retrospect1003

[retrospect1003]

I practically spontaneously combusted when I saw a guy with a bad batch t-shirt in the wild today. Then I was too scared to say anything to him 😂

[retrospect1003]

Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 11: Heart to Heart

Notes: Well I'm back for a bit. A lot of life caught up to me, but back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Word count: ~3k

Banner by:@/blackseafoam

It’d only been two days since the job on Canto Bight. Since Shot saw Rhysio for the first time in five years. Since she told Echo and Wrecker everything. She wasn’t the same medic they had met previously, more paranoid and on edge. Quieter. Shot was already a quiet person, but getting her to engage in conversation seemed to be a harder task. Well, harder for most of the crew.

Late nights were Shot’s most vulnerable hours. Those hours consisting of Echo sympathizing with Shot or Wrecker offering a distraction or ear. It wasn’t unusual for Echo to stay up, but it was completely unlike Wrecker. The past few nights became alarmingly long between Wrecker and Shot, but that was for one main reason. Headaches.

This night didn’t start much differently than the past two.

A yawn falling from his mouth, Echo stood up from his seat, “I’m turning in for the night.” He pointed his scomp-link toward Shot as he raised a brow, “You need to try those sleeping aids I mentioned. Not sleeping is making everything worse.”

Shot glanced up with a faint smile, “I know… But talking with you two helps. More than I like to admit.” Her eyes slid over to look at Wrecker for a brief moment before going back to Echo as she leaned back into her chair, tilting her head up to fully face him, “I’ll give it a go tonight. I will.”

“Good,” Echo lowered his arm as his lips slightly curved into a smile, “Glad we can help.” He started to turn to head to a bunk as he spoke, “See you both in the morning.”

“G’ night, Echo,” Wrecker called out after him before turning his attention to Shot, giving her a subtle smirk, “What was that about us helpin’?”

Shot’s eyes darted back to Wrecker at his words, quickly jolting away as she breathed out a chuckle, “Ah, well.” She looked to the floor with thin lips that quickly shaped into the smallest smile as she spoke, “It feels good to laugh again. To openly cry.” Her eyes lifted to find Wrecker, “To have people I can trust. As much as my mind wants to fight it, my heart wants to believe that I can finally relax… Even with a maniac searching the galaxy for me.”

Wrecker’s smirk faded into a softer smile, more sincere as he took in each and every one of her words. The second her eyes locked with his, he couldn’t help but feel the heat reach his cheeks. She trusted him. She wants to trust him. She’d been through so much, yet was still trying with him. His heart pounded loudly in his chest at the thought of the impact he and Echo had on Shot. “Yeah,” He breathed out, his eyes flickering across her face as if trying to determine if he was in a dream or not. His gaze fell from her face and went to her helmet on the ground.

Good soldiers…

A sharp pang pulsed through his head, digging into the same spot as always. He clenched his jaw as he grabbed his head, groaning loudly while squeezing his eyes shut.

Follow orders…

The medic’s eyebrows turned up in concern. She rose to her feet as a frown found her face, “Wrecker-”

“Shot,” He painfully growled out to her desperately, “Med patch.”

“I’m on it,” She reached into her neighboring pack and started to fish for a bacta patch. While doing so, Wrecker’s eyes peaked open and stared through his brows. He could feel the anger within him brewing. The violence trying to course through him. The more he fought, the more it throbbed and rang through his head. Luckily, Shot didn’t waste much time looking as she turned to the large clone and immediately went to work.

“Easy, I’ve got you,” the medic soothed in a hushed voice. Wrecker’s hand shook as he pulled it away from his head, as if his muscles were fighting against him. The cool touch of the patch pressed against his head and Wrecker immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. Turning his palms up, Wrecker stared down at his hands almost fearfully.

Shot’s eyes studied Wrecker’s body language. Hesitantly, she kneeled down in front of him and placed her hands on his as her head tilted up to find his eyes. Those weren’t the same happy eyes she’d come to know. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t…” He started, struggling to come up with the words as his eyes trailed up to meet hers, “I dunno… Somethin’ doesn’t feel right in my head.”

The medic tilted her head while deepening her frown at his words. “Doesn’t feel right how? Let me help you,” Shot inquired further, almost pleading with him.

Wrecker glanced away from her pitifully. “What if I hurt somebody?” He muttered out, his eyes darting back to Shot, “The chip… What if mine was just late?” His fingers started to wrap around her hands, barely squeezing them as he stared at her in desperation.

Shot turned her gaze to their hands, not being able to stop her own from twitching at his touch but forcing them to relax. Her eyes glided up to his as she spoke, “I don’t know. I wish I could tell you the answer.” She took a deep breath in and out through her nose before she clicked her tongue, continuing on, “But I can tell you what I believe. I don’t think you could hurt any one of us on this ship. Your heart is too big, Wrecker.”

His grip loosened as she spoke, the familiar thump in his chest returning as his expression softened significantly. “Yeah, but,” His eyes found the ground between them, “I thought Crosshair wouldn’t hurt us-”

“You are nothing like Crosshair,” Shot quickly interrupted, leaning in closer to Wrecker to force his eyes on her face, “Wrecker, you actually care about other people. I may not have known the Crosshair you trained and fought with, but he couldn’t have been that different… You don’t betray your family, I don’t think you would.” It wasn’t until his eyes met hers when she continued spewing reassurances, “You are not him. You’re stronger than him, and I don’t mean just physically. Don’t compare yourself to him.”

Wrecker swallowed deeply as he stared and listened to Shot, eyes locked with hers. After a few seconds of silence and staring, Shot pushed herself off the ground while using Wrecker’s hands for leverage. She slipped her hands away from him, turning her gaze away from Wrecker as she took a seat in her chair from before. Wrecker couldn’t stop his heart from racing yet aching as her hands left his. Not only that, but her eloquence and care in her words struck a chord within him. His mind started to race with every detail he retained about her past: her pain, her heartache, her betrayal, her whole life and body was taken from her. Yet, she’s still here putting herself in last place. His tears and feelings were getting harder to hold back by the second.

“I don’t know how anyone could ever hurt you,” He barely whispered out to Shot. He sat up a little straighter, his soft teary gaze still locked onto the medic.

Her eyes flickered back to the large clone, a unsure glint in her stare before she looked away with a frown. “That’s what happens when you’re an ignorant kid,” Shot answered under her breath.

“No,” Wrecker disagreed, shaking his head as he leaned in closer to her, “You’re so nice. You care about other people. You put everyone else before you… I can’t… I don’t know how he could’ve done those horrible things to someone like you.” His gaze dropped with his own frown, his hands rubbing together anxiously before he could make himself meet her eyes again, “You don’t deserve to ever have that happen to you. Never again.”

It was Shot’s turn to stare and listen. She chewed the inside of her lip, trying to ignore the sting reaching her eyes from a mixture of tears and exhaustion. Sniffling, she grabbed the box of tiles sitting at the side and placed it atop the sleeping Gonky. “One more round before bed?” Shot shakily asked with a weary smile curling her lips.

“Shot, I meant what I said,” Wrecker gently reassured as he scooted to the edge of his seat. “And I promise to make sure you never hurt like that again,” He vowed to her, his voice gentle yet stern. He needed her to hear him.

