A/N Just a quick update for the series. I will come back and edit this.
The battle had been a disaster from the start. Intelligence had missed the existence of a Separatist base. Obi-Wan was faced with the horror of watching and feeling in the Force as his men died all around him. He looked to his right and watched as Cody peaked over their cover and fired some shots towards the battle droids marching their way across the battlefield. Obi-Wan flinched as Cody ducked behind their cover of boulders as a blaster shot hit the boulder Cody had been leaning against, sending boulder fragments spinning into the air, knocking against Cody's armour. Thankfully his Commander was unharmed, as the stone fragments only left small scratches on his armour.
As Obi-Wan leaned against the boulders he and Cody were covering behind, his back pressed against the cold stone. He looked out at his men as they tried to help the wounded and find themselves suitable cover. He clenched his jaw as he felt more of his men die, too many were losing their lives in a battle that could have been avoided if proper checks had been done in the intelligence report. He knew he had to do something and as he looked at Cody, unable to see his cyare's face beneath his helmet, he knew the other man would not approve of his idea at all.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and closed his eyes, submerging himself into the Force. As he felt the Force move around him and through him, he heard the Force clearly in his ear like never before. It seemed after all these years he had finally connected to the Living Force like his former Master always wanted him to do. To live in the moment and hear the Force call to him.
At the urging of the Force, still with his eyes closed, Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet and turned to face the thousands of droids marching towards him and his men. While his eyes saw nothing but darkness, his ears could hear the clanking of the droids, could hear the shouts and groans of his men. He felt his lightsaber's cool hilt grasped in his right hand, in the Force he felt his men's surprise and worry as they noticed him standing up. He felt a hand enclose around his right wrist, without looking he could recognise Cody's hands anywhere.
"General, what are you doing?" snapped Cody, in the Force he felt protective anger and worry surge up and around Cody. The Commander's grip tightened ever so slightly, physical proof of his concern for Obi-Wan.
Without looking at his cyare, Obi-Wan lifted his left hand and placed it around Cody's hand. He gently removed Cody's hand from his own and said calmly, "it's alright Cody." He then leapt over the boulders, somersaulting in the air. As he landed without a sound, he activated his lightsaber, the humming of the blue blade mixing with the shocked shouts of his men. Above the noise he heard his Commander swearing at him, causing a slight smirk to appear on his face, something he sensed made the nearest battle droids uneasy as they stopped in surprise.
"Kriffing hell! What do you think you are doing Obi-Wan?! For Force's sake! Get back here! You are going to get yourself killed!" yelled Cody. I will never hear the end of this, Obi-Wan thought ruefully to himself. He had never heard his cyare so angry at him, frustrated yes, exasperated yes. But this angry, no.
The battle droids seemed to be over their shock because Obi-Wan sensed them marching towards him with more intent. The Force guided his movements and he was able to dodge and leap away from the blaster blots heading straight for him. He swung his lightsaber and knocked some of the blaster blots back towards the droids, and then cut down the droids that got close to him.
Left whispered the Force. He turned left and cut down three droids.
Right whispered the Force. He swung two blaster bolts back into the mass of droids.
Leap! Called the Force. He leapt over the nearest droids and cut down all in his path. He distantly felt something knock into him, momentarily knocking the breath from his lungs. Once he recovered after a moment, the Force wrapped itself comfortingly around him, giving him strength to continue.
As he lost himself in the Force's guidance, Obi-Wan was relieved to notice that he did not feel anymore of his men pass into the Force. He sensed their awe and surprise at his actions, but the clearest feelings he sensed were Cody's pride, love and yes, his anger.
Once he sensed the threat to his men was over he deactivated his lightsaber, he opened his eyes and blinked against the sunlight that glinted off the fallen pieces of the battle droids strewn all around him. As he turned his head to take in the many bodies of battle droids surrounding him on all sides, he heard the excited shouts and whoops of his men as they celebrated the end of the battle.
