Chapter Text
Obi-Wan felt Commander Wolffe's attention focused on Cody for the entire briefing. It was a long one, planning out the campaign ahead with Master Koon and the 104th's leadership. Obi-Wan only had Cody with him, but his Commander was more than enough to represent the 212th's interests.
Every time Cody had input on strategy, Obi-Wan took note of Master Koon and Commander Wolffe's reactions. Master Koon was both surprised and pleased the first time, his reactions muted but still noticeable afterwards. His fellow Council member had impeccable control. No doubt Master Koon remembered how Cody had been when they had previously had campaigns together.
Obi-Wan hadn't told the rest of the Council about his Commander's situation yet. It didn't feel like something that he should discuss over a comm, the thought of it potentially being intercepted making him hesitate. This was a Clone affair, after all, despite the implications. And there had been too many leaks of confidential matters for Obi-Wan's liking over the course of the war.
Captain Rex had told Commander Wolffe of course, as Cody's batchmate. The Commander's reactions to Cody's renewed personality were simultaneously more pronounced and more contained. Every time, he spiked in the Force, yet he kept his expression absolutely still, not even a twitch. His eyes remained trained on the holotable, concentration never wavering, yet Obi-Wan knew better.
Commander Wolffe waited to act until the end of the briefing. As soon as they officially adjoined, he spun around and tackled Cody, the both of them going tumbling across the floor of the bridge in full armour.
Troopers hurried to get out of the way as limbs went flying. Cody's helmet that had been under his arm tumbled across the ground, rolling to land next to Obi-Wan's feet. He picked it up and placed it on the edge of the holo-table where it wouldn't get knocked.
"Should we intervene?" Master Koon asked Obi-Wan, his voice a low rumble through his mask.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I think they need to get this out of their system."
It didn't take long. Cody managed to get the upper edge before much time had passed. He got Commander Wolffe pinned on the floor with a knee pressed against his back, arms yanked back at an awkward angle.
"Yield!" Cody commanded his brother. His tone was steel. Commander Wolffe snarled at him, thrashing, trying to dislodge him. Nothing worked.
"Yield!"
Master Koon shifted next to Obi-Wan, instinctively wanting to protect his Commander. Obi-Wan sent a subtle pulse of warning to him through the Force. This was not for them to interfere in.
In the end, Commander Wolffe went boneless, giving in to Cody's hold. The two of them stayed in position for a moment moments, both of them breathing heavily. Then Cody released Commander Wolffe, clambering to his feet and holding out a hand to his brother to help him up.
Commander Wolffe took it, and Cody hauled his fully-armoured brother up in an impressive show of strength. Obi-Wan ran a quick scan over the both of them—neither looked the worse for wear, though Cody had a reddened cheek from where Commander Wolffe had managed a glancing blow.
They didn't let go of each other immediately. The grip shifted, grasping each other's arms in a gesture that Obi-Wan recognised immediately as a common Mandalorian one of respect. Then Commander Wolffe yanked Cody forward, tapping their foreheads together briefly. There was an immediate swell of pleased affection from Cody.
"I had to be sure," Commander Wolffe said. "You—" He cut himself off with a displeased sound, then didn't say anything else.
"I know," Cody said softly. "I wouldn't have believed it either."
They held onto each other for a moment longer, then seemed to notice exactly where they were. Commander Wolffe dropped Cody's arm and turned to the rest of his troopers, who had given up pretending they weren't staring. At his angry glare, they all hurried to get back to their duties, though Obi-Wan spotted more than one trying to hide their grins.
Cody glanced at Obi-Wan. His cheeks were a little flushed, the only sign that he was uncomfortable with the attention. Obi-Wan only smiled in encouragement. Who was he to be uncomfortable at siblings' shows of affection?
Obi-Wan was aware of the rumours that Jedi were emotionless, bound only to the Force and above such mortal concerns. It was rubbish, just like most of the rumours about Jedi.
Cody tilted his head as he looked at Obi-Wan, the question clear from his expression. Obi-Wan nodded, then turned to Master Koon. There were still plenty of Council affairs to attend to, with both of them on the same Venator for once. There would be plenty of time for Cody to spend with his brother before duty called them to battle.
