Summary: In the light of a new day, Cody makes a decision he won't be able to take back.
The Council chamber was warm and Obi Wan found the heat oddly distracting. Or perhaps it was the promise of news of the vote that had him feeling out of sorts. He had already told Master Yoda he would likely miss today’s meeting, but as he strolled into the temple a few minutes after leaving Cody and Rex at the senate building, he felt he lacked a reason to excuse himself.
He wasn’t entirely sure his presence was overly worthwhile. He certainly was struggling to concentrate and every ping of a comm had him twitching and reaching into his robes.
“A problem there is, Master Kenobi?” Master Yoda asked after the third time he started at a signal coming from Kit Fisto’s communicator.
“Apologies, Master. No. The Senate is voting today. I’m waiting for word.”
“Ahh, your project this is.” He muttered.
Obi Wan suppressed a bristle of irritation. It shouldn’t have been ‘his’ project. It was something the whole order was involved with. Still, he smiled slightly and nodded.
He tried to stay still through the rest of the meeting as the council discussed everything from Jedi still stationed on distant worlds as part of the relief effort after the war to some Jedi shadows infiltrating warlord groups in the outer rim, which where taking over due to the power vacuum left by the Separatist leadership.
“Careful, we must be, lest these Warlords become a problem later we must not.” Yoda said wisely to much nodding in agreement from the room.
Obi Wan nodded as well, his eyes falling on a green light visible through his outer tunic. He grabbed for it, realizing him comm had somehow been turned to silent. The light was blinking rapidly, he had multiple missed calls.
“Excuse me, Masters.” He said in a rush as he flew through the door, jabbing his finger to the button and bringing it up to his mouth.
“There you are.” Cody’s warm voice replied and Obi Wan closed his eyes at the sound of it.
“What news? I’m sorry, I was…”
“We did it, Obi Wan. They voted yes.” Cody replied, and he could hear the smile in his voice, “we did it.” He said, quieter, just for him.
Obi Wan was overwhelmed with relief. He sank against the wall and slid down so he was sitting on the cool stone floor. He let out a deep breath; one he may have been holding since this all began.
“Obi Wan?” Cody’s voice sounded again, this time with a tinge of concern.
“I’m alright. I’m here.” He said softly, resting the comm on his forehead as though bent over in prayer. “Cody, I’m so incredibly happy for you. For all of you. It’s not all you are owed, but it’s a start and I and just…I am so proud of you…and Rex, of course.”
Cody chuckle as a huge cheer erupted down the comm, “Thank you, Obi Wan. I’ll let everyone know.”
There was a garbled noise and some static before Cody came back, “Yeah, the vote was over about thirty minutes ago, we’re at 79s, celebrating.”
Obi Wan chuckled and smiled at the comm, “Very well deserved, indeed.”
“You should join us. We have a table. More and more brothers are filtering in every minute. I’m not sure this place will be able to contain us all soon.”
Obi Wan chuckled again, “well, I’m sure you don’t need me interfering.”
“I want you here, Obi Wan. We all do.”
Obi Wan felt himself blush and tried to calm himself. “Very well. I will see you later then.”
“Looking forward to it.” Cody replied in what Obi Wan could only call a flirty lilt to his voice. He was just being nice, Obi Wan, he said to himself with an eyeroll.
He peaked his head back into the council chamber to share the news. The general consensus was that it was good news and was quick to call Anakin when he made his way back to his quarters.
“There you are. I thought you’d be celebrating with Cody.” He said with his characteristic smirk.
“I may pop down to 79s later. But I wanted to give him some room to breathe.”
Anakin’s lips twisted into a smile as he brushed his long hair off his face, “Maybe he doesn’t want room to breathe.”
Obi Wan rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Anakin, I know it’s asking a lot but just let it lie.”
Anakin shifted uncomfortably. “Padme and I are taking the kids to Naboo. Now that the vote is finished, she thought maybe it was the right time.”
Obi Wan smiled, “I’m sure that will be lovely for all of you. I’m assuming Master Yoda has given the go ahead given your…work with him?”
Anakin shifted uncomfortably again, “Not exactly. But he did agree that I was in a good enough state for a couple of weeks away. I’ll commute until I can join the family full time.”
Obi Wan sank onto his sofa and sighed, “well, that’s certainly good news.”
“Yeah,” Anakin replied looking wistful, “So, you’ve gotta sort out this thing with Cody before we leave.”
Obi Wan laughed, “and why would I need to do that?”
“Come on, Obi Wan. We can’t leave you here all alone.”
Obi Wan leaned forward and looking at the care on his former padawan’s face, glimmering in the blue light of the holovid. “I have an entire order to keep me company, Anakin.”
“Yeah, but that’s not who you want doing the job, right?”
“Anakin” he said in the same exhausted way he had done when he was a padawan.
“Come on, Obi Wan, trust me. Out of the two of us, who’s married?”
Obi Wan suppressed the need to tell his former student that his marriage was almost the key to is undoing and settled for a familiar eyeroll instead.
“Fine,” he grumbled, “how long do I have to meet your deadline?”
"Two days." Anakin said with a smirk.
“What? That’s prosperst…”
“Better get on it, old man.” Anakin said with a wicked grin, “don’t make me sick Rex on you two.”
The holovid fizzled out and Obi Wan was left with the image of his grinning student in his mind’s eye. He huffed. Two days didn’t seem like nearly enough time.
