#I still haven't finished tbb

[fritzmonorail]

I should get back to that

Its been about two months since I decided to take a break from The Bad Batch and see what this new X-Men 97 show was all about. As you might be able to tell from my post history that went out of control quickly.

"The Bad Batch is getting me down lately maybe X-Men is less complicated. I bet it will cheer me up." - A fool who hyperfixates

Oh well at least the lighting is brighter in X-Men. I have too many windows in my living room and the lighting in the Bad Batch is so fucking dark that half the time I can't even tell what's going on.

[barissoffee]

The Bad Batch Season 2

[engagemythrusters]

Reflection

[im-no-jedi]

am I gonna be a bad person for posting another gifset from Entombed even tho everyone’s already moved on and in Wookiee mode LOL

[zoeykallus]

TBB x Gender-neutral Reader (Extended) HCs – Lost Something? Part 2/3/4/5

(Echo/Wrecker/Tech/Crosshair)

Warnings: Partly Slightly Suggestive/Mostly Fluff/Tiny Bit Angsty

This is the continuation of this request:

Reader stole the batcher's weapon. Let's see how they get it back.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

Echo

Echo runs through the Marauders like a startled chicken, followed by the confused looks of his team. "Has anyone seen my blaster?" Hunter, who is putting on his gloves, looks over at him. "You lost your blaster?" Echo sighs annoyed and says, "No I haven't" Wrecker says with a raised eyebrow, "But you can't find it" "Yeah" Tech shrugs his shoulders without looking up from his holopad and says, "Sounds to me like you lost it" Echo waves it off in annoyance and insists, "No I haven't. I never lose parts of my equipment" It annoys him that he doesn't know where his blaster is, he was sure he'd left it with the rest of his gear when he went to bed that night and he says so. Crosshair leans out of his bunk, rolling a toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other before saying. "You didn't go to bed alone last night I take it"

Echo's ears turn red. He pauses briefly in his movement, then turns to the Sniper. "What makes you think that?" Crosshair smirks, takes the toothpick out of his mouth and says, "You were alone on the Marauder for most of the night, I assume you took advantage of that fact." Wrecker asked excitedly, "Ooooh, Echo has a lover? Instead of answering, Echo rushes out of the room, locks himself in the cockpit and immediately starts a holo-call. His heart is pounding in his throat as your face appears on the holo, not just because he's upset and excited, the sight of you alone is enough to raise his pulse. "Took you long enough," you say with a cheeky smile. "You've got my blaster" It's not a question, it's a statement. Inwardly, he's annoyed that Crosshair thought of it before him. You lift the blaster into the holo for him to see. Echo lets out a deep sigh, relieved, a little annoyed. "I need it back," he says sternly.

You smile unperturbed and say, "I thought so. Then come and get it" "But-" You hang up before he can finish the sentence. A little stunned, Echo stares at the spot where the holo with your face used to be. When Echo comes out of the cockpit, he literally stomps through the main room towards the ramp. Hunter asks him cautiously, "Where are you going?" "Spanking someone's ass," Echo growls. "Kinky." Echo's eyes spark as he snaps, "Shut Up, Crosshair" The Sniper leans back in his bunk, unimpressed, chuckling softly.

You've been out all day, had some things to do. Echo didn't try to call again. But as you land your shuttle at the usual landing spot and open your ramp, you hear his footsteps on the ramp and in the ship before you even leave the cockpit.

He stops in the doorway to the cockpit, his gaze so serious and stony that at first you can't help but gulp. After a few seconds, you find your voice again. "Have you been waiting on the landing pad all day?" "Yes" The answer is very curt, a little abrupt. He stretches out his remaining hand, challenging you with a steely gaze. You feel yourself shrinking under his gaze as you pull out the blaster and place it in his hand. Echo holsters the weapon directly, still staring at you. "I should spank your behind" You say cheekily, "Okay. Do you want me to take my clothes off first?" Echo raises a brow in confusion, but he doesn't stop you from unbuttoning your flight suit. "Somehow I imagined it would be different," he says, a little beside himself. "Disappointed? Should I stop?" Echo licks his lips and shakes his head.

"Uh, no it's okay, we'll see where this takes us" You laugh softly, kiss his heated cheek and say, "Well, I was hoping to my bunk"

Wrecker

It's a beautiful evening. The weather is warm, but not too hot. The dinner was delicious, and the atmosphere great. A perfect moment to pass the time with Wrecker. The nice thing about Wrecker is that he's up for any kind of nonsense and is anything but a party pooper. You've been fooling around for a while now. You've managed to take his blaster out of its holster and to get it back, Wrecker has been chasing you around the massive dining table on one of the terraces on Pabuu for a few minutes now. The others have long since left the scene, some laughing or grinning, others (Crosshair) rolling their eyes. You giggle happily and change direction every time he tries to trick you. A little out of breath, you tell him, "I won't make it that easy for you!" Wrecker lets out a cheerful laugh that almost sounds like thunder. "I'll get you one way or another, just wait and see" As he changes direction again, you do the same, squealing happily.

"We'll see about that," you answer cheekily. You have to hand it to Wrecker, as impatient as he sometimes is, when it comes to fun and games, he usually has the patience of an angel. You've been running around for so long, your lungs are starting to burn, your faces are flushed with exertion, but you both grin happily when your eyes meet. But then something happens that you don't expect. With a cheerful exclamation, Wrecker grabs the massive table and throws it behind him, removing the barrier between the two of you. He suddenly stands very close to you and grins down at you. You look up at him, still holding his blaster. "Told you I'd get you," he says, amused. "What the hell.... what happened to my table?" You both look to the side, startled, to where an exasperated Phee crosses her slender arms in front of her chest. "Uh," Wrecker begins, "We were just fooling around a bit."

Phee rolls her eyes and asks, "And you had to destroy my table to do that? Who's going to replace it for me?" A sigh is heard from the other direction, followed shortly by Hunter's unmistakable voice. "Wrecker. Care to explain that to me?" The giant shrugs his shoulders and says with a sweeping gesture, "We were fooling around and then things went off the rails" "So nothing new," Hunter sighs, "Do me a favor and go fool around somewhere you can't destroy anything" You look at Wrecker and ask, "Beach?" Wrecker grins broadly at you. "Beach!" he confirms, nodding and running after you. Phee and Hunter look after you both. The squad leader sighs again, whereupon Phee says amusedly, "Those two will be your downfall one day" Hunter laughs softly, "I know"

Tech

Tech is obsessively rummaging through his things in his bunk. "That's not possible..." Crosshair has been watching his brother in silence for a while now, but finally asks, "Did you lose something?" Tech grinds his teeth before answering, "My blasters are gone" Crosshair frowns. "Both of them?" "Both of them," Tech confirms, vigorously adjusting his goggles. "You're a slob, I wouldn't find anything in this mess either," the Sniper grumbles dryly. Tech takes a deep breath, straightens up and looks at his brother seriously. "I'm not a slob," he replies critically "Yes you are, you're a total slob, you hardly ever put anything away. Your bunk looks like a garbage dump" Tech touches his forehead as if he has a headache, then raises his finger in the air and says, "I don't need order to find my way around. I don't have to obsessively tidy everything like you do, no matter how messy my stuff and my bunk are, I always know exactly where my stuff is" Crosshair smirks and teases, "Then you certainly know where your blasters are"

Tech's ears turn red, he turns away and rummages around in his bunk for a while, sighing again and again in frustration. "Didn't you have a visitor yesterday?" Crosshair asks meaningfully. Tech turns back to him. "Yes, I did have a visitor. And?" Crosshair shrugs his shoulders suggestively. "If the blasters are suddenly gone, maybe someone took them." Tech frowns. "No, that can't be. They wouldn't do that. Why would they do that?" Crosshair shrugs again, leans back in his bunk and says, "How should I know? It's not my love interest." With a bright red head, Tech leaves the Marauder to make his way to you.

You are looking out of your window when you see him walking across the courtyard. He seems to be deep in thought and keeps shaking his head. You smile, apparently he has noticed that his blasters are missing. Shortly afterwards, you hear your doorbell ring. Tech keeps his finger on the bell for longer than necessary, a very energetic ring. You press the door opener without using the intercom. When he arrives at your apartment, he has already raised his finger. "How many times do I have to tell you not to just press the door opener? You have to make sure who's at the door, it's dangerous!" You say calmly, "I saw you at the window. But it's sweet that you're worried about me" Tech sighs softly, straightens his shoulders and straightens up a little. "I'd like my blasters back" "That's what I thought. But I want something in return" Tech frowns and asks, "So you stole my blasters to extort something from me?"

Now you frown, "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds so crude and unromantic" His eyebrows move upwards in surprise. He asks confused, "Stealing my blasters was a romantic gesture?" You laugh softly and say as warmth rises in your cheeks, "I was going to ask for some of those sweet kisses you gave me yesterday in exchange" The corners of Tech's mouth twitch, his ears turn red, and he nervously shuffles his foot on the floor. "I only gave you one kiss yesterday. That was our first kiss," he corrects. When he thinks about it, his pulse starts to race again, his heart beats wildly and his body is suddenly filled with this incredible lightness again. "That's right. But now I want more," you say, biting your lower lip. Tech, steps closer and says, "A kiss for every blaster?" "Two per blaster," you say hastily, your ears already glowing hot and your puls racing through you. Tech smirks. "Okay, I think we can do that"

Crosshair

"No" "But-" "No," the Sniper repeats seriously, "This is not a weapon for beginners. You'll learn with the training rifle first and when I think you're ready, I might let you shoot with the Firepuncher" You sigh and roll your eyes. He has just turned his back to you and is putting the training gun away, but still he says, "Stop rolling your eyes. You're learning from me because I'm the professional, so trust my judgment too" "You're stupid," you say, pouting. Crosshair chuckles softly, turns to you and asks, "Then why do you keep coming here to train with me?" You point at his gun and say, "Because I want to shoot that thing someday" His eyebrows move upwards, and he asks, "So you only come here for the Firepuncher?" You shrug your shoulders and say cheekily, "Mostly" "You're a bad liar," Crosshair says, amused. You laugh and ask, "Why? What do you think I came here for?" Crosshair spreads his arms and strikes a pose. "To use my brother's words - isn't it obvious?..."

