#Tech Lives Fic

[kybercrystals94]

Stolen Time

Read here on Ao3!

Summer of Bad Batch 2024 | Week 4 | "You really think you're going without me? Not going to happen."

Rated: G | Words: 4,213

Author’s Note: Is this idea unique? Nah. Did I write it anyway? Absolutely I did. *throws another Tech-lives fic into the fandom*

The sensation of falling is not unfamiliar; however, the sensation of helplessness, of utter resignation, of a broken heart…these catch like a sob in Tech’s throat. Mere seconds stretch into an eternity. The devastated expressions of his siblings are seared behind his eyelids when he closes his eyes. He wishes they hadn’t witnessed him fall. It will haunt them, he knows. He never wanted that for them. However, he’d rather that they live with the trauma than die trying to save him. The price of his life for theirs is one he willingly pays. 

He just hopes that the impact kills him instantaneously.

***

He breaks the surface of consciousness with a breathless gasp. When he moves to sit up, a weight on each of his shoulders holds him back. A soothing voice speaks incomprehensibly and close, warm breath on his face. Tech continues to choke down gulps of air, his lungs greedily accepting the panicked doses. 

Words begin to take shape in the voice above him, and he hears his name, spoken so softly and gently that Tech knows that the speaker loves him. But he doesn’t recognize the voice, although his mind feels thick and muddled. Perhaps he simply cannot remember. 

“Easy, Tech, you’re safe. Shhh, you’re safe.” The weight on his shoulders lifts, and a heavier weight folds around him instead. It startles him until he realizes that it is an embrace, arms threaded behind him, pulling him close. “I missed you. We missed you. It’s alright. Shhh.” 

He doesn’t understand why the voice continues to hush him, as if he is making any noise at all. And then he hears it. Feels it. Shuttering sobs, hot tears, trembling limbs. But he doesn’t understand why. 

“Where am I?” he chokes out, “Why can’t I see?” 

“Your vision will come back,” the voice says, now close to his ear, “It’s a side effect of being in stasis. You were there for a long time.” 

Stasis…

“Who are you?” Tech asks next. “Why do I know you?” 

The voice does not answer for a long time, but the embrace holding becomes impossibly tighter. The face against his neck feels wet. “Oh, Tech. It’s me…It’s Omega.” 

“Omega?” Tech’s mind cannot reconcile the little girl of his memories with the woman’s voice speaking now. 

You were there for a long time. 

Years. Lost. Gone.

I missed you. We missed you.

His sister. His brothers. 

“We’re on our way back to Pabu,” Omega says. She pulls back, the weight of her embrace gone from his chest. It leaves an ache in its absence. Before he can despair, hands wrap around his, holding fast. “I haven’t told them that I’m coming…that we’re coming. They wouldn’t believe me unless they saw you with their own eyes.”

“Hunter,” Tech gasps out. “Wrecker?” 

“And Crosshair,” Omega adds. “They’re safe.” 

A knotted pain in his chest loosens, one he hadn’t recognized was there until Omega said the name. They’d found Crosshair. They’d brought him home. This time, Tech knows why he begins to cry, and knows that it is his little sister that gently comforts him. 

***

His vision comes back as Omega said it would; however, his sight remains impaired without his goggles to assist. Omega hands the lenses over, cracked and damaged from his fall, evidently, long ago. He doesn’t put them on. They won’t do much good in their dismal state.

Glancing up at the young woman sitting next to him, Tech experiences a strange and hollow grief. “You look older,” he says. “Much older than I remember you.” 

Omega smiles. “Wait until you see our brothers,” she tells him with a wink. It is meant to be humorous, but it just sends another wave of grief. That is what Tech is afraid of, if he is honest with himself. They will have aged while he has stayed the same. Having matured with them concurrently all his life, the reality that they have carried on without him is disheartening.

“Are they happy?” Tech asks, fingers tracing lightly over the broken glass of his goggles. 

Omega considers the question carefully. “Yes, they are,” she says at last. “They weren’t happy when I joined the Rebellion, but it was a different sort of sadness, I think. I might be older and stronger and wiser, but I’ll always be the little girl from Kamino, won’t I?” Omega chuckles. “Always my little brothers’ kid sister.” 

Tech can appreciate that sentiment. He releases a huffed chuckle. 

“But how are you feeling?” Omega asks. “It must be overwhelming.”

“It is,” Tech agrees. “It does not quite seem real. Like it might be an elaborate hallucination.” 

“If it would help,” Omega says, the edge of her lips quirking into a mischievous grin, “I can pinch you.” 

Tech snorts, rolling his eyes. “That is not necessary. I only said it doesn’t quite seem real.” 

Omega shrugs. “Just putting the offer out there.” 

“You have become quite adept at flying,” Tech says, shifting the subject away from himself. He hasn’t seen more than Omega’s little vessel hurtling through hyperspace, which does not take any sort of talent; however, the comment seems to shift something in Omega’s stance. She looks proud, as though he has just paid her the highest of compliments. 

Perhaps he has. 

Omega leans back in the pilot’s seat. “I hope so. That’s kind of my job now.” 

“Indeed?” 

Omega spends the hours of hyperspace recounting to Tech everything he’s missed. While his sister is animated and entertaining in narrative, it is shared with a subtle detachment. After all, she is sharing her past, her history. He is catching up, trying to understand the circumstances which have shaped the future he has unceremoniously stepped into. 

And while he listens with rapt attention, it also breaks his heart.

***

Omega’s flying skills are fully demonstrated as they approach the familiar island on Pabu. Omega guides her ship toward the base of the island rather than the landing pad at the top. When Tech opens his mouth to ask, Omega answers before he can get a word out. “Oh, you’ll love this, Tech. Watch.” 

With the practiced ease of a veteran pilot, Omega brings them nearly to the surface of the ocean, steering the ship into the gaping mouth of a cavern, neither wings nor fin scraping any sort of stone. Deftly, she activates the landing sequence, bringing the vessel to rest on the floor of the cave.

“Where was this when the Marauder was destroyed?” Tech retorts. 

Omega sighs. “Hindsight is much clearer than foresight,” she says. “In our defense, we were trying to load the ship to flee Pabu at the time.”

Tech is fully aware; however, the sharp sting of loss is still persistent. 

“If we give them a minute, I’m sure they are on their way down from the house,” Omega says, standing and stretching, her spine and shoulders popping loudly in the now silent ship. “Hunter has a radar for incoming ships.”

Tech looks out the viewport. The cavern has been lit up with strategically placed light sources, likely activated by their arrival. The island is already dark, several hours into the night cycle, although the evening is young enough that their brothers would not have gone to bed yet. 

Omega walks back into the main hold and begins shoving items into a leather bag. Tech watches her, feeling unsure what to do with himself. He does not have anything, possession or otherwise. If Omega notices the awkwardness, she does not show it, and merely slings the strap of her bag over her shoulder before lowering the ramp. 

“And there they are,” she says softly, tossing him a grin over her shoulder before she descends the steps two at a time. 

Tech hears them, their voices familiar but strange. More conversational and emotive than he remembers them…with the exception of Wrecker, of course. He sounds exactly the same. They greet Omega cheerfully, questions about her wellbeing and health tangling over one another. Is she being careful? Has she been getting enough sleep? Enough to eat? Resting between missions? Omega patiently answers each one, and Tech can hear an indulgent smile in her voice. 

“You should have told us you were coming home,” Hunter admonishes lightly, with absolutely no heat in his tone. 

“I wanted to surprise you,” Omega says. “Because I found something…someone…and I brought him back just as soon as I could.” 

Tech knows that that is his cue. He inhales a deep breath, but it shudders weakly when he exhales. Stepping into the doorway, he finally sees his brothers. Without the benefit of his goggles, their expressions are smudged to his view, but they go completely still, frozen in place as they stare up at him. To his mind, it has only been a few short hours since he has seen them, and with Crosshair, long months.  

But to his brothers, it has been nearly a lifetime. They have mourned him, honored his memory by living as he hoped they would always be able to live: free and safe. He does not know how they will react to seeing that he is alive, preserved just as they last remembered him. A living, breathing ghost. Time has stopped once again when none of them move. Tech doesn’t know how to set the chrono ticking again.

To his relief, Omega breaks the silence. “We discovered a warehouse containing hundreds of cryo-cycle stasis pods. From the intel we’ve decrypted, it seems that Hemlock kept what he referred to as promising specimens that he thought might be useful in future projects. When Project Necromancer was shut down, the coordinates to the warehouse were lost. We recovered dozens of survivors, Tech being one of them.” 

Although Tech has already heard this news, Omega having shared the details of his rescue as soon as he was coherent enough to comprehend, he hears it anew from the perspective he might have if the roles were reversed.  

He imagines the shock alone is incomprehensible. Painful even.

