Part II: CHAPTER 14—The Only Fish in the Sea

If it hadn't been for the rustling of armor plates, Rey still would have awakened with the sun because it was shining directly in her eyes. Cody had been right about there being too much light in the small huts.

Rey sat up on the narrow cot to see her father standing in the center of the room with his fishing spear. He had taken off what was left of his armor, leaving just the black bodysuit that looked like something a diver might wear.

"Deep sea fishing?" Rey asked.

Cody reattached his belt and tucked the spear under his arm. "Something like that," he replied with a smile. "We need bigger fish."

Rey stood and grabbed her staff. "About how long would it take for me to learn to swim?"

Cody raised his eyebrows. "You're not going to be proficient in one morning."

"I'll try not to scare the fish."

There wasn't much beach on the island, but Cody found a spot where the ground sloped gradually out into the water, which would give Rey the chance to start in the shallows.

Cody stuck his spear in the ground and held out his hands, cupped tightly. "Hold your hands like this," he said. "Don't let any water get through. You can practice up here while I go get us something to eat."

He didn't wait for a reply as he retrieved his spear and walked out into the water. When he was waist deep, he dove under and disappeared.

Rey shuddered at the sight. Water was still a mystery to her. But she just had to get used to it. She took off her shoes and waded into the cold shallows. She reached the spot where Cody had vanished and cupped her hands the way he showed her. As she drew them through the water, she felt the resistance that would propel her through it once she was ready. She practiced arm strokes until her muscles were sore. Rather, until they were more sore than they already were.

She decided to try swimming across the small inlet, staying where she could still reach the bottom if she needed to. However, the one thing she hadn't anticipated was how much salt water would burn when she put her face in the water. She immediately came back up, coughing and rubbing her eyes.

The sound of laughter across the inlet drew her attention. Cody had resurfaced with a huge fish slung over his shoulder and several smaller ones in the net on his belt. The sunlight glistened from the water droplets in his hair and on his skin.

"Burns, does it?" he asked, still laughing.

"You might have said something."

"It's salt water."

Rey stood up to her full height and trudged back to the shore, wringing the water from her shirt. It would take forever for her clothes to dry.

Cody followed her and set to cleaning the fish.

"Where did you learn to swim so well, anyway?" Rey asked. "Was that part of military training?"

Cody shook his head. "I was born on an ocean. Swimming was a necessary survival skill. It really doesn't take that long to learn. You don't remember, but you used to play in the lake near the academy."

Rey stretched out on the rocks to let the sun dry her off. "I wish I could remember, but... it seems like all the memories I've had have been bad."

Cody glanced over at her. "It wasn't always like that. Most of it was good."

"Were you ever going to get to the good parts?"

Cody turned back to the fish. "Well, I was getting close."

~oOo~

4 ABY

The rain was falling sideways, which was about how this whole mission had turned out. Splitting up had seemed like a good idea when they were up against a few Imperial insurgents holed up in an old Separatist base. Of course, that changed when the Imperials found a bunch of discarded battle droid parts and deployed their mechanical mutations to defend the old base.

To make matters worse, Sky had a blaster burn to the stomach, and comms were down. Luke and Lando were on the other side of the planet fighting another den of insurgents, and until they could reach them, Cody and Sky were on their own.

It wasn't supposed to go like this. In and out. No more than an afternoon. There was no way Cody would have agreed to be alone with Sky otherwise. Since Dagobah, he had found it increasingly difficult to ignore her barely veiled interest—and to stop himself from returning it.

But they had bigger problems. Like finding shelter and surviving the night.

Sky staggered along the stony path, one arm pressed into her wound, the other clinging to Cody's shoulders. She wasn't heavy, but they'd been walking for an hour and still hadn't found a place in all the rocky foothills to hide for the night. Cody kept one hand on his blaster while he supported Sky with the other. Her breathing had turned shallow, and she was stumbling more now. Cody felt like he was back in the army, but Sky wasn't the experienced Jedi her father had been. Cody had no orders to follow, no one to give him directions. He was on his own, and Sky was counting on him to keep her alive, whether she realized it or not.