"You think I'm here for you?" you ask with a grin, "Well, maybe a little, but I think the Firepuncher is hotter" Crosshair laughs and continues packing. "Can't say I blame you" You watch him pack up the gear, then you hear his brother call out to him from the shuttle. "Excuse me a moment," Crosshair says, and disappears up the ramp inside. Your eyes fall on the case with the Firepuncher. You can't help yourself, you can't resist. You open the case, grab the gun and close the case again. You know he'll be angry, but the temptation is just too powerful.

When Crosshair comes out again and sees that you've already left, he sighs softly. He likes your visits, likes talking to you. Whenever you part ways, he feels a certain longing to have you with him for longer. He comforts himself with the thought that you will come back, if only because of the Firpuncher. He smiles and reaches for his weapon case, but his smile freezes. The case is clearly too light. He hastily puts the case back down and opens it. Empty. "You lousy little..." With a growl, the Sniper sets off. He already suspects where you might be.

The rifle is heavier than you expected, just aiming it properly is a challenge. "Maybe I should lie down," you mutter quietly to yourself. "And pull your pants down while you're at it, so I can spank your ass!" Crosshair's smoky voice startles you so much that you hastily turn around with an already embarrassingly high-pitched yelp and drop the gun on the grass. You stumble backwards as he comes towards you and almost fall, but the Sniper grabs the collar of your jacket just in time to hold you steady. "Not only are you stealing my gun, now you're dropping it!" "Not on purpose!" you say hurriedly and adjust your jacket as he lets go of you with a snort. His serious eyes bore into yours, and you don't even dare to blink for a long moment. Cautiously, you ask him, "How upset are you?" Crosshair crosses his arms in front of his chest and sighs heavily. "Very, to say the least." You smile wryly and say, "But you stopped me from falling down, so you don't hate me too much" He rolls his eyes, unknots his arms and picks up the Firepuncher from the grass. "Lie down," he grumbles. "What?" you ask, perplexed.

Impatiently, he snaps his fingers repeatedly and grumbles, "Do you want to learn something or not?" You hastily lie down on your stomach in the grass, Crosshair lies down next to you, presses the rifle into your hands and shows you how to use it properly. "How did you actually find me?" you want to know. Crosshair snorts softly and says almost gently, "This is where we practiced for the first time." "You remember that?" He rolls his eyes and says, "I never forget anything" You take a few practice shots and it goes well. Satisfied, you turn your head in his direction and smile. His expression doesn't say much, but he says, "Not bad for an amateur" As you look at him a little longer, studying the lines on his face, unable to help but admire his face, Crosshair suddenly snaps, "Stop staring at me like a love-struck dove, look at your target" As you hurriedly look forward again, your ears getting hot, a smile twitches at the corners of his mouth. He likes you too, very much so, but he won't tell you anytime soon.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

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@misogirl828 @tech-deck

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@clonelovr

[gffa]

Hey Lumi! I’m watching The Bad Batch for the first time. Just finished the episode where Rampart is trying to get his bill passed and then Palpatine at the end manages to manipulate the situation so that even though the truth was told, the clones still lost. Rex at the end of the episode says something like “Palpatine was always one step ahead of us during the war and he’s several steps ahead of us now” I’m curious as to how much Rex knows about Palpatine and what actually happened. Because I don’t think he would know Palpatine is a Sith Lord but I think it’s obvious to many (or most) people in the galaxy that Palpatine was using the war as a way to gain total control over the galaxy. What are your thoughts on this?

This is an interesting question that I've been trying to figure out, because I don't recall anything that says for sure Rex knew that Palpatine was Sidious, but what they do know is: - Obi-Wan told Bo-Katan, Ahsoka, and Rex that the Council suspected, "Darth Sidious is the Sith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and played both sides of it from the beginning." while they were on Mandalore. - Rex looked into what Fives was trying to uncover, he knew it went "all the way to the top" and at least suspected that Palpatine had to be involved given Fives trying to target him. - When Order 66 happened, they saw a holo-figure of Darth Sidious giving them the command, which triggered them calling him "My Lord". For the most part, Palpatine used a hologram version of himself for announcements and such, but he did make at least that one speech to the Senate in his true form during ROTS. - They knew that the Jedi had battled Palpatine, because he made the speech after the lightning scarred him, so why would the Jedi have gone after a politician? How could an ordinary politician stand up against a Jedi Master of Mace Windu's calibre? - Obi-Wan and Yoda know that Palpatine is Sidious because they saw the footage of Anakin swearing loyalty to him. While they wouldn't have been able to tell her directly, they almost assuredly told Bail, who may have passed on that information to Ahsoka. (Whether at Padme's funeral or another time?) Ahsoka could have told Rex after that, they were still in contact for many years afterwards.

Most likely, I think they both put the puzzle pieces together from the above--neither of them knew about Anakin being Darth Vader--and Rex's words in TBB episode could be (if I'm remembering right, I only saw it the once and haven't seen it since, so my memories may be fuzzy) theoretically be just as a politician, I think they all knew he was playing dirty even just as Palpatine to get himself into position as Emperor, but I think it's more that they just looked at all the puzzle pieces, saw him suddenly look like that hologram the clones got, and quietly put two and two together. If I've missed anything (entirely possible! it's a hazy question of who knows what at what point), feel free to jump in, but afair I'm not sure it's directly stated anywhere and I think either Rex just figured it out once all the pieces fell into place or the biochip in their heads had that information and, once triggered, all the clones knew it.

[kimbureh]

TBB S2E12 The Outpost, Crosshair & Agency In Suicide

I haven't seen anybody talk about this specific aspect yet, but in truth I avoid reading TBB meta because I haven't finished watching season 2 and don't want to read spoilers.

"The Outpost" is an episode about being trapped in your position, even if you're ready to move on from your role. I've seen it pointed out by others, and indeed it was my first thought also: Mayday talks like Rex. Behaves like Rex. Is capable to adapt to adversary circumstances like Rex. But unlike Rex, Mayday is not given the chance to reform his life. He dies on Barton-4 without fulfilling his true potential. (But Rex has been gifted this chance, while he is acutely aware most clones haven't, and chooses to rectify that as much as he can.) The Outpost of Barton-4 is the epitome of being abandoned and trapped by circumstances. This will be important again in a minute.

Regs symbolize everything Crosshair feels ashamed for. I have talked about this before, but I don't want to pull a Tech and assume that's obvious. So. Crosshair is as grating towards regs as he is (especially in TCW) because of his projected self-hatred. He's a clone too, but at least he is enhanced. "Superior", as he says to Hunter. Showing kindness to Mayday, a reg, is the first step for Crosshair to come to terms with his Clone identity. I interpret Crosshair's arc as one of developing self-acceptance, and treating a reg with kindness is the first step to treating himself with kindness. And it speaks to Crosshair's developing sense of self-acceptance when he pleads (!) with Nolan to please help Mayday (the name here is telling!).

In another meta post of mine I outlined the two possible paths of Crosshair's arc: he either manages to develop self-acceptance and leaves the Empire, or he stays and self-destructs.

In his interactions with Mayday, Crosshair clearly veers into the direction of self-acceptance via Mayday as proxy. But the circumstances don't allow for the second step: leaving the Empire. Think of that tiny backroom in which we meet Mayday and his skeleton crew for the first time. Barton-4 is not a place you leave alive. This place is a frosty tomb, the rows of trooper helmets and the raider left behind in the tunnel are grim witness to that truth. And Crosshair knows this, knows he is trapped in a very real sense on this planet, at the mercy of a cruel superior who sees him as a piece of "used equipment". And so Crosshair picks the other option left to him: self-destruction. He knows he cannot get away with shooting a superior, not when he's weak, without his helmet, trapped on an icy planet with dozens of TK troopers to hold him accountable.

Crosshair's decision is not naive, not entirely hopeless either, it's coming from a place of self-empowerment despite the dreadful desperation. There are a few excruciating moments before Crosshair draws his blaster, moments in which he does the calculations in his mind and realizes there is no way for him to survive this. But he has the freedom to make one last decision: and that is bringing down Nolan with him.

This is Crosshair's tipping point. Through the interactions with Mayday he allowed himself to care for someone again, only for the Empire to immediately take that from him. They took his agency, but in what Crosshair must believe to be his last action, he regains some of his agency and avenges Mayday. In the face of death, Crosshair defends his decision to choose self-acceptance.

A more tragic story could end here; but Crosshair has more homework to do, and it still hasn't been revealed if he really doesn't have his inhibitor chip anymore, or whether he was implanted something else in its stead, and where those searing head pains are really coming from if not from the effects of the (a?) chip. I have a few theories, but we'll see (or maybe we won't).

