Note: Updated earlier today. Be sure to go back and make sure you read the previous chapter.
You can thank the next two chapters on a review from a while back. Someone made the comment about if Cody got mad at Obi-Wan for getting the line of fire, then imagine how mad he got during the Rako Hardeen incident.
And then I did some research. And found out that Rako Hardeen was AFTER Krell.
Well, kriff Obi-Wan, I hope you told your troops you were going to fake your death! I mean, you didn't tell Anakin. Or Satine. Or Ahsoka. ….. You did tell them, right?
Cody could tell you exactly what he was doing when he was informed about the General.
He had been running through basic protocol codes with some of the more experienced troops, making sure that they still knew even the lesser used numbers and letters. He had been planning to have another session with the fresher troops to evaluate how well they learned when his com link went off.
"Alright men, find a partner and have a basic landing protocol on Coruscant." Cody nodded to the troops, some more eager than others, before turning away and answering the call.
He wasn't sure what he expected, but a mellow Rex was not at the top of his list. "Rex. Is something wrong?"
"Cody…" Rex hesitated for a moment, "I'll be arriving in a few minutes. Have your men ready for a… an update."
"Uh…" Cody frowned, but shook his head clear. "Alright. I'll have them report to the hanger." Rex gave a nod, then hung up. Cody didn't know what was going on, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it.
Wooley approached Cody, his face laced with concern. "Cody, you look worried. Is something wrong?"
"Rex is coming to give the entire 212th an… update."
"An update?"
Cody shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't like the sound of it." He shook his own thoughts away before asking Wolley to give the order for everyone to meet in the hangar of the Negotiator.
Wooley nodded slowly. "Yes, sir." He turned away before looking back, "What could it be about, Cody?"
Cody hesitated. His gut was tight and his heart was pounding. A single thought had been on his mind and he finally voiced it. "I don't know what to think… But I have the feeling that our general has just done something stupid. Really stupid."
Rex stood on the ramp of an open transport, slightly above everyone. Cody stood at the bottom of the ramp, his expression stone while worried thoughts danced around in his head. Wooley stood next to him, his commander's words echoing through his head. Behind the two, the entire 212th stood at a stiff attention.
Rex took off his helmet, his face solemn and distressed. "At ease. Today I am not here as a captain, or a soldier. I am here as a brother."
Cody felt a shiver race down his spine. Something was horribly wrong.
"General Skywalker would have been here, but I convinced him to stay as he would not be in the correct state of mind to tell you all this but-" Rex's voice cut off slightly. He took a deep breath and began his report.
He told about how General Kenobi and General Skywalker, along with Commander Tano had been headed to a meeting and had been attacked by a sniper. He detailed out the chase scene as the two generals took to the roofs and Ahsoka remained on the streets. Rex's voice halted for a moment. He took a shuddering breath. "General Kenobi was shot in the chest, falling off the building from the shot. By the time the paramedics arrived…" Rex trailed off his voice becoming quiet. "It was too late."
Cody couldn't breath. He physically dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around him in a form of comfort. It didn't help. The entire 212th reacted in a similar manner. Several fell to the ground, heads bowed and hands shaking. A few shook their heads muttering how it couldn't be be true. One clone began to punch his own leg, as if trying to wake up from a bad dream. That's all this could be. It had to be a dream. This couldn't be real. Cody seemed to be trying to convince himself that nothing was wrong. Bacta had just given him too much painkiller and this was all an illusion.
Wooley grabbed his commander's arm, squeezing it tightly as if trying to reassure himself he wasn't alone.
Rex hurried down the ramp and dropped down next to Cody. He wrapped an arm around his brother and spoke in a hurried whisper, "The 212th is on leave until further notice from the Jedi. They know this is a shock- it is for them as well."
"I… I…" Cody closed his eyes and balled his fists, trying to keep it together, "Did they get the sniper?"
"... He escaped."