“You mean he’s been alive all this time?” A voice asks, shattered with jagged edges. “We could have found him…Hemlock might’ve told us…” 

It takes Tech a moment to process that it is Crosshair speaking, his most severe and unyielding brother’s voice bloodied and raw.  

Omega shakes her head. “No. We can’t think like that,” she says firmly. “What matters is that he’s back now. We have our brother back now. Wondering what we might’ve done differently won’t change anything.” Her tone leaves no room for argument.

“I don’t remember anything after my fall on Eriadu,” Tech supplies weakly, stepping down from the ramp. “I…had no awareness until Omega found me.” 

He hopes that the knowledge is a small comfort; however, it seems to have the opposite effect. Tech desperately wishes for the lightheartedness of several minutes prior, when he was still out of view, and Omega’s presence had brought their brothers immense joy. 

But suddenly, the mood shifts again, an unruly tide determined to be unpredictable. Wrecker laughs, the sound reverberating off the uneven cavern walls, echoing back at them. He rushes forward and envelops Tech in a familiar, bone crushing embrace. It entirely dispels the air from Tech’s lungs, and he gasps for breath even as he smiles. 

“We missed you, Techie!” Wrecker tells him, lifting Tech bodily from the ground. 

Tech wheezes out, “I would say the same, but it only feels as though I took a prolonged sleep cycle.” 

“Let him breathe, Wrecker,” Omega says, but she is laughing too, the gentle chide ignored for several more moments before Tech is released to a looser hold, Wrecker’s arm still around him. 

Hunter comes forward next and puts his hands on Tech’s shoulders, dark eyes searching Tech’s face for something Tech doesn’t know. “You haven’t aged a day, have you?” his oldest brother asks. 

“Well, that is the design of the stasis pod,” Tech tells him. 

Hunter laughs and pulls Tech close, his embrace nearly rivaling Wrecker’s in its intensity. “And you haven’t changed at all, my brilliant little brother,” he says softly.  

Tech feels the irritating sensation of moisture gathering in his eyes at the gentle words, but he does not wish to cry in front of his brothers. He has done quite enough of that in front of his sister. 

With some effort and not a little regret, Tech disentangles himself from Wrecker and Hunter’s grasp. There is one brother he has not seen since the destruction of Kamino, has not directly spoken to since he stepped in to draw Wrecker away from Crosshair’s cruelty. 

“Let it go, Wrecker. Crosshair has always been severe and unyielding. It is his nature. You can not change that. He cannot change that.”

“Why are you defending me?” 

“I am not. Understanding you does not mean that I agree with you.”

If Omega’s stories are anything to go by and bear any weight of reliability, it seems that Tech was wrong. Crosshair could change, did change, has changed. Tech wants to see and speak to his returned brother for himself, apologize for not pushing to recover him sooner. 

But when Tech steps around Wrecker and Hunter, and they all turn to where Crosshair had stood, the space is empty, gone like a shadow banished by light. 

***

It takes much convincing, but Tech is finally allowed to search for Crosshair on his own. He suspects that their conversation is better done in private. Omega offers him a few places that their brother might have disappeared to, but Tech is fortunate enough to find Crosshair in the first one. It is a tree house near the top of the island, built by his brothers for Omega and any children who might enjoy it. This late in the night, the little structure is seemingly vacant, but Tech climbs the rungs of the rope ladder anyway. Crosshair sits across from the narrow opening in the floor, back against the short wall, one leg out and one drawn up with his arms crossed and propped on his knee. 

“Hello,” Tech says, pulling himself up and settling himself across from Crosshair. 

Crosshair’s face is turned down, and even if he lifted it, Tech could probably not read his expression in the dim light. “Omega already told you about all of our hiding spots?” Crosshair asks. 

Tech hums, glancing around. “Not all of them, I’m sure. She only gave me a brief summary of the most likely locations.”

“I’m surprised you snuck away,” Crosshair says. “I didn’t think Hunter would let you out of his sight for the next ten standard years.” 

“That is a gross exaggeration,” Tech muses, “and I did not sneak anywhere. I told them I was going, and they let me. You on the other hand…” 

Crosshair makes a scoffing noise. It is so achingly familiar that Tech feels a tight fist of emotion lodge in his throat. It does not take much effort to imagine that this is one of the many times that Tech has sought Crosshair out, sitting with him in the quiet of a supply closet until he was ready to return to the barracks. They had always been able to communicate in silent moments, a steady presence when words were inadequate. 

The silence between them now, however, is stilted and strained. A weight and a distance. 

Tech desperately wants to fill it. Before he fell, when he thought they were going to rescue Crosshair from the Empire, Tech had rehearsed what he might say. But now, against Tech’s will, with years passed, his practiced words have expired. Crosshair has come back, has changed, has grown older in both body and mind. A few months to Tech are now years and memories to Crosshair. 

Tech does not know what to say, does not know what reparations have already been made. What he could add, what he should add, what he should leave to rest. 

He wishes he had asked Omega for more insight rather than a basic history of events. 

To his surprise, it is Crosshair that fills the silence instead. “They told me it was you that first wanted to ignore my warning message.” 

“Only because it was I that found it first,” Tech says. 

“I told you to hide.” 

“We were never ones to follow orders, were we?” Tech asks with a grin. 

“You shouldn’t have died,” Crosshair says, voice thick. 

“And I didn’t,” Tech returns. “Merely an extended absence.” 

Crosshair growls at that. “Merely,” he sneers, but Tech recognizes the grief. It is a reflection of his own. 

“Not merely,” Tech amends. “I do not regret my attempted sacrifice. But since I did not perish, I regret that I have missed growing old with all of you, seeing Omega grow up.” 

“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t…if I had just come with you on Kamino…” Crosshair cuts himself off.

Tech sighs. “Do not try to shoulder the weight of shared blame, Crosshair. We might have all made different decisions with different outcomes. I am sorry we did not try to find you sooner.” 

Crosshair shakes his head, and Tech hears a sharp intake of breath. He is moving before he thinks better of it, sitting next to Crosshair on the rough, wood slat floor. He wraps an arm around Crosshair’s back, drawing him into his side. The former sniper resists at first, leaning away, but Tech takes a metaphorical page from Wrecker’s book and holds fast until Crosshair resigns to be held. 

“I know that I am late to say it; however, it is true nonetheless,” Tech says in a low voice. “I am most relieved you found your way home.” 

“It was Omega’s fault,” Crosshair huffs. He swallows audibly and adds, “She brought you home too.” 

Tech smiles. “She does have an uncanny aptitude for finding things that are lost.” 

“How is it that you can say something profound and make it sound like an understatement?” Crosshair chuckles brokenly. 

“It is one of my many talents,” Tech says. 

They sit for a long time in comfortable silence.

***

Omega announces that she can stay on Pabu for two weeks. What is exploring the island to Tech is reminiscing to his siblings as they share stories and memories associated with every place they go. 

This large rock formation on the west beach is where Crosshair and Hunter taught Omega how to dive. 

This little fishing boat is the one they built together during their first spring on Pabu. 

These tide pools are where they spent nearly every Benduday in the summer. 

This is where they built a sand castle so big that it took the tide nearly a week to smooth it back to nothing. 

This clearing is where they’d go camping to practice Omega’s survival skills. 

This is the street Omega was running down when she fell and broke her arm. 

This is the food stall where they’d get their decanting day treats every year. 

Countless memories excitedly shared. 

And he missed every single one. 

It is the last afternoon before Omega leaves that their brothers return to the house early. They do not say it, but Tech can see that they are tired, their stamina not the same as it was when they were soldiers and younger. So they leave Omega and Tech and Batcher down on the beach, telling them they’ll have fresh caf ready for them when they come home. 

Tech and Omega watch Batcher chase after the moon-yos, the little creatures chattering at the lurca hound as they scamper just out of reach. Omega chuckles sadly, poking at the sand with a piece of driftwood. “She's getting old,” she mutters. “The moon-yos are letting her keep up.” 

“Batcher does not seem to mind,” Tech observes. 

“She doesn’t know any better,” Omega says. “She doesn’t know that time is a thief. Sometimes, I wish I didn’t know either. Just enjoy each and every day without wondering when it will end.” 

That is a somber thought. Tech turns his gaze to the water, waves calmly lapping the shore, unperturbed by the bleak conversation. 

“You will leave tomorrow?” Tech asks. 

Omega nods. “At sunup.” 

Batcher starts barking at something she’s found, leaping and wagging her tail. Omega smiles and pushes herself to her feet, going to see what the beast has discovered. 

Tech knows why his brothers do not join Omega in the Rebellion. They have already fought a war, fought for the life they now have, the peace they’ve now embraced. He discussed it with them late one night after Omega had gone to bed. It was not a decision made lightly, especially Omega leaving to join the Rebellion on her own. Hunter admitted that her ambitions clashing with his fear had led to many heated arguments in the beginning, until Omega tried to slip away into the night without warning. Omega is a warrior, a rescuer, a fighter. She is restless and uneasy until she knows she has done everything in her power to help those in need.

