Chapter Text
Cody was quite tired of this back and forth. No, they didn't want the Jedi forced into service to make up for what happened during the war, to make up for how they were treated at Kamino and for the chips.
No, they didn't want the Jedi to face any consequences. They wanted the Senate to face consequences for being so dumb regarding the Chancellor. They wanted the Senate to face consequences for not giving them rights until they realized they karked up upon the Chancellor's death at Anakin's hands when he revealed his hand at the wrong time.
Cody just wanted this nightmare to be over. He wanted to be free, he didn't want the Jedi to basically be treated like they had been.
Another dumb suggestion, another refusal.
"How about marriage?"
"What?" Wolffe snapped. He was the most irritable. If he wasn't one of the Marshall commanders and one of the most respected among the clones, he would have refused to attend the meetings and everyone agreed that they were better off if he hadn't joined them.
"Well, you could marry the Jedi, that would make up for their errors, right?"
Cody paused and considered. They were trying to find a way to get the clones separated from the Republic. And he knew the Jedi were working on the same. The Jedi were supposed to serve the galaxy. They had discussed working together.
"I think we'll have to discuss that among ourselves," Cody decided.
"Very well. At least you're considering something finally. Thought nothing was going to be harsh enough."
Cody glared. They had repeatedly said they didn't want the Jedi punished for what they didn't see as errors. It wasn't the Jedi's fault the clones were created, that they had been abused. It wasn't the Jedi's fault they had chips in their head. That fault entirely belonged to the Sith.
But they were left to discuss. He looked at his brothers. They all looked equally as frustrated and done with the situation.
Bly spoke first. "I suppose marrying Jedi is the best we're going to get. I was hoping to marry Aayla but... not like this."
Cody quietly agreed. He wanted to marry Obi-Wan, but they were still exploring their relationship. Obi-Wan didn't deserve to be forced into this.
Wolffe grumbled. "As long as we're not going to be forced into anything, I don't see why not. Get the Senate off our backs about trying to decide on a punishment for the Jedi, and ensure the Jeid are safe from further punishment."
"It is far better than anything else we could've gotten," Fox agreed. He, along with the rest of the Coruscant Guard were by far the most suspicious of the Jedi but even they didn't think the Jedi deserved it, at least among those who were in charge.
There were several battalions that never had a chance to work with a Jedi, who weren't too sure about the Jedi. But they had conceded if the most respected of the clones liked the Jedi and didn't blame them, then the Jedi, as a whole, were probably fine.
"At least Aayla and I have been talking about it." Bly sighed.
Cody looked around at those that hadn't spoken yet, to see if they had anything to add. He sighed, shoulders slumping.
"So we are going to give into their demands that the Jedi be punished... by marrying Jedi. Let's suggest some basic rules before we fully agree. I don't want any of us to be blindsided if we can help it." Cody felt defeated. He knew his brothers felt defeated, or most of them did.
They were getting their rights, but was the cost really worth it now?
.
Obi-Wan dreaded Council meetings these days. During the war they were never pleasant. But at least there was a good friendships, there was hope. There was...
Well. It wasn't the same. Even with Quinlan being appointed to the Council.
After all, the Jedi were to marry clones to repay the clones for their mistakes. Aayla and Bly had their wedding date set as soon as that was announced two months previous.
Surprising everyone, Thorn had picked a Jedi he had worked with frequently.
Other commanders picked their Jedi generals.
And yet... Cody had not said a word to him. In fact, it was starting to seem like Cody was avoiding him. And Obi-Wan didn't know why.
Sure, the whole marriage thing was a bit uncomfortable. Especially since the Senate was imposing it as a punishment. But it could have been far, far worse. Obi-Wan had heard some of those suggestions. He was still having nightmares about them.
It wouldn't have been ideal to marry now, but Obi-Wan would have been okay with that. They could have still acted as if they were dating, just being married legally and still explored their relationship.
But Cody was avoiding him.
And it hurt.
Obi-Wan arrived at the meeting and settled in his chair, glad he was one of the first there. He dreaded these meetings and needed to brace himself. Every meeting since the marriage announcement spent some time on that ruling, on how a minimum of one hundred Jedi had to marry clones. Often times with updates on who was getting married now.
Yoda was already in place, quietly contemplating the galaxy, the state of the Force with the death of the Sith. It had immediately gotten a lot lighter, and yet it still felt shadowed, and the more trapped the Jedi Order felt, the more shadowed it seemed to get. As if the Senate and galaxy actively hating them actually bled into the Force.
The next person to arrive was a dazed looking Kit. Obi-Wan was about to ask, but then he spotted the traditional Nautolan marriage band and decided he was better off not souring his mood further.
Quinlan stepped in next, glancing around cautiously before taking his seat between Obi-Wan and Kit. He was still adjusting to the idea of being on the Council, having been inducted just a week before. He fit in well, though, so everyone was happy to have him.
Depa was next, still pleased from marrying her own commander just days prior.
Mace and Plo arrived together, as they often did, walking close as they discussed something quietly.
Obi-Wan withdrew into himself at that point when it looked like someone might speak to him. He really wasn't up to more questions about if Cody had asked him yet. Cody wasn't going to. That was clear.
After two months of hardly seeing Cody, let alone talking to him... Obi-Wan was starting to feel like their relationship was dead. And he had no clue why.
There was really only one explanation that Obi-Wan could think of. When faced with marriage, Cody realized he didn't want that with Obi-Wan and decided they weren't meant to be. And rather than actually talk to Obi-Wan about it, he decided practically ghost Obi-Wan.
And it hurt. Obi-Wan had thought Cody was a better man than that. Had thought they could make it through any issue. But they weren't making it through this one.
The meeting went as it always did... until they got a summons to the Senate. They rushed through the rest of the meeting and then left together. They had the time to make it or they wouldn't have bothered trying to finish the meeting.
Quinlan hung back to talk to Obi-Wan. He wrapped an arm around his friend.
"You doing alright? You've been quieter lately."
Obi-Wan sighed and allowed himself to lean in just a bit. "Cody hasn't talked to me since the announcement about the marriage. I think we're done."
"Oh, Obi, I'm sorry." Quinlan pulled him in closer. "That sucks."
"Yeah. And people keep asking and... I'd just rather not think about it. So... how are you?"
"We'll talk about it when you're ready." Quinlan gave him the look that said he was serious before cheerfully switching to talking about himself. "I'm doing pretty good. It's been weird being on the Council. Everyone recognizes me now and the stares are kind of weird. The worship from the younglings is a bit much, if hilarious."
"Ah yes, the initial awe of 'that Jedi is special enough to be on the Council and be in charge'. It'll wear off eventually. But there will always be those who treat you with more respect than they might have before. It's still strange, even three years later."
"Good. I'm glad I'm not the only one weirded out by that." Quinlan then sighed. "I still don't understand why me?"
"You were one of the best masters throughout the war. Your investigations were key at many points. You did well whenever you had to take charge of a battalion, and... well, based on the reports from the Coruscant Guard, you were the main Jedi they interacted with and were the reason many of them survived at all, since you made sure they got supplies one way or another. You showed a lot of leadership qualities, and a lot of good Jedi wisdom."
"Well... When you put it like that... Still weird though. Can you imagine someone telling us when we were padawans that we would be on the Council some day?"
Obi-Wan snorted. "We would've accused them of lying."
Quinlan laughed. "Oh, yes, we certainly would have. Heck, asked me just five years ago and I never would have believed it, especially now, at this age. I'm only forty! And on the Council! It's weird."
Obi-Wan patted his shoulder. "I know. I was thirty five, same age as Mace was when he was appointed and I'm currently the youngest."
Quinlan leaned on Obi-Wan. "Well. Glad I got the job. It's nice."
Obi-Wan smiled. "It is. We can truly make a difference."
After that they moved onto other topics, talking about more light hearted things than the previous topics.
.
The meeting with the Senate was not something they could ever have expected.
It had been two months. The Senate (those pushing for such things) were impatient. So they decided to take matters into their own hands.
"Based on the trends for clones marrying Jedi, we have decided that all clone commanders should marry the Jedi general they were assigned to, or the Jedi they worked most closely with. We are still figuring out how many we expect to be married, but we do have pairs we are most interested in seeing go through. Note, some Jedi were not paired with commanders if they did not work with commanders frequently."