Cody almost screamed. He looked at Rex, shaking his head slowly. "This… this can't be real. I-"
Wooley tightened his grip on Cody's arm, "There has to be a mistake. Maybe General Skywalker heard wrong! I mean he can't- the General can't-" The clone choked on the oncoming tears, trying to keep them at bay, but eventually failed. The captain began to sob, burying his face on Cody's shoulder.
The sobs seemed to snap Cody back into reality and he hugged Wooley tightly. Cody closed his eyes, the tears beginning to come.
Rex moved closer and hugged both of his brothers, wishing that he had not had to bring the news.
"I'll- I'll kill him," Cody managed to choke out.
Rex smiled grimly, "I think General Skywalker has already called dibs on that. I don't think I'll see him for quite some time as he chases the sniper around the galaxy."
Although he would like to see what General Skywalker would do to the man who killed his General, Cody also knew he wasn't thinking straight. He wasn't ready to leave the ship, let alone the port. So he just cried, praying that this whole thing was a dream.
It was two days later. Everyone was in the mess hall eating. Or at least, attempting to eat. Most played with their food, and all voices were either lowered or silent. Cody sat at a far table with Wooley, Boil, Trapper, and Crys. No one spoke, simply staring down at the full plates with a blank look.
Men died in war, everyone knew that. But none of them had lost their general before. If a Jedi ever died, most of the clones went with them from sheer loyalty to their leader. But there hadn't been even a chance for the 212th to protect Kenobi.
"I'll kill him." Boil finally broke the silence. "I'll kill that Hardeen if it's the last thing I ever do."
Rako Hardeen. That name alone sent a chill through everyone's spines. The killer had been captured and imprisoned by General Skywalker. Most clones wished something worse, but they knew General Kenobi wouldn't have wanted that.
But that didn't mean the clones didn't wish the worst possible fate on him. Cody was reminded of when they were disposing Gen- no he wasn't a general, he was a murderer- Krell's body. Watching it disappear down a flowers gut had been quite satisfying. Too bad they couldn't do the same thing to Hardeen.
Cody clenched his fists tightly, "How could this have happened? He was a kriffin' Jedi! What idiot steps out from behind cover and gets blasted?!" Cody's voice was low and angry. To be honest, part of him blamed his general for getting shot.
How many times had he lectured Obi-Wan about attacking without any back-up? About how the Jedi was not invincible, no matter how many times he escaped a perilous situation? Cody had lost count. Yet not a single one had seemed to flash through the man's head as he ran to his death.
His thoughts were snapped awake by a very loud, very angry voice.
"Alright! Everyone on their feet!" Bacta had climbed up on a table and was standing, his hands on his hips. Buzzer was standing on the seat, slightly below his mentor and idol, his face trying to copy the angry yet serious expression. "I want everyone in Training Room 13 in the next five minutes!"
Most clones got up from their seats, too depressed to question the order. The file of clones headed out the door and down the hallway into the desired location with Bacta and Buzzer herding the entire group down the hall. When everyone was present (and Bacta called role three times to ensure it) he ordered everyone to sit in a circle on the ground.
"Alright! Everyone this is a safety circle. If anyone wants to speak their mind just stand up and talk. I'll start." Bacta ignored the confused expression and cleared his throat loudly. "I think the fact that the General died is stupid, unfair, and the most horrible thing that has happened to this battalion."
Cody's mouth dropped open. Did Bacta just call Obi-Wan by his title?
"And," Bacta continued ignoring the hushed whispers, "I don't like it one bit. But I know for a fact that if the General could come back from the dead he would give us a long lecture about how he isn't really dead, but 'One with the Force' or whatever the kriffin' Jedi believe. So everyone here needs to get their act together and start acting like the soldiers you were trained to be!" The medic sat down without another word and glared at the ground.
No one moved for several minutes after that, too shocked to react. Cody was still trying to wrap his mind around the situation when a clone to his right stood up.
Tile looked like he would rather be somewhere else at the moment, twisting his long hair with his fingers. Apparently, he hadn't taken the time to pull it back into its normal ponytail this morning. "I…" he swallowed hard and continued, trembling, "I miss the General." Ti's sheepish smile made a few men chuckle, "I miss his smile, his kindness, his friendship. He was… a brother."