"There's a cave," Sky said breathlessly.

"Where?" Cody looked around, not seeing anything.

"To the left. Keep going."

"I don't see anything."

"Your eyes... can trick you."

Cody adjusted his grip on Sky and his blaster and kept moving. If she sensed something, it was better than wandering aimlessly. Maybe she was delirious, but Cody didn't have any other options.

As the rounded an outcropping, Cody saw what he had been looking for: a dark void in the rocks. Sky was right. As soon as they were out of the rain, Cody felt better, even though he knew they were still in danger.

He found a smooth spot in the cave floor for Sky to sit down. Then he emptied the pouches on his belt to take stock of his supplies. He had a few heat sticks, so he cracked one and set it on the floor. It let off a faint green glow which allowed him to see what else was there. A few dry rations, some ammo clips, and not enough bacta bandages. He turned to see how Sky was doing. She was still conscious and not bleeding much, but her clothes were soaked. The heater wouldn't be enough to keep her warm.

Cody filed that away for later. He could worry about keeping Sky warm when he had taken care of her burn. He grabbed the bandages and reached for her arm. She didn't want to move it.

"I think these will do a better job," Cody said, holding up the bandages.

Sky reluctantly pulled her arm away from the wound, hissing in pain as she did.

Cody knew how much plasma burns hurt. She had been tough up to this point, but she didn't need to anymore. He pulled back the tattered edges of her tunic. The burn was the size of his fist. It started bleeding more when Sky took her arm away. Cody cleaned it as best he could before covering it with the bandages. He didn't have enough for a change of dressing later, so he used them all up, hoping it would help her heal faster.

"How bad is it?" Sky asked, staring up at the ceiling as if to block out the pain.

"I've seen worse," Cody said. Much worse.

"Any of those casualties live to see the sunrise?"

"Don't be so dramatic."

"I'm not. I just want to know. I can't... I can't sense it. Something is in the way."

"You mean you can't sense it through the Force? Maybe you're too tired."

"I can't focus my energy. If I could, I would be able to heal myself."

"You just need rest. I'll work on the comlink, and—"

"No." Sky leaned forward, gripping Cody's arm. "It's you."

"What?" Cody felt his stomach drop. What had he done?

"I'm... distracted." She faltered, struggling to catch her breath.

"Yeah, by a laser burn," Cody said, trying to push her back against the wall.

Sky shook her head. "You... wanted to go with Luke."

"I'm probably a little better at battlefield medicine than Lando, so let's be glad I didn't."

"No, it never would have happened."

Was she blaming him? That didn't make any sense.

"I was worried about you." She moved her hand from his arm to touch the side of his face. Her fingers trailed along his forehead until she began to trace the scar from his inhibitor chip.

Cody pulled back out of reach. This wasn't happening—couldn't be happening.

"I know... it's stupid," Sky said, leaning back against the cave wall. "Probably why the Jedi avoided attachments... keeps you from getting shot."

Cody laughed in spite of himself. This was the last thing he was prepared to deal with. He couldn't lie and say he didn't feel the same way. But he couldn't tell the truth either. He couldn't tell her he thought about her all the time, that he wished he were someone else so he could feel what he wanted without shame. He couldn't tell her why he was ashamed.

"Sky—" He put his hands on her shoulders. "You need to rest."

Her eyes seemed to glow in the green light, clear and lucid. "Cody," she whispered.

He shivered, even though his bodysuit kept his temperature even. His mouth went dry. He couldn't have said anything if he'd wanted to.

Sky leaned forward again, resting her forehead against his. Her skin was cold and clammy. Her lips quivered, and rainwater dripped from her chin. Cody now had another reason to hate rain. Before he could stop her, Sky kissed him. And he let her. He didn't do a damn thing as her cold lips pressed against his. His head felt warm.