“Wrecker…” Shot barely whispered out, her smile starting to droop with her quivering lips. She divided the tiles up, swallowing before she started to speak while her hands moved the pieces, “Thank you… It’s just- It’s difficult for me to uh… Fully believe that.” Her hands went to her lap as her glossy eyes found Wrecker, “It’s nothing against you-“

“I know,” Wrecker interrupted, lifting his hand up to tell her to stop as he continued, “I just wanted to…” His hand went to his neck, a shy smile curling his lips, “I wanted to let you know how great you are. And how much I appreciate you.” He pointed at her with a cheerier expression, “Especially after all those times you helped me! Consider it a tradeoff.”

Shot’s expression immediately softened at his tone and words. She started to shush him with a grin, her eyes darting to the back of the Marauder where everyone else slept before landing back on Wrecker. “Deal,” She whispered, a quiet chuckle escaping from her mouth as she rubbed her eye both of sleep and tears.

That’s what he was reaching for. Her smile. Her laugh. He couldn’t stand to see her upset, but being able to be the one to make her smile in those darkest moments meant everything to Wrecker. With his own smile widening and blush spreading to his cheeks, he let out a low laugh, “Alright. How about that last round then? You gonna beat me again?”

“You know it, Wreck,” Shot sassed to him with a mild smirk, eyeing the tiles laid before them. “Maybe you should go first. To give you a chance at winning,” She suggested as her eyes tilted up to meet his. They shined. Not brightly, but there was a glimmer of life in them for the first time in days.

“Hah! Sure thing, Shot,” He agreed without argument, setting up his tiles and looking between them all with squinted eyes. His finger tapped against his lips as he pondered on his first move. As he picked up a tile and placed it down, he let out a wide yawn as he sat taller to stretch his back. He shook his head with a grumble, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

Shot glanced up from the tile Wrecker placed down to eye his condition. She frowned, “You don’t have to stay up with me if you’re tired. I can manage on my own.” She looked at her own tiles and placed one of them by the clone’s without much thought put into the play.

Wrecker scrunched his brows at her before shifting back into a softer grin. “Nah, I’m fine. I’m stayin’ up because I want to, not because I don’t think you can take care of yourself,” He reassured, staring directly at Shot with a certain tenderness. He watched her eyes move up to meet his, grin widening at the sight before going back to his tiles to ponder his next move.

Her eyes remained locked on him in a bit of confusion. She couldn’t understand it. His reason for being so nice to her. His reason to show kindness. Why?… The sound of his tile clicking on the board snapped Shot out of her mind. She blinked with a sudden jolt in her posture, her eyes going back down to the game with tense shoulders. Is this a repeat? He can’t be serious-

“Shot? You’re starin’ off funny again,” Wrecker pointed out, one of his hands starting to reach out over the game.

Sucking in a breath of air, Shot’s gaze turned to Wrecker as she raised her hand to stop his, “I’m fine. Really.” She picked up one of her tiles and placed it on the board, gnawing the inside of her cheek as she debated her next words. “Wrecker, you barely know me,” She started with hesitance, “And your kindness is appreciated… But you aren’t doing it for a reason, right?”

Wrecker tilted his head to the side, dropping his hands in his lap as he asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Shot opened her mouth to speak more before closing it to consider her words. “Like, you aren’t… You don’t expect something more from me,” She tried to explain, her hands squeezing together as her fingers started to twitch, “Be honest. I don’t want to mislead you and I… I want to believe you’re just trying to be my friend. Please tell me my thoughts opposing that idea are wrong.”

It hurt to hear it from her mouth. And though he hadn’t known her for long, Wrecker felt the guilt and disappointment hit his heart within seconds. He wanted to follow his heart, not make her uncomfortable. Not prove his brothers right. He cleared his throat and followed with a deep swallow, giving Shot a sad smile as he spoke, “I’m just tryin’ to be your friend, Shot. No funny business, I promise you.”

Her shoulders rolled back in relief with a sigh following. “Thank the stars,” She muttered out. Maybe it was the exhaustion clouding her mind or the desperation to trust someone, but Shot didn’t pick up any deception on his words. The fact that it wasn’t a complete lie also weighed her beliefs.

Wrecker gave a short nod at her before his eyes went to his tiles. It was hard to decide a move. She not only blocked most of his playable options, but also shut down any sort of advances he had the chance to make. And he felt worse about having any kind of thought like that. One of his hands clenched into a fist as he continued to ponder his tiles, his thumb rubbing against his finger creating a small sound of friction.

Shot leaned back in her chair as she looked at Wrecker. She felt so much tension finally release in her mind and throughout her body. All she wanted was a friend. All she wanted was to be heard. And she finally found that in someone, let alone that someone being a man. Her head tilted against the chair as her gaze softened at Wrecker.

Her eyes shined with his reflection.

As Wrecker placed his tile down he felt a small weight on his foot. His eyes shifted down to see Shot’s foot pressed into his before trailing up to see her head back against the chair. Eyes starting to flutter close. This was the usual end to their games. Never a warning when she finally relaxed enough to sleep.

“Thank you,” She airily muttered out.

He couldn’t help the smile that reached his lips seeing her so relaxed and content. “For what?”

“Being a friend,” She barely whispered as her eyes finally shut, “Being you…”

Wrecker, despite his disappointment, let his hands unclench as the rest of his body relaxed. “Yeah,” He started, leaning back and shutting his eyes with a mutter, “Anything for you, Shot…”

The ship fell silent in a matter of seconds.

Morning rolled around some hours later, leading to Hunter and Tech standing at the entrance of the cockpit. Hunter stood with crossed arms, furrowed brows, and lips scrunched into a slight frown. Tech looked between the two sleeping in the chairs and then to Hunter.

“Besides them being in the way of our navigation controls,” Tech pointed out before continuing with a more inquisitive yet knowing tone, “Is there something more bothering you about… them?”

Hunter glanced at Tech with a defeated sigh, his eyebrows relaxing before his stare went back onto Wrecker and Shot. “I don’t want… I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Tech raised a brow, “And that’s all?-”

“We’re not getting into this right now,” Hunter quickly dismissed, brows tensing again as he turned towards the opening hatch.

Omega bounded over after climbing down from the gunner’s mount, “Getting into what?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it, kid,” Hunter assured with a pat on Omega’s shoulder before heading out of the Marauder.

Just before she stepped after Hunter, Omega looked back at the two still sleeping in the cockpit. “Shouldn’t we wake them up?” She asked, tilting her head up at the approaching Echo.

“Eh, they’ll be up soon,” He said, turning Omega to the hatch and guiding her outside, Tech following after them while typing away into his datapad. 

With no time to waste, Omega turned her attention to Tech with a puzzled stare. “What was Hunter talking about a second ago?”

Tech glanced past his datapad down at Omega with his usual stare, glancing to Echo and then back to Omega as he started to speak, “That would not be a question I should answer, but it is not anything important that you would need to know. We will relay the topic to you when it is necessary.” His gaze went back to his datapad as he continued with the slightest shrug, “It is not particularly interesting in my opinion.”

Omega’s face scrunched in thought at the lack of details given to her. She looked over at Echo, about to ask him further about her question before he interrupted.

“Don’t rope me into this. Ask Hunter yourself if you want an answer.”

“Good thinking,” Omega approved before running up towards Hunter, now bombarding him with her curiosity.

Echo sighed, putting his hand over his face.

