside from a black helmet, but Luke insisted on creating a grave anyways. They found a little, mostly uninhabited planet where Ben, Boil and Luke had created a little marker near a tree in the middle of nowhere. They had set the helmet on the site, but Boil through Cody would have preferred to burn the damn thing. It was a terrible reminder. He voiced this but no one moved. Not even him.

Only a few hours were spent there before they all returned to Ben’s ship and took off. There was no real destination in mind, just to keep away from the Empire, to keep away from Vader. They had somehow lost him, between Fulcrum’s dismantling of their hyperdrive and the other chaos she had caused afterwards. The distraction and work had been appreciated.

There was little talk at first before Luke started carving into a little wooden block. There was a few around the ship, used as props generally, or just stacked in his room. The carves were slow and precise and he would watch Luke’s tongue slip out of his mouth a little when he was concentrating. It was almost an amusing sight. Boil didn’t know what the boy was making, and Luke wasn’t telling.

So, he didn’t ask.

Ben’s ship was tiny to the point that having three people inhabit it was a bit of a stretch and more than just a little squished. More of than not, Boil had to cuddle up with Luke during the night hours, as there wasn’t much room in the way of sleeping areas. Boil himself was used to it, as his brothers used to love large piles when sleeping, so it didn’t bother him. Luke didn’t seem to mind much either, rather taking to the new arrangement with some zeal.

True to his nature, Kenobi spent most designated sleeping hours awake instead.

It turned out Boil could not say no to Luke. When the boy had asked about his stories, whether it be about Ben or Cody or any of his brothers, Boil had barely hesitated. They were all gone now but at least he could pass on memories. That was really all a clone could do. He told him about all the good stories, snippets of friendship and loyalty, victory and glory. He told Luke about his best friend and batchmate, Waxer, and how they seemed to be the top General Kenobi retrieval specialist while Cody had been a lightsaber retrieval specialist. Where Cody always seemed to end up finding Ben’s lightsaber when he dropped it, he and Waxer had a tendency to find General Kenobi himself when it was needed.

Luke loved that. Even Ben had cracked a smile.

He told the boy about Ryloth and the little twi’lek girl they had befriended. About how she had mistrusted them at first because she was scared and starving but then she led them around and helped them in the battle that would free her village, used as human shields. He told him about how General Kenobi would carry her and how she ran to him when he had nearly died. How, when everything was said and done, when the village was free and they had to move on to the next village to help, she had waved and shouted back at them. How she called both of them brother.

The stories went through most of the vaguely better times of the war. Pranks that people used to play on one another, dares and bets and time travelled between planets. He told Luke about the one time he had been able to walk in the Jedi Temple and tried to capture how amazing it was and how Waxer had hugged a little jedi child because they loved them, and the child practically threw himself at the clone.

Luke eventually asked what happened to Waxer, once the stories ceased to include him. Boil had just kept on talking. There hadn’t been nearly as many good times when Waxer stopped being involved in them.

They used to always include him.

Ben, piloting at the time, had stiffened, but didn’t say anything.

Boil nearly started crying when he told a short tale of Umbara, the terrible dark planet, a traitor and the act of friendly fire. He didn’t give many details, he couldn’t. His voice had wavered and his hands, although set under his legs, wouldn’t stop shaking. It was one of the deaths that had hurt him the most, losing Waxer. All the clones had been Boil’s brothers, but he and Waxer were somewhat of inseparable. At least, he had thought that once.

Luke had plastered himself to Boil’s side by the time he was done, half hugging him and cuddling up to his side as if that would take all of the horrible feelings and grief away. It didn’t, of course, but a Jedi had a way of making one feel like everything was going to be alright, that in the end, you would be with loved ones again.

There had been a long time of silence for the next set of sleeping hours. Ben would try to catch Boil’s gaze to say something, but it often came out in silence. Rather, he often ended up putting his hand on the clone’s shoulder. Boil had appreciated the silence, actually, as there was little to say on the matter. He didn’t need apologies; it was a fact of war. It had been a long time ago and he had heard enough words from Luke.

Boil, for all that had happened, had not expected General Kenobi to send him away.

He had not seen another clone aside from Cody in years, nearly ten. He knew most of them were probably gone, dead on backwater planets, used as cannon fodder for the Empire. Boil didn’t know what was going to happen moving forward but staying with Luke and Ben seemed like a pretty good and solid bet.

Until it wasn’t.

***

Boil had fought General Kenobi until nothing was left. He didn’t want to go. There was not a thing or person out there he knew for him except General Kenobi and his kid. Boil loved Luke. Waxer would have practically adored him; he knew for a fact. It wasn’t just that Luke was a youngster, and Waxer had a soft spot for those. It was more of the idea of how Luke was. With his curiosity and kindness, his determination and loyalty. Waxer always wanted to have more the mind of a child, where one could be open to all sorts of thoughts and ideas and magic.

He finally understood what Waxer had meant. They had talked about it a few times and before, he never really got it. Not until now. Luke had matured plenty, probably more than most, due to his status of being on the run, of being hunted. But he still had that kindness and curiosity, and he gave everything. All of his things, his heart and his soul to those he loved.

Boil had been so honored when Luke had told him that he loved him. They had been travelling for near weeks together, squished together in the ship, travelling through hyperspace and Boil never really could recall how the conversation came up.

“I love you,” Luke had said with a lopsided grin.

Boil had stared. Ben’s eyes softened into something sympathetic and sad. That should have been Boil’s first clue, looking back on it.

He didn’t think Luke had expected anything back, which made his expression all the more enjoyable when Boil had said it back. “Love ya too, kid,” he added, and near violently toiled with the boy’s blonde hair. Luke had laughed so freely and so loud, it gave them all grins and it all ended up in a little tumble around the kitchenette area.

They had ended up breaking a cup, but Ben wasn’t even mad.

It was less than a week later when Ben pulled Boil aside on a stopover planet and tried to explain what had to happen next; give Boil suggestions on where to go next. What he could do. He never seemed to give Boil the option of staying. Boil had never really entertained the idea. The ship was grey, Boil loved Ben and Luke, and he would stay. He thought that was how things were now.

