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whatstruthgottodowithit · 2 years ago

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Never Happened

Fandom: Saved By The Bell

Pairing: Zack Morris x Female Reader

Characters: Zack Morris, Female Reader, Mr Carosi

Word Count: 1463 // Rating: Explicit

Summary: Zack has always had a way of butting heads with authority. He’s just better at it than even he realises.

Tags/ Warnings: Sex, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Blowjobs, Kissing, Quickie Sex, Requested, Requested Fic, Power Dynamics, Other Carosi Child, Not Stacey,

Notes: Okay so I’ve picked to do one or the other so hes some Zack smut. I cant remember the college years that well so Ive done the summers but it can be college age if you want. Enjoy x

Request [Anon] can you do a zack morris from the college year x reader and a zack morris from the college year x reader Smut if u can if you have time any day

Zack knew it was stupid. He knew it was wrong. But he couldn't help himself. He was supposed to be working. Mr Carosi had already chewed him out that morning for slacking off talking to a pretty girl by the pool yesterday when he was supposed to be skimming it and now he was in one of the cabana rooms, pants hiked around his thighs his cock in the mouth of a girl he’d met not a day ago.

He didn't know how it had happened. Yesterday she had wanted nothing to do with him, unimpressed by his flirtatious banter and attempts at trying to ask her out. Until this morning. After Mr Carosi shouted at him she seemed to be a bit more sympathetic but determined as she walked passed him and mumbled for him to follow him. She’d been all over him like a rash and after he’d gotten over the slight confusion he’d received her with gusto. She wasn't wearing much, just a red bikini, and she’d moved to get him on an even playing field discarding his shirt straight away. He was pulled back to reality as she moaned against him, causing an electric sensation to run through him which in turn made him groan.

‘Fuck,’ he said looking down at her. She pulled back, her hand never leaving him as she smirked up at him. ‘Does that feel good?’ she asked. ‘You have no idea,’ he said. It did feel good but it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He pulled her up from where she was kneeling and kissed her, pushing her back until she was flat against the wooden hut wall, his hands on either side of her head. ‘Zack,’ she moaned as his lips made their way down her neck, his hand caressing her sides until they came to the red bikini bottoms she was wearing, his finger looping under them as he moved back to look at her. ‘Do you wanna?’ he said. She nodded.

Zack didn't need to be told twice. His fingers yanked her bikini bottoms down haphazardly, pulling them until they were low enough for her to kick them from her ankles. Once he was back standing he brought a leg up around his waist, revealing herself to him. Zack groaned at the sight. He teased through her slick for a moment, before introducing a finger and then two to her, thumbing her clit gently.

‘Oh god,’ she groaned, her mouth meeting his neck, wet and hot against his skin. Zack smirked as she squirmed under his touch. He was unbearably hard now, her teasing having gotten him amped up so much he longed for more contact. She seemed to be on the same page as her hand wrapped around his wrist making him slow in his movements.

‘I need you,’ she said. Zack nodded and shifted to grasp himself, teasing through her lips before he entered her gently. He moved slowly at first, revelling the feel of him against her as his lips met hers once again. It was wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be doing it and yet all he could think was that he never wanted it to stop. He could hear more and more people around the pool, the morning had ticked on in their absence and he was sure someone was going to spot he was nowhere around.

As he pounded into her she moved to tighten her leg around him changing the angle. She was whimpering against him now, sucking on his lip as his fingers went back to her sensitive bud. He hadn't thought it through. They were being risky in every sense of the word but as she moaned his name it almost knocked all the concerns out of him.

‘Faster,’ she said, ‘right there.’ ‘Like this?’ he said making her nod, She was being too loud, a whimpering mess around him so he made an executive decision to kiss her, her moans lost against his own mouth. ‘Right there,’ she whimpered throwing her head back in ecstasy before she came with a squeal. ‘Oh God,’ he grunted feeling her walls tremble around him. He grabbed her other leg and hoisted that up, forcing her back against the wall as he chased his high. He was close. He could feel it approaching threatening to erupt any moment. He buried his face in her neck, enjoying the gentle touch of her fingers in his hair.

‘Oh fuck-’ he grunted though it was cut off by a shout. ‘MORRIS!’ came the echoing boom of Mr Carosi. He thought about pulling out. But he couldn't. It was too late. He was cumming hot and fast inside her without protestation as his boss called his name once more. He pulled out quickly, setting her down on the floor as she looked at him with a smirk.

‘Morris!’ came Mr Carosi’s voice once more making him snap back to reality. As she redressed he threw his shirt back on and tucked his softening cock back into his pants just as the door was pulled open revealing a thick-set man whose face was like thunder.

‘Mr Carosi sir,’ Zack said. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked narrowing his eyes ‘Zack was just helping me find something,’ Y/N said with a smile. ‘Find what?’ Mr Carosi asked sceptically. ‘My sunglasses,’ she said. ‘They’re on your head,’ Mr Carosi replied. Y/N placed her hand on her head and patted them. ‘So they are,’ she said making Zack groan inwardly. ‘Well since he’s so helpful maybe he wouldn't mind going and setting up the conference room like I asked him to do an hour ago,’ Mr Carosi said. ‘Yes Mr Carosi Sir,’ he said. ‘And Y/N?’ he said looking towards the girl Zack was determined to keep his eyes off. ‘Yes Daddy?’ she asked causing pure panic to run through Zack. Daddy. ‘Your mother wants you. She’s in her suite,’ the older man said. Y/N nodded though Mr Carosi didn't even acknowledge it as he glared at them one more time and then stalked off back towards the pool.

When Zack did look at her he found Y/N grabbing her bag off the floor and slinging it over her shoulder casually. As she looked up she noticed him staring at her his mouth agape and said, ‘what?’

‘Daddy?’ he asked incredulously. ‘Oh that,’ she sighed. ‘You’re his daughter?’ he asked. ‘Afraid so,’ she said. ‘Oh God,’ he said putting his hand to his face which meant he missed the roll of her eyes. ‘Oh come on it's not that bad,’ she said placing a hand on his bicep which pulled him back to reality. ‘You’re my boss's daughter and we just-’ he said stumbling over his words a tad, ‘why didn't you tell me?’ ‘If I had would you have followed me in here?’ she asked raising an eyebrow. Zack thought about that for a moment. Sure she was hot and he had been interested but it had already been a risk when he didn't know who she was not it just seemed like a catastrophe. ‘No, I guess not,’ Zack said honestly. ‘Exactly,’ she said. ‘Still,’ he protested, ‘I should've had the choice’ ‘Fine,’ she said, ‘I’m sorry okay? It won't happen again. We can pretend like this never occurred and don't worry it’s not like I'm gonna go running to my daddy and tell him what's been going on in his own cabanas.’ ‘It's not that I don't like you,’ Zack protested. ‘No, everyone does until they find out who I am. Then they're tripping over themselves to stay away so I don't get them in trouble,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry,’ Zack said sympathetically, ‘I do like you...I just can't exactly afford to piss your dad off any more than I already have.’ ‘As I said,’ she shrugged, ‘never happened.’

