Get ready for some ANGST. And also FLUFF. And that statement pretty much summarizes this story up. Have fun!
Cody had been preparing a meal when he heard it. The unmistakable noise someone approaching the hut. He assumed it was the Sand People coming to raid the house again. Cody sighed and locked himself beneath the house- again.
Obi-Wan had been very adamant about not harming the locals unless necessary. The clone was willing to follow the old rules even with the Jedi absent.
Imagine his surprise when a young voice called out, "Anyone here?"
A beeping noise responded to the man and Cody immediately recognized the droid noises.
"I know, R2, but someone might have moved in or something."
Beep, boop, whirl.
"Well, it's been abandoned for a few months, what do you expect?"
Cody tried to place the voice and debated if he should come out of his hiding spot. The young man was shuffling around turning crates over and searching for something. The clone really didn't like someone going through his general's stuff…
"Come on, Ben. You had to have left something…"
Cody froze. It was the boy… Luke. So if he was here and R2 was here and Ben left something for Luke then…
Cody fought back tears but didn't make a sound. His General couldn't be gone… could he?
R2's 'voice' snapped Cody back to the two visitor's conversation.
"Yeah, R2, I know. But Ben told me to come here. He must have left- aha!" Cody heard something scrape across the floor and a box swung open. "Look, R2! Journals! Ben must have written them since he came to Tatooine. There has to be some information to help in here."
Cody wasn't sure how long he stayed hidden; it may have been hours. His legs were starting to cramp and he was falling asleep standing up. It was better than breaking down and being discovered.
"Uh… I wonder who this was for, R2?"
BEEP. BOOP. WHIRL.
"It just says on the front, 'To my best Pillow.'"
Cody froze.
"I'll just put it on the table." There was a pause. "We should get going, R2."
The droid let out a noise of relief and Luke laughed. "It's not that bad! Come on, Leia is waiting for our return." The two stomped out of the hut and Cody counted to thirty before rushing out of his hiding spot.
In the corner was a large trunk that appeared to be empty now- Cody suspected that was where the journals had been. Placed on the table was a thin book addressed to the clone in Ben's handwriting.
Cody's hands were shaking as he opened the book. There was no date addressed on the page, it just started with 'Cody'.
"If you're reading this… I'd rather not say it. But I can tell you a few things about it. You should know that it was my choice and my path to follow. Nothing you could have done would have stopped it."
Cody cursed his stubborn General.
"Now onto more important matters."
What the kriff could be more important than his General's death?
"Luke."
Cody had to ask.
"You have often wondered why the boy is so special, but as a loyal commander, you've never directly asked, but waited for me to tell you. Although I cannot say everything, Luke is the galaxy's last hope."
The clone paused there and frowned. It wasn't like Ben to be overdramatic in a serious matter. So whatever was up with the teen, it must have been important.
"The first thing you should know is his full name is Luke Skywalker. I don't know why I'm telling you this, as this book may be intercepted before you read it. The rest of this journal is blank of the mention. When you are finished with this page; burn it. No one from the Republic era or the risen Empire can know this. His life depends on it. Please make sure he doesn't accidentally kill himself. I know he will return to Tatooine eventually."
Skywalker… as in General Skywalker? The man who lead the 501st and who was his General's old padawan? The man who literally drove every rule keeper up the walls with his tactics and style? But if Luke was a Skywalker…
Mentally, Cody did the math. Luke was about 21… and if he recalled correctly, the Empire rose about 21 years earlier. So Luke would technically have been able to have been born before or right after Anakin's death.
The clone rolled his eyes and almost laughed. "Leave it to Anakin to break the Jedi Code…"
"The second and final thing is very simple. May the Force be with you."
Cody facepalmed. "Of all the things to say, General…"
He tore out the first page and threw it in the fireplace, then lit the wood. Might as well before he forgot… and with the current state of his mind, that would be highly likely. Obi-Wan had asked him to watch the boy- so that's what he would do.
Cody packed up his few belongs and threw the journal into his bag before hurrying out the door. Luke's tracks were still in the sand and Cody began to follow them.
When night fell, the clone had long caught up with the boy. Luke was 'camping' around a fire, sleeping peacefully with R2 standing guard. Cody stayed up on a ridge and laid as a guard. By the light of the moon, he began to read the journal.
Most of the entries were accounts of old memories from the Clone Wars, such as the time Waxer accidentally glued his armor to the training equipment when a prank of his went wrong. Or the time Obi-Wan had brought some new shinies into the group and Cody had told them yet another variation of the story how he got his scar.
Cody smiled at all the memories and wiped away a few tears at the names of his fallen brothers. It was comforting to know that his General didn't just remember the battles, but the brothers and their stories as well.
After a few entries, he flipped through the remainder of the book, just scanning the tales and names. When he got to the back cover, he froze. Beforehand, Cody hadn't noticed how thick the binding had been on the journal. But now he saw it was actually rather thick for such a thin book. In the back was an old holo-viewer. Cody pulled it out of its 'casing' and examined it for a moment before turning it on.
The first picture was a large group, as much of the 212th as possible shoved onto the screen, smiling and making faces. Cody stood in the center, pinching his nose in annoyance and looking a tad annoyed. Holding the camera was a grinning Waxer, who had somehow snuck into the picture, only capturing the side of his head.
Cody shook his head, laughing softly before heading to the next holo.
Cody was covered in mud, with Obi-Wan standing next to him, completely clean of any of the brown muck, smirking at the clone who was attempting to look annoyed, but failing miserably as he was smiling slightly and trying to hold in laughter.
The next photo was probably taken during a briefing, as both Cody and Obi-Wan had on their 'serious' faces.
On and on the photo album went. Some were of Cody, some were of the Jedi and some didn't have either of them in the picture. Clones, brothers, sometimes with General Skywalker and Commander Tano.
In one picture a single clanker stood, looking a little concerned at how many clones had him surrounded. The next picture contained a very happy brother waving the head of the now destroyed droid in front of the camera. Several were most likely taken by Bacta when no one was looking, as they were of the large cuddle piles and parties thrown by Ti for his brothers 'birthday', all of which Bacta was very persistent on avoiding- yet somehow always there at the same time.
The last picture made Cody tear up and feel ever so lonely again. Obi-Wan looked exhausted, yet peaceful, leaning against a sleeping Cody. The two were both fast asleep and each seemed to find comfort in the other brother in the brief rest from the battle.
Cody had the sneaking suspicion it was the same photo Waxer had snapped of the two the day Obi-Wan used Cody as a pillow for the first time since becoming his General. And he was ever grateful for it.
That night, Cody slept peacefully, watching over Luke while reliving old memories.
He didn't know that a certain Jedi was smiling at him from beyond the grave, quietly laughing to himself.
GAH, THE ANGST. Cody didn't even get to say goodbye, WHY?
Oh wait, I wrote this... Whoops.
Master, why do you do this to me? To yourself?
Honestly, I don't know. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated and any critisism is great.
Up next: THE FINAL CHAPTER