#When a droid has 10 time your line count
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vincess-princess · 11 months ago
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as we were falling
ch. 10
a/n: im still in my writer's block but sometimes i muster enough energy to get some words out of me. updating this fic because it has the shortest chapters and those are easier to write word count: 1826 warnings: some manhandling but nothing serious
The morning of the auction day Tommy’s knees shook so bad he could hardly get out of bed and had to lean on Nikki to get to the canteen. Nutrient paste slid heavily into his stomach and lodged there, hard as a rock.
“Hey, you’ve gotta relax a bit,” Nikki told him, though he himself didn’t sport his usual carelessness. “This most likely ain’t gonna be your last auction. If you get a shitty master, just annoy him enough to sell you off to someone better.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Tommy said.
“How do you know? Maybe it does,” Nikki argued, but not too confidently; he also barely touched his nutrient paste. Tommy wanted to tell Nikki he didn’t need to act nonchalant in front of him, but it would just drive Nikki deeper into his pretense, so he said nothing.
Other slaves didn’t look very happy either. Heavy silence hung in the barracks. Nikki, too, sat on his mattress hugging his knees, his face empty. Tommy didn’t dare to disturb him.
Waiting without knowing how much time was left was so hard that Tommy almost felt relief when the guard arrived.
“Auction is coming. Get in line.”
They descended onto the first floor and went down a corridor different from the one they arrived through. That was the back door, Tommy figured; the front door was reserved for the customers, of course.
The auction sections were separated by age and gender: children, women 15-30, men 15-30, women 30-60, men 30-60, other. Who could they be putting in the small “other” room Tommy had no idea. People over 60? But who would need such old slaves? Maybe only if they had some valuable skill or knowledge…
Tommy preferred not even to think of the “children” section – it made his guts turn.
He and Nikki were predictably ushered into the “men 15-30” section. It was a hall so huge Tommy could barely see the farthest wall; the floor was marble, elegant columns supported the ceiling with an enormous elaborate chandelier, though there was no need for it now: tall windows from floor to ceiling let in a lot of light. The room was so grandiose it took Tommy’s breath away; the closest thing to it he’d ever seen were palace ballrooms in historic dramas. Soft music flowed from somewhere from the ceiling.
And stands. A lot of stands, a whole labyrinth of them; slaves were to stand in special circles on the floor, and next to every circle was a display. It probably showed the slave’s characteristics and price. Each stand had ten circles and a chair – probably for a guard.
The guards were so few, Tommy thought wistfully, and the slaves were so plenty they could overwhelm them easily even with their bats and shockers. Break out the doors, run out on the street… and then what? There were police out there, with cars, guns, drones, military droids. The slaves would all be hunted and put down like rabid animals. No, that wouldn’t work.
By nature of their consecutive numbers Tommy and Nikki got to stand next to each other, which lifted Tommy’s spirits a bit: at least they could exchange scorning glances about guards and customers and talk to each other when no one was looking. They couldn’t do it openly – it was prohibited to talk unless a buyer asks you something. They were also forbidden to leave their spots or sit down.
Upon taking their places the slaves had to scan their microchips to have their information displayed. For others it were only the results of the medical and skills exams and the price, but Nikki and Tommy had an additional line.
Exhibits defiant behavior, it read. Tommy’s stomach dropped. Until the last minute he hoped to hide the stripe on his wrist until after his purchase. Now no normal customer would buy him.
He looked at Nikki, seeking consolation, but he was also staring at his own display gloomily, rubbing the stripes on his wrist with his thumb.
A little later salespeople went along the stands, checking slaves’ presentability. One of them approached Tommy, grabbed his jaw and turned his head to the side, looking him over critically. Tommy barely held back the urge to slap his hand off his face. That would sure earn him a zap of a shocker.
The salesman reached for Tommy’s hair and pulled down his hair tie unceremoniously. Tommy winced: getting his hair yanked like that hurt. His hair fell down onto his shoulders, messy and knotted: it’s been a while since he brushed it.
The salesman was prepared – he pulled out a small hairbrush. A couple minutes and several brushed out knots later it was done. Tommy’s scalp was burning, but now his hair rested prettily on his shoulders. The salesman looked pleased.
He then proceeded to Nikki, and, of course, it went nearly not as smooth.
“Hands off,” Nikki hissed when the salesman reached for his hair. Then he grabbed the hairbrush and wrestled it from the stunned man. “I can do it myself.”
He didn’t get to: the guard nearby tased him, forcing him onto his knees. The salesman looked down at him in disgust.
“There’s always the one that acts out,” he complained to the guard.
“Well,” the guard grinned, “we’re always prepared.” He waived his taser in front of the salesman’s face. “That one’s got tased so many times already his insides should be grilled at this point.”
“Yes, I see.” The salesman pointed at Nikki’s wrist. “Well, soon we’ll get rid of him, hopefully. Get up, you filth,” he prodded Nikki with his foot. “I don’t have the entire day to waste on you here.”
“Get him up,” the guard ordered to Tommy. Tommy rushed to help his friend. Nikki could barely stand and leaned on Tommy so heavily his own legs almost gave up under him.
The salesman then forcefully brushed Nikki’s hair, ignoring his pained hissing, and left, gloating.
“You okay?” Tommy asked quietly.
“I’m gonna shove that brush up his ass,” Nikki croaked. “I’m gonna-“
“No talking!” The guard prodded Nikki in the back with his bat. “Get back at your spot,” he told Tommy. Tommy had to release Nikki, who had to lean on the display instead, and return into his circle.
When Nikki got better and could no longer lean on the display, he demonstratively tucked his hair behind his ears. It didn’t change much, but he surely needed that small act of resistance.
The auction started soon after. The corridors slowly filled with customers. Coreworlders seemed fixated on modifying their bodies, cosmetically or to enhance performance. Some had scanning lens or glasses; Tommy lost count of cybernetic arms and legs; a few even had radio installed in their heads and were unceremoniously listening to music or the news on them. Even their midworld planet had better manners, Tommy thought with disdain.
People walked past, their glances often lingering on Tommy. He preferred to look the other way, but could still feel them burn his skin. Nikki, in his fashion, countered those glances with intent stares, as if trying to win a staring contest. Not everyone liked that.
“Whatcha looking at, slave?” one man with robotic arms told Tommy. His hands had six fingers each. It was probably more convenient, but for some reason grossed Tommy out.
“You,” came a straightforward answer.
“And what’s that you find so interesting?”
“Your hands are fucked up,” Nikki said. While Tommy completely agreed, he wouldn’t have said it: the guard already rose from his chair with his taser bared.
“Have some fucking respect!” he growled and tased Nikki again – a little, Nikki even managed to keep standing, but the grimace on his face said it all.
“That’ll teach ‘im!” The customer grinned in delight. Then he, thankfully, proceeded further, not sparing them any more attention.
“The guard was right. My insides gotta be finely grilled at this point,” Nikki whispered hoarsely, pressing a hand to his chest.
“Third time is a charm,” Tommy smiled gloomily.
“Silence!” the guard yelled. The smile wilted on Tommy’s lips.
Some time passed, Tommy wasn’t sure how much. He could see the time on his display, but he avoided looking at it. Maybe if he doesn’t look there, a good customer also wouldn’t.
A middle-aged lady passed by merely sparing him a glance, then stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and approached their stand. She was maybe 45, more or less, rather plump, but she had nice dimples on her cheeks and kind eyes, and she was looking right at Tommy. His heart skipped a bit.
“Oh, what a pretty little thing you are,” she said, looking him over. She could barely reach his chin, but the tone of her voice immediately established her superior position. Not a dominant one, though. She wasn’t seeking to overpower him. “So skinny - did they not feed you here at all?”
“They did… ma’am.” The word kicked and scratched and punched his throat until the strict look of the guard made Tommy let it out. It left an unpleasant aftertaste on his tongue. But the lady looked pleased.
“He just didn’t eat,” Nikki intervened, but the guard clicked the taser warningly, making Nikki unwillingly fall silent.
“Why, though? Is the food bad?” The lady’s thin brows curved into half-ovals.
“Nutritionally – no. The taste, though…” Tommy trailed off. The lady got it.
“Oh, you’re a picky one!” She laughed. “Well, that’s not a problem for me. I love cooking. I own a small café, actually. And I need a young boy to help me out. How’s your cooking?”
Tommy hurried to put his 39% into a better light. “I’ve had some experience. But I’ve still got a lot to learn.”
“Let me see your other skills… Oh, you’re a drummer? You could play in bands if I ever decide to have live music! Lockpicking… hm… dancing, too… that’s an interesting skillset for sure…”
Then her eyes reached the last line, and her face darkened. No, no, no-
“Oh. I don’t have time to teach defiant kids manners. It won’t work out, I’m afraid.”
Tommy looked at her leaving in silent desperation. Nikki, despite the tangible threat of getting another zap, squeezed his forearm in support.
“She’d suffocate you under her weight anyway,” he murmured. Tommy cringed at the image in his mind. His grief subsided slightly.
People kept passing by. Though it had only been an hour from the start of the auction, Tommy began to worry. What happens to the slaves that don’t get sold on their first auction? Surely some are always left. Do they go on the next? Would the price be reduced? For some reason Tommy didn’t want to know.
He turned to Nikki, but he was staring intently into the crowd.
“What are you-“
“They’re staring at us.”
“Who?”
“They.” A nod slightly to the left, and then Tommy saw them.
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space-blue · 3 years ago
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*sigh*
Well, thanks TBB for the most underwhelming finale possible.
Gotta have a scary sea monster attack because we couldn't possibly have sensical dialogue to sort out Crosshair's situation could we?
Gotta have Tech interrupt Wrecker to be mean. Also, wow Wrecker, you of all people gonna judge a brother for not returning to them while he was on the chip?
We still don't know when the chip was taken off, but I wager by the time it was, it must have been painfully clear to Crosshair that his brothers weren't coming back for him. (ouch, when your fic turns canon)
The Empire saw a use for him while his brothers were out there playing arms dealer without him... Imagine if he had his chip off at Bracca and he saw Hunter telling him "it's not you it's your chip!" and explaining chips to him, and Cross just has to silently face the fact Hunter & co STILL think he's a total slave to the Empire and they STILL never tried to save him.
Fuck Hunter this season, seriously.
He tells Cross he wants to give him a chance too, and after a vague, irked brush off comment, promptly TURNS AROUND and flies off without protest, marooning Cross on a world that was just shot to oblivion.
They make a mention of leaving before scouts arrive but that's plot mumbling for cheap continuity BS. Technically they have zero knowledge of any scout coming. Why would any do that? Empire just bombed and GTFO. They could be leaving Cross out to die. They can't even be arsed to give him a ride!!
Also, episode 1 is all about Crosshair's reaction to wanting to follow orders being weird and totally out of character, and in this final episode Cross says "Good soldiers follow orders"... Almost making us wonder if his chip truly is out... But I guess Hunter forgot this isn't like his brother he's known all his life, and just accepts that's his new narrative without a single protest. OK then.
And fair, this is the man who tried to fry them in a ship engine (and the only one to suffer for it) but he also just saved Omega's life. As they all admit, they're even... But even is apparently not enough good will to give him a lift to a place with like... drinking water.
They couldn't make him a real villain, so they had everyone vent out some half baked grief at him (Echo got nothing to say because Echo is the literal wallpaper of this episode. AZ on the team means Echo fans can probably not tune in for season 2...) while making Cross say mean stuff and look miserable...
"Wow dude, it's been like 1h, you're not over your abandonment issues and chip trauma? Well guess we're leaving you behind then. But hey, to your face this time!"
Who the fuck am I supposed to be rooting for?
Where is TBB headed to?? Because Omega isn't in danger anyore is she? Nala will be off making baby snokes isn't she?
What am I supposed to be excited about, for season 2???
Does it open 5 years later and they're all farming with Cut and Suu?
Will it be another season of dealing weapons and babying the kid we now canonically know is older than them? And might I add, must be SIGNIFICANTLY older than them, because she remembers them and remembers wanting to find them again, which a 2yo can't exactly do.
Raaah what a shit ending. Should have left Omega with Cad Bane to bond and do mean shit in the galaxy together (after all, wouldn't he keep the kid if he lost the credits? Keep the asset till you're paid...) and then have TBB bois decide their only chance against Bane is to go rescue Crosshair and ask favours of Rex. Then they'd have a debt to the rebellion to pay out post reunion.
IDK literally anything else but a stupid physics defying sinking city with conversation cutting sea monsters would have been better than this. Ending it last episode would have been better than this.
Damn.
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treesnutsandleaveswrites · 3 years ago
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Crossing Paths
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Pairing: The Bad Batch x Reader (Polyam)
Summary: You make the weapons drop with the Batch, then Omega’s new friend try to rope you all into the a new problem
Warning: none really, some angst, some fluff, TBB spoilers
Word Count: 1812
pt xv pt xvii
XXXXXXX
You and Omega were examining the multiple weapons the Batch was assigned to give Gobi Glie.