Without missing a beat, Tech replied, “You will be hearing from Hunter later.”

“I know, I know.”

Notes: Me when I scheme and things are in my brain. Anyways, see y'all next time when I decided to do the most devastating thing that I can do to Shot and Wrecker lmao

[retrospect1003]

I think I was in shock up until halfway into season 3- My mind could not believe it.

I looked like this for way too long

The last episode of TBB season 2 is what you're shown when your card declines at therapy.

Live footage of me watching it:

[retrospect1003]

New chapter coming soon… Life has been crazy

[retrospect1003]

YOUR HONOR I AM IN LOVE

...Hi.

[retrospect1003]

Mmmm yes love

The Wrecking Brute :3

FINALLLY got better at drawing Wrecker, had a bunch of motivation to draw him again so TADAAAA !!!

ENJOYYYY CUZ I DEFINITELY DIDDDDD

[retrospect1003]

LMAO OMG THIS HAS ME HOWLING!!!! My reminder to make Omega more present in my fanfic <3

Omega probably makes a ton of credits by running a Space-Lemonade Stand outside the Havoc Marauder for while all of the Bad Batch's Girlfriend OC's come around

[retrospect1003]

EVERYONE JUST LOOK AT HIM

Why you pouting big guy?

[retrospect1003]

Wreckerrrrr

[retrospect1003]

I’m so sorry for the spam in advance, I just really like your Wrecker art and I wanna eat it 😭

[LOUD DISGUSTING SNORING]

[retrospect1003]

Brothers

[retrospect1003]

idk man I'm gay.

[retrospect1003]

Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 10: Wandering Eyes

Notes: OOF this one is a tough one. Shot lore dump incoming...

BIG TRIGGER WARNING: Some sensitive topics regarding abuse, scars, death, and violence are involved. You've been warned.

Word count: ~4.4k

Banner by:@/blackseafoam

“This brooch better be worth our time.”

Grumbling with arms crossed, Shot sat beside Wrecker at his right in the airspeeder with Echo directly across from them. Wrecker had his arms draped out on the back of the seat, letting out his own separate complaint, “I’m hungry. Is the food any good?” He rolled his head over to face Shot with a small inquiring grin.

“Well,” Shot started, scrunching her brows in thought while chewing on the inside of her lip. She glanced up at Wrecker with a shrug, “I don’t remember the taste, but I do remember the portion sizes being too small.”

It was Wrecker’s turn to groan, hanging his head in defeat, “I thought rich people ate like kings.”

Shot breathed a short laugh through her nose, “You would think.”

Wrecker’s eyes slowly glanced back at the medic at the sound of her subtle laugh. He couldn’t get it out of his head. It wasn’t until Shot broke eye contact when he finally picked his head up and looked out the window to his left. Echo just shook his head at the interaction. He was glad to be wearing a mask, because his face would be talking for him if he didn’t.

The speeder soon came to a stop, their cue to get the show on the road. “Remember the plan. As long as you two keep up the act, I can get the data with Tech and we can leave,” Echo firmly reminded as he stood up from his seat, taking the lead as the door to the speeder opened up. Shot sent him a casual salute before putting on her face. A soft smile paired with innocent eyes.

After Echo stepped out, Wrecker sucked in a deep breath as he followed him out with a smile. He turned and reached a hand out for Shot. Her hand slipped into his like a glove before she crawled out of the speeder after him. The look in her eyes wasn’t her. She stared longingly up at Wrecker as she looped her arm with his. He knew she was putting on an act, but that didn’t stop Wrecker’s heart from nearly leaping out of his chest. They stepped together toward the entrance of the casino, Shot keeping her face up as she spoke just above a whisper, “Let me do the talking until we get inside.”

The bouncer, a gruff yet well-dressed human man, stood before the door with datapad in hand. The medic simply hummed as they approached, “Vixain. Mari and Wyll.”

With a glance at the datapad and then to Echo, the bouncer grunted, “What kinda droid is that?” He looked over at Wrecker, completely disregarding Shot.

“Oh, uh,” Wrecker started to fumble on his word, sweating as he looked for an answer. “He’s a, uh, military-grade attack droid that I, um, reprogrammed into a servant droid.”

“Really?” The bouncer raised a brow.

Shot let out an uncharacteristic giggle, “Oh, yes! Wyll made him just for me! Right, Wyll?” She tilted her head up to him with the slightest twitch in her eye behind her facade.

Wrecker could feel a chill shoot up his spine at Shot’s stare as he stood up a little straighter, turning his attention back to the bouncer, “That’s right! Anything to keep the wife happy and safe.”

“…Impressive. Sorry to hold you two up,” The bouncer looked back to his datapad without a second thought, “Enjoy your night.”

Stepping through the door and letting it shut behind them, Shot pinched Wrecker’s bicep with her hand looped with his arm before continuing further into the venue.

“Ow!” He yelped, his other hand rubbing over both her hand and where she pinched him, “What was that for?”

“I told you to stay quiet. Doesn’t matter now, but you almost screwed us over,” Shot muttered through her teeth as they continued into the crowd.

Echo trailed close behind them as he took a scan over the crowd and tables, ignoring their bickering and manners at this point. A lot of credits, expensive outfits, credits, and tall glasses filled with sparkling liquids floated among the sea of wealth and greed. Shot similarly scanned the room, her eyes focusing on a hallway as she looked over her shoulder at Echo in a hushed voice, “Down that hallway should be a way to one of the offices. There should also be a backdoor if you need to let anyone in.”

She parted from Wrecker, taking his hand into hers as she fully turned to Echo with a haughty laugh, “Be a dear and grab me drink. You know how I like them.”

“Yes, madam,” Echo complied in a robotic tone, playing along with the bit as he marched away toward the suggested hallway.

Wrecker wanted to argue with the medic, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He was out of his element and she was oh so elegant. The way his eyes shined at her presence said a million words for him that she could never hear. Shot’s eyes eventually wandered up to his face as she grinned, “You said you were hungry, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Right. I’m starved,” He fumbled a bit on his words before remembering the low growl in his stomach.

“Then let's grab some food. Might as well make the most out of this,” She suggested with a gentle tug of his hand, nodding her head toward the table of food docked at a nearby wall.

A wide smile snuck back onto Wrecker’s lips, “Lead the way.”

Shot turned on her heel, slipping through the crowd and tables as best as she could with Wrecker in tow. She kept a close eye on the people she passed for any sight of the brooch in question. The only description she was given by Chirike was silver with a large green gem in the center. Such a vague explanation for something supposedly cherished and missed. Rolling her eyes at the thought, Shot put her annoyances to the side as they got to the table with her eyes continuing to scan the crowd.

Taking a look at the selection on the table, Wrecker’s smile soon turned into a frown. Small portions of already smaller cut and diced foods. He groaned, picking up a barely seasoned cracker and popping it into his mouth. “Ugh, we need to get out of here.”

“You’re telling me,” Shot quipped, her eyes wandering for a bit longer until she stopped with a sigh of defeat. Her paused search made her hand register the warm hold Wrecker’s hand had on it. Her eyes wandered down to their hands before trailing up to his face to find his eyes on her, his lips in a slight pout. She retracted her hand with a short awkward chuckle as she rubbed away the feeling on her hand, turning her gaze away with a huff of air through her nose.