“I won’t slow you down.” Boil tried as the two of them were being chased through the city by stormtroopers. Boil’s aim had never been in question and his mark hit more often than not. The stormtroopers on the other hand, it was amazing they could hit the broad side of a barn. Ben rarely pulled out his saber unless it was against another saber or training Luke and his aim wasn’t awful either.

Boil supposed he had gone undercover as a sniper once.

He matched Ben’s stride and even kept up fairly well even when the clone knew the former jedi was using the force to go faster. It was a little exhausting, but he would keep up, if only to convince the general that he could. That he wouldn’t slow them down if he just allowed Boil to stay.

“I’m used to – even comfortable with – close quarters. It doesn’t bother me.”

The ship they were travelling in was tiny. Ben often slept on the pullout couch near the kitchenette while Luke had his own little room. It wasn’t much, there was actually barely any space but Boil never, never complained. A slept in a few places a couple of times, including the pilot or co-pilot seat in the cockpit, on a chair in the kitchenette or even, just as easily, the floor wherever there was room.

It hadn’t been long until Luke dragged him into his room to share his makeshift bed. Luke had even talked about getting a hammock for him and spent plenty of time trying to figure out how it would fit. Boil didn’t sleep a whole lot anyway.

“I can be of use.”

Boil didn’t know how to do a lot of things except war. He was a soldier, through and through. But in this new galaxy, this new reality, he knew he would have to learn something else, anything else, to help and keep up. He did whatever research he could, read all of Luke’s books and Luke himself had even taught him a few skills.

The former trooper had even gotten them out of a pretty sticky situation with a whole star destroyer, getting them all away with little fanfare and no shots fired. The Empire had been none the wiser.

“I won’t slow you down, I swear. I may look old, but I’m fit, I can move.”

He was in shape, even with his rapidly greying hairs and prominent wrinkles. And Boil kept himself that way, always finding time and space to better himself physically, to work out, just to keep up and make sure he did. Luke helped him a little too, teaching Boil some of the things the Jedi used to help their own condition.

Silently he would whisper when no one else was around to hear him plead, “please, please don’t make me go.”

Boil could have sworn he had worn General Kenobi down to tears, or, at least, near there. Every time the subject was brought up, his expression had been something of remorse and sympathy, as if this was something he did regret.

“It is too dangerous,” the general had repeated for the countless time. It was often his go to when it came to rebukes of Boil’s reasons to stay. He rarely disagreed with Boil on why, he never told the clone that he didn’t think he could keep up, he never told him he wasn’t of use. It was just variations of the same answer, over and over again. “We have Vader’s attention, especially now.”

“You can use my help,” Boil insisted.

“Boil, please,” General Kenobi implored, setting job jaw with the expression of his brows and eyes near pleading. Saying no to General Kenobi was near impossible, he had realized, but he had done a pretty good job as of late.

Please don’t make me go.

I’d rather die for you or Luke than alone for nothing.

The eventual goodbye felt overwhelmingly bitter with too little of the sweet. He wanted to stay. Where was he supposed to go? What was he supposed to do?

General Kenobi would never let him.

“I value you too much to condemn you to this life I have, needlessly.”

I’m condemning myself, Boil had thought and wanted to scream. This wasn’t right, he was supposed to stay. There wasn’t anyone else out there for him. His brothers were long gone, his lifespan wouldn’t last that much longer. I want to stay with the person I have left. You could use me around. I’m useful, I swear.

“If you really want to fight the Empire,” Kenobi had tried as they waited. “Bail Organa’s rebels could use your expertise,” he offered in a desperate attempt for the former trooper to agree. “I heard Ryloth is fighting back as well. Perhaps we could contact General Syndulla to see if we can find Numa.”

It was a low blow.

Ben wouldn’t let Luke come to them for the final departure. They didn’t know the people they were meeting and so Luke would stay with the ship. The boy, obviously, did not care for this idea. But they ended up saying their goodbyes there.

Luke tried to give Boil a box of band aids, each, although dusty and old, had once been painted with a tiny twi’lek child on the front. He recognized it and nearly started to cry. He pushed the box back towards Luke.

“You’re gonna need those a lot more than I will,” he tried to joke. “Especially with your training.”

In the end, Luke had kept them but unwrapped one and curled it around Boil’s finger. Then he set a small wooden figurine in his hand. It was a tiny starfighter, one that used to be used back in the Clone Wars. There were few words that had been said but there were enough tears that had been shed in turn.

Organa ended up having them rendezvous with a small crew – The Ghost.

They were an odd sort. A twi’lek female (the pilot and brains of the crew, Boil was sure), a large cat-like beast, the most colorful Mandalorian anyone had ever even heard of, a murderous droid and a pair of….jedi?

Boil had not expected to see a jedi, much less two. Apparently, neither did anyone else.

The older one, upon seeing General Kenobi had looked shocked, his eyes wide and nearly in tears. He wasn’t dressed like a jedi, but Boil could see the parts of a lightsaber hanging from his belt. It was a little odd thing, separated from one another but it was a good cover, he supposed. His hair was fairly dark, pulled back into a little ponytail and his dark blue eyes were piercing in a way that Boil wasn’t sure he could understand.

“M-Master Obi-Wan?” the elder choked out.

“Hello, Caleb,” General Kenobi greeted warmly, tucking his hands into his sleeves. “It is very good to see you alive, well and amongst friends.”

The padawan beside the older – Caleb – looked nearly as surprised. He was rather short with a mess of blue black hair and…was that lightsaber a saber or a blaster? Boil couldn’t tell. The padawan looked up at Ben, a bit taken back. “Wait he’s…whoa.”

“I have so many questions,” Caleb confessed, his voice full of confusion.

“Unfortunately, I cannot stay long.”

“Why not?” Caleb asked, clearly disappointed and probably a bit hurt.

“We have much of Vader’s attention. It is not safe for us to be in one place long.”