"Come, we have much to discuss," Obi-Wan said to Master Koon, leading the way out of the room. "Have you heard from Master Windu lately? He's concerned about the reports coming out of the Middle Rim."
He could feel Cody's eyes burning on his back the whole way out.
The campaign ran long, as expected. For weeks, the 212th and the 104th trekked through the mud, fending off Separatist ambushes. There was no saving Obi-Wan's robes by the end, the mud so ingrained in the fibres of the fabric that he knew he would have to toss them the moment they arrived back on their Venators.
Obi-Wan would have expected everyone to be demoralised by the time the campaign was over and the planet was littered with droid parts and fresh graves. However, both the battalions seemed to take heart from watching their Commanders. Word had spread quickly about Cody's former state and his recovery, the soldiers swapping stories about the incident.
It gave them hope. Clones had so little of that, jaded about their prospects. Either they would die in the war, or they had to hope that the Republic would release them from service afterwards, something that many doubted.
Commander Wolffe did a good job of keeping his own joy out of his expression and his words, but it was obvious in the Force how pleased he was at his brother's presence. In the moments where they didn't need to be professional, they jostled each other constantly, not always speaking but always in contact.
Obi-Wan found himself missing Cody a lot of the time. He wasn't used to having to share Cody's time so much. Whenever Cody wasn't with the 212th, he was with his brother.
It was a topic he meditated on extensively in the dead of night, sitting cross-legged in the tiny tents that didn't manage to keep the mud out. Attachment was not becoming of the Jedi. It was also something that Obi-Wan had struggled with his whole life.
He still didn't like having Anakin on the opposite end of the galaxy, despite Anakin being a grown man with his own Padawan and a steady relationship with Padmé that he refused to admit. Obi-Wan would also have to let Cody go at the end of the war, as the Clones and the Jedi forged their own separate futures. He found he liked that just as little as letting Anakin go.
It troubled him, how quickly he'd grown attached to Cody. Obi-Wan would have to keep himself in check. Self-awareness was the first step, after all. And when push came to shove, Obi-Wan had dedicated himself to the Jedi. That wasn't a vow he was ready to put aside.
Would Cody ever ask you to? Obi-Wan frowned, tried to settle himself deeper into meditation. He should not be pondering such questions. He knew he should not.
Master Koon kept checking in on him. While its cause was unknown, his fellow Jedi Master could tell that Obi-Wan was struggling with something. He didn't push, which was a relief to Obi-Wan. Master Koon simply waited to see if Obi-Wan would reach out for help, or if he could manage his troubles on his own. Obi-Wan appreciated his discretion more than he was willing to admit.
Finally, the last Separatist outpost was taken. Obi-Wan sagged against a wall, watching as his troops boarded the shuttles that would return them to the Negotiator, mud-splattered armour disappearing up the ramps. He did not envy the job of those who would have to clean the shuttles after their passage. The mud really did get in every nook and cranny.
Obi-Wan craved a shower, clean robes and a proper cup of tea, from the good stash he kept on board for special occasions. He hoped that it would settle him. Maybe he could comm Anakin, see what his Padawan was up to, ask for news of Ahsoka. That always cheered him up.
He waited for the last of his shuttles for his own journey back, making sure that all his troopers went first. When Obi-Wan went to meet it, he found Cody standing with them, still wearing his helmet. It was scratched up and covered in mud, little dents breaking the pattern of his freshly painted cuirass. It made it looked lived in. It suited Cody more than the freshly painted armour of the beginning of the campaign.
Cody's head tilted in greeting, and he shuffled to the side. Obi-Wan came to stand beside him in the newly formed gap, relaxing almost immediately.
"No new injuries to report this time?" Obi-Wan asked, keeping his tone dry. "Needle will be pleased with us."
"Is he ever?" Obi-Wan could tell by the tilt of Cody's helmet that his Commander was looking him over, checking for injuries himself. Obi-Wan stayed still, knowing there was nothing for Cody to find. He was beyond exhausted, but otherwise whole. Nothing that some decent sleep wouldn't fix.
Satisfied at Obi-Wan's state, Cody settled in for the wait at Obi-Wan's side. The shuttle was in the process of landing, sending even more splatters of mud onto them.
