HI! This is the last chapter of this fic! I want to thank all of you for sticking around and reading this! It was my first Star Wars fic (as you can probably tell) and I had a lot of fun with it! Seriously thanks to all of you who decided to favorite/follow/review this fic it seriously made my day. I'm very serious haha. As I said in the last chapter, this is a long chapter. It's a very long chapter that I couldn't figure out how to split up into separate chapters so I am very sorry about that.
The sequel to this is called The Beginning... and will be up soon. If you're interested, I'll also be putting up a one shot book (A Vast Universe) as well as my Modern Codywan fic (Hands Touch, Eyes Meet). Thank you all again for going on this ride with me and I hope to see you all again soon on my other fics!
If you don't have the patience for this monstrosity that is this last chapter, I will place at the bottom of this chapter a tl;dr of this chapter so you don't have to sit through my ramblings.
Edit: 5/17/2020 dialogue tags fixed.
One last thing! There will be a sequel for this! The prologue and first chapter are already written and it has a name! Yay! So, if you want to continue on this adventure with me, just keep an eye out for a fic titled "The Beginning..." and that'll be the one you want. Again, thank you all for reading and I hope to see you all again in the next one!
Ben feels off. He knows where he is. He's been here before, but it's different. Where it was once bright and sunny, Cody's mind is dark and cold. Ben knows the cold is just in his mind, but he shivers and crosses his arms.
There's nothing around him. There's no doors or gates. There's nothing that could help him on his quest to fix Cody.
"Obi-Wan?"
Ben's breathing hitches and he turns. Cody's there, just a few paces away from him. He's wearing civilian clothing and Ben's heart melts at the sight. "Cody."
Cody looks confused and wary of what's happening, and Ben can't really blame him.
"Do you know what this is?" Ben asks. Cody's head swivels as he takes in the darkness around them.
"My mind."
Ben nods but makes no move to approach his Commander.
"Why are we here?" Cody asks and Ben doesn't know what he should tell Cody. He doesn't know what things could have consequences.
"Your mind is very difficult right now." Ben supplies with a laugh. "When I first entered it, it was a patchwork of shields. Do you know why?" A wind seems to pick up and Ben huddles into himself a bit more. He closes his eyes and waits for the wind to die down.
When it does, Ben looks around carefully.
It's still cold, but it's no longer dark. Ben and Cody are standing outside a bubble.
"What is this?" Ben asks, placing his hand against the bubble. His body seizes as electricity rages through him. He's flung back against the currents and he lands in a heap at Cody's feet. He aches but he looks up at the Commander. His breathing hitches. It's not the Cody that he knows anymore. "Cody?"
The blank face of a Stormtrooper helmet gazes down at him. Ben scrambles to his feet.
"Traitor."
Ben flinches at the harsh way the word is thrown at him.
"Cody, please."
Cody takes a step forward, and Ben takes one back.
"My designation is CC-2224-"
"Your name is Cody."
Cody shakes his head and takes another step towards Ben. Ben can feel the electricity of the bubble (though, shield seems more appropriate) against his back and he knows he has to move.
"You were part of the 212th Attack Batallion," Ben states, eyes wandering as he tries to see a way out. "You were my Commander." His eyes flick to the left. I can go that way. "You were my friend."
Cody pauses and Ben takes this moment to leap to the left and keep running.
He doesn't know how long it's been, but he can't hear the thumping of Cody's boots. Ben sucks in air and places his hands on his knees. Once he feels stable enough, he rises and looks around.
The shields buzz with electricity and Ben takes a step back. He can't just stay here and look at them. He has to get in.
"If I can get in, I can find my shields. If I find my shields, I can hopefully find my Cody." It sounded like a simple enough plan, but he knew there was more to it. Ben swallows and stands across from the shields. He closes his eyes and breathes.
"What are you doing?!" Ben doesn't pay the voice any attention as he places his hands against the crackle of electricity. The power surges through him, but he welcomes it. He lets it seep into his body and soul. He lets it go deep into him as he sinks deeper into his own mind. Once he feels the time is right, he releases a breath and the electricity with it.
The shields surge with the renewed force of power and Ben takes a weary step back. He stumbles to one knee but watches as a section of the shielding falls. His face splits into a tired grin as he rises.
"What did you do?!"
A blaster bolt sears through his leg and Ben cries out. He looks back to see Cody with his raised blaster. Ben sucks in air and pushes his hands out towards Cody. The man flies back and Ben doesn't wait to see what happens then. He rises and starts on his walk.