"General that was amazing!" called Longshot, his helmet tucked under his arm, his brown eyes wide in amazement as his gaze skittered over the droids. Waxer, Boil and Wooley stood beside Longshot and grinned at Obi-Wan giving him a thumbs up.
"Impressive General!" commented Waxer with a grin.
Obi-Wan waved off their praise and sensing his cyare approaching, he turned to his left and observed the frown gracing Cody's tanned face. His cyare's bright brown eyes were narrowed in frustration as he marched towards Obi-Wan, his helmet resting on the boulders they had taken cover behind. "What. Did you think you were doing?" snapped Cody, his voice deadly quiet once he was stood a foot away from Obi-Wan. His brown eyes glinted with annoyance as they unflinchingly met Obi-Wan's own blue ones.
"Ending the battle," shrugged Obi-Wan as he clipped his lightsaber to his belt, he plastered an innocent look on his face as he tried to send calming waves through the Force to Cody.
"Don't do that," frowned Cody, he poked Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I am angry at you; you can't use the Force to cheat your way out of this conversation." While he didn't have a bond with his cyare, but could send emotions towards him in the Force.
Obi-Wan smiled sheepishly at his Commander as he rubbed his left hand over his beard. He knew he shouldn't influence Cody's feelings with the Force, but as the Force's comforting weight around him began to fade, he felt his own strength fading away with it. Suddenly, he felt his legs weaken and he swayed on his feet before he tilted forwards and found himself leaning against Cody's chest.
"Obi-Wan?" all anger instantly faded from Cody's voice. "What's wrong?"
As Obi-Wan attempted to take stock of his body, he felt himself gently pushed back from Cody's chest. His cyare was staring at him with concern as his brown eyes scanned over Obi-Wan. He was looking at Cody's face and that's when he realised something was wrong. Cody's face drained of all colour as he pushed back Obi-Wan's tunic over his abdomen. Obi-Wan followed Cody's gaze and was shocked to find a growing red stain on his beige tunic. Once he looked at the wound to his abdomen, he suddenly became aware of the pain and his legs buckled underneath him. His decent to the hard ground was slowed by Cody's arms around him, he was soon sat on the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned against Cody's chest. The back of his head was resting in the crook of Cody's neck, he was able to get his eyes to look up at Cody watching as Cody rested one hand on the top of his head and the other was pressing against his wound.
"Patch! Medic! The General needs a medic now!" Cody shouted behind him.
Obi-Wan reached up with a shaking hand and rested it against Cody's cheek. His cyare turned to him with wide brown eyes, Obi-Wan wanted to soothe the other man, wanted to comfort him, to tell him everything would be alright. However, as he gazed up at his cyare, black dots began to fill his vision and the strength faded from his limbs, so his hand dropped away from Cody's face.
"Obi-Wan…stay with me…stay awake," Cody's voice cracked. Obi-Wan blinked, trying to banish the black dots from his vision, he took in the panicked look on Cody's face and from the Force felt Cody's fear. He was shocked, Cody was scared, he had never felt that emotion from Cody before. He opened and closed his mouth, just trying to speak, but he couldn't force any words out. So instead he sent a wave of love through the Force to Cody, he watched as Cody's eyes watered and a gentle hand ran through his hair as his eyes began to flicker shut. "No. Don't you dare," snapped Cody, his voice cracking. "You promised to show me the galaxy at peace. You promised."
Sadness cut through Obi-Wan at the reminder of his promise, he and Cody confessed their feelings to each other eighteen months ago and Obi-Wan had promised to take Cody with him on missions to show him the galaxy at peace. He hated breaking any promise, but he especially hated breaking one he made to his cyare. Cody hadn't had the chance to experience a normal life, and Force Obi-Wan wanted to see him live one. "C…Cody…" he mumbled, his throat clicking as he felt a warm liquid swell up his throat and he shuddered as he coughed and some blood splattered on his chin and tunics.