She moved away from him, her bag under her arm as she headed towards the bright sunlight beaming down just outside their shelter. As she got to the door though she stopped and turned back to face him. Zack watched her intently.

‘It’s a shame though,’ she said. ‘Why’s that?’ Zack asked. ‘Because him shouting at you was the reason I liked you. All that charm and bravado from yesterday did nothing for me. But seeing him chew you out and you take it in your stride? I realised you mustn’t be that bad of a guy,’ she said and before Zack could say anything else she left the cabana leaving him all at odds with himself.

Zack knew it was stupid. He knew it was wrong. But he couldn't help himself. No matter what he was going to get back into her good books.

#my writing #request #requested fic #zack morris #zack morris x ofc #saved by the bell fic #saved by the bell #zack morris x reader #mr carosi #never happened

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silverwings22 · 2 months ago

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Take Me to Church Chapter 3: Fire

Series warning: 18+, flashbacks, smut, major injury, torture, death, experimentation, canon typical violence, Hozier lyrics

Previous Chapter: Water Next Chapter: Earth

***I was born sick, but I love it***

Kya sat at the long banquet table, at her father’s right side, while Zara served dinner. It had been the same for a months now, whenever he was home. He’d ask her to join him, and the conversation would stretch out interminably long and awkward. He’d ask her small questions, approaching her like a stranger he was getting to know instead of his grown child. Maybe it was easier that way, to pretend the history between them didn’t exist and start again. She held her simmering feelings in check as she always had, but it was harder now. She’d opened the lid for Fives’ and now it took all her strength to try to close them back away in their jar inside her heart.

She told him about what she’d done on Coruscant, about her apartment and the neighbor with the flowering plants on his windowsill, or the two little Iktotchi boys that squealed and ran around in the small shared corridor with their Carosi puppy that yipped and licked her ankles every time she was outside at the same time. He was surprised to find she’d played violin for a fundraiser concert Bail Organa had organized, and that she donated some weekends to a tooka rescue. She’d liked bottle feeding the tiniest kittens most of all, and the organizers had been really nice about her not coming in on weekends when Fives was on shore leave.

“I didn’t expect you to like animals so much. I never allowed you a pet as a child.” Her father mused over his wine.

“Mother liked animals.” Kya brought her soup spoon to her lips. “I remember her asking you to let us have a hound.”

“You were four years old. I can’t believe you remember that.” He blinked at her.

She shrugged. “I wanted a puppy too.”

He watched her face for a moment, taking another sip of wine. “You remind me more of her each day… it occurs to me that I may have been much harder on you than need be, over the years.”

Kya lifted her eyes hopefully, waiting to see if the conversation would deepen. She needed it too. He was smiling slightly, expression softening. He was treating her as a daughter rather than an apprentice… “I’ve only ever wanted to make you proud, Father.”

“I know.” He set his glass down. “I pushed you for perfection, and in my haste I pushed you too far from my side. And you ended up in the arms of that clone-”

Kya froze, dropping her spoon and splashing blumfroot bisque across the pristine tabletop. “What?”

“I spoke to my Master a few days ago. He told me all about what led to your display of impertinence and his ill-advised threat against you.” The Count shook his head. “You were right, I never should have sent you to Coruscant where you could be so tempted. I know it was a painful thing, for the clone to die the way he did. Shot in front of you, and you being so young and inexperienced…”

Kya hurriedly dabbed split soup from her lap. “You… aren’t angry with me?”

“No, Kyatsa. This experience only highlights how close I came to having you stolen from me.” He said quietly. “I’m sorry for what you must have experienced… but it was for the best. You could have never been with a clone in any real way.”

“After the war, we could push for clone citizenship as a gesture of goodwill-” She started, but he waved his hand and cut her off.

“That’s far from the trouble. You can’t take up with someone else, when I’ve already found you a husband.”

Her head snatched up so fast her earrings rattled audibly. “I beg your pardon?”

“My Master is willing to overlook your fit of temper on Coruscant. It will be a wise political match, and bring the war’s end that you’ve already said you want so much. And after taking up with a clone first, you could do much worse.” He raised an eyebrow at the incredulous look on her face.

“Sheev Palpatine is the worst being in the galaxy. Bar none.” She snapped, the mask slipping. She’d gotten too comfortable, too relaxed letting Fives see her every emotion. She couldn’t hide them now. She didn’t even want too; she wanted her father to see the loathing painted in her eyes. “I would rather swallow my lightsaber than marry him.”

“Kyatsa-”

“No! I won’t!” Her hand slammed onto the table before she could stop herself, voice echoing through the mostly empty banquet hall. “If you force me to marry him, neither one of us will survive the wedding night. I promise you that. I will kill him and myself before I let him touch me!”

The Count stared at her, like she was speaking another language. “Kyatsa Cho Dooku, what has come over you? I am your father, and your Master. You will obey-”

“Mother would never have allowed you to marry me to that monster.” She dropped her voice but the words hit somehow harder when spoken at a reasonable volume. “I won’t do it. Even if I didn’t detest him with every fiber of my being, I don’t love him. I won’t marry him, not even for you.”

“Do you not love me? At least enough to obey?” He frowned.

“I’ve obeyed every instruction you’ve given me for the last sixteen years out of love.” She said seriously. “I followed you to the Dark Side. I trained, I suffered, and I have blood on my hands I will never wash away. I did that for you. For sixteen years, you chose Darth Sidious and your war plans over me. Just once, Father, can you love me back?” Her eyes were begging, and he felt his gut twist. She looked just like her mother for a moment, full of fire and spirit.

She stared him down, golden eyes narrowed, and he was the first to look away. “We can discuss this later.”

“Discuss all you like. I won’t do it.” She sat back in her chair and picked up her water glass.

“I will discuss it with him. I… there are other eligible girls that would be just as suitable and meaningful in the name of peace. Padme Amidala-”

“Already married to Anakin Skywalker.” She shook her head. “... Fives was in his legion. It was the worst kept secret in the 501st.”