Without question, Wrecker let Shot’s hand slip from his, but it didn’t stop his own hand from starting to follow hers as it left. He put on his own awkward grin as he pushed his hand into his pocket with eyes darting away from Shot.

“This is going terribly.” A shared thought that lingered on the minds of the false couple for opposite reasons.

That was until a green glimmer caught the medic’s eye. Her eyes shot over to the color and she saw it. The silver brooch with a large green gem shimmering on the bosom of a blue Twi’lek woman. Shot elbowed Wrecker with a hushed voice, “There it is.”

“Huh? Oh,” Wrecker blinked from his thoughts, first looking at Shot then following her eyes to see the brooch in question, “Ah, yeah… Now what?”

“Act like we love each other and go talk to her,” Shot casually explained as she faced Wrecker with a thinly scrunched smile.

Wrecker’s eyes found her face again, taking in each feature before starting to speak with upturned brows, “Do you really want to do this?”

Shot’s features softened at his tone. A glint of light somewhat returned to her eyes after being gone for so long. Her eyes found the floor with a sigh, “It’s complicated.” She hesitated, her eyes shifting on the floor before finding Wrecker’s stare, “We can pull this off. I want to try and get us the extra credits. I just…” She placed a hand on the back of her neck as her stare moved to a figure far behind Wrecker, her eyes widening in an instant.

No…

The shine in her eyes dissipated as a familiar distant laugh flooded her ears. His blonde hair was the same. His eyes still piercing blue. His smile still as deceiving as ever…

Shot stood stiffly. Her hand shook as she let it fall from her neck. It wasn’t until the man from across the room locked eyes with her when she realized she had been holding her breath, which she hastily blew out as she hid her face with Wrecker’s figure. “We need to leave,” Her voice shook out as her hand hovered over her thigh, her blaster strapped to it but hidden behind the fabric of her dress.

Watching the sudden change in Shot’s demeanor, Wrecker felt a pit form in her stomach. He looked over his right shoulder to see a blonde human man moving toward them. He turned his head back to Shot and the fear in her eyes was enough for him to pull out his comm and start ushering her in Echo’s direction, “How much longer on the data?”

Echo commed in, “At least another ten minutes. What happened?”

“Got a guy following us,” Wrecker relayed before tucking his comm device away. He looked over Shot with concern, “Who is he?” The medic didn’t say a word. Her shoulders were stiff as they rounded the corner into the hallway. Not sure if she heard him, Wrecker reached out and placed a hand onto her shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” She gasped, fully turning her body to the large clone. Her eyes darted sporadically over his face before looking to the floor.

“Shot…” Wrecker started, retracting his hand with a frown, “What’s-”

“Shot? So that’s what they’re calling you now?”

Wrecker turned to face the voice behind them, standing directly in front of Shot with brows furrowed, “What’s it to you?”

The man smirked, his scarred eye barely twitching as he pocketed his hands, “Oh, she hasn’t told you? That’s unlike you, my dear.”

“I-I’m not yours,” Shot stuttered out, blaster in hand now. She moved out from behind Wrecker with it shakily aimed at the man.

“She doesn’t have to tell me,” Wrecker rolled his shoulders back with a growl.

A sad sigh pushed out of the blonde’s lips, his mouth forming a pout as his eyebrows furrowed. His shadowy eyes stared almost lovingly at Shot as he began to speak, “Don’t you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I’ve missed you so much… You have to come home.”

Shot’s hands shook with more emotion. Her eyes flooded with fear as they glossed with tears. A lump formed in the back of her throat, her lips quivering.

“She’s not going with you,” Wrecker stepped forward between Shot and the stranger, his arm extended in front of her, “She obviously doesn’t want you around.”

With narrowed eyes, the stranger tilted his head up to face Wrecker, “What? You her new boy toy? She’ll leave you too.” A wide smirk spread across his lips.

“Rhysio!” A woman called out. A blue Twi’lek woman rounded the corner and came upon the scene with wide eyes. She ran up to the blonde man’s side, hugging onto him, “Rhysio, who are these people?!”

Shot’s eyes wandered over to the woman, a pang of guilt coursing through her veins. “Get away from him,” She warned, lowering her blaster as she reached her hand out to the woman, “He’s tricking you, you need to run!”

The Twi’lek scrunched her brows, “What are you talking about? He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever-”

“He’s lying to you! Listen to me!” Shot shouted out, trying to get through.

Rhysio chuckled lowly at the sight, glancing at the woman connected to him, “She’s right.” He pulled out his own blaster and held it to her head, his eyes finding Shot’s, as he-

“No!-”

Pulled the trigger. Many of the patrons started to shout and scream at the sound.

Wrecker didn’t waste any time after this to grab Rhysio’s blaster and toss it away with a shout. The sudden brute force caught Rhysio off guard as he was suddenly thrown full force into a nearby wall.

The medic fell to the ground beside the Twi’lek woman, her eyes wide and stomach twisting into knots. She’s gone… She looked down to the woman’s chest to see the main objective. The silver brooch with a green gem. “I’m so sorry,” Shot whispered out to her, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

“Shot, we’ve gotta go,” Wrecker voiced, kneeling beside her with sad eyes, “I dunno how long he’ll be out for.”

Shot sobbed out quietly before forcing her hand to wipe away her dripping mascara, “It’s all my fault.” She shakily sniffled as she looked to Wrecker, “I can’t take that from her.”

Wrecker placed a hand on her back as his eyes found the woman’s brooch. His eyes found Shot’s as he offered a hand to her, “We won’t then, but we’ve gotta go.” With reluctance, Shot took his hand and they both rose to their feet.

Echo rushed out of the neighboring room and stared at the scene for a split second before running up to the two, “I’ve got the data and I commed Tech for a pick-up.” His eyes wandered to the woman on the ground, noticing the brooch, “Isn’t that-”

“Not worth it,” Shot stressed as she took one last glance at Rhysio, noticing him stirring, “Let’s go.” She turned towards the opposite end of the hallway with a deep breath out as she started her run down.

Brows furrowed as he followed after Shot, Echo eyed Wrecker, “What happened?” Wrecker opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. His brain was still trying to process everything. There was so much he didn’t know about the medic. A lot to unpack, and he didn’t want her to feel trapped within it all.

Before Shot could reach the door, she was stopped suddenly in her tracks with a cough. She grabbed at her neck where her cape began to choke her. With a look over her shoulder, she could see a bruised Rhysio grabbing onto it.

“You can’t leave me again, Mylaira!” He yelled out at her in desperation.

Shot quickly unclasped her cape to keep running to the door being held open by Echo. Once she was outside, Wrecker stood between the door and Rhysio as he cracked his knuckles. He rolled his neck with a deep chuckle, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the smaller man, “You’re gonna have to go through me if you want her.”

Rhysio scoffed from a distance, “Yeah? Well you’re gonna have to deal with me later on then. That’s my girl.”

Wrecker growled, “She isn’t yours.”

“She isn’t yours either,” Rhysio snipped one last time before turning on his heel to walk away.

Wrecker huffed out through his nose before following Echo and Shot outside to meet at the rendezvous point.As they ran, he couldn’t help but notice the medic’s exposed back. The sight of it made all the color of his face drain.