"I'm going to be scrubbing mud out of my armour for weeks," Cody said, low enough that only Obi-Wan could hear. There was a distinct note of complaint in his voice. Obi-Wan held a hand over his beard to hide his smile.
"At least it didn't get into your blacks," Obi-Wan retorting. "Don't think I didn't see you push Commander Wolffe into the mud a few days ago."
Cody laughed. "He should have known better than to take his armour off in a war-zone. He's not going to forget that in a hurry."
The shuttle doors opened, the ramp extending. Obi-Wan and Cody stayed put, watching as their troopers boarded first.
"So it was supposed to be a lesson. What a harsh one to give to your brother."
"Younger brother," Cody said with emphasis.
Obi-Wan's eyebrows raised. "Exactly how much younger is Commander Wolffe?"
The moment's hesitation was telling. "Two minutes," Cody admitted. "He's still never going to live that down."
"Of course not," Obi-Wan said, unable to keep the laughter out of his own voice. For a moment, he thought longingly of his own crechemates, scattered among the stars. He couldn't feel them through the Force from so far away. He also couldn't remember the last time they'd even been on the same planet. It had to have been years.
With the rest of the troopers on board, Obi-Wan and Cody joined them, the last to leave the planet from their battalion. As Obi-Wan glanced back, he saw another shuttle rising into the air not too far away, no doubt ferrying the 104th back to their ship.
The two of them sat on space left for them on the benches. It was a tight fit, leaving Obi-Wan's shoulder pressed into Cody's pauldron. As the shuttle lifted from the ground, Obi-Wan let out a deep sigh, slumping against Cody's armour. He was glad to leave the planet behind them. Beside him, Cody took off his helmet, resting it on his lap and tilting his head back against the wall. Around them, the troops talked quietly among themselves, occasionally tired laughter breaking out.
Before they had even broken atmosphere, Cody's vambrace comm started beeping. Cody squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, eyebrows furrowed, then as Obi-Wan watched, calm swept over his face. It was fascinating to see the way that Cody pulled himself back together.
He switched on the comm, and Obi-Wan started as an image of Needle appeared above it. Their CMO didn't even give Cody a chance to speak before he was talking.
"You're on your way back, aren't you?" Needle said. "Good. I need you to come to medbay as soon as you land."
Cody's eyes were the only sign to the frustration that kept spiking off him, his expression remaining still. "I'm not injured," Cody said. "The General isn't injured. Can this wait until after the men are treated?"
"Absolutely not." Needle paused for a moment. "Commander—Kote—we found something."
The shuttle went silent but for the rumbling of the engines. Everyone turned to face Cody, whose face had turned far too pale.
Cody's head turned to face Obi-Wan, still pressed against his side. His eyes betrayed his fear. Obi-Wan projected calm through the Force as much as he could, even knowing that Cody could not feel it. He nudged Cody with his shoulder instead, reminding his Commander that he was still there. Still watching his back.
"We'll be there," Cody said, voice tight. He turned off the comm, Needle's image disappearing. The shuttle remained quiet. No one dared speak, not until the shuttle landed in the hanger of the Negotiator.
Cody waited until the rest of the troops disembarked, then continued to wait, sitting on the shuttle bench. Obi-Wan stood, stretching out his arms, then reached out to place a hand on Cody's shoulder.
When Cody looked up at him, the fear was still there, stronger than ever. Obi-Wan hated to see the man so afraid. Not even the battlefield could rattle him like this.
"I'll be with you," Obi-Wan told him. "You're not alone."
"You should—" Cody's voice cracked. "You need to debrief," he continued. "And the Council—"
"Can wait," Obi-Wan finished for him, voice firm. "This is more important." You are more important, he didn't say out loud.
Cody nodded, dropping his eyes. He leaned into Obi-Wan's touch for just a moment before he shrugged it off and stood.
"Let's get this over with."
"So this is it. What took my mind away."
Obi-Wan, Cody and Needle stood in front of a hologram that Needle had pulled up of a scan Cody's brain. There was a little glitch in it that Needle had zoomed in on, something so small that it was a wonder that Needle had found it at all.