The Count wrinkled his nose. “There’s no accounting for taste, I suppose… I’m sure we can locate a willing and politically suitable young woman who has connections in the Republic and Confederacy. I’ll see him tomorrow. We’re staging a kidnapping to try to deal with Skywalker and Kenobi.”

“Again? How often can he be kidnapped before no one in the Republic believes it anymore?” She shook her head. “Father, why can’t we just solve this our own way? If we present an end to the war that the Republic and Raxus senates approve, it goes over his head. He’ll have nothing once the emergency powers are revoked, and if we out him as a Sith to the Jedi…”

“No, Kyatsa. We do not betray our allies.” He gave her a hard stare.

“He’s no ally. He’s a hydrosnake waiting to strike, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re bitten.” She took a deep breath and put her hand over his on the table. “Father, please. Reconsider. He cannot be trusted. We can build our own better galaxy, without an Empire. The way Mother would have wanted.”

He sighed, taking her hand in both of his. “I wish it could be so. But it can’t.”

She sighed, hand falling into her lap when he let it go. “You’ll leave tomorrow?”

“Tonight, after dinner.”

“... be safe, Father. But please, think about what I said. Before it’s too late.” She stood up. “I’m sorry, Zara. But I’m not very hungry right now.” Without waiting to be excused, she turned and trudged out of the room with her head hung.

Zara looked worriedly at her employer, who rubbed his temples. “The little Countess loves you very much, sir… She’s afraid for you.”

“I know… I’ve made many mistakes with her, but she hasn’t given up on me. I’m beginning to think it should have been Kiyo who lived to raise her, instead of me.” He waited for the sound of her piano, but it didn’t come. “... take her some supper in a few hours?”

“Yes sir.”

***Command me to be well***

Kya sat on the floor between her bedroom and the wall. A trundle was rolled out half from under the bed, a IV drip hidden by the curtains of her four-poster. Laying still and quiet was Fives, out of bacta but refusing to wake. It had been months since he’d been shot, with her tending to him as best as she knew how. “I miss you.” She whispered, climbing into the trundle and laying down next to him. Her body shielded his from the cold wall, fingers smoothing delicately over his cheek. His hair was growing much too long, his goatee turning into a beard. She needed to trim him up, but she was getting handed more and more responsibilities on Serenno while her Father attended to his miserable war.

“I did something spontaneous today, like you used to tell me too. I hope you like it when you wake up.” She brought his chilly hand up to her forehead, brushing back her bangs she’d had parted to carefully conceal her right temple. She peeled off a bacta patch and traced his fingers over a newly healed tattoo, an Arubesh 5 in gold. “It matches yours, Fives. Pantorans get clan tattoos in gold… I never got any, but this could be ours. If you wanted… I hope you’ll forgive me when I tell you everything. But if you don’t, I’ll still love you. I'll let you go if it makes you happier, but I never want to forget how important you are to me.” Ttears threatened to fall, but she fought them back and nuzzled into his palm. “I don’t want you to go, though…”

He didn’t respond, of course he didn’t. He hadn’t since the bacta readout showed stable vitals and no lasting damage but a horrible scar in his chest. Elya said sometimes, when someone was barely breathing for as long as Fives had been, the brain put itself into a kind of stasis. She had to wait for him to come back. It was the longest, most painful wait of her life.

“Please come back to me.” She whispered, tucking her head against his shoulder, pretending the hand she was still holding was squeezing back. “I love you. I’m sorry I lied to you for so long, but that part was always true. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

She hoped he could hear her, and scrunched a few inches closer when she heard footsteps pass the door. It was locked, no one would come in without her permission. Still, she feared anything could take her tiny shred of hope away. “You saved me, Fives.” She breathed. “Let me save you too. Come back. We made it this far…”

***Amen, Amen… Amen***

“Countess! Countess Kyatsa!” Etsel came running around the corner as fast as her venerable legs could carry her, into the music room. Kya was sitting by her harp, plucking the strings delicately, and looked up at the kindly old maid.

“What’s the trouble, Etsel? Is everything alright?”

“There’s a recorded holo being sent to the Master’s private terminal, but it has your name on it.”

Kya jumped to her feet, reaching out to steady the maid as she all but crashed into her. “The one in his sitting room?” Her father conducted business all over the galaxy on that terminal, and she couldn’t imagine why anyone would send her a message through it. But it wasn’t overly suspicious-

“No, ma’am. The one in his study. I was dusting…”

The young Countess’ blood froze in her veins. The terminal in the Count’s study… only one person ever contacted him from there. His Master, Darth Sidious. If he was sending her a message… “Something’s happened to Father.” She let Etsel go and went flying as fast as her feet and the Force would take her, scrambling into the wood paneled and austere study. The comm was blinking, a pre-recorded message.

The commotion of her running down the halls brought Zara, Elya, and a few younger staff members to the doorway by the time Etsel caught up. “What’s the trouble?”

Kya squared her shoulders. “Nothing good.” She turned on the message, fists clenched. If Palpatine had double crossed her father, the Count was likely in a Republic prison. He’d likely try to manipulate her, force the much-hated idea of marriage back on the table. He’s assume she’d do nearly anything to save her father’s life… but probably didn’t take into account that she was willing to land in front of the Jedi Temple itself and reveal him as a Sith before she’d marry-

“My powers have doubled since we last met.”

“Twice the pride, double the fall.”

Her father was fighting Anakin Skywalker, the duel as graceful as it was vicious. The murmuring of the servants behind her faded into a dull background fuzz. Skywalker was stronger now than when she’d dueled him in her father’s stead on Geonosis. How long ago had this been…?

One of the younger maids screamed when Anakin took her father’s hands off at the wrist, and Etsel sat down on the floor with a cry. Kya stood, shaking, as she watched her only parent, her only family, forced to his knees.

“Kill him.”

“I shouldn’t…”

“Do it.”

The sound of a lightsaber hum had never been so loud. His own sat across one side of his neck, Skywalker’s blue blade on the other. He looked stunned, head turned towards the camera. It must have been a lapel cam on Palpatine’s chest, and he was so close that Kya could see the slow realization in his dark eyes.

It was too late, but he had to be thinking of what she’d said that last night at dinner. That he’d be betrayed, that Palpatine couldn’t be trusted. That his daughter was right, and he would never see her again.

And then the two lightsabers snapped together, and his head was separated from his shoulders and rolling to the ground. Kya’s hands slapped over her mouth, breathing through her nose to fight the urge to vomit as the holo turned off. The others in the room were wailing, horrified, but the little Countess just kept staring at the spot her father’s face had been for the last moments she’d seen of his life.