It was the reasoning he had continued to give Boil over and over again; the reasoning the old clone couldn’t stay with his general and the kid. He had started to hate hearing it.

“Oh,” Caleb sighed, shoulder’s slumping as he glanced away.

“I see you have a padawan.”

“Uh…oh yeah,” the man shrugged, a bit sheepishly. He had been so caught up in seeing the older master, someone he knew, he had forgotten of other things. “This is Ezra Bridger. Ezra, this is…”

“Master Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the boy replied in a bit of awe.

“I go by Ben these days,” he chuckled but Boil had found little humor in it. “It is good to meet you, young Ezra. I have no doubt that Caleb is an excellent teacher.”

“He goes by Kanan these days,” Ezra replied with a grin. “And yes, he is an excellent teacher.” Caleb – or Kanan, Boil supposed – looked down and away, apparently unsure of the statement.

“Caleb, you should know,” Ben started, catching Caleb/Kanan’s eye and setting a hand on his shoulder. “Depa would be so proud of you. For surviving, coming back and helping those who need it.”

“I don’t know…”

“Trust me,” Ben insisted. “She was my friend, and I knew her quite well. Do not doubt her pride and love for you.”

Boil had no idea where he had come from, the newest presence. He had barely recognized him specifically. After not seeing another clone brother for so long, they were all too familiar and completely strange to him all at the same time.

“Goodness – Rex is that you?”

Past Present

Commander Cody’s expression turned professional and calm in an instant as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He clipped his helmet to his belt, keeping it off and moved towards Luke, who standing in front of Ben as straight as he could. Shoulders back, feet width apart, Luke reminded himself. He couldn’t help it; Cody had that type of presence.

As the Commander got closer, he stopped and looked at Luke up and down. “I know who you are.”

Luke blinked blankly. That could have meant any number of things. It partially made Luke a bit uneasy but then he reminded himself that this was commander Cody. It would be fine. “I…I’m sorry? Did you…did you travel here too?”

Cody shook his head, and it was followed by a shallow shrug. “You look just like Skywalker when he was young.”

Luke had not expected that. Had the first time Luke met Cody; had he known right off the bat? If anyone had guessed who his father was, no one had ever made it known to him. No one had told him that they knew. He didn’t realize it was so apparent. “H-How?”

“General Kenobi showed some holos a few years ago,” he added, calmly. “Can’t say I’m entirely surprised. He and Senator Amidala aren’t exactly the subtle type. What I am surprised at is that you don’t want to talk with your father more. Rex has told me how you and General Skywalker have interacted. It’s more suspicion with some curiosity. One would think it would be the other way around.”

“Don’t…” Luke grimaced. “Let’s not call him that, okay? No one besides you and me know and I think it would bring a whole lot more problems than it would solve at the moment. Definitely bring a lot more questions and accusations.”

“Alright. I can understand that,” Commander Cody nodded.

“The future…isn’t great,” Luke started uneasily.

“I gathered that as well.”

“But…I have an idea of a plan.”

“The Skywalker I know tends not to think or plan and although many times success is stumbled into, many tend to get killed,” Cody replied, calmly, raising an eyebrow.

“I was raised by a Kenobi,” Luke started but nearly took it back. His father had also been raised by Ben. “I know you don’t trust me,” he admitted begrudgingly. “And I get that. But…this… this is so much bigger than you, than me, than anything. And if I am going to succeed on saving the jedi, the troopers, the galaxy, Ben,” he emphasized. “I need help. I can’t do it alone. And Ben trusts you so much. Please help me, Commander Cody, you might just be my only hope.”

Cody straightened and his gaze softened. He had definitely been won over. “And I suppose you have it, kid. What do you need from me?”

Luke’s smile was practically blinding, it was so bright. It was a great distraction that Luke had learned to use many years ago.

The needle slid in carefully into his arm and Commander Cody clearly hadn’t seen it coming, especially considering the stiffening of his body and the turn to stare at the teenager, surprised and betrayed.

He would have to understand. Later.

“Sorry, Cody,” Luke apologized as the commander quickly turned drowsy. “I don’t have a perfect handle on sleep suggestions yet. This should take but a moment.”

As the commander collapsed, Luke did his best to catch him, although Cody’s bulk weight really just brought Luke down with him. It took plenty of struggle, but Luke finally managed to drag the body over to the medical scanner. “Alright,” he huffed, leaning against the equipment. “Can you do a continuous deep scan? Something is going to pop up and I need you to remove it,” he told the nearby stationed medical droid.

“Of course sir,” came the monotonous reply.

Luke leaned forward, stretching a hand forth towards the commander and reached.

Please, help me.

He reached and reached and reached.

He knew he couldn’t disable it by himself, only with Ben’s precision and Luke’s power had the two been able to disable the chip the first time without actual surgery. And Ben wasn’t exactly in a position to help this time around.

Trust in the Force, Luke.

It will guide your hand.

Luke took a deep breath and placed a hand on Cody’s head, cautiously and delicately, barely touching skin. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” he whispered as he reached out into the clone’s presence and form. He reached and reached.

He repeated the mantra and this time, Cody muttered alongside and in unison with him as Luke continued to reach within the Force. He could do this. Just reach. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.”

It was a few, rather long moments until anything happened. Luke repeated himself, with Cody’s voice with him in time. “Anomaly detected,” the medical droid announced.

Luke could only sigh in relief as his grip pulled away. It worked.

“Permission to remove?”

“Yes, yes please remove it,” he murmured, giving into a small yawn.

The surgery had taken a lot less time than Luke had anticipated. Of course, most surgeries he had seen or knew about were very old fashioned without good and modern tools. He nearly collapsed in the chair when the droid announced the success of the surgery. He had an ally now. Arfour was mostly a backup, although he enjoyed her candor and investigative prowess that would aid him, but it was nice to know he had a flesh and bone being with him as well. One who could now no longer be brainwashed into trying to kill the jedi, including Ben, given the order.