Obi-Wan felt like he'd been dunked in ice and punched in the stomach. He glanced at the pod the clones were in but Cody was staring resolutely ahead, not daring to look in his direction. That only made Obi-Wan feel worse.
"I see there is some confusion. So, we're going to list off some of the pairs we have lined up already."
Obi-Wan had a sinking feeling hit him. He glanced around and could tell the others of the Council felt the same way.
"We decided to skip Master Yoda as he is quite old and should be able to live out the rest of his life in peace without worry of a husband. Ki-Adi Mundi is already married to several wives according to Cerean custom. And now, for the list."
Obi-Wan accepted Quinlan's offered hand, grateful no one could see their quiet support, grateful no one could sense how the Council was rallying around each other in the Force to offer as much comfort and support as they could.
Ponds and Mace Windu
Wolffe and Plo Koon
Colt and Shaak Ti
They all exchanged horror and shock and reassuring each other in the Force, using the equivalent of a hug. All three of the Jedi were already married. Mace and Plo to each other and Shaak to Feemor. Or rather, it was the closest Jedi typically got to marriage outside of following cultural norms.
There were other names, so many Jedi paired off just so they could meet the hundred Jedi requirement.
The best was for last. The most famous of the clones and Jedi for their involvement in the war. Quinlan had helped Fox at the end of the war and they ended up being in the news for being instrumental for Palpatine's arrest and death.
Rex and Anakin Skywalker
Cody and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Fox and Quinlan Vos
Quinlan made a noise of distress though he never opened his mouth. He looked to the clones, picked out Fox from the group. He quite liked Fox but there was just something about the way Fox acted that made Quinlan feel like Fox was always holding him at an arm's length.
Obi-Wan just let out a breath. It was official. He had to marry Cody, even though Cody had not contacted him in two months and was avoiding him completely. This was not the way he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Cody, not after their relationship had died.
Then the other name registered. Anakin and Rex? Oh no. Oh that was not good. Anakin had finally admitted to the marriage with Padme, as Padme was four months pregnant when the war ended and he was trying to get her to go to the doctor. Obi-Wan had immediately convinced them both she needed to see a Jedi healer, and only after he was certain she was healthy did he start berating them for how they had handled their relationship so far.
Thankfully, Anakin seemed to have decided he had to do better for his children and was getting help for his problems. He was still thinking about if he wanted to be a Jedi after all, if their requirements were too much for him, but the way the war ended and his own brush with letting emotions get the better of him when seeing that, he understood better why he was supposed to control himself.
Obi-Wan put it out of his mind, seeing that Padme had a calculating look on her face as she stared at the pod where Rex was sitting, in total shock. Understandably so.
No, now he had to worry about his own future husband. And helping the Council members. They had to strategize. The Senate forcing this meant they had to speed things up a bit.
The Jedi were planning on leaving Coruscant but they had to be careful. They could not be obvious, especially with how heavy handed the Senate was being regarding the marriages. They were mostly working on smuggling all the important things out first, archives, artifacts, things they didn't want to lose as part of their culture. They had plans in place to grab the younglings and leave. The clones had given them some of the ships from the war, which would greatly help in getting all Jedi off Coruscant at once if necessary.
But the Council favored a slower approach. All priceless artifacts and other things they didn't want to lose and especially did not want to see end up in the wrong hands out first, then the youngest younglings, and all the initiates. Then junior padawans. Then everyone else.
The marriages were already messing things up before, as they debated how to bring those clones in on the plan.
Now they were being forced to marry more clones and could not be certain they could trust the clones with their plans. Obi-Wan thought abandoning their husbands might be on the table. If the marriage was totally unavoidable.
There was an emergency meeting after that. None of the Council were totally composed, even those already married, proposed to, or exempt. How could they be with what the Senate was forcing on them?
Quinlan had his head in his hands as everyone tried to compose themselves towards actually discussing their next moves. Others were just sitting, staring blankly. Shaak was pacing, muttering angrily under her breath. Mace and Plo were quietly talking, holding hands in a rare show of public affection.
Obi-Wan decided to take charge of the situation. "The Senate is showing that as a group, they don't care about us. We knew that they didn't before, but this is blatant abuse and quite a bit like slavery now. Mace, Plo, isn't your marriage on record?"
"Yes. While not every Jedi who bond choose to register it legally with the Republic, we did. Unfortunately, it seems they do not believe that Jedi have anything like marriages. If they disregarded us, they'll disregard everyone."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Which means even though we're not ready, even though we don't have plans or can even leave properly, we need to leave as soon as we can get everyone able to go at once. No arousing suspicion or anything. Use judgment on the clones you know."
"We aren't ready, it'll be another month at least before we are ready to go without leaving too much behind," Depa pointed out, curious about where Obi-Wan was going with this.
Obi-Wan nodded. "And the vast majority of the Order does not know we're leaving. So here's what I propose: Some of us go through with the marriages right away, keep the Senate happy. Those already married or close to their troopers. Or both. Can use their discretion on if they specifically can be trusted to keep it to themselves. Those who have reason not to want to be married, you stall out as long as you can and let those of us who can do the marriage thing now distract them from that."
Everyone was staring at him now.
"And then, we can just leave when we're ready. We can figure out our relations to the galaxy once we have everyone safe from whatever insanity the Senate wants to impose on us next."
Quinlan let out a breath. "Not a bad idea. A bit risky and asks a lot of some of us, but I think we can pull it off."
Obi-Wan smiled at him and looked around at the others.
It took a bit more discussion, but soon they had a plan of action, though they had never felt so ashamed of having to make difficult decisions before. This was the best course of action, but there were still Jedi being forced into unwanted marriages. They would be escaping them when they left.
But what choice did they have?
.
Cody was watching his brothers. They should have seen this coming but it still took them by surprise. Fox and Wolffe were fighting. Fox was angry about being forced into the marriage. He didn't want a relationship, period. And now he had to do it. With a Jedi he didn't think he could actually live with.
Wolffe was freaking out because he considered Plo to be his dad more than anything. He nearly had a meltdown when he heard the news. Him and Fox sparring was a blessing for both of them, keeping them out of trouble.
Rex was still in shock, muttering to himself but not talking or reacting to anyone. Cody could sympathize. Everyone knew about Anakin and Padme. It was a miracle that Anakin had started settling down and had not thrown a public temper tantrum at the news.
There was a wide range of emotions throughout the room. It was going to be difficult to move forward with being forced into this. At least the Jedi Order was safe from further punishment regarding the clones and the war now.
Cody didn't know what he was going to do. Obi-Wan didn't deserve this. Their relationship had been going so well... and then Cody agreed to the marriage thing, agreed to punishing the Jedi at all for something that was not a problem. He couldn't face Obi-Wan. But now he had no choice. They had to get married.
The door opened. There was a determined looking Padme there, with a uncertain Anakin behind her.
She marched up to Rex, face set in determination with signs of anger.
"Eep." Rex shrunk, expecting to be attacked or yelled at.
Padme yanked him up and kissed him.
That got just about everyone's attention and they turned and gaped at the sight. Even Fox and Wolffe paused in their rough sparring match to see what was happening.
Rex was a bit dazed when she pulled away, wide eyed. "What...?"
Padme nodded once. "We can work with this. Extra hands when the twins come won't be amiss." She grabbed his hand.
Rex blinked, giving his brothers pleading looks, then her words registered. "Twins?"
Anakin stepped up and patted his shoulder awkwardly, taking a moment to press a kiss to Rex's cheek. "Padme is six months pregnant with twins," he explained quietly.
Cody blinked, and wondered how Obi-Wan reacted, but at least that explained Anakin's sudden turn around. A lot of people apparently changed for their kids. Worked on their issues so they could be good parents.
Rex nodded slowly, eyes wide. "What do you mean... we can work with this?" he asked tentatively.
Padme gave him an impatient look. "The majority Senate is being particularly obtuse about everything these days. I am not about to lose my husband because of them. The best case scenario is we become a triad."
"Really?" Rex wasn't sure how he felt about it. He did like Anakin, and even Padme but he had not let himself dwell on any feelings for either of them.
Padme smiled and nodded.
"You're a cool guy Rex. I like you." Anakin dropped his arm around Rex. "So let's go talk all the good relationship stuff like boundaries."
