from where i stand
Cloneship Week Day 5 - Reunion - @cloneshipweek
Commander Clutch/Commander Ponds, Commander Cody
(Ao3 Link)
Two weeks after the Republic loses Thustra, two weeks and several days after Generals Tyr and Tyffix are killed, Commander Clutch ambushes Marshal Commander Cody as he's leaving RCMO.
"Commander Cody, sir!" Clutch greets, and the momentary surprise that has Cody looking back is evidently long enough for Clutch to make his way to Cody's side. "Mind if I walk with you?"
"Of course not," Cody says, and it's only kind of a lie. Sort of a lie. 50% a lie.
Clutch is... fine. He and Cody were friendly on Kamino, are still friendly, technically, even though Cody would be lying if he were to say that... things haven't changed since Geonosis. Still, Clutch is fine.
Clutch falls in step with him easily, and they walk in silence at first, as Clutch seems to be psyching himself up to say something. Cody doesn’t press him— at least, not at first.
It's right as Cody starts contemplating whether or not Clutch would respond well if Cody offered his condolences for the loss of his men and his Jedi General when Clutch suddenly speaks up.
"A few months ago you mentioned that your General was supposed to take a Padawan," Clutch says bluntly.
Ah, kriff. Cody can already see where this one is going. "Clutch—"
"All I'm asking is for you to ask Ponds to ask General Windu. Nothing more, nothing less."
"You could ask Ponds yourself, you know," Cody says sourly, but he's already pulling out his comm, a silent admission of defeat. "You and Ponds are friends."
He hears more than sees Clutch nearly skip a step, and internally, Cody winces. Ah. Right. Friends is probably not the correct term to describe whatever the kriff those two have going on, but... Cody also can't think of a better one.
"... Yeah, I guess," Clutch says, uncertainty audible in his tone despite the brusque wave of a hand, as if to shoo the words away, "but you're a Marshal Commander, and I'm not," he finishes, voice normal again. "Plus, you're batchmates, and that's not a bond easily broken by time or distance. I, on the other hand, haven't seen him since Geonosis, so if I suddenly reached out, it would be weird." A pause. "To say the least."
To say the least for-kriffing-sure, Sith hells. To say the least, Forcedamn. Whatever the kark happened on Geonosis that killed all but two members of Knockout squad left Clutch and Ponds awkwardly avoiding each other— and looking incredibly guilty as they did so— is a secret that neither of them seem inclined to speak of; despite the fact that conversations with drunk Ponds mean Cody knows Ponds is certain that Clutch both blames him for it, and uninterested in hearing his apologies.
And until a few seconds ago, until Clutch said he shouldn't reach out directly to Ponds, Cody had no reason to doubt Ponds' perception of events. Had no reason to think that pushing Ponds to reach out would do anything but drive Clutch away further.
But now... hm.
Ponds might be correct in saying that Clutch is uninterested in hearing his apologies. He probably is, honestly— in Cody's limited experience, Clutch has never been one for bring apologized to, having always preferred actions over words— unlike Ponds himself. It makes sense for Clutch to be uninterested in hearing those apologies, for Clutch to want to truly see change, not just hear promises.
What doesn't make sense is the fact that Clutch seems to be avoiding Ponds, because Clutch knows full-kriffing-well that for someone to show an apology through their actions, you actually have to see said actions.
Clutch avoiding Ponds therefore makes no sense... unless one knows that when Ponds is angry with someone, he wants space from said person. Unless one knows that while Ponds values verbal apologies, those apologies can't be pushed on him when he's not ready to hear it.
Oh, those di'kuts.
Cody looks up from his comm and the message he's halfway through composing, sends Clutch a dead-eyed look. "I hate you," he says blandly, knowing that Clutch will almost certainly assume that the words are about Clutch potentially saddling Cody with a tiny Jedi, and not about Cody's sudden realization that his months and months of silent anger regarding the fact that Clutch had seemingly just dropped Cody's vod without any regard for Ponds' feelings is actually misplaced. Clutch isn't being a dick, he's just being a di’kut.
Clutch tilts his head the barest amount to the side. It's a very smug head tilt. "Sir, I'm about to make your Sergeant's kriffing year," Clutch says, and Cody might not be able to see his face, but by the Force he knows that Clutch is grinning... just as he knows that Clutch is completely correct in saying that this will make Waxer's year. Bitch. Bitch . "I'm sure you'll get over it."
Cody rolls his eyes as a response, looks down at his comm, and then he has an idea.
He's not the only one who needs to get over it, after all.
+++
A few days before the 212th is scheduled to leave, Clutch bursts into the barracks the 212th are staying in while on Coruscant.
"Shabuir, the kriff did you tell Ponds?"
"Hm?" Cody asks innocently, looking up from his reports. Clutch has his helmet off, and saying he looks flustered would honestly be a karking understatement. Cody ruthlessly squashes the spike of satisfaction he feels behind his breastbone— no celebrating until he's certain things actually went well. "Is there a problem, Clutch? I was under the impression that General Windu had approved of integrating both you and your Commander into the 212th."
Clutch glares at him. The effectiveness of said glare is rather undercut by the mess that is currently his hair. "Yeah, no, that's all fine."
Cody raises an eyebrow. Oh, this is going to be good. "Then what's the problem?"
"The problem is that was not an answer to my kriffing question. ”
Cody reins in a snicker, instead looking back down at his report to he jot down a few more notes. Clutch's handling of his own personal irritation in spite of the fact that he's obviously imagining throttling Cody reminds him a bit of Rex, actually. Huh. He'll have to see how the two of them work together when the 212th and 501st are next assigned a joint mission.
"All I asked Ponds was to bring up the possibility of transferring your Commander to the 212th," Cody says smoothly, looking back up at Clutch.
"Commander—"
" But, I do admit that I may have also mentioned that, despite whatever happened in the aftermath of Geonosis, after the kind of disaster you suffered on Thustra, you surely would enjoy the company of your only remaining squadmate, would he care to give it. I also may have mentioned that your avoidance of him made little sense if you truly blamed him, as you've never been the type of person who just drops those whom you're angry with." Cody takes a pause, sets down his pen. "I'm assuming your presence here means he got his head out of his shebs?"
Clutch glares at him yet again. It's objectively a good glare, though Cody has seen better. "I didn't ask you to meddle. "
Cody snorts. "Commander, did you not ask me to tell another Commander to ask his General about the possibility of having your Commander assigned to General Kenobi? Because that sounds a lot like a request to meddle to me."
"... Respectfully," Clutch says after a long, long moment. "You're the worst, sir."
Cody keeps his face perfectly neutral as he responds. "I'm sure you'll get over it, Commander,” he says, and… kriff it, Clutch deserves this. “Perhaps Ponds can help. Should I presume you'll be sleeping in his bunk whenever the 91st and the 212th are on Coruscant at the same time?"
Silence. Then —
" Sir! "