His leg buckles and he falls. His hand hovers over the wound and he reaches into the Force. The pain seeps to the back of his mind and Ben rises once more and moves on again. This time, his gait is slower and pained, but he makes it.
Rather, he almost makes it.
Pain sears through his shoulder and hand. Ben's eyes widened. Traps. How could I forget the traps? Ben ducks as he feels the slight warning of an oncoming object. He tumbles to the ground and just breathes for a moment.
He can see the next set of shields and almost cries in relief that they aren't crackling.
Ben takes stock of himself for a small moment. Right leg has a blaster wound, left shoulder, and hand...Ben risks a glance at the appendages. Bleeding. Badly. Though mangled and broken could be the better words to use. Right hand. It's the only one I've got left to use. So, I'll just drag myself to the shield. Yes, that'll work. His thoughts don't sound reassuring and he huffs to himself as he gathers his strength. He pulls his body along the ground and every movement sends waves of agony through him.
His vision is cloudy with tears by the time he makes it to the next shield. He raises his right hand against it and pushes with all his might. The shield shatters and Ben's head falls to the ground.
He doesn't know what's going to be next, but he doesn't dare think about it.
"Obi-Wan?" Ben flinches at the familiar voice. Cody's back. "Can you hear me?"
Ben opens his tired eyes. Boots meet his vision and his eyes track up the boot to the body connected to it. Ben sobs as he sees Cody in his civilian clothes. The man whistles as he takes in the sight of Ben on the floor.
"That trap sure did a number on you." Cody's hands grasp Ben's body as he speaks. There's no strength left in Ben that would allow him to run away. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you," Ben mumbles as Cody begins a slow and careful walk to the next shield. Ben's head rolls and he glances at Cody. "How are you here?"
Cody smiles and chuckles.
"You met the other me, huh?" Ben hums his reply and sags. "This next shield is yours. That's how I'm here. You've got all my memories in there. Safe and tucked away where no one can get them." Cody informs the wilting Jedi. "I can hold off the other me now that we're closer. Once we're in your shields, it'll just be me." Cody shifts his hold on Ben and the smaller man grunts.
"And until then?" It's as if a switch flicks on in Cody as soon as Ben asks the question. The change is sudden and Ben doesn't even see it happen. His Cody was here at one point, then the next it's CC-2224.
This Cody growls at Ben and drops him. Ben cries out as he lands and resists the urge to curl into himself.
"Don't touch those."
Ben flinches as he retracts his hand from its slow progression to the shields.
"Why not?" Ben asks.
"You're not supposed to."
Ben raises an eyebrow. Alright, I'll play your game if it brings Cody back.
"Why?" His head tilts as he waits for Cody's answer.
"You're not supposed to."
"That's not an answer." Ben shoots back with his response. "There's a bigger reason, isn't there?"
Cody struggles as he thinks about his answer.
"I've been ordered not to." Ben nods, waiting for a further explanation. "Lord Vader told me terrible things would happen if I touch them."
"Vader told you this?"
Cody shakes himself, and Ben thinks that maybe he's getting Cody back for a while.
"He told CC-2224, but not Cody."
Ben sighs and leans against his shields. Cody smiles. "I'm Cody. I'm allowed to touch them."
Ben brightens slightly as the change between CC-2224 and Cody happens again.
"Welcome back," Ben says with a bright smile on his tired face. Cody bends down and picks the weary Jedi up. "Right now, we need to get through shields and get your chip turned off."
Cody's face stills.
"What do you mean?"
"The chip. With the Order on it."
Cody shakes his head.
"The only chip in my head is the one that controls my aggression. There isn't one with Order's on it."
Ben thinks for a moment.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Ben's curiosity nibbles at his mind. Cody shifts Ben carefully and struggles to find the answer.
"Handing you your lightsaber on Utapau."
Ben huffs and closes his eyes. "Alright, that makes sense." Ben focuses on the shield in front of him. "I'm sure things aren't making much sense, but I'll explain everything later. We have to get past these shields and to the chip." Ben rests his weight on Cody and shifts so he's mostly standing upright. His hands shake as he lifts them in front of the shield. He carefully presses them against the shields and pushes with all his strength. He's shocked to find that it doesn't take a lot for him to break through the shields. "They're falling apart." He mumbles to himself. "The shields I put up for you, they're crumbling."
