Chapter Text
It should have been him. Cody was convinced that if he had been there then maybe he could change the tide of the events of Zygerria. Cody watched from the distance in the hangar as the ship landed and the Togruta people began to haggardly traipse down the ramp. A call over his commlink for medical backup at the hangar had sent him on a hasty walk from his quarters to where he stood now, armor hurriedly thrown on and breaths coming in a little faster than he would like to admit.
Cody watched, eyes flickering over Anakin and Ahsoka before landing on a very dirty and bruised looking Rex. Cody inhaled sharply as an even more bruised and dirty General Kenobi emerged from just behind the Commander. He limped, left foot dragging behind him just slightly, and his eyes were unfocused. From where he stood, Cody could make out the prominent bruising around the man’s neck and the tears in his robes. Cody wanted to converge on him, wrap him in a blanket, and run him a warm, soapy, bath. He wanted to take whoever had done this to the General and bring them to justice . However, the circumstance called for a little more tact.
Cody watched silently as Anakin as a loud discussion formed around the cowering presence of the General. The man stood almost completely still and his eyes trained absentmindedly on something on the floor. No one seemed to pay any mind to the General and it made Cody angry . He knew that Kenobi had probably reassured Ahsoka and Anakin that he was “perfectly fine” and “more than alright” but the opposite was more than apparent.
The minutes dragged on; no one offered the General medical attention and no one expressly spoke to him. As Ahsoka walked off with what appeared to be the Togruta leader, Cody observed Kenobi looking about the room, almost searching for help of some sort. The time is now Cody thought and began to quickly push past a few loitering brothers. He watched as suddenly Anakin gently took the Jedi’s chin into his hand trying to catch the man’s eyes. Anakin dropped his hand and suddenly he was… signing something ? Cody stopped in his tracks, watching very carefully as Anakin’s fingers made quick work of a long string of signs. They were unfamiliar to Cody, though he had some familiarity with signs used in battle. There was a pause, once Anakin finished, before the General, to Cody’s surprise, began to move his own hands with fluent signs. There was no hesitation from either of the Generals as they exchanged a couple more signs each before Anakin pointed in Cody’s direction. Still slightly astonished by what he had just witnessed, Cody took for the General.
“General, Sir! Are you alright?” Cody grabbed his shoulder lightly as the General looked up at him with a weak smile. Cody took that as his answer. “Med-bay then?” A nod. Just as Cody began to call for a hoverchair over his commlink, Kix appeared, hoverchair in tow. The General smiled appreciatively and Cody helped him sit slowly. He winced at the small whimper that escaped Kenobi’s chapped lips.
“Can I talk to you for a minute Cody?” General Skywalker looked rather grim and he pulled Cody several feet away before even hearing the commander’s answer.
“What?” Cody asked a little defensively, worried that he had somehow done something to upset him.
“He’s been through a lot, Cody. Beatings, torture.... Just, a lot.” Skywalker paused to lick his lips nervously and he glanced back at Kenobi who was rubbing his hands tiredly over his eyes. “Sometimes,” Skywalker continued, “He goes quiet.”
“What do you mean?” Cody asked, not quite understanding. General Kenobi was not exactly a loud man to begin with.
“When he was younger he was selectively mute, silent, after he… after some trauma. Sometimes, when he gets overwhelmed or hurt he goes silent again.” He goes silent.
“He’s silent right now?” Cody asked as he eyed the General himself, almost a little skeptical.
“Yes. He knows signs, I can communicate well with him. You may need to learn them, fast. ” Anakin shook his head somberly. “I don’t think he’s planning on speaking anytime soon.”
Cody let it sink in for a moment; it really did make sense. There had been countless missions where Cody had wondered about the General’s silence. He would often send a message to Cody’s datapad after they had returned from particularly brutal missions. Cody had simply chalked it up to him being angry or frustrated; he’s never assumed muteness.
“It makes sense.” Cody answered General Skywalker. “I’ll learn.” The General nodded tersely before taking to the direction Ahsoka had gone earlier. “Med-Bay, Kix. Now.”
His brother replied with a firm nod before taking the handles of the hoverchair. They walked in silence, only the General’s shaking breaths rattling through the air.