Tech understands her drive deeply. But to watch her leave again, he does not think he can stand it. He’s already lost so much time…

“Perhaps,” Tech says, softly, almost inaudible over the noise of the surf, “I will come with you.” 

Omega doesn’t hear him, but he’s already made up his mind. 

***

Tech wakes before the sun rises, but Omega’s room is already empty. She said her goodbyes last night to each of them, and Tech did not say a word about his plan; however, he had hoped to catch her before she left the house. He does not have much, but he snatches the small bag he packed and bolts out the front door, not as quietly as he would have hoped. The path to the cavern has become familiar enough that even in the dim light of approaching dawn, he finds his way quickly. 

He only slows his pace when he sees his sister ahead of him, just entering the gaping mouth of the cave.

“If you are under the impression that you are going without me, that is not going to happen,” he says as he comes in behind her. 

Omega stops short and her shoulders drop subtly, before she turns to face him, dark eyes weary. “Tech, you belong here, with our brothers. We just got you back…we can’t - we won’t - risk losing you again.” 

“That is not for any of you to decide,” Tech declares. “You have chosen that your path is with the Rebellion, and I have chosen that my path is with my sister. So much of my time has been stolen. I did not see you grow up as our brothers did. I did not help teach you or raise you. I can make up for that now.”

“Tech,” Omega sighs, “You taught me so much–” 

“Please, Omega,” Tech cuts her off. “I have already decided. Do not try to leave me behind, because we both know I can and will find alternate means. It would be much simpler this way.” 

That makes his sister smile, a battle worn grin that looks far too old. “I suppose you’re right about that,” she concedes, shifting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. “But what will Hunter say?” 

“He’d probably say don’t take unnecessary risks, and watch out for one another,” Hunter’s voice calls out. 

Tech takes a steadying breath before he faces his brothers who have come in behind them. “Apologies, I did not mean to wake you when I left,” he says.

“If you hadn’t meant to wake us,” Crosshair says with a wry grin, “you wouldn’t have sounded like a herd of stampeding rancors as you ran out the door.” 

“Rancors do not move in herds,” Tech tells him. 

Crosshair groans. “It made my point, didn’t it?”  

“I was trying to catch up to Omega,” Tech explains, “I fully intended on returning to give my farewells before officially departing.” 

“You better have,” Wrecker says, scooping Tech up in his arms. “You keep an eye on little Meg. She’s a crazy pilot. Learned it from you.” 

“It’s called skill,” Omega retorts playfully. “But yes, I did learn it from Tech.” 

Tech wriggles out of Wrecker’s grip in time for Crosshair to sidle up and put a loose arm over Tech’s shoulder. “Make Omega come visit more often,” he says. 

Hunter nods. “And make sure she calls us at least once a week.” 

Omega rolls her eyes. “Guys, Tech’s not coming to be my babysitter. If anything, I’m going to be reminding him we need to call.”

“In that case,” Hunter says, pulling Omega into his arms, “make sure Tech comes and visits his older brothers once in a while, huh?”

Omega leans into him. “Of course. We both will. I promise.” 

It is well past sunup before Tech and Omega board her ship. He waits for her to move to the pilot’s seat, but she hangs back, watching him with a smile. “You wanna get us out of here?” she asks. “Modified this beauty myself…well, Echo helped. But you can let me know how she handles.” 

Tech grins. He does not need to be asked twice. 

END

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[morganbritton132]

17 year old, CEO Tim Drake canceling a press conference and then putting out a statement like, “Sorry for canceling last min, Alfred said that he was going to run my laptop through the dishwasher if I didn’t clean my room. I think he’d do it :/. Also, wasn’t really in the mood. Cya -Tim.”

[lightspringrain]

This art is thanks to the SUPER TALENTED @collophora . They are pieces for chapter 1 and chapter 2 of my CX-2 Tech fanfic "Return From Darkness". She did an absolutely fantastic job. If you want to see more amazing storyboard art, go check her out!

[kybercrystals94]

I’ve already got a WIP that will work for this prompt 👏

Here’s an excerpt in case anyone is curious 👀 :

Tech is frustrated to learn that some of his knowledge is outdated, technological advances having the audacity to carry on while he remained stagnant by no fault of his own. Omega happily tells him that it is to their advantage since she has been tasked with bringing Tech up to speed. “It means we’re assigned to work together,” she says as she steers them toward the mess hall. “That’s what we wanted.”

“Well, yes,” Tech admits sullenly.

To his surprise, Omega smacks the back of his head lightly, a teasing gesture he hasn’t received since before Order 66 claimed Crosshair’s good humor. “Don’t be like that. You’ll catch up in no time. I’ll get you the manuals after dinner.”

And yes, this is definitely a sequel to my Tech!Lives fic, Stolen Time.

Prompt #4:

Rebel

(Submitted by Anonymous)

So simple. So simply Star Wars.

[bad-batch-lurker]

I was walking to the subway last night, when it occurred to me that there’s no way Tech doesn’t have an in-universe fan club.

After he wins that riot race, he immediately became a number of people’s favorite racer, and the fact that he disappeared absolutely fueled their fervor. People spend inordinate amounts of time breaking down his strategy. There are definitely message boards on the holonet speculating about his “real” identity and “where is he now?” Tech-stans fight with dudebro equivalents about whether or not his win was a fluke.

My evidence? I know how fandom works.

[aaaaawolfquarters]

Tech is alive

But is he okay

(I swear I will post this fic eventually. For now, suffer)

[clangrogu]

Clones x Reader Fic Recs (Tech Edition Pt. 2)

Tech Projects by @moodymisty (GN!Reader, SFW)

Not Qualified by @ghostofskywalker (GN!Reader, SFW, Smidge of Angst)

Looking at Their Lips when they Talk by @sev-on-kamino (AFAB!Reader, SFW)

Unreasonably in Love by @interstellarwraith (GN!Reader, SFW)

Alone Together by @jedipoodoo (GN!Reader, SFW)

Did You Know? by @vodika-vibes (F!Reader, SFW)

Rambling by @momojedi (GN!Reader, SFW)

Comfort by @queenariesofnarnia (F!Reader, SFW)

Finally Found You by @queenariesofnarnia (F!Reader, SFW, Faked Death, Hidden Pregnancy, Mom!Reader, Dad!Tech, Ex-Jedi!Reader)

Pretty Boy by @manofworm (GN!Reader, SFW)

If I Had Known by @techtalksfics (F!Reader, SFW, Reader is jealous of Phee and kind of a mess, Some drinking, Anxiety)

To The Point of Invention by @hesthermay (GN!Reader, SFW, Happily ever after on Pabu AU)

Late Nights in Hyperspace by @like-a-bantha (GN!Reader, SFW)

Tech enjoys messaging you throughout the day by @sinfulsalutations (GN!Reader, SFW)

Eyes On Me by @mandos-mind-trick (F!Reader, NSFW, Smut, Exhibitionism, Kinda poly-bad batch-ish but not really?)

[skellymom]

"AMBER EYES"

Bad Batch TECH Fan Ficlet x READER

A story of HOPE for Tech Fan's: Resident of Pabu unlocks a secret even THEY weren't aware they had access to!

(Credit: Pinterest Bad Batch, Saphira Laufens, Dividers @saradika)

Word Count: 475

Rated: SAFE for EVERYONE! ENJOY!!!

“Can you hold this for a minute?” 

Omega handed me her brother’s goggles while she wiped down the shelf they would be resting upon in the Archium. 

Clean up and repairs to the island and the artifacts museum were underway after the Empire had left the planet of Pabu...and when the clones returned. 

They helped the residents of the island put their lives back together.

We helped them find a better life here. 

Crosshair was the one to locate Tech’s goggles under some heavy rubble Wrecker lifted out of the way.  His eyes catching a glint of light reflected off the remaining amber glass of its lenses. 

I held the goggles, staring into what was left of that glass. 

Unfortunately, I came to the island after he perished on a distant planet.  Never got the chance to meet him. 

Pity that.   

I became close to his remaining brothers and sister.   

It started with Hunter.  According to him, he has enhanced senses.  I clocked him right away... 

Just a feeling.   

But that’s been most of my life.  Small snatches of intuition... 

Lucky guesses...they happen occasionally.  Fortuitous events that helped me navigate my life in this ever-changing galaxy. 

Wrecker’s strength, Crosshair’s eyesight, Omega’s empathy and strategy... 

And Tech’s superior intellect. 

We all have gifts. 

I lift the goggles up to stare through them as Tech would have done.  That amber glass captivating me... 

Hunters head snaps up quickly.  I can FEEL his stare. 

My hands suddenly go numb...like when cold wind rushes over them. 

The Archium’s walls dissolve into blue, cloudy skies and it handicaps my equilibrium... 

I trip and fall...hear Wrecker screaming... 

