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left behind | A Clone Wars fic

Fandom: Star Wars - The Clone Wars

Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Captain Rex, Commander Cody, Padmé Amidala, Ahsoka Tano

Relationships: Codywan, Anidala (both background)

Summary: 

It had been two years since the end of the Clone War and the rise of the Empire.

Two years since Anakin Skywalker took his pregnant wife, his Captain, his former Padawan and as many troopers from the 501st as he could and ran, as far away as he could from the Sith Lord who had been manipulating him towards the Darkness for years.

It had been two years, that had actually been four for Rex, Echo and the rest of their brothers, but had actually felt like twenty.

That is why when they eventually find Cody again and he asks after his General everybody is simply speechless, because not one of them can give him an answer. Not even Skywalker, who had seen him last.

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It had been two years since the end of the Clone War and the rise of the Empire.

Two years since Luke and Leia Naberrie were born into a regime built on the blood of innocents. Two years since a handful of precautious clones began secretly de-chipping themselves after ARC Trooper Fives’ discovery, but it still hadn’t been enough to save the Jedi in the end. Two years since Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa secretly founded the Rebellion against Palpatine’s tyranny that would fight for freedom throughout the galaxy for generations to come. Two years since Anakin Skywalker took his pregnant wife, his Captain, his former Padawan and as many troopers from the 501st as he could and ran, as far away as he could from the Sith Lord who had been manipulating him towards the Darkness for years.

It had been two years of living hand to mouth, hiding in alleyways and abandoned buildings, and trying to protect the twins as best as any of them could, because Force forbid they were just children and they would not pay for their parents’ mistakes with their lives. Just as the younglings in the Jedi Temple and the clone cadets in Kamino did, Rex’s mind whispers. 

It had been two years, that had actually been four for Rex, Echo and the rest of their brothers, but had actually felt like twenty.

That is why when they eventually find Cody again - 

running haggard and covered in mud as he dodged blaster bolts left and right because he had been an inside agent for the Rebellion within the Empire this entire time, the stupid di'kut, and Rex and Ahsoka had barely found him in time 

- and he asks after his General - his best friend, his cyare, Rex knew because his ori’vod told him everything - everybody is simply speechless, because not one of them can give him an answer. Not even Skywalker, who had seen him last.

“What do you mean you haven’t seen in two years?!”

“Cody,” Skywalker started, taking a cautionary step towards the furious former Commander. “the last time I saw him, he was at the Temple, about to attend a Council Meeting. After that, I went to see the Chancellor.” He cannot help but spit out the last word in disdain, the betrayal from his former friend still rilling him up after all this time.

“Rex told me what happened on Coruscant.” Cody said as he stepped towards Skywalker, expression confused and fists clenched. “You warned the Jedi and that demagolka the Emperor called in the Order. He was targeting you specifically, so on the advice of the Jedi Council you took your aliit and ran.”

“As reluctant as I was to leave the Jedi behind, Master Yoda himself told me to take my family and run. So I did.”

“Exactly, but General Kenobi is your family too, so he should be here.” Cody said slowly, as if explaining a very simple concept to a cadet, and Skywalker flinched. “I commed him right after everything went south. He was at the Temple guarding the younglings for as long as he could, while the rest of the High Generals went to confront the Emperor, waiting for you.”

At that last line, nobody could look the former Commander of the 212th in the eyes. Not Rex, not Senator Amidala and especially not Skywalker, because when push came to shove and they escaped Coruscant, none of them had given a thought about General Kenobi’s status.

“Vod,” Rex starts, because he knows Cody and the confusion on his face has faded to become realization, then horror and finally fury, and if he doesn’t intervene now, Senator Amidala will become a widow in the next five seconds.

He puts a hand on his ori’vod’s shoulder, sympathy and regret coloring every microexpression on his face. “General Kenobi did not come with us when we ran from Coruscant. We haven’t seen him since that day.”

When Cody turns to look at him instead, Rex considers it a win, because at least his General isn’t the focus of his brother’s murderous glare anymore. He’s expecting the anger, the devastation and the disappointment, but nothing prepares Rex for the look of utter horror that colors Cody’s face, like he knows something desperately important that they don’t.

“You left Obi-Wan behind.” Cody whispers. “With him.”

And then he pulls away from Rex, walking backwards until he runs out of space and is backed up against the wall, his eyes wide and hands running through his hair.

“Cody -” Skywalker starts, but he’s interrupted by his wife, who had grabbed his arm in apprehension at the former Commander’s words.

“What do you mean, with him? With whom?” Amidala asks.

Cody lets out a strangled laugh and Rex notices his eyes are filled with tears.

“Palpatine.” He spats out, looking pointedly at Skywalker this time, fury embedded in every single one of his features. “It was supposed to be you, not him.”

“What do you mean, vod?” Rex asks him this time, but Cody is still looking at his Skywalker like he used to look at the natborn officers that spoke ill of them and their brothers when they thought the vod weren’t listening. Hostility. Disgust.

“When you left, let’s just say you left a gap in apprenticeship the Emperor wasn’t expecting. And you took your entire family with you, which left no one else behind as personal retribution.”

“Except Master Kenobi.” Ahsoka cuts in, the same horror that passed over Cody’s face a few seconds ago mirrored in hers.

“Two birds, one stone.” Cody says, amber eyes burning holes into Skywalker’s frame at the young Jedi’s confusion. “Just something I heard the Emperor say the day he presented his new Sith apprentice to the rest of the officers.”

“No.” Skywalker whispers, eyes filled with dread and despair as he puts the pieces of what Cody is saying together. “No, it can’t be -” He continues, but Cody cuts him off again.

“That sentence never made sense to me, not until today.” He says, mostly to himself as he slumps against the wall behind him. His anger seems to have burned out entirely, and left behind only resignation and guilt. “I also noticed how the dar’jetii always took an unusual interest in me, but he never approached me personally, unless to relay orders from the military. But he was there, always, just staring. Like he was seeing a ghost.”

Rex’s mind is a storm of denial mixed with guilt and regret, and he can see the same expression in the faces of the people around him. You left him behind, Cody had said, with him. It couldn’t be, it just couldn’t. General Skywalker had said he had lost contact with the Temple, that General Yoda had told them to take his family and leave immediately, and they had done as requested. His family. General Skywalker’s family. Which had included Obi-Wan Kenobi, for years, long before Padmé Amidala had married him, or Rex had become his Captain and Ahsoka his Padawan. Kenobi had been a father figure and later an older brother to Skywalker for over a decade. He raised me, when he didn’t even have to, his General had told Rex once, he was still barely a Padawan himself and he had just lost his Master, but he stepped up for me, because like him, I had no one. But then, we had each other, and that was enough.

He was going to be sick.

“And he was, in a way.” Cody continues. “I had to pretend to still be chipped, because I couldn’t let the Empire know I knew where their most wanted fugitives had run to, which included my former General. Or so I thought.”

“Cody, please.” Skywalker is pleading now, Amidala holding on to his arm, devastation clear across her face. “Tell me it isn’t him.”

His brother just looks at Skywalker in pity.

“I’m sorry.” Cody says, walking away from the group towards the exit. “I really am.”

“Wait -” Skywalker tries, but Kenobi’s former Commander is already at the doorway. His eyes hold no sympathy with what he says next.

“You better hide your family better next time, because if my battalion found you, so will he. And he will not hold back as I did. He will kill you and your entire family, without mercy, and I might just let him.”

“Cody -” Rex tries, but his brother looks away, his voice echoing in the hallway.

“You deserve it.” 

And he walked away, leaving Rex, Skywalker and the rest of their family behind to digest the ugly truth of their failures.

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