Her skin color was barely visible among the dozens of scars, burns, and scratches along her back. The scars are all shades of white and pink, creating a rough texture of abrasions. Each scar looked meticulously carved into her body with some creator-like circles embedded into her skin. Dozens of hearts had to have been branded into her skin with knives and cigarettes. The middle of her back looked like a warzone. He couldn’t tell where one scar ended and the other one began. Once they stopped running, Wrecker could make out initials carved into her left shoulder. RV.

Without a second thought, Wrecker pulled off his coat and draped it on Shot’s shoulders. She tensed at the feeling, her hands shooting up to grab onto the jacket after a split second of realization. Shot turned to him with scared wide eyes. His face was enough for her to know that he saw everything.

“Did he do that to you?” Wrecker questioned in a low voice, scanning over Shot’s face.

Echo looked between the two with furrowed brows until Shot’s expression registered. He saw that look of fear in her eyes before. His eyes shifted over to Wrecker, “Easy… She needs a second.” He turned to Shot again as he stepped closer, “Take a second to breathe. We’re right here with you.”

Shot’s eyes welled with tears at first Wrecker’s question, then Echo’s comfort caused them to spill. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she choked out a sob, her head hanging low. Her shoulders shook with her cries as she collapsed into Wrecker.

Wrecker’s eyes widened as he stared down at the medic in his chest. He swallowed deeply before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her, unsure of how she would react. His hand rubbed circles against her back as they waited for the Marauder. Echo reached out and put his hand on Shot’s shoulder, swiping his thumb across it as he looked up at Wrecker. He shook his head with a look that the large clone remembers well. Those late nights that Wrecker spent comforting and befriending Echo were all coming back to him.

The whir of the Marauder approaching made Shot force herself off of Wrecker. She used her arm and hand to wipe away her tears and snot with a sniffle. “I… Let’s talk after I change,” She croaked out, inhaling a quick breath of air between her words to catch her breath. Her eyes found Echo before looking to the ground, “I’m sorry-”

“No, don’t worry about it,” Echo interrupted as he pulled his hand from her, “Take your time. We’ll talk when you’re ready.”

Wrecker’s lips curved up into a pitiful smile, “Yeah. We’re here for ya, Shot.”

Shot glanced up at them through the corners of her eyes. The fear lingered in the air, but it mixed with a feeling of trust. As the Marauder lowered with the hatch opened, Hunter stood at the top with arms crossed as he watched everyone climb in. He side-eyed the medic as she walked past before putting his hand on Wrecker’s chest to stop him.

“What’d you do?”

“Me? I didn’t do anything!” Wrecker defended with his hands up.

Hunter’s stare immediately went to Echo.

“Hunter, he’s telling the truth,” He started, looking back at Shot walking into the refresher before facing Hunter again, “She… Has some issues. We’re gonna talk to her.”

“Yeah…” Wrecker rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes looked to the floor, “We ran into a guy who knows her. It wasn’t good…”

Just looking at his brothers’ faces and hearing their words was enough to make Hunter back off a little. “Did anyone get hurt? Did we get the data?”

Echo pulled out the data spike from his pack and handed it to Hunter, “We’re fine and the data is fine. We couldn’t get the brooch.”

“That’s fine,” Hunter took the spike from Echo, glancing to the back of the Marauder and back to the two before him, “Talk to her. She won’t talk to me.”

Wrecker and Echo each gave him a single nod before finding their own seats by the central console to wait on Shot.

It took about thirty minutes, but Shot eventually emerged from the refresher in just her blacks with her hair tied back in its usual bun. Face was wiped clean of makeup and her armor was scattered in her corner of the ship next to the weapons rack. She stepped over to Wrecker and Echo with bloodshot puffy eyes. As she lifted her head to look at them, it was clear that the light in her eyes had faded away. “… I’m sorry that you had to see that,” Shot muttered out with a deep breath out.

Wrecker, back in his blacks and armor, turned in his chair to face the medic. He frowned at her words and the overall loss of emotion in her face, “You have nothin’ to say sorry for.” He stood up from his seat and stepped to the side, gesturing for the medic to take it.

Shot eyed the chair for a moment before reluctantly walking over and taking a seat. Her hands sat atop her knees as she stared at the floor.

Echo studied her face before starting to speak, “Shot, you don’t have to-”

“I do,” She interrupted, lifting her head to look between the clones, “It’s time that I told someone…” Her hands gripped the black fabric clinging to her body. Her fingers slightly twitched, but she chose to ignore it as she swallowed deeply. “That man is Rhysio Vane… He… I used to date him,” She started, blowing a long string of air out after to collect her words, “He, um… Wasn’t a great guy. Locked me up for about two years of my life…”

Wrecker knelt at her side, his hand resting on the side of her chair as he stared up at her in concern. Her words panged deep within him even if they weren’t specific. Noticing the shake in her posture, he tilted his head to get more into her view as he spoke, “Take your time, Shot… We’re right here.”

Shot glanced down at Wrecker with glossy eyes. She looked to the ground as she hesitantly continued, “I lost myself… My dignity…” Her eyes wandered back to Wrecker as she chewed the inside of her lip, debating if she should keep talking before ultimately speaking in a hushed teary voice, “He did do that… Everything on my back is from him. I-I can’t… Feel anything there anymore…” She choked back a sob, squeezing her lips in her hand to keep them from quivering.

Grimacing, Echo looked away from Shot with a hint of anger lingering. The fact that she went through all of that because of one man disgusted him. He thought he had it bad, but the emotional layer to Shot’s story made him feel worse.

Not being able to help himself anymore, Wrecker reached his hand out to place against Shot’s bicep. She first flinched away, her eyes darting to his hand then to his face before relaxing. The large clone rubbed his thumb against her arm as his own eyes watered with tears. His heart flooded with emotions for the medic.

Taking a shaky breath in, Shot found the floor again, “I don’t know how I escaped. Don’t know how I stayed off his radar… I… I wouldn’t be standing here today if I hadn’t gotten away…” A single tear rolled down her cheek, “I would rather die than go back to him…”

“He will never take you,” Wrecker firmly stated, his grip barely tightening as he ducked his head lower to lock eyes with Shot, “I won’t let that happen. We won’t let that happen.”

Echo faced Shot with a nod at Wrecker’s words, “We’ve got your back. You don’t have to face this alone anymore.”

Shot breathed out shakily as she glanced at Wrecker and then to Echo. She sniffled, “He’s why I can’t sleep.”

A devastated sigh fell from Echo’s mouth, leaning onto his knees towards Shot, “I thought so… Why… Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I didn’t want to remember,” She whispered, her exhausted eyes finding the ground, “I didn’t want him to find me… He found me.” Shot’s eyes found Wrecker, fear glazing over them again as she gripped onto his arm with her free hand, “I-I didn’t mean to put the heat on us-”

“Shot,” Wrecker interrupted with heavy emotion, his other hand rushing over her grip, “We promised to help and protect you. This changes nothin’.” His gaze went over to Echo briefly as he spoke, “I’ll make sure of it. We’re friends, remember? Friends look out for each other.” His eyes searched into hers for any sign of comfort and validation.

Shot’s eyes softened at his words with tears slipping, her lips curling into a thin line as her grip loosened. “Yeah,” She breathed, “We’re friends, Wrecker.”

“Then you’ve got nothin’ to worry about,” He reassured, rubbing her arms slowly as he spoke before trailing his hands down to her elbows as he pulled them away. “How can I help you relax? You deserve it.”