(pls no season 2 spoilers, I haven't fully watched it yet)

[dindjarindiaries]

Welcome to my WORKS IN PROGRESS page! Here, you can find details on all the stories I'm currently planning or actively working on.

main masterlist • last updated: october 5, 2024

ACTIVE WIPS

What constitutes a WIP as "active?"

I currently have the document tab open and I've added to it in the last week or so.

I'm constantly brainstorming new ideas to add to it.

I plan on posting it within the next month.

untitled din djarin one-shot • din djarin x reader Things don’t go as expected when Captain Teva sets you up on a solo mission with his newly recruited Mandalorian mercenary, for better or for worse. → details: What happens when an X-wing pilot goes on a mission with a handsome Mandalorian?

broken wings (chapter 3) • hunter x reader You embark on your first mission with Clone Force 99, where you stay under a certain sergeant’s protective eye. → details: Birdie and Hunter keep getting closer even in the heat of action. What's Birdie willing to do for her new group of allies?

son of mandalore (chapter 1) • din djarin gen fic Din, after finally finding his covert, recovers from his wound and decides on his next steps. → details: This is my take on what I think TBOBF through The Mandalorian season 3 could have looked like! This one will be exclusive to AO3.

untitled tbb story (chapter 1) • the bad batch gen fic Tech wakes up on Eriadu and is surprised to find he is, in fact, alive. → details: TECH LIVES!!!!!!!!! This one will be exclusive to AO3.

INACTIVE WIPS

What constitutes a WIP as "inactive?"

I don't have a document made and/or open for it and I haven't been actively working on it.

I still plan on working on it later on.

I haven't finished planning out all the details yet.

untitled tbb/din djarin story (chapter 1) • tbb & din djarin gen fic Clone Force 99 arrives to their mission on Aq Vetina just in time to save the small vilage's sole survivor: a young boy named Din Djarin. → details: What if Din was saved by the Bad Batch instead of the Mandalorians? Get ready for some perfect chaos amongst Clone Force 99, especially once Omega joins.

untitled hunter one-shot • hunter x reader When you, a Jedi, and the leader of your elite clone squad are tasked with going undercover together as a couple, repressed feelings begin to bubble to the surface. → details: Fake dating with a TWIST!

scarlet trail (part one) • din djarin x reader Now that you're actually married, you and Din decide to go on a well-deserved honeymoon with your old covers, just to find yourselves caught up in yet another risky mission. → details: This is the sequel to Bloodlust! ↓ take a look at the cover!

everything i needed • din djarin x reader Din seeks help from your Sorgan host, Omera, to find out how to confess his feelings for you. → details: This is Din's POV on Everything I Wanted.

spring • frankie morales x reader You spend the spring season falling in love with Frankie. → details: This is the final follow-up to my Seasons one-shot mini-series that I started four years ago!

main masterlist

[chopper-base]

TBB Reverse!AU

Chapter one is finished!!! Still haven't figured out a name for this series, so I'll take any suggestions yall have!!

Summary: Crosshair and Echo watch the rest of their team succumb to the chip's control.

Warnings: Character death, canon character death, violence, canon divergence, alternate universe

WC: 2591

---------------

Crosshair didn’t know what to think when he turned to see the regs firing at their Jedi General. Over the sound of blaster fire, he could hear her voice screaming at her padawan to run. Her terror-filled voice sent shivers down the sniper's spine. The Padawan was running in their direction but skidded to a stop when he noticed them in front of him. The Padawan looked at the Bad Batch in fear, taking a shaky step back before turning and disappearing into the snowy woods.

Crosshair looked between the regs running toward the batch and the woods where the kid disappeared, trying to figure out what had caused the regs’ sudden turn.

The realization that Tech was reading something off his datapad had Crosshair snapping his attention back to his brother. Tech explained that General Grievous had been defeated, marking the end of the war. “The com channels are repeating one directive.” Tech’s demeanor changed as he read the next line, “Execute Order 66.”

The moment the words left Tech’s mouth, Crosshair knew something was wrong. He watched as everyone but Echo stiffened. Hunter’s sharp eyes growing eerily distant.

“We need to go after the kid,” Echo broke the strange silence, pointing to where the padawan had disappeared, “He’s gonna get himself killed out there alone!”

Hunter glared at Echo, causing the Corporal to take a step back. “The kid is a jedi. The order includes him,”

“The order??” Echo’s eyes were wide with shock, “Hunter! He’s a kid! We don’t even know what the ‘order’ is!”

“Good soldiers follow orders.”

A pause. Echo’s confused and pleading eyes stared back at Hunter’s distant ones before the Sergeant turned towards where the kid had vanished. “...what?”

Following the trail of small footsteps through the snow, Hunter ignored the ARC. Not another word was uttered as Tech and Wrecker followed behind him, holding their weapons at ready. Echo watched them go, turning towards Crosshair, who hesitantly followed the others.

Before Crosshair could go any further, Echo grabbed his arm desperately. “Crosshair, I know you guys don’t work with the Jedi almost ever, but come on! It’s a kid!!”

Crosshair nodded. “Believe me, I know. Something’s… off. Hunter would never-“

Blaster fire echoed through the mountain range. Crosshair whipped his head around, looking down towards the woods before back up at Echo. Not a word was exchanged as both immediately took off down the snowy slope after their brothers.

The blaster fire stopped as they got closer. Crosshair’s breath caught in his throat as they spotted the rest of the batch. At Hunter’s feet lay the motionless body of the padawan, four blaster burns decorating the young boy’s chest. His eyes were open, but their light was long gone. His round, childish features were frozen in an expression of permanent fear.

The Padawan’s lightsaber was clenched in Hunter’s fist, helmet concealing all emotions on his face. Crosshair could see in the Sergeant’s body language, there was not an ounce of guilt or regret.

Everything about his brothers was wrong. Wrecker was silent, not a single joke or quip escaping his lips. Through the clear visor of Tech’s helmet, Crosshair could see how distant his eyes were, fixed on his datapad, not sparing a glance at the small body at his feet.

The regs were getting closer. Crosshair could hear their boots crunching in the snow behind him, but his eyes refused to leave the boy, smoke still rising from his wounds. His brothers had just murdered a child and the only one who seemed to care at all was Echo.

“We’ve been ordered back to Kamino.”

Crosshair tore his eyes away from the child to glare at Tech. There was no emotion behind his words, no Tech explanation, just orders. Hunter barely acknowledged Tech before walking back up the slope, ignoring Crosshair and Echo all together as he passed. Tech and Wrecker were quick to follow, their steps oddly in sync as they followed their Sergeant.

Crosshair spared a glance back at the young padawan, now being moved by the regs, before nodding at Echo to follow him. Staying further back from the other three, Crosshair and Echo fell into step beside each other.

“Something is seriously wrong with them, Cross,” Echo whispered harshly.

Crosshair studied his brothers as they walked, their movements seemingly not their own. “I know. It’s all wrong,” Very, very wrong.

They continued to follow Hunter at a distance throughout the trek back to the Marauder. Crosshair could feel the uneasy feeling radiating from the ARC that was still in step with the sniper.

When they reached the Marauder, Crosshair climbed the ramp behind Echo, his feet barely hitting the top step before Tech started to raise them. On any other day, Crosshair would have made some snarky comment about waiting for him to be inside before shutting the ramp, or even just an annoyed huff and a glare. Today? Crosshair didn’t even bother to look in Tech’s direction, making his way directly to his bunk. He sat down, keeping his Firepuncher in his hands and ignoring the helmet still on his head. He didn’t want his brothers to see the concern that he was sure was all over his face. He knew his brothers; he knew them better than they knew themselves. Whoever was sitting in the cockpit, were not his brothers.

Not even two weeks ago, Crosshair had watched Hunter almost get himself killed trying to protect a kid. He refused to believe that he had just witnessed that same brother murder a child for treason of all things.

That kid couldn’t have been older than thirteen. Why was he even on a battlefield to begin with?

Crosshair could understand a few Jedi committing treason. They had heard of the massacre on Umbara, a Jedi General who pulled just the right strings to trick two battalions to fire upon each other. Hundreds of regs had been murdered for no other reason than Krell finding power hungry satisfaction in their deaths. Apparently Captain Rex had asked the ex-general why he did it and his answer had simply been ‘because I can’.

Crosshair never cared for the regs, but reading that report had his stomach churning. They weren’t even supposed to have access to those reports, but Tech had gotten curious, hacking in and retrieving the reports in a matter of minutes. They had made sure to delete them when Echo had joined, not needing the ARC knowing the horror his late twin had gone through without him.

Crosshair honestly wouldn’t have batted an eye if they had just gone after the Jedi Council. He could count on one hand how many times they had worked with a Jedi, Skywalker being the only one that Crosshair tolerated, but for them to be ordered to murder the padawans? Something extremely screwed up was happening and whatever it was, was coming directly from the top of command.

Crosshair felt as the ship dropped out of hyperspace, leaving him to assume they had arrived back on Kamino. He sighed, forcing himself to stand before making his way to the cockpit. The room was eerily silent as Tech piloted the Marauder towards Tipoca City, his normal fast maneuvers nowhere to be seen. Crosshair hated the way the ship barely rocked as they landed, all Tech’s movements almost droid like.

Echo sat in the co-pilot’s seat, his helmet still secure on his head. Hunter and Wrecker also still wore their helmets, and for once, Crosshair missed the ruckus that was supposed to be their normal.

