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skellymom · 5 months ago

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"Vagabonds" Chapter 26

"LOVE AND HOPE"

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

Hunter meets a smuggler Nomaadi Star Woman with a powerful force sensitive teen who changes the trajectory of CF-99's lives...as they ALL try to escape from The Empire together.

To read Chapter 24 & 25 - "SEPARATION & THE NIGHTMARE"

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/764929745333927936/vagabonds-chapter-24-25?source=share

Word Count: 2.3K

Background: The return of a friend. Echo comforts Sil. And, the Batchers are given Thoomie's back story from Uncle Taavi. It's a very unorthodox origin story...and one that I am familiar with when another woman I worked with left her baby behind in a locker room, and the police came to my home for questioning. TO BE CLEAR: This story is NOT an attempt to punch down at any one person in particular. This part of the story, much like a lot of other parts sprinkled into this series is a commentary on SOCIETY overall.

The Batch and Taavi ask an open ended question. One that could be seen as scornful, but instead are blunt questions. They don't judge, only contemplate their own luck. And, the scale of value society sets for life in the galaxy.

For anyone new to this series: "LOVE" is the nonbinary/genderfluid neurodivergent/nonverbal Force sensitive kid of the main OC of this series named Mad. Mad is an older single mother, close to almost 50 years of age (not many older female protagonists in stories, so I decided to make one.)

Warning: swearing, angst and brief mention of a LIVE baby in a dumpster (no worries reader, baby is rescued-NO blood or gore, but brief mention of a "blue baby").

(Credit: Cool dividers by @4ngelic-Wh1spers, @plum98 @strangergraphics-archive Pinterest: Blackstar)

Tech tinkered under the Beldame. It helped keep his mind off of Hunter’s depression and sadness. This was the first time Tech and the rest of The Batch had seen Hunter openly cry since...well, probably since that Reg broke Hunter’s nose when they were children.

Thoomie administered a light sedative to Hunter so he could rest and heal for an hour or two. Taavi announced he would whip up a meal for them all in the Bar’ge ‘N Go’s cafeteria after he was finished with his duties.

Now that there was access to more tools, equipment, and parts, Tech would have the ‘Dame up to speed in no time. And, with Echo researching intel, The Batch could help Mad and Sil locate and retrieve LOVE and Tiggy.

Tinkering away deep in thought, Tech reflected on how so much had transpired since leaving Kamino, then Ord Mantell.

It had been a DIZZYING turn of events...

“Well...look WHO popped up”

Tech was pulled from his rumination, glanced down recognizing a familiar pair of metal heeled boots...

His eyes widened.

Immediately he wheeled out from under the ship and sprang up. Tech slicked back his hair and dusted of his clothing.

Pushing up his goggles, Phee Genoa came into focus.

“Hello Brown Eyes.” She slyly smiled.

Tech stood there speechless... Say SOMETHING! But...WHAT???

Your hair has a buoyant quality that attracts my attention...

NO...

The scent wafting up from your skin excites my senses...

NO NO....

The timber of your voice causes prolierection of the hairs on my arms...

NO!

The thought of you quickens my heartbeat, resulting in tachycardia...

NO!!!

Phee watched amused at Tech’s internal struggle.

His face began to flush slightly.

Phee mused ADORABLE when he’s flabbergasted.

“Uh...hello.” Tech exhaled, trying to keep his cool.

“Glad you made it off Ord Mantell. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I am currently repairing this ship...for a close friend.”

“Oh? Looks like Madienne Dax’s ship.”

“Why...yes...it is...”

“Close friend, you say?” Phee smirked.

“Why yes. She’s been very hospitable with sharing it as a living space. And preparing meals for consumption...” Tech trailed off.

Maker, I am rambling He cringed.

“Sounds cozy.” Phee teased.

Tech silently analyzed Phee’s words. Cozy? Peculiar thing to remark. I am NOT cozy with Mad...

Phee stood patiently and watched his brain work it out

Tech’s eyes widened as he made a realization.

...OH!

“I should be clear.” Tech raised an index finger to accentuate his point. “HUNTER is Mad’s boyfriend.”

Phee giggled. “Just the person to keep Bandana on his toes!”

“That she certainly does.” Tech smirked.

Phee leaned in and her voice softened. “Hey...Brown Eyes?”

“Yes?” Tech answered

“I missed you.” She smiled.

“I missed you as well.” Tech beamed.

Sil sat in the darkened clinic room alone. The only light filtered out from the bacta tank where Mad floated silently, sleeping with help of a sedative.

He refused to leave when Thoomie offered to show him to a room on the barge. Taavi reassured her Sil would be alright. Just needed time to spend with his auntie and to sift through his feelings alone. Uncle Taavi moved a hover stretcher next to the tank for his nephew.

Sil, now lying upon the stretcher, whispered to his auntie.

“I feel SO lucky you found me Coruscant. And thank you for taking me with you and LOVE....glad to have you both as family. We’ll find them, Mad. Tiggy too. These guys are gonna help us. I can feel it. Please don’t be so sad. It will work out...”