The medic stared down at Wrecker before glancing up to see Hunter’s eyes peering from the cockpit. She quickly glanced back down to Wrecker with a sniff, “Can we play a game?”

Wrecker gave her a smile as he stood up, “Yeah, of course. I’ll get it set up.” He turned to see Hunter standing and watching. He shook his head at him as he moved into the cockpit to gather the game tiles and Gonky.

Echo took this chance to get up as well, stepping in front of Shot and extending a hand to her shoulder. He watched her flinch and relax the same as before. “I’m sorry you went through that. You know who to talk to if you need any help… processing,” He offered with a lopsided smile. Shot simply nodded in response while lifting her head to face Echo, giving him a sad grin as thanks before he stepped away.

Her lips fell into a frown as she stared forward. Waiting. Her eyes focused once Omega came into her view. The girl’s furrowed brows and concern etched into her face made Shot sit up a little straighter. She sent a similar smile from before in her direction, watching Omega respond with her own unsure smile before turning back into the cockpit.

Shot exhaled deeply with eyes pointed to the ground. It stung. It hurt to stay awake. What other choice did she have? Her chest tightened at the thought of the nightmares that plagued her mind. The living nightmare she wanted to forget.

He’s out there. And he’s out to take her back.

Notes: I wasn't kidding when I said lore dump. GUH I LOVE MY SAD LADY! Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed that. I'll be back with next chapter when I can lol

[retrospect1003]

LOVE OMG

Just a little doodle of my OCs Crisis and Nyali when Nyali is all grown up. (The Aurebesh says, “Taller than Dad!!”)

[retrospect1003]

Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 9: Hidden Gem

Notes: I didn't expect this to be a two part-er, but it's gonna be a two part-er! Don't mind me over here just casually geeking out over them <3

Word Count: ~4k

Banner by: @/blackseafoam

Sat up on a stool at the bar, Shot was fully engrossed in her data pad. The blue light reflected on her face as she swiped and tapped on the screen full of varying texts and images. That was until she heard a familiar groan from behind her. A small grin curled onto her lips as she turned in her seat while rolling her eyes, seeing Wrecker standing before her with his hand on his head.

“Head hurts?” She inquired, turning off her data pad and tucking it away.

Another groan left Wrecker’s mouth before he answered, “Yeah. Sorry to bother you.”

“No, don’t worry about it,” Shot insisted as she dug into one of her various patches. Within seconds she produced a bacta patch, her eyes wandering up to Wrecker’s face, “You know the drill.”

He only nodded as he pulled up one of the shorter stools, straddling it as he sat down in front of Shot. He squeezed his eyes shut as another pang ran through his head, a loud grunt escaping his lips.

Shot set her feet behind Wrecker’s hips in an attempt to hold him still before she placed a hand over his on his head. She swiped a gentle thumb against his fingers as she guided his hand down.

Wrecker opened his eyes at her touch, glancing up at Shot as she moved his hand. A smile formed on his face as he let his hand fall into his lap, watching the medic closely as a red tint creeped onto his cheeks.

Noticing his stare, Shot looked down and gave the large clone a quick closed-mouth grin before picking up the bacta patch in her lap. She unfolded it and placed it against Wrecker’s head, rubbing it firmly to ensure it’s properly stuck on. Adjusting her posture, she dusts her hands with a hum, “Alright, should kick in soon.”

His eyes never leaving her face, Wrecker lifts his head up with a growing smile, “Thanks, Shot. What would I do without ya?”

“Put on your bacta patches by yourself,” She retorted while crossing her arms, removing her legs from behind him.

“Hey! You offered!” Wrecker argued back only half-offended.

A chuckle slips from Shot’s lips, “I know, I know.”

From behind them, the rest of the squad was observing with varying expressions. Tech adjusted his goggles with an eyebrow raise before going back to his data pad. Hunter and Echo were exchanging looks with each other between observing the two. Omega looked more in curiosity with a smile on her lips. Each of them had similar ideas of what they were witnessing.

Hunter turned his back to the two at the bar and mumbled to the rest of the group, “Someone’s getting friendly.”

Omega scrunched her brows at his comment, “We’re all friendly with each other. What makes Shot and Wrecker different?”

“Eh, it’s a figure of speech, kid,” Echo chimed in, “Don’t worry about it.”

Back at the bar, Shot used her foot to nudge Wrecker’s chest away from her, “Alright, get outta my face before I give you something else to groan about.”

Wrecker groaned playfully as he stood up and backed away from her, moving the stool with him, “Awww, you’re no fun.”

Shot rolled her eyes at his pouting. She was about to say something else until Cid walked between them with a huff.

“Stop gawking at her. It makes me sick,” Cid complained as she walked towards the rest of the squad, “I’ve got another job for you all.”

The smile fell from Shot’s lips at her words, her eyes darting away from Wrecker as she gathered her things sitting on the bar. Wrecker sent a glare at Cid before turning to look at Shot again and seeing her immediate change in mannerisms. His eyes softened as he tilted his head as if to silently ask the medic if she was okay. Shot only sent him a glance before getting up from the bar stool and following Cid to the others. Cursing to himself mentally, Wrecker joined the squad around the table.

Cid brought out a chip as she spoke, “I’ve got a client wanting some business done on Cantonica.”

Tech set his data pad on the table as he sat up, adjusting his goggles, “The Outer Rim capital for gambling?”

“I was gettin’ there, Goggles,” Cid retorted as she crossed her arms, continuing, “There’s a banquet happening at the Canto Casino in Canto Bight. My client specifically wants some financial data extracted from their system, but offered a larger pay if you guys can manage to snag something extra for them.”

“Canto Bight is dangerous,” Shot interrupted as she stepped forward, turning to Cid first before panning to the others as she continued to speak, “It’s not just a bunch of drunk snobs. I don’t think we should go.”

Cid sent a mean look to Shot, sneering at her, “I don’t think you can make that call, Eyebags.” She unfolded her arms as she looked back to the squad as a whole, palms up as she started to assure, “This client offered disguises for two people to go in and steal a brooch for him off one of those snobs, Hetti Dlicar. If you’re wanting extra in your cut, I suggest you make a decision on who’s going in soon.” She set the data chip on the table before turning over her shoulder and stepping toward the bar.

Shot sent a glare back at Cid at her snide comment before facing the squad with a frown, speaking barely above a whisper, “Do we have a choice?”

Hunter eyed the chip before reaching his hand over to pick it up, sighing as he stood up, “Unfortunately no. The deal’s been made and we aren’t exactly swimming in credits.” He handed the chip over to Tech as he folded his arms over his chest in thought.

After taking a sip from his drink, Echo set his cup down as he faced Shot. His brows knitted together in intrigue as he questioned, “You’ve been to Canto Bight?”

“Yes,” Shot answered simply, her eyes eventually finding Echo’s face as she continued, “I went there quite a lot a few years back. Business trips.”

“What kind of business?” Omega piped in, equally curious.

“Not my business. I was a plus one…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes found the table.

Hunter snapped out of his thoughts as he glanced at Shot, prying further, “So you know what it looks like inside?”

Shot’s eyes lifted to stare at Hunter, her shoulders moving with her sigh as she stands up straighter, “Are you suggesting what I think you are?”