Down. 

Down. 

Down. 

A shattering impact.  I suddenly cannot see... 

Don’t know how long I was...GONE...but the feelings of being in my own body returns.  I’m cradled in the warm arms of Wrecker.  His face along with Hunter, Crosshair, and Omega’s hover over me as I lay on the floor. 

“What happened?” Crosshair’s expression is one of concern. 

I lift up the goggles, clutched TIGHTLY in my hand and gaze at the splintered amber lenses. 

“Tech.” is all I can muster. 

“Whatta’bout Tech?” Wrecker asks with trepidation. 

Staring into those lenses, I inhale and exhale.  I’m breathing...he’s breathing...WE are breathing simultaneously. 

“I...felt...FEEL HIM...he’s...ALIVE.”   

All eyes widen, then shift to their Sergeant. 

Hunter’s eyes discern SOMETHING...he doesn’t understand what.  But he believes what I’m saying.  Can read it in his expression. 

He then taps the comm on is wrist. “Havoc 5, do you copy?” 

Silence, then a grumpy voice answers back “I copy Havoc 1.” 

“Rendevous at our coordinates.  Recon mission for Havoc 2“ 

Stunned silence, then an excited reply “Enroute IMMEDIATELY Havoc 1!  Havoc 5 OUT!!!” 

“You’ll help us find..?” Hunter requests as he reaches for my hand. 

I grip it firmly with conviction. “Yes...look forward to FINALLY meeting him.” 

To read Chapter 2

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/767923139764207616/amber-eyes-chapter-2?source=share

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[leenathegreengirl]

Just two dorks in love 🥰 💚💕

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[baddest-batchers]

Not So Secret

Tag warnings: MDNI (younglings begone), slightly suggestive, small hint at intimacy, very passionate kissing, confident/soft Tech, overall fluffy sweetness

This is a little prequel ficlet to “More Than Life” I debated posting this because I just wasn’t happy with how it was unfolding so I’ve rewritten it a few times and am finally ready to share it!

Just for a little backstory, Jayla is my Jedi OC. She’s newly knighted and she’s been assigned to Clone Force 99 as their semi permanent Jedi general. Big surprise she is head over heels in love with Tech.

I hope y’all enjoy!

Taglist: @techwrecker

Needy, desperate, unabashed wanting.

Those four words were the only way to describe the hot, open mouth kisses Tech was placing down Jayla's neck. Her soft whimpering at his increasingly wanting touch was only fueling the fire that burned low in Tech's core.

The pair found themselves taking every chance to express their affection in increasingly heated ways whenever the rest of the Batch had vacated the Marauder. This precious time that they would get alone was always seemingly too short and they found themselves having to quickly disentangle themselves from each other before Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Echo would return.

"Tech!" Jayla's voice came out breathy and hot against his ear. "They're coming—Tech, my love, we have to—“

"Yes, I know. I can hear the unmistakable sound of Wrecker's footsteps." Tech said into the soft spot between her neck and shoulder.

He pulled back slightly to take a longing look into her face, still flushed from his kisses and eyes filled with desire.

“We will have tell them sooner rather than later, mesh’la.” Tech said in a lowered voice. The sound alerting whomever was occupying the cockpit that the main hatch had been opened sounded.

A disappointing sigh escaped Jayla’s lips as she glanced at the Marauder’s blinking console, “Sooner would probably be better, wouldn’t it?” She said while returning her gaze to Tech’s handsome face.

His goggles had become slightly askew amidst their passionate kisses. Jayla reached with both hands that had previously been resting on his chest plate to fix them back to their proper position on his face. Tech did not let her go as she did so and looked at her with a soft gaze through his now corrected goggles.

“Ah, thank you, cyare.” Tech said in a low voice. Before Jayla could fully retract her one hand, he gently brought her fingers to his lips, pressing featherlight kisses to them. The redness that had begun to dissipate from Jayla’s cheeks suddenly returned as Tech continued to trail tender kisses slowly down to her wrist.

“My love…” She began in gentle protest, knowing the rest of his squad would appear at any moment. Tech’s eyes remained locked with hers as he continued to trail kisses almost to the end of her forearm. His gaze wandered over her soft festures as he relinquished her arm from his grasp. Jayla wrapped both her arms around Tech’s middle and pulled him in a bit closer.

Both of them exchanged soft smiles as they stood enveloped in each other’s arms. After a moment Tech spoke again, “Sooner would most likely yield better reactions, especially from Hunter.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind Jaya’s ear before resting his hand on her waist again.

A beat of silence fell between them and nothing but the hum of the ship’s standby systems could be heard in the cockpit until Jayla sighed a bit heavily as her head came to rest against Tech’s chest plate.

“What is it, mesh’la?” Tech took notice of the slight tenseness that had settled in her shoulders as she tightened her arms around his middle.

“Do you think Hunter would report me to the Jedi Council if we tell him about us?” She said as she lifted her head to look up at him.

Tech considered her question for a moment, his amber brown eyes taking in the concern that had appeared between her brows.

“I do not believe Hunter would do such a thing, as it has become clear that other Jedi have conducted romantic relationships with regs and the like throughout out several battalions.” He placed a soft kiss between her brows to smooth the crease that had formed there.

Tech was not wrong, he seldom ever was, and he had discovered after some digging around on a few anonymous holonet forums that romantic relationships amongst Jedi generals and clones were becoming more common as the war dragged on.

In the end, Tech gathered that while romantic relationships between superiors and subordinates, let alone the Jedi and anyone for that matter, were expressly prohibited by the GAR regulations, following the rules had never been his nor his brothers’ forte. Besides, Tech thought to himself, when had they ever followed orders?

“If you would prefer it, I will talk to him about our, ehm,” He cleared his throat shyly while his face flushed ever so slightly, “relationship.” The unexpectedly pleasant situation Tech had found himself in with Jayla was still so new to him. He never expected to fall in love, being that he was born and bred to be a soldier and nothing more. But she had shown him that he could be more than just a soldier, more than a small part in the war they were all fighting. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Besides, Hunter is more than likely already aware of us, given his enhanced senses.”

A new blush crept up into Jayla’s cheeks as she laid her head down again on Tech’s chest plate. Falling in love was as foreign to her as it was to him and it was something that neither of them expected to happen. Jayla had tried to bury her feelings in the beginning, being that she was a Jedi and attachments are forbidden, blah, blah, blah. But she soon realized, much to her surprise, that what she felt for Tech was so much more than just a simple crush or attraction and denying her feelings was no longer possible.

“He definitely knows. Stars, it’s not like we’ve been trying terribly hard to hide ourselves from your brothers anyway.” She admitted softly against him.

“Yes, well, half heartedly sneaking around them is rather difficult within the confines of the Marauder.” Tech mused as he traced circles through the fabric of her tunic on her back.

Jayla lifted her head from his chest and smiled at him while bringing her arms to wrap around his neck. “I’ve never been good at sneaking around, anyway.”

Her eyes drifted down to his lips as he drew her up into another longing kiss. It took everything inside Tech not to continue kissing her, but his brother’s voices could now be heard on the other side of the cockpit doors.

A loud knock on the cockpit door pulled them from their perfect little bubble, accompanied by Wrecker’s booming voice.

“Hey, are you two done makin’ out in there?? It’s time for our next mission debrief!” Wrecker teased. Tech and Jayla could hear Crosshair snickering and Echo stifling a chuckle at their brother’s loud teasing.

“Oh, Tech, they all definitely know!” Jayla giggled while pulling back from him to cover the grin that had spread across her face.

“Indeed, it would appear that they do.” Tech chuckled. He snaked his arms tighter around Jayla’s waist, “Perhaps, being that my brothers are aware of us and what we are up to, and if you are amenable, we could stay in here until the last possible moment so that I may continue to kiss you.” Tech had lowered his voice so that his brothers, who were undoubtedly attempting to listen through the cockpit door, could not hear his bold suggestion.

“Tech!” Jayla half squealed his name, trying to keep her voice low. Her heart raced at his sudden suggestion and her cheeks flushed pink.

“Yes, cyare?” Tech’s eyes were half lidded behind his goggles now and his voice barely above a whisper.

Jayla half heartedly tried to say something to the effect that they shouldn’t keep the others waiting but she couldn’t seem to get the words out. She was too lost in his soft brown eyes to try and protest again. Her eyes drifted down to his lips then back up to his eyes as she lifted herself up to her tiptoes to meet him as he closed what little space remained between them.

Another loud knock resonated around the cockpit. “Yes, Wrecker, we are coming,” Tech broke their kiss just long enough to say.

“Alright, you two, you both can suck face later. We have a mission to get to.” Hunter’s voice caused Jayla to bring both her hands to cover her face in shy embarrassment while her eyes flitted back and forth between Tech’s.

“Kriff, there’s no hiding from them now, is there?” Jayla giggled as Tech reluctantly released her form from his grasp.