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Then we get away from all this trouble that’s been following everyone. We find a place to hide out. LOVE will help you have them babies. And...maybe...you marry Hunter, huh? We send out a coded signal. And, when the rest of our family shows up we have a great big Reunion with a Nomaadi wedding...yeah? We will all be so happy...”

Sil wiped a stray tear from his eye and sniffled.

“We get that ole’ Nomaaddi tattooist to mark Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Hunter...they can officially be part of the Star People Family. Auntie I want to LIVE...instead of just trying to SURVIVE.”

Sil gathered his hearts wish hoping it would come true with The Force.

“Hey...you awake?”

Sil turned over to see Echo faintly standing in the darkness by the clinic doorway.

“Yeah...just talking to her. She can hear me...us, you know.” Sil spoke wistfully.

“She’s probably very grateful to hear your voice. Can get pretty lonely in there.” Echo strode over to Sil. “Hey...Taavi is cooking up his all day, all you can eat breakfast. Don’t know much about it but sounds promising. Wanna come eat with us?”

Sil exhaled wearily “Not very hungry...sorry. Just want to be alone...with my auntie.”

Echo’s heart went out to Sil “No worries. I’ll bring you something later...ok?”

Sil nodded.

Echo headed for the door, then turned with conviction.

“We’ll find LOVE and Tiggy. Somehow. Some way. Promise.”

Wrecker emerged from the refresher clean and wearing a fresh change of clothes.

“Ahhh...good to be in a decent sized shower for once.” He flopped down on the king-sized comfy bed and eyed Omega sitting on the other one across from him. “You’re turn.”

She sighed and snuggled deeper into the pillows.

“Go get cleaned up, ya smell like musty Bantha Butt!”

“No I don’t.”

“Yeah...you do. If I can smell it, you definitely stink.” Wrecker rolled over and propped himself up with a pillow. “Besides, you don’t want to gross out Hunter when he’s tryin’ to eat, do ya?”

Omega perked up slightly “He’ll be eating with us?”

“Yep. We’re gonna wheel that hover stretcher right up to the table. No reason for him to be eatin’ alone.”

“Is Mad going to be alright? How are we going to find LOVE and Tiggy.” Omega looked so sad. It broke Wrecker’s heart.

“Yes to the first question. Uncle Taavi told me so. I believe ‘em.” Wrecker winked. The second question...” Wrecker struggled to answer in a way that would give Omega some hope. “I...don’t know. But Echo is trying to figure it out. If anyone can find ‘em, Echo can...”

“I miss them...and I’m scared they aren’t safe.” Omega whispered.

“Me too, Omega.” Wrecker agreed. “But we can’t do anything about it right now...on an empty stomach.” He tried to put on a silly face to hide is concern.

Omega looked skeptical.

“C’mon...get in the refresher.” Wrecker negotiated. “Sooner you clean up, sooner we go eat with Echo and find out if he has any leads.”

Omega dragged herself off the bed and slowly made her way to the refresher.

“What is Thoomie’s story” Tech inquired

The Batchers and Uncle Taavi sat comfortably at a large booth. Echo had wheeled Hunter into the cafeteria on a hoverchair. He was healing quickly with a bacta wrap over the sutured area, but still advised to stay off his feet for another standard day. Echo parked the chair at the table so Hunter could eat with the group.

A HUGE spread of breakfast food, served all hours during one rotation, sat in front of them. Omega, Hunter, Echo, Tech, and Wrecker heartily filled their bellies while conversing with Mad’s Nomaadi Uncle.

At the opposite end of the cafeteria in the game room section a menagerie of droids loudly and happily cavorted with several Tooka kitties.

“Little Thoo?” Uncle Taavi flamboyantly waved his hand smiling. “Well... found her!”

“A street urchin on some Outer Rim planet, huh?” Hunter probed, sipping his Meilroon juice.

Taavi calmly shook his head “Nah, on the bottoms of Coruscant...in a DUMPSTER.”

Hunter dramatically spit his drink out onto the table. “Eh...apologies.” He sputtered.

Omega, ever ready to help her brother, stepped in “It’s ok, Hunter. I’ve got it.”

Taavi didn’t miss a beat and tossed a handful of napkins onto the mess and kept speaking. He gesticulated animatedly no matter whatever the topic of conversation.

“Yeah...so I got tip about a buncha slightly used but primo ship parts being tossed out for garbage pickup. Just picked up and hoofed it down there right away. I ain’t one to let somethin’ valuable go to waste!”

Echo and Tech were transfixed, caf cups raised, watching this man so casually speak about something so...personal. Hunter refilled his glass with juice. Wrecker listened intently while shoveling food in his mouth like it might get away. Omega absent mindedly wiped the table slowly with the napkins while watching Taavi tell his story.

“Landed, hiked into the bottoms, found the right location, then hopped right into that dumpster and went to diggin’ through all the stuff people don’t want no more of. Shit...” Taavi threw his head back and laughed “ALL the stuff the rich up at the top of Coruscant just casually throw out ‘cause they got that money to burn.”

