(credit to Katie [@stolen-pen-name23 on tumblr] for making these headers for CC <3)
A/N: this is for the CC collaboration Daily Death: Obi-Wan Kenobi (the other stories can be found here: https://bit.ly/3zTKZoM)!
Obi-Wan knew something bad had happened the moment his comm beeped. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, a sign of danger, but for what, he didn't know.
"General, something's wrong!"
Anakin had just led Ahsoka away a few minutes ago, informing him that they would be back later after taking a nap.
However, it seemed like the Force didn't stop for anyone. Obi-Wan could only hope that the two of them were asleep as he breathed in, struggling to keep himself calm.
"Brief me."
He was already running through the deck, dodging soldiers that were blocking his way.
Something pulsed in his head, and he winced slightly. The Force had been muddled those past few hours, much too quiet for his liking. There was a sense of dread every time he reached out, warning of something dark and dangerous.
It was like this ever since the Separatists infiltrated them in space, bringing small forces and slipping through their ship.
Much more different than usual, but no one had died.
It was starting to unsettle him, especially when Anakin, Ahsoka, and the men were on board from the aftermath. He constantly looked behind his back, as if he would see the vulture droid's four legs skittering towards him. Cody had told him that everything was in order in the aftermath, and yet, Anakin and Ahsoka both felt what he did.
But no one, not a single person, could find the source of their distress.
"Think there's something wrong with the system, but we can't identify it! Everything's shutting down, and we only have half of the emergency powers in store!"
Obi-Wan's eyes widened in disbelief, stopping in his tracks. Half of the emergency powers were already in use? They wouldn't even be able to make it back to Coruscant at this rate. He didn't even think they would be able to survive.
"How? If we only have that much energy keeping us up and we're still in hyperspace, that means we're going to die!"
"We're trying to figure out what's going on, sir!"
Obi-Wan switched channels, praying that the person on the other side would respond. His feet picked up again.
All of a sudden, the ground shook, the man stumbling. He caught himself, his hand reaching out to the rail. His head turned towards the glass and he could see the ship sputtering out of hyperspace into eternal blackness.
They were out of hyperspace, but not by their own intentions. The shaking stopped, a beep vibrating from his comm.
"Cody?"
The Commander's reply was immediate as the channel opened to reveal hollering and shouting. He was with the other troopers in the mess hall then, the Master noted.
"Here, sir. Did you feel that?"
"Yes. Please meet me in the control room. It's urgent—we're in danger."
His ears picked up a round of cursing from the clone and he turned a corner, blinking as he tried to remember his way through. His memory was foggy, as if someone put a cloud of haze in his mind. Did he already turn in this hallway? He wasn't sure. The ground rumbled again, and goosebumps formed along his skin. It was a tad bit colder, the man realized as he turned around.
"I'll be right there. Commander out."
The audio shut down and Obi-Wan made a sharp turn, his robe flying behind him as he picked up speed. He rapidly typed in the pad before the control room door slid open, the Master wasting no time to enter. He hurried inside and spotted Cody entering the room as he made his way to the holotable. The Commander moved to stand next to him, the pair exchanging nods in greeting.
A clone in a grey uniform stood up from his seat, and Obi-Wan could guess that it was the person who contacted him.
"Sirs. Our power generators will stop in a few minutes, and the hyperdrive seems to be..."
The clone looked at his screen, with Obi-Wan leaning forward, agitation prominent in his furrowed brows.
"Be what?"
"It shows to be alright. But it wasn't before!" The trooper frowned, tapping the screen again. There appeared to only be blue diagrams of the hyperdrive generators, heat signatures walking through the platforms.
"Show us the problem, trooper."
Said clone gulped as he looked at Cody, his gaze switching from the General and the Commander.
"Our systems are failing, but we still can't find the source of it. Everything looks normal when we try to check it, but heat signatures keep flaring in different parts of the ship. Adding to that, the Separatist's attack also deployed all of the escape pods, so if this goes wrong, no one would be able to escape."
Obi-Wan's hand reached out for the holopad, the screen glinting into his eyes. "When did this start?"
"We just noticed it."
"Is there any hint of what's going on?" Cody peered over Obi-Wan's shoulder.
"I—Yes. Earlier, one of the backup generators shut down, and if the other one fails..."
Obi-Wan could sense the anxiety radiating off the soldier, and he held himself back from urging the clone on. His patience was rewarded as Cody beside him cleared his throat, the clone standing in front of them continuing on.
"....If the other one fails, we wouldn't have enough fuel to get back to Coruscant. That's why I called you here. If our emergency powers are out, then something wrong is bound to happen."
And just like that, the ship quivered again, the tremors powerful enough to knock some of the other clones including himself to the floor.
"Shit!"
The clone in grey scrambled to keep himself steady, sprinting to the systems. Red lights replaced the dim room, with Obi-Wan and Cody exchanging glances.
"That's the emergency power we're on right now!
"Then what's stopping us? Less fuel?"
No answer came as frantic typing filled the silence, the surrounding soldiers yelling orders Obi-Wan couldn't find himself to understand.
"We're losing control! At this rate, it would be too late to fix anything!"
"Wait. There has to be a way—"
"With all due respect, sir, we still don't know what's going on, and even if we do, it would be too late!"
He could still see Cody standing by him, deep anxiety reflecting his own. He was no use in this field.
He couldn't help.
~~
The door slid shut behind him and he stumbled out, his eyes empty. A numb feeling spread through Obi-Wan's limbs, the air stolen from his lungs as he let the information sink in.
It was too late.
After everything they've been through, and this is how they died? Obi-Wan couldn't believe it, but the pounding of his heart and the violent shivers in the Force told him otherwise. The ship's hum filled his ears, but it didn't provide the same comfort it once did.
