I wrote this for the 'Star Wars Fanfiction' Discords monthly bounty: 'That is not your character's friend. Not anymore'
its a little spoiler-ish for Teachings of the Jackal, as I might end up reusing it or parts of it in the long fic.
"Oh no you don't!" Cody sighed, cutting off the padawan path, "Head back to your bunk, Commander"
Oz halted sharply, her weight pitching dangerously as she rocked back on her heels and blinked rapidly. Brain turning over his words in a delayed bout of confusion.
"I'm fine, barely tired" Oz argued, an attempt that was very convincing with her eyelids drooping drowsily over her eyes. "I need to be there for the update with Master Kenobi."
Her irises slid out of focus in a very convincing manner and Cody made a noise of skeptical disapproval. Catching the stirring of a yawn in her shoulders before she stifled it, trying to scrub the sleep that clung to her senses.
"No" Cody said curtly, "you need to be fully rested to lead a squad tomorrow. They need a commander with a clear head, and bacta alone isn't gonna heal your leg."
Six hours in the field, another four leading a recon squad into the Separatist Command Centre. His unit had been there to provide cover and Cody was very aware that Oz had taken a bolt to the calf during their evac. In the end, the squad's exit was clean, if not a little singed around the ears. Korbel had shot her with enough bacta to turn her blood blue. But he could see it still bothered her in the way she stood, weight edged on her good leg.
Jedi or not, Cody knew Oz'ellya was one hasty turn from tipping like a bantha and he wasn't in the mood to go leaping across the hangar to catch her when she did.
Lips pressed together in a dozing hint of a pout, the cranks in the Padawan's mind chugging slowly. "Why can't I do both?" she countered weakly, stumbling on some of the syllables as she attempted in vain to straighten her back.
"Cause you're a terrible liar. Do I need to make it an order?" Cody flattened her boast like a deflated balloon. He wasn't fond of pulling rank on General Kenobi's padawan. She wasn't a soldier, or one of the clones. But force be damned did the jedi lack any sense of self-preservation that he needed to step in.
Oz's shoulders slumped. "Fine" she muttered, heaving her pack up on her shoulder again, tipping slightly under the shifting weight. Instinctively he caught her shoulder, steadying her.
"Get some sleep Oz" he grinned under his helmet. The yawn resurfaced in her chest and slipped out between her teeth, she nodded in response, already half asleep as it was.
With a wonky, half attempt at a wave, Oz offered him a loose smile, turning towards the hangar's blast doors.
"Thanks, ori'vod" she mumbled, wandering off in the direction of her quarters and the forgotten wonders of a bed not made of twigs and pebbles.
Blissfully unaware of the wide eyes and startled expression lingering in her wake.
Cody's jaw loosened as he blinked, threatening to drop open entirely as a multitude of wires sparked conflict in his brain.
Waxer and the rest of the recon squad lingering about the shuttle froze, garbling mid sentence to gawk blatantly as the sleepy padawan passed them. Several clones nearby carting supplies from the transports halted in their work, twisting awkwardly to investigate.
Whether it was the sheer surprise or the innate awareness- that, to do so otherwise would result in a rearranged spine at best. Not one of them spoke a word as Oz crossed the hangar. But Cody could feel the eyes on him, as a furnace began building in his skin.
Ori'vod, she called him ori'vod. His brain rebelled at the suggestion, yet he had heard her clearly as any other. Cody's thoughts reeled without direction, cycling though surprise, confusion and an unexpected rattling of pride in rapid order. An unnerving urge to smile was already creeping in the corners of his lips before he strangled it mercifully.
The first hush of whispers tapped at his senses and Cody's brow dropped like an anvil over his eyes. The anticipation building at his back was practically palpable as the hangar doors slid shut behind the padawan. Before the pressure lock could sound a hiss, Waxer swung round to face him.
"Sir!" he started, an expressed look of confusion and surprise clouded only by the bristling delight that governed his face. Dodging the warning shot his superior fired in his direction, Waxer continued "Did she just-"
"No." Cody defended hastily, a croak creasing on the edge of his voice as he scrambled to readjust his brain. Rancor-kark, and everybody knew it. Instinctively he glanced back at the hangar doors and nearly swore in the admission of guilt. Ori'vod , Oz's voice drummed itself on the inside of his skull.