It was Tech’s turn to add in his thoughts, “Logically, it would make sense for you to go inside with your previous… endeavors in Canto Bight.”

“Right…” The medic muttered, folding her arms together as she started to chew the inside of her lip.

A brief silence fell over the planning squad until suddenly-

“I can go in with her.”

Each of the squad turned their heads toward the unexpected suggestion. Wrecker raised a brow with a shrug, “What?”

“Wrecker, need we remind you how terrible of a liar you are?” Tech sassed with a cheeky shift of his goggles.

Shot turned her body to Wrecker, her arms unfolding with one of her hands finding her hip as she affirmed, “Actually, it’s not a bad idea.” She looked over her shoulder at the other’s, explaining, “Many duchesses, mistresses, ladies, you name it come in with body guards, husbands, or droids. Some filthy rich ones have all the above.”

Echo motioned with his scomp-link as he pitched in, “I can disguise myself as a droid and go in with them to let you guys in to find the data we need.”

Not expecting to get praise for his idea, Wrecker’s lips parted into a toothy grin. His eyes shined with more excitement than usual for a stealth-related mission.

Hunter’s eyes narrowed at Wrecker’s expression before relaxing with another sigh, “Fine. We’ll strategize from there then.”

On the way to Cantonica to the meeting point in Canto Bight, Shot was in the refresher cleaning up to the best of her ability with Omega watching her fix her hair and makeup. The rest of the crew was up in the front cabin with one brother seemingly over-excited for this mission.

Echo had just finished suiting up in his droid disguise and took a seat with his brothers. Glancing over at Wrecker and seeing the biggest smile he’d ever seen, he turned his chair to face him as he propped his ankle onto his knee, “Alright, I’ll bite. What’s got you so worked up?”

“Oh,” Wrecker snapped out of his daze, his smile becoming sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Well… It’s nothin’!”

“Wrecker, you would not offer to partake in a covert mission under usual circumstances,” Tech chimed in matter-of-factly, not looking up while working on the chip scanner.

Hunter huffed some air through his nose as he swiveled his chair to look at Wrecker.

With all eyes now on him, the large clone felt the heat rising to his cheeks in an instant. He knew he wasn’t getting away with this one. After looking toward the back of the Marauder, he turned to his brothers with a heavy sigh. “I just… I just wanted another chance alone with her,” Wrecker finally confessed.

The three before him each groaned in reaction to varying degrees.

Hunter sat forward in his chair, his eyes narrowing Wrecker like before as he huffed, “We’ve noticed. What are you thinking?”

“What?! What’s wrong with that?” Wrecker asked.

Echo looked back to make sure Omega or Shot weren’t in earshot before speaking, “Wrecker, you’ve only known her for barely a week.”

“Not only that, but how can you think about something like that right now?” Hunter badgered.

“I-” Wrecker started, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration as he stared down at his hands, “I dunno. She makes me feel- She’s so- Agh, I dunno! I’ve never felt like this before!” With a gruff huff, he lifted his eyes up to face his brothers again with his lips turned down.

At the sight of Wrecker’s face, Hunter heavily sighed as he placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Look, you can feel however you want about her,” He acknowledged, his eyes going to the floor for a moment as he continued, “Try not to let it interfere with anything. We have a job to do and a future to figure out.”

“And we cannot afford to lose any allies,” Tech pointed out, lifting his head up from his work to face Wrecker, “It would not be wise to act on these feelings and scare off the only medic we are in contact with.”

The large clone couldn’t help but avoid his brothers’ gazes as he thinned his lips, muttering out, “Right…”

Meanwhile in the refresher, Shot dabbed and swiped a brush along her lower eyelid with grunts of frustration with Omega standing at the sink observing. The medic’s wavy hair cascaded down her back with a clip at each side of her head to keep it out of her eyes.

“What exactly are you doing?” Omega asked, her eyes wandering to the singular pallet of various compacted colors.

“I am trying to conceal the months of restless sleep I’ve gotten,” Shot grumbled before backing away from the mirror and removing the brush from her face, tilting her head at various angles before going back to tapping powder on her face. “This is also to fit in with the crowd. I’d look, well, average in their eyes without makeup,” She elaborated as she dusted a pinkish red blush onto her cheeks.

Omega hummed at the answer she got as she looked back up at the medic. She eyed Shot’s hair with a curious eye, a grin reaching her lips as she spoke, “I wonder if I could grow my hair that long.”

Not looking away from herself in the mirror as she readied her eyeliner, Shot responded to Omega with a temporary smirk, “You could. I’ll go ahead and tell you that it’s more trouble than it’s worth.” She carefully swiped the pencil along her lash line of one eye before mimicking the same shape on the other eye.

Omega’s smile became lopsided at Shot’s words as she glanced away, “I wasn’t allowed to grow my hair out when I was on Kamino.”

“Oh, weird,” Shot commented, backing away from the mirror with a few blinks before noticing Omega’s face in the reflection. A frown came to her lips for a moment but quickly faded as she turned to the younger girl with a lighthearted voice, “Hey, chin up. Grow your hair out. Wear makeup. Do whatever makes you happy.” She smiled faintly as she turned back to the mirror, grabbing a lipstick and starting to dab it onto her lips.

Omega stared up at Shot with a happier smile as her shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad you came to us, Shot,” She expressed as she leaned her arms on the counter, “You’re different from them.”

Shot huffed a chuckle as she finished her makeup, turning her body to face Omega as she leaned her hip against the counter while crossing her arms. “Different how?” She inquired.

“Well,” Omega started, tapping her chin before answering, “You’re a girl like me, so it’s kind of cool.”

The medic hummed against her lips before her smile widened, “Right. I wouldn’t want to be stuck on a ship with only guys either.” She took one last look in the mirror to fix her hair before glancing at Omega, “We’re probably close now. We should join them in the front cabin.”

With a firm nod, Omega led the way out of the refresher.

At the sound of the door opening, Wrecker was first to whip his chair and head around. His expression from before was immediately washed away with an anticipating grin. The conversation before might as well not have happened as Shot stepped out and made her way to the front cabin.

Her hair was longer than he expected it to be, hanging just above her hips with some longer pieces in the front to frame her face. He didn’t immediately notice the makeup, but rather she looked more well-rested. She looked healthier.

“So, how far are we from the meeting point?” Shot asked, glancing at Wrecker for only a moment before going back to Tech.

“Not much farther,” He simply replied as he turned in his chair, checking coordinates and tapping a few buttons as they’re brought out of hyperspace.

Wrecker’s eyes never left from Shot like a love-sick puppy. He eventually managed to get words to come out of his mouth, “I didn’t realize how long your hair was. You look great!”

Shot turned to Wrecker with a distant smile, shrugging as she spoke, “Oh, thanks.” Her eyes wandered away to the viewport as she stepped forward, eyebrows starting to furrow. The lights of the city reflected in her eyes as they flew above the streets until they reached the landing point.

Hunter stood up from his seat as he gave Wrecker a subtle glare before speaking, “We’ll be here waiting for your comm. Remember to keep this as covert as possible.”

With a huffed chuckle, Shot looked over her shoulder at Hunter, “Tell that to Wreck.”

“Hey!” Wrecker blurted as he rose to his feet, “I can keep a low profile if I want to.”