She was orphaned, and now the defacto leader of Dooku Castle and Serenno. Count Dooku was dead, and it was no accident that the recording of his execution had been sent to his own private terminal, with her name on it. Darth Sidious was sending her a message.

He was of no further use. You are next.

She closed her eyes tightly, a sickly feeling blooming in the pit of her stomach. She’d thought he’d kept her alive to manipulate her father… but had it been the other way around? Had her rejection of the proposal gotten her father beheaded?

“Countess?” Zara whispered, a gentle green hand coming to the crook of her elbow. Kya’s eyes snapped open, glassy and tearful. “Sweetheart… I know you’re hurting. Sit for a moment-”

“There’s no time.” She rasped, vision blurring as the first tears fell. She fumbled into her dress pocket, getting out a handkerchief and wiping her cheeks. “Send for all the staff to meet me in the ballroom… quickly.”

“But, Miss-”

“Please, Zara. There’s very little time, and many lives on the line.” Kya gently shrugged her hand off her arm and squared her shoulders. The cook nodded, eyes widening when she saw the familiar resolute expression on the younger Dooku’s face that she’d been so familiar with on the Count’s. She nodded and turned to the others.

“You lot heard the Countess. Everyone up to the big ballroom, hurry! Get the others from the servant’s quarters and the kitchens!”

Everyone scrambled, and Kya waited until the study was empty before she sat down hard in his chair and braced her hands on the polished wood. Slowly, she reached down into a small drawer hidden on the underside. It opened at a flick of the hidden mechanism, a small velvet box sliding out into her waiting hand. She brought it up and opened it, facing her father’s signet ring and a round locket with a blue gemstone and delicate looking engraving of music notes around the edges. Her mother’s locket… she hadn’t seen it since she was a child and always assumed it had been buried with Kiyo.

She slipped her fingernail into the seam and opened it, a tiny holoprojector displaying a portrait. The Count himself, hair more black than gray and a real smile on his lips, had his arm around the waist of a beautiful Pantoran woman. Her rosy-pink tresses, many shades darker than her daughters, were twisted into braided buns and picked out to resemble flowers. There was a gold headpiece delicately nestled on her head, her smile bright as summer. Held in her arms, tucked between her and the Count was a chubby-cheeked baby Kya in a white presentation gown, her hair in adorable ringlets and a smile on her face. Her father’s free hand was resting on her little leg, and her tiny blue fingers were wrapped around his thumb.

Her resolve cracked, and she doubled over clutching the locket and ring as a ragged sob tore itself out of her throat. They’d been so happy then. Before Kiyo died. Before the Sith, and the war. Now they were together again in death, and she was all alone to bear the storm they’d left behind. She’d been so sure things would be different….

“I loved you both so much, you know. Force, I hope you knew…”

***Take me to Church***

Fifty pairs of eyes looked at her as Kya stood in the ballroom, hands clasped tightly in front of her. The Count’s signet ring was on her thumb, the late Countess’ locket around her neck. She took a deep breath as she steeled herself. “I must regretfully inform you all that my father is dead. From now forward, I am the Countess proper. I assure you all, my orders will be few and brief.”

A few quizzical looks were cast her way, and Etsel and Elya exchanged concerned looks. “What do you mean, Miss?” The twi’lek raise a hand.

“My father’s death means the Clone War will very soon end. The only acting military leader remaining in the Confederacy is General Grievous. Bluntly, he’s sloppy and easily provoked. He’ll be dead in a month, minimum. The war will be over, and what will come after… the Empire will come for our blood.”

“Blood?!” Gasped one of the valets, clutching his chest.

“You won’t be here to pay that toll. None of you.” Kya shook her head. “Here are my orders. Initiate the Serennian emergency broadcast frequency, and order off-world evacuations. Offer payment to the public spaceports to wave all ticket fees, and begin moving citizens to Raxus. Contact Senator Singh and have him prepare to receive and assist, quote him the Confederacy Refugee Act. He signed the bill, he’ll put up or shut up. Open the War Chest, and leave it for any citizens who require money to fund a new life. Take whatever you all need…” Her lip quivered as she got to the end of her prepared speech. “Once this is done… you are all dismissed, with my gratitude… I wish I had the means to thank you all as much as you deserve, for your kindness and service…”

“Where will you go, lass?” A long-serving butler who used to sneak Kya candy from his pockets when she was small frowned worriedly.

“I can’t evacuate off world… some of you already know, my beloved is injured and hidden in my rooms. I’ll have to find us shelter on Serenno until he can be moved, and try to find passage then.”

“My sister and I have a house a few klicks from here, Countess! If we evacuate, you could shelter there!” A maid called.

“My mother’s got three seasons worth of canned goods we can give you!” Someone else called.

“I’ve got a generator and power cells!”

“I’ve got a skiff trailer to move medical equipment!”

Kya was overwhelmed at the help offered so freely, and tried her best not to choke. “Thank you… thank you all so much.”

Elya sighed deeply. “So much trouble over a man. I don’t even care anymore he is a clone, but men are such a headache. Sleeping while his pretty Countess saves him?”

“He saved me first.” Kya breathed as the servants started scattering to follow her orders and to help arrange her escape from the castle.

“He better still be grateful, Countess.”

***I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your life***

The house they were sheltering had a cellar, so Kya tucked herself and Fives there. He was resting in a slightly more comfortable bed than a hospital gurney, with his IV and a medical monitor. She had anxiously gotten her hands on an emergency respirator, a generator in case they lost power, a handful of power cells, and counted the canned goods and IV supplies the evacuating citizens had been kind enough to donate to them. They could theoretically stay here for a year if needed, though she hoped Fives would wake up before then.

Everyone had bid her goodbye, and the sound of shuttles taking off had become fewer and farther between over the last few days. She listened to the Republic public broadcast networks for news now. It wouldn’t be long before something happened, though which side would officially be counted victors didn’t matter anymore. Palpatine had been playing both sides. Nobody won this war but him.

Her questions were answered with a broadcast from one of the wartime radio-comm channels: General Grievous killed on Utapau by Obi-wan Kenobi.

“Hear that, Fives? The war’s over.” She whispered, sitting at a tiny desk eating a couple spoonfuls of jelly from the jar. She tried to sound happy about it, but the dread that killed her appetite wouldn’t go away. She’d never asked her father how the Empire he’d dreamed of was supposed to come into fruition, or how the Jedi would be accounted for. “The Republic won. Isn’t that great?” She couldn’t force herself to eat anymore and put the lid back on the jar, setting it down.