Cody felt the tears start to come again, but he forced them down. Tile looked like he wanted to continue, but sat down, his face bright red.
Boil popped up immediately, his expression angry. He began to rant about how evil Rako Hardeen was for taking their General away from them before his time. Many clones growled in agreement and Bacta had to ask the man to sit down after five minutes. Wooley then stood up and gave a solemn speech about how things would never be the same in the 212th again. One by one all the men stood up and gave their opinions on the situation. Some questioned what would happen to the 212th now. Would they be split up? Would a new General be appointed over them? Several broke down crying, their emotions overcoming any other feeling and Ti was soon running around and giving hugs of comfort.
After most of the men spoke, Cody shakily got to his feet. "I… I am mad. I am mad at Hardeen-"
Boil let out a loud growl at that, but Cody ignored him.
"And I'm furious with our General." Cody looked down at his feet, "How could he just leave us like this? General Kenobi has survived battles with General Grievous, betrayal, the Sith, and he is killed by a sniper?" Cody clenched his teeth, "How is that even possible?! A Jedi killed by a single shot! I just wanna-" The commander slammed his foot on the ground making those closest to him flinch. "I want to kill him! And I can't because he's-" Cody's voice became shaky "-he's already gone…" Commander Cody stood for a moment before sitting down. Wooley squeezed his shoulder and gave a reassuring smile.
A few more men spoke before Bacta finally halted the 'safety circle'. "Alright, everyone go find a pillow and meet back here in ten minutes. Sleeping pile here tonight. Doctor's orders." He had that look on his face that no one would argue with. And honestly, no one could find a reason to disobey.
Boil was the first to ask the question, "What if we had been there?"
It had come out of the blue during a training session with the newer recruits. After all, something had to keep the men semi-distracted from the grief. Practice and mock combat seemed like the best option to everyone.
Tile paused in his target practice and turned his attention to his superior officer, "Come again?" His old Checkered Squadmates, Buzzer and Cliff halted as well.
"What if we had been there," Boil made a motion with his hands, "the night the General had died?"
The other training squad that had been sent to the 212th with them, the Light Squad, stopped their target practice as well. And with Trigger that was saying something. Click and Zee frowned, their minds trying to evaluate the question.
Tile spoke up first, "Well, I would have grabbed the General around the waist and dragged him back on his transport before hunting down Hardeen." His voice was so hard and full of venom that everyone took a step back from their 'permanently shiny' little brother.
The other clones began to speak up. Some plans were more detailed than others, while some involved punching Hardeen and stealing his gun before the general even knew what was going to happen. Several men would have used themselves as a human shield for their general.
The question spread around the Negotiator rather quickly and became the talk of the battalion. The plans were discussed and calculated, trying to figure out if they could have saved their General. Most everyone thought so and after a few days most clones had dreams about their own plans and rescuing the general. Many men had a hard time getting out of bed after such dreams and the discussion soon died down. It still remained in the back of their mind, however.
It was late at night when Cody rolled out of bed. He couldn't sleep- again. Most other brothers were either asleep or on guard duty but Cody decided to get up anyway.
He wandered around the halls of The Negotiator, alone with his thoughts. No one bothered him (mostly because he was a commander).
After a few empty hallways, Cody slowed near a doorway. It looked the same as all the others, but Cody knew better. He hesitated for a moment before activating the panel. It slid open revealing a lived in sleeping quarters.
Cody could almost imagine Obi-Wan sitting on the bed and smiling at him, "Ah, Cody. Come in! Would you like some tea?" As if his feet had a mind of their own, he entered and the panel closed behind him, a dim light flickering on.
The clone examined the quarters. It was neat and clean. The closet was lined with clean and freshly pressed tunics and an extra pair of boots was buried in the corner. The sleeper was made without a single wrinkle in the blanket. Leave it to the general to be a neat freak.
With a soft sigh, Cody sat down on the bed and placed his fingertips together, resting his forehead against them. He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. In a whisper he began to speak aloud, "General…? I… I don't know if you can even hear me, but I… I need to talk to you."