The recovery time was short too, although to Luke it had felt a bit like forever. Some of it was because of the sedative, although he didn’t use much. Soon enough, Commander Cody began to awaken, groaning with no doubt a bit of a pounding headache. He tried to sit up and Luke got to his side to assist. “What did you do to me, kid?”

“I’m sorry,” Luke apologized, genuine as he met commander Cody’s eyes. “I didn’t know if the Sith could tell if I told you about them. I had to remove it first.”

“Remove what?” The confusion was authentic.

“A chip in your brain that brainwashes you and overrides any sense of self, loyalty or choice,” he replied bluntly, his gaze rather sympathetic.

Cody’s expression was priceless. If it hadn’t been for the situation, Luke probably would have laughed. After meeting him the first time and all of Ben’s stories, it didn’t seem like it could have been possible, this coming from him. “What?” Cody muttered.

“I have a lot to tell you,” Luke admitted as he stood back. Cody sat up further and brought his legs back over to the side of the cot. “Well, sort of. Ben was a bit tight lipped about the downfall of the Republic, the Jedi and the clone troopers but I will tell you what I do know.”

“The downfall…of the jedi?”

Luke nodded. He wasn’t entirely sure how much Cody would believe him, but Ben had always said he trusted Cody, that he was good, honest and reliable. Luke would trust him too. He just hoped that Cody would believe what he had to say. That would make things a lot easier. “But we need allies. Do you have a short list of troopers you can absolutely trust?”

“Of course,” Cody nearly snorted, as if that were obvious. There is Rex-.”

“No.”

The sudden and short reply had both surprised him and Cody. They stared at each other for a moment, a little unsure on how to proceed.

“What?”

“Not Rex.”

“Why not?” Cody looked rather offended on his brother’s behalf. Luke could understand, there were plenty of times he had gotten offended on Ben’s. But this…this was a delicate and highly secretive situation. They couldn’t take that kind of risk. “Rex is an extremely loyal, trustworthy and intelligent trooper.”

“I agree,” Luke replied with a nod. “But he spends too much time with Skywalker.”

“Your father?” Cody questioned, his brows furrowing. “Why would that matter?”

Luke grimaced.

“Luke,” Cody warned, slowly. It reminded Luke of the times Ben had said his name when something was wrong, and he knew Luke had been in the middle of it. “Is Skywalker a danger to my brothers?”

“Not anymore than he is currently, leading troops into battle,” Luke assured. It wasn’t exactly the best answer, he would admit, but he didn’t want Cody to know anything that would hinder their plans too much. “Look Commander. Trusting Rex is not the issue but if he knows, Skywalker may notice,” he tried to reason. “And there are others we cannot trust that Skywalker might.”

Cody’s expression was highly suspicious, and Luke started to sweat a little. If Cody didn’t accept his reasoning, if he asked too many questions on identity…well, Luke wasn’t sure if he could give the commander the responses and answers he wanted. “Alright,” Cody conceded. Luke let out a silent breath of air. “I don’t like this but alright. For now. How many troopers are you thinking?”

“Just a handful. Close knit, whoever you can trust the most. I’d prefer the 212th I think,” he admitted although he doubted Cody was going to choose any of the men that weren’t his battalion. Luke knew he was a marshal commander and had a lot of say with many groups of troopers but the 212th were his battalion, his go to men, his closest brothers. Aside from Rex of course. “I…this is going to be hard without Ben. And I’m not the leader type, he is.”

“Alright, I’ll gather some troopers and you figure out how to explain…whatever it is,” Cody said, uneasily as he stood up. He grabbed his helmet but paused before putting it on.

“The downfall of the galaxy?” Luke suggested.

Cody just sighed, shooting him a tired look as he put his helmet back on. “Yeah. That.”

After Cody left, Luke found a pad of paper and a pen to write with, trying to figure out how to explain what he knew. Once he had a bullet point list of all that he did know….he felt as if it was a little lacking. He sat next to Ben’s cot while thinking. Glancing over at his guardian, he shook his head. “I really don’t know what I’m doing Ben. I wish you would wake up so you could help me. I really don’t know what I’m doing. And I don’t have all the answers that you do, that the troops are going to want.”

Any movement Ben’s body made was miniscule and only apparent to those who were studying closely. Luke sighed and hoisted himself up on the side of the cot.

“If you could, I’d really appreciate if you woke up,” he pointed out. “Or at least give me some ideas on how to keep going with this.”

As predicted, there was silence. Not even a movement.

“Yeah, I know,” Luke crossed his arms. “I gotta figure this out for myself.”

***

Luke nearly started crying when he saw the troopers Cody had brought back with him. They all had their helmets off, with an assortment of tattoos and haircuts. He looked around them. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting or what he wanted to see because of course he didn’t recognize any of them except….

“BOIL!” Luke couldn’t help his cheer as he realized he did recognize one of them. Sure, he was a lot younger now, with no grey or white hair or the number of wrinkles when Luke knew him before, but Luke definitely could recognize that stupid mustache. Before anyone could stop him or even he realized what he was doing, Luke barreled across the room, hopping over an empty cot and leapt…

And the soldier in question barely had time to drop his bucket to catch him, completely shocked. Massive confusion permeated the Force, swirling all around him and nearly making the boy’s head hurt, but one voice burst out into uncontrollable laughter. “

I knew we would see each other again,” Luke announced proudly, giddy.

The trooper was too shocked to do anything but barely keep a hold on the boy, so he didn’t fall. “Do we know you, kiddo?”

It wasn’t Boil speaking, but Luke looked over before jumping down from Boil’s arms. His eyes were sparkling, he couldn’t help it. There weren’t many soldiers here, less than a dozen, including Helix who had come in late, but it was still so many. He was going to meet several of the 212th, of the people Ben led and loved. His mind was bursting with questions, especially on who was who.

Boil glanced over at the clone, concerned and confused. Could it…

“Are you Waxer?”

Everyone blinked, the surprise continuing.

Waxer just smiled though. “Yeah! That’s me!”

