Okay okay so like, I know it's less rarepair and more crackpair, but for a prompt does Hardcase/Obi-Wan do anything for you? 👀
*cracks knuckles* Apples, you had me at rarepair.
“Uh,” Hardcase says. “I can explain?”
It’s the absolute worst possible moment for a thermal detonator to fall out of his bag and bounce across the floor. With mild horror, Hardcase watches it roll to a stop against one brightly polished boot, then slowly drags his gaze up to meet bemused blue eyes as Obi-Wan raises a polite brow.
“Can you now?” he asks dryly, leaning against the door of the armory. “Would this have anything to do with the fact that Rex and his squad are two days late reporting back?”
Hardcase winces, casts about for an excuse, and comes up with nothing under the weight of Obi-Wan’s stare. “Yes, sir,” he says, and squares his shoulders, straightens his spine. “I know something’s gone wrong, General, and I can't prove it, but—”
Obi-Wan’s expression softens slightly. “I had a similar feeling, I’ll admit,” he says. “Rex isn't one to forget to comm command. But how on earth were you expecting to find them, Hardcase? There's a whole mountain range out there.”
That’s not an instant denial and demotion, Hardcase thinks, startled. That’s enough for hope, and he grins, taking a step forward. This time he’s careful not to drop any grenades. “The stealth ship, sir! It’s got that short-range scanner I was going to calibrate to look for the energy signal of those charges the captain’s carrying. Figure if I can tweak it enough it should work like a charm, since the only one carrying bombs that big is Captain Rex.”
Obi-Wan blinks. He looks down at the grenade by his boot, then up at Hardcase, and says, like it’s a surprise, “That’s actually brilliant. Do you think you can get the scanner that finely-tuned?”
“Sure,” Hardcase says confidently, which is…mostly true. He probably can, but he’s never tried it on that particular ship before. General Skywalker tends to be protective over it. “Just thought I’d try it first and see if it worked, you know, General Kenobi.”
Obi-Wan’s smile is just a little mischievous. “Of course, Hardcase. Perhaps I’d better accompany you, so that no one gets the wrong idea about this just being a test run.”
That’s not anywhere close to what Hardcase expected him to say, and he raises his brows, looking the general up and down. “Sir?”
Obi-Wan waves a hand. “Anakin is unreachable at the moment or I'm sure he would approve,” he says. “So it’s not technically leaving without permission. Besides, you look so well-stocked, it would be a shame to let all of your preparation go to waste.”
That smirk. Hardcase might be just a little bit in love. “Of course, General,” he says, bouncing on his toes a little. “Got all my boxes ticked, now I just need a copilot. Hypothetically, you know?”
Obi-Wan actually laughs at that, straightening. “You're a much better liar than your captain,” he says with amusement, and leans down, scooping up the thermal detonator. For a moment, he tosses it in his hand, then lobs it lightly back to Hardcase. It soars, too slow for physics, to hover right in front of Hardcase’s face, and—
Well. That’s an idea, isn't it?
“You ever used these little beauties, General?” Hardcase asks with interest, scooping it out of the air. “’Cause with an arm like yours I can think of a lot of places that we could make an impact. Assuming Captain Rex was captured, or the like.”
With a thoughtful hum, Obi-Wan approaches, looking over Hardcase’s collection of weaponry. Deft, he pulls a vibrosword from beneath Hardcase’s arm and flips it around in his hand like he’s judging the weight of it. “I can't say I have, Hardcase. But it seems there are several things we can test alongside those scanners. Perhaps including whether you can hit a detonator after I throw it.”
It’s possible Hardcase is a little hard in his jockstrap. Just a bit. Just slightly. He sighs, rapturous, and says, “You really know how to sweet-talk a vod, sir.”
Chuckling, Obi-Wan steals a detonator, then turns on his heel. “Off we go,” he says lightly. “You can calibrate those scanners, and after we retrieve the good captain, you and I can have a discussion about all the variations of sweet-talk I'm fluent in.”