"Of course, Cody. What is troubling you?"
Cody opened his eyes and looked around the room, as if expecting to see a ghost or something. He didn't see anything. "The men are having a hard time with your… passing. And… I am too." He gave a soft chuckle, "Of course I try not to show it. Everyone knows I'm not okay. So many have asked me for 'The Pillow' and… I just can't say yes. I've tried and tried but-"
The clone closed his eyes trying to prevent the tears from coming down. "It's selfish but… Kriff, I would trade my life for yours. If it took me dying to make you come back I'd throw myself out the nearest airlock!" A single tear ran down his cheek and Cody quickly wiped it away. "But I know that is impossible. The 212th would be missing both commanding officers. And if I did that you would make me wish I had never been born in whatever afterlife there is… if there is one for us clones."
Cody closed his eyes and could practically hear Obi-Wan's voice ringing in his ears, "Cody… All living things join with the Force. You will be with your fallen brothers again."
"I sure hope you were right, General." Cody looked up at the empty room and allowed a smile, "Because when I get there I'm going to make your afterlife miserable!"
Exhaustion overcame the man and he laid back on the general's bed. For the first time since the general died, Cody had no trouble falling into a dreamless sleep.
It was three weeks after Obi-Wan's death. The entire 212th stood at attention in the hangar, all helmetless. Cody and Wooley stood at the front of the group, standing on the ramp of a ship. In front of them was an empty medical stretcher, hovering in mid air. Placed on top of it was a makeshift metal tube of spare parts that Click had quickly assembled. It was the best they could do for a lightsaber replacement.
The Jedi had had a funeral weeks ago, but the clones had felt it proper to have their own.
Of course none of them had ever organized a large funeral that did not involve burying brother's in the ground and leaving their helmets and any available blaster in the pile. Then they would march on to the next battle after a brief moment of silence. When it came to a "grand funeral"? They had no idea where to start.
The event became impromptu. Click threw together the "lightsaber" and Bacta brought the stretcher. All the men lined up in two columns with an empty aisle in the middle. Cody choose 8 of the veterans and they acted as the Honor Guard, pushing the stretcher down the aisle. Wooley and Cody took their places as the officiators in the front and now all men stood at quiet attention as they tried to figure out what to do next.
Tile suddenly broke the lines and ran up the ramp, stood at attention and in a loud voice began to tell how he first met the General. "The first time I met the General… he was kind of fuzzy." Tile frowned and thought for a moment, "And he couldn't exactly talk because he was barking but…" the clone shrugged, "I still thought he was great."
Most brothers began to laugh at the image of General Kanine (Kenobi as a puppy) and soon a steady flow of brothers lined up to tell their favorite memories of the general, closing off each statement with a salute at the "lightsaber".
When all those who wanted to had spoken, Cody stepped forward and gave a closing speech. It was short and simple and straight to the point. It was about Obi-Wan Kenobi, their General, their friend, and their brother. A few tears were shed. A gun salute was then ordered and all men snapped to attention. The 'lightsaber' was removed and placed in an airlock, before launching it into space.
The rest of the day was spent was remembering their fallen brother in fond memories and food (mostly tea). All laughed and cried, each holding dear to their fallen brother.
It was two days after the funeral. The atmosphere of the ship was still sorrowful, but seemed to carry a lighter air about it. Men laughed more frequently and found reasons to smile. Fewer tears were shed, however the sadness remained. The men were becoming more accustomed to the empty gap in their ranks and several began to get itchy were eager to scrap some droids in honor of their general.
When Tile made a successful impersonation of Obi-Wan that sent everyone in the vicinity to the floor with laughter, Cody determined it was time to get back to work. He began to work on a request for a new General in the 212th and redeployment. There was still a war going on and there was still a Republic to fight for.
After all, it was what Obi-Wan would have wanted.
Cue the five stages of grief among the 212th.
You didn't tell them? Of course you didn't. Because you know, secret Jedi business.
Stupid Jedi...…..
Next chapter: Part 2 of this arc!
Review please!