Hunter exited the Marauder, Wrecker and Tech falling in step as they made their way down the ramp. Crosshair stopped beside the door, waiting for Echo to exit before he followed. Crosshair was the first to notice the hover gurney, a sheet pulled over what was clearly a body being guided across the hanger. He watched as a lightsaber rolled off the gurney, clanging against the metal floor, rolling to a stop at the feet of a reg.

The colors of the surrounding armor caught the sniper’s attention, confusion overtaking him as he spotted the scarlet red of the Corrie Guard. The other companies made sense being here, but seeing the Guard on Kamino made the pit in Crosshair’s stomach sink deeper.

Wordlessly, he continued to follow his brothers through the white halls of Tipoca city; the corridors filled with more troopers than Crosshair had ever seen on Kamino at once.

The batch came to an abrupt stop as Hunter held up his fist. “We’ve got company,” he stated almost coldly. He turned around, the rest of the batch doing the same, quickly spotting their tail.

A small girl stood behind them, waving at the batch, a smile decorating her face. “Hi! I’m Omega!”

Crosshair glanced at Hunter, gauging his reaction as the child introduced herself, his face giving nothing but annoyance. The Sergeant didn’t bother replying to the child, signaling the batch to follow as he began to walk away. The look that came over the girl’s face as Hunter turned away from her had the sniper sneering at the Sergeant.

Echo looked at her with a look of sympathy, offering her a forced smile, “Sorry, kid. We’ve had a rough day. Just… don’t take it personally,”

The girl returned his smile. The look of betrayal on her face stabbed the sniper. He didn’t know who this kid was, but it was evident this child had been excited to meet them, and Hunter barely gave the poor girl a glance.

Echo turned and began to follow the rest, but Crosshair couldn’t help but stare at the girl a little longer. She met his gaze, something in her eyes sending a wave of calm over him. He couldn’t bring himself to return her smile, but he nodded to her, “Stay out of trouble, kid,”

That seemed enough for her, her smile growing just a bit brighter. She waved to him as he turned to catch up with the rest of his brothers.

Something about her was familiar, like he knew, but he couldn’t place it. Her smile burned into his mind, her look of innocence as she introduced herself, the look of betrayal as his brothers cast her off as nothing. He couldn’t get her out of his head, he knew he would likely run into her again, and for a reason Crosshair couldn’t place, he looked forward to it.

—-----------

The Empire. That’s what the republic had now become. A galaxy wide empire with one man sitting at the top, in charge of it all. The thought of a single man being the voice of reason and law didn’t sit well with the sniper. The war was finally finished, yet somehow, Crosshair knew the fight was far from over.

Crosshair began to notice the difference in the regs’ behavior as well, seeming almost as though their minds weren’t their own. Regs never got along with the batch. Insults being thrown their way was just the way of life with the batch when they were on Kamino, but the regs acted as though the batch didn’t exist.

Crosshair eventually found himself in the mess hall, his brothers silently eating around him. He absently stared at the food on his tray, his appetite practically nonexistent. The sniper hadn’t expected much to happen during their meal, seeing as the regs had been weirdly ignoring, but the last thing he expected was a small body sitting to his right. Crosshair looked to see the girl again, smiling up at him as she set her tray beside his. She looked around at the rest of the batch waving, her bright smile still plastered on her face. The only one who paid her any mind was Echo, offering the girls a small smile, and a slightly confused sounding ‘hello’. She looked back at the sniper, her smile now slightly saddened.

“You are aware, sitting with us might attract some unwanted attention?”

The girl’s smile didn’t waver. “But I want to sit with you so I don’t care what they think,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Crosshair tried and failed to hide the small smile that flashed across his lips. “What are you doing on Kamino, anyway?”

The girl shrugged, “I’ve been here all my life,”

Crosshair looked at her in confusion, “All your-?” The voice of a reg behind him had him stopping mid sentence.

“Oh look. The defect squad got themselves a new recruit!”

Crosshair turned to see a small group of regs walking by, a smug look on every one of their faces. Omega shrunk slightly in the seat next to him, which just pissed the sniper off more. Crosshair wasn’t one to start fights with other regs, especially when they were on Kamino, but it was taking everything in him not to launch himself at the smug bastard.

Another reg laughed, “One more member for the sad batch,”

The only thing stopping the sniper now was a small hand that came to rest on his arm, the girl’s face offering him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Crosshair. They’re not worth it,”

The regs walked away, laughing and throwing insults over their shoulder. Omega turned back to the table, offering the sniper a reassuring smile, before starting to eat. Crosshair watched the young girl in fascination, wondering why the child had grown up on Tipoca, of all places. Across the table, Echo was watching her as well, glancing at Crosshair with a look of confusion.

“You said you grew up here on Kamino?” Echo questioned, leaning forward and resting his scomp on the table.

Omega nodded, “I work with Nala Se as her medical assistant.”

Crosshair’s confusion continued to grow as the girl smiled at Echo. “...You’re just a kid? Why would they bring you to Kamino-“

“Crosshair,” Hunter’s voice cut him off. The sniper turned to the Sergeant, meeting his gaze, “Tell the girl to get lost. We are about to leave.”

Crosshair just stared at him as he stood up, quickly followed by Wrecker and Tech. Crosshair turned back to Echo and then to Omega, who looked as though she was holding back tears. He looked back at Echo, holding down the anger that was starting to boil. “If he snaps at me one time, I’m gonna hit him.”

Echo rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, because assaulting your superior officer is a great idea when he’s acting insane.”

“...it’s not his fault.” Omega cut in, her voice barely above a whisper, “He doesn’t have a choice.”

“Doesn’t have-...? The hell does that mean?” Crosshair questioned, a bit more harshly than he wanted, “We’re not droids, kid.”

Omega seemed to shrink into herself, but still looked up to meet the sniper’s eyes. “It’s their inhibitor chip. It’s making them act this way. It’s not their fault!”

“Inhibitor- what?” Echo stared at the kid, as she seemed to shrink even farther.

Before Omega could respond, a voice was calling his name from across the mess hall. He turned to see Hunter standing by the door, his bucket on his head. “Admiral Tarkin has requested for us to run a battle simulation. Let’s go. Both of you.” He barked before turning and disappearing through the door.

Crosshair turned back to Echo, clearly pissed. “...I’m gonna hit him.”

“Cross, no.”

Message me or leave a comment if you'd like to be added to my tag list! (You can be added specifically for this fic or for all my fics)

@idoubleswearimawriter @rain-on-kamino @staycalmandhugaclone @rndmpeep @nekotaetae @arkainea @kalykat @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius

[freesia-writes]

I haven't watched TBB yet but I've been spoiled but not as much. I'm also not gonna be able to watch S3 yet because I need to finish TCW, but I have been so so so so so very massively in love with Wrecker ;///////;. I gave up rushing so I'm gonna just gonne binge on all the fluffy Wrecker fics for Happy Hearts Month ♥.

May I please have a Wrecker x Reader fic where:

Reader and Wrecker were supposed to meet either for a date or something and Reader is late so Wrecker ate what he was supposed to give to Reader because idk maybe he's anxious or worried? It can be cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, a cake — anything sweet.

And maybe Reader did the same? Ate what she was supposed to give Wrecker and when they met they just both realize they did the same thing cause there'd be crumbs or something and sjdlaksjdlkajdlkajdakljdalkd.

Just over all feel good wholesomeness. I don't mind any flirting or slight nsfw, but bear hugs and all over kisses from Wrecker would b suuuuuuperrrrrrrrr adorbs!

Maybe a second date vibe?

Only if you can, pretty please and thank you ♥. Sorry if it's too much!

I can't wait for you to get to enjoy the series! I kinda took this in a sliiiiightly different direction for funsies. ;) Dividers by @stars-n-spice from this post here!

Wrecker x GN Reader

1.5k words

No content warnings

The air in the bustling corridors of the base buzzed with anticipation as you hurried toward your meeting spot with Wrecker. Your heart raced with excitement, eager to spend time with the big-hearted clone who had captured your attention. You’d spent extra time getting ready, wanting to make a good impression, as it was still only your second date. It had been a surprising few weeks that you’d been able to be stationed on the same base, catching little conversations with him when his squad was on site for a few days before being shipped off again, and the romance had blossomed immediately. 

You’d been so shocked and delighted at his willingness to pursue something, having assumed he’d make excuses or find it entirely unattainable for someone in his position. But your first date had been so simple, so sweet… You were blown away and entirely infatuated from then on, and you had to wait another few weeks for Clone Force 99 to return. 

So when you were finally able to greet him with a beaming smile, immediately finding yourself wrapped in his unmatched, delightfully warm hug upon his return, you’d made plans immediately for a second date, excited for the convenient upcoming holiday that celebrated love and romance in all its forms. 

Rounding the corner, you spotted Wrecker standing there, a hopeful look in his eyes. He looked so dapper, you thought you would burst with joy. He’d found some basic cargo pants and was still wearing his black shirt, but he’d added some kind of sport coat that looked two sizes too small, yet gave him an adorably debonair appearance. Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, and you quickened your pace, eager to close the distance between you. 

But as you approached, you couldn't help but notice the guilty expression on Wrecker's face, immediately sending you into a spiral of overthinking.  Confusion flickered across your features as you came to a stop in front of him.

"Hi!” you said, trying to be nonchalant. But his reaction evoked the true question out of you. “What… Erm… Something wrong?" you asked, your brow furrowing in concern.