"I-It was an honor serving with you, sir."
Cody shifted into a standard salute, his movements sharp as he held his head high, respect adamant in his stance. Obi-Wan mirrored him, nodding curtly. He didn't have the words to convey his gratitude, but it was there.
"And me, with you."
Both stayed still as seconds ticked by, and suddenly as one, they moved towards each other. Cody's arms wrapped around his back, and Obi-Wan could feel the man shaking in his arms as the Commander laid his head on his shoulder. He gripped Cody's back tighter, pulling him into his chest. His sheer inability to block his own emotions bursted through his shields, his eyes watering.
Cody's face didn't look at him, and Obi-Wan finally realized that he was crying. And the only time he saw the soldier cry was...
Never. He wasn't sure anymore. He tried hard to remember, but Cody pulled away, his train of thought fading along. The soldier's face was stoic, and none of them mentioned the tears on each other's faces.
"I'm...sorry, sir. That wasn't very professional of me, especially in this situation, and I—"
"Cody, if you ever need it...I'm here for you. After all...we know what's going to happen."
"Sir, permission to speak freely?"
"You always may, trooper. And may I remind you for the hundredth time; it's Obi-Wan."
Cody smiled slightly, chuckling before a somber look took his face.
"We were trained, sir, to be the elite. My brothers and I..."
Cody trailed off, and the General nudged him lightly in encouragement. Something seemed to possess Cody to keep going.
"They're my vode. I appreciate them and try to know them as much as I can, but there are so many, and now, they're all going to die. Die before I even get a chance to know their names. They are children. We all are."
Cody gulped as he forged on, his speech flowing faster as words tumbled out of his mouth.
"Every single person on this ship, including you and me, are going to die. No imprint in the galaxy, just...gone. And that," Cody raised a hand to rub his eyes, with the Jedi rubbing his shoulder. They both fell forward again, what control Obi-Wan had over his composure gone. Sobs racked his body, Obi-Wan's shoulders drenched in tears as Cody's emotions mirrored his.
"Th-That's frightening, sir." He took another inhale of breath, with Obi-Wan trying his best to comfort him. Many previous times, Cody had been the one to comfort him, to even take care of him, and now it was his turn to try and make up for all of it.
"I don't want to die," he whispered, Cody curling into himself, and Obi-Wan's eyes closed, his heart aching for the man. "I'm not supposed to be scared of death but I-I can't help it. Keeli, Thorn, every other brother; will I be with them after this?"
He turned his head towards the General, his eyes pleading for an answer. Obi-Wan's mouth ran dry, realizing that he couldn't know for sure. A rumble reverberated deep within the ship, and Obi-Wan tugged his robe tighter around himself.
What was going to happen to them after they're gone?
"Is there an afterlife for us clones? Will I get to see them again?"
"Yes. You will." There was no hesitation in Obi-Wan's answer, and he gripped Cody's shoulders, trying to force the truth into them. "The Force works through all living things, including you and your brothers."
Cody's arms wrapped around him again, this time, the both of them much more whole than before. Obi-Wan could see that Cody was regaining his composure with the thought, and smiled brokenly.
The clones had been slaves all of their lives, and he wished there was a way to save them.
But there wasn't.
Cody slowly pulled away from him, glancing at his comm. The smile slipped off his lips, drawn into horror.
"What is it?" Apprehension spiked across the Force, and the shortly-forgotten dread came back, stronger than ever. Cold puffs of air were already visible when he exhaled, as if he was in Hoth.
Obi-Wan looked down at his wrist, his blood running cold as he eyes the number on his screen.
28 seconds.
They only had twenty-eight seconds, with even less now. He thought that they would have more time, that some miracle would pull them out of this but there was nothing.
Anakin. Ahsoka. Rex. Everyone else.
He didn't say goodbye yet.
"Cody, did you already—"
"Yes." He could see it in the trooper's eyes that the man already knew what he was going to ask. They had that kind of connection ever since they worked together. "How about you?"
Obi-Wan shook his head, and the Commander's eyes widened.
"I thought you already did! Kriffing hell—they're in the mess hall."
Obi-Wan nodded in gratitude, grasping the Commander's arm and shaking it once.
Then he was off, racing against time. He could hear Cody running the other way, his footsteps growing lighter and lighter. He prayed to the Force that there would be enough time. That he would get to say goodbye. Red lights flickered on and off, with the thundering echoing through the corridors.
He reached the doors of the mess hall and checked his comm. Ten seconds left.
Obi-Wan pushed the door open, and his sight was covered with white, blue, and orange. He pushed through the crowd, spotting clones with looks of terror and acceptance.
The comm on his wrist ticked quickly, signaling that he only had five seconds left. Pinpricks of death rang through the Force, each soldier dying instantaneously. Pain smashed against his shields like a knife to skin, and he shut it out the best he could. He looked around frantically trying to find them—
There.
They were too far for five seconds, but the Master cupped his hands over his mouth, shouting with all his might.
"Padawan!"
Anakin's head immediately whipped towards him, Ahsoka's doing the same. They immediately broke into a run towards him, and he found himself sprinting to them. The distance between them grew smaller with each wave of roaring explosions, and Obi-Wan huffed desperately, begging the Force to give him speed.
They were so close. He could get to them—their fingers were reaching for his and his for theirs—he could make it, he had to—
A bond snapped in his mind right as a hole ripped through the mess hall, the burning sensation of the fiery heat and cold vacuum of space licking at him for milliseconds before his pain vanished.
His body disappeared along with it.
A/N: Exposition my beloathed.