Turning over her shoulder, Shot raised a brow with a smug grin at the large clone. She placed her hand against his chest to nudge him out of the way as she jested, “Sure you can, Bud.” She stepped past him as the Marauder landed, walking towards the hatch before it lowered.

Wrecker kept his eyes locked with hers until he couldn’t anymore. That and Echo shoulder checking his arm as he walked past, lowering his mask. He wiped his hand over his face with a groan before following them out. He can’t stop what’s already started without giving it a shot.

As Shot stepped forward with blaster in hand, a Rodian woman approached them with open arms. “Oh yes, Cid sent you to me!” She cheered before taking Shot’s free hand with a smile, “You’re lovely! I’ve got just the dress for you tailored. Come, come.” She looked past Shot’s shoulder and eyed Wrecker, “Oohhh, you brought a good strong man with you too. Wonderful! You’ll make a good husband!”

From behind Shot, Wrecker almost started to beam before Echo elbowed his arm.

“Husband?” Shot eyed the woman with furrowed brows, “He’s meant to be a bodyguard.”

“Ah, I will explain when we get inside,” The Rodian said with a cheeky giggle as she led the way into the hut.

The medic rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh as she dragged her feet with the woman tugging her along. Wrecker with straighter posture and Echo weren’t too far behind them.

The hut was filled with varying trinkets, fabrics, and beads. There were a few hanging lights of different colors that lit up the central area with a warm hue.

Shot was behind an unfolded screen getting changed, dropping pieces of her armor on the floor. Echo and Wrecker were sitting at the opposite end of the room as the woman brought the change of clothes.

“Oh, where are my manners? My name is Chirike. You can call me Chiri,” The Rodian woman explained as she hung Shot’s dress on the divider for her to grab. She turned to the men across the room as she drug over Wrecker’s clothes for him, explaining further with some rambles, “When I was told I’d be getting disguises ready for you two, I kind of went overboard with designing and planning. Each of you have original pieces I have hand stitched for the sake of your temporary identities.”

Wrecker stood up as he took the set of clothes from Chiri, his eyes wandering over the fabrics before looking back to Chiri with an eyebrow raised. “So, who’re we pretendin’ to be?” He asked as he’s guided to change behind another screen. As he stepped behind the screen, his head and shoulders were clearly visible above it.

Shot huffed from behind the curtain as she unzipped her blacks.

Chiri placed a hand over her mouth as she giggled, stepping away from Wrecker’s changing area and standing by Echo as she explained, “You two will be playing Mari and Wyll Vixain. You’ve been married for two years and you have a daughter back at home being taken care of by-”

“Woah woah woah,” Shot interrupted, peeking out from behind the screen with a stern glare as she grabbed the dress, continuing her complaint, “We just needed to know the names we have to go by… The backstory is unnecessary.” She eyed the dress before disappearing behind the screen to put it on.

Chiri dreamily sighed as she placed her hands over her heart. “Oh, but it was so fun to come up with,” She started with a hum following her next words, “And it makes it more believable if you’re dedicated to the character! Just humor me for a moment.”

The medic huffed loudly, “Fine.”

“Great!” Chiri cheered as she continued on with her extremely convoluted backstory for them, “So you guys met after some trouble in Coruscant. Wyll is the engineer that fixed Mari’s speeder, and Mari is a medical droid supervisor that was on her way home from repairs. It was love at first sight.”

While Chiri rambled on about their supposed backstory, Shot just rolled her eyes as she finished slipping into her dress. In the opposite corner, Wrecker was fully invested in the story Chiri was spouting.

Shot changed her shoes and that’s when she felt the brisk air touch her back. Her eyes widened as she rose to her feet to look in the mirror, turning her torso to reveal her barren back. Her hands first covered her mouth before she swallowed, peeking her head around the screen once again. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cape or shawl I could wear with this?” She asked Chiri with a nervous grin.

The Rodian stopped her spew of words at Shot’s request, whipping her head with a frown, “Aw, but why? That dress is too pretty to be-”

“I don’t care. Do you have anything?” Shot nearly pleaded.

“Oh, um, yes. Let me go find something that matches,” Chiri gave a solemn smile before wandering to another room to find an appropriate accessory for her.

Once she left the room, Echo flipped his mask up as he turned to Shot, eyebrows furrowed in concern, “You… alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Shot firmly stated as her eyes found the ground, her lips daring to purse.

Wrecker pulled his coat on as he stepped out from behind the screen. He looked to Shot with his head tilted, “You sure? You don’t seem-”

“It’s fine!” She blurted, only realizing she did a half-second later as she covered her mouth with a hand. She sighed shakily, “I’m sorry. Just… Don’t worry about it.” She hid her head behind the screen once again.

Wrecker frowned at the response he was given, moving to step forward.

Echo placed his scomp-link in front of him. His eyes sent a warning before he flipped his mask over his face again.

Wrecker nudged Echo’s scomp-link down as he turned to him, mouthing, “Trust me.” He stepped closer to Shot’s screen and grabbed a chair to pull up before taking a seat. He sat there in silence for a moment before quietly speaking, “I don’t like wearin’ this stuff either. Too tight.”

Shot glanced at the shadow against the screen casted by Wrecker, breathing out heavily before responding, “No, it’s not that… Well… Kind of.”

“Hm,” He hummed, his eyes studying Shot’s shadow before he continued, “I’m sorry.”

Shot lifted her head up at his words. Her eyes shifted around a point on the wall before she turned her head to face Wrecker’s shadow. “Why are you sorry?” She asked gently.

“I know you didn’t want to do this,” Wrecker elaborated, his eyes going down to his hands, “It’s not fair.” He glanced back up at her shadow, letting the silence sit before speaking again, “I wanted to go with you. As your friend… I thought if I could make you laugh on a mission before, I could do it again this time and I could protect you.”

At first, the medic was taken aback by his confession. She hadn’t taken him to be this… Honest? Earnest? Genuine. With a scoffed chuckle, Shot peaked around the screen to face Wrecker, “I don’t need protecting.” Her eyes wandered over his new attire before meeting his eyes with a small smile, “But I could always use a laugh.”

At the sight of her smile, a faint red tint brushed against Wrecker’s cheeks. “That’s more like it,” He grinned, sharing a stare with her as he offered his hand out to her.

Shot’s eyes wandered to his extended hand. She stared at it for a few seconds that felt like hours before hesitantly reaching out to meet his.

“I think I found just the thing!” Chiri called out as she entered the room with a short cape, looking over at Shot and Wrecker with a wide smile, “Oh!”

Shot immediately retracted her hand at the sound of Chiri’s voice, her head whipping in her direction, “That looks great! Thank you.”

Chiri walked over with a smug grin on her face, handing over the cape to Shot as she spoke, “You two look great. Just what I envisioned in my design! You’ll make the perfect couple.”

Wrecker’s hand went to the back of his neck as his eyes wandered away to a different point in the room, “Um, thanks.” His face was entirely red.

The medic rolled her eyes as she whipped the cape around to drape it on her shoulders, clasping it together as she spoke, “Alright. Back to the job at hand.”

Notes: That's all for now! I cannot wait to get to the actual mission. Oh boy...

[retrospect1003]

wrecker and beyoncé have the same number of letters in their name,, coincidence?? I think not!

[retrospect1003]

Some appreciation for this absolute unit of a man -

Wrecker!