Cody gripped the strong neck, as the General ran through the forest. He had no idea where they were going, and he wasn’t sure if Obi-Wan actually did. He was a bit worried about leaving the men behind, but trusted Boil to take care of the 212th, and Rex would also watch over the vode.
In a short time they found themselves in a secluded area, with a decent size lake surrounded by trees, which gave them plenty of cover.
He slid off his General’s back – something he never would’ve contemplated let alone do – took off his bucket and watched. Obi-Wan slowly made his way towards the lake, sniffed at the water, then started lapping it up, shaking his head slightly as water dripped from his whiskers. Then with a delightful yip, he jumped into the water, splashing around. There was a flick and the last bit of droid went flying from his tail landing somewhere past the treeline.
Cody found a big enough rock, put his bucket down, setting his blaster close by and just watched the giant lizard swim around. He looked blissfully happy, something he had never seen in his General. After a few more laps, he pulled himself out of the water, gave a mighty shake then made his way towards the Commander and flopped on the ground, placing his head in Cody’s lap.
He took off his gloves, dropped them into the bucket, and ran his hands over the head, marveling at the fact the scales were soft. “You’re getting me wet sir.”
“Between the plastoid and your blacks I’m sure you’re perfectly dry.” The drawl was so Kenobi, it made the surreal moment seem so normal.
“Do you feel better?” he asked.
“I do actually.” Both eyes closed, as he leaned into the petting. “It’s been too long since I’ve been in Dragon form. Just laying out and stretching ease so many aches.”
“How long have you been a Dragon?” He bit back the groan at such a stupid question. “I mean …”
Kenobi chuckled lightly, then shifted until he was looking directly at Cody. Half of his body was in the lake, the tail swished around making patterns in the water. He truly looked at his General, and realized he had never seen him so relaxed. He’d seen him meditate, prep for battle, pissed, annoyed at Skywalker and or the Council, but never relaxed. As a matter of fact he’d seen him contented, show care for those around him, he gave so much to the vode, Skywalker, Commander Tano, yet took so little in return.
The simplest things made him smile, a cup of tea while he did reports, watching the Shinnies find themselves – the one time a Shiny informed the General he was the first to hear his name he thought the Jetii was going to cry, found out he did just in the privacy of his own room.
But even those times he had never seen him this relaxed, like there was nothing to be afraid of, but then at the moment he was a Dragon that was over 18 feet tall, and could – has – destroyed seppie armies.
“I was born a Dragon,” he answered simply. “My parents are Dragons.”
Cody tilted his head slightly. “How else do you get baby Dragons? I mean … ” he sighed, hating the fact he seemed to have forgotten how to speak Basic. “I know you’re not decanted like us clones.”
“You were born just like everyone else, just differently.” Obi-Wan reached his head forward rubbing against his Commander. “Dragons are a rare species, and because of long histories of being hunted down, we hide amongst others. Not all Dragons showcase as human, others take the form of other species. And not all Dragons are born of a Dragon. My parents are a Mated Dragon pair, but my grandparents on my father’s side, one of them was a Stewjon, not a Dragon. It’s how our family settled on the planet.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Dragons live long lives, if not taken out by Dragon Hunters.” His tail became more agitated, showcasing his distaste. “The blessing is having a Mate.”
“I thought the Jedi didn’t have attachments?” It was the one thing that was instilled in them since they started training. They were made for the Jedi, but not to expect anything from them in return, as they were illustrious being above a mere clone. They learned fast that the Jedi weren’t anything like the Kaminos had let them to believe. They were open, caring, called the Clone’s by their chosen names, and fought next to them. Even General Windu, who most thought was cold and elusive, had a sense of humor that snuck up on those who least expected it.
Obi-Wan sighed, the puff of air moving the whiskers. Cody tried not to laugh at the eyeroll, it was even more pronounced in Dragon form. “There’s a difference between love and attachments, some Jedi have a hard time distinguishing those two things. A few who know it’s a problem, make a choice to be celibate. Others have had long time lovers and never crossed that line. Some still at times get it stuck in their stubborn head that love is forbidden, even after his Master would tuck him in at night and tell him he loved him.”
Cody reached over and ran a hand along the long snout, soothing the irritated Dragon. “We were taught to obey the Jedi, not to expect any compassion. We were hesitant to trust, to give our names – a part of ourselves, and for some their Jedi are good General’s, but not approachable. I won’t even mention Krell since he was just evil.” The vode still mourned those lost, and at times he still felt the guilt that Waxer had survived, when so many others hadn’t. He didn’t want to know how Boil would’ve handled it if he lost his cyar’ika. “Then there are those few, that have stood next to us, see as people not cannon fodder. General Koon, who Wolffe and his pack would die for. General Secura, who Bly swore his allegiance. General Skywalker, who Rex will follow into the craziest stunt, and then there’s you … ” He was caught in Obi-Wan’s gaze, there was always something powerful about those blue eyes. “The 212th would go against the Republic for you, and well, I would not just die for you, to be honest I would kill for you.”
Kenobi blinked a few times, then scooted forward and laid his head back on Cody’s lap. “I don’t deserve such loyalty.”
“That’s for us to decide, not you, sir.” He ran his hand over the scales. “So what do you mean by Dragons have Mates? And I’m still not sure what you meant about your grandparent being Stewjon, aren’t you one? Or is the Dragon in itself entirely different.”