Cody suddenly pulled away, covering his mouth with his hand as if that could erase what happened. He scrambled to his feet and moved toward the cave entrance. The rain continued to fall slant across the darkening sky. Cody dug his hand into the uneven rock wall next to him. How had he let this happen? Inside him writhed a mix of shame, disgust, and fear—fear so deep he couldn't fully grasp it's meaning.

"Cody?" Sky's voice was strangely clear and alert. "Cody, whatever it is, you can tell me."

He couldn't. He couldn't even look at her. "If you knew—" he said, wishing he could just keep his mouth shut. "If you knew, you wouldn't say that."

"I may be gravely injured, but I'm not stupid. And for all my distraction, I can still sense your feelings clearly. What are you afraid of?"

Sometimes, she was too clever for her own good. But this wasn't the time or place to hash it out.

Cody turned to face Sky again, though he could barely see her in the darkness. "Right now, my job is to keep you alive," he said in his best detached, military tone. "I can't do that and deal with... this at the same time."

"Fine," Sky replied. "But when I live through this, we will talk."

Cody didn't reply. He wasn't about to argue with her, though he had no intention of ever continuing this conversation. It was better for Sky if she didn't know what he was. That still left the problem of keeping her at a safe distance. He couldn't be alone with her anymore. He had known that before, but he foolishly thought he could be close to her and not give in to his feelings. He was under no such delusions now.

~oOo~

"I thought I said 'good parts,'" Rey complained as Cody finished cleaning the fish.

"I was getting to it," he said defensively. "Surviving the mission was a good part."

"You haven't got to that yet. And why do you hate rain so much?"

"It rains on Kamino all the time. It's like—a reminder of what I am."

"Thought you didn't have a problem with being a clone."

"No, it's... I'm getting to it, all right?"

~oOo~

4 ABY

"Commander Cody, come in. This is General Calrissian. Do you copy?"

Cody almost jumped with the comlink sputtered to life. "Good morning, General," he replied. "Where the hell are you?"

"We just arrived at the old Separatist base. You're not here, and a bunch of battle droids are."

"Figured it was a bad neighborhood. You take care of them?"

"In progress. Where are you?"

"A cave not far from your position. Sky's injured, and we had to find shelter."

"Okay, sit tight, and we'll come to you soon as we blast these Imperials. Calrissian out."

Cody switched off the comlink and gathered up his supplies. Sky had been sleeping most of the night, but she was stable. No fever. She would be fine. She would also remember everything that happened the night before.

There was no around it, so Cody gently shook her awake. "The cavalry is here," he said.

Sky moaned softly. "Can they wait five more minutes."

Cody smiled. "Can you walk?"

"Maybe if you have some painkillers in that supply depot." She gestured to his belt.

"Sorry," Cody replied. "Just the bandages. I'll plan better next time. Come on." He lifted her by her arms. She didn't resist, but she also didn't support her own weight. Cody sighed. He was going to have to carry her.

By the time they got out of the cave, he could hear the Falcon hurtling toward them. It took some convincing for Han to let them borrow it, but since he was a little busy getting ready for the imminent arrival of twins, he ultimately caved. Lando was almost as good a pilot, and after the destruction of the second Death Star, Cody was glad to have him on this mission.

The ship landed, and Luke came running down the ramp. "Is she okay?" he asked, more worried than Cody might have expected. He'd been practicing that whole Jedi serenity thing lately.

"She'll be all right once we get proper medical care," Cody replied.

They hurried into the ship, and Luke helped Cody make Sky comfortable in the tiny med bay. They changed her bandages and found some painkillers. Soon, Sky was sleeping peacefully again.

"Something happened," Luke said as they walked into the passenger area.

"Yeah, she got shot," Cody replied, sitting heavily in one of the chairs.

"No, something else." Luke paced, frowning deeply like he did when he was focusing too hard on something. "Something between you and Sky."

"No," Cody said, not very convincingly.

"Fine, don't tell me. You're only creating more problems for yourself by being stubborn."

"That's what you think this is? You may need to adjust your Jedi senses."