"Uh... okay..." Rex just looked dazed as they led him out of the room.
Cody stared after him, surprised it ended up being that easy. It couldn't be that easy. Could it? He shook his head. Anakin had Padme, and Padme was taking charge to make it work. That was different.
He sighed, watching Wolffe and Fox resume their sparring match. Wolffe was even less interested in a relationship than Fox was, but considering who he was supposed to marry that was a lesser concern. After all. He was supposed to marry the one he considered a father.
Finally they both managed to knock the other down.
Cody stood over them. "Are you two done? I think we should all discuss this..."
Fox pushed himself up with a glare. "What is there to discuss? We're going to have to marry Jedi we don't want to marry. You're lucky, you got someone already. Why you hadn't married him yet I don't understand."
Cody pinched his nose and breathed for a moment before crossing his arms. "Because Obi-Wan deserves better than to be forced into this. I don't want our relationship to be based around something like an arranged marriage, not like this. And now it doesn't matter." He shook his head. "Regardless of how this is set, you do both clearly have feelings, and maybe we can sort something out. So you can take your time."
Ponds stepped over. "Like a schedule."
Cody nodded. "Those of us more willing to marry our general can go first. Schedule them out like two months. If they're scheduled the Senate can't say they're never going to happen."
Fox sighed. "I suppose that could work. I can go for it sooner rather than later. I don't mind Vos, I just don't think I can live with him. And it's not like the marriages have to be real so relationship doesn't need to factor in."
"That makes sense."
Cody spent hours sorting things out with his brothers. By the time he was done, he was exhausted. Every one hated being forced into this to protect the Jedi. The Jedi were good at hiding emotions, but after working with them for so long, everyone could tell when they were uncomfortable, when they were upset. Maybe not how intense that feeling was, but they knew when those feelings were present.
So they knew how uncomfortable many of the Jedi were. Sure, there were some couples that just worked out easily, that decided to go for marriage when presented the chance.
But that wasn't the case anymore. Now there was no choice in partnerships, no choice in marriages. The Senate had arranged that for them.
Cody just wanted to sleep, but when he looked at his comm, he had a message from Obi-Wan.
We should talk.
Cody groaned. They really did need to discuss when they were signing the legal papers. He just wasn't prepared to be social right now.
When and where?
Dex's in an hour.
I'll be there.
Cody groaned again and laid on his bed. It was only just now getting to evening hours. He would mess up his sleep schedule if he took a nap now, no matter how much he wanted to take one.
After a few minutes he rolled out of bed to get ready to go. He made sure he looked decent enough and put on the shirt Obi-Wan had picked out for him after the war ended but before the Senate started going nuts.
It was weird going without his armor, but he had noticed it got one of two reactions. Either people were scared of those with obvious armor, so he couldn't go with full armor, or they saw any bit of obvious armor and went straight for Mandalorian. Which. No.
Cody and the rest of the clones were in no way Mandalorians. He was still trying to figure out the best way for them to wear any armor without that conclusion being drawn. They were clones, it was weird it was happening at all. But until they figured that out they just had to go with out the armor.
Cody didn't mind, much. He knew he could handle himself without it.
It was still weird to walk around without that weight.
.
Obi-Wan sat at a table at Dex's. He wasn't the only Jedi there. Every Jedi had their own table.
He and some other Jedi decided that Dex's was the safest place to have a 'date' to discuss the marriage. It was only those who weren't planning on stalling the marriage to avoid it altogether that were present.
Dex agreed to letting them do so, but only accepted a flat fee for them taking up so much space and eating. He didn't think they deserved what they were getting and wanted to help in any way he could
So Obi-Wan was waiting. He wasn't sure what to expect. But he was certain this was going to feel more like a business arrangement than a real marriage. Not the way it could have been. But then, Cody had made it clear that he did not want to marry Obi-Wan. They could have talked about it, and the few times Obi-Wan brought it up before Cody started completely avoiding him, Cody ignored him and changed the subject.
Quinlan was sitting in the booth behind him, leg bouncing with nerves. He had his usual drink order, but was waiting for Fox to order actual food. He wasn't super into relationships, but he did like Fox. He hoped things could work out, but he also knew that he could be a bit much for people.
"You okay there, Quin?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, turning his head slightly.
"A bit anxious. Not super into the idea of marriage, less so for someone I'm being forced to marry who also had no choice. And I like him but I'm not sure he likes me. He's a grump. You?"
"Anxious yeah, I don't know why he decided marriage wasn't on the table, why that led to him outright avoiding me. But we have to make arrangements anyways."
"Yep. We can see if we can make this work. If not, we're leaving in a few months anyways and can leave them behind. It's not ideal but we have a solution."
"True." Obi-Wan was going to say more but the door opened. "Looks like they're here. May the Force be with us."
"May the Force be with us," Quinlan echoed solemnly.
Cody was surprised that Fox was going the same way, that Quinlan had made the same suggestion as Obi-Wan. And there they were, waiting. ...they weren't the only Jedi there either.
Obi-Wan met Cody's eyes and nodded to the table.
Cody sat down awkwardly. "Hi, Obi-Wan."
"Hello Cody. How are you today?"
"I'm okay. You?"
"Quite well, thank you."
Dex stopped by them first for their orders. Obi-Wan ordered his usual, comfort food. He didn't care that it was not what people expected him to order. He ordered a shake as well.
Cody went with his own favorite from the menu.
Dex nodded and went to Quinlan and Fox to take their orders.
"You said we should talk."
"Yes. I did." Obi-Wan nodded. He had his hands clasped on the table. "I was thinking that if we are going to be required to married regardless, I would like to get the legalities out of the way sooner rather than later. But there is a matter of what the Senate expects openly, which I imagine includes us living together. Where will that be?"
Cody stared at him, blinking, stunned. He had not expected Obi-Wan to be so forthcoming, so willing to accept their fate. He had not expected this in the least.
"I... I don't want to live in the barracks forever, even if I have my own room. And I don't want to displace you from your rooms. But if your second bedroom is open, I will stay there?"
Obi-Wan nodded, not surprised. A bit upset to have to totally share his space like that, but not surprised. "Very well. I have a clear schedule tomorrow. The Council had our big meeting today, and so we just have the usual rotations of Council members being available all day. We can take care of the legalities tomorrow."
Cody gaped. "What about vows?"
"Does the paperwork require vows?"
"I..." Cody frowned. "I guess not."
"Then no need to worry. I wouldn't want to say the type of vows typically said anyways. As a Jedi I cannot pledge myself to another person above all else."
"Then how are the others getting married?"
"Typically, a Jedi pledges to love and to follow the Force when doing our usual ceremony. We have responsibilities that say we cannot put anyone above our duty, even for love."
"Oh. Huh." Cody accepted his drink from Dex and sipped at it.
"There are other things we should discuss, but that can wait until after dinner if you would prefer."
Cody considered. If they didn't discuss it now there would be awkward silences and conversations until they did. Better to get it over with and maybe things would be less awkward after.
"Alright. What other things?"
"Things like boundaries, expectations and so on. We are going to be living each other and having to act somewhat like a married couple in public. I'm sure the Senate isn't expecting us to act totally in love, but I'm also certain they have expectations on how we act."
"Oh. Yeah. They're still putting together a list. I think they're waiting to see how we act first so they have a better idea of what they expect?"
Obi-Wan huffed. "Typical."
"Okay, so boundaries?"
"Ask before entering each other's bedrooms, and knock before entering the bathroom. Respect space. If there is food that isn't meant to be shared, we write our names on it. Probably should set up a schedule so we know where the other is and when, and when we need to appear together. Maybe something for daily routines, to avoid conflicts since I do only have the one bathroom. Um, we do."
Cody nodded, taking notes. He was not going to screw this up. "Um... what about your meditations?"
"I typically take an hour for meditation in the morning before my morning routine. Only interrupt in emergencies, I need that meditation to prepare for the day." Obi-Wan was silent for a moment to let Cody note that down. "What about you?"
"Uh... I don't know? I like keeping to a schedule as much as possible, it's comforting, though at least I don't need to be exact to the minute anymore. I'm working on being less rigid. Um... I can't think of anything."
"Okay. Let me know when you do think of something. If I tread on a boundary you didn't know you had, I'd like to know so I don't do it again and we can work things out that are good for both of us."