The corners of Tech’s mouth pulled into an amused smile, “I am inclined to agree with you.”

He took her hand into his own as they walked the few steps to the cockpit door.

“Shall we, cyare?” Tech asked, clear affection radiating in his tone while his other hand hovered over the door panel.

Jayla nodded up at him with a soft smile on her face before dropped her gaze down to their intertwined hands. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she brought herself up onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“There’s no turning back now.” She smiled up at him, his eyes reflecting back the confidence and kindness she had come to admire so much.

Tech’s eyes roved over her soft features once more, spending a lingering moment on her delicate lips. An almost mischievous smile tugged at his mouth as he leaned down to meet her.

Before Jayla knew it, Tech was mere inches from her face, the look in his eyes was as suggestive as it had been before they were interrupted by his brothers.

“One last kiss, since it will be several rotations before we are alone again.” Tech whispered before bringing his free hand to cup her cheek, pulling her into a deep, wanting kiss.

•••

[kybercrystals94]

Come Back (ch. 1)

Read here on Ao3!

Whumptober 2024 - Day 12 - Prompts: Underground Caverns // "Just a little more"

Rated: T | Words: 573 | CW: non-graphic mentions of blood and injury.

Next Chapter>>

A/N: This fic is for @fionas-frenzy, because she mentioned a Tech-Lives fic yesterday, and I just had to make it happen. Also, yes, another Tech-Lives fic, because denial isn't just a river in Egypt, ya know??

It won’t be the fall that kills him. 

Although, that certainly did not help matters. 

Tech holds the shattered remains of his comm, cupped in trembling hands. Entirely irreparable without proper replacement parts. His pack is gone too. If he rests long enough, perhaps he can garner enough strength to find it. Or what’s left of it. Find something. 

He is not optimistic.

Strangely, the first loss that seems to trigger an emotional response is his goggles. It is less their importance to him, and more that they are the final straw placed on an already precarious situation. He is frustrated to find himself brought to tears as he pulls them from his bloodied face. 

Because he is bloody. There is blood everywhere. Head wounds have the unfortunate tendency to appear far worse than is necessarily accurate. He tries to find comfort in that, but it is threadbare and flimsy. Hardly worth considering. 

The goggles slip from his hand, falling amongst the wreckage of the railcar. He is not sure how he survived. It all seems surreal. The pain, the circumstances, the depravity of the whole situation. They’d lost their chance to find Crosshair. He sacrificed himself to give the remainder of his siblings a chance, fragile as it might be. He hopes they do not squander it. He hopes they get away. 

He hopes they are not foolish, and try to come back for him. 

He hopes they do.  

Sucking in a shaky breath, Tech knows he has to move. He cannot remain here. The Empire will come to scour the wreckage, find salvageable parts. Maybe even try to find him, or what is left of him. 

He moves to get up, tries to push himself to his feet, but his strength has abandoned him, pain excruciating. He only manages to draw himself up enough to crawl. And so he does. He is his only chance of survival, he only needs to put himself out of reach. 

His brothers will not come back for him. 

His brothers will think he is dead. 

Afterall, no one could survive such a fall. 

It is only logical. 

Please, come back. 

He finds an opening in the ground. An underground cavern. Cavern might be a generous description. He debates the likelihood that it is a dwelling for some sort of ferocious creature. He cannot remember what sort of animals are native to this planet. He knows he looked it up. He and Omega had discussed the likelihood of running into such things. The odds were low. What was it? 

Another defeated sound escapes him. He arranges himself, every movement agonizing, to descend boots first. It is a slight descent, easily manageable, even in his broken state. It is dark, but he is not afraid of the dark. He is alone, but he is not afraid of being alone. That is not entirely true. He does not have a memory of ever being truly alone. Not like this. Never like this. 

I don’t want to die like this. 

He knows he is hidden now. He just needs to rest. Close his eyes. Sleep for a moment. Maybe his mind will be clearer when he wakes. Maybe he can find a way home. Home to his brothers and his sisters. He never thought of them as home before, but it makes sense now. 

He isn’t ready to leave them yet. He just needs a little more time, yet.

END

A/N:

I might do something more with this story. Maybe. Possibly.

But if I don't, here's a spoiler: Tech does survive and he does find his family again. I promise! This fic might end hopelessly, but the greater picture is hope 🥲

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[winters-secret-star-wars-blog]

When The Light Comes From The Dark

Summary:

Against the whirlwind of thoughts, Phee’s voice repeated the question. “Got a name, Brown Eyes?”

The cockpit spun around him. His fingers lightly touched his helmet around his eyes, as if to adjust something on them. “Tech.”

Another phantom touch on his shoulder, warm and gentle. “Head to these coordinates, Brown Eyes.”