The desk had her few distractions on it, her datapad and lightsaber mostly. She ignored them for the moment and dragged the chair over to Fives’ bedside. She filled a basin with water from the sink and soaked a clean cloth, setting them in the chair so she could reach it easily. Carefully, she wiped his face and checked him over for any sign of discomfort or bedsores. “There aren’t a lot of shuttles left, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to get to the castle by the time you wake up. But that’s okay. We’ll make it off Serenno somehow… maybe one day we can come back. It’s actually really beautiful here sometimes… My mother used to take me to this place near the mountains with a meadow full of yellow flowers. The butterflies migrate there in the summer. Big ones, with blue and purple wings, and spots that look like eyes. She used to have this holo of one that landed on my nose and the spots were right over my eyes… it was her favorite, she said…” She swallowed hard, finishing cleaning him up for the day and put the basin aside. Then she settled into the chair and took his hand, resting her head on her folded arm and closing her eyes. “We’re going to be okay. I promise… I don’t know how, but I promise.”

***I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife***

Kya tried to talk to Fives as much as possible, hoping for an answer one day. She relayed the radio-comm news mostly; the end of the war, the rise of the Galactic Empire when the Republic fell, the extermination of the Jedi. She couldn’t help but cry some when she did, knowing her role in the horror. She’d been blind and foolish when she’d begun. She wished she’d told Fives everything, confessed and helped him tell the Jedi the truth so they could stop Sidious before he destroyed everything. She hoped Fives would forgive her when he woke, and told him that too.

She’d fallen asleep in her chair by his bed, upright and stiff, when a distant high pitched whistling woke her. She frowned, squinting, and sat up. “... What’s that?”

The sound kept getting louder and closer, the air vibrating around her until it felt like her brain would rattle out of her skull… and then the ground shook with a deafening boom. She jolted to her feet as another whistle and boom struck. She’d never been in a pitched battle, not like the ones that Fives had seen, but it didn’t take her long to figure out what the explosions going off all around her were. The planet was being bombarded from orbit, the way Ryloth had been besieged. The way some news channels whispered about Kamino, right before they quit broadcasting.

The Empire had come for Serenno, and for her.

She climbed into the narrow bed and draped herself over Fives chest, doing her best to protect him with her body. “We’re okay. We’ll be okay.” She whispered, tucking her fingers under his skull to protect the back of his neck. She wanted to be brave, to tell him she wasn’t scared, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to him anymore. “I’m afraid.” She finally whispered, cheek pressed up against his. A piece of the ceiling broke off, smacking into her back and she flinched. “I’m afraid the roof will collapse. I’m afraid a bomb will crash through the cellar doors and blow us both to smithereens. I’m afraid we’ll be buried in here and starve to death. But more than any of that, I’m afraid you won’t wake up. That the last time I saw you awake, you were dying. That I’ll never get to tell you the truth. I’m scared of dying a Sith, instead of being the person you believed I was. I want to be her. And I want you to be there…” She swallowed as another bomb hit, closer now, and squished herself tighter to the clone.

It went on for hours, buildings crumbling and falling around them. The ceiling continued cracking, but didn’t collapse even as the power shorted out and left Kya clinging to Fives in the darkness. It was well past midnight when the seemingly endless bombardment stopped, and she waited breathlessly for Imperial troops to wrench open the door and kill them both.

But the boots on the ground never came, and eventually terror lost out to sheer exhaustion and Kya fell asleep holding tightly to her blissfully unaware ARC.

***Offer me that deathless death***

***But good god, let me give you my life***

“Morning, Countess.”

Kya was picking her way through scrap and broken parts of the wreckage that had once been her planet. This evening’s treasure hunt was for power cells to keep her generator running, and any kind of medical supply she could find. “Good morning, Romar. How are you?”

Romar Adell was a kind enough neighbor, who’d been keeping an eye out for her since they’d both emerged from their hideouts after the bombardment. He’d refused to evacuate, though he was more fond of the younger Dooku than he’d been of her father. She couldn’t blame him, and they swapped resources when they could. More often than not, they watched Imperial ships coming and going laden with spoils looted out of the castle together. He was a cross, grandfatherly figure with the same appreciation for the arts Kya herself had.

“I’m well enough. Looking for parts to work on that datacore I found. It’s Serennian music. I think you’ll like it, once I get it open. Some of your mother’s concerts were recorded, there might be one of them on there.” He clapped her shoulder lightly.

She smiled, though her knees were a little wobbly. There were dark circles under her eyes now, her once immaculate hair now in a listless braid down her back. She was dressed in scuffed boots, her black clothes covered in a thin layer of brick dust. “I’d like to hear her play again, one day.”

“You don’t look so well, ma’am… is everything alright?” He frowned.

“Our water went out last week.” She sighed. “I’m running out of bottles… I’ve been using it for the IV nutrient powder. But I can’t clean anything, and Fives is running a fever now from the IV site…” She rubbed her palm across her face, wincing when she caught sight of how dirty under her nails were. “.... I don’t know what to do, Romar. I can’t move him through this terrain while he’s dead weight without risking getting caught, and all our supplies are there. I don’t know what to do. I thought he’d wake up by now…”

“You’ve got those powers like the Jedi had. Can’t you pull him back or something?” Romar frowned.

“I can sense him, but it’s like he’s wandering the Force intentionally. He’s deep beneath the surface, and diving away. I don’t understand it.”

“What about that speeder you had? Does it still work?” Romar frowned, offering her a swallow of water from his own canteen. She took it gratefully.

“It does. But the muffler is broken and it’s so loud, I worry it’ll trigger a patrol to come around. I already know what they’ll do to me if they catch me, but I can’t imagine what they might do to Fives.”

Romar nodded. “I’ll see if any of my old tools survived the bombardment. They were in a shed out back. If so, I’ll come by and see if I can get your water running. It might take me a day or two.”

“I appreciate it, Romar.” She passed back his canteen, looking up at the slowly setting sun. She frowned when she spotted what looked like a cargo container whizz by on its re-entry thrusters. “What in the Sith’s hell…?”

“Looks like stuff outta your daddy’s War Chest.” Romar snorted. “Good riddance.”

“You could have taken some from it yourself and evacuated, you know.” She put her hands on her hips, watching it spiral out of control towards the cliffsides.

“Why should I run? It’s my planet, and my home.” He huffed. “I’ll see you when I come look at the water, alright?”

“Alright. Thank you again.” She patted his back when he turned away. “I’m going to go take a look at that crate.”

“That’s dangerous, Countess.”

“I’ll have to risk it. Maybe they looted the infirmary. Fives needs bacta, and quickly.”

“Be careful.” He gave her one more pat, then handed her the canteen again. “Here. You need this more than me.”