Cody nodded uncertainly. "Okay. So... what exact kind of arrangement do we have?"
"I was thinking legally married but otherwise roommates."
Cody was briefly disappointed, but shoved it aside. Clearly Obi-Wan was as uncomfortable with the circumstances as he was. "That works."
Obi-Wan took a long drink of his shake to hide his own disappointment. So Cody truly wasn't even interested in dating anymore. He would have to live with living with his love like roommates.
Dex brought out food at that point and patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder before turning to get everyone else their food.
Obi-Wan started eating, grateful for the distraction.
Cody was silent, not willing to say anything as he ate his food slowly.
Obi-Wan was sad and trying to hide how sad he was. He would just have to learn to live with this, no matter how painful it was. No matter how much he wanted to have a proper marriage. It was clear that Cody didn't want that.
And he had to live with that.
"So..." Cody started awkwardly as they slowed down. "Um... How is the Council taking the news?"
"Some better than others. For good reason, of course. Mace, Plo, and Shaak are all particularly upset. Yoda was a bit offended that he got a pass, actually. It was definitely for the best but he was still offended to be passed over."
"G-Master Koon is upset because he thinks of Wolffe as his son?"
"Partially."
"You're not going to tell me the full reason."
"I don't trust you with that information." Obi-Wan decided he had to be blunt. He had trusted Cody with that information, but then Cody ghosted him. Trust would have to be earned once more.
Cody looked down, swallowing. "Oh. I don't actually need to know beyond wanting to help my brothers navigate the situation."
"Well, you don't need to worry about Rex." Obi-Wan chuckled. "Anakin told me they already have a plan laid out, not just for adding Rex to his relationship with Padme, but for sharing with the galaxy that he and Padme are married and will have twins. Including Rex marrying Padme and Anakin in a traditional Naboo wedding in a few weeks, on Naboo, though they're still deciding on if they want to have the twins on Naboo or in the Temple."
Cody nodded. "Rex was a bit floored when Padme marched up to him and kissed him."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Of course. Anakin is actually happy about it. A bit uncertain about being forced into it, but happy to attempt to make it work."
Cody nodded. "I hadn't really considered it before, but Rex and Anakin have made a good team and I think they would be a good couple. Especially with Padme in the mix."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I think Rex will balance things out a bit between Anakin and Padme in a way they were missing. But we will have to see how that will develop."
"What about Rex and the babies?" Cody asked.
"He'll be another dad to them, of course. No need for him to just be an uncle when he'll probably be doing just as much for them as Anakin."
"Oh, good for him. And I also feel bad for him. Joining an existing relationship, months from them becoming parents which means he's going to be a dad in a few months... that'll be rough."
"Rex is adaptable. I think he can handle it." Obi-Wan finished his food and leaned back, sipping at his shake. "But we should return to talking about us, I think."
Cody nodded, then hesitated. "Why don't you trust me?"
"You ghosted me without a word when we could have tried to talk out whatever problem there was." Obi-Wan focused on his shake. "It will take some time to trust you again, especially with difficult situations."
Cody winced and nodded. Okay, it had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it was causing problems. Earning back Obi-Wan's trust shouldn't be too bad. Obi-Wan was a good person. Kind, gentle, understanding.
He underestimated the depths of Obi-Wan's hurt. Underestimated how easy it was to get the trust of a person who trusted easily a second time. The first trust is easy, not exactly earned. Then one proves they do not deserve the trust, and a person who trusts easily? Will be far more cautious the second time. There, the trust truly had to be earned.
And well, he could have tried to talk about his reasons for ghosting Obi-Wan and that would have gone a long way towards healing, a long way towards earning that trust.
They continued their discussion. It really was like a business arrangement.
.
It took a couple of days but before they knew it, they were getting the legalities done and signing the marriage license.
Obi-Wan stared at it as soon as they were done, ignoring the conversation around him. It was done. No going back. He was now stuck in this marriage, at least until they could find their way off of Coruscant.
Cody had already started moving in, and they had made notes for everything they need to and given them to each other. It was time to try to be roommates.
Time for Obi-Wan to constantly hide his sadness and hurt from the source of it.
Time for Cody to navigate the situation carefully, giving Obi-Wan space for being forced into something he did not want.
Obi-Wan made the most of the situation. He let Cody into his rooms, let Cody into his space. He really only had his bedroom as a safe space. It would have to do. He spent time meditating in his bed every night just so he could sleep without feeling miserable.
Cody kept giving Obi-Wan the space he needed, especially once he realized that Obi-Wan really was struggling with trusting him again. That it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.
He kept tabs on his brothers. Colt reported that Shaak was stalling. Plo and Mace did not talk about marriage at all with Wolffe and Ponds, but Cody got the sense that they did actually know why.
Rex was finding that he was falling in love with Anakin and Padme, now that he was free to have his feelings. He was anxious about being a dad, still incredulous he was going to be included, but the more the shock wore off, the more excited he was. Especially after going with them to Padme's next appointment to check on the babies. Cody was happy for him. That was really making the best of a terrible situation.
Others were saying that they felt their Jedi was being cautious and hiding things. Some that did not have trust of their Jedi stopped updating so much once they did. Cody kind of worried about that. Was there something big the Jedi were hiding?
If so, what was he missing? He was living with one of the Councilors. So were others. Grey and Monnk were both becoming less responsive to his inquiries. He didn't know why and it stung. He just wanted everyone to survive and be happy, until they could break away from the Republic and be free from this kind of chaotic bs ever again.
Unfortunately, marrying Jedi just tied them closer to the Republic. That was probably one of the goals. Leaving without their spouses would not look good, but leaving with them would be taking Jedi away from their home and their family. Cody wasn't going to do that to them. He was still trying to figure out a way around this conundrum.
He was most worried about Fox. With Fox still in charge of the Coruscant Guard, he had to live there. So Quinlan had moved in with him without a fuss.
Fox reported that Quinlan was not acting like he was used to. Near tiptoeing around him, being as helpful as he can, and being oddly quiet. Wouldn't even sleep in Fox's bed, preferring to sleep on the couch.
Cody didn't envy Fox trying to figure out what was up with the normally obnoxious Jedi. And Cody had thought he had it bad with Obi-Wan! He didn't want to deal with worse.
So Cody didn't know what to do and was stuck a sort of limbo, following the same routines day after day.
What made it hurt worse was that he and Obi-Wan danced their routines around each other just like they did during the war, only it was so much more of their time. Every morning and evening, and often, good portions of the day too. They fit so well together.
But the Senate had to force the issue. Had to make them get married. Cody sometimes wondered if he had ever hated anyone as much as he did the Senate.
.
Obi-Wan attended a support group for those Jedi forced into a marriage with their commanders. He didn't quite fit in. These people had no feelings for their commanders, mostly, and if they did, they had not been dating. This was all new, and they were all struggling with their choices being taken away.
He refused to attend the other existing support group, for those Jedi who had been in a relationship with their spouse but had not been ready for marriage. Because that certainly didn't fit either. They had been dating, but Cody ghosted him in an obvious break up.
Obi-Wan didn't know where to turn to these days. So instead, he often focused his attention on Quinlan, who was struggling even more than he was. Especially since he had to commute to the Temple every day to get his Council duties done.
And that was how Obi-Wan came to the Kiffu section of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Looking for Quinlan.
Quinlan was laying on a branch, staring at the ground as his legs and arms dangled, unbothered by the idea he could easily fall out of the tree.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Quin!"
Quinlan jumped and looked down. A grin appeared. "Obes!" He jumped down and hugged Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan was concerned that it lasted longer than usual. Quinlan was in a strange environment, with a husband who did not want a relationship, let alone be married to someone like Quinlan, so of course Quinlan needed more touch than he usually did.
Quinlan pulled away. "I love him Obes," he said quietly. "I love Fox. I had... There were feelings before. But I had been ignoring them. Hadn't thought they were important. But living with him... He's wonderful Obes, and he doesn't even like me. Barely put up a protest at me sleeping on the couch, ignores me most of the time, and I don't even know what to do. Unless he has a migraine, then I know exactly what he needs."
Obi-Wan hugged him again and then pulled him over to the bench to cuddle. "Oh, Quin."