“Why does Gobi Glie need all this again?”
“Many people aren’t very welcoming towards the Empire.”
“But you said he was famous as a freedom fighter and the Empire hasn’t been around for that long… does that mean he was still fighting before that?”
You nodded, placing a blaster down and looking at her, “A lot of twi’leks were taken from their homes and put into slavery.”
“But didn’t the Republic enforce that liberation act all those years ago?”
“Yes, but only in the systems in the Republic, there are those in the outer rim and the Confederacy of Independent Planets that it didn’t apply to.”
“Oh,” Omega sat back in one of the seats, “Like Caetum?”
You nodded, picking up another blaster and examining it. Of course it still bothered you that the Empire had taken over Caetum and treated your people poorly.
“Y’know… the rest of the batch never really talked about you. I’ve only heard them murmur in their sleep… I asked once, but they all went silent. You… you were a slave once, weren’t you?”
You hesitated before nodding with a small hum.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Lodestar.”
You looked at her with a smile before closing the weapons case and standing up. You then walked into the cockpit as Tech steered the ship, approaching the moon’s surface. There was a ship waiting already and you went to get your helmet.
“We’re reaching Ryloth, Omega.” You announced before you put your helmet on, so she nodded and went to the gunner’s mount to grab something. The ship then landed, so you opened the hatch to make it easier for the boys to move the weapons cases off the Marauder. You watched as they approached the awaiting twi’leks and eyed a much younger one with them. Omega must’ve seen her too because her head cocked up slightly as the young twi’lek approached the ship, admiring it.
“What kind of ship is this?” The young twi’lek wondered.
“It’s a modified Omicron Class Attack Shuttle.” Omega replied.
“Can I have a look inside?”
Omega looked at you, so you looked over to Hunter, who nodded gently. You looked down at her with a small nod so she got up and went in the ship with the girl at her tail. You stayed at the threshold of the hatch while the Batch talked with Gobi Glie. After a bit of conversation, Hunter turned to you and flicked his head to call you over. You stepped down from the ship and went to the small group, bowing your head shortly in greeting.
“This is our colleague: Lodestar.” Hunter introduced.
The twi’leks’ eyes widened slightly as they looked at you.
“You are Lodestar? The one who freed slaves in the Western Reaches?”
You nodded gently, “Sadly, my time of freeing has come to a delay.” You stated, your voice filtered by the modulator in your helmet.
“We understand. That is why we are here. The Empire has a… corrupt vision. Many on Ryloth do not want to be a part of it.”
You nodded, turning to see Omega and the young twi’lek exiting the ship. They rushed over and Omega stood by your side.
“Alright, we must get going. Thank you for making this drop. It was an honor meeting you all. Especially you, Lodestar.” Gobi Glie held out his hand and you grasped his forearm as he grasped yours in mutual respect. You urged Omega to follow her brothers and she waved.
“Bye, Hera.”
“Goodbye, Omega.”
You took a moment, watching as their ship made its way back to Ryloth before heading into the Marauder. You closed the hatch, then took off your helmet and took a deep breath. Your head dipped back slightly as you released it while closing your eyes.
“What is it?” Echo’s hushed voice came from beside you, which caused you to look at him.
“I’m alright…”
“Don’t think I didn’t hear you in the ‘fresher last night, mesh’la. There is something on your mind…”
You gave him a weak smile before cupping his face, “Always so caring…”
He reached his hand up to caress your arm, “You can tell me, my love.”
You took a moment before speaking, “I… I’m seen as this beacon of hope now… like how you all first saw me when I was just your communications officer…”
“Yes?”
“I hate to be the one to give people high expectations I cannot meet. To be the bringer of false hope…”
“There are some things we can and cannot do, mesh’la. You are just one person, you can’t change the course of one major thing like galactic liberation in one cycle… it takes time.”
You nodded, moving into his arms so he could embrace you, “I missed you, Eck.”
He chuckled, “I missed you too, mesh’la.”
You sighed gently, trying to make the hug last but not too long to delay him from any tasks. You finally let him go after another moment before he headed to the cockpit. Then you sat down as the ship left the moon’s orbit, setting course for Ord Mantell. Once it was safe to move around the cabin, you went towards the gunner’s mount to see what Omega was up to. You climbed the ladder carefully so as not to make too much noise. You popped your head up into the compartment and saw her close to the window, knees to her chest, pushing D-5 away from her as he rolled back as if it were a game of tag. You laughed gently as you made your way fully into the mount which caught her attention.
“That used to be my spot.”
“S-s-s-star!” D-5 bonked your arm and you pushed him back towards Omega, who smiled weakly before looking away, brows knitting together. You cocked your head in worry, moved closer to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
“I dunno… I just…”
You caressed her hair gently, “Feelin’ a bit lonely?”
“Yeah.” Omega sighed.
“Never really around anyone your age... must’ve been nice meeting Hera.”
“Yeah. It was.”
You smiled and wrapped your arm around her, “I understand. I lived on Kamino for nearly 10 years and I was only surrounded by Kaminoans and clones. There was barely anyone like me unless the Jedi or any senators were visiting..” You chuckled, “This past year was odd because everyone didn’t look the same.”
Omega laughed gently with a nod, leaning into you. You smiled before leaving a gentle kiss on her head.
“Don’t worry, Omega. There’s a whole Galaxy to explore… more people will cross our path.”
She nodded with a hum before speaking, “For now… this is good.”
“Yeah.” You whispered.
The two of you stayed there, talking with each other. You were telling her a story about one of the first foodfights you witnessed as their communications officer.
“I can’t believe Tech was the one who started it!” Omega giggled and you nodded.
“Trust me, I was just as shocked. But then Wrecker took the lead and the others followed after him.”
She laughed gently, but then Hunter called to the both of you from the cockpit. You looked at her in confusion, but she shrugged before heading out of the gunner’s mount with you. You entered the cockpit with her and saw a hologram of the young twi’lek, Hera. Omega approached, trying to listen to the transmission.
“Omega, it’s Hera! The Empire has taken my parents, and they are after me now too. I’m sending coordinates. Please, hurry. I need your help.”
Hunter paused the transmission and looked to Omega, “You gave her our comm channel?”
“For emergencies--and that sounded pretty urgent. We have to go!”
“Perhaps the situation isn’t as dire. Children often overreact.”
“No we don’t! You heard her, she needs us!”
Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder, “Omega… it’s a big galaxy. We can’t put ourselves on the line every time someone’s in trouble.”
“Why not?” Omega questioned, “Isn’t that what soldiers do?”
You looked at Hunter with a small smile as he looked at her in slight shock. You then looked back at Omega and urged her to come to you before crouching down as she stood in front of you.
“Omega, you know I understand your concern more than anyone… we’ll go to Ryloth, but if something happens and we can’t help, then you know what we have to do.”
She looked at you for a moment before determination filled her eyes, “We’ll be able to help. I know it.”
*******
The Havoc Marauder landed in a secluded part of the valley, which was filled with cargo. You all filed out of the ship and looked around.
“What is this place?” Wrecker wondered.
“I think it’s a base… probably something Gobi Glie established.” You explained.
There was then a sudden commotion and you looked to see a C1 astromech droid approaching, waving it’s extensions around frantically.
“What’s his problem?” Wrecker asked as it approached Omega.
“Thank you for coming.” Hera approached you all, “I wasn’t sure you would.”
“You said you were in trouble.” Omega responded.
“Care to tell us why the Empire is after you?” Hunter butt in.
“Because my father is Cham Syndulla.”
Tech looked up from his datapad and pushed his goggles up, “The freedom fighter?”
“Yes… this was his old command outpost. It’s where I’ve been hiding. The Empire’s begun targeting anyone loyal to him.”
“What do you want us to do?” Echo finally spoke up.
“Free my parents from the capital. That’s where they’re being held.”
Everyone looked to each other concerned, which caused Hera to become more desperate.
“They can pay you if you get them out! Please? I don’t have anyone else to ask…” She then turned to you, “You are the famous Lodestar. My father and Gobi were talking about you. Many of the twi’leks know of you because you have helped many of our kin… they would be forever grateful.”
You turned your head slightly to Hunter, who looked at you. You still had your helmet on, but you knew he could tell what you were considering. Then Omega went to Hera’s side and gave her a nod.
Hunter let out a small sigh before speaking, “Let’s see what we’re up against first, but no guarantees.”
Omega and Hera smiled, but you took off your helmet then looked at Omega. You approached the two girls and smiled sadly.
“Omega… remember what I said on the ship.”
She nodded, “I know.”
You looked to Hera, “As I told Gobi… I am not that liberator anymore. The Empire knows about me also, so it isn’t as safe for me to do things like that anymore.”
Hera nodded. You all then headed towards the Capitol.
XXXXXXX
Masterlist
Taglist: @darkangel4121 @lightning-wolffe @alucas528 @rintheemolion @shadowfoxey @butch-medusae @gabile18 @incandescentlywarm
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deewithani · 3 years ago
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Raindrops in the Wind - Chapter 4
Chapter Rating: T
Work Rating: Explicit (18+)
Pairing: Jango Fett x F! Reader
Word count: Approx. 2.8k
Warnings: No warnings for this chapter
Chapters will list their individual ratings, work is rated Explicit (18+) for eventual explicit content.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
The hallways of Tipoca City bustled with activity. People of all different ages and stations walked to and fro, doors opening and closing behind them as they go. The city was like nothing you had ever seen, pristine in it's cleanliness, the only place you had ever been that had been near to it was the clinic on Milvayne, but even that clinic was filthy hole compared to the facilities here on Kamino.
They were, in short, everything you had ever hoped to see for a medical facility.
But Tipoca City wasn't just a medical facility.
~~~
A medical droid had been sent to retrieve you from the transport on the day you arrived, holopad in hand. A quick “Here are your day's orders. Follow me.” was all it said, before pushing the holopad into your hands and moving back in the direction it came. You followed the small droid off the transport, through the rain, then through the nearly identical hallways of Tipoca City, stopping here and there to pick up any clothing or supplies that were indicated on the holopad that you needed. As you trailed the droid you passed by several young human men who looked shockingly similar. Speeding up your gait to walk beside the droid, you asked “Hey, what's the story with those guys?” “No questions while we are working. I will answer any questions to the best of my ability when we have arrived at your personal room.”
After a short time you were led to your quarters, a small room with  a bunk, a desk and a chair. There wasn't much room for anything else, but it was yours. Clean and dry, and didn't smell of rot or death, it was much better than your previous lodging. “There is a map of the facility on your holopad. Use it to acquaint yourself with the facility before tomorrow. You are authorized to visit and observe any location listed on your map without prior approval or an escort. Do not, under any circumstance, go to any location that is not shown. Your contract may be revoked if you do not abide by these rules. Do you understand and agree?” The droid was quiet for a moment, seemingly waiting for you to speak, before continuing, “I require your agreement to these terms before continuing.”
You thought for a moment. There was so much about this place that was strange and unfamiliar, and you ached to leave your bunk and “see the sights”, as it were.
“Will you answer some questions if I agree? You said you would once we finished.”
“Yes,” the droid replied. “I will answer any questions you have based on what my programming allows.” This was not exactly the answer you were looking for, but getting some information would be much more helpful than what you currently had, which was essentially nothing.
“Ok. I agree to the terms. Now, are you ready to answer my questions?”
“That is affirmative. You are now permitted to ask me any questions at any time. I will respond as appropriate to my programming.”
The first question you wanted answered came easily. “What does that mean, 'appropriate to your programming'?” The droid replied to your query quickly, “There are procedures and information that is restricted. I may have authorization to access this information, however, I cannot provide restricted information to anyone who is not also authorized. If you ask a question that has an answer that is restricted for you, I will tell you that it is restricted. If the answer is not restricted for you, I will provide my full knowledge of the information to you. If I do not know the answer, I will tell you that I do not know the answer. Does this answer your question sufficiently?” “Yes”, you continued. “I have a few more questions, if you don't mind.” “Certainly, please continue.”
Your mind wandered back to the young men you passed earlier in the day. There had been 10 of them, walking two-by-two in straight lines, in matching tunics and pants, but that wasn't all that had matched. As they passed they looked nearly identical to your eyes, but you didn't have a moment to really look closely, and when you asked the droid it was quick to put you back on track, stopping your query almost before it was out of your mouth. “The men we passed earlier, that I asked you about. Why do they look so similar.” The droid replied quickly, without hesitation, “They are clones. Kamino's primary export is clone technology. Many clones are created and trained here for many purposes.” “And what is their purpose?” The reply again came quickly. “They are soldiers.” “Why is Kamino creating soldiers?” At this question, the reply came much slower. “That is restricted.” You decided to push a little further, the question of the existence of these young men weighing heavier on you than you expected. “How many are there?” The droid again gave an oddly slow reply, as others had came quick and with sufficient explanation. “That is restricted.”
You resigned yourself to the idea that you were not likely to get as much information as you would like from the droid regarding the clones you had seen, so you decided to ask questions that were more pressing for why you were here in the first place.