"I can't read your mind, Cody. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. There's nothing going on. Can we drop it?"

Luke waved him off and moved toward the cockpit, but he looked back. "Sooner or later, whatever this is will come out. It would be better if you chose it."

Luke then disappeared before Cody had the opportunity to ask what the hell he was talking about.

It didn't take long to reach the new rebel headquarters. Although, they weren't exactly rebels anymore. There was talk of starting a new republic, bringing back some sort of democracy. Leia and Birdie were both heavily involved. After the success on Bellistrie, people were starting to see that it was possible to really destroy the Empire for good.

Cody didn't get involved in politics, but he saw anything that wasn't the Empire as a superior system of government. Still, the old republic had failed. If this one failed too...

He tried not to think about it. At the moment, he just wanted to make sure Sky was okay and get some rest. It didn't take long to see that she was receiving treatment. Preferring not to be around when she woke up, Cody left her to the capable medical droids. However, rest would have to wait. His blaster rifle needed cleaning. Sometimes Cody wished he could turn off his soldier instincts, but he would rather be prepared.

He found Rex in the weapons room, which wasn't the least bit surprising.

"You look like you got stepped on by a bantha," Rex said, taking one of his guns from its holster and beginning to clean it.

"Are you hiding in here, or did you have a mission recently?"

Rex looked up from his position sitting on an ammo crate with an expression that said, "what do you think?"

"Little Solos still taking their time?"

"It wouldn't be so bad if they could just stop worrying about it. I can feel the tension in the air."

"Isn't that normal for them?"

Rex shook his head, but not in disagreement.

Cody laid his rifle on an empty table and found a cleaning kit on one of the shelves.

"How was the mission?" Rex asked with an eagerness in his voice that revealed his boredom.

"Oh, you know. Boring."

Rex laughed. "I hear there was an injury and some... hiding in caves?"

Cody's hands froze. "You talked to Luke?"

"Five minutes ago. He's right you know." Rex didn't take his eyes off cleaning his deeces.

"Rarely," Cody replied, looking down at his gun.

"I mean about Sky. She likes you. And what Luke doesn't know is you're crazy about her."

"You're not exactly a romantic, Rex."

"Doesn't mean I'm blind. You've got no reason to deny yourself happiness, so what's the problem?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Rex looked up at Cody. "I swore I'd never bring it up again, but if this is about what I think it is, it wasn't your fault. The general knew that. I know that—and if you think Sky should know, she'll understand too."

Cody shook his head. "She'd hate me. If she really knew, she'd hate me, and that's why there can never be anything between us."

Rex held up the deece he was cleaning. "I'll bet you my favorite blaster you're wrong."

"I don't want your gun, Rex."

"And you're not gonna get it because I'm right."

"I'm not telling her."

"You're not a coward, Cody. I know this isn't easy for you, but you can't keep going like this. Either let it go or tell her the truth. It's not fair to keep her at arm's length without explaining why."

"What, like you and Ahsoka?" It wasn't fair, and Cody knew it.

Rex stiffened. "It's different," he said. "I'm not in love with Ahsoka."

Cody didn't deny the implicit accusation. "Sky will get over it."

"She seems like a woman who knows what she wants."

"Obviously not."

"All this self-deprecation is getting on my nerves."

"Then maybe you should just drop it."

Rex sighed and put his guns back in their holsters. "I want it on record that I think you're an idiot."

"Noted."

Cody didn't sleep that night. He was usually so good at compartmentalizing, setting problems aside until he could deal with them. But Sky had gotten under his skin somehow. It scared him and exhilarated him at the same time. He imagined what it would be like if he could tell her the truth, if she could forgive him. He never got further than that. He couldn't see a future where they were happy together like everyone seemed to think they would be. Luke didn't understand, but Rex... He knew the whole story. He should have known why it could never work. But he hadn't experienced the order, hadn't had his mind overridden by a piece of programming.

All this struggle was pointless. Cody would never be able to tell Sky what he had done. They would always be separated by that unbreachable wall.