"I don't know what to do... I never even really wanted a relationship and now Fox is here and I... I don't know what to do. Sometimes I swear he hates me, we're only stuck together because of the Senate, because we need to at least appear like we're married even if there are no feelings and our relationship is like that."
"It's okay, Quin. You'll figure it out. You're resourceful, and smart. You can do this." Obi-Wan cuddled Quinlan and let out a breath. "It's not the best situation, but if you're in love with him, that makes it so much easier. It's made it easier for me and Cody. I still love him, even if he never wanted to marry me. Hard to let go of such strong feelings."
Quinlan nodded. "It is. Even with the trust broken, your feelings haven't changed?"
"They had lessened, were less intense. But now we're living together and I see him every day. And it's so hard to be around him, at the same time. Because I love him, but he has no idea, nor would he care."
"Oh... that makes sense." Quinlan sighed. "Is there anyone in this situation where they love their husband but there's no feelings back?"
"Not in the support group, it sounds like." Obi-Wan sighed. "So it's just you and me dealing with this."
"Well... the plans to get off the planet are starting to move faster, since we got some clones in the know and on our side. So we can be off this planet soon, and then we don't need to worry about it anymore."
"Yeah. I wish it didn't have to be like this, though."
"Me too."
.
It had been more than a month since that conversation, closer to two. If anything, Cody felt like things were worse. Sometimes it was like Obi-Wan wanted to leave him behind and never talked to him again. Cody didn't know what to do. Space wasn't helping, but he didn't know how to help.
Obi-Wan for his part was miserable. Everyone was adjusting, even those who didn't want to be forced into a relationship were doing well. Even if they didn't have feelings for their husband, they were adapting well and finding a good balance.
But not Cody and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan didn't know how to find that balance. Didn't know how to talk to Cody. After all, Cody didn't want to marry him, when they had been dating. What more was there to it? What more could Obi-Wan get out of him, even if he could figure out how to talk to Cody.
On the positive side, Obi-Wan was pretty happy with the escape plan. Younglings were already getting smuggled out with their crechemasters. Almost everything of importance had been transferred out. They were still working on preserving as much of the Room of A Thousand Fountains as they could, partially since they wanted to recreate it wherever they ended up.
He just felt sad that even those of the Council who weren't marrying their commanders were able to bring their clones. He wasn't going to be able to, not when he couldn't talk to Cody. At least Quinlan hadn't been able to tell Fox yet, so he wasn't alone. Quinlan was still wrestling with loving someone who actively seemed to hate him. It was sad. Quinlan was wonderful, he didn't deserve such hate.
And naturally, things went wrong just days before the final evacuation. Many Jedi were already living on the ships, the Temple was down to the barebones.
It seemed the Senate had been running investigations into the Jedi the entire time, because of how the Jedi apparently let the Sith get away with everything until his death.
And now they wanted the Jedi to answer for it.
Obi-Wan studied the summons and the evidence. "They only asked for two of us to see them, I'm sure they'd want all of us, but we can take advantage of that. Two of us got to the Senate to face their interrogation, everyone else uses that to get everyone else into the ships and gone. Shouldn't stick around to see what kind of sanctions are even going to be put in place."
Everyone discussed the idea, before conceding that it was a good plan.
The came deciding who would stay behind.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, thinking about it. "I'll go talk to them. I was very involved in the war, I can answer more questions than even most of this council about how we conducted ourselves. Besides, there's also the question of why Anakin was allowed so close to the Chancellor that only I can answer."
They all wanted to protest, but all could see that Obi-Wan was right. It was better for him to go be the distraction they needed to make that last push off of the planet.
"I'll go as well," Quinlan decided. "I'm one of the most knowledgeable here about the contract. If we're the only Council members still on Coruscant, then we will also have to be the ones to lay out just how much they've screwed up and why we're leaving."
Again, everyone wanted to protest. But that would be the reaction for any one who tried to go be the one. They didn't want anyone to be left behind. But it was the best chance they had.
Quinlan and Obi-Wan had to prepare.
.
They stood in front of the Senate, listening to the idiots drone on and on about all the rules they had broken. About all the things they should and should not have done. All the things they should have seen that was really only possible to see in hindsight.
They took turns answering questions, though Obi-Wan answered quite a bit more about the decision making while Quinlan focused on the information gathering and how difficult it was at some points.
The majority of the Senate did not approve of their methods. They knew that was a possibility. The Senate as a whole needed a scapegoat so that no one looked too closely at their own misdeeds. And the Jedi were perfect. The Sith had put in some effort towards keeping the clones without rights, but had done nothing to demonize them. The Jedi on the other hand... there had been a quiet smear campaign going on throughout the war, to the point that even people they directly saved were not convinced they were doing their best. This smear campaign built on decades of whispers here and there about the Jedi.
And now it was going to show up in how they were to be punished. Not that Obi-Wan and Quinlan let on that the Jedi were gone, not yet. The longer they could go, the better. The evacuation had been well underway that morning when Cody and Obi-Wan left, though Cody didn't seem to realize what was going on, just that everyone seemed busier than normal.
As the Senate prepared to announce their decisions after hours of deliberations, it had now been ten hours since they left that morning. They had estimated six to eight hours to get everyone out. The extra two hours was a good buffer. Everyone should be safe.
Except for Obi-Wan and Quinlan. And they were okay with that.
The Senate was called to order. Cody and Fox, both done with what they had been doing that day, joined them. As their husbands, it was their right to be with them.
“We are going to contact the Jedi Council in order for the entire Council to hear the decision now, as some of these are going into effect immediately.”
Obi-Wan nodded serenely, hands tucked into his sleeves to hide how they were shaking. It was the moment of truth. Had they been right? Was ten hours more than enough?
Quinlan's face matched Obi-Wan's in Jedi serenity. Even after getting on the Council, that wasn't something he did often, but here and now, he was keeping his face Jedi serene. A united front with Obi-Wan, and a fantastic way to ensure he wasn't showing his emotions.
The Jedi Temple was called. There was no answer. Everyone waited. The confusion was palpable. They tried again.
It took half an hour for them to realize something was wrong. Obi-Wan and Quinlan kept up the masks, waiting to be asked questions, but they were ignored as the Senate scrambled to figure out what was wrong.
Then finally, one of the younger members of the Coruscant Guard ran up to Fox, panting, not even looking at the Jedi. “Most of the ships have jumped into hyperspace. They did not respond to our attempts to make contact. This includes...” It was a long list of battalions, including those that the Council worked with most closely, aside from the 212th.
Fox was incredibly confused, then he realized something. “Are we certain it was just clones on the ships, or were Jedi on them too?”
“No idea, Commander.”
Fox interrupted the chaos of the Senate to inform them of this information.
The Senate promptly ordered Fox to send some troopers to go check out the Jedi Temple, and called another recess.
This time, Fox and Cody dragged their husbands to a private room.
"What is going on?" Fox hissed at Quinlan.
"There was no way this was ever going to end well for the Jedi Order," Quinlan replied calmly. "So they used the distraction of the meeting to evacuate from the Temple."
Cody looked at Obi-Wan. "That's why everyone was so busy this morning!"
"It was." Obi-Wan nodded.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Cody asked, frowning.
"Didn't see a need, besides your own shock helps sell that you didn't know which means that you and Fox weren't in on getting all the Jedi off, which means that the blame isn't going to lie with any clone."
"But it is going to fall on you and Quinlan! You knew what they were doing."
Obi-Wan met his gaze steadily. "Of course we did. It was a sacrifice we were willing to make. We volunteered for this."
Cody couldn't find the words to respond, his heart aching that his general, his husband, didn't trust him with any of this plan. Had never even hinted that the Jedi were considering leaving Coruscant. To be able to leave so quickly, they had to have been planning it for a while.
And Obi-Wan never told him.
.
Obi-Wan could feel the hurt and confusion from Cody but put it out of his mind. He didn't like hurting Cody, but Cody hadn't wanted to marry him and didn't talk to him about it. Cody didn't seem open to talking about anything.
How could Obi-Wan trust Cody with such a big thing?
They were called back to the Senate. Cody and Fox were asked questions first about Obi-Wan and Quinlan, and about the Jedi. Once it was established that until just before the recess they had no clue anything was going on, the weight of the Senate turned to the two remaining Jedi on Coruscant.
After questions determining that yes, Quinlan and Obi-Wan were fully aware the rest of the Jedi were leaving Coruscant, the question they were waiting for came up.