Taavi other hand shot out and rubbed his fingers together. “LOTS of ‘garbage’ they would call it...the good stuff. The people at The Bottoms don’t have nothin’ much ta part with. They keep as much as they got...which is pretty little.”

Omega kept slowly, absentmindedly wiping the table. Hunter sipped his juice. Wrecker shoveling in food. Tech and Echo sitting motionless...still haven’t sipped their caf YET!

Taavi still gesticulating, as if conjuring the story with his hands. “THEN I hear a noise. Well...my nosy self thinks it some Tooka diggin’ in that dumpster for some food. ‘Dem poor little kitteh’s start explorin’ around in there, and then the garbage just caves in on ‘em...and they can’t get out.” Taavi was intense during this part. REALLY committed to giving every Batcher at that table a glimpse of how terrified Taavi felt about it.

“So’s, I dig down and find this backpack...in more than middlin’ condition I might add. Open it up...like YOU do...”

The amazement of what must have been on Taavi’s face at the time of the story shone brightly.

“...and... there SHE was! This sweet little baby, struggling to breathe, BARELY alive...NO LARGER THAN MY HANDS...”

Taavi holds out both of his calloused hands. A poor workman’s hands with starship grease in the worn creases and under his fingernails.

His face then turned pensive. “And I think to myself...WHO DOES THAT???”

The Batchers sat transfixed...stunned.

“So’s, I took that backpack with that perfect little girlie home with me. Told myself ‘Taavi, you done found a little gift right in that there dumpster.”

Omega wiping, wiping. Hunter sipping. Wrecker eating. Echo and Tech motionless.

Taavi leaned across the table at them, raising his voice “AND SHE WAS BLUE! BLUE I TELL YA!!!” Strugglin’ for breath but holdin’ on like a real trooper. That ship parts tip...that right there was a SIGN!” Taavi’s index finger stabbed down RIGHT on top of the moist napkins Omega was using to wipe the table.

Omega stops wiping. Then Taavi stabs his finger down repeatedly with every other word to DRIVE HOME HIS POINT.

“The FORCE wanted me to find that little dumplin’ and take care of her!"

Taavi finally takes his hand away from the table, gesturing randomly towards the doorway, where in the heart of the ship Thoomie was treating another client who had arrived needing rudimentary medical attention.

“You all have seen her now. Happy and healthy as a lee Romay clam!” Taavi smiles tenderly, a glimmer of tears glaze his eyes. Eyes of love and gratitude for his girl.

Hunter sees Taavi’s eyes and suddenly struggles to hold back his own glimmer of tears. Omega gave up on the napkins and picks up her Star Cake. Echo sits still like a Dugardugar in the Marauder’s headlights. Wrecker chews...

Tech... lump in his very composed, logical throat slides his plate of Bantha Bacon and Star Cakes slowly over to Wrecker...who silently takes the plate. “Apologies...I am NO longer famished...”

Taavi realizes the impact his story has on the group. He empathizes with them. Shared quite a bit just the first day of meeting. But he felt a closeness with them. And... Mad doesn’t just make friends with ANYONE...well a particular one was a mistake, but that’s just ONE. She’s discerning...or she wouldn’t be alive. The Force whispered to him that The Batchers are discerningly loyal and trustworthy. Two things worth mineral backing credits to the Nomaadi.

“Oh, PAL, it’s all A-okay! My Little Thoo is doin’ GREAT!!! Don’t let ole’ Uncle Taavi’s story get to ya.” Taav’s head snaps down to the empty caf carafe on the table. “Oh GEEZ, what kinda host am I? Let me get ya a refill!”

He pops up from the booth and scurries over to the Bar’ge ‘N Go counter for a fresh pot. The Tooka kittens mob him and he cheerfully ladles eggs and meat from a pan into several bowls. They mill around happily as he sets the bowls onto the floor. Then belly laughs in pure joy while they fall over one another to get to the food.

The Batchers sit with everything Taavi said for a while.

Hunter finally breaks the silence “SOMEONE PUT THEIR CHILD IN A DUMPSTER???” His face is grief stricken.

Echo mused quietly. “Makes our childhood look almost like an amusement park ride.”

Wrecker had NOTHING to say. He silently enjoyed the contents of Tech’s plate...spacing out...clinging onto the flavors and textures in his mouth, along with the present-day image of a very small, yet healthy and happy teen. The food helped to push the image of a tiny baby barely clinging to life...barely old enough to cling to any HOPE of salvation from their situation out of his mind...

Omega takes a bite of her Star Cake, sadly remembering all the very young clones the Kaminoan’s euthanized when they didn’t meet up with their exacting expectations...names and numbers the 99’s had never knew briefly existed...

Tech could only make a VERY true, yet sad statement. “WE were CONSIDERED valuable...” He stared into the bottom of his caf cup. “Apparently...there are many MORE in the galaxy who fail to reach even close to that arbitrary standard...”