He needed to find out more.

~~~

Or the one where CX-2 is actually Tech and everyone deserves their happy ending.

Word count: 4213

AO3 link

“You chose the wrong side,” was all he said before he submerged the clone under the water. From behind his mask, he watched as his struggles began to cease. It served him right. Traitors who turned their back on the Empire deserved nothing less.

The hands peppering the assassin’s arms slid below the surface as well. It wouldn’t be long now. Once CT-9904 stopped moving, he would resume pursuing the target and bring her—

Someone was behind him.

CX-2’s mind always worked fast; a trait he was secretly proud of. Although he shouldn’t have been. Such display of individuality was unbecoming of someone like him. However, it was in his nature. It provided him with a valuable advantage.

Well, at least most of the time.

It were instances like this that drove him to frustration. His mind being able to pick up something, yet his body was too slow to react. And what was worse, he made a mistake. It was foolish of him to think the others would leave their own behind, he assumed no one would be coming—

“Better late than dead, I always say.”

The woman’s words were the last thing flashing through his mind before the world turned dark.

He came to as his body collided with the rocks at the bottom. Aware of the water filling his lungs, he suppressed the urge to cough and began to swim towards the surface. Painstakingly, CX-2 heaved his body onto the rocky bank and allowed himself a moment to catch his breath.

“Ace? Ace, wake up.”

He startled awake, unaware of the fact he was starting to drift off. The phantom feeling of someone shaking him faded back to where it came from.

Ace…

There was a strange familiarity tied to the way it was spoken, stirring something in his chest. He was aware the clones were naming themselves instead of going by their designated number, this however… Ace. Was he… was he going by ace before becoming CX-2? It didn’t feel quite right, but at the same time it didn’t feel wrong either.

“Got a name, Brown Eyes?”

He sucked in a breath. It was the same voice from before. The answer to the mysterious woman’s question was at the tip of his tongue, yet it refused to come through.

He shook his head. This was ridiculous. He was CX-2 and that was all that mattered. The target might have escaped, but some of the luck was on his side at least. He could very well imagine the consequences of thinking such thoughts.

With one last steadying breath, CX-2 pushed himself to his feet and headed for his shuttle.

Tracking down the Trnadoshan wasn’t all that difficult. One would think that after dealing with the Empire and selling the rogue clones out, she’d have enough brains to disappear off the radar.

Yet she stayed in her shady little bar.

The Trandoshan’s unwillingness to give up any other information could be considered remarkable, if only it didn’t stir something in CX-2’s chest. Something dangerously resembling anger.

“Hey, you three. You could have walked away. That loyalty is admirable, but with Cid, it doesn’t always go both ways. Watch your backs.”  

It happened again. The more time CX-2 spent activated outside his chamber, the more these little voices whispered to him somewhere from beyond his reach. Bits of conversations, sometimes even a quick flash of some place or another where he, to his knowledge, hasn’t been before.

This time, the voice whispered a warning. Something told him it didn’t come from what you would call a trustworthy source, but the words rang true. The emotion that was most definitely anger was, strangely enough, burning not on his own behalf, but on someone else’s.

“Remember our mutually beneficial arrangements, and how well we know one another, if you know what I mean. You’d do well to not assume I am just threatening you boys.”

She betrayed them, although he couldn’t determine who ‘them’ was.

In one swift motion, he took out his vibroblade and plunged it into the bar counter. The Trandoshan – Cid – flinched. Her eyes roamed around the bar for help that wasn’t there. The two patrons fled the moment they recognized him as a part of the Empire, although not before sending the bar owner a disgusted look.

“It would be wise to start talking now,” CX-2 said. At her hesitation, he continued. “You didn’t seem to mind selling them out for a quick credit before. Why the hesitation?”

Cid silently turned her head away in shame.

In the end, it didn’t take that much force before she was spilling again, and CX-2 left Ord Mantell with a name of a pirate that’s been in contact with the target.

“She’s not a pirate. She’s a liberator of ancient wonders.”

This particular whisper caused him to exhale through his nose sharper than usual. It could almost resemble a chuckle. That was dangerous. It was a good thing he was yet again alone, as he wasn’t sure he would be able to mask it.

Still, what a strange reaction.

The comm on his ship beeped. It was time to report his findings.

The woman had remarkably good instincts. Even without hearing the alarm, she sensed something wasn’t right and pulled out her knife as she approached the ramp. She even gave the hangar one last sweep before boarding. He kept observing her until she boarded the ship and the door closed behind her. Only then he moved.

In a corner of his soul, he was grateful for the droid’s intervention. He would hate it if he had to hurt her—

He stopped going over the data he pulled from her navicomputer, stunned by his own thoughts. He’d hate to hurt her? That was hardly the proper terminology. He was meant to think eliminate, no?

“Got a name, Brown Eyes?”

There it was again, that same whisper. There have been many, but this was the only one that repeated with a certain frequency. He couldn’t figure out why it was so. CX-2 was aware of the fact he was a clone, so what was so special about it? The phenotypic eye color for all clones was brown. And while he was different from the rest, iris pigmentation was not affected by his mutation—

“Aren’t clones supposed to look alike? So much for quality control.”

“She’s not a pirate. She’s a liberator of ancient wonders.”

“Heh. Looks like you have some competition.”

Sounds of wooden classes dully clicking against each other. The sun setting and the lights coming on, resembling stars in the sky.

“Got a name, Brown Eyes?”

He sucked in a breath.

Phee.

Of course, he learned her name from the Trandoshan, but that was Phee.  They… knew each other. It was a mere feeling, and he was a logical person after all, but he knew it to be true! She knew him… and the traitors… no… brothers… and the target… little sister who was technically older…

Against the whirlwind of thoughts, Phee’s voice repeated the question. “Got a name, Brown Eyes?”

The cockpit spun around him. His fingers lightly touched his helmet around his eyes, as if to adjust something on them. “Tech.”

Another phantom touch on his shoulder, warm and gentle. “Head to these coordinates, Brown Eyes.”

He needed to find out more.

Reluctantly, he punched the comm button. It would be suspicious if he suddenly went radio-silent.

He found them near the Archium. The name of the structure came to him out of nowhere, like many things did recently. The sense of familiarity the place invoked in him set something off in his very core. CX-2 pushed it asked and pressed a button on his arm.

“Report.”

“I’ve got eyes on the target.”

“Ground them and wait for the division. She must be recovered unharmed! No mistakes this time!”

“And the clones she’s with?”

“If they get in your way, eliminate them.”

CX-2 gripped his rifle. He’d have to make sure they wouldn’t get in his way.

No matter what.

The following hour passed by in an odd hazy blur as two unseen forces battled inside of him. On one hand, there was the need to follow orders. He blew up the ship. He gave the order to destroy every ship and skiff to cut any possible escape route off. He was even ready to give the order to burn the entire island to the ground.

But on the other hand…

He could’ve shot the rogue clone, or blow him up along with the ship, it would have been easier. So why didn’t he? He was meticulous about everything he did. Then why did it appear like he gave the clone enough time to escape the explosion?

“I like to blow things up,” the whisper paused before it rose in volume, “because I like to blow things up!”

At the sight of the ship burning, something screamed inside of him and didn’t stop. It blended with the screams of the civilians fleeing the soldiers. Then there was the attempt to commandeer one of their ships, and he couldn’t bring himself to shoot the clone.

Instead, he shot the pilot.

Usually, the crash would kill anyone on board, but for some reason, deep down CX-2 knew better.

He’d told the mayor he could do worse.

Then why was it impossible for him to do so?

Stars, he even lied to the soldiers he’d neutralized the two when the girl surrendered herself. It was like his body was running on autopilot, mouth detached from the brain.

Clearly, it was naïve of him to expect to find answers here. In the end, he was left only with more questions.

CX-2 escorted the girl to the ship, taking note of the look she threw over her shoulder before he made her move again, and set coordinates back to Tantiss. It wasn’t until the ship shuddered as it jumped into the hyperspace that he heard a quiet sniff.

He chanced a look over his shoulder to find the target hunched in on herself, a single tear running down her cheek.

And that’s when the haze broke and everything became clear.

“We’re a family. Aren’t we?”

“Well, uh, yes. Yes, of course we are.”

“Then why don’t you act like it?”

But he did.

“I may have process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean I feel any less than you.”

His grip on the controls turned white, hidden by the black gloves.

“They call him Tech.”

A good-natured shove followed. “Yeah, he can fill your head with useless info for hours.”

He would do anything for his family.

“We have not always agreed with Crosshair, but he still is our brother. We do not leave our own behind.”

They were going to get their brother back. They were going to be a complete family again, they were so close—

“When have we ever followed orders?”

Tech felt nauseous.  

What had he done?

Running through every possible scenario, he concluded there was no way out of this. If it was a possibility, contacting Echo would be his best bet if he was still with Rex, seeing as he blew up his own ship and cut his brothers off, but the shuttle’s comms were monitored. The imperials would know immediately if he attempted an unauthorized transmission.

Then there was the matter of his internal homing device. He had no means to remove it from his body safely, so even if he changed the coordinates, Hemlock would keep sending other operatives after them until he succeeded at recapturing them again.

Something told Tech he would not be making it out of that situation alive.

And lastly, there was Omega. He couldn’t tell how much time has passed since Eriadu, but judging by her hair, it must have been months. She had an air of maturity around her, but there was a part of her that was easily excitable. It was impossible to tell if she would be able to keep up the ruse if he revealed himself.

Tech couldn’t risk that. Still, it didn’t stop the decision from eating away at him all the way to Tantiss.

Omega eventually fell into restless sleep, and he took the chance to remove the suicide capsule from his mouth.

There was no turning back now. Hemlock was awaiting their arrival and there was nothing Tech could do. As much as it pained him, he gave his little-big sister a slight shove to keep the appearances.

Then he was dismissed.

As the stasis chamber closed on him, he hoped his brothers would come up with a plan to find her.