"Why would the Jedi leave?"
Despite their eagerness to answer this, their faces went blank. Gone was the Jedi serene mask. Anyone who knew Jedi knew that a Jedi with a blank face was a Jedi trying very hard not to let their true feelings out, and it usually meant that the other person on the receiving end was about to be ripped to shreds verbally.
Obi-Wan tilted his head. "The Jedi Order was drafted into the war, given no choice in the matter. Our padawans were forced to the frontlines with us, with threats of forming groups of padawans if we did not take on those of age fast enough. Many Jedi were forced into roles they were not comfortable with, particularly many healers being put in charge of battalions that engaged in active fighting."
Quinlan took over. "After fighting the war we were not given a choice in, we were once again given no choice but to have some Jedi marry the clones we have been trying to help. And then you took that further and arranged some marriages, disregarding public records. Shaak Ti is already married to Feemor Ti. Plo Koon and Mace Windu have been married for more than a decade and you disregarded that to force them into an unwanted marriage."
"And now you are threatening more sanctions on the Jedi Order. You really think they would be interested in staying when our contract is up for renewal?"
Quinlan suppressed a smirk at the murmurs that had been steadily growing and exploded at that point.
"What contract?"
Obi-Wan produced the contract and sent it to the Senate to view. "The Jedi Order has, I'm sorry, had a contract with the Galactic Republic. When it was first signed, the agreement was that a renewal would be signed every ten years, with a negotiation of terms every one hundred years. The negotiation of terms is about fifty two years overdue as every time the Council has tried, they have had the request denied. With the renewal up two years ago, we are free to leave the Republic."
They were leaving it to everyone to put it together that they could have abandoned the Republic two years ago if they'd wanted to. But they had chosen to fight the war anyways, and this was how they were being repaid.
Quinlan waited for silence before dropping the next bit.
"So, the Jedi Order has decided, with many of the changes introduced to the contract since the last negotiation, particularly in the last decade, that the Jedi will not renew the contract and find some other way to serve the galaxy. Serving the galaxy in a way that suits Jedi, not the politicians who control us. The Jedi Order will be negotiating with individual systems once they settle in their new home but it will be a while before they consider an agreement with the Senate."
"That is all we have to say on the matter." Obi-Wan sat down and waited for everything to die down.
Cody was busy looking through the insane document that was the contract. He was skimming through for what looked like important parts, and he just kept finding more and more ways the Jedi were curbed in what they could do. It made sense that they should prioritize the Republic's interest over other entities, but there was a clause in there that they should do that even when they were supposed to the the neutral party. It also could not have worked with the Jedi philosophy. Prioritizing the Republic would mean not giving people in need what was best for them. And the Jedi... accepted it? Why?
Then he got to the hundreds of pages dedicated to consequences. Some were specific to the rules that were broken, some were broad, consequences any Senator could deal out... for any reason, and they did not even have to go through any checks or file for it.
It was eyeopening and horrifying at the same time. It seemed that the situation could have been even worse than what it was, if the Senate had remembered this. It was also apparent to Cody that the Council had been painfully aware of how far the Senate could go and preferred to toe the line rather than risk bringing this document to their attention.
He didn't blame them. If the Senate had been aware.... the Jedi would have been treated as no better than the clones which was a terrifying thought. The Jedi were good people and always tried to do good.
The rest of the meeting was mostly arguing between the different members of the Senate, with Padme arguing fiercely for the Jedi. Some had accused her of getting Anakin to get more influence for Naboo, that she was working with Palpatine.
But she had always been passionate about the Jedi, and on their side, so it was easy for many to bury that worry, at least those who knew her.
Then came the moment of truth. The Senate now had no one to place sanctions on. But they had two Jedi they could take their anger out on, that they could punish. They had to be careful though. They were married to clones, the group the Senate had been trying to appease.
(Many Senators were in denial about what it meant that so many clones left with the Jedi)
"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Master Quinlan Vos. In the absence of the rest of the Jedi Order, and in light of your intent to hide the desertion of the Jedi Order, here are our final decisions:
"1. You are to be in the company of your husband or one of the approved list of Senators outside of your rooms at all time.
"2. You will be doing community service for three years. The type of community service is to be determined.
"3. You are to give up your lightsaber to whoever is escorting you.
"4. No use of the Force allowed unless your escort gives permission. If we suspect any violations, we will use Force suppressants.
"5. According to the contract, there are provisions for corporal punishment. We will be following through with that once we have compiled the rules and consequences related to such things.
"You two are on thin ice. Do not test us."
Obi-Wan nodded with a blank face. "We understand. There will be no problems."
"You have our word." Quinlan added, unclipping his lightsaber and handing it to Fox without even looking at him.
Obi-Wan followed his lead and handed his lightsaber to Cody.
Cody stared down at the lightsaber, alarmed, but he knew protesting would not go in their favor so he just put the lightsaber at his side.
Thankfully, they were free to go. Which was good, since Cody and Obi-Wan had to move out of the Temple and to some apartment that had been procured for clones, but was rarely used.
Once they had everything moved, Cody sat down on the couch and turned to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had been quiet the entire time they were moving, had not had much to say at all. It was strange.
Obi-Wan took the silent request for what it was and sat down on the couch with Cody. And waited.
"Why didn't you trust me? Why did no one share what was happening with me? Wolffe had to know but..."
Obi-Wan looked at him, sad. "You didn't trust me. You don't trust me. Wolffe and others left it up to me to tell you because we were being very picky about which clones knew. We couldn't risk this getting back to the Senate and while many of your brothers adored their Jedi and would never hurt them, others do not feel the same especially if they were unlucky with which Jedi they got... assuming they got any."
"I trust you."
Obi-Wan clearly didn't believe him. He looked away. "I am not hungry, but I am tired. I think I will go to bed now." He stood and walked to the other couch he had claimed as his. He stopped and looked back at Cody, who was stunned. "You ghosted me for months. You did not show trust. And you broke mine." Then he laid down and put his back to Cody.
Cody put his head in his hands, trying to figure out what to do. What he even could do. This wasn't something easily resolved. Clearly Obi-Wan hated the situation more than he had thought.
And yet, Obi-Wan volunteered to stay and be stuck for the Jedi. For his people. He was good. He knew he'd be expected to stay married to Cody, expected to show the usual, and would be in trouble, facing consequences for what the Jedi did. But he did it anyways.
Probably because it was the right thing to do. And Cody hated that Obi-Wan didn't even flinch at any of the decision. He'd even handed over his lightsaber without blinking. But Cody knew Obi-Wan had to be hurting about it.
A lightsaber was a Jedi's life. It was part of them in a way that Cody couldn't understand. But he knew how important it was to Obi-Wan.
What could Cody even do though?
.
Cody tried to help Obi-Wan in any way he could, tried to stick with him. Without the Jedi Order, without most of the clones on Coruscant, he did not have much to do anymore. He was figuring something out. The Senate was giving him no choice. But he had a lot of free time to stick by Obi-Wan's side so he didn't have to worry about the not so great Senators holding onto his lightsaber. So he didn't have to deal with them either.
What was worse, was seeing Obi-Wan get more and more depressed as time went on. Obi-Wan really was a Jedi at heart, and it hurt him not to be a Jedi right now. He wasn't even able to contact them, make sure they were alright. It was too risky.
Obi-Wan was going to bed early. He was hardly eating. But he held his head high and did what he could during the day only to retreat every night at the earliest opportunity.
Nothing Cody said ever seemed to get his attention. Maybe if Cody had been better, had prevented the marriages in the first place... but it was too late.
Their relationship was gone. Cody would be surprised if Obi-Wan still loved him. He had ruined everything. All because he gave up on fighting the Senate.
After a week, it seemed like Fox and Quinlan were getting along better. There had been a distance between them, but now they were getting closer.
Cody wondered what had changed, but mostly he was just happy for them. He did talk with Fox at the end of the first week, and at least once a week in general, but Fox didn't really say much about their relationship. It was none of Cody's business, apparently.
Close to a month after they became stranded on Coruscant with no way off, Cody and Fox had dinner together. They had left Obi-Wan and Quinlan together in Fox and Quinlans's rooms and Cody and Fox were together in Cody and Obi-Wan's.