The answers to your questions came quickly again, as if these were the questions the droid was prepared to answer. “What will I be doing while I'm here?” The droid chirped up at this question, as if it had emotion and was happy that you asked it. “You will be working in a medical and training role. You will begin tomorrow.” “Who will I be working with?” “That is currently restricted, however you are scheduled to be authorized to receive that information tomorrow after orientation.” “What do I do the rest of the day?” “Anything you want, as long as it is confined to the areas you are authorized to go on your map.” “What if I have other questions?” “I will return tomorrow with your orders for the day, you can ask questions to any droid of my type that you see and they will answer in the same manner, or you can request assistance from one of us directly from your holopad.”
You were ready to send the droid away, but one last question lingered on your mind before you would go explore the city. It seemed silly, but with the restrictions seemingly placed on what information you were allowed to know, you wanted to make sure before you opened your mouth and asked a question you couldn't take back to someone you shouldn't be talking to. “Can I talk to people here? Like the men in the hallway?” The droid cocked it's head slightly, as if in thought, and replied “Yes, you can talk to anyone you like, as long as they are in an area you are authorized to access. They are not required to answer you.”
~~~
Nearly a month had passed since you first came to Kamino. The areas you were authorized to access were surprisingly large, and you were seemingly only restricted from the private offices of medical personnel and the private dwellings of others who were working for the Kaminoans as you were. The information flowed more free than you had expected as well. When the droid returned on the second day with your orders, you had expected to be doing shady work that you would have to hide from others. Instead you experienced a normal, if rather boring, training and orientation class where you were provided with everything you could possibly need to perform a satisfactory job while you were here. You learned that you would be a trainer, both in providing emergency medical assistance when options for medical supplies and facilities were lacking or non-existent, and also training them in dealing with civilians, of which there was an extremely short supply on Kamino. Everyone in the places you were authorized to be was either a Kaminoan medical worker, someone training the clones in the art of war, or a clone. You were none of these things. You were someone who knew how to blend in, lay low, survive and help others survive, and you were exactly what the Kaminoans had been looking for to help round out the clones' education.
Before you were hired the younger cadets had been training for civilian contact by watching holovids, which had not been as effective as the Kaminoans had hoped. The children had been acting out what they saw on the screen, but were having trouble knowing how to react when an interaction didn't follow a scripted narrative. They needed someone who had experience with a wider world than their brothers and trainers on Kamino, or a screen in their hands, could provide. They were introduced to this type of interaction with you gradually, whenever one had been injured in training and needed one-on-one medical assistance. At first you just sat in with the medical officer or droid that was assigned to the task, waiting in the room alone with the cadet so they could talk to you, if they were so inclined. You were instructed to ask the cadets about their pastimes, if they enjoyed games with their brothers, small, unimportant chit-chat that was intended to help them acquaint themselves with people outside of their normal social circle. Quickly these appointments began to include older cadets, and cadets that just needed standard medical physicals.
Your days followed the same pattern. In the mornings you would train older cadets in ways to treat and heal in emergency situations, and afternoons were filled with meeting and talking with cadets in medical offices, each one looking at you with the same eyes and same faces. You had seen so many and they had all blended together that you didn't notice a young clone in blue was very different than the others you had seen.
~~~
As Jango listened to Boba retell the story of meeting the woman at his checkup, it became clear to him that she did not realize that Boba wasn't a cadet. She had been free with information, asking Boba what type of games he liked to play in the barracks, who his best friends were, and what classes he most enjoyed. When he asked, she told him that she had talked with lots of other clones at appointments just like his. Boba played along like the good son he was, and Jango couldn't be prouder.
His plan was simple, he only needed to take the place of an older clone who had an appointment she would be at. Sure, he looked a bit older than his oldest clones, but this woman hadn't even noticed that his Boba was wearing a completely different outfit than the cadets she usually saw, so he thought she could be duped easily. How many clones had she even seen up close, face to face? Sure, they all had the same face, but many had scars from training that marred their otherwise smooth skin, and this would make it all the easier for him to pass himself off as a clone. He spread word through the Cuy'val Dar, and soon enough he was told he was scheduled for a checkup, well, CT-4138 had a checkup. CT-4138 had never actually met the woman, so there was little chance she would think that Jango wasn't the “real deal”. The real CT-4138 would be provided some “additional personal training” that would keep him from making the appointment, and no one would be the wiser.
When the day of the appointment came, Jango dressed himself in the same plain armor the older clones wore and set out from his apartment, walking down the stark white hallways of Tipoca City, occasionally stopping in to watch combat training or joining groups of clones as they walked to and from classrooms before breaking off yet again, turning down another hallway. There was always an opportunity to gather more information, and Jango used this time to listen to the chatter between clones, things that were only for the ears of their brothers. Talks of nightmares, troubles in training, and of the new trainer, the pretty girl running the emergency medic training class. Jango learned that word of her was running through the city like wildfire, cadets bragging that she favored them in her class, older clones bragging that she favored them in dark hallways and storage closets, but all agreeing that she was skilled and that her training, while not standard, would be more than sufficient in helping them save their brothers when all other methods were unavailable.
This was not all Jango learned. By and large the clones were itching to meet her. Where before they had dreaded their regular check-ins with the medical droids, now they were waiting with excitement for their turn with her. With the undercurrent of excitement moving through the them, Jango decided he should act excited at this meeting as well, and as the time neared for him to report to be observed he made a conscious change to his demeanor, putting on a slight grin, relaxing his shoulders, and walking as though he was holding himself back from bouncing in happiness. He thought he looked very much like what an excited clone who had never actually met a woman before would look like going to meet the girl of his dreams for the first time.
~~~
Your day had been busy, as usual. You had spent the morning showing cadets how to set broken legs with makeshift splints, watching as they occasionally held each other down and pretended to be in the middle of a war zone, fighting with an injured brother who is trying their hardest to keep the others from helping him. It may have seemed to outsiders to be silly, but in real life people didn't simply stay still and allow you to help them. They needed to be able to hold thrashing brothers down and help them, even if they were in pain, confused, and trying to get away. These training sessions frequently ended in “medics” carting off squirming “victims” on their shoulders, while the “victims” fell into fits of laughter as they pretended to scream in pain.
It would be a heartwarming display of the love they shared for each other if they weren't being taught how to fight, how to kill, how to protect each other, and how to die.
Some days it was too much, to painful to know that these men and boys had been created for the purpose of war. You would ask the droids what war they were created for, but you continually got the same reply, “That is restricted.” Somewhere in the Galaxy there was a war, either ready to break out or already in progress. There had to be. There was no reason to create men for a theoretical war. They were going to fight, someday, and they would die like soldiers in war do.
And there's nothing you can do to change that. The more you see them, the more you talk to them, the more you hate that you know this.
Shortly after arriving in Tipoca City dreams like the one that plagued you on Milvayne returned, the faces of the children much clearer now that you know was calling for your help. You move through the  white walled rooms and hallways of the city, passing by clones as the smiling faces of cadets look up to you, their voices thanking you for coming to help. But the dreams always end the same way, children laying still in those same hallways, lights darkened as you are grabbed by the hand and pulled out into the rain.
As you make your way to your first medical appointment of the day, you wonder if you should have came here at all. The pay has been good, but there is nothing you need to spend your credits on. All of your needs have been met by the Kaminoans. You have enjoyed your work, but all the cadets will eventually leave, even if no one will tell you why or when. You are not allowed to speak to anyone outside of the authorized areas, and you are not allowed to leave. There are so many people here, yet you feel even more alone than before you came.
The medical droid is outside the room when you arrive, holopad in hand, and as you walk through the door you realize your 'patient' has already arrived. “Are you CT-4138?” He looks at you quizzically, tilting his head slightly, before a slight smirk reaches his lips. “I am. You must be the pretty trainer.”
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dokoni-mo · 5 years ago
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Far Away, Together || Darth Vader x Reader
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(A/N: Hello all! This is my first post on tumblr and I am so excited to share my fic with all you lovely people!!! I used to write alot, but haven’t in some time. Since I am renewing my love for star wars, I thought that I would do a little something for my favorite man of all time: Vader!!! A big thanks to Kenna for helping to inspire me to write again (you know who you are :))) ). This is chapter one of a series of about 10 chapters I plan to write. Please enjoy and feel free to ask to be added to the tag list!! also, not my gif)
WARNINGS: mentions of a TIE crash, some cursing
Key: (F/N) = first name  (L/N) = last name
Word Count: ~3600
Edit: Link to Chapter Two: [x]
Life on the Super Star Destroyer was exactly the same as the ship looked on the outside: cold, dull, and gray. Color? What’s that? Life? Never heard of it. 
No one ever really stopped to mingle with one another, even for a brief, courteous “hello!” or “hey, how’s it going?”. These types of action were seen as unnecessary and not impactful to squashing out the rebellion, as well as to eliminating any sign of hope that one day the Empire will just cease to exist, leaving everyone alone. Everything and everyone had a purpose within the Empire. Everyone had their own job, and heaven forbid that you are somehow unable to do that job. Any failure was seen as weakness, and the Empire had no use for weakness amongst its ranks. These were the fundamental truths of working under the Empire.
Being a mechanic wasn’t so bad. You got to do what you loved to do, so what’s so bad about that? Sure, you had very little contact with the outside world (aside from the occasional news briefing or smuggled-in holovid), you had very few acquaintances, and you were always just referred to as last name only, but all of these could be overlooked. You wake up, put on your drab, gray-green uniform, go to work, then go back to your quarters, rinse and repeat every day of every week. A nice little routine for your nice little job on the nice little imperial vessel. 
To say you blended in with the crowd was wrong. Everyone blended in with the crowd, so to say you blended in with the crowd was diagnosing yourself with special-snowflake syndrome. There was no individuality within the Empire. There was only the Empire, the usage of names only a formality or a way to get one’s attention. Despite this, due to human nature, those serving would often try to attempt some sort of individuality. Female officers would have a signature way of pulling back their hair, troopers would talk in different made-up accents, and some even gave themselves tattoos. You, however, found your individuality within your work. 
When fixing something, you would often put  your own spin on how you bring said thing back to its former glory. Fixing a speederbike? Lets rewire the wires so that they make a nice, pretty zig-zag pattern. This will help it steer a bit better, anyway. Fixing a blaster with a faulty trigger? Why not add a new cooling system just to be nice. Fixing a TIE? Oh boy, the possibilities are endless. 
This may be what has allowed you to rise through the ranks so quickly as a mechanic. There was seemingly nothing that you couldn’t inflict your midas touch upon. Plop anything down on your workbench and it's a guarantee that it will be fixed. 
On the other hand, it may just be dumb luck. This is ultimately what you thought. You were just merely doing your job, trying to not cause any trouble for yourself, just like everyone else you worked with. It just so happened to be you that the Empire had noticed. 
It was this attention that landed you this new assignment.The news had come suddenly and almost unexpectedly. Pack your bags, (F/N), you're out of the Endor research station and now on a one-way ticket to the Super Star Destroyer. Of course, there was no one around to pat you on the back when you got the news, and certainly no one to say congratulations. You did that yourself that night by treating yourself to an extra ration. 
If you were anyone else within the Empirical army, you would be over the moon about working on this ship. But, you felt no emotion towards the subject. It was just another job, what’s so special about it?
You quickly learned the answer to that. 
Him. 
He made the entire aura of the ship much tenser than any other research station or star destroyer that you had ever been on. People were not kidding when they said that his entire presence dripped with authority and power. To defy him, was to defy the Empire. To fail him, was to fail the Empire. It also always meant a loss of your life by the point of his saber. 
You remember the first time that you saw him with your own eyes, not just an image from a news briefing or the picture you formed in your head when you heard the stories. You were lined up along with all of your new fellow troopers, officers, and mechanics, your hands firmly by your sides and your chin held up high, your eyes the only part allowed to move. He had been returning from some sort of escapade, and it was time for another customary formal greeting for him.
He was hard to miss when the door to the shuttle had touched the cold, hard ground. Everything about him was massive, intimidating. Dressed head to toe in black, his frame resembling a man but his features that of a droid. Despite the layers upon layers of armor and clothing, you could tell his muscles were nothing to bat an eye at. His shoulderspan looked like it could be twice your own, and his hands look like they could wrap around your waist and crush you in to a million tiny pieces at any second. Hot. 
As he walked past you, you could feel the floor vibrate with menacing trembles as he took each step. His breathing was enrapturing, filling up your ears like it was there to live rent-free. When he finally spoke (a simple “Good, admiral”), you could feel the bass right in the middle of  your chest. His voice was encapsulating, surrounding you with it's deep, authoritative, encompassing demeanor. Even hotter. 
Yes, Darth Vader was quite the interesting character. But, he was not the one, you had decided, to try and become buddy-buddy with. Far too risky. Instead, you would carry on as normal: do your job, and don’t get in anyone’s way. You have done this for years, and a change of scenery with a far more intimidating boss wouldn't change that. 