Luke thought his heart would just burst right then and there. Boil had spent quite some time with him and Ben in the past…future…. whatever, and a lot of the stories he told had Waxer in them. Just another person Luke always wanted to meet and thought he would never get the chance.

The boy nearly curled on himself. “Yes,” he whispered.

Before they could ask any more questions, Commander Cody took command of the group and directed them to sit down, although it mostly, as it happened, to be on the floor with a lack of chairs. Luke kind of preferred it that way; it was something he was used to more. This was going to be a bit of a long conversation. Cody started with introductions.

“Alright. Everyone, this is…Luke,” Cody said carefully, gesturing to the blonde. Luke waved, cheerily. He appreciated Cody’s discretion with his heritage. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust these boys to keep it to themselves, but Luke thought the less they knew, the safer everyone would be.

Although from the glances they were giving him, it seemed they had some kind of suspicion.

“Luke,” Cody continued. “These are some of my best. You obviously know Boil and next to him, Waxer. And Helix, of course, our commanding Medic. You got Trapper, Crys, Wooley, Longshot, Gearshift, Barlex and Threepwood.”

Luke waved again, “Hi. It is…it is really amazing to meet you all. Ben has told me…loads.”

They all looked at one another, curiously. “Good things I hope?”

He laughed. “Of course!”

With a wave of his hand, the group that had started chatting died down and carefully, Cody briefed the group on what he knew so far, what was happening.

That Luke was a time traveler and more than likely, Ben – General Kenobi – had as well. It was an odd explanation for Ben’s weird coma, and it made all of them uneasy, but Luke found it rather hilarious that they seemed to accept the concept of time travel with relative ease, with few questions on how it happened itself.

Luke had made a brief conversation about the events that had happened prior to moving through time. Although he could tell they were anxious with questions, especially where they were while Ben was in danger and who this new, dangerous sith enemy was, they did an admirable job refraining from asking too many queries.

Cody continued his brief about how General Kenobi and Luke were found and how his coma was probably force-related. They all groaned at that notion. It had made Luke grin; it appeared they were fairly familiar with all sorts of shenanigans when it came to the force and Ben as well.

As they continued, things got serious as Cody said they would require surgery to continue with the briefing. They were given little explanation, but Cody had said he went through it, and it was for both General Kenobi and Luke’s safety, as well as being essential to the better future they wanted to try and create. There was a bit more knowledge gone out as Luke helped Cody explained what would happen during it.

“This is…” Luke struggled to explain. “I’m asking you to trust me”

To his infinite relief, they did.

The surgeries moved fairly quickly, as Luke poured as much as he could into them, but it was exhausting. By the time they had gotten through everyone, Luke felt nearly dead on his feet, even swaying into Trapper’s side. He had been the first and had already been up and on his own feet, so he easily caught him.

“Oh wow,” he murmured as Trapper held him up. The last one to have gone through the surgery, Threepwood, was already waking up from his. “That…that was a lot.”

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Cody frowned, moving around towards him. “You can sleep after we talk, okay?”

“Yes sir, commander sir,” Luke giggled, a bit drowsily. His head was full, his thoughts, although straight forward, were sluggish.

Everyone’s eyes softened with amusement and sympathy.

“Can I…can I sit down though?”

“Of course,” Barlex said before Cody could even respond. Luke didn’t bother to crawl up onto a cot, as there were plenty in the medical bay. Instead, he just dropped to the floor, taking Trapper down with him. There was a light laugh throughout the ranks and they all circled around on the floor near Ben’s cot.

It took a moment before Luke and the others got settled but once they did, he threw himself into what he knew. “What was taken out of your heads were chips,” Luke explained with a yawn. “Or at least, I’m pretty sure they are. The first time Ben and I had experience with them, we weren’t able to take them out, just disable them. With Boil, I threw him into a wall – long story – and with Cody, Ben and I disabled it with the Force. I’m not precise enough to do it by myself. I don’t know how they work, but they are the reason the clones massacred all the jedi.” It felt like it took him forever to get through that speech, as Luke did his best to focus himself so he wouldn’t drop off and lose his place.

There was absolute silence.

For the longest moment, no one would say a word. Luke didn’t look at any of them.

“A-All the Jedi?” Crys nearly squeaked. It sounded weird coming from a clone. Luke nodded.

“Even…. even the babies?” Waxer’s face paled drastically.

Luke nodded again. “Led brainwashed to march on the Temple,” he answered. “Ben wasn’t there when it happened, but I’m pretty sure he saw the immediate aftermath. He… he doesn’t really like to talk about it.”

Waxer bolted upright and to his feet to throw up in one of the sinks. Boil got up and followed, patting his shoulder in a comforting gesture. Everyone looked rather green and sick. Luke couldn’t blame them. To be violated and used in such a way, to attack and massacre the people you cared about and cared about you, he couldn’t imagine.

It was a few minutes before Waxer and Boil came back to the group and sat down. They all just waited patiently.

“The Republic was made into the Galactic Empire,” Luke continued, although a bit vaguely “…by the Sith. My mother died giving birth to me a couple days after.”

“Your father?”

Luke shifted uncomfortably. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it but somehow, he just seemed led to. “That… is complicated. I don’t know exactly what happened and it’s really Ben’s story to tell.”

The others looked a bit confused and exchanged glances. A few of them studied Luke closely, even glancing at Cody for confirmation on their thoughts. To his credit, the commander’s face gave nothing away.

“But General Kenobi survived,” Wooley suggested, near eagerly. They all leaned forward, so full of hope that their general was alive, had survived. That they hadn’t killed him.

“Yes,” Luke answered. “He brought me to my aunt and uncle who raised me until I was about 8-ish,” he waved his hand flat and horizontal to give the time a little leeway. He didn’t remember a whole ton from that time, even now. “And then Ben took me away.”

“Jedi don’t take children from their families,” Waxer defended. It certainly wasn’t something he was intending to say, as Luke could see he appeared a bit rather taken back and regretful of his words.