Find them.

The base was a mess.

Tech categorized anything he could on his way to intercept his brothers. To a certain degree, he was glad for the initial haze the stasis chamber has left him in, as he was uncertain how he would react to their orders if he was fully himself right away. This way, however, he remained undetected.

Positioned at the vantage point with the rest of the operatives, he spotted his brothers sneaking in through the rubble. He couldn’t help but notice their armor stripped of all color.

It was like before their first ever mission.

Chasing nostalgia away, he took out his rifle and aimed before any other operative could beat him to it. He aimed at Hunter and pulled the trigger, knowing his brother would be able to dodge. It was the most subtle way to alert his squad to their presence.

Then all hell broke loose.

Crosshair watched as the other assassins passed a blade between each other. The one who nearly drowned him on Teth let the blade hover over his wrist before it was raised high into the air.

“You should be more careful with your shooting hand.”

The horror inside of him intensified as he became aware of the assassin’s intention. Time seemed to slow down with the blade’s descend.

Except the pain never came.

The blade suddenly changed the trajectory and was sent flying right at the assassin electrocuting Wrecker nearby. The throw was precise. The assassin’s grip on the staff loosened as he fell, the blade plunging even deeper into the gap in the armor when his body hit the ground.

The foot pinning his wrist to the ground disappeared as the one standing over him shifted his stance, took out his rifle in one swift motion and with no hesitation shot the one who owned the knife. The one who was previously attacking Hunter and Wrecker before being stunned by Crosshair’s explosive shot had barely a second to react before he found himself with a hole in the chest too.

Shocked, Crosshair looked up the last assassin, their gazes meeting.

“I mean it.” The tone switched from menacing to more nonchalant and matter-of-factly. “You really should be more careful, Crosshair.”

Too stunned to speak, Crosshair could only blink. The voice-changer was still active, but the intonation almost reminded him of…

The assassin removed his helmet.

“Tech,” he breathed out in disbelief.

Tech reached out his hand and Crosshair allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. “My apologies. I was waiting for the right time, and in the meantime, I had to avoid suspicion.”

It was impossible. His brother who died on Eriadu after carrying out Plan 99 was standing in front of him, alive. Although in imperial gear. “How—“ Crosshair forced out a single word, but before he could force the rest of the sentence out, Tech was suddenly off his feet in one of Wrecker’s famous bone-crushing hugs.

“Ah, it’s… good to see you too, Wrecker,” Tech wheezed out. The only response he got was a sob.

“All right, Wrecker, put him down before you squeeze the living lights out of him,” Crosshair said.

After a few more sniffs and being convinced Tech was indeed real and alive and not a fragment of his imagination, Wrecker did so. It was obvious he wanted to ask the same question as Crosshair, but changed his mind last minute and instead shoved their brother. “Don’t you ever dare to do something like that ever again, you hear?!”

Tech’s mouth opened, a retort no doubt on the tip of his tongue, when a groan coming from a nearby rubble cut him off. They all spun on their heels immediately and rushed to their leader. While he and Wrecker worked on getting the debris off Hunter, Tech hovered over him, scanning for injuries.

Hunter blinked the daze away, meeting his now-alive brother’s eyes. He then clocked his other two brothers and sighed. “We’re dead, aren’t we.”

“No,” Tech replied. “Although, you came close quite a few times. We… all did.”

The implication hung heavily in the air, but they all knew this wasn’t the time or place to demand answers.

“Later,” Tech promised. “Now,” he motioned to the burning base, “Echo or Omega?”

“Take a guess,” Crosshair replied.

After a moment, Tech nodded to himself. “Omega.”

“I never took you for a sniper rifle type,” Hunter filled in the silence as they ran through the base in search for Omega. “It’s more of Crosshair’s thing.”

“I am not,” Tech replied, “but they didn’t exactly ask me what my preferences were.”

Crosshair wordlessly held out his blaster. Tech, appreciating the offering, took the sniper rifle off his back and swapped it.

They met with Echo and Omega and all the freed clones near the detention block.

At last, Tech allowed himself to fall to his knees and spread his arms in anticipation of Omega’s hug. He was never too big on physical contact, but this time, it was a necessity. For both of them.

“I’m sorry. Omega. I’m so sorry,” he murmured.

“It’s not your fault,” Omega pulled back and placed her hands on his cheeks. “They made you do it.”

Omega was always observant. Helmet or not, his attire remained the same, so it should be no wonder she connected the dots. He wanted to protest, but she was having none of it. She wiped her tears, her eyes sparked with determination.

“Let’s make him pay.”

They surrounded Hemlock on a bridge outside. He was a far cry from his usual put-together look, with his hair being a mess and a crazed look in his eyes.

He lost.

Tech could sense the thirst for revenge from all around him.

Hemlock turned to look at him, their gazes locked.

“You,” he hissed. “How did you—“ he cut himself off.

“You sound surprised,” Tech stated. “It should have been obvious after you failed with Crosshair. I might have been more susceptible due to my injuries after the fall, but you should have known it wouldn’t last. We’re deviant after all. It’s in our nature.”

The crazed look intensified. “We’ll see about that. You’ve been compromised!” he yelled. “Eliminate yourself right no—“

It was Crosshair who broke the tension with the first shot right to Hemlock’s chest.

His hand didn’t shake.

The chain reaction was instant. All freed clones carrying a weapon aimed and shot and shot and shot until the force of the bolts sent Hemlock’s body over the railing into the jungle below.

Tech watched with cold detachment. This time, he was certain. There was no surviving that.

Several pairs of eyes turned to him. He blinked, snapping back to reality. “Your worries are unwarranted. I already removed my suicide capsule.”

Hunter huffed a laugh. “Of course you have.”

It hasn’t been easy readjusting to normal life after everything they’ve been through. Then again, they were never normal.

Tech already lost track of how many times he woke up screaming when the nightmares of Tantiss plagued him in the middle of the night. Thankfully, the comfort was never far. It came either in a form of a mere presence and reassuring words of his brothers and sister, an embrace from Phee, or the weight of the Lurca hound named Batcher Omega tamed and took with her the first time she escaped Tantiss.

At first, he’d been wary, but he came to care for the creature.

Some days were good. Some days the shame of what he’d done as Empire’s assassin weighted heavy on him. Shep’s words were true once again; the people of Pabu were resilient and rebuilt the damage he was responsible for after the imperial forces left.

It… wasn’t very comforting.

During those days, talking about it with Echo helped, since he was the most familiar with the feeling. He hid it well, but the time he’d spent on Skako Minor as The Algorithm responsible for countless of his brothers’ lives weighted heavy on him too.

Crosshair was a great help too. As Hunter said before the mission where they’d saved Echo, he wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but Tech was content sitting with him in silence, the quiet understanding surrounding them.

However, he wasn’t the only one affected.

It was hard to not notice the look of guilt Wrecker was watching him with from afar, even though he had nothing to be guilty of. It was Tech’s own decision to resort to Plan 99. He even said so out loud, but he knew it would take Wrecker a long time to accept it, if ever.

There were also those worried looks every time he was somewhere more elevated or was walking next to the railing when they were going to the docks. In the first case, they watched him like hawks, ready to jump at the slightest sign of trouble – even if he was only four feet off the ground. In the second case, someone always subtly-not-so-subtly wedged themselves between him and the railing. Omega rushing into various rooms with fear in her eyes only for it to disappear when she spotted him also became a regular occurrence.

He learned the hard way not to disappear on the bad days for too long after she broke down near the cave where he sought the solitude. Apparently, he’d been gone for hours and nobody could find him at any of his usual places.

And Phee…

When their ship touched back down on Pabu, she was already there, waiting for him. The moment his feet touched the ground, he found himself in yet another embrace. There was no hesitation on Tech’s side and he pulled her close.

“I’m glad you kept your word and haven’t run off with any other pirate or smuggler,” she said.

Tech didn’t comment on how her voice was thick with emotion. Instead, he opted for a simple: “I’m here now.”

Phee chuckled. “Better late than dead, I always say.”

“—you always say,” he said the last part in union. “You know, those were the exact words that began the process of breaking the conditioning.”

“Were they now?” she asked, intrigued. “Well, I’m glad I was able to help.”

Tech smiled. “You helped more than you realize.”

Phee hummed, and before Tech realized what was happening, there were lips pressing against his. They were gone as fast as they appeared, but the fluttering in his stomach remained. “Now come on,” she turned around and began to walk away, “let’s get all your friends settled.”

He blinked after her retreating form until a choked chuckle broke his trance. “What?” He saw his squad – his family – huddled together with various looks on their faces.

Wrecker was giving him two enthusiastic thumbs up, Hunter was smiling, Echo was also smiling but more smugly, Crosshair looked like he would be rather anywhere than here, and Omega was chuckling, her palms pressed against her lower face.

“Tech, you’re blushing,” she said, mirth lacing her voice.

“I guess it was inevitable,” Crosshair commented. “You two were made for each other. She flies like a maniac too.”

There was a story behind it, but for another time.

So, yes, readjusting hasn’t been easy, but they managed. They understood when Echo eventually joined Rex again, but the rest of them remained on Pabu. As civilians.

While his brothers took up work in the docks – Wrecker especially enjoyed his time on the sea –, Tech found meaning and joy in teaching the next generation all his skills. It took others two standard years before they allowed him to strike a deal with a person on another junkyard planet in the Outer Rim for him to take his apprentices there to practice their skills.

The agreement was way more mutually beneficial than the one with Cid. The junkyard owners got to sell whatever they fixed and gave them a portion of the profit, or if they managed to fix something they deemed unsalvageable, they got to keep it.

Even then, he wasn’t alone. Phee was always accompanying his group, not that he minded.

“You never know,” she shrugged as she boarded, “there might be a treasure there,” she said, winking at Omega.

But most importantly, Omega finally for to have a normal childhood. They watched their little-big sister grow up until it was time for her to go on her own journey. As he sat on the porch of his and Phee’s own home watching the ship fly off into the night, only one thing was on his mind:

In the end, it was all worth it.

[lightspringrain]

I can't tell you how excited I become whenever I commission @collophora . Her work never fails to impress. These pieces are for chapter 3 "Devour Hope" of my on going CX-2 Tech AU "Return From Darkness." Hope you enjoy!

[techs-goggles9902]

Can you do at Tech lives fan-fic (like if Tech is CX-2)??

CX-2 is all that remains

Warnings: prosthetic stuff, mentions of blood and stuff, contact lenses 💀 scars and stuff, bacta usage, memory issues (ik nothing super bad but what if you had a fear of contacts??) TBB SPOILERS

Word count: 1457 (WHOA I WENT OVERBOARD)

A/N: IM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG ANON. I genuinely love the bad batch but I HATE WRITING THEM SOMETIMES 😭 I feel like I’m butchering their characters. But I gotchuuuuu!!! Lmk if I should continue this.

Requests are open! See Masterlist for details!!!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: some of this was supposed to be italicized but my copy and pasting removes it, so some of this stuff are their thoughts. Just an FYI

“You recognized it, too,” Hunter whispers to Crosshair as the group hurries up the rocks.

”I did. You said he died on Eriadu,” the sniper replies in a low mumble.

“He did… Wrecker watched him fall.”

”Well, obviously he survived. Next move?”

”Follow through with the plan, Cross. I’ll have Echo double back and take us down there.”

”But… it’s him?”

Hunter pauses. When he speaks, his voice cracks, “Tech’s alive. And with the Empire.”

Tech - no, CX-2! He had to get used to that - needs to get out of the water, and fast. The current pulls at him as he grips a narrow rock beneath the surface.

His helmet can only keep him alive for so long, he needs air sooner rather than later.

This isn’t ideal. The cybernetics will never last if their circuits are drenched.

His slender fingers lose their grip on the rock. One, two, three. The Shadow loses his grip entirely, his gloves ripped apart at the seams as the sharp ridges cut into the calloused flesh of his fingers.

The current throws him back into another rock, his backpack absorbing most of the impact.

There, he thinks as the water starts to seep into his body suit, I just need to make it to that ledge and my odds of survival increase significantly.

He feels his cybernetics digging into the tender flesh of his legs. The part where the river meets land was so close, yet so far. Reaching out a bloody hand, his shredded fingers are met with rough sediment.

Finally…

”Echo, Rex, please. It’s him! I feel it,” Hunter says, trying to keep Echo from making the jump into hyperspace.

“Hunter, what if it’s n-”

”Rex, your buddy isn’t coming after us. He let us go. There’s no risk in going down there,” Crosshair cuts in. Echo and Rex glance at each other.

Rex, Echo’s expression says, what if…

Echo, Rex’s body language reads, you said it yourself. He’s gone.

You didn’t give up on me.

Rex’s gaze softens. “Fine. You have ten minutes.”

Hunter lets out a breath, clasping Rex’s shoulder. He says, “I owe you.”

”You owe me a lot, Sarge.”

Echo lands the ship just off the riverbank but is still hidden in the trees in case Wolffe changes his mind. The ramp opens with a soft hiss and plants itself on the rocks with a gentle thud. The river laps against the rocks like white noise, the water running down the cliff adds to the effect.

And there, lying on the rocks, still half in the water, lies the Shadow. Barely conscious and panting, his bloodied fingers groping the sediment.

“Maker… Gregor, get the med kit!” Echo yells back into the ship as Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker trip over themselves to get down to the riverbank.

“Shit… Hunter, is he…” Wrecker asks in a low tone, kneeling down beside the semiconscious clone.

“His heart’s beating,” the sergeant replies.

“Damn… Wrecker, can you get him on the ship? Gently?” Echo asks, leaning down to check the assassin’s pulse.

“I got him.” Wrecker slowly turns the clone onto his back and snakes an arm beneath his knees and back. “I gotcha, I gotcha…”

CX-2 feels himself being lifted up off the ground, his helmet removed, his head resting on someone’s shoulder plate. He hears voices calling out to him, hands lowering him down onto something somewhat comfortable. A bunk?

His armor taken off his wet bodysuit, said bodysuit is either peeled or cut away from his body.

“Cybernetics aren’t the best quality… just a pawn in Hemlock’s game,” a gruff voice says.

“Oh, Tech…” a softer voice says.

“I told you that you should’ve taken medic training,” a different voice comments. A scoff follows.

“Stow it, Cross.” Cross… that seems so familiar to CX-2. All the voices do, even the soft, feminine one. A warm liquid oozes out of where prosthetics meet flesh. Blood.

“Shit, Gregor, hand me the gauze,” He knows this voice…

“Echo, keep pressure. I’m getting him bacta,” Echo… warm hands trail down his body, checking for further injuries.

“Crap… these prosthetics are absolute trash, I should know. Not even connected properly… Tech, if you were awake to see this mess…” the voice, Echo, scoffs. CX-2 hears a smile in his voice.

“Are…are they as good as yours?” CX-2 hears his own voice ask that. He doesn’t know why he said that. In fact, his mouth moved on its own accord. All sounds around him cease and everything’s quiet except the soft hum of the ship.

“I… no, sorry, bud…mine are cooler,” Echo responds. CX-2 feels a subtle smile tugging at his own lips. Why? These are the enemy. Someone tends to his mangled hands, cleaning them and wrapping them tenderly.

“Tech…” CX-2 hears that name being called over and over again. Whispered in his ear. Murmured into his forehead as soft lips make contact with the scarred skin. Breathed into his hands as someone holds them gently.

His eyes open, just for a moment, meeting the gaze of five pairs of brown eyes. “Tech is gone,” he says. “CX-2 is all that remains…” He’s out like a light a second later.

Hunter’s heart felt like it was stabbed, trampled, cut out of his chest, and thrown out onto a rock to die. Tech is gone… the words echo through his mind all the way back to Pabu. This wasn’t the reunion he had in mind when he realized the Shadow was actually his little brother.

Crosshair doesn’t know how to feel. He abandoned his squad, his family, for the Empire. Is this karma, he thought.

Nonsense, Tech’s voice whispers in his head, this has nothing to do with you. The rational explanation is that the Empire succeeded in turning me into an assassin where they failed to turn you. Do not blame yourself, Crosshair. There was nothing you could do to stop this.

But I could’ve known, Crosshair’s voice whispers back to Tech’s, we would’ve been at Tantiss together.

And how could you possibly have known that, Cross?

Wrecker just tries to keep Omega away from their unconscious brother. “He needs his rest, Meg.”

“I won’t leave until he wakes up,” the blonde replies, crossing her arms. “I’m not bothering him, anyway.”

Wrecker sighs, placing a hand on her scrawny shoulder. He mutters, “Tech’s always been the one to take care of us… it’s weird that we’re taking care of him.”

“I know… what did he mean by ‘Tech’s gone’?”

“I… I don’t know. Cross said the Empire erases their previous lives while they turn them into… this. He’ll pull through and we’ll be losing to him in dejarik in no time.”

Echo was confused. Tech had just asked him about his cybernetics, meaning he did in fact remember them, at least somewhat. He stares out the viewport in the cockpit, his fingers picking at his scomp link. Tech always hated when he did that.

The next time CX-2 resurfaces, he’s staring up at a - wooden? - ceiling, definitely not a ship’s. A house? Hut? Cabin? He groans, lifting a hand up to pinch the scarred bridge of his nose. His face was littered with thick, ragged scars. Ever since Eriadu.

He looks at his hand in surprise as he sees its bandage has been changed recently. Where is he? CX-2 sits up slowly, orienting himself as he goes. The room is warm, small but not small enough that you feel claustrophobic. A window is above the bed he’s currently lying on, soft light filtering through the translucent curtains. He strains his neck to peer out of it.

Pabu…

He gets off the bed, looking down at his prosthetics, which start just below the knee. They’re sturdier as he stands and they don’t restrict his movement like they used to. They’re… comfortable.

He quietly - as quiet as you can get with two durasteel feet - leaves the room, examining the hallway. A kitchen is down the hall, so he heads there. Wincing, he looks around the corner to see if anyone’s there.

There is.

Crosshair…

“C’mere, Tech,” the sniper says, gesturing to the seat at the island beside him. CX-2 hobbles over to it, taking a seat silently.

“I’m not the brother you remember,” he rasps, looking out the window.

“No shit… no goggles?”

“Hemlock thought I should wear contacts so the goggles don’t break out on a mission.”

Crosshair hums in response.

“Why did you come back?”

The sniper takes a moment to respond, “Couldn’t leave you behind.”

It’s CX-2’s - no, Tech’s - turn to hum in response. He feels Crosshair leaning against him slightly.

“You’re not who you used to be, but we’ll get there. Right?”

“Possibly.”

Crosshair scoffs, “Good to have you back.”

Taglist: @will-is-silly @fionajames @sevdidntdie @hellhound5925 @dangraccoon @skellymom

Please let me know if you want to be taken off or join the list!!!

[jumpyl123]

I would love to let you know that I have been slowly working away at a Bad Batch fanfic called “Shattered and Repaired”, that is a Tech lives what-if AU story. I used to be a hardcore Tech lives truther, even after the finale, but I ended up needing to accept his death because it was destroying me mentally and gave me some maybe harmful thoughts :’D I’m good now that I am no longer delusional, but my concepts for how he might have lived I was quite proud of so I started making the story. When is it going to come out? No clue, I am still on the prologue.

Anyways… I know I alot of people complained on how Scorch was treated in the show. They said they made him a soulless character who had no purpose to the story other than being Hemlock’s guard and was given an unfair and meaningless death. I never played Republic Commandos so I don’t know much about Delta Squad, but I do kinda wish Scorch had more importance to the plot, that he and other commandos should have been a bigger threat to the main crew. But I am not completely complaining, I don’t mind his personality change. A whole lot of clones, not just Scorch, ended up loosing themselves, their true selves to the Empire. And I though I’d share a small little sneak peek from the prologue of “Shattered and Repaired” explaining that ^w^

Whatever things he did for the Empire ate him away, being alone, the inhibitor chip making him a tool without choice! I also found it interesting how before in the game he had some beat up and weathered looking armor but had such a fun demeanor, and how the Empire swapped it. In TBB, his armor was clean. But his true self is gone. Sad, but I find it important to how he turned out in the show, and makes it more understandable.

In conclusion… Would anyone want me to post my fanfics here on Tumblr? I have already been sharing them on DeviantArt but it seems like I am able to post them here, too! Though I would like you to know that majority of these fanfics will be Kirby, not Star Wars. I have been part of the Kirby fandom longer than I have TCW and TBB.

[aaaaawolfquarters]

Read "Alive" by @lifblogs

I couldn't finish this fan art fast enough!!!

This fic is INCREDIBLE!! I haven't the words to describe how much I enjoyed reading it!