Except when it did. 
The day (you believed that it was day, at least. It was hard to keep track of time in the middle of space on a giant floating mouse cursor) was as simple as ever. You woke up, ate your breakfast rations, then went straight to work. They had you fixing a few blasters and comms that day. How exciting. 
You almost didn't hear the sound of the sirens when they went off, nor how the room suddenly was flashing red. When you had finally came-to, the sound of a highly distressed officer was over the hangar’s comm system. 
“Everyone clear the bridge now! Lord Vader is coming in hot!”
Coming in hot? You wondered what that had meant. Of course, you knew what that meant, but this was Lord Vader we were talking about. He was the best pilot in the whole Empirical fleet. He never crashed, you had thought. 
Despite your judgement, you put down your tools and started to run along with the other mechanics. They seemed just as confused as you were, awkwardly trying to shuffle out of their stations into somewhere safe. Quietly slipping past the small crowd, you found refuge on the other side of the doorway you were in, finding a place to watch within one of the windows. 
Looking up to the stars that made up the tail-end wall of your workplace, you were almost shocked to see that the officer over the comm wasn’t hallucinating. Lord Vader’s TIE was, indeed, coming in hot. A noticeable plumage of smoke followed in his wake, as well as the occasional burst of sparks and the odd chunk of metal falling off. The noise that TIE made when it passed through the barrier was unholy, making you wince right before you had jumped in your polished boots. Lord Vader’s TIE crashed right on the floor of your workspace, skidding along and spinning not before crashing into several unfinished projects and stopping just before the doorway you had been standing in.  
Oh, maker. He’s dead. 
That was your only thought as the smoke and dust around the TIE settled in the air. The smoke was occasionally illuminated by the sparks coming out of the ship. This was definitely not a pretty scene. That TIE was busted. 
A twinge of some sort of odd emotion rippled through you as you saw the tip of a red stream of light pierced through the metal of the broken TIE. It made a large circle motion before shrinking back inside. Moments later, the circle had been thrown off, flying past the group of mechanics that had begun to shuffle awkwardly back into the hangar to inspect the scene for themselves. You had joined them as the circle was discarded off of the TIE, the wind making a strand of your hair raise. 
He stepped out of the burning pile of metal mess moments later. A small amount of smoke radiated off of his body as his boots collided with the ground. His shoulders were raised, his left fist in a ball as his right held on firmly to his weapon. He offered no one any explanation as he marched his way to the medical bay, an air of contempt and loathing following him. 
They had let you off to lunch early that day. The smoke from the TIE could be toxic, and they needed some time to clear out the hangar before everyone could get back to work. 
You ate your ration in silence as everyone around you murmured their theories and rumors about the incident that had occurred about an hour earlier. There was no need to speculate, in your eyes, and the only people you talked with were out on some other assignment. Silence kept you company, anyhow. 
Your peaceful lunch, however, was eventually rudely interrupted by some rude, old geezer. His uniform adorned many different patches and pins, so you figured he had to be some sort of presiding, know-it-all, experienced officer. The lines in his face only made him look more stern and stuck up than he sounded, his lips pursed as he eyed the datapad he held whilst he stood in front of your lunch table. 
“(L/N), I presume, yes? Our newest mechanic from Endor?” the old man questioned, his dark eyes flicking back and forth between you and your glowing blue picture. 
“Yes, sir. That’s me.” you responded, sitting up to offer some sort of respect to the officer. 
The old man turned off his datapad with that, folding his arms behind his back as he addressed you fully. “Well, Miss (L/N), I do hope that your current assignment holds no sentimental value to you. You are being reassigned with a very important alternative, effective immediately.” 
“Immediately?” you questioned, “I apologize sir, I don’t quite-”
“Your new assignment, Miss (L/N), is to repair Lord Vader’s TIE. I assume you bore witness to his entrance earlier today.” said the old officer, cutting you off. “Lord Vader’s ship is of utmost importance to the Empire, and we only assign our best to repair it when needed. We have already removed your previous assignment from your station and place Lord Vader’s TIE in its place.” 
Before you could get another word out, the officer turned on his heel to leave, only giving you a side glance over his shoulder as he continued, “You should be pleased, Miss (L/N). You just became one of our finest mechanics.” 
~~~
You only saw a heaping pile of garbage that was vaguely shaped like a TIE Advanced x1 at your station when you returned. The ship was mangled beyond repair. Aside from the gaping hole in the center of the fighter, the wings were gnashed beyond recognition, many of the metal plates lining the surface either gone or melted, the wires that snaked along the inside of the craft were now on the outside, and it still hadn’t stopped smoking completely. 
You couldn't hide your expression as you walked around the TIE. Why the hell would you even try and repair this hunk of shit? you thought to yourself, Just get a new TIE, I’m sure the Empire can afford it. 
You contemplated on going back and finding that old man that gave you the assignment and asking him to repeat it back to you. Whoever wanted this thing repaired was a madman at best. Sighing, you reminded yourself of your virtues. Do your job, don’t get in the way. And, this was your new job. 
You had no idea on where to start. 
~~~
It was long past quitting hours when you heard the doors to the hangar open. 
You were perched on top of the broken down TIE, your jacket long since discarded. You were left only in your boots, pants, tanktop, and goggles as you heard heavy footsteps draw closer to your station. 
You paused briefly from your welding to listen to the footsteps for a brief moment. You pondered for a short time on whether or not to address the person walking towards you, but decided against it. You figured that they were just some trooper or other mechanic sneaking out for a midnight walk or snack. Although you were loyal to the Empire, you were no snitch to your fellow troop. You resumed your welding after your judgement had ended. 
You continued to listen, however, and noticed how the footsteps had ended very close to your station. Listening past the sound of your welding, your heart almost jumped out your throat and hitched a ride to the outer-rim when you noticed an all-too-familiar sound. 
That breathing. 
To make sure that your ears were not playing tricks on you, you stopped your welding and peeked over the top of the TIE. Sure enough, there he was, staring up at you without a word, without even moving one muscle. Your blood ran cold. 
“L-Lord Vader!” You called down as you scurried to put down your tools, pushing your goggles up to rest on your sweat-gleamed forehead. You landed on the ground with a thunk as you slid down the TIE, hurriedly walking over to address the Dark Lord properly. 
Standing so close to him forced you to notice the height and size difference between the two of you. He was tall, so tall that you had to almost crane your neck to look him in the eyes of his mask. His frame dwarfed yours in every way, making you feel so, so small and weak compared to him. As the sith looked down at you, you couldn't help but feel his real eyes behind the mask bare into you, almost as if he were looking right into the fiber of your being. You swallowed thickly but silently, forgetting that you were out of uniform in front of the Emperor's right hand. 
“I-I apologize, my Lord, I did not hear you come in over the sound-” 
“Is it not past active hours for your department, mechanic?” He interjected, interrogating you. You felt your cheeks gain a touch of rouge out of embarrassment. You had barely even noticed that it was so late, that almost all of the lights in the hangar had gone dim.��
“Yes, my Lord, it is. But, I had-”
“You need not explain yourself to me, mechanic. I have come here for a report on the damage to my ship. If you will so generously supply me with that, perhaps I will overlook your discrepancies tonight.” He said to you, his head tilting to the side. The eyes of his helmet never left your frame as he spoke to you. His authority made a shiver run down your spine, your breath hitch. He could kill you at any moment's notice, and you both knew that. 
“Yes. Yes, of course, my Lord.” You responded quietly. It was then you finally dared to let your gaze fall off of the menacing, tall figure before you. Turning on your heel, you looked up at the broken down craft before you, pressing a hand against the cool metal. “Well, my Lord, I will not dare lie to you. This fighter is in real bad shape. Her left wing is almost completely non-existent, her guns are unrecognizable, and her central computer has been totally fried. Her engine received a great amount of damage as well, and it looks like all of her spark igniters and thrusters will need to be replaced. This is all, of course, not to mention the damage to her framework.” 
You had circled around the TIE absentmindedly as you spoke, your hand gliding over the jagged surface of the craft. Vader’s gaze followed your diminutive frame as you paced about. You could feel the eyes of his mask follow you with every footstep. Were it not for the continuous babbling on about damages, you would be shitting a brick right about now. 
“And how do you plan to proceed with these repairs, mechanic?” He asked you, a hint of his temper and curiosity poking through. 
“Well,” you retorted, looking at him once more, right in the face, “In order to proceed with anything, I have to get the central computer back online and running. That way, I will be able to talk to her better, and maybe even run a diagnostic for any damages that I haven’t caught yet. After that will be the repairs to the wing, which I will likely have to build from scratch from other scrapped TIEs. Once that is complete, repairs to the frame will begin, then onto the guns and engine. This may change, however, if I am able to run that diagnostic, my lord.” 
The way you held yourself in front of the sith lord was certainly a pleasant surprise. Lord Vader was used to his subordinates making a vain attempt to make the situation sound better to him so that he would be pleased. You, however, did not shy away from cutting to the chase and telling Vader how it was. He felt a twinge of appreciation bubble deep, deep down inside him. He always did value someone who truly knew their way around a ship or two. 
Vader took a glance at the mess of his TIE Advanced then back to you before he spoke again. You had refused to take your eyes off him again. 
“I understand,” he rumbled out, placing his large hands on their respective sides of his belt, “I presume that these repairs will take a small while.” 
His words were spoken as a statement, but you knew he was asking. 
“Yes, Lord Vader,” you said, nodding in affirmation, “They indeed will, but I will do all in my power to have her running again just like new.” You couldn't help but flash a small, quick smile at the end of your positivity. 
Vader stared down at you for a brief moment before speaking again, the sound of his steady breath winding around you once again. 
“Good,” he finally said, “I expect no less from you, mechanic. I will come here again periodically, and I expect a full report of progress for each of my visitations. Do I make myself clear? Do not fail me.” 
“Of course, my Lord. I will do exactly as you wish” you replied, giving him a firm nod as you stood at attention. Quickly, you relaxed your pose, letting your gaze fall once more and your body to turn to resume your work. 
Vader, however, stood completely still. He was not done with you quite yet. 
“Your name.” Vader said flatly, with a hint of demand. 
This sent a jolt through you. You shot your gaze back to the sith, your hand gently clutching one of your tools, applying just enough strength to keep it from falling. 
“P-pardon, my Lord?” 
“Your name, mechanic. I wish to know your name.”
You licked your bottom lip hurriedly. You prayed that he couldn't notice your cheeks tint pink. 
“It's (L/N), my Lord-”
“I know that, Miss (L/N). I wish to know your full name. Do not make me ask again.” 
You almost burst out laughing. He had to be joking. This was the first time in years that someone had asked you for your first name. You were surprised that you even still remembered it. 
“It’s… It’s (F/N), my Lord. (F/N) (L/N).” 
Another pause from him, along with another long staring contest between the two of you. Was his breathing always this loud?
After an eternity, he spoke once more, “I have full faith in you, Miss (F/N) (L/N). It is not everyday I have the privilege to converse with one of your skill level and courage.”
With that, he was done. He stepped to the right, turned, and walked to the door, leaving without another look or word. You stared at the door for a long moment before looking at the floor, replaying the past events in your head, letting his words plague your mind over and over like a broken record. 
Was that a compliment?
No, of course not, you had convinced a majority of  yourself. 
With a sigh, you climbed back up to the top of the broken TIE, seated on your perch again. You adorned your goggles once more, telling yourself just a little more before you retired for the night. 
Little did you know, this was only the first interesting night of many to come. 