Wrecker's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he shuffled awkwardly on his feet. "Uh, well, you see... I had a real special treat for you… Something I found at a food cart outside the base. It was so fancy…" he admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. You smiled at his irresistible charm.

“Well what’s wrong with that?” you said playfully, gently grazing a hand up and down the outside of his arm. 

“I ate it,” he blurted, slowly lifting his eye to yours with an expression of shame and a touch of mischief.

Your eyes widened in surprise. "You ate it?" you repeated, your tone a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"Yeah, I, uh, got nervous and... it looked really good," Wrecker confessed, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.

A laugh bubbled up from your lips as you reached out to gently pat Wrecker's arm. "It's okay, Wrecker. I'm sure whatever it was, it was delicious," you reassured him with a warm smile. “And that’s kind of adorable,” you confessed, blushing yourself as his jaw dropped and his eyebrows rose. “Besides, dinner with you IS the treat,” you snickered.

Wrecker's expression brightened at your understanding, his heart swelling with gratitude. "Thanks... You're the best," he said earnestly.

With a shared chuckle, you fell into step beside each other, the awkwardness of the moment melting away in the warmth of your easy camaraderie. As you walked, you couldn't help but sneak glances at Wrecker, marveling at the way his eyes sparkled with life and his smile lit up the room.

Before long, you found yourselves at a quaint little café nestled in a corner of the nearby town, the scent of freshly baked pastries wafting through the air. Wrecker held the door open for you with a gallant flourish, a proud grin on his face as he ushered you inside. As you settled into a cozy booth by the window, your cheeks almost hurt from smiling when he squeezed onto the cushy bench seat beside you instead of sitting across from you.

“This alright?” he asked with a grin. 

“Heck yes,” you quipped, and the way he rested his broad palm on your knee as you considered your menu made your heart skip a beat. So polite, so comforting, so protective… All in a single touch? How did you get so lucky… Conversation flowed freely as you considered your options, ordering a few different things to share between the two of you. 

Hours passed, with a hearty dinner followed by some little bites of dessert and some hot coffees to finish the whole thing off, and you found yourself stuffed, warm, and unbelievably content as you leaned against his side. He’d just finished a detailed description of a mission that had gotten steadily more wild as it went on, and by the end you didn’t even know if it was an entirely true story. But it didn’t matter; you were in heaven and would weasel the truth out of him later if needed. 

You finished with a walk back to the base, taking the long way around and sharing some gum that the restaurant had given you along with your bill. You blew bubbles, snuck gazes at each other side to side, and meandered slowly. The conversation dwindled a little, leaving a comfortable silence that stretched until you reached the door where you would part ways. 

You stopped, slowly turning to face him with a demure look on your face. It felt like a dream that you didn’t want to wake up from, and he opened his arms to invite you into another hug that conjured up every warm, happy moment you’d ever had. A sigh fell from your lips as you leaned into his chest, shifting your bag back over your shoulder as it swung forward to whack him in the hip.

“This was really fun, Wrecker,” you said earnestly, pulling away only a little bit, leaving your arms around his hips.

“It was a blast!” he exclaimed, resting a hand on each of your shoulders. “Can we do it again?”

“Yes please!” you giggled. “Right now?”

“I wish!” He joined you in laughter, gently rubbing up and down the outside of your arms with polite affection. “Tomorrow? We should have some time after exercises.”

“Absolutely.” With another ill-disguised sigh, you started to pull away, slowly turning to take your own path home for the evening. 

“Hey, um…” he called, and you bounded back to face him without a thought to how quickly you moved. 

“Yes?” you asked, unabashedly eager.

“Do you… uh…” He definitely wasn’t looking for any excuse to keep conversing with you. “Do you have a tissue or somethin for my gum? The flavor has been gone for a long time now.”

“Of course,” you laughed, swinging your bag back over your shoulder and rummaging around absently. You felt the corner of a napkin, lost in his puppy-dog eyes, and pulled it as hard as you could… producing… with a flourish… a shower of chocolate crumbs that would have caught anyone’s attention as they scattered in a puff from your hand all over the ground. “Oh! Uhh… That’s… That’s nothing,” you spluttered suddenly.

Wrecker tilted his head, interest piqued now at how quick you were to deflect. 

“Oh?” he said quietly, a little gleam appearing in his eye.

“Here… Here’s your tissue!” you said, flushing bright red.

“Come on,” he insisted, drawing closer and bending down playfully. “What’s the secret of the napkin…” You fumbled for words, shaking the rest of the crumbs out of the napkin and about to begin when he gasped. “Wait! Nooo…”

Did he seriously figure it out? He couldn’t have…

“Did you…” He paused to giggle. “Did you have a snack in here?”

“Maybe…” you said slowly.

“Was it something you were going to bring for me?” 

“Mayyyybe…” you smiled, covering your face with a hand.

“And you ate it?!” The final piece of the puzzle was laid into place in a delightful exclamation, joy brightening his face as your reaction confirmed his guess. “Oh ho ho! How the turn tables… have… Ha!”

“I was too busy getting ready to eat lunch today so I was really hungry and I didn’t think you’d miss it if I never said anything about it and it’s been a long week and my self-control was really--” you dove in, laughing as you tried to explain yourself, but Wrecker waved it all away, bundling you in his arms again for another boisterous hug. He gave you a squeeze, still chuckling, as he gazed down at you fondly.

“Well now I have to take you out for dessert again sometime,” he reasoned. “Also, I think I love you already.”

[moosemonstrous]

Tagged by @doreyg, thank you!

No pressure tags: @ulfrsmal, @kermit-coded, @rokhal, @swaps55, and feel free to steal!

How many works do you have on ao3?

38, I'm the opposite of prolific 🫡

What’s your total word count?

164,872

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

stillness of remembering, what you lost and what you had (kalluzeb), amid the voiceless mountains (tbb), with open arms and with open doors and today is always gone tomorrow (FH3) - so Star Wars and a big video game series, no surprises there!

Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

I don't necessarily mind if a writer doesn't respond to my comments, but it's not like I get an overwhelming amount either so it's hardly an issue to shoot off a response.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I suppose Boundary (BG3), after a fashion. I tend to get Into It with the really angsty ideas and they don't end up published very often.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

thoughts compressed (ANGR) still gets me sappy on a reread, but I reckon what you lost and what you had takes the cake. Old bastards get to see the end of war! It's probably for the best I never wrote a follow-up.

Do you write crossovers?

AUs, more like. I tend to have a preference for one side over the other, so calling the results crossovers feels... incorrect.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not a lot!

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

The kind that will mostly never see the light of the day 😂

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nah.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. Every now and then I promise myself to write something in Polish, but it would just be for the sake of it and I don't know that I've got the patience anymore.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Other than some primary school notebook adventures, I suppose a better part of the Ghost Rider AUs were co-written with @wazzappp 🥰 But in a more traditional sense, nope.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

I go for a specific dynamic rather than characters, so it really changes every time I get into a new fandom! Currently it's amareyes. I suppose my preference is that the blorbos kinda hate each other to start with.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

The fuck-off massive Midnight Suns fic that's frankly grown too big to handle, and that terrible Rex-centric Clone Wars retelling that was going to be so sad you guys that I ran out of steam on. I open the wip files sometimes in vain hope they'll have tied themselves off when I wasn't looking.

What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I occasionally get the character voice just right.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing. Oops. I know what should happen, the words just won't go :(

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Shrug. Anything can be done if it's done well.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Oh my god if we go for the FIRST-first one... Yeah I dealt exclusively in crossovers as a kid, why limit myself to one 😅 It would be some wild mixture of Saint Seiya, Slayers, FMA and Soul Hunter. In many notebooks. First one I published would've been for W.I.T.C.H., although the forum it was on ceased to exist a very long time ago. First AO3 fandom was Mass Effect.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I'd love to one day have the confidence to write a Discworld fic and sincerely believe it adds anything to the fandom. Ship-wise... look somebody has to write the first Robbie/Guero fic in the tag and I'm not opposed to it being me.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

in spe salus (sw), I think I got Wolffe down pretty well. Although after-school special (angr) has my favourite paragraph in it.

[lonewolflupe]

20 Fic Writer Questions

Thank you for tagging me, @eternal-transcience and @returnofthepineapple (I loved reading your answers)! ❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

27 (since I joined AO3 in June 2024)!

2. What's your A03 word count?

136,634

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

For All One's Worth (TBB Echo x reader) - 23 kudos

Echo Of Your Mind (TBB Echo x reader) - 22 kudos

The Cavalry Has Arrived (TBB POV) - 20 kudos

Battle Scars (TBB Echo POV) - 19 kudos

On Vanilla And Caramel (Fox x reader) - 17 kudos

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably my longfic A Lupe Of Faith, but that's still unfinished (taking a midseason-break at a pretty angsty point in the story tho). For finished pieces, I think Before I Fall (Fives).

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'd like to think Signs Of Affection (Fives x reader NSFW) haha

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't received any, thank the Maker!

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes I do! It's pretty mild, because I'm still trying to get comfortable with writing it. I'd love to explore it more further tho!

10. Do you write cross overs? What's the craziest one you've written?

No I don't, not really my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No I haven't!

I did write a cracky holomail that is part of @aknightreaderr's Fives State Of Mind universe (and I'm planning on some more Fox-screaming-into-the-cracky-void for that same universe).

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Lupe (OC) x Fives sorry not sorry

Otherwise.. I absolutely love Foxiyo, Codywan and Blyla!