Cody tensed, "PATCH! I need you here NOW!" Cody curled around Obi-Wan's back tightly as he pressed down harder on Obi-Wan's abdomen. Obi-Wan knew it was bad when he felt no pain, he felt the Force calling to him, but he was desperate to ignore it. Not yet, please not yet, he pleaded, he wasn't ready to join the Force. He had to watch Anakin grow as a Knight, he had to make sure the 212th survived the war, he had to show Cody the galaxy, he had to see Cody live a free life of happiness. He wasn't ready yet.
Against his will, his eyes flickered shut and he felt himself pulled down into the comforting, numb darkness. Just before he lost all awareness, he heard the voice of his cyare calling for him. "Obi-Wan! Cyare stay with me! Don't you dare, for Force's sake Obi-Wan you need to stay awake. Damnit you don't get to do this, don't you dare!..."
As Obi-Wan drifted in darkness he heard snippets of conversations, he heard voices talking to him. He tried to latch onto them, desperate to return to Cody and his men. He wasn't ready to go yet.
"…Been in a bacta tank for five days…"
"…Cyare. Please…"
"…sedation should be wearing off soon…"
"…Please wake up cyare. I need you…"
"…Why hasn't he woken up yet? He's been out of the tank for three days."
"I don't know why Commander. He should be awake by now…"
Through the darkness and voices as Obi-Wan drifted, he felt a hand clasped his own, he heard his cyare's voice calling to him. Hearing the voice of the man he loved seeped in grief, he began to find the strength to fight the darkness. He had to wake up.
"…You can be so infuriating; do you know that? You're too self-sacrificing, you are all too happy to risk your life for others. But what about you? What am I supposed to do without you? I can't do this without you cyare. I can't fight this war without you."
Obi-Wan managed to force his eyes open and blinked against the harsh lights of what must have been the Medbay in the Negotiator. He sucked in a sharp breath as he shut his eyes, relieved to note he felt no pain as he took a deep breath.
A shocked, sharp breath echoed in his ears. "Cyare?" a hesitant voice asked. Obi-Wan nodded once, his eyes still closed. From behind his eyelids he sensed the lights being dimmed and a hand came to rest on his forehead, pushing back his fringe. "Open your eyes for me love."
Obi-Wan opened his eyes again, and found himself looking up into worried brown eyes. "Cody," he murmured, his voice was hoarse from disuse.
"Thank the Force," choked Cody. He bent his head forward so it rested on the edge of the medical bed, his shoulders shook with silent sobs.
With a sluggish movement, Obi-Wan raised his left arm and rested it on Cody's head and gently ran his fingers through Cody's dark hair. "I'm here," he murmured softly.
Cody lifted his head up and grasped onto Obi-Wan's hand and rested it against his cheek. Tears silently slipped down Cody's face, Obi-Wan rubbed a thumb under Cody's cheek, wiping away the tears. "Don't ever do that to me again," ordered Cody.
Obi-Wan nodded, he knew he couldn't really promise that, just as he knew Cody could never promise to get seriously hurt. They were fighting a war, and Obi-Wan, as a Jedi, was determined to ensure as many of his men survived as he could. "I will not take unnecessary risks," he promised instead. That he could promise. Well, to a point.
Cody rolled his eyes fondly, "what you and I define as unnecessary are two different things Ob'ika."
Smiling Obi-Wan titled his head towards Cody's face. "I am offended."
"Good," smirked Cody, "then perhaps you will learn some sense." Obi-Wan chuckled in response, Cody leaned forward and their lips brushed in a gentle kiss. "I love you Ob'ika."
"I love you dear one," replied Obi-Wan.
He felt his eyelids become heavy once again and tried to fight the pull of sleep. Cody smiled softly and ran a soothing hand through his hair. "Sleep cyare, you need to rest."
"I just woke up," protested Obi-Wan weakly with a frown.
"Just sleep you stubborn Jedi," chuckled Cody softly.
"Your stubborn Jedi," Obi-Wan mumbled as he lost the fight against sleep.
Just as he was drifting into a comfortable darkness, he felt a kiss pressed against his forehead. "Yes," he could hear Cody's smile. "You are my stubborn Jedi." Obi-Wan drifted into a deep healing sleep with a smile upon his face.