~oOo~

"You're stalling aren't you?" Rey asked.

Cody didn't deny it.

"You don't want to tell me whatever it was you had to tell her."

Cody stared off at the horizon. "No, I don't. But I need to."

"It had something to do with what you did while the Empire was controlling you?"

"It had everything to do with it. You wouldn't think one moment could define the rest of you life, but... it still haunts me. There was a time I thought I could be free of it, but now I know I never will be."

~oOo~

The birth of Ben and Anakin Solo was cause for much celebration among the Alliance. So few Imperials remained in the galaxy that everyone had decided to take a much needed break. Luke was talking about going back to Dagobah for a while. Cody might have agreed if it hadn't meant Sky would come along. He had sworn to himself he would never be alone with her again, and that would be difficult if they were stuck in that swamp together again. The alternative would be letting Luke go without him. It wasn't a prospect Cody relished, but perhaps he could live with it for a while.

There was time to sort out the details. Luke had no plans to leave right away with the birth of his nephews, and Sky was enjoying spending time with her mother again. Everything was fine.

Until one afternoon, Cody walked into the mess hall to see Rex and Ahsoka eating lunch together. They weren't even talking. Just sitting there like they used to without saying a word. As if there hadn't been years of tension between them ever since... since she had left the Jedi Order.

Cody had no idea if they had worked out their problems or if they were just ignoring them for the moment, but seeing them together set his stomach twisting in knots. The impossible fantasy of Sky forgiving him came back into his head. He knew it would never happen. He knew.

But he turned around and walked in the direction of her quarters anyway. All the way, his brain kept telling him to stop, but he couldn't make his feet cooperate. It was as if his body were being controlled by some other part of him.

This wouldn't go well. No matter what he said or how understanding Sky might be, the outcome couldn't be good. He should have turned around before it was too late. He was in the corridor that led to her room now. He had avoided this part of the base since they returned. He still had time. He hadn't reached her door. He could turn around and walk away before she saw him.

The Force had other ideas.

"Cody?" Sky's voice came from behind him.

He turned to see her walking toward him. She was smiling, moving without pain from her injury, and Cody felt a sudden rush of relief he didn't know he needed.

"Were you looking for me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, I..." What was he supposed to say?

"Good as new." Sky touched her side. "They tell me it won't even leave a scar."

She thought he was checking on her because of her wound. Which he should have done days ago.

"That's good," he said, the words feeling all wrong as he said them. Why wasn't she asking him about what he said in the cave? Was she waiting for him to bring it up? That would be just like her.

"You look a little green," Sky said. "Is everything okay?"

"No," Cody replied before he could change his mind. "We need to talk."

"We are talking."

Cody looked around them, noting the very public nature of their surroundings. "Somewhere else."

Sky nodded, her smile finally fading. She knew what this was about. She had to. She didn't say anything as she walked around him to her door and entered the code to open it. She gestured for Cody to go in first.

"Sorry I haven't cleaned up," Sky said as the door snapped closed behind her.

There was a spare tunic tossed over the back of a chair, and the bed was unmade. Otherwise, there wasn't much to the small room. It was just like any other on the base.

Sky grabbed the tunic and sat on the end of the bed, gesturing for Cody to take the chair. He sat, resting his hands on his knees. He stared at the gaps in his armor. The armor he always wore even when there were no battles to fight. It made him feel like himself, but now he wanted to feel like anybody else.

"You've heard of Order 66?" he asked, his voice cracking on that haunting name.

"Yes," Sky replied, almost in a whisper. "I've read about it. What has that got to do with... anything?"

Cody swallowed hard and it felt like knives going down his throat. He rubbed the scar on his head as if he could pull the memories out and destroy them with the chip.

"You were there?" Sky said. "You..."

"I followed the order," Cody said. It was so simple to say. But he couldn't watch her reaction. He just kept staring at his hands.

Sky took a sharp breath. Somehow she hadn't suspected; she thought he was one of the good ones. "It wasn't your fault," she began.