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jangofctts · 4 years ago
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(sorry for the format i think but this is loNG WTF IS WRONG W ME ITS INCOHERENT I'M LOCKIN MYSELF UP OFF TO HORNY JAIL I GO) deadass when you nd the boys are days away from being back on coruscant and on shore leave for a minute bc the general got some weird jedi shit to deal with is when u become peak Brat™ like it is so bad even the resident brat fuse can't keep up, the whole squad is screaming, and no one can stop u (yet) like you love teasing the boys but this is next level annoying like lets say max asks u to do something to help him get ready to fuck off for leave and ur just like no💕 i will cause problems on purpose))) he isn't happy and keeps asking while doing other work, realizes he's getting nowhere, and starts w the vague threats “you won’t like what happens if u keep this up” or “you really don't want to do this right now" but u finally do a few things to help before u leave to annoy void bc that man doesn't deal w enough shenanigans apparently...
u help void for a bit but get bored when void is just doing inventory and requisitions asking you how much of this or that nd you start saying "not enough" or "a fuckton" and while he appreciates the honesty it's not helpful but you ask "can't a droid do inventory? they know how to count?" getting a snarky reply of "yeah unlike you" obviously fed up but u continue to annoy him maybe cause mischief w the boys if they're there? maybe get handsy? threaten stupidity? who knows but anything u do is gonna get an exasperated sigh and "i'm gonna tell max about this shit" but what is he gonna do? punish u? [narrator: he, in fact does just that] so this goes on for a while but at some point when you are like 10 hrs out from coruscant max herds u to his quarters but lo and behold it's not bc he needs someone to fix his datapad but bc ur in for the punishment of ur life lol this man must have been planning this since ur first bratty act bc he has a bunch of stuff laid out just for u))) seeing this, u turn on the sad puppy eyes/pouty face and the "but i can be a good girl for u" or "i'm sorry i was just antsy to get back let me make it up to you" but nothing is gonna work now especially when he puts u over his knee.
he's pulling ur pants down over ur ass, revealing ur going commando today and u give him the "whats wrong maxy?" over ur shoulder just before he starts ur punishment isn't he sweet? he only spanks you a few times bc ur real punishment is SO MUCH worse and u realize this when he ties ur hands together over ur head and ties ur ankles together too hmmmmm this was more than u bargained for and u keep pleading with max when he takes his armor and blacks off but he keeps saying "u did this to yourself baby" and that he "can't help now" because "u didn't listen earlier like a good girl" but once he gets situated on the bed u know ur in for it. he grabbed some lube from his drawer and slicked himself up while telling u that "u won't be enjoying this part but i think i will" as he takes a hold of ur legs and lining himself up with not ur entrance but between ur thighs right above ur clit bc surprise! this ass and thigh man is gonna go to town fucking ur thighs while just grazing ur clit every few strokes absolutely working u up but no where near enough to get u off just like he planned. max really does love a good thigh fucking and so do u but he's usually playing with ur clit teasing u until he hits home and fills u up right - this time none of that is happening. u keep whining which just eggs him on more to bully u with "good girls deserve my thick cock but u decided to be a brat hm?" and "brats don't get to cum last time i checked" until he loses his rhythm and shutters as he cums all over ur stomach. he slowly gets out between ur thighs and runs his hands through the mess but ur still whiny so he shushes u with cum slick fingers before he gets up to grab his comlink just leaving the rest to get sticky (so rude)
he calls up void nd hear him say "my hip is acting up could u come look at it later?" with "did ur dumb ass do something again? give me a bit i'll head over" in reply with no idea what is waiting for him when he comes through the door. u have no idea how long it'll b until void comes so u keep trying to plead ur case to max telling him ur "sorry for being annoying and bratty i learned my lesson can i cum now?" but getting a surprising "lets see what void thinks" in return. its at least half an hour until void opens the door to see u tied to max's bed and him hovering over u just taunting and playing with u as he sees fit but honestly at this point nothing can really truly shock void now but this peaked his interest. max tries to explain saying "she was being a br-" "a brat i know i didn't think it would end up like this but" void starts as he takes off his remaining armor and ur begging for SOMETHING since max was so mean not even going near ur pussy (again rude) but thankfully void isn't a sadist (today) and starts teasing u by running his fingers through ur folds, playing with ur clit, and starts opening u up for him.
once he gets u good and wet he starts slowly rocking into u while u keep begging for him to give u permission to cum but he says that "brats don't get to cum they just get used))))" and ur thinkin ur definitely not gonna be cumming anytime soon but this mf just goes straight to pound town w the week/month/whatever he's had and the bratting u've done lol and u start clenching trying to get a rise out of him or get him to say something, ANYTHING but void won't give u the satisfaction of hearing his usual dirty talk, no, this is his version of punishment just letting u hear and feel him fuck u faster as he approaches his orgasm not caring about yours (yet) just feeling u tighten around him until he can't handle it and cums deep inside u just staying there for a minute catching his breath and u think void is done but oh lord no he is very much not lol he unties ur ankles and goes straight for ur pussy eating u out and cleaning up the mess he made inside and out, rutting into the sheets and making u squirm like nothing else maybe max wanders back over to you too and helps him out idk i was just having thots (since everyone is whore knee for wrecker rn i remember sending a wrecker ask a million years ago i can send it again if u want also i have a short fuse thing for u so))))) love being a whore)
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ok bye im gonna be checking myself into the fuckin hospital THIS IS PURE GOLD IM
wOw
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morganas-pendragons · 4 years ago
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Epiphany | Commander Cody
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another clone fic before i take my leave of tcw writing at least temporarily because my idea bank is dead (update: kidding i have another now, it’s coming this week) / this will probably not be happy because this song is not happy and most of you know better from me of all people lol 
this is actually more hurt/comfort but i hope ya’ll like it! :D 
based off of epiphany from taylor swift’s album folklore 
ft. phantom because i haven’t written enough for her 
@cherieboba​ // @libradusk​ / @obiorbenkenobi​ / @captainrexstan​ / @kamino-mermaid​ / @shitpost-kaley​ / @kryptonian-sith​ / @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol​ / @lady-tano​ / @colorfulloverbatturkey​ / @djarinsdni​ / @sithmando​ /  @skyguysaga​ / @starflyer-104​ / @painkiller80​ / @ct7567329​ / @spaghetti-666​ / @kaikai1324​ / @cxptain-rex​ / @jellyfishpoptart​ 
*** 
keep your helmet, keep your life son.. just a flesh wound, here’s your rifle 
There’s a certain numbness that comes with being exposed to trauma so many times. Phantom knows in her heart of hearts that this - being on the front lines of a battlefield since the beginning of her padawanship to Obi-Wan Kenobi - was not what The Force meant for her. Jedi were not soldiers. They were peacekeepers. 
And now it seems she is among the best of them. 
Standing on the shorelines of Felucia, the eldest padawan of her class peers upward at the massive Separatist droid foundry they’ve been sent to eliminate. She knows the familiar signatures for the members of Ghost Company who have come to stand at attention around her as they await the General to begin their debriefing. 
Needless to say, the debriefing doesn’t go well. 
  “You want to do what?” Cody is skeptical, to say the least, but her Master seems rather okay with the idea. It’s probably because of how he’s grown used to Anakin’s antics and this is so very something that Anakin would do.
  “I want you to send me into the heart of the base, by myself.” 
  “Absolutely not. Not unless you have vode covering your exit.” 
A side note to consider: Until this point, Phantom had been going by her given name both by the clones and their Jedi. This was the mission that earned her the nickname Phantom. She slipped away unseen, returned unseen.. but it didn’t mean that Cody didn’t worry any less even after she agreed to take a small squad of his best men. 
That is now where he stands - in the eye of a hurricane that is his mind - on the beaches of Felucia that are crawling with clankers and vod. He’s barely able to hear the call of his Jedi through the comms or see the brothers who beg for his aid as he steps over their bodies and continues on in his task. 
Crawling up the beaches now
Sir, I think he’s bleeding out
A bloodied hand print settles against his boot. It’s a deep scarlet that bleeds past the plastoid and into the skin as he recognizes his inability to save yet another brother who died for a war that just didn't end. 
  “I’m sorry.” 
But in spite of his aching heart and the deaths he will have to catalog later, Commander Cody presses on. He has no other choice. He will go back to The Negotiator. He will come back to it with you - because Cody refuses to acknowledge a world where you are not present with him in it - and once Cody is safely ensconced within your embrace, he will weep for those he was unable to save. For those he failed. 
Such is life. 
*** 
With you, I serve
With you I fall down 
You’ve made it this far without being seen by the magna-guards that Dooku strategically placed to protect the droid foundry, or the B1 legion that remains on the first floor to keep the 212th from entering the front door. They are the distraction, and you are the executor. 
The bombs in your satchel tink as they bounce against your side. 
Viper, Killshot, and Abel are all covering your escape. The three clones, two of which were only just recently promoted to ARC Troopers, are three of Cody’s best men and people he would trust with his own life. Now he’s trusted them with yours and you with theirs. 
Your heart crawls into your throat when Abel starts screaming through the comms. He’s been overrun. 
Watch you breathe in 
Watch you breathing out, out 
“You have to keep going, Padawan!” Abel yells, and the ferocity of his voice makes you wince as you stop in the duct you’ve been crawling through for the last mile. You’re almost to the heart of the facility. “For The 212th!” 
For the 212th. 
You make a mental note to add Abel to the mural of fallen that had begun construction in the gardens of the Jedi Temple several months before. You will remember his sacrifice. You will remember him when the war is over, and the clones are freed. 
You and Cody will remember him together when the world won't. 
Something’s you just can’t speak about 
The vent drops down ten feet into a small but open control room. Once you plant the bombs, you have ten minutes to follow the marked path back to the ground floor of the foundry before you’re supposed to meet Obi-Wan and Cody on the beach. 
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Your hand slams against your wrist.
Detonation Initiated
TIME: 9:59
  “Killshot! Viper!” You yell, saber ignited as you sprint down the hall and to the adjacent staircase that will lead you to the floor beneath you. The B1 droids on duty yelp at the sudden presence of a Jedi and snap to attention in a futile attempt to stop you with their blasters, but to no avail. “Meet me at the rendezvous!” 
  “Yes Commander!” 
only twenty minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany
You can hear screaming over your comm. Viper and Killshot are ARC Troopers, two of the best in the 212th.. there’s nothing to take them down. That’s what you’d also told yourself in regards to Abel. 
  “Shavit.” 
just one single glimpse of relief to make some sense of what you’ve seen
This floor is alot less crowded then the others. Viper and Killshot are at the point where they agreed to meet you at the debriefing, rifle and blasters out and firing rapidly to eliminate the threat of any droids that dare come near you. 
They had made a promise to their Marshal Commander to get his girl home to him. Cody might not like bearing his heart, but his vode see it every time he looks at you.. and they’re not about to deprive him a bit of happiness when the war has given them so little of it. 
  “Boys, on me!” 
  “Yes Commander!” They shout. 
with you i serve, with you i fall down 
A bolt grazes your shoulder. You yelp at the searing pain across your shoulder blade and whip around to give the hardest Force shove you can muster as you descend to the final floor. 
Your breath catches in your throat. There’s quite a bit of droids left. 
TIME: 5:10
  “There she is!” 
There had been no human guards in this foundry. You’d gotten in, attached the explosives, and had somehow gotten to the main floor without any kind of resistance from those within. Dooku hadn’t even left his best droids here to guard their foundry. 
  “BEHIND YOU!” 
The dread that’s settled in your stomach blossoms when you realize that you are overrun. 
  “PHANTOM!” 
watch you breathe in, watch you breathing out 
Tears burn your eyes as your arms move on their own accord. You are desperately trying to keep your men safe. You are tired and grieving the loss of all the vode who lay outside on that beach, and the natural climate of the planet does nothing when you’re wearing plastoid armor that feels like a second skin. 
with you i serve, with you i fall down 
  “Commander-” Viper starts, and before he can continue, a fatal shot is delivered to his chest that knocks him off his feet. Despite your exhaustion and the fact that your eyes are beginning to blur, you gently place the ARC trooper on the floor outside the door as Killshot continues to take out the activated commando droids. “Phantom-” 
  “You-” You grit your teeth and use The Force to lift him, oblivious to the trickle of blood that trails down your nose and drips into the sand. “Are not dying on me today, soldier! STAY ALIVE!” 
Time: 1:51
  “Look out!” Crys yells. Five or so of the remaining vode snap to attention - including Cody, who has been anxiously following the count down of the timer as he awaits your arrival with his men back on the beach - but he’s now distracted by the body that collapses just in front of the medics. “We need a medic over here! Viper has been hit!” 
The air smells of blood and smoke. 
59.. 58... 
  “Phantom!” That’s Boil - and Cody has no idea where the name came from, but he doesn’t exactly hate it either - yelling into his commlink from beside his Commander as Obi-Wan paces the sand. “The bombs are going to go off in 50 seconds!” 
  “Don’t you think I know that?!” 
  “GET OUT HERE! Kenobi is waiting for you!” 
Mustering all the energy you have left, you raise your hands in the air and throw hundreds of droids backward into the far wall at the other end of the ground floor before you and Killshot are sprinting out into the open and down the sandbar to where Obi-Wan and Cody are waiting for you. 
It hits you square in the face when you see how terrified he looks. You are still too far away for comfort, too close to the blast area, too close to danger... and seeing how many fallen vode are on that beach must make Cody believe he’s about to lose you too. 
Not today. 
  “Are you ready, General?” Cody asks. Obi-Wan nods and braces himself against the sand, digging his toes into his boots as he relaxes his body and concentrates the best that he is able. 
just one single glimpse of relief
to make some sense of what you’ve seen
10..9...8...7....
Cody holds his breath and screws his eyes shut. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. 
You hold your breath and allow yourself to fall limp in the Force grip that your Master uses to haul you and Viper down the beach. 
  “Cody.” 
Soot covered hands collide with hard white and gold plastoid. You are far enough away from the foundry not to get caught in the blast, and the minute you are safely ensconced in the arms of the Marshal Commander, Obi-Wan slams his hand against his wrist and detonates the bombs. 
The world explodes in a flurry of amber against a sapphire sky. The sun is descending. 
Time to go home. 
*** 
He finds you in the quiet of his quarters. After being released from medical to ensure nothing had happened to you and checking in on Viper, you’d immediately retreated to the sanctity of Cody’s quarters that he very rarely used on The Negotiator. 