Her smile was fond as the crotchety old neighbor tramped back to his home. He was kind hearted, no matter how grumpy he tried to sound… in another life, she would have liked to sit on his porch and listen to the music in his datacore while they talked. Maybe she could have even brought him to the castle and let him explore her music room.

She strapped the canteen to her hip and climbed through the wreckage of homes until it became more wooded and less destroyed. She stayed in the tree cover, just in case the Empire had already begun recovering their lost crate, when she heard voices. One was female, the other excessively formal, but the third was familiar and they all shared an accent she’d know anywhere. She peeked out from behind a tree to find herself looking at two men in armor and a little girl.

The one in white armor with orange paint was limping, leaning on the other. That one, at first glance, she thought was a droid when she spotted the scomp link replacing his right hand. She crouched, trying to stay out of sight, as she listened to them bicker.

“What about the War Chest?” The girl sounded upset.

“We have other priorities now. Tech’s hurt, we’re separated from Hunter and Wrecker, and we need shelter.” The scomp-bearer sighed. He was a clone, Kya would know that voice in an instant. But she’d thought the clones had sided with the Empire….

“We could sit him here and dig out some of the stuff…”

“That would be inadvisable.” The limping one sighed. “The Empire knows we are on Serenno thanks to the diversion in the hangar of the castle. We cannot risk capture. My femur is broken, I will be of little use in a fight.”

Kya’s brows knitted together. They weren’t with the Empire… Maybe they had some supplies she could trade them for shelter. Or maybe even a way to get Fives off the planet even still unconscious. She cleared her throat and all three of them jumped. “Excuse me. Are you clones?”

Two blasters and an energy bow pointed at her, and she held her hands up to show she was unarmed. “Who are you?” The one with the scomp arm demanded.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She apologized, putting every bit of her manners as a Countess to the test. “My name is Kya. I overheard you needed shelter? I have somewhere you could rest for a while.”

“... Why are you helping us?” The injured one, Tech lowered his weapon slowly.

“Well, you’re clearly not Empire if you’re traveling with a child.” She gestured to the little blonde girl, who smiled and unstrung her bow. “And it’s the right thing to do.”

“You don’t want anythin- Omega, get back over here.” The one with the scomp huffed as the girl walked over to Kya.

“Hello, little one.” Kya smiled and crouched down to be eye level with the girl. They inspected each other’s faces for a moment before the blue woman smiled. “You’re a clone too.”

“How could you tell, Miss?” Omega blinked.

“You have the same eyes he does.” Kya’s expression softened. “I’m in love with one of your brothers. He’s back home, but he’s sick right now.” She looked over at the two men behind the girl. “I wouldn’t turn you away if you said no, but if you happened to have some bacta or a med pack in one of those gear bags, I’d be very grateful.”

“I have three.” Tech murmured.

“You have a clone back home with you?” The other asked, clarifying.

Kya nodded. “He’s unconscious, but I’ve been trying to keep him safe.”

The two men exchanged looks again before nodding. “Then we’d appreciate the shelter, and we can spare a medpack. I’m Echo, he’s Tech.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” She smiled and stood upright, offering Omega a hand. “Follow me.”

***If I’m a pagan of the good times***

Kya gave up her little desk chair for Tech to sit and let Echo tend to his leg, walking to the back of the cellar to the little “bedroom”. Omega trailed after her curiously with the gifted medpack, mimicking the way she walked heel to toe and with her shoulders back. “How did a little one like you end up with two soldiers?” Kya asked.

“They’re my brothers. They rescued me off Kamino when the Empire first started. There’s two more on Serenno somewhere, looking for us.”

“Do you have a ship?” Kya asked curiously.

“Yeah. It’s a modified Omicron-class.” Omega beamed.

“I’d have to see it. I’m sorry, I know the Separatist ships better than Republic.” Kya wrinkled her nose, taking Fives’ arm and withdrawing the needle from it. She worriedly opened the medpack, putting her hand on his forehead. “The fever’s gotten worse since this morning. I hope this helps…”

Omega peeked over at him, her brother she’d never met before. “What’s his name?”

“Fives. He’s an ARC trooper.” Kya pulled out a sterile wipe and started cleaning the injection point.

“What happened to him?”

“He was shot in the chest.” Kya reached into her pocket and handled Omega a little ball. “This might take a while, but a friend of mine gave me this. It helps to pass the time.”

Omega looked at it. “... what is it?”

“A kaleidoscope. Have you ever played with one before?”

The girl shook her head. “No…”

Kya smiled fondly. “Put it to your eye and twist it, while looking at the light. It’s pretty.”

“Does it do something?” Omega frowned.

“It makes you happy for a little while. And that’s worth more than anything in that War Chest you were after.”

While Omega explored different light sources with the kaleidoscope, she went back to tending Fives. She bandaged his arm, gave him some medication to clear the infection, and a fever reducer to make him more comfortable before returning to Tech and Echo.

They’d taken their helmets off, Tech more angular and with redder hair than she’d anticipated. Echo’s head was shaved, studded with cybernetic implants, and much paler than any clone she’d ever met. “How are you two feeling? I’d offer you tea, but I don’t have running water right now…”

“You’re living rough out here, miss.” Echo said mildly.

“It looks like you’re familiar with that.” She gestured to his scomp gently. “I don’t want to pry, but… what happened.”

“I got blown up on the Citadel on Lola Sayu.” Echo shrugged. “I was a POW for about a year before I was rescued off of Skako Minor.”

Kya’s eyes widened. She’d heard something about an algorithm from Skako being disrupted, but she’d already been home and hiding Fives by then so she hadn’t dug any deeper. “... Wait. Lola Sayu?” She dragged herself back to the beginning of his sentence with a jerk.

“Yeah. Why?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“You’re Echo. Oh Force, you’re Echo from Domino Squad and the 501st, aren’t you?”

“How do you know that?” He glanced at Tech, then behind Kya to Omega. “Did she tell you-”

“No, Fives did. Come here.” She reached for his wrist, pulling him to his feet.

“Wait, what? Fives?” Echo stumbled after her.

“He talked about you all the time. You’re twins!” Kya was almost giddy with excitement as she dragged Echo to the bedside. “Fives, Fives it’s Echo. He’s here. If you won’t wake up for me, maybe you’ll wake up for him.”

Echo was stunned as he looked down at the goatee-wearing, tattooed face of his twin. Fives, who he’d grieved as lost after Rex told him the man died in his arms. “Y-you’re the refugee girl he was seeing?” Echo cleared his throat, looking at her.

She nodded, eyes still on Fives’ face. She took his hand in both of hers, and Echo’s eyes tracked the movement. “I brought him here when he got-”

Click.

