Chapter Text
Obi-Wan heard the incoming swish of the lightsaber behind him and had his own up to meet the red blade with a clash of energy just before it would have severed his neck, shoving it away and diving after his attacker in a lightning fast series of advances and retreats.
His troops shouted in alarm around him, blasters coming up, but none of them fired for fear of hitting their General as he and his combatant darted around them nearly faster than they could follow.
Golden eyes swept over them and dismissed them as not a threat, but Obi-Wan knew his commander and spared breath he barely had to shout "Cody, stand down!" before his commander could decide that the chance of winging his General was still a better option than him losing his head to a lightsaber and ordered their best marksmen to fire anyway.
The distraction cost him, and his opponent scored a painful graze along his arm, a deep laugh echoing out of a red and black chest as Obi-Wan arched into a showier series of flips than even he usually used these days, more Ataru than Soresu, pushed into changing styles by the aggression of his attacker.
Blasters lowered around them in response to Cody's clearly unhappy repetition of this order, and troops scattered out of the way. The twinge of Force, and familiarity with his Commander's stubbornness, told Obi-Wan though that part of the seemingly disorganized scatter was distraction for snipers taking cover.
If it wouldn't earn him another painful blow, Obi-Wan would roll his eyes in fond exasperation.
Alright, to finish this, before his Commander had a conniption fit.
He turned and darted the other way, his opponent hard on his heels, a low chuckle following him.
Overconfident, as usual.
The abrupt dip in the land that Obi-Wan had noted earlier came as no surprise to him as he dropped into it. The same could not be said for his opponent, who leapt it instinctively, spinning in time to meet Obi-Wan's attack.
Glowing blue and red blades sparked and crackled as their wielders stared into each other's face.
The red and black Zabrak bared his teeth at Obi-Wan, who grinned cheekily in return.
In sync, they lowered their blades, deactivated them, and stepped into an embrace, to the startled murmur of the clones who had followed their movement.
"Must you do that every time, Knight Maul?" Obi-Wan asked, in a voice that carried far enough to soothe the stress in Cody's posture.
It was not soothed.
Obi-Wan would flirt with a charging rancor, let alone someone who hit every marker they had for ‘Sith.’
Black robes, burning red lightsaber.
But Cody grudgingly signaled for the snipers to ease off their triggers.
For the moment.
“Only as often as it takes to keep you on your toes, Kenobi,” the Zabrak drawled, posture loose and easy, even though he was surrounded by tense troopers who’s general he had just attacked unprovoked.
It wasn’t obliviousness, though. His eyes -- a startling purple against his red skin, especially when Cody was expecting sick yellow -- were alert and sharp as he scanned them, settling on Cody for a long moment with a quirk of his lips and a nod.
Cody narrowed his eyes under his helmet, but nodded back just slightly when that regard stayed on him, expectant, even when Obi-Wan began to answer. On closer inspection… the robes were very dark, but they were not actually black. And the cut of the outer robe more resembled Jedi robes than the more elaborate flare the Sith took, even though this Jedi (?) had apparently eschewed any of the traditional undertunics, leaving most of the skin of his chest bare. That could go either way, Sith or Jedi.
Eye color and fashion choices did not negate the red lightsaber, but Obi-Wan wasn’t reacting to him like a threat, so Cody would withhold judgment for the moment.
“I’m always on my toes,” Obi-Wan said, but the tone was amused instead of insulted. “Especially around you, old friend. How else could I have survived our childhoods?”
Maul snorted and his gaze finally shifted back to Obi-Wan, eyes sharp. “You’d have survived it better if you’d let me kick Jinn in the teeth, like I offered.”
Cody’s ears metaphorically perked up, and he could practically hear the rest of the squad coming to listening attention too. The tiny bit they knew about their General’s old master mostly came from Torrent via Rex via Anakin. Obi-Wan never seemed to want to talk about it, and they hadn’t wanted to ask, as curious as they were about their General’s history. But none of the rumors seemed to indicate anything that would prompt that reaction. Anakin apparently talked about him like was the literal perfect embodiment of everything a Jedi could be. Cody had even thought that he’d have made a good general.
Obi-Wan looked uncomfortable, though, just briefly, a flinch passing over his face. And the Marshall Commander abruptly reconsidered his opinion of Jinn, in light of it.
“So you’ve said,” is all Obi-Wan said, but his tone was more distant, losing a shade of that fond edge, visibly pulling away from the conversation.
The Zabrak… Jedi(?) sighed deeply but didn’t apologize, stepping back into Obi-Wan’s space, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and refusing to let him withdraw. They’d been having variations on that discussion since they were thirteen, it would keep a bit longer.
“Introduce me to your men before your charming commander decides to just shoot me full of holes for upsetting you,” he insisted instead, changing the subject with another look at Cody, this one accompanied by a roguish grin.
Cody’s other eyebrow joined the first near his hairline.
Well. That was certainly interesting. On many levels, not the least of which being Obi-Wan allowing the continuing contact.
“Marshal Commander Cody,” Cody said, taking the initiative that look seemed to invite, inclining his head.
“I’ve heard a lot about you , commander,” Maul drawled, and -- were Obi-Wan’s cheeks going pink? “I’m Knight Maul, one of Obi’s year-mates, since I doubt the private bastard has mentioned me.”
“I haven’t had the privilege, sir,” Cody agreed, dry. “The General isn’t much one for…” emotional openness “sharing personal stories, sir.”
Obi-Wan huffed into his beard, muttering under his breath. Still not stepping out from under Maul’s arm, or even looking uncomfortable about being there. Fascinating.
Maul reached out, offering the arm that wasn’t wrapped around Obi-Wan’s shoulders, and Cody reflexively clasped it, surprised despite himself at the firm grip, so like a brother’s. The bare skin was startlingly warm, with the double-pulse of two hearts.
“A pleasure to meet you, Cody,” Maul said, words pretty but something
wicked
underneath that. “I’m sure you have all the
best
stories about what my favorite creche-mate has been up to since I last saw him.”
“I might have a few,” Cody demurred, over his General’s squawk of outrage.
Oh, he was going to like this old friend of his General’s.