"What a shame." Ice drips down Ben's spine at the cold voice. "You thought they would hold up longer?"
Ben swallows and turns. The eerie image of golden eyes is back.
"Anakin." The name slips through Ben's lips shakily and he tugs Cody closer to him. "What are you doing here?"
A haunting laugh echoes in Cody's mind and Ben shivers at the sound.
"Someone's trespassing on my Trooper,"
Cody growls and tugs Ben closer.
"Thank you for that." A screeching sound drives into Ben's mind and he cries out in pain. His hands clasp his head as he tries to block it out. He can feel Cody's hands on him, but it barely registers. "I told you Cody would always find you." Ben's eyes snap open. He grunts as he pushes Cody behind him. Ben stumbles as the sound continues, but he keeps moving back, drawing strength from Cody. "Where are you, Master?" Ben's body seizes as the word grates on his mind. Cody's hands never move from his body.
"That's none of your business." Ben pushes out. "You'll never know." Ben slams his hands down onto the surface beneath him and Cody, letting out a ragged yell as he does so. Anakin growls out and darkness swoops in. The shields rise nearly a moment too late. The powerful darkness slams against them and Ben risks a glance at it.
"I'll find you! You can't hide forever!" The yellow eyes of Vader seem to glow brighter before blinking out entirely. The force of the shadows fades and Ben falls forward. Cody grips him tight so he doesn't meet the ground.
"What just happened?"
"Vader just happened." Ben's head hurts and his mind feels like it's been shattered a thousand times over, not to mention that his leg, arm, and shoulder are radiating pain. "He's using you to find me." Ben looks up at Cody. "It'll be alright. All I need to do is break the remaining shield and deactivate the chip." Cody rolls his eyes.
"Oh, is that all?"
Ben huffs out a tired laugh. "You think we can't do it?"
Cody pulls the tired Jedi to him and tucks him gently against his chest. "I think we can."
"Then what's the problem?" Cody raises an eyebrow at Ben, glancing at the sorry state of his leg and arm. "I'm fine." He assures the man. Cody scoffs. "Alright, so I'm bleeding and my mind feels ripped to shreds and yes, he might come back-"
"Then don't-"
"I'm doing this." Ben's voice has a strength behind it that his body doesn't feel and leaves no room for argument. "I need you back. When I saw you, I knew I needed you back." Ben hugs Cody as tightly as his battered body can. "Your family needs you." Cody sags a little in Ben's hold. "I have so much to tell you, but we don't have time for that." Ben starts to move forward, but Cody holds him again and lifts him off his feet. Together, they start the journey. "I don't know how long we'll have on these other shields, but I fear we'll be meeting Vader again sooner than we would like to," Ben mumbles out as he rests his throbbing head against his Commander's shoulder.
"How are you going to break the shields? They're electrified."
Ben bites his lip and closes his eyes.
"You didn't think about that, did you?" Ben smiles sheepishly at Cody who rolls his eyes and sighs.
"I'll think of something." Ben tries to reassure him.
"As long as it doesn't get you killed." Cody's pace is quick, though he makes sure it doesn't aggravate Ben's injuries. Memories fly by them the deeper they go, but Ben can't take the time to gaze at them. "You put the shields here to keep my memories safe, didn't you?" Cody asks, a little breathless from the fast pace. "At least, you did before all this happened, right?"
Ben nods. "You asked for them, remember?"
"Yeah, but I wanted the important things hidden from the Seppies. These aren't-"
"They are important. They're your memories of your family."
"How were your shields still there?"
Ben hums and keeps his eyes closed as he thinks the question over. There could have been a number of reasons why.
"Well, my first guess is that they were still fairly strong when Vader put the new ones up. Yes, there's only a small section, though that must mean they started to fade as time went on." Ben mumbles to himself as he thinks that reason over. "My second guess is that the shields helped with tracking you." Ben can feel Cody stiffen at the thought. "It's a part of me connected to you. However, with how cracked they were, they wouldn't have been much use to Vader."
"What would have happened if they did break? Like of their own accord and not by your hand?"
"Your memories might have slipped into the cracks of other shields, or they could have vanished completely. Leaving you with no memory of me, the Republic, your brothers, or any of that."
Cody's silent as they continue their trek.
"I'm sorry," Ben whispers, opening his eyes to gaze up at Cody. "I wish I could have done more for you." Cody shakes his head and spares a glance down at Ben.