15. What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever wilI?

I still intend on finishing all my current WIPs, haha

I have two multi-chapter fics I'm working on, one with a new OC, one with Reader. But I won't start posting them until I've finished some more chapters (I should work on those again, where did the time go)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uhm.. I'm not really sure? I think I'm pretty okay with writing fluff and hurt/comfort. I'm still a starting writer so I'd leave this question open to my readers haha

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing in English (which isn't my first language)! I think I'm managing, but I feel like I can't express myself fully (I wish my English vocabulary was wider). It feels like I get repetitive sometimes, using the same words over and over again. (Thesaurus and the Cambridge Dictionary are livesavers and I always have them around whilst writing)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

"Ik hoop oprecht dat je een grap maakt als je zegt dat je een dialoog in mijn bitterballen-taal wil," Lupe said with a straight face, as she jabbed a stick into a cheese cube. She devoured the soft, luscious Gouda, before continuing with her mouth still full: "Laten we het bij kaas houden."

I'm just kidding here. I'm not super fond of my own language (Dutch), so I actually prefer writing in English (even when I'm restricted with it). I do use some Mando'a words from time to time, and I might have used some Huttese slang. But I don't master those languages enough to write whole sentences in it, so English it is.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Clone Wars / The Bad Batch! (This is my first time writing fanfic)

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

I hold my longfic A Lupe Of Faith very dear, but A Buir's Burden (Alpha-17 + Cadet Rex + Cadet Cody) is definitely one of my favourites (along a few I mentioned at question 4).

---

NPT: @aknightreaderr @eclec-tech @kotemf @ladylucksrogue @kybercrystals94 and whoever else has AO3 and wants to join this!

[dukeoftheblackstar]

♝

To that/those anon who sent an ask about TBB. HMU.

I guess I should drop it here because I got a few anons who are a bit upset that I haven't read any of their TBB-related works and I'm not sure how to feel about that.

I don't mean to sound insincere, but I'm not sure if me half-assing an apology is something that should happen and it's really not something I want to do. I don't feel like apologizing for something I'm not sorry for or feel I have to be faulted for.

I haven't watched TBB yet, okay? I'm still finishing TCW because I never got to finish the full series, only some episodes when it happened. I'm not even in the Umbara Arc yet.

Give me a hot minute to juggle things.

I know for a fact that I initially signed up for Jango's copy-paste boys and I'm all up for that. I am. I just can't touch TBB-related fics yet because I've already spoiled myself with so much Wrecker snippets, I'm dying to skip. But I won't.

So, whoever those were who sent the asks or if it was just one person, I don't really know and I don't really care (in a non-combative way), just know that I hold no ill-feelings towards you and if you're upset by me not paying attention to your TBB fics, I don't know what to say but an apology isn't something but... I may get there if I am at TBB because I'm gonna obsess over it and I'll probably come across yours.

I'm also open for a DM if you wanna talk about it.

I have also been nursing an illness for almost a week now, so I'm either slaving my ass off in the corporate work life I'm trapped in or sleeping.

I'm also Plo Koon obsessed. He takes precedence over anything if my interaction of the Kel Dor Squad is a problem.

[clone-lover]

Shattered

Hunter x gn Jedi reader

Blehhhhhh sorry I've been gone so long 😅 I hit a pretty big block when tbb ended but I'm starting to come back! Anyways here's a little angst with our fav Sarge ✨❤️

Warnings: angstyyyyyyy

Masterlist

The saber you crafted before the clone wars bounced weightless in front of your scrutinizing eyes. Questions of your own identity flooded your mind as you examined the crack splitting your kaber crystal. You found yourself wondering how this could happen. You were a model student in the republic. Your mind filtered back to the moment it happened. You palmed the crystal and slowly ran your finger down the crack, almost as if you were reading the history. The past flew by in flashes.

Hunter, the man you grew to love, was choking with his feet off the ground. The memory grew more vivid as you remembered the emotions, "No!" You flashed back to the memory. You remembered the breaking in your voice as you screamed and released all you anger out on one point, your saber. In a desperate attempt to save him you threw your saber at the inquisitor who had a grasp on him.

You tore your finger away from the crystal as if it would stop the memories but they were branded into you mind all too well. You fell to you knees beside him as he gasped and coughed. The sound of the inquisitor's body thudding to the dirt. Hunter's arm tore your from you daydreaming nightmare.

"What's wrong?" He was sitting beside you on your bunk with his arm around your shoulders. You shoved your crystal towards his free hand. A couple years ago your master honored you with this stone, with the hopes you would become a great Jedi one day. Now, you are explaining to your forbidden lover that you broke the one thing a Jedi has. "I broke it. It's just one crack." You could feel the guilt and shame boiling in your stomach even as you tried to reason that one crack wasn't that bad. He examined the stone just as you had a few moments prior. "Do you think it will-" he paused, half because he didn't know the words and the other half because he could since your uneasyness. He sat and waited for you to continue when your ready.

You took the stone back, "do I think it will glow red?" You finished his questions and floated the stone towards the pulled apart saber. "I don't know. I haven't seen it since," you paused to swallow down the guilt that was threatened to explode through your eyes. "since the incident." The saber pieced itself together flawlessly and you took it into you hands nervously holding it. It was almost like you had never held one before and was unsure of it's capabilities.

You stared at it restlessly unable to proceed, not without the encouragement Hunter was about to provide. He pulled you closer, providing you with much needed security, and breathed into your hair, " what ever happens, I'm still going to be here for you." You breathed out and discharged the blade. It flashed to life and revealed a dark red.

Hunter held you closer, tighter as you stared in disbelief at the blade. You thought back to your master's training and effort. You had failed him. But you weren't a sith, right. "What do I do now?" You asked Hunter with tears welling in your eyes. He reached forward and switched off the saber to pull you closer. "I don't know but whatever happens, we will get through it together."

[mentalblabbermouth]

May the 4th hit me like a truck and i'm still stuck like a fly to a windshield 3 months later

(just posting notes from my ramble doc, i should just get the app at this point)

Man it’s lonely not having people outside of online spaces being just as obsessed with the same media. My sib and I have kind of drifted apart in terms of tastes in shows/fandoms and my folks aren’t interested at all. I don’t really have any friends in my hometown that I could just go on impromptu hangouts to the mall or park with, and the ones I do have their own long established clique and they’re into different stuff. It’s not like in college with living on campus, and all those friends are miles away. These days it’s hard to even find a free day. I think it really comes down to I wish I had someone to turn to and be like “this character connects to this and foreshadows this and did you know etc. etc.” basically infodumping but actually being listened to with the same amount of enthusiasm. 

   I want to talk about Star Wars, casual mainstream stuff I guess, like I’m late in the game but just started the Bad Batch and I got so excited hearing the narrator again. I used to watch the Clone Wars when I was little so it was a huge hit of nostalgia. Funnily enough I’ve basically gotten the highlights of the whole series through reaction posts, fanart, clips, and finally decided ok I’ll check it out after reading a fic (it was "Success Rate" on Ao3 btw). I wasn’t initially interested when the Bad Batch first came out until their personalities really started to show and of course sibling family moments. And I’ll admit the fandom space from what I could see on insta genuinely looked like fun from the sidelines. 

   The Dad Batch is so real, watching the very first episode knowing what happens later on and how much they grow it’s bittersweet and touching. Literally the moment Hunter sees Omega it’s like the remnants of the paternal Mandalorian instincts kicked in. This man was already set on becoming a father figure even if he hadn’t realized it. I just thought it was the fans doing their thing but no I witnessed it with my own eyes they’re all girldads and now I wish I got into the series sooner. 

   Also because I’m an animator at heart I love catching the little side glances between the brothers and the little quirks. For being voiced by the same guy, each of the Bad Batch have their own distinct personalities and mannerisms and I’m having such a good time.

   Omega is such a sweetheart, I don’t get how people could not like her! She’s literally baby and I know she grows up at the end of the series, so seeing how she started out she’s so small! She’s just a kid! She’s their little girl! They love her immediately and wholeheartedly! I didn’t know that in the first episode Order 66 just hits them like that, everything is confusing and chaos, the world they’ve known their whole lives is crumbling down. But they risk their lives and their freedom and return to Kamino for her! 

   The food fight scene was great, absolutely love how they’re ready to throw hands.

Nothing is more euphoric than finding a piece of fanart you remembered liking years ago but not remembering the artist so you go on a long search detective style and then find it! Yes it was Bad Batch content—I liked the occasional art even though I had never seen a single episode until now and I’m living rn absolutely delighted to find the piece was part of TBB Zine! Catching up on quality content now with context is healing rn (just in case the piece is by clone.enthusiast aka Bird on insta, forever treasuring this I’m smiling)-update: i think with the whole Meta AI thing the artist left Instagram and I'm so sad i can't find them.

Anyhoo, wanted to get that part out of my system. Been busy with a new job that's been so draining that I haven't finished Season 1 yet. Burnout has made picking up a pencil feel like holding a hot iron that it just hurts idk. Thinking of making a Tumblr blog just for professional art portfolio things since Instagram is now a hot garbage fire and lots of people are moving to Cara. I don't think i'll leave Insta myself since I've got mutuals there and there's still awesome art around. But yeah that's what's life been lately, if you've read this far, thanks!

[zoeykallus]

Giiiiiirl! We all need some Tech, but something soft and chaste, complicated, slow burning, very angsty! And with some heartache, don't forget the heartache!