“They were murdered,” Luke countered with a heavy swallow. “And I am force sensitive. The Empire kills or tortures those who are. No matter your age or anything. Even if you have nothing to do with the Jedi. Even if you have never heard of the jedi, the empire will kill you. Or torture you until you join them. Besides, Ben is the closest family I have, even before he took me with him.”

Thankfully, the troopers seemed to leave it alone.

“Do you know what happened to us?”

“The troopers in general?”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, shaking his head. “Ben didn’t talk about you guys…after the Empire rose to power. I’m not sure if he even knew what happened to you afterwards. Perhaps you became part of the Empire’s storm troopers. Your armor looked kind of like theirs. It is where we found Cody and Boil.”

None of the clones seemed to like that notion.

“You recognized Boil and was friendly,” Waxer pointed out, curiously. “Anyone else you came across in the future?”

Luke hummed as he thought about it for a moment. “We found Kix in a statis pod on a Separatist ship. I was pretty young then and Ben quickly sent him off to Senator Organa to start a new life. I met you, commander, but it was…brief.”

The implication was rather clear, and no one wanted to speak of it.

“And then Boil if course. I found him by accident around the same time we found Cody. Accidently broke his chip by throwing him into the wall with the force,” he glanced at the trooper, apologetically. Waxer just grinned and punched Boil lightly in the shoulder while a few others chuckled. “He was with us for a bit, but he couldn’t stay because we attracted too much attention from Vader. It was dangerous.”

“Where did you send me?” Boil asked.

“Bail Organa again, I think,” Luke shrugged. It seemed that was the one person Ben seemed to really trust, even though he was involved with the government of the Empire. Luke later figured it was because not only of their previous friendship while Ben was in the Jedi Order but also the fact that Organa had created a rebellion to fight against the Empire near immediately after its construction. “Either to start a new life or join his rebellion. I don’t know what you chose.”

Boil growled, a scowl clear, on his face. “I do.”

Luke yawned again, leaning against a reclining Trapper. “I’m sorry I don’t know a lot. But I needed some help. Ben…Ben will need some allies to prevent all…all the horrible things from happening. And if he doesn’t wake up…I’m gonna need a lot of help if I want to do…to do what I can,” Luke murmured.

“How about you take a nap?” Commander Cody suggested.

Luke hummed again but his body seemed not to care what he wanted. “I shouldn’t really. Need…need to protect Ben…like he does…”

“We will protect him,” Cody promised.

“Promise?” Luke hated how he sounded like a child. Cody’s eyes just softened.

“We promise.”

“He…all I got.”

***

No one fell asleep as fast as Luke. As he snuggled into Trapper’s side with his other side flanked by Gearshift, they all glanced at one another, unsure of what to say next. How to proceed.

“I know he didn’t give us a lot but that…”

“It was enough for now,” Cody confirmed, glancing down at his hands, trying to think. “We keep this quiet for now until we either get to the Temple and can speak with Jedi council or General Kenobi wakes up with new orders.”

They all agreed silently.

“What about…Cody, the entire GAR is chipped,” Barlex said with the shake of his head, near disbelievingly. “What do we do with that?”

Cody glanced at Luke, the boy already snoring against the troopers, near completely at ease with the company. “I’ll contact some other commanders,” he decided. “To warn them. If anything, they can discreetly get their own chips removed. It may be easier to keel the generals alive if their commanders aren’t forced to try to kill them. But I will tell them it stays quiet until we come up with a real plan.”

“At least the surgery isn’t too bad,” Threepwood shrugged.

“The scanners didn’t pick it up, we need a jedi for that,” Longshot frowned.

“Our scanners only go up to atomic level four. A level five is more likely to pick something like this up,” Helix explained. “We have several specimens of this chip; I will work on examining them and figuring out how they work. Threepwood, would you mind giving me an assist?”

“Of course.”

“No one tells the Jedi unless General Kenobi gives permission or we get in front of the Council,” Cody commanded, his eyes sweeping over the lot of them, his gaze hard and determined. “And that means, Skywalker. Especially Skywalker.”

“Why?” He wasn’t entirely sure where the question came from. Cody answered easily.

“One, he’s terrible with secrets. The boy still thinks he is subtle, which he is very much not,” Cody pointed out, pulling up his hands to number on his fingers. “Two, he’s buddy-buddy with the Chancellor and it’s pretty apparent that the Jedi don’t particularly completely trust him.”

“If I remember correctly, he is constantly overriding their suggestions,” Wooley added. “General Kenobi doesn’t complain about it out loud but any one of us could see how difficult it is to go through briefings with him.”

“Also, there was no war in the Republic that made it into an Empire,” Cody added.

Crys’s eyes narrowed and frowned. “That means the Chancellor cannot be trusted at all.”

“Luke said the Sith took over, could he… be it?” Longshot suggested quietly. It seemed like treason, even suggesting such a notion. It was, Cody knew. Their duty was to the Republic. If even the Chancellor, the leader of said Republic, was a threat to its existence, Cody and his boys would do their duty to protect it. Protection of the Jedi was unsaid.

“Wouldn’t the Jedi know?” Waxer asked, uncertain. His faith and appreciation for the jedi and their abilities was well known throughout the ranks, as he was often found in conversation with General Kenobi or visiting Jedi, asking questions about anything and everything. Boil was often there as well, as he tended to stick to Waxer’s side, and although he acted as if he was bored and annoyed, everyone knew that he was listening closely and attentively.

“I don’t know,” Cody confessed, shaking his head. It seemed likely that the Jedi would know such things but then again, he was sure there would be plenty of ways for Sith to hide themselves. There was for the Jedi, as General Kenobi had once explained. Besides, there were plenty of darksiders running around too. Cody didn’t know if that changed anything. “Stay here with Luke. No one gets too close to General Kenobi. We don’t break promises. I… I have a few calls to make,” he ordered. The entire group nodded.

***

Cody was uneasy when he was summoned back to the bridge, not after his group call with several of his batchmates, nearly all of which were commanders. Some of them had not taken the information well and he had to spend plenty of time trying to calm them down and convince all of them not to tell their jedi. Or anyone for that matter.