"No, you don't understand," Cody said, shaking his head. "I told my men to shoot down General Kenobi. Without a second thought."

"That doesn't make any sense. Cody, my father didn't die in the war."

"No, he survived the fall. Not that I didn't do my damnedest to find him and... finish it."

"You're right," Sky said in a strangely breathless voice. "I don't understand."

"I tried to kill your father. I wanted to. I... hated him."

"No, I understand that part."

Cody finally looked at Sky, confused. "What?"

"I understand what you did. Even why you did it. What I don't understand is why, after more than 20 years, you still..." She paused as if searching for the right words. "You still feel guilty? All that conflict I sensed in you—this is the cause?"

"Yes." There was nothing else to say now.

"I know it must've been a terrible experience, but I know he couldn't've held you responsible for it. He couldn't have blamed you for what the Empire did to you. I'm not sure why you think I would either."

"Because he was my best friend!" Cody stood and paced the floor. "He saved my life countless times, and I saved his. I swore loyalty to him. Mind control or not, I was... weak. It was so easy. I didn't resist at all."

Sky remained calm, twisting the purple tunic in her hands. "He was your best friend," she repeated. "You loved him. What they did to you—Cody, you're the victim here."

"I know that." Until he said it aloud, he hadn't realized he did know. He sunk into the chair again, suddenly exhausted. "And you're right: he didn't blame me. It might have been easier if he had."

"Do you want someone to blame you? Would that help you?"

"I don't know." He didn't. He had pondered the question in not so many words for years. He knew one thing, though. "I want it never to have happened. I want... to be stronger than that."

Sky dropped the tunic and stood, crossing the small space to stand in front of Cody. She took his face in her hands, forcing him to look up at her. "You are," she said. "The Empire took something from all of us. It's not always tangible, like a family member. Sometimes it's a choice. But you take it back. You don't let them win. If you give in to the fear, they will always control you without any biochips necessary."

She ran her tumb along the scar. Cody wanted to pull away, to hide everything he was from her so she wouldn't have to see that darkness. But he didn't. It was too late now. And maybe she had enough light for both of them.

Sky leaned in and kissed his forehead. Cody closed his eyes, feeling a strange sense of peace he never had before. Sky stood back, still holding his face.

"You think that you're a monster," she said. "I can see it in your mind. But you're not. I could never love a monster." Her blue eyes glistened. "And a monster could never love me."

Cody stood slowly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. He leaned his forehead against hers, trying to hold onto this feeling as long as he could.

Sky moved her hands to his breastplate, gripping the edges around his neck. "You have to let go," she whispered. "I can't give you this peace you're feeling. It has to come from within. Then..."

She left the "then" unspoken, but Cody knew what she meant. Then they could be happy. Then they could be together. He never believed it was possible in spite of his stray thoughts and wishes. But it all hinged on him letting go of the guilt and fear he'd been carrying for 20 years. If he could do that, he could do anything.

~oOo~

"Did you?" Rey asked, staring up at the sky as she lay on the rocky shore. She was getting a little impatient at how long this story was taking. But patience was an important trait for a Jedi to have.

"It took a little time," Cody replied. "But I went back to what the general taught me about meditation. I used it to process everything. I still do."

"It wasn't an isolated event, then?"

"The Jedi will probably tell you that letting go is a constant thing. You don't just decide to be past something. I don't know if I will ever be completely over it. But it's better than it was. I reached a point where I could finally let myself be happy."

~oOo~

5 ABY

"Cover me!" Sky shouted as she left the cover of an upturned tank, brandishing her lightsaber at the oncoming stormtroopers.

Cody faced the opposite direction and lifted his blaster rifle. He could feel her at his back though the weren't touching. She had gotten into the habit of reaching out with the Force when they were fighting to let him know where she was. They moved in sync, taking down enemies easily.

A blaster bolt flying toward Cody met a sudden stop as Sky twisted around and blocked it. She had turned her attachment to him into an asset, using their connection to know when to defend him and when he would defend her.