😮... erm... Anoooon! Lucky for you, I have something in my wips I could work on that feels like it fits this profile... in a way... I guess. Heartache? Okay, but don't come crying to me later. It was originally a draft with my OC (Which I never would have finished or published anyway), but I think I can fix it up.

Tech/Howzer x 'Jedi'!Fem!Reader - Shortfic / Oneshot - The Misfits

Warnings: Angst/Hurt/Fluff/Heartache/!!!!MAJOR SPOILER FOR TBB S2!!!!!

_____________________

After you fell in love with Howzer, you left the Order. You haven't seen him for a long time and according to rumors he is most likely no longer alive.

In your search for answers to where all the clones are disappearing to, you stumble upon a squad of clones in desperate need of help.

_____________________

AC: I changed some timeline related things as well as canon itself and call it artistic freedom 🙂. Depending on your point of view, there is a happy ending, or there is none. Or a bit of both. I totally went over board with this, but I kinda love it. It's probably one of my favorite things I worked on.

______________________

Above him, the life of his squad hangs by a thread; below him is a yawning void, a deep abyss. Within a few heartbeats, Tech has calculated all possible scenarios. There is only one way out, one way only. He can save his family if he sacrifices himself. Plan 99. Wrecker and Omega beg him not to cut the connection, Hunter even orders him to.

"When have we ever followed orders," Tech says, drawing his blaster.

Every move, that what he needs to do is logical, but it feels surreal, heavy-handed. His heart is pounding up to his throat, yet he feels strangely calm. He knows he's doing the right thing. Tech doesn't want to go, but it's a necessity to ensure the continued existence of Clone Force 99, to give his brothers and Omega a chance to survive.

The few seconds in which he aims and pulls the trigger are forever, seeming almost infinite to him. He hears his brothers calling for him and Omega's screams. In the next moment, the connection is cut, and he drops falls, his stomach tingling, everything tingling, but his muscles relaxed. His heart is racing, but his mind is calm and unusually empty for the first time in a long time.

But something is wrong, his fall slows down, even his direction of flight changes. His mind awakens again. Tech looks around, tries to orientate himself, and realizes that he is heading for one of the towers along which the cable car runs. He has no idea what is happening, there is no logical explanation, no updrafts strong enough, he has no wings and no way to control his fall, it makes no sense.

He gets close enough to grab one of the crossbars on the tower. His heart leaps as his fall stops, and he clings to the tower. Tech still can't quite grasp that he's alive, doesn't quite understand what just happened. A surge of euphoria floods his body; he doesn't have to die.

But his mind sobers up very quickly. His gaze shoots upward. The car with his brothers is moving again, but disproportionately fast, they would very likely crash into the stop.

Up above the tracks he sees a figure, a woman, she moves quickly, elegantly, dodging shots, but most interesting, she wields a green lightsaber with which she deflects the blaster shots of the Imperials.

"A Jedi," he says to himself.

Then comes the realization. He didn't fly, the Jedi must have saved him. Tech begins to hastily climb down, he must be on the ground on foot trying to reach his brothers in time. At the bottom, even as he runs, he hears the car crash into the platform. His guts want to tie themselves in knots, but he keeps running, can only hope that no one is too badly hurt.

You see dust and smoke swirl up as you jump down from the tracks into the crash site. Behind you, you hear hurried footsteps. The one you rescued earlier also reaches the crash site. He stops for a moment, stares at you, his eyes big. Finally, he rushes past you into the wreckage to check on his companions.

Some of them are injured, not fatally, but too badly to fight.

"I assume you have a shuttle," you say, more or less addressing everyone.

"Who's that?" the biggest of them asks with a groan, holding his aching ribs.

You wave it off and say, "We can work that out later. I'll back you up on the way to your shuttle if you'll take me. The imperials shot down my shuttle," you say, helping the girl to her feet, who looks at you wide-eyed, then at Tech.

"TECH!"

The girl hugs the man fiercely as tears stream down her face.

"You're alive!" she says as if she can't believe it.

He wipes away her tears and says gently but firmly, "You need to pull yourself together for a moment, Omega, first we need to get out of here"

"Go!" growls the one with the longer hair and bandana, "No time".

He grits his teeth, stumbles limping through the rubble and almost falls, but you grab his arm and help him. You can sense his pain.

"Thank you," he presses out in anguish, between clenched teeth.

Under fire, you rush back to the shuttle as fast as you can. Tech helps the sergeant, the big one named Wrecker holds up on his own. You fend off incoming shots, more than a few of which would hit one back or another without your help. The blade of the laser sword hums, buzzing through the air like an extension of your body, every movement, fluid and natural.

Tech keeps looking over his shoulder, fascinated. He's seen many a Jedi, but somehow, there is something different about you, something that already draws him in.

Pabu is beautiful, peaceful and the people refreshingly warm. A good place to come to rest, at least temporarily. However, you are a bit frustrated at the moment, your attempts to repair your holopad have failed. Annoyed, you place the device back down on the half-wall in front of you.

"Fuck it," you grumble to yourself as you hear a soft noise behind you.

You turn and see Tech, his helmet tucked under his arm, looking at you in surprise with raised brows. He's unobtrusive, yet somehow always near you.

"Excuse my choice of words," you say with a wry smile.

He shrugs carefully and says, "I may not be a fan of that language, but it doesn't bother me much either. However, I must say that this choice of words surprises me, hearing it from a Jedi. I don't think I've ever heard a Jedi swear before."

You laugh softly.

"What makes you think I'm a Jedi?"

Tech blinks thoughtfully, adjusts his goggles with his index finger, and says, "Well, I thought it was obvious. You carry a lightsaber, use the Force, and you are clearly not a Sith."

You nod slowly, "Yes, I can understand why you would come to that conclusion. But I'm not a Jedi, not anymore, not for a few years now."

He extends his hand to you invitingly and says, "May I help you with that?"

You pick up the holopad again and pass it to him. As he deftly takes the device apart, he cautiously asks, "May I ask why you left the Order?"

You sigh softly and sit down on the half-wall, looking down at the beach for a moment as if searching for an answer there, then look at Tech again.

"I never really fit in with the Jedi. You could say among the Jedi I was an outsider to some extent."

Tech looks up curiously from the holopad. He notes that this is something that connects you, he and his brothers never really fit in among the other clones either. He says, "That must have been difficult."

You nod with a sigh, "Sometimes more, sometimes less. I lacked that absolute calm, that restraint. Although I grew up in the Order from a very young age, I have never been able to put aside my emotional nature. The decision that I had to leave the Order was made when I fell in love."

Tech looks up again, blinking, you sense unease beneath his surface.

"In love?" he asks, swallowing, "Oh. Jedi aren't supposed to do that, are they?"

"No, they shouldn't. Well, it happens to many actually, but a real Jedi, cuts themselves loose from it, I didn't want that to happen."

The little, "Oh" that comes across his lips sounds oddly vulnerable.

Tech is still tinkering with your holopad when he asks, "And what happened to that love of yours?"

You swallow and feel an uncomfortable pressure on your chest as you answer quietly, "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a very long time. He was stationed on Ryloth. After Order 66, I couldn't possibly go there, too many clones in one place, and… I was terrified that he had succumbed to the chip as well. If he had tried to kill me, I don't think I could have stomached it. But from what I've heard, he's probably no longer alive anyway."

Tech looks at you in surprise.

"The man you loved was a reg?"

You frown and repeat, "Reg?"

He shakes his head apologetically.

"Sorry. Regular clone, meaning clones that haven't been modified like Clone Force 99"

"Oh, I see," you say understandingly, "Yes, by that standard I suppose he was a Reg. As far as I've heard, he ultimately acted contrary to programming. He was arrested for treason when he liberated the Syndulla family"

Tech looks up again.

"Howzer?" he asks, surprised.

"Yeah," you say, also surprised, "You know him?"

"[Knowing him] is probably too much of a word. We ran into him. At the Syndullas liberation operation. For that matter, I'm afraid I have to confirm the rumor you heard, Howzer really has been arrested by the Empire for treason."

Your heart grows heavy. You swallow. You feel a slight burning behind your eyes and the bridge of your nose.

"Then I guess he really is dead," you say with a heavy sigh, "Actually, I'm not surprised, I was already expecting it, and we haven't seen each other in over a year, but it still hurts."

Tech put the holopad back together. He gently presses the device into your hand, holding your hand almost tenderly for a brief moment as he does so.

"I'm sorry."

He's really sorry, but part of him feels relief that Howzer can't be a part of your life anymore, and he's ashamed of it. In fact, he's shocked at how he feels about you and how that realization affects him.

As Tech lets go of you, he says softly, "Your holopad is working again."

You blink and look at the device.

"Thank you so much. You're really handy with these things, aren't you?"

Tech smiles gently.

"At the risk of sounding smug, I have to say, 'handy' is probably an understatement, but yes".

Tech's heart beats faster when he sees you enter the room. He looks up, smiles at you briefly, and nervously turns his attention back to the cards lying on a box in front of him.

"You're playing… Against yourself?" you ask, surprised.

He nods and says as a matter of course, "Of course, that's the only way this game is still a challenge for me."

Your soft laugh, turns his cheeks a little pink.

"I actually believe you," you say, amused.

You glance over his shoulder.

"You're probably really good at this, you'll have to teach me when you have the time".

Tech's shoulders tighten proudly, he turns his head to the side to look at you shyly for a moment and shows you his cute little smile, just very briefly, but adorably cute.