"You might remember that I put you through a level five atomic brain scan before we deployed," Needle said grimly. "I didn't get a chance to review the results of the scans until today, but I knew what I was looking at immediately."
"A tumour?" Cody asked.
"No. A biological chip, damaged from what I can tell without examining the physical object. The droid's EMP must have fried it. And your reconditioning too, though I can't prove it just yet."
Cody started to shake. Obi-Wan grabbed at his hand, squeezing tight so that Cody could feel him through the gauntlets. Obi-Wan had a vivid flashback to a similar situation, over a decade ago. Then, it had been Anakin's hand he was holding, allowing his new Padawan to near break his fingers as the slave chip had been taken out in a medbay on Naboo.
The galaxy never changed, Obi-Wan thought, his stomach churning. And this time, the corruption was at the very heart of the Republic.
"Get it out," Cody ground out. "Get it out now."
Needle shook his head, and Cody looked ready to murder him. "It gets worse," he said. "I needed a comparison if I was going to calibrate the machines to perform a removal. Kote—I need you to pull yourself together right now and listen."
Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed at the use of Cody's Mandalorian name, coupled with the lack of title. Needle wasn't speaking to his Commander at that moment, or even a patient. No, he was addressing the leader of the clones.
He watched Cody force the growing panic down with almost inhuman strength of will. Cody closed his eyes, smoothed his face out. When he opened them again, they shone with a steely resolve.
Cody didn't let go of Obi-Wan's hand.
Once Needle at Cody's attention again, he spoke very carefully. "I put one of my medics through the same scan as I did you. Then I put the rest of them through it, all my current patients, and myself. Kote—the chip's in all of us. Every last one."
It felt like the Force started screaming. There was a swirl of energy around Obi-Wan, the sensation of breaking pressure. His senses expanded outward, and for a moment Obi-Wan lost all concept of his body, his conscious being pulled out towards the stars and countless futures.
When it ended, Obi-Wan opened eyes he didn't remember closing. Why was he on the floor? Cody crouched in front of him, still too pale, eyes worried. He'd ditched the gauntlets, and Obi-Wan concentrated on the sensation of Cody's fingers twisted around his to ground himself.
"Something's changed," Obi-Wan said hoarsely. He didn't have Master Windu's knowledge of shatterpoints, and his own prescience had always been such a small thing, more centred around his own fate. But whatever had just happened in this room was so large to bowl even Obi-Wan over. "The Force—we're not on the same path we used to be."
As one, all three of them turned back to the scan with the chip. It was somehow the key to everything. Obi-Wan didn't understand why, but the implications of it—the darkness that still permeated the Force—this blasted war and the mystery of the clone's origin—it was all tied together.
By searching for the source of Cody's reconditioning, they'd stumbling across something far larger that might yet change the course of the galaxy.
"You need to get mine out," Cody said, repeating his request from earlier. This time, the fear was replaced by urgency. "And yours. Needle, I need to find out how wide-spread this is."
"And how it's activated, whether it can be done remotely," Obi-Wan added. Both men turned to him in surprise. Obi-Wan's lips twisted in a grimace. "Let's just say that I have more knowledge of slave chips than I would like."
Slave chips. The words hung between them, a truth that they had to face.
And what if it was in all of them? All millions of clones? Obi-Wan's head spun at the thought of the logistics required to get it out of all of them.
They would take them out. Of that, Obi-Wan had no doubt. Not if they were what allowed the Kaminoans to wipe someone's mind as thoroughly as they had Cody's.
Cody's fingers tightened on Obi-Wan's again. He tilted his head in a silent question, then hauled Obi-Wan up from the floor. The sudden change of height nearly sent Obi-Wan right back down again, if not for Cody providing his balance for him.
The Force still sang to him. For once, Obi-Wan was exactly where he needed to be, the Force was insistent about it. Never mind the war—he needed to follow Cody in this path, wherever it may lead.
This was how the light might yet prevail even through the darkness ahead. Obi-Wan was sure of it.
He squeezed Cody's hand back, a silent response to the equally silent question. He would have Cody's back in this, no matter what it took. No matter who he had to take on to make it happen.
And Force be willing, maybe there was a chance they could come out the other side of this into that brighter future that Obi-Wan always hoped for.