Slightly confused, Waxer backpedaled a step before pressing on. "She called you-". Cody cut a glare at the trooper that was several thousand degrees fahrenheit. Scorching the word forming on the trooper's lips to ash before they could confirm the reality of what everyone had all heard. Waxer snapped his mouth shut like his skin might blister under his Commander's glower.
"You, misheard." Cody said bluntly. Loud enough for the onlooking trooper's to hear the unspoken order in his tone that doubled as an underlying threat. Every muscle and bone snarled that he met them eye to eye, but hesitation prickled his skin. He knew what they were all thinking and worse still. They were probably right.
Ori'vod, it caught again so easily on his thoughts, burrowing under his skin before he had a chance to stop it. His chest creaked, something swelling like fruit between his ribs. It took all his discipline to keep it from spreading and cracking the cool neutrality he composed. Cody snatched a breath and turned abruptly. The sudden motion, armed with a beskar studded glare, caught a few of his brothers off guard. Before anyone could spot anything amiss behind his eyes, he slammed his bucket down over his head with the force he might exhibit to break a femur.
"Well, What are you lot looking for? You have your orders!" He belted at them.
The resulting scramble of panic was almost a relief as the troopers dove into their tasks. The memory built into their bones yanking them into action. Heaving boxes and gear in an urgent rush that be elsewhere. Even Waxer was quick to make himself scarce, a jumbled array of duties he needed to attend to peppered the air.
Troopers ducked out of his proxitly, scattering like ships in a dogfight. All under the silent agreement to pretend they hadn't had the perfect view of the Marshal Commander's ears burning pink.
Ori'vod mean Big Sibling/Brother in mando'a
And bonus cause I wrote it but couldn't fit in nicely...
30min later...
"I heard you took a bump to the head, commander" Korbel began innocently enough, but the shit eating grin said otherwise. "Why don't you take off your helmet, and I'll check it while we wait for the General?"
Cody offered a scowl that could transcend his visor. "I'm fine"
"I'm sure you will be when the side of your face swells up mushroom and spot wields you into that bucket"
The commander sighed, true his head did hurt. But right now he needed work, drive. Anything to distract him till he to crash into his bunk and sort of the hazardous mess of the days events. "I'll drop my the med bay after the briefing for some bacta gel, you don't need to nag."
Korbel shrugged, "eh, nagging's part of the job." His head cocked inquisitively to the side. "You sure it's not bothering you, Commander? You seem a little more on edge than usual"
"Oh, I wonder why, Sergeant?" Cody said bluntly, letting the formality of rank speak for him.
"I don't pretend to know all the pressure of a Marshal," Korbel admitted, holding up his hands in surrender and nodding to the datapad his commander was intent on imprinting into his eyeballs. Cody grunted in response and few fleeting seconds passed between them, settling into a comfortable working silence. Cody flicked to the next paragraph of his report and Korbel hummed thoughtfully.
"Of course, it couldn't have anything to do with the Commander calling you big brother?"
Cody swung around, one hand threatening to crack the datapad it held. The other, physically struggling with the idea of not going for the medics throat. He squashed the reaction quickly. Instead growling a promise, "I hope it was worth it during PT."
"It's find, I ran top in cardio" Korbel grinned
"You'll run the length of Yavin when I'm through with you." Cody settled, he had no intention of airing his thought to anyone. But the records needed to be straightened before it spread any further. "She didn't mean it Kor, just a term slip. It wouldn't have happened at all if you hadn't made sure she had more bacta than blood in her system."
Korbel scoffed in response. "Well..." he dragged out te word kicking and screaming. "a bacta brain speaks a sober brain right"
"No, it doesn't" Cody replied hauntly.
"Ori'vod huh, cant say I expected it. But it suits you well" Korbel continued undeterred as Cody began to regret punching him when he had the chance. "Marshal Commander Cody, a clone so specials he gets a sister as well."
No Cody, she's not your friend. she's your vod'ika now!
Happy Hallows ya'll!