"Is everything alright?" Fox asked Cody. "Obi-Wan... hasn't seemed like himself. And you seem pretty mopey too."
Cody spilled everything. About how he struggled with agreeing to the marriage thing in the first place, how he had ghosted Obi-Wan when it had gotten too hard, and how things hadn't been the same. How Obi-Wan didn't trust him anymore, how Obi-Wan had chosen to do this anyways, knowing it meant he would be stuck in a situation he didn't want and how much it hurt to see Obi-Wan suffer so.
"And on top of that, there's not much for me to do now so I have too much free time and I'm glad it means I can accompany Obi-Wan so we don't have to worry about some Senator with his lightsaber and being cruel but I don't know what to do. I never realized how much of me was tied up in leading and work and being responsible and now that I don't have that..."
Fox snorted. "You're talking to the wrong person for that sort of thing. I started doing some hobbies. Quinlan paints, you know. He's taught me some things. I think like baking more. And singing. Singing is actually kind of fun without people teasing me. But I don't know what to tell you for starting to figure it out for yourself."
"No, that's fair." Cody sighed. "Obi-Wan was always encouraging me to find myself, he kept giving me different things to try. I just... I never took hobbies beyond training and meditating or anything that would help really seriously. I never really tried baking or art beyond a couple of goes to say I'd tried and then I'd just forget about it. He stopped after... well. After."
Fox nodded. "I'm sorry that so much has changed for you."
"I wish it hadn't. I miss the Obi-Wan I knew before they forced us into this situation. He's even more closed off now than he was at the start of the war. I can't read him anymore. I don't know how he's doing."
"That sucks. Maybe you should talk to him about it?"
"And make things worse? No way."
"Or it could make things better."
"Doubt it."
Fox hoped Quinlan was having a better time than he was.
.
"I am so happy to be out of those rooms," Obi-Wan told Quinlan as they cuddled on the couch. "Sharing with Cody, they only gave us one bed, is awful. I can't trust him. He broke my heart, shattered it really, and it's been a month."
"I know, Obes. It sucks. Worse than we expected."
"But you and Fox are getting along now."
"Yeah... turns out that I was wrong. Fox did like me and he's in love with me, so it all worked out and we're doing fine now. So let's focus on other things. It's still worse than we expected. They keep giving us the worst things for community service."
"No kidding, and we can't have our lightsabers either. I think I'd rather just leave them behind than leave it in Cody's hands. I trust him in battle, but not with something so much a part of myself outside of that."
"I know. You ever going to ask him why?"
"I'd rather not poke at a sore spot and make things worse." Obi-Wan shook his head. "Besides, I don't think I can ever be ready for the harsh things he might say as to why he ghosted me." Obi-Wan sighed. "But I'll be fine. I can work with this."
Quinlan poked him. "You're not fine and it's only going to get worse, the longer we're here. Because you know they're not going to let up. You know that we'll just be the victims of their anger any time something else goes wrong."
Obi-Wan grumbled. "I... I know. But I can't be anything but fine. We can't let anyone see how we feel, and I don't want everyone to see that I'm struggling, for something I volunteered to do."
"I'm pretty sure even Yoda would struggle with these restrictions." Quinlan pointed out. "I get why you don't want anyone to see, but you don't need to pretend with me. You're stuck on Coruscant, I'm the only other Jedi around, you can't have your lightsaber outside your room, and you're living with someone you love but you know didn't want to marry you and probably doesn't love you."
That got to him and Obi-Wan started crying. Quinlan hugged him tightly, rocking gently and rubbing his back.
"I'm here, Obes. Don't worry. I got you."
.
Obi-Wan was a bit embarrassed, later, that he had broken down like that. But it had helped. At least he had Quinlan when he had no one else. At least he had someone he could confide in, who understood.
He did have others he was still in contact with, of course, but it wasn't the same. Not with many of them being in the very Senate that condemned him and Quinlan, even if they had voted against the measures. It did not help that they were reeling from learning of the contract, that the Jedi had always been dealing with such measures.
He did not notice that Quinlan and Fox had started conspiring. Did not pay much attention to Quinlan asking him to try talking to Cody about why he didn't want to get married. Obi-Wan was firm that he did not want to deal with learning the truth, that he did not want to make things worse for them.
He did not notice any of Quinlan or Fox's attempts to get him and Cody to communicate. Or at least, he did not recognize them for what they were.
Obi-Wan just wanted to get through this. He knew that Fox and Cody were trying to find some way to get everyone off of Coruscant without trouble. Trying to find some way to save everyone from the Senate. He was happy to stay out of it.
More than a month went by before Quinlan and Fox had enough of his and Cody's moping about the situation and came up with some way to get Cody and Obi-Wan to hear the truth of the matter.
They were eating at Dex's. Quinlan was sitting in one side of the booth with Obi-Wan and Fox was in the other side with Cody.
Quinlan decided to start. "Fox and I have talked and we really think you two need to discuss what happened."
"What? Why?" Both Cody and Obi-Wan asked, torn between offense and surprise.
"Because maybe you're both being idiots," Fox said with a huff. "Kind of sounds like it. Like we were but worse and yet more understandable why you didn't talk."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I think things are very clear."
Cody sighed and looked at him, giving in. "I don't think they are. I... I don't understand why things have changed between us so much. I get that you didn't want to be forced into marriage, and that I hurt you by not responding but why was that enough to change things so much?"
Obi-Wan stared at him, confusion warring with hurt. He opened his mouth, then shook his head. "I can't." He turned to Quinlan, who was blocking his escape.
Quinlan smiled at him. "Just pretend it's just you and me and tell me about it, okay?"
Obi-Wan hesitated, glancing at Cody again. "But I..."
"Fox told me what Cody has said, and I've told him what you said. I promise it's not as bad as you think."
Obi-Wan trusted Quinlan, so with a deep breath he faced Quinlan.
Cody leaned over to Fox to whisper. "'Not as bad'? What does he mean by that?"
Fox huffed. "He means that you did not think through how your actions would appear."
Cody frowned, not sure what Fox meant.
Obi-Wan let out a breath. "Okay. Should I just go from the top, Quin?"
"Sure, if that's what you want." Quinlan nodded, smiling at him reassuringly.
"Right. Okay." Obi-Wan took another moment to put his thoughts in order.
Cody waited impatiently. He was finally about to get to the bottom of this.
"I..." Obi-Wan couldn't get words out. He focused on Quinlan and pretended that Cody (and Fox) was not there. "I think it's clear Cody didn't want to marry me. As soon as the announcement that Jedi and clones had to marry went out, he started distancing himself from me, and then completely just stopped contacting me... until the day that the Senate decided we had to get married. It's okay that he didn't want to marry me, I just wish he told me instead of ghosting me. Because now I don't know what to trust him with and it's hard living with him when I still love him."
Quinlan hugged him while he took a few deep breaths and thought about what else he could say.
But he'd said enough for Cody to figure out just what an idiot he had been. Knowing that Obi-Wan assumed he didn't want to be marriage, and seeing Obi-Wan struggle with talking about it at all...
Cody thought about how his actions would look from Obi-Wan's perspective, and what that would mean for their relationship. He realized that he would have felt totally rejected, and he knew how Obi-Wan took rejection.
"Obi-Wan," he started, then stopped when Obi-Wan turned to him. He realized he had no words, no plan on what he was going to say. That wasn't how he normally handled things. He usually thought over what he said carefully, or at least put some thought into it.
But he couldn't take the time to think now. Not when Obi-Wan was sitting there with that calm serene expression he used on politicians. Not when he finally understood what had changed. What had changed was his foolish actions, thinking he knew what would be best. He had to just talk.
"I'm sorry. I was the one who had to make that final decision, and I felt guilty that I was forcing the Jedi Order into marriages like that when even many couples of Jedi and clones were not ready for marriage. I didn't want to force you into something we weren't ready for. I thought it was better to distance myself, and then it was hurting too much to stay in contact so I just... Stopped, without a thought as to how it would look."
Cody took in a deep breath. "I thought you needed space when you put distance between us so I gave you space. I didn't think there was anything to it beyond why I stopped being in contact with you. It was my fault we were going to have to marry, so I didn't want to make you hate me more. I didn't... I didn't think about any other reasons you could have done that. I am so sorry. I wasn't rejecting you, I did want to get married, just not like that and now... where does that leave us."