The minute the door hisses shut, the weight falls on his shoulders and he shudders. It’s almost as if the world wanted to keep him feeling as light as possible before the weight of reality came back onto his shoulders.
You’d mentioned this before in a novel you’d read. Atlas. 
Yeah. Marshal Commander Cody is Atlas. 
  “Kote,” Your voice echoes through the quarters as you stand in the thresh hold between the kitchen and the bedroom, eyes softening at his state of exhaustion as you beckon him forward. “My love, are you alright?” 
He releases a shuddering breath and falls into the crook of your neck. “No,” Cody rasps, desperation creeping into his voice as he fists the material of your tunic with shaking fingers as he pulls you deeper into the curve of your body. “No. I almost lost you today.” 
Capable fingers swiftly work at removing his armor. Cody doesn’t know it yet, but you have the bath running, and you intend on taking care of him. Someone has to do it. 
Might as well be the person who’s in love with him. 
  “We destroyed the foundry.” 
  “Yeah? But at what cost?” He asks, and you don’t answer. You’d seen the defeat on the clones face as you and Obi-Wan had built them a pyre - a common occurrence after difficult campaigns to give the clones closure - and bid the fallen vode farewell. “We lost so many.” 
  “You didn’t lose me, Cody.” You whisper. “You never will.” 
He shakes his head. Once, twice, three times, he doesn’t believe you-
  “Phantom-” 
Standing in nothing but his blacks, you use the Force to place the pieces of his armor on the sofa before you turn back to him and grip his face in your hands. Your eyes are piercing, certain in your words, your fingers gentle as you cradle him in your grasps. 
  “Never.” You repeat. “You will never lose me.” 
It’s a declaration. One that Cody feels in the depths of his heart as he allows you to lead him into the ‘fresher. “Phantom,” His breath feels hollow in his throat as you turn to peer at him over your shoulder. “I-” The words are poised on the tip of his tongue and he has no problem saying it to the rest of his brothers.. but to you? It feels like he’s teetering on the edge of a boundary he dare not approach. 
  “Cody.” You breathe, taking him into your arms and guiding his hands to rest against your hips. “Look at me.” Dark eyes flutter open to meet your own as you lean in and just barely ghost his mouth with your own. Your fingers flex around the nape of his neck as you stand on the tips of your toes and open your mouth to him, sighing in relief as he blooms like the petals of a flower and opens beneath your touch. 
He hears the thought ring clearly in his mind. 
I love you. 
And the confession makes him want to weep. You’ve known, something tells him you’ve always known, but the fact that he doesn’t have to say it yet makes relief burst in his chest. Oh... there’s just something about the certainty in knowing the person you love also loves you just as fiercely. 
Cody looks at you, and he sees everything he has ever wanted since being brought into the cold sterile home of Kamino. 
You. He sees you. 
  “Just for one night, Cody.” You ask, gently guiding him into the bathtub and reaching for the shampoo on the side of the tub. Cody subconsciously leans into your touch as you begin to lather shampoo into his hair and quietly hum as you do so. “For once.. let someone take care of you. Can you do that?” 
He grips the side of the tub with lax fingers.
  “Of course I can,” He hums. “I’m home.” 
*** 
The Jedi Gardens are the most peaceful part of The Temple outside of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. You have spent much of your time there since before you were taken on as the padawan to High General Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even then, your previous Master had spent much of their time in here. It was the only place in the Temple you could find peace. 
Today, you’re spending your time engrossed in the mural of The Fallen that the Council had given you permission to paint. While you spent the majority of your time nowadays on the front lines with Obi-Wan and the 212th, your hobby during R&R was painting. This mural, this memory, was to test your ability. 
This was month six of working on it. 
Cody is wearing his civilian clothes - a gift from you nearly a year beforehand - and has his hands tucked into his pockets upon entering the temple Gardens. The two of you had agreed to meet for dinner ala picnic style in the Temple later that day despite his reluctance to meet you there for fear of.. people. There were only two jetti he trusted.
One of them he was looking at. 
Splattered in paint, hair messily tied on top of your head, he watches in awe as you finish Abel’s helmet and the blend of gold and white paint across the top before stepping back to admire the work. There’s nearly two dozen helmets painted across the rock face near the little waterfall on this side of the Temple Gardens, and Cody takes that into consideration because it’s truly a beautiful place for an eventual proposal. 
Not that he’s thought about it. 
  “Phantom, love-” He calls out softly, lips quirking upward in the ghost of a smile as you whip around at his presence and beam. He loves that smile. “That’s coming along really well. How long have you been here?” 
  “Just a couple hours.” Your eyes widen in embarrassment as you realize why he’s here. “Oh no, oh no-”
He runs a palm across your hip and pulls you against his body. “You forgot,” Cody muses. “It’s okay. You usually do whenever we come home from the front, but I’m not worried about it.” He bends his head down to ghost his lips over your pulse point, nuzzling your shoulder with his neck and peppering the bare skin there with kisses. Cody’s not sure there’s a sound more beautiful then your laughter. “Not when I’ve got everything I need right here.” 
He wouldn’t dare do this with his General or the vode around. This is a side of Cody only you get to see. 
And little Gods.. do you adore him. 
  “You’re a sap.” 
  “One of us has to be.” 
You link your fingers with his own and lead him to the beginning of the mural. “I wanted to show you this,” You murmur, taking his hand and reaching upward to graze the first word written in white calligraphy across the top of the collected helmets. “For you, my love.” 
Across the top of the rock face reads, 
With you I serve, with you I fall down
A memorial to our fallen vode 
We will remember you 
Even when the world won’t 
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writefightandflightclub · 5 years ago
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Rally the troupes
What is this? 10 of 14 requests for my last follower celebration. The prompt is “emergency dance party”!!!! Fluffy one-shot. Poe gets creative with ways to cheer you up!
Also: 100% need to mention this awesome audio by @bluebellhairpin​ which shoudl put you in the mood!
Warnings: the rhythm is gonna get ya.
Word count: 2.6k, alarmingly. 
GIF: source
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“What’s the emergency?” Finn exclaims breathlessly, rocking up to the hangar and throwing open the doors. He jogs purposefully past the crowd of convened comrades right up to Poe.
“Did I say ‘emergency’?” the pilot dismisses innocently. “I don’t think I used the word ‘emergency.”
“You did. That’s exactly what you said.” Finn insists.
“Just get in formation, Finn.” Poe deflects, clamping his hands on his friend’s shoulders to scooch him over and position him amongst the other rebels. “If you stand right about....” Poe’s eyes trail along the rest of the line as he makes another adjustment, before releasing his grip. “...there. That looks symmetrical.” For the first time, Finn peels his eyes away from Poe and scans over the crowd. Poe has various pilots, mechanics, medics, and command-room crew assembled, everyone arranged in lines and forward-facing.
With a spring in his step, Poe makes his way back to the front of the pack. For an emergency, he doesn’t seem overly concerned, Finn observes.
Poe gains the attention of his assembled team, who are muttering confusedly amongst themselves. “Can everyone see me from where they’re stood?” 
There is a general murmur of agreement.
“Good.” Poe claps his hands together in excitement. “For the next thirty minutes we have a very important task. You may have noticed that a good friend of mine has been a little down lately, and so I hoped we could do something hilarious to help cheer them up.”
Poe’s eyes are drawn to Finn in the crowd as a grin of realisation inches across his face, no further explanation necessary. “It’s an emergency dance party!”
Poe returns his smile as Finn pumps his fist in the air and whoops in approval. This was way better than most of the things Poe had previously convened people for. “Hell yes it’s an emergency dance party!” Poe echoes, opening his palms and inviting the whole crowd to share in his and Finn’s evident enthusiasm. “In half an hour, we’ll have an amazing, surprise routine ready to perform. First, I’m gonna need you to come up here, one-by-one, and give us your most ridiculous dance move to add to the sequence.” A murmur of energy, apprehension, and self-consciousness flickers through the crowd but Poe taps his chest; “I’ll make an idiot out of myself first, don’t worry”, he reassures.
“Well, that’s standard!” Rey hollers out good-naturedly from amidst the throng.
“Rey will go second.” Poe counters mischievously.
There is a flutter of laughter through the crowd at both the insult and rebuttal, but Poe’s enthusiasm is for the most part infectious. One could even suggest that the man has leadership skills, or at least enough charisma and heart for people to get behind him. “Everyone in?” he asks, but doesn’t wait for an answer; his mind is set and this is happening. He turns to the astromech unit by his side with a point of his finger. “Hit it, Beebs.”
The funky sounds of music fill the hangar as Poe gets his boogie on.
***
You walk towards the hangar to begin your shift, practically dragging your feet. Truth be told, as much as you loved your work and would welcome the distraction, you wished you didn’t have to deal with Poe right now. You had been having a hard time lately, and Poe was one of the few people who could see right through the brave face you’d been wearing.
When you arrive at the hangar, though, the door is pulled closed - which is unusual - with a droid stationed outside. “Scoot!” you caution, shuffling the unit out of the way. The second item of suspicion is that it’s eerily quiet, none of the typical sounds emanating from inside. No clank of metal on metal, whirr of machines, or voices barking orders.
You push the door open with some caution, expecting it to be empty, and you startle as the faces of a large group of rebels greet you, grins plastered on their faces. Poe is heading up the group and their unusual formation, his grin widest of all. You barely have any time to register this or to discern what’s going on before the music kicks-in over the hangar speakers. You startle as arms are suddenly thrust into the air, everybody moving in unison. The hangar is darkened, the lights in the cockpits of the X-Wings programmed to flash on in time with the music.
They’re dancing. Your hands come up to your face in shock as it sinks in. They did this for you. Poe did this for you.
You venture further into the hangar, watching with glee as the troupe of troops fling themselves enthusiastically around, delighting you with a series of ridiculous shapes. All the classic dance moves are in there; the droid, the X-wing, the twist. BB-8 is even in on the action, circling elaborately around Poe’s legs and wobbling his adorable little head.
“From the top” Poe yells, and the sequence begins to repeat. After every spin and jump and clap his eyes return to you, carefully studying your reaction. You can practically see the relief sink into his movements as he sees you laughing, and he returns your easy smile. If it’s possible, he throws even more gusto into it, especially into any move that calls for a wiggle of his hips or butt.
Happy tears bloom in the corner of your eyes as the ridiculous, shambolic, and yet utterly perfect routine plays out, punctuated by whoops and peals of laughter from your friends. Part way through, Finn and Rey give up and fold over in mirth. When the structured part of the routine is over, the group break off into freestyle and Poe, still intent on you, reaches his hand out, nodding his head encouragingly as he mouths “Wanna dance?. 
How could you resist his sweet, open, hopeful face. You reach out to him and he grins, wrapping one arm around your waist and pulling you close to him. “Is this ok?” he checks, respectful as ever.
“Yep. It’s very ok.” His eyebrow cocks up in slight surprise at the mildly suggestive look which appears in your eyes, and he takes the liberty of pressing his body a little closer to you than necessary. Maybe this was something you should explore later. Especially after seeing that butt wiggling. You expel a light-hearted chuckle at the thought, your cheeks beginning to ache from smiling and flush from the sudden proximity. 
Poe beams at you as he leads you around the floor, swivelling and twirling you all over in a raucous and bouncy fashion. It seems that finally seeing you smile again has made him feel like he’s uncovered some kind of buried treasure, judging by the unfiltered delight in his eyes. “Poe,” you communicate in between steps, in the moments where he pulls you back in to his chest at intervals. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“If I had my way you’d have nothing but sweet things.” he offers in a way which is effortlessly sincere.
You study his eyes a moment, blown away by his words, forgetting to move your feet and smashing into his chest. He throws his arms out to steady you and you’re locked like that -despite the chaotic and jubilant whirling occurring around you- until Poe snaps you out of it by wrapping an arm around your shoulder and gesturing beyond you. “Hey, I think there’s a dance-off brewing. Come on.” He nods his head in the direction of the circle of people forming, where hands and feet are beginning a steady clapping rhythm.  
You howl in amusement when you approach. Of course Finn is in the middle. The spectators part for you, making space for you to join its circumference, and Poe stands beside you, never dropping his arm from around your shoulders.
“If Rey levitates you that’s cheating, Finn!” you yell into the centre of the circle through cupped hands as Finn, much to his surprise, is lifted off the ground to perform an elaborate spin.
Finn wails and points at you, quickly shouting that you’re up next. You shake your head and wave a hand in protest, looking to Poe for back-up. He just shrugs and smiles. “Looks like you’re up next.” You would feel self-conscious, but the way Poe is beaming at you and you only makes you want to dance for joy, and so you shimmy into the centre of the circle, throwing your body around wildly to hoots of approval. Apparently Poe approves too, judging from his enlivened shouts and foot stomping.