They decided to wait and attempt to plan. He coordinated with Commander Colt and Alpha-17 on Kamino, asking them to investigate these chips and any other way to take them out without anyone knowing the wiser. He could still feel Commander Colt’s blank stare through the blue holocall and he could still see Alpha-17’s shoulders and muscles coil into something so tense, Cody thought they would snap.

His messages with Commander Fox was shrouded in encryption and code. They didn’t often use it, with the fear of anyone they didn’t want to know, finding their messages and it would take some time for them get complete missives across. He would have to call him later.

He ended his calls, calm and collected, a bit relieved. They were starting to plan. People knew some things; it was a start. Whatever happened in Luke’s past, with the downfall of the Republic, the Jedi and their brothers, that would not happen this time. Not if Cody and his brothers could help it.

Cody had been quickly summoned back to the bridge, as contact with General Windu had been reestablished. He stalked down the halls, calming himself and wrapping himself in as much shields as he could muster, just like General Kenobi had taught him and some of the other curious troopers.

Upon coming to the bridge, a trooper announced his presence. The holocall from the middle table flared to life. Around him was General Skywalker, Commander Tano and Captain Rex from the Resolute at one side and General Windu with Commander Ponds and another officer on the other.

Cody’s gaze just passed over Commander Ponds and their eyes met, briefly. They had spoken only minutes before. His dark eyes went back to General Windu. “Is everything alright, sir?” Cody asked.

“No,” General Windu suppressed a sigh. He kept himself the picture of professionalism the best he could. He just seemed tired to Cody. The Commander feared what would happen this time around. Last time, they were all murdered. Would the outcome be better this time? General Windu took a breath. “Please note I am highly against this.”

“Uh-oh,” Ahsoka muttered under her breath, but it was caught through the call.

“What’s going on Master?” Skywalker asked, trying to cover for his padawan. He straightened himself and glanced at Cody, but the commander avoided his eyes and kept them on the higher ranking General.

“General Tiin is finishing his campaign on Umbara alongside General Krell,” General Windu explained, gravely, pressing his hands against his vambraces across one another. “They are doing quite well, but the population has resurged, and the fleet needs some reinforcements to achieve victory.”

“Oh no,” someone groaned.

“Kenobi’s fleet is the only one close enough,” General Windu added, with a near bitter snarl. It was the most feeling he had seen from the general in quite some time. He must be really tired and really irritated from him to let it show through a holocall, especially one with General Skywalker. “We are hoping that your reinforcements will help…persuade them to retreat.”

“I don’t like this,” Skywalker muttered, looking down at the table map.

“I don’t either,” General Windu emphasized. Cody’s mind buzzed; he had rarely seen General Windu agree so much with General Skywalker. Either he was just too tired to argue, or General Skywalker was actually being willing enough to be agreed with. “To make matters worse, the Chancellor has requested your accompaniment to a festival for protection detail,” he added, pointedly staring at them.

“I…I can’t leave Obi-Wan,” Skywalker curled his fist and looked away.

“I agree.”

General Skywalker’s head whipped back up to meet General Windu’s stony stare, certainly surprised. Cody, of course, agreed, but was surprised that it was a general consensus, only because the two of them rarely seemed to agree on anything. General Skywalker often argued with all of his superiors, although it didn’t always seem as apparent with General Kenobi as it was with others.

“Not only do we need you on the front at this time, especially with Kenobi indisposed,” General Windu explained, prudently. “But nearly all Force-related coma cases have significant better recovery when surrounded by familiar presences. None are more familiar to him than yours. Which is why I had to deny the request. He…was not pleased.” General Windu’s gaze, if possible, had darkened further at the mention.

“Perhaps I should talk to him,” General Skywalker started, almost in a rush to get the words out of his mouth. “Surely if I explained...”

“What Skywalker?” One could certainly hear General Windu trying to hold back a snap. It wasn’t his patience breaking but it was certainly being tested. Cody wondered what was happening over on Coruscant that was making him so on edge. “Explain to him that one of our top Generals is not available and we don’t know why? In an unexplainable coma?”

“Perhaps he could help,” General Skywalker tried. “Obviously not with the coma stuff but with the GAR-.”

“The one person currently available and qualified to lead such a force is standing next to you,” General Windu pressed flatly. Cody looked away, trying not to let the heat on his face show through the call. “Anyone else would be non-jedi and non-clone. You barely listen to Kenobi; would you really listen to someone else? Not to mention most of military generals don’t particular work well with Jedi and their tactics…. we don’t agree with.” He stopped and sighed, shaking his head. “Look… Anakin,” he stressed, surprising everyone by using his first name. That’s when you knew he was trying, and he was serious. “This is very temporary until we can get a look at Kenobi. Who knows, maybe this is just exhaustion, and he will wake up tomorrow. We just do not have the time right now to explain everything and no time to do anything else or change plans.”

There was a long silence through the bridge, with the only sounds being the officers working at their own stations, away from the table as everyone in the call finally let that sink in. General Windu took a deep breath to continue.

“Now,” General Windu said. “General Krell will take the 501st…”

“Shouldn’t I be with my men?”

Cody just wished General Skywalker would stop questioning everything his superior said. Questioning superiors when it was warranted was one thing, but nothing General Windu had said was abnormal or unreasonable.

“You are one of the best pilots we have,” General Windu started off with a compliment, probably hoping to lessen the blow of taking General Skywalker from his direct troops. “General Tiin needs your piloting skills. And if something does happen, would it not be better to be closer to Kenobi?”

General Windu is completely manipulating him, any of the troopers can see it. Cody was pretty sure Skywalker didn’t, but it works anyways.

He accepts.

The rest of the briefing goes a lot more smoothly now that positions were out of the way. General Skywalker would help General Tiin with the piloting. Cody, alongside the upcoming Jedi that was near coming was to direct the space battle. It was nice to understand and know that the high Generals had faith in his ability to lead, even outside of General Kenobi. General Krell would lead the 501st fairly directly on the ground, with the 212th under Sergeant Waxer to box the opposing forces in.