Obi-Wan's expression didn't change. "Truly?"
"Of course." Cody placed his hand on the table in offering. "I love you, and that never changed. No matter how you treated me, or how it hurt to be working around each other the way we have been. We still fit so well together and yet..."
"There was a gap that we could not bridge," Obi-Wan responded quietly.
Quinlan and Fox exchanged looks and grabbed their food. They went to another booth and started eating, leaving Cody and Obi-Wan to work things out on their own.
Obi-Wan put his hand on Cody's, smiling and a little teary eyed. "I love you too, Cody. That never changed and it certainly did make things more difficult for me to manage. You mean quite a lot to me and I didn't understand what had changed, besides you not wanting to marry me. And I never blamed you for the marriage thing. The Senate tends to get what they want when it comes to us."
"No kidding." Cody frowned. "I wish you had trusted me with it sooner, during the war even."
"It would not have helped anything if we had said something during the war. We are also used to the situation and not used to explaining it to people outside of the Order. After the marriage thing... I didn't know if I could trust you with anything, and I no longer could be certain of how you would react."
"Because me ghosting you wasn't something you'd ever thought I'd do and if you were wrong about that..."
"Precisely."
"So where does this leave us?" Cody asked quietly.
"This leaves us with having to rebuild our relationship from the ground up. Understanding what was going through your head does go a long way, but it's still going to take some time to rebuild the trust after hurting about it for so long."
"Okay, that makes sense. We've been abandoned, so let's make this our first date?" Cody suggested.
"That works for me," Obi-Wan agreed. "And of course they left us to it, they've only been listening to us complain for months."
Cody chuckled. "True. I'm glad they were careful not to do anything that we might have felt betrayed by... Not sure how well I would have handled it."
"Me either..." Obi-Wan smiled. "Although Quin does have first hand experience of how angry I would be if he shoved me into a closet with someone I'm upset with."
"Oh? I don't think I've heard this story?" Cody asked.
As Obi-Wan launched into the tale of how Quinlan thought it would help him and Siri get along again if they were locked in a closet (in his defense, he was like, sixteen and an idiot), neither Obi-Wan nor Cody moved their hands.
.
Obi-Wan and Cody were hanging out in Fox's office with Quinlan, helping Fox get work done. There wasn't much else they could do that was productive. Besides, establishing such patterns made them planning out how to get free of the Republic easier to handle.
Quinlan was humming to himself. That abruptly stopped at one of the requests. "Uh... did you know there was a delegation from Kiffu arriving?"
"No...?" Fox asked, looking up. "They request anything?"
Quinlan huffed. "Yeah. Me."
Obi-Wan stifled a laugh.
"Why would they request you?" Fox asked curiously.
"Ah kriff, I never told you about my family." Quinlan let out a breath.
"...what about your family?"
Obi-Wan snickered, leaning over to Cody. "Brace yourself."
"Why?" Cody asked quietly, glancing over at Quinlan and Fox then looking at Obi-Wan.
"Quin's about to reveal his greatest secret."
"Okay..." Cody gave him a weird look.
Quinlan was fidgeting, trying and failing to come up with a gentle way to put it. "Well... You saw in your research into Kiffar that Kiffar tend not to leave Kiffu and tend to be very family and Clan oriented, and overprotective, right?"
"Yes...?"
"So that means that I've always been in contact with them. They didn't want me to be a Jedi. And anyways, it's impossible to separate Kiffar culture and family so if I wanted the culture, I needed to accept my family and well... Clan Vos is... well..."
"It can't be that bad."
"Clan Vos is considered the royal clans any Kiffar meeting someone with the Clan Vos stripe will call that person 'prince' though at least usually it's in Kiffi."
"That's not too bad. Prince by default."
Quinlan smiled sheepishly. "My grandparents were the last kings and one of my first cousins and her spouse are the current kings."
Fox stared at him. "...oh. So they requested you because they want to see you?"
Quinlan winced. "Overprotective family. And a culture that only marries for love, even the kings. Pretty sure they're here to tell off the Republic, make sure I'm okay and probably rescue me, if they can."
Obi-Wan and Cody sat up, exchanging looks. "We can use that!" they both exclaimed at the same time.
"How?"
"The biggest problem with any of our plans is that it's far harder to get Quin and I off the planet than any of the clones. But if the Kiffar delegation wants to get us off... we can not only get off, but that chaos will help everyone else get free as well." Obi-Wan explained excitedly.
Quinlan lit up as well. "He's right, we can use that. It's our best chance."
"You're certain that it will work?" Fox asked.
"Kiffu isn't part of the Republic, partially because of things like this. They have trade agreements and some that leave the planet on occasion, but otherwise they prefer to keep to themselves."
"He means, yes, it will because Kiffu will find some way to justify it if there is trouble and if not, then we get off either way."
Cody hugged Obi-Wan. "Finally, a break through."
Quinlan sighed. "But it's probably best that you aren't with me at first," he said to Fox. "They don't believe in loveless marriages, and I'll need to explain that I do love you."
Fox huffed. "Take Humor. He's been fascinated with Kiffar for months. He'll love the chance to talk to more Kiffar."
"And as a medic he'll seem less intimidating." Quinlan nodded, grinning.
.
Obi-Wan and Cody were packing up everything, trying to fit everything as tightly together as they could. They wanted as little luggage and boxes to carry as possible. They were already sneaking some of it to the Kiffu temporary offices.
Obi-Wan sat down, needing a break. "Soon, Cody, soon."
Cody nodded, joining him. "Soon. We've got almost everything packed, and the plan is coming together nicely. You ready?"
"Absolutely. I cannot wait to get off this planet and reunite with the Jedi Order. I cannot wait to be done with the Senate as it is and to deal with them in a better way. Even if it means I end up banned from their space. Not like they can keep me or any Jedi out completely for long. Not if individual planets want our help."
"True... As long as you're happy, I'll stick with you. I don't really care to keep leading if it means you're miserable or it's tearing us from our relationship."
Obi-Wan pulled away. "But I do have responsibilities as a member of the Council, and it could cause the same problems."
"It's not the same," Cody said, then held up his hand. "It really isn't Obi, I see you wanting to protest. You've been on the Council since just before we met. You've grown into the responsibility, you're used to balancing it and your personal interests. Until the end of the war, even though my brothers saw me as default leader, I still had the safety net of you and other Jedi supporting us and making those decisions easier. But then we became our own people and I was floundering, even if I didn't want to admit it with how much every one of my brothers was expecting of me."
Obi-Wan nodded, slowly leaning in and listening, giving Cody a chance to get it all out before he started talking.
"I don't know how to juggle anything and personal relationships. And... Honestly, I probably should take more time to explore hobbies and I'm trying... I've noticed it's been easier with everyone off planet. I don't feel as responsible, like I can't take a break. I think at the least I need to take time to find myself, find how you and I fit together if we're not being the general and commander duo, before I consider being a leader like that again. You've always had to juggle personal and mission. We weren't allowed to have personal. It always had to be hidden."
Obi-Wan nodded and hugged him. "Alright. If you need to step back from us to do that, I understand."
"You're too understanding for your own good, sometimes." Cody sighed, but smiled anyways. "I don't think I need to take a step back. You support everything I try, and you don't mind anything I bring back. I think I prefer that support than being on my own trying all that stuff. So... once we're with the Jedi again, do you have suggestions?"
Obi-Wan grinned. "There's always classes. The way our classes work is there's the initiate classes, the junior padawan classes, those two have a lot of overlap but it's better to keep initiates and padawans in separate classes, and then classes that are for senior padawans, knights, and masters, and some classes that are for certain levels of knowledge, including some just for masters. And there are beginner classes."
"So... I should take classes for anything I'm interested in? Well, if I'm not planning on leading, I could take a lot of classes, huh?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "You could. If there's anything I'm interested in, would you want to try it together, or still alone?"
"It could be nice to get a hobby we can do together... Fox seems to enjoy baking with Quinlan..."
Obi-Wan grinned. "Then that's that settled. I love you."
"I love you too."
They took a long break of cuddling and kissing before getting back to the packing.
They weren't off of Coruscant yet, but they had a plan, and even if it wasn't ideal, being married wasn't so bad, they just knew they were committed to each other and could take their time exploring their relationship as they should have been able to do.