Of course, when your turn is over, you point at Poe to have him take your place, and he makes a determined march towards you, throwing you a wink as you cross paths on his way into the fray. Poe is right in the centre of it all, pulling out some vigorous moves, the cheers from the group and the banging music and flashing lights feeling like they’re about to raise the roof. 
That’s the moment Leia chooses to ceremoniously enter the hangar, cape flowing behind her as she pushes aside the double doors. A hush ripples out across the crowd of ad hoc partygoers and Poe glances over, alerted to the presence of the General. He offers her his most charming smile, but he keeps up with his cavorting. Leia looks like she might scold him, but then she surveys the faces of her rebels, perhaps realising that it has been a long time since everyone has been smiling like this. Since morale has been this high. Instead of halting the proceedings, an expression which is both mock-scolding and supressing amusement passes over her face. She simply waves her hand in a ‘carry on’ motion. You hear her subdued laughter next to you as the General slots in to the space in the circle.
“You ok kid?” she asks you, with a gentle nudge of her elbow. You nod at her, probably looking brighter than you have in some time. It doesn’t go unnoticed. “Poe Dameron is something else, isn’t he?” Leia asks, shaking her head in fond disbelief as you both spectate his moves, watching him peacock and strut around the floor. As if he knows that he’s being talked about, he turns to wiggle his ass in your and the General’s direction. “Oh my!” Leia exclaims, holding her hands up as if to block out the sight, then feigning to fan herself with a chuckle.
Then, Leia leans in as though to whisper a secret to you. “I’m sure you all know how much I detest gossip, kiddo. But if I were you, and a man with moves like that was looking at me the way Dameron’s looking at you...” Leia trails off. “Well, it might not be proper to say what I’d do, but I just hope that you plan to do something about it.” She pats you on the shoulder and smiles knowingly at you. “You know, if you want to.”
What was Leia implying? Was Poe really looking at you in some kind of way? You don’t have time to complete the thought though, as Poe extends his hand towards Leia and tugs her into a surprisingly elegant waltz around the middle of the circle, to the delight of everyone, their smiles warm and soft-centred. 
You feel a rush of affection for the man who has put a smile on everyone’s face - yours included. He’d taken an off-hand comment you’d made, whilst feeling blue, and turned it into something beautiful. After a string of horrible events, you were struggling to be “okay”, or to find hope again. One aspect weighing on you, was that you couldn’t say for sure when any of this would be over. Couldn’t say when, if ever, people would be able to live again, to dance again, to love again. Poe was showing you that no matter how bleak it got, that you didn’t have to wait for moments like this. They could happen now.
If you had your way, that man would have nothing but sweet things. He deserved it.
***
The dancing had continued into the afternoon, until the time had come when work really did need to be done. Still, the music had stayed on over the speakers, everyone had continued with a little spring in their step, and laughter had been much more frequent than usual as the crew went about their business. You, in particular, had been on a rare high all day.
You’d gotten stuck back in to your tasks, but whenever a thought of Poe surfaced you couldn’t hold back the smile and butterflies which followed. To distract yourself, you had immersed yourself in your work repairing the ships. As was typical, you were lying beneath the undercarriage of a craft, and had lost track of the passage of time. You didn’t notice almost everyone else in the hangar had cleared out until you felt a soft -and then more insistent- kick to your boots; Poe’s usual signal that you’d been under there too long. That or he’d fling a casual ration bar underneath to remind you to eat something.
You duck out from underneath, and look-up at him, still pressed to the floor. “What’s going on?” you enquire. Did you always feel this nervous when he looked at you, or was this new?
“Got one more routine I wanna show you.” Poe informs, offering his hand. You reach out and he wraps your wrist, tugging you to a standing position. “Beebs, hit it.” The astromech tootles in delight and a slow, romantic song begins to emanate from his speakers. In succession, the lights throughout the hangar then flick out, replaced once again by the lumination of X-wing cockpits, giving the room a soft, almost magical glow. 
Taking your fingers in his, Poe twirls you gently and then pulls you close to him, tucking you into his body, his warm and sturdy arms encasing your waist. “Is this still ok?”, he asks you softly.
“Yes” you breathe, nervously, as he sways you in his arms to the sweeping rhythm of the music, your movements perfectly in sync. With mild trepidation, you raise your arms to wind them around his neck, slotting the ‘v’ of your thumb and forefinger over his shoulders, your fingertips twisting in the overgrown curls at the nape of his neck.
Pulled in to him like this, your bodies are so close that you feel the heat of him through your respective oil-coated uniforms. You are close enough to drink in his disarming, musky scent. Your lips twitch up in a nervous smile as his dark eyes meet yours, fervent and unwavering as you shuffle over the hangar floor together. He is as warm and welcoming and compelling as a blazing hearth, and you fear that if you pull away now you would almost certainly freeze. He’s a comfort you always want to be beside, yet a small part of you feels unworthy of his ardour.
“Poe.” you venture delicately. “I don’t know how to thank you. I could try and thank you for today, but it wouldn’t be enough. I don’t know how to thank you for being everything that you are. For just being who you are.”
Your eyes glisten with tears, which causes Poe’s eyebrows to knit together with heaviness. “You don’t have to thank me.” he insists, gingerly bringing the pad of his thumb up to brush your cheek. “I’d been trying to find the words to tell you that things could be good again. That you weren’t alone. But it turns out there are some things words are just no good for. So, I wanted to show you things can be good. And...” Poe hesitates, becoming uncharacteristically shy. “...if you’ll let me... I want to keep showing you.”
You smile softly, suddenly lost for words yourself. But maybe words aren’t what’s needed right now; only dancing. The dance of his fingertips over your jaw, the quickstep of your heart. With his hands on you, it as if he is working a sweet melody down his arms and spreading its warm, dulcet tones throughout your body. It feels increasingly like you’re melting in to one another, into one song, your hands sliding up a little further into his hair, his hands exploring gentle circles on your back, your need evident and in sync as you both build towards the swell of the refrain.
Then, quite simply, Poe tucks his hand under your chin and tips your lips up towards his. He searches your eyes for a moment before asking: “Can I kiss you?”
There’s nothing that could pull you apart from Poe in this moment. You feel as if your lips are an instrument with which you seek to compose harmonious music. As if you have all manner of crochets and minims and quavers in your mouth which his tongue could bend into a song for your heart to sing. “Not if I kiss you first.”
Then, quite simply, you spin the pilot, pinning him up against the ladder of his X-wing as your mouth meets his in a crush. You are very pleased to learn how much Poe leads with his tongue, and you dissolve into this kiss.
Maybe one day if the war was ever over, you would tell people; it was horrible and sad and monstrous, yes. But at least you could also tell them; sometimes, there was still dancing. Sometimes, there was still music.
As you break apart from Poe, your heart is beating fast. Poe smiles contentedly and pulls you into an embrace, squeezing you firmly and leaning your head against his chest. You hear his heart pounding with equal ferocity to yours.
Finally, you believe that things can be good. That you’re not alone. You’ve been dancing a duet all along. You don’t know the names of all of the rhythms to say if it’s a bossa nova or a tango or something else. But you know for sure that his heart is dancing for joy. Just like yours is.
THE END
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spc4eva · 4 years ago
Text
Star-Burned: Chapter Three
Sundays are going to be posting days just like Mandokar. I've decided to also add the two pieces will be in the same collection in the same universe; so Paz has a sister who is with Din.
My headcanon is that many Death Troopers are Mandalorians who joined the Empire after the Great Purge. Just an fyi.
Word Count: 10,421
Rating: M (+18) oral sex f!receiving, unprotected sex
Masterlist
Cross Posted on AO3
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So Jawas were alright.
They were kind of finicky because most of the time they were thieving little bastards and you really had to keep your eye on them. Sure, they could do nice things, they'd proven that before when they had brought back your parents' bodies without asking for payment. But... the moment they actually got to take a look at Paz's ship you knew you were in for it. They fucking wanted it. The entire thing. All of it. Your signs must've done a good job, because they hadn't come into the sheltered alcove where it was hidden like a lost treasure. The road led up to your farm, but the smoke churning up from the ship typically would've drawn them in like moths to a flame. Now the robed midgets were milling around, chirping in their language, and billeting Paz with questions that he couldn't understand. 
"What do they want?" Paz looked to you for guidance.
"Your whole ship," you laugh before glancing down at the lead Jawa, Tho Qeohe. You reasoned with him, discerning, in the past, the Jawas only by the different belts of items that they adorned their robes in. This ship belonged to someone, you were looking for assistance in standing it up and the appropriate parts to make the last repairs, which would probably include scrap metal, any engine parts, and landing gear. 
Make it worth it. What was there to offer that would be worth parting with that many materials and the addition of assistance? Jawas did not work for free and nor did they do favors, despite how long they'd known you. 
"They said you have to make it worth their while. They'd be willing to give the parts, but a good trade will be expected. Do you have anything... rare on your ship?" You ask Paz finally after quietly debating with Tho. Immediately, the Jawa pointed at his armor, which he had donned today. You shook your head, explaining that he was Mandalorian and the beskar was off the table entirely. There was an aggravated huff of dismay, Tho convinced that there would be little worthwhile that could otherwise be exchanged for all those parts. Unless... 
Oh-ho-ho the little buggers were trying to be cheeky now, tugging on your pant leg and gibbering excitedly. No, you needed your tip-yips, they were your solid source of protein. 
"I have a camtono of Exonium that was looking to sell once I got to the right spaceport," Paz offered, which... which was actually a good offer. You blink a few times and explain to the Jawas that the Mandalorian is willing to trade in his camtono of the fossil fuel. 
Not enough. Maybe two camtonos, but not just one. Groaning, you rub your face and consider again. You could part with a few tip-yips and perhaps request that Paz took you to the city so you could acquire a new bacta shot and tip-yips. Fine. The freaking birds could go, but Paz would have to take you back to the city because you needed the eggs. 
"I've come to an arrangement," you admit grudgingly. Why did these little assholes like eggs so much? They were chanting the awful word over and over again. "They'll take the camtono of Exonium and..." You grumble about your tip-yips, hoping that he wouldn't hear you.
"They want your chickens too?"
"Yeah, they're being brats. Jawas really like eggs," you explained, huffing a breath and crossing your arms over your chest. "I'd hate to be a bother, but I'm going to need a ride to the city in order to get more. I can't live out here without a solid, renewable source of protein."
"A bother?" Paz rumbled, a chuckle crackling in the edge of his vocoder. "Tracyn... I owe you considerably more than being a taxi to the city.  I'll buy the tip-yips for you. And the bacta shot you had to use."
Well... that was a fair deal... right? You wanted to ask him to throw his shiny bucket into the mix and just stay here, but that would've been crossing a line. Smiling dolefully, you turned back to Tho -- the sweet smile being replaced by a grimace and begrudging glare, which on you was not at all intimidating. Actually, it was sort of comical and Tho laughed at your attempt to posture in front of the Mandalorian. 
Jawas were restless buggers and got their work underway immediately. You had to supervise, mostly because you could hear them being evel kenivals and had to thump a few of their heads to keep them from worming their grubby hands into places they shouldn't. It was going to be a long few days. Thankfully, the one saving grace you'd gotten out of all of this was that Jawas knew tech. Be that droids, starships, cruisers, speeders -- you could name anything and they'd know it. You had rapport with them, despite the fact you had to chastise them at least four times every hour. By nature, they were sneaksie monsters. So you used that to your advantage, because they didn't want to spend more time than was necessary to keep up their end of the bargain.
They had the proper lifts and equipment to hoist the ship up, which you learned was called the Kote. Pieces of metal slopped off, just as you'd predicted and it made you wince. The Kote was old, but before this dogfight, actually seemed as if it had been in good condition; well maintained and kept up to date. The Jawas fussed, complained, kicked and cried like petulant children about being put to work instead of thieving. But they helped. Again, they didn't want to be there forever and so they helped solder parts on, repair the hull, and even Tho had gone as far to berate you for improperly wiring connections to the engine. Jawas were intelligent, no matter how much people looked down on them, they knew what they were doing. 
By the end of the third day you were a fucking mess. Your muscles were trembling, fending off exhaustion and hyped up on gallons of caf. But you couldn't go to sleep. Not when the Jawas were here. Not when they could pilfer things when you weren't keeping hawk eyes on them. 
Paz had tried to get you to rest, but you couldn't. He didn't speak their language or know what little shits they could be. You sort of loved how annoying they could be, in their own unique way, but you also knew that you were the glue bonding this entire arrangement together. 
"You need to rest, Tracyn," he insisted as you dropped the wrench for the fourth time in under 10 minutes. 
"Al-almost done," you insisted, managing to pin a puffy glare over at a Jawa who was eying your wrench. They knew you were testy now, each hour that passed knocking off another bit of your ever vanishing patience. Actually, you were probably in the sphere of negative patience.
"The Jawas are packing up. Tracyn... Tracyn please, you're going to kill yourself from exhaustion and the heat-" Paz grabbed your shoulders, steering you away from the landing gear that you had continued to work on. You managed to stick your tongue out at the nearest Jawa before being brought into the Kote. Your eyes blinked a few times, cutting the difference from the brightness of day and the dim of the hull. Maker, had it really been three days? Your brain was fried and you were working on fumes. "Hey... hey can you hear me?"