As the planning came to an end, General Windu ended it with a near plea, surely hoping to keep General Skywalker out of as much trouble as he could. “General Skywalker, let Commander Cody do the tactical plans. He is trained with this and knows how to move large amounts of people. He can work at a bigger scale.”

General Skywalker doesn’t particularly care for this but nods and then stalks away. Cody meets General Windu’s eyes and stares, holding it fiercely. He cannot interpret this any other way than to wait. The others finally depart until it is mostly just him and the General. There are others still around, but they are not paying attention.

“Sir,” Cody greeted, slowly.

General Windu hesitated and looked at him, expectantly. “Yes, commander?”

Cody looked around, a bit paranoid. He couldn’t do this now, not with so many around and able to hear anything. He needed some privacy, but he wasn’t entirely sure how he could ask for it. Or, either, if he could. Was that disrespectful? Wrong? General Windu came with high regard from General Kenobi, Cody’s general certainly had a lot of good things to say about him. Ponds certainly seemed to like and respect him. And although Cody never saw anything but respect from the High General, that didn’t mean he was easy to talk with alone.

“I…uh…how long does…this type of exhaustion typically last?”

The general narrowed his eyes, searching him for answers. His reply was slow and deliberate. “Twenty-four hours to three days, usually.” He barely paused. “I must depart, commander.”

Cody’s chest sunk. “Of course, general. Thank you.”

The call ended and he just stood there frozen. He tried not scream. His comm beeped with a message. Office.

Oh, so he did notice.

Thank the Force.

Although he tried not make it apparent that he was running away, Cody moved with quick certainty that made everyone around him know not to ask questions about it. He got into his office and closed everything. There was a situational jammer and the door locked thrice. Her certainly had to put multiple locks on his door because yikes, some of his troopers were trouble.

General Windu’s visage popped up on the desk, much smaller and not life sized as he was on the bridge. He looked as if he didn’t move at all. “Do you have something else, commander?”

“I’ve learned some things from Luke, the time traveler,” Cody started, straightening himself. “I believe I can trust you with.”

This certainly got his attention. An eyebrow rose as General Windu leaned a little forward, certainly interested in what Cody had to say. “Yes?”

“The Sith Lord…” he started, cautiously.

General Windu’s eyes narrowed, and his entire body stiffened. “Do you know who it is?” he near demanded. He bit back anything else he was about to say, allowing Cody time to speak.

“Not for certain, sir,” Cody shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure if Luke knows either. He said the Republic was made into a Galactic Empire at the end of the war and it wasn’t the Separatists who did it.”

“We did believe the Sith was manipulating both sides,” General Windu pondered with a frown. He was probably contemplating with himself but apparently was comfortable enough with doing it in front of Cody to hear. “Our investigation has been a bit slow; the war and other duties have taken a lot of our time.”

Cody knew this. What was to come next would put more on their plate, he understood but if it was to help the jedi and his brothers survive, Cody would do all he could. “It’s not just that sir,” he continued. “He made it sound like it had been easy. I think the Sith you are looking for is powerful and a leader in the Republic, one that could easily take over the government completely.”

He seemed to understand Cody’s meaning. His eyes had widened a fraction as the realization came about and he stared at him. “You don’t think…”

“I think it is a distinct possibility,” Cody confessed. It seemed like a logical leap. It may have been treasonous but whatever helped the Republic, jedi and troopers survive. “Either that or someone is pulling his strings directly.”

The general’s face hardened into that of stone. “Thank you for this information, commander. You have done the Jedi and the Republic a great service.”

Cody hesitated but plowed through. “And sir?”

“Yes?”

He had to know. They had to know. Just in case something went wrong; Cody had to make sure that the jedi, at least to some extent, knew. “Just so you know… whatever happens, believe the troopers are on your side; on the side of the jedi.”

General Windu stared at him intently, trying to decipher his meaning.

“I…will keep that in mind, commander.”

***

When Cody finally returned to the medical bay, his group of 212th boys were snoozing, piled up around Luke in something of a cuddled up heap. His eyes softened as he picked through them. Luke was practically hugging Boil, leaned up against Trapper on one side and Longshot on the other.

As he got to the other side, he found Helix being the only one awake, next to General Kenobi’s bed side. “They’ve been asleep for about a forty-five minutes,” Helix reported, easily. “I couldn’t. Threepwood helped me a little with the chips but…”

Cody smirked and shook his head. “Commander Colt and Alpha-17 are looking into it, discreetly. It’s alright. This whole thing with General Kenobi had put everyone on edge. And Luke could use the sleep. I don’t think he has slept in a while.”

“I would believe you,” Helix nodded. “And for what I’m sure is to come, he’ll need the sleep.”

“How is General Kenobi doing?” Cody asked instead.

“Not much change. A few twitches once in a while. More so than before. Whatever is happening, at this pace, I don’t think whatever is happening will last long,” Helix explained, although it was rather vague for both their tastes.

“Let’s hope he awakens soon,” Cody mused. “We are being redirected.”

“What?” Helix hissed. “How could we possibly do that? With our general like this?! Who ordered this?”

Cody shot him a glare. “We don’t have a lot of time or choices. We are the closest and the only one who can assist General Tiin and General Krell on Umbara. It wasn’t as if we have much of a choice. I just wish General Kenobi would awaken beforehand. He’s lived this before; he could give some insight on the battle.”

Helix shook his head. “This is not a good idea. We can’t possibly rely on General Skywalker to lead such a group of men. He’s…fine with the 501st but with all of us?”

“General Windu is sending us another jedi to help out, he’s close. But I…. I am in charge as of currently,” he said quietly. Helix glanced at him, a little surprised.

“That’s good, you would be better at it than most. Between you and General Kenobi, you two had good campaigns,” Helix replied. “Who is this other Jedi?”

“Just someone to help out, apparently not so much to lead overall,” Cody shrugged. “He was coming before we were redirected to Umbara. He’s one of General Kenobi’s friends. He’s mentioned him before; Quinlan Vos.”

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