Kya froze when the muzzle of a blaster pressed to the side of her head, eyes widening. Dimly, she heard Omega and Tech raise their voices in alarm.

“Then why are you wearing Count Dooku’s signet ring?” Echo’s voice was gravel, icy fury flooding the Force around him. “Because right now, I see a Separatist with an unconscious clone on a hostile planet. The last time I saw this setup, I was the clone out cold. I don’t like seeing it happening again.”

“I’d never hurt him.” She felt the panic rise, but her face fell into the familiar mask of stoic emptiness. “I swear, I’d never hurt Fives.”

“Then why won’t he wake up. Is he drugged?”

“No. You can check everything. It’s just IV nutrition. The cans are sealed, so is the bottled water. Before that he was in a bacta tank, that’s all.” She pointed towards the corner, where the supplies were. “I’ve been trying to wake him up for months.”

Echo glanced at Omega, who hesitantly brought him one of the cans. He scanned the seal and label with a scrutinizing eye. “Why’d you bring him here?”

“I had friends who could help me.”

“Why the ring?” His tone didn’t soften. She couldn’t even blame him. This was his twin, someone he loved more than anyone else. She understood, she loved Fives too.

“It was my father’s. My name is Kyatsa Dooku.” She closed her eyes and waited for him to pull the trigger. “I was a Separatist spy during the war, but I couldn’t… I quit giving intel. I didn’t tell Fives who I was, but I fell in love with him.”

Echo gazed back at Fives. He remembered Fives talking about the girl he was nuts about, sneaking out of the barracks so often Rex just tagged along one night and demanded to meet her himself. “Why should I believe you?”

“Because I stayed.” She breathed. “When he lost you. After Lola Sayu, he came back to me… he was heartbroken. He grieved, he cried for days… I couldn’t help him, but I stayed with him. I hurt with him because it was all I could do. And then Umbara, and every other nightmare mission, until he called me slurring and confused. I never did find out what happened, but I watched him die in Captain Rex’s arms. Then I went to the morgue and he was alive. So I brought him here, and when I ordered Serenno to evacuate he was in no shape to travel. So I stayed. Through the bombardment and occupation and everything else, I stayed.”

Tech limped over, gently pushing Echo’s blaster to the side. “I believe she is telling the truth.”

Echo looked at her, the woman’s knees shaking like a leaf in a gale while her eyes fixed dead ahead. When he holstered his blaster, she slid to her knees. “... some spy.”

“I didn’t ask to be a spy any more than I asked to be trained as a Sith.” She mumbled. “I prefer music to murder.”

Echo sighed and leaned over Fives, poking him lightly in the ribs with his scomp. “Oya, di’kut. Only you would end up dating Dooku’s daughter.”

When the infirm clone groaned slightly, Kya’s head shot up. “He hasn’t made a noise since he came out of bacta. Fives?” She reached for his hand again, but Echo lightly smacked hers away.

There was another weak groan, and Echo poked him again curiously. “Wake up.”

“... fivemerminnits.” Fives mumbled.

Kya looked at Tech like he might have an explanation, but the brilliant and broken clone just shrugged.

She looked at Echo. “.... You’re what he was looking for in the Force, aren’t you?” She breathed. “The brother he thought was dead… but he couldn’t find you because you’re alive.”

“I don’t know enough about the weird Jedi-Sith stuff to make a comment. Go sit down somewhere, I’m talking to him first to make sure you didn’t do something to him.” He grumbled. “We’ll decide what to do with you after.”

***My lover’s the sunlight***

***Keep the goddess on my side***

Fives was sitting up, awake, while Echo and Tech filled him in on the fate of the galaxy and the Republic. Kya had been ordered to a corner, sitting with her knees drawn up listening to them talk. She supposed she was lucky not to be in cuffs, and she really couldn’t blame Echo for his harshness… but this wasn’t the reunion she’d dreamed of. She’d been protecting Fives while he slept for months. He was supposed to wake up and smile for her. She was supposed to tell him the truth herself, not listen to it relayed through the experiences of the most jaded clone she’d ever met.

She didn’t cry. She didn’t even speak, just slipped back into the hollow shell she’d lived inside of before she’d met Fives. She put the wall back up brick by brick in silence. If Fives chose to, he could knock it right over with a smile. If he decided to leave her here, though… it may be the only way she’d survive. She’d have no hope or way off this planet… maybe she wouldn’t.

She’d been sitting there for an hour when she realized someone was calling her name and lifted her head from her knees. “Yes?”

“Come over here?” It was Fives speaking. She could have told Echo or Tech no, maybe, but not Fives. So she got to her feet slowly and walked over, hands clenched and pressed tightly to her chest. Every step felt like a countdown to the end of her world.

With his eyes open, Kya could see the changes in his face since he’d been shot. He looked thinner, of course, hair too long and goatee not as neat as he kept it himself. She’d tried, but there had been more important things to contend with. She stood in front of him, feeling more exposed than she ever had when she was naked, and just took in the planes of his face for a minute. There were probably witty things to say, something clever and heartfelt that would endear her back to his heart. She’d been trained to be intelligent and charming since she was a child, alongside all her other skills. None of that had ever seemed to matter around Fives, who could turn her into a giddy schoolgirl with a smirk. “Hello…” She rasped pitifully.

Fives cocked his head to the side, considering her. “... So you’re really Count Dooku’s daughter?”

She nodded, gaze sinking to the floor. “I’m sorry…”

“You never asked me anything about Rex’s playbook. You knew I was in on it.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and rested his chin on his knuckles. He was scrutinizing every inch of her, she knew he was. He was her funny, bright, joyful love but he was still a soldier. An exceptional one, she’d always known that. She was just a shadow, a weapon, hiding in the dark until he’d found her and believed so hard that she was something more than the Dark Side had made her.

“You weren’t a part of the mission. You… you mattered. You were the only thing that did.” She closed her eyes and struggled to right her breathing. The little voice in her head, the one that questioned everything, demanded to know why she put herself through this. Why did he matter so much when he was just one man? He hadn’t even known the real her. Why did this hurt so much?

A tiny voice from her heart answered back. Because it’s real.

“So why didn’t you tell me?” His voice softened. “Kya, look at me.”

She had no defense when he said her name, so she slowly lifted her eyes up to his. “I wanted to.” She murmured. “But I was afraid… that you’d hate me. That I’d lose you, if you knew who I was. You were the only good thing I had…”

Fives cocked an eyebrow. “Not the money and power, or the fancy castle?”

She gestured faintly around the basement between them. “When that ran out, I took what I cared about saving.”