"You did everything you could have, and more. You did so much for me. You did so much for my brothers."
All too soon, the tender moment was finished as they neared the crackling shields that surrounded the chip.
"This is weird." Cody mumbles.
"What is?" Ben asks as he struggles to break free from Cody's hold.
"This whole mind thing." Ben snorts at the description his Commander uses. "The chip is normal-sized to us, but if everything were to scale-"
"It would be much bigger than this." Ben finishes for him. "I want you to know that when the shields that Vader placed are broken, and the chip is disabled, your mind will go back to the way it once was."
Cody raised an eyebrow at the Jedi as he slowly put him down. "How was that?"
"Beautiful."
Cody snorts and smiles at him.
"Alright."
Ben laughs then eyes the energy racing along the shield.
"You sure about this?" Cody asks.
"I hope not." Ben freezes and shuts his eyes at the return of the icy voice. "I hope you're not sure about this."
"Oh?" Ben asks as he turns his attention to Vader. His mind stops for a moment as he takes in the sight.
The shadowed figure is gone. In its place is Anakin Skywalker. His eyes are gold and his pale-faced is framed by wild hair. Ben knows this isn't how he should look. Ben knows what he should look for.
"You seem disappointed," Anakin says, tilting his head at Ben. "Do you not like how I look?" Ben stumbles as he tries to back up, and Cody braces him. "Should I fix that?" Another few steps back and Ben can feel the electricity against his back.
Anakin's figure changes as Ben's mind races. How do we get out of here? Anakin's hair melts into his skin. His pale complexion grays out and he's scarred on every inch of skin that Ben can see.
"Is this better?" His voice is raspy and he takes one stuttered step towards Ben. Cody pulls Ben closer and Ben leans into his hold. "How about this?"
The scene changes.
They're not in Cody's mind.
Heat and flames lick the walls and Ben feels faint as he watches his former Padawan call out in pain. His hand grips at the black beach as he tries to pull himself towards his former Master. His stumps catch fire and it quickly spreads to the rest of his body.
Ben feels tears run down his face, but he can't look away. His mind races and he can't stop the thoughts from coming to his mind. Luke flashes before his eyes. As does Leia.
The worst thing? The worst thing that comes to his mind is the planet.
"I found you." Vader bites out. "Tatooine."
Ben's heart drops.
"Enough!" Ben flinches at the strength of Cody's yell. The scene freezes and Ben looks up. "This is my mind. Not yours!" The scene fades. They're back to the darkness that is Cody's mind. "This is my mind. You have no place here." Cody takes one menacing step towards Vader who seems surprised as he takes a step back. Ben watches the two and lets himself slide down until he rests on the floor. "You have no power here. Not anymore." Another menacing step forward from Cody. Another concerned step back for Vader. "Get out." Vader's image flickers. Ben readies himself as he places his hands in front of the shield. "I said, GET OUT!" Another flickering, this one stronger than the last.
Ben takes that moment and slams his hands painfully into the jarring field of electricity.
He doesn't remember what happens next. Not really.
He knows Vader's image faded.
He knows Cody slammed all his power into the chip.
He felt the chip disable.
He felt the jarring feeling of his mind connecting with his body once more.
"Master Kenobi!" Ahsoka's voice is at the back of the roaring in his mind. He thinks he vomits and he thinks he hears Cody, but that doesn't matter.
During his last moments of consciousness, Ben relays a message to Ahsoka.
"He knows." Darkness takes him as Ahsoka stares at him with worry in her eyes. "He knows."
Ben knows no more.
tl;dr Ben takes a deep dive into Cody's mind where he meets CC-2224 who is Cody's stormtrooper persona. He's not a great guy and he chases Ben around in Cody's mind. Ben has to break shields in Cody's mind to save him. These shields are guarded by electricity and that shocks Ben a few times. Traps are set and Ben falls for them. He gets his leg, shoulder, and hand badly damaged during these traps as he continues to try and break the shields placed by Vader. The closer he gets to finding the chip and breaking the shields, the closer he gets to saving Cody. Commander Cody who is just good Cody shows up and helps Ben. But Wait! Vader also shows up and attacks Ben as well leaving him weaker than before and attacking his mind. Eventually, Vader is fought back against and Cody and Ben are able to finish taking down the shields and disabling the chip. However, Vader reveals he knows where Ben is and the fic ends with Ben gasping out a warning to Ahsoka before passing out.