You are so close, very close to him, for a moment he can smell your scent even more clearly than before and a shiver runs through his body. If he wasn't sitting right now, Tech is sure, his knees would buckle under him. What's happening to him here, what are you doing to him? Does this have something to do with the Force? Tech doesn't dare ask. But he feels something like a connection, and he feels all warm. Maybe he's just incubating a disease. Are there parasites on Pabu that he doesn't know about?

His thoughts are racing in all directions, but then you move again, sit down opposite him. His gaze follows you, spellbound. Tech blinks several times, trying to collect himself. Spending time with you is so wonderful in a way, so exciting, but it also completely messes with his head.

"Are we going to play a game? Will you teach me?"

His mouth opens, but it takes him a long moment to find his voice again.

"I… yes, I'd love to. But the circumstances aren't exactly fair. My mind is… special, it will be anything but easy to win against me"

With a soft laugh whose sound tickles all the way to his stomach, you say, "I don't have to win, first I just want to learn"

You learn quickly. Surprised, with a very slight tinge of frustration, and not a little appreciation, he notes that you soon beat him over and over again.

"No one has ever won against me until now," he says, impressed, but also thoughtful.

Part of him was hoping to impress you, but now he almost feels a little intimidated.

You smirk.

"Well, this is a game where a lot depends on how well you know your opponent and how to interpret their behavior. I have a simple advantage, I can sense your intentions in the Force, maybe the circumstances really aren't fair."

His pulse races. Instead of being angry that you more or less cheated through the Force, panic rises in him. If you can sense his intentions, can you sense what you are triggering in him?!

You tilt your head slightly to the side and look at him questioningly, which only emphasizes his fear. Tech jumps up, nearly knocking over the box still containing your playing cards.

"I have to take care of something," he stammers and runs out of the room a little too hastily.

Echo enters the cockpit of the Marauder in search of Tech. He finds him there, too, using a medical scanner on himself. Echo's brows go up questioningly.

"Tech, what's wrong?"

Startled, Tech looks up, collects himself, and finally answers, "I'm looking for traces of a disease or parasite."

Concerned, Echo moves closer.

"So you're not feeling well?"

Tech sighs and says, "It's hard to tell. I'm showing certain symptoms"

"Which are?"

"Increased heart rate, queasy feeling in stomach, sweaty palms, shaky knees".

Echo frowns and says, "That doesn't sound like a parasite."

Echo thinks for a moment and then something occurs to him. With a certain undertone, he asks, "Those symptoms wouldn't happen to show up in connection with our Jedi guest?"

Tech lowers the scanner and looks critically at Echo.

"Are you suggesting she might have infected me with something?"

Echo says, amused, "More or less. She's pretty, she's nice, well she's special."

Tech sighs softly and says, "I agree."

Echo sits down in the copilot seat, looks at Tech and says, "You'd rather be sick than in love?"

"In love?!" echoes Tech in near panic.

His brother raises his hands placatingly.

"Relax, it's a normal thing, not the end of the world. But it's also natural to have a certain respect for these feelings. They make us vulnerable and as soldiers we are trained to avoid such things, especially as clones. But there are no regulations anymore, you could take the leap and explore these feelings."

Techs heart beats faster, just the thought that there might be something between you sends what feels like millions of signals through his body.

"Are you scared?"

Tech gulps.

"I'm not sure about that, in a way I guess I am. She can use the Force, maybe she already knows, maybe she's already sensed what I'm feeling."

Echo shrugs.

"I suppose it's possible. But so far it doesn't seem to me like she's avoiding you, that's a good sign after all."

Tech nods slowly, agreeing with his brother.

The sun is slowly setting, but it is still wonderfully warm. Your hands rest on the waist-high stone wall in front of you and feel the warmth of the sun stored in it, which has been shining on it all day. A real, pleasant feeling. Then you feel something else, with your mind.

"Hey, Tech. Did you get done what you needed to get done?"

You turn to him with a smile. It's almost unusual to see him without his datapad in his hand. Tech stands next to you and looks out at the ocean and how the sun seems to be sinking into the water on the horizon.

"Yes, I have," he says softly.

You can sense that something is going on beneath his surface, he is excited and euphoric at the same time, but outwardly he seems quite calm. You look at each other, you feel it coming, but you don't move a muscle. Unsure if you want to let it happen or not. He leans towards you, his lips chastely touching your cheek, then he straightens up again with blushing cheeks and looks out at the water again, unable to face your gaze.

It's a strange feeling. You like Tech a lot, you can't quite place it yet, but something about it feels wrong, maybe because you can't quite release Howzer from your heart yet.

"Sorry," he says suddenly, "I didn't mean to cross any lines."

You sigh softly and carefully reach for his hand. Tech's heart overflows with joyful excitement, you can feel it, it practically spills over to you, but you pull yourself together.

"There's something you should know, Tech."

He does finally look at you again, questioningly.

"You can tell me anything," he says quietly.

With a cautious smile, you nod and say, "I can feel what you feel for me, at least I think I can. These feelings, I must admit, are not entirely one-sided."

There is great joy radiating from him, nervousness, euphoria, but also a bitter undertone of insecurity.

He says, "I have a feeling there's still a 'but' there."

You nod again and say, "My heart is not ready to let go of Howzer. I know he's most likely no longer among the living, but I'm not ready to let him go just yet."

"Oh," Tech says quietly, "That's not a problem. I, um, I can wait until you're ready."

"I can't ask you to do that, I don't know how long it will take" you say uncertainly, lowering your eyes.

You would love to let him hug and comfort you, just let go and snuggle up to Tech's side, but something, hidden deep inside you, prevents you from doing so.

Tech repeats determinedly, "I can wait," and very gently squeezes your fingers in his hand.

At that moment, your heart opens a little wider to him and his, adorably sweet, little, smile.

"Rex is coming to Pabu," Hunter says, "And he's bringing some more of our brothers with him that he was able to rescue from the clutches of the Empire."

You remember Rex, a little bit, anyway. A decent guy, good soldier, he was Skywalker's Clone Captain. Skywalker was the only Jedi at the time who seemed to understand you to some extent, at least you always had a good conversation with him. You wonder where he is now, if he is still alive. But a noise pulls you out of your thoughts.

A shuttle is approaching and lands next to the Marauder, which suddenly seems quite small in comparison. The ramp opens and Rex emerges from it, followed by several other clones.

Tech shows up next to you, giving you a gentle smile before focusing on the arrivals, his datapad in hand as usual.

You greet the new arrivals. Rex even recognizes you, you talk for a moment when you hear someone say, "Hey little Jedi."

There is only one man who has ever called you that.

"Howzer", the name comes across your lips like a whisper.

You turn around and see him standing in front of you. He looks tired, but the smile on his face is still irresistible. Neither of you think for long. You embrace each other stormily and Howzer engages you in a long, longing kiss.

As his lips part from yours, he leans his forehead against yours and says, "Honestly, I hardly dared to hope I'd ever see you again, beautiful."

The world around you has faded out, there is only Howzer and you, even though all eyes are on you. Some confused, others amused. But you also feel Tech's shock, poking through all the other sensations surrounding you, like an electric shock.

The datapad in his hands crackles and creaks protestingly under the pressure of Tech's fingers as he watches your kiss. He didn't expect this, didn't expect Howzer to ever appear on the scene again.

Tech could have imagined waiting until you were ready for him, but this changes everything. The realization is like a shock, and a wave of bitterness rolls over him against his will.

The datapad cracks in his hands. Echo next to him stares in disbelief at the kissing scene, then his gaze shifts to Tech with concern.

"Tech…" he says softly, but Tech drops the datapad to the floor, turns on his heel, and walks away in a hurry.

Hunter and Echo exchange a frown, a worried look.

"I'll go check on him," Echo says, and sets about following Tech.

That same evening, you're sitting on the beach with Howzer, holding hands, talking, telling each other all the things that happened during the time you were apart. Then you feel it again, the tentative, tender presence of Tech. You turn your head and look up at him.

You haven't seen him since this morning, since Rex and Howzer arrived. You don't know where he's been or what he's been doing during that time. But since Echo followed him and also stayed gone all day, you suspect he was talking to his brother.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I know you probably have a lot to talk about, but I'd like to ask for a private conversation," Tech says in a matter-of-fact tone.

Howzer frowns questioningly, but when you agree and leave with Tech, he has no objections, trusting you and waiting on the beach as Tech and you walk away, out of earshot and sight.

"I know," Tech begins, "Things have changed now, of course. Howzer's still alive, and I don't presume to make demands or get in the way. I'm very fond of you, and even though I'd like to be in Howzer's place, all I really want is for you to be happy."

His pain is deep and more intense than you expect, you can feel it almost as clearly as if it were your own.

"I'm so sorry, I-"

Tech raises his hand.

"No, don't be. Neither my feelings nor the current situation are your fault. You should be happy, you have the man you love back."

Everything inside you tightens. Yes he is right, you should be happy, but you are not, not completely. But maybe that's just what you feel going out from Tech.

"Something about this whole situation doesn't feel right," you say so softly that he almost doesn't hear it.

He smiles sadly and says, "That's just because you're a good person, you have a good heart. You know that I feel pain, and you would like to change that. But you can't, this is something that will heal with time."

You take a deep breath, stand on your tiptoes, and he leans towards you. You gently kiss Tech's cheek and say, "You know I still care about you immensely, right?"

He swallows, finally nods, and says, barely audibly, "I know that."

As you part ways, he stares after you for a long time as his hand automatically moves to his cheek and his fingers settle on the spot where you kissed him. He will never forget this moment.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

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