In the months since Cody's confession, their teamwork had only improved. Sometimes, Cody thought he could sense her presence when she wasn't using the Force to tell him.

He turned to face the hostiles Sky had been engaging. Any moment now, their backup would arrive. In the meantime, they held their ground, defending the ancient—and now irreparable—AT-TE.

Cody felt a nudge in his mind, a sound like x-wing engines. Luke was coming. He almost felt as if he were reading Sky's thoughts sometimes, though he knew it was her putting the thoughts in his head. It had become comfortable, familiar. He almost wished he could do the same, but she seemed to pick up on his thoughts when he wanted her to know something anyway.

The x-wing screamed overhead, bombing the stormtrooper nests and coming back around for another pass. Sky and Cody ducked for cover.

"Don't keep them all for yourself, kid," Han's voice came over the comms.

"Fly faster, then," Luke replied.

A Wookiee growl followed, then an irritable voice.

"You need to update these guns, Solo," Rex said. "I think they're older than me."

"That's General Solo to you," Han replied. "Let's get those lovebirds out of there."

As dense as he sometimes seemed to be, Han wasn't an idiot. Everyone seemed to know there was something between Sky and Cody. Or would be something between them soon.

"Think you could stop talking long enough to perform an extraction?" Cody asked as he and Sky huddled in the dirt to avoid the x-wing and Falcon's cannons.

"All this insubordination," Han said.

"We're not even in the same branch of the military."

"I don't think that makes a difference."

"How would you know?" Rex grumbled.

"Less talk, more rescuing, if you please," Sky said.

Chewie growled.

"Yeah, Chewie," Han agreed. "Much more polite."

The Falcon cast a shadow over the small crater Cody and Sky were hiding in, and Rex started blasting the stormtroopers away with the cannons. The ramp began to lower, but it was still too high to climb into the ship.

"Come on." Sky grabbed Cody's hand and started running for the ship. They weren't going to make it. Well, she might.

"Sky—"

Before Cody could finish his protest, Sky took a running leap at the ramp, pulling Cody with her. The rolled onto the ramp and scrambled up into the ship.

"What the hell?" Cody said, trying to catch his breath as he got to his feet.

Sky laughed, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright from the exertion. "How did it feel to fly?" she asked, standing so close to him he could see the green ring on the inside of her irises.

Cody didn't respond. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Sky sunk into his embrace, returning the kiss eagerly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. For a moment, this was all there was: the smell of dirt and sweat, the adrenaline, and the two of them.

"'Bout kriffing time," Rex's voice interrupted them.

They turned to see him climbing up the ladder from the cannon turret. He gave them a half smile before disappearing into the cockpit.

Sky turned to face Cody. "One thing," she said.

"What?" he asked, meeting her gaze.

She rapped her knuckles on his breastplate. "It's... sort of like hugging a droid."

Cody smiled. More than he already was. "I'll see what I can do about that."

~oOo~

The sun was high by the time Cody packed up the fish and started back toward the trail, using his spear as a walking stick.

"So everything was good then?" Rey asked, walking beside him. "You got married, and I came along."

"Well, a few other things happened," Cody replied. "But that covers the first year, anyway. Your grandmother was thrilled. Everyone was." Cody paused at the foot of the trail that would lead up the hillside to the stone huts. "I wish you could remember what it was like."

Rey didn't say anything to that. She felt the same way, but there was no sense wishing for things to be different. She had to accept the reality she was given. "Need me to carry some of those?" she asked instead, gesturing at the fish net.

Cody tucked his spear under his arm. "I would, but Luke is going to make you run."

"What?" Rey followed Cody's gaze up the hill to where Luke was standing on the stone steps.

"Don't fall and break your head open." Cody leaned over and kissed her forehead before continuing up the hill alone.

Rey stood still, watching Luke. She sensed his thoughts, images and feelings of running, jumping, sweat, and burning lungs.

Apparently, Jedi needed exercise too.

A/N: Sadly, this is the last chapter I have completed for this story, so it might be a while before it is updated again.