“Let’s start with the easy one.” He shuffled leaning closer into his Commander, who grunted softly but took the weight. “Well actually it’s all complicated and interconnected, but I’ll try my best.” Cody again felt the rumble along his body as he scratched behind the Dragon’s ear. “Don’t stop.” The Commander chuckled, and continued with the pets, now that he knew how to calm down his Jetii. “A Dragon has a Mate, this is the one person that completes them. Sometimes it’s another Dragon, other times it’s a human or another species. My grandfather is a Dragon, born from a long line of Dragons, his Mate is a female from Stewjon.”
“Is? They’re still alive?”
“I may have mentioned Dragons are long lived, when a Dragon Mates with a non-Dragon, they live as long of a life as the Dragon, the two souls are connected forever, one won’t survive past the other.” He leaned into the petting, enjoying the touch. It really had been too long since he stretched out, let alone be touched in Dragon form. “So yes, my grandparents are still very much alive. My grandmother gave birth to a human child, my father. Sometimes the child will stay the species the Dragon Mated to, if by the time their first naming day they haven’t transformed into a Dragon, it’s a good indication they will stay their species. I had an Aunt, my father’s sister, she was Stewjon, never transformed, while my father did.”
Cody took a few moments to catalogue all the information. “So your Dragon grandfather, who was born a Dragon, Mated with a Stewjon female. She had two children, only one took your grandfather’s genetics and became a Dragon.”
“Yes.” He moved off Cody, once again sitting up, making sure to look him in the eyes. “My father, Mated to another Dragon, and well they hatched me.”
“Hatched?” The Commander snorted, a grin forming as he tried to envision that particular moment. “As in hatched from an egg? Really, sir?”
“I will tell you I was an adorable baby Dragon.” Obi-Wan sniffed slightly, a small smile forming. “But yes hatched, Dragons born of Dragons are usually a clutch of eggs. I was only one, the theory being it was because of my Force sensitivity.”
“Please tell me there are holos of adorable baby Dragon Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Cody really needed to see what his General looked like as a child. “I’m sure you were a little osik, who just rolled over and gave everyone big eyes to distract from the havoc you created.”
Kenobi openly laughed, his full body shaking with mirth.
It was a sound, Cody would strive to hear again. Because now that he knew how beautiful his General was in his Dragon form, how relaxed and carefree, even if it was for a moment, he would make sure Obi-Wan would get to have more of these moments.
And he’s pretty sure once the vode saw what he was seeing, they would plot how to get their Dragon General to relax.
“I’m sure if you ask Mace nicely, he’ll have no problem pulling out all the embarrassing holos of my Initiate days.” Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, not wanting to think about the embarrassing stories that his fellow Council Member could spread through the army.
“How many Jetii know? And is it dangerous for you? I heard Mythic rambling about being hunted, and you mentioned hunters.” Cody needed to know if he needed to have a long conversation with Ghost Squad, about setting up extra protection. Maybe he would need to talk to General Skywalker, as it was obvious he knew about the Dragon.
“Yoda was the one who came to Stewjon to seek me out for the Jedi.” He ended up laying his head again on Cody’s lap, demanding pets. “Mace came with him, to assure my parents.” There was a slight hesitation. “He assured them I would be safe, as I wouldn’t be the only Dragon.”
The petting paused, as the implications fell into place. “General Windu is a Dragon? Ponds is going to lose his mind, when he finds out.”
“He’s bigger than me, a black dragon, with purple highlights. He’s got a set of wings, that sound like thunder when he lifts off.” He shifted slightly, leaning into the pets. “As for me, I’m a mix of my parents, I physically took after my father, who is a Water Dragon, hence the scales, and splashing about in the water. But I tend to act more like a Tooka Dragon, which I got from my mother, including her vicious claws.” He lifted one of his paws up, there was a webbing between each of the toes, indicating his ability in water, but the claws looked sharp and deadly.
“Is that why when I pet you, you purr?”
“Oh ner cyar’ika that’s not the only reason.” Obi-Wan rubbed against him. “But to answer, not all the Jedi know. Mace helped take care of me growing up, Yoda and Koon watched over me. My creche mates: Bant, Garret, Siri, Reft, and Quinlin know. And of course my Master and then Anakin. Satine knows, as we were on the run for over a year, and at one time I transformed to protect her. Now you, the 212th and 501st.” He paused, just breathing for a few moments before quietly adding. “I’m sure you can imagine what would happen if the Senate, Separatists, or the Sith were to learn of this.”
“They will never touch you, my Jetii. You are the 212th’s to protect. I wasn’t kidding earlier, when I said the men would turn against the Republic. If the Senate or any other bastard tried to hurt or take you, the a’den we would unleash would bring honor to our Mandalorian heritage. I’m sure the 501st would be right next to us with General Skywalker leading the charge.”
He shifted slightly, standing from the rock, keeping his hand on the large snout, making sure he could look Obi-Wan in the eyes. He needed him to understand that the men loved their General, as much as he loved them. They would die to protect their Dragon, because they know he would do the same.
But more importantly.
“When were you planning to tell me that I was your Mate?”
Oh, yeah! I’m a goner in this story…. **sigh**
—-Naj 😀 ♥️♥️♥️