He looked around, at the medical supplies intended for him. The shelter she’d hidden in because he couldn’t be moved without someone noticing he was an unconscious clone. The floor she’d slept on beside the bed he’d been occupying. He looked at Echo with a sly smile. “She’s got a point, vod.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. You really think Count Dooku’s Sith daughter- you’re practically dating Asajj Ventress here.”

Kya’s lip curled, distaste painting itself across her features. “How dare you.”

Fives broke out into snickering and waved Kya to take a step closer, catching her by the hand and pulling her to sit between his parted knees. He dragged a knuckle across her cheek, watching her eyes flutter shut at the touch. “I heard you. I couldn’t make out what you were saying, but you were talking to me. And playing music.” He smiled. “I believe you. It’s gonna take a minute for me to trust you again, but I believe you.”

She nodded, giving him a weak smile. “I understand.”

“We’re going to leave with Echo and his team. Get your stuff.” He patted her shoulder and dropped his hand, crushing any hope she had of a welcome-back kiss. But she probably didn’t deserve it. She just nodded and got up, gathering her backpack with clothes, her datapad, and a few small personal items. She had one for him too, with some armor she’d gotten her hands on for him and some spare clothes. As she reached for the third one, the survival pack of credits she’d stashed, she looked around.

“.... Where’s little Omega?” She frowned.

Echo and Tech stiffened. Fives raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“Little sister. Shit.” Echo got up.

“My rappelling kit is missing too.” Kya glanced at a hook on the wall. “She must have gone back after that crate from Father’s War Chest.”

“Shit.” Echo repeated. “That place will be crawling with Imps by now.”

“Then I guess there’s no worry about a speeder being too loud and attracting them.” Kya pulled a tarp off a speeder in the corner. It had a cart attached to the back. “Tech, Fives… I think you’ll need to ride on the back.”

“I’m driving.” Echo huffed.

“You have one hand. Use it to shoot.” She helped Tech up, then Fives, and put the three backpacks with him before hopping into the speeder seat. “You can ride behind me or on the cart, but we need to go now if we’re going to save your sister.”

Echo hadn’t liked her much before, but he had to admit she was tough and good to have in a pinch. He climbed behind her and wrapped his scomp around her middle. “I’m starting to see why my twin likes you.”

Kya gunned the engine and they rattled up the cellar stairs and out into the open. “Let’s hope that stays true, Corporal.”

***She demands a sacrifice***

Rescuing Omega hadn’t actually been that hard. Echo tied a rope around himself and climbed down into the crate, Fives taking controls of the speeder to pull them to safety. Kya covered them with her lightsaber, deflecting shots, while Tech limped his way to a mounted gun and cleared out Imperials. They held their own until a gunship arrived, shooting down Imperial air support and opening the hatch for them. Omega quickly pleaded their case to the leader, Sergeant Hunter, who seemed to have a soft spot for the child and just nodded.

They were allowed to board, Fives quickly hitting it off with Wrecker and Hunter with a handshake and a smile once they were out of the atmosphere. “Nice to have another ARC around.” Hunter chuckled. “And you are, miss?”

Kya blinked, squirming slightly. “.... Kyatsa Dooku. You can just call me Kya.”

“Countess?” He eyed her, and when she nodded he glanced at Tech. “That explains some old evacuation orders Tech intercepted when we reached Serennian airspace.”

Tech nodded, in the middle of putting his own leg in a brace. “Your preemptive action likely saved many civilian lives.”

Hunter glanced over at Echo, who was still shooting suspicious glances at Kya. “I’m going to have to ask you to hand over any weapons for now, Miss. Just til we get to know you a little better.”

She agreeably pulled her saber off her hip. “Would it be alright if I let Fives hold it? These are personal…”

“Fine by me.”

She picked up one of the backpacks and walked over to the Domino twins, Fives reclined in the co-pilot seat listening to Echo telling him all about his rescue from Skako Minor and how he’d ended up becoming a big hero on Anaxes and joining in the Bad Batch. She quietly handed Fives her saber. “Sergeant asked me to hand over my weapons. Would you mind taking this?” She asked softly.

He glanced at it as she pressed it into his hand, then nodded and dropped it in his lap. He’d been more than a little uncomfortable watching her fight with a red lightsaber after his experiences in the war, anyway. He had to break the tension somehow, so he settled for a wisecrack. “General Skywalker said something about a lightsaber being like a Jedi’s underwear. Are you flirting with me or is this something else?” He couldn’t resist a smirk, and she had to resist the urge to groan and swat at him as her cheeks flushed indigo.

“That’s a massive oversimplification and I am not flirting. I just… yes they’re personal and you’re the one who should be holding onto it.”

Fives grinned. “Alright, alright. I got it.”

She sighed, handing the bag to Echo. “What’s this?” He raised an eyebrow.

“You came for the War Chest and got nothing. I had this to try to build some kind of life after we left Serenno… but you should have it.”

She scuttled out of the cockpit before she could find a way to put herself in bad graces with him further. Echo heard Omega offering to let Kya bunk in her room ‘away from all the boy stink’ and then show her to the fresher so she could get a much-needed shower herself. He lolled his head over to Fives, still not totally sure he wasn’t dreaming that his twin was still alive. Fives was inspecting the lightsaber again, lips pursed. “You okay?” He asked quietly.

“A little overwhelmed.” Fives admitted. “You’re alive. And I’m not dead. The Republic’s gone, I was right about the inhibitor chips, and my cyar’ika is a Sith, Separatist spy who had me fooled for literal years. And now we’re on the run, and your reg manual-quoting ass is running with a group of non-standard clones and a kid as a mercenary. Oh, and a lot of you is metal now. You hear how stupid that sounds when I say it out loud?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Echo glanced at his scomp arm. “You’ll adjust. You always did better with change than I did.”

Fives turned the lightsaber over in his hands. “I gotta figure out how I’m going to adjust to this.”

“You love the girl, don’t you?” Echo gave him a knowing look.

“Stars, yes.” Fives breathed. “But damn it, Echo… how do I wrap my head around this?”

Echo’s scomp settled on his arm. “The same way I did with this.”

Fives gave him a smile over his shoulder. “Fair enough… I’m glad to have you back, Echo. I don’t think I could do this without you.”“I’ve always got your back, vod.” Echo glanced down at the bag Kya had handed him, unzipping it. It was packed full of credits. “... And I think you’ll end up forgiving her faster than you think.”

#original character #explict #eventual smut #fanfic #star wars #arc trooper fives #ct 5555 #tcw fives #oc kyatsa dooku

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