Had he been talking? You blink again, finally focusing on the snapping fingers beside your ear. "Hmm?"
"You need to go to sleep," Paz decided firmly.
"B-but," you were too emotional for this right now. Immediately your eyes began to fill up with tears. You were letting him down. What if the Jawas started stealing stuff? You were almost done. Just a couple more hours and it would've been good to go. "I can do it. I still have enough energy. Maybe another cup of caf will do the trick."
"You've drank enough to fuel a starship," Paz reminded you duly, brushing away the frustrated tears from your eyes. "C'mere, shh now. You're just over tired-" he grabbed you, pulling you into an embrace on his chest. The cool beskar felt good against your clammy skin, neck lolling naturally into the crook beneath his helmet. "Maker I would have never guessed you had so much energy in you. And all you want are tip-yips and a bacta shot for this?"
"I'm a simple girl," you sniffle in defeat. "And I like eggs just as much as Jawas."
His chest rumbled and you felt the laugh before you heard it, but the sound relaxed your warbling, his hands sliding underneath you before cradling you like a child. Had you been in a more sensible state of mind, you might've protested in worry that he could be hurting his ribs. While he felt strong enough to don his armor again, that didn't mean that the lingering injury wasn't hidden beneath. He was taking you deeper into the ship, opening the door to a room that was dimly lit. Your lashes were fluttering, sleep trying to smother you completely, but you rebelled against it - trying to figure out what was going on.
He was setting you down on a bed, ooh Maker the bed felt so nice. There were furs and blankets, so this wasn't your bed. Didn't have fur on your bed. Smelled like him -- blaster residue, leather, oil, and some kind of soap... you couldn't place it because you didn't use soap in a sonic shower like a water one. But it was nice. "Hmmm," a soft moan emanated from your throat and you'd all but forgotten you hadn't cleaned off in three days either since beginning your crusade to finish fixing the Kote. You were out within seconds of your head touching the pillow.
Paz pulled off your boots for you. You'd passed out completely after being set down, all flustered and moody. He'd tried to stop you earlier, only receiving a few combative looks, which included you puffing out your cheeks like a frog and raising your shoulders in a mock attempt to seem bigger than you were. You weren’t mean or off putting; you were determined and willful. He had also been helping where he could with welding, since he wasn't completely useless when it came to repairs. But you didn't stop. Even he had taken a few breaks, trying to coax you into shutting your eyes for a few minutes, but you'd scarfed down your rations, inhaled a cup of caf, and went back to work. Honestly, it was quite admirable and cute. 
You'd given up your tip-yips to get him these parts, part of your survival to make certain he could get off this orange rock. Now that the ship was nearly complete, he was beginning to realize he didn't really want to. He liked waking up to someone making him breakfast, someone to have easy conversation with, to just... relax around. Being Mandalorian meant he didn't often have these down times. He constantly had to have his head on a swivel, watching his back, finger ready on the trigger. But these weeks, despite the pain from his injury, had been calming. You were calming. 
The more he saw you in your element, the more he realized how strong you were. Not in a physical aspect, but mentally. It took a certain kind of person to be able to live out on their own without falling into an abysmal depression. You took each day as it was, put a foot forward while smiling, and had one of the most chipper, cheery dispositions he'd ever had the honor of crossing paths with. To top that off, you were an excellent mechanic, engineer, and he liked your food. Your silliness was a coping mechanism and part of your undeniable charm. And Paz was falling hard for you, maybe just as hard as his ship had crashed to this planet and the canyons nearest to your farm. 
Even now, he couldn't keep his gaze off of you, all oil smeared, hair a mess of curls, tangled and dirty from laying in the sand and fixating on the task at hand. He had to give it to you, you were capable of inhuman feats of fixation. He wished half the Foundlings he taught were capable of even an ounce of your tempered focus. You were the type that if you set your mind to something, you'd read all the books you could get your hands on before trying to learn how to do it yourself. 
And now with the Kote in good condition, Paz knew that your time together was coming to a close. He had to get back to the Tribe, to the planet the covert had relocated on, and that meant leaving you behind. He really wanted to ask you to come with him, perhaps as a crewmate to help around the ship, but because he wanted the chance to explore these growing feelings... but your farm. You loved the blasted thing so much and he couldn't take that from you. He doubted you'd want to go. For now, he'd enjoy what time he had left with you; his little ray of sunshine.
---
You woke up, still groggy and bone weary from your three day stint of making repairs. Maker, why hadn't you listened and just set your head down, because you felt like shit right now. Glancing around, you noticed that you were in some sort of chamber, which appeared to be on a ship from metal walls and floor. Oh. This must've been Paz's room on the Kote. It was coming back to you. The Kote was a decent enough sized gunship that it had a captain's cabin and crew quarters. You remembered because you had been inside fixing things.
The corners of your mouth quirked and you grabbed the canteen of water sitting by the side of the bed, taking a few generous gulps before getting up. Oh... oh you were gross. Three days of sweltering heat, dirt, grime, and oil. Fuck, why had he put you in his bed? You were literally as smelly as a womp rat. Arms held out slightly, you waddle around, trying to locate the Mandalorian. Outside the cabin, you found him over by an open arsenal, jaw dropping at the ensemble of weapons that were hung neatly. Shit, you knew that Mandalorians considered weapons their religion, but you didn't think one person needed quite that many.
Paz turned and caught you staring, your arms still held out as it felt too grimy to put them back down. "How're you feeling, mesh'la?"
"Better," you admit honestly. "Dirty."
"Go wash up in the fresher," he offered, pointing in its direction.
"Uhm," you considered it for a beat before glancing back at him. "How do I use it?" That felt like a stupid question, but honestly you didn't know how. Sonic showers you just pressed a button to turn on. Water had things like... pressure valves, gauges, and oh dear lord you were overthinking something so simple but that's what you did. Everything was methodical up in that brain of yours and managing water flow and heat seemed overly complex. 
Paz got up and escorted you to the fresher, which was big enough to accomodate a good sized person, such as himself. A toilet, a sink, and a large shower. There was just one knob. "You turn it like this and then twist it this way if you want it warmer," he demonstrated by turning it on, water hissing like a snake and making you jump back into him. He didn't laugh at you, which made your thankful, cheeks burning as you watched it pitter down like rain into the drain. "I have some spare clothes you can borrow."
That you could borrow? One of his shirts was going to be a tent on you! But... your coveralls were filthy. "Thanks." He left you to it, closing the door behind him as you faced your newest challenge: taking a shower in water. Now, you'd been rained on before, but you'd never taken a shower in it. Clearing your throat, you began stripping, peeling off the offensive and smelly articles, before standing awkwardly in front of the shower. Finally, you tested it with a hand, snapping it back as if you'd been burnt. Oh, ok... so just wash in it... Seemed wasteful, but then again other planets weren't as water starved. Other planets were green and had oceans. Some had ice. 
You'd like to see them if it didn't mean leaving your farm. But how would that be possible? 
Rather than linger any longer as the water continued to billet into the glass door, you hopped in and slid the door shut. Ooooh, this was really nice. The water was just a little warmer than your skin, the way that the dirt and grim started to slide right off. Your curls soaked through, a thick heavy mop against your back. Soap. You glanced around, noticing a part of soap and a bottle of shampoo. Usually you just used deodorant, since in sonic showers you didn't wash with anything. This soap was what you had smelled in bed, full bodied and clean. Humming to yourself, you absolutely went to town. Strangely, you were feeling a lot cleaner than a sonic shower had ever made you feel. Layers of dead skin scrubbed off, flushed from how hard you'd worked it, to the point where you were pink and raw but oh-so-clean. 
When you turned the water off -- incorrectly at first, dousing yourself with ice cold water -- you popped your head out to see that a towel and clothes had been left in place of your dirty ones. How was he so thoughtful? Why was he so thoughtful? It made you smile regardless, taking up the towel and drying yourself off, a pleasant warmth radiating in your chest from the Mandalorian’s thoughtfulness. Your curls were soaked through and required being tied up in the towel to scrunch off some of the dampness. Paz had left you one of his undershirts and... nothing else. At first you were a little worried that you'd not be covered up enough, but that quickly changed after sliding it on with a pair of socks. You were pretty much covered, like a child trying on their parent's clothing. The shirt fell over your knees, the socks -- also his -- came up to your knees. The long sleeves were waaay too long for you, so you had to push those up before stumbling out of the fresher. No underwear. Those were being cleaned too.
So the moment you stepped out, a rush of fresh air went right underneath the hem of the shirt and attacked between your thighs. You swallowed hard and then managed to look over at Paz, as he'd returned to checking on his weapons. "How was it?"
"I've been in water before, but not like that. Just torrential downpours," you admit, coming to sit across from him, pulling the shirt down over your knees carefully so you don't accidentally flash him. "But it was really nice. You get to do that everyday?"
"Yes, as long as there's enough water in the tanks," he replied, which made you stiffen. How much water had you used? You'd been in there for a while. "Water isn't that expensive on other planets."
"Oh," you relaxed. "Weird." Turning your head down you look at what you believe it was a rifle, carefully taken apart. "Why did you do this? Was it broken?"
"Hm?" he glanced back down. "I was cleaning it."
"Oh, I didn't know they had to be cleaned." You wish you hadn't said that, because Paz was looking at you -- with what you could only assume was a shocked or incredulous expression beneath his helmet.
"You've... never cleaned that blaster that you have?"
"Uhhhhh," you tried to dredge up any memory of cleaning it, but came up blank. "No."
"Have you ever fired it? I can't imagine there's much here you'd need it for."
"I've fired it," you huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. You weren't a good shot. Not really. Especially since you didn't have a reason to practice. You just figured having it might save you from a chance encounter with any sort of wildlife that didn't get along with you. Which had yet to happen due to your natural affinity with them.
"How often?"
Again, no immediate answer. "Dunno, maybe like... once a year to check it." That was pushing it. You hadn't fired it in the last year, but you were trying to make yourself not sound half that bad.
He got up, finding your utility belt and removing the dingy little blaster. It looked so pitiful when compared to his clean, neatly arranged rifle. He sat back down and patted the space beside him. "C'mere, let's take a look." You scooted over to his side of the table obediently, anxious as to the wisdom a Mandalorian could impart. "Maker, this hasn't been oiled in ages-" he was trying to take it apart, the rusted bolts grinding with sand caught between them. Your face was starting to burn -- swelter actually -- because you knew that wasn't right, didn't take a genius to know that. It sounded awful.
He forced the slide off and there was a snap, the tiny little screw crumbling completely in a puff of metal and rust. "Well..." he started. "I'm surprised it still fired."
"Maybe..." you whispered self consciously. "I haven't tried recently."
"That's good... in it's own way," he assured you, despite the fact your blaster was most definitely broken because of your own negligence. "Here, let's take a look at mine instead. You're not going to be able to salvage that."
He removed his own blaster, twice the size of yours, and clean as a whistle. "Now, pistols come in different shapes and sizes, utilize different types of plasma -- some even use slugs. This is a standard cartridge pistol, but it's been made for my own hand. Slide comes off one the top like this-" Paz dove into the details, removing each piece, demonstrating in front of you the proper and safe manner in which it came apart. Your attention was rapt, soaking it in like a sponge, the details, where you needed to clean and oil and how often you should do it. Apparently, if you were practicing, you should clean it later in the evening -- which you'd never done. Letting the residue sit on the metal wasn't good, it corrode in the inner workings and the weapon wouldn't last as long as it could. 
"Show me how to put it back together now," he requested, leaving it on the table disassembled.
You liked puzzles and that's what this was. One, intricate puzzle. He'd done it piece by piece, so this wasn't really much of a challenge. Rocking forward on your knees, you started with the grip, unlocked the trigger mechanism and began returning the parts to their home. You pinched your finger once, but it didn't so much more than make you suck a little air before continuing. Finally, you had a weapon in your hand, just as when Paz had removed it from his holster.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
All the pieces were gone until he opened his glove and revealed the firing pin, the most important part and you'd built the pistol around nothing. Without the firing pin, it was all just for show. "Were you hiding that?"
"Wanted to see if you'd notice," he mused, sounding as if he were smiling beneath that bucket.
"That's not very nice, now I have to take it apart again," you sighed deeply, reaching for the firing pin, but he snaked his arm away and from your grasp. "Hey!" You followed after him, realizing that he was teasing you, keeping the last piece just out of your grasp as you flailed, trying to steal it from him, failing spectacularly as he deftly evaded your clumsy jabs. 
"The firing pin is the most important part. I'm surprised you managed to put it together and not realize," Paz continued to elude you, which was impressive considering how big he was and that you were now standing up, still trying to wrestle it from him. 
"I'm a farmer, not a Mandalorian," you remind him, grunting as he palms your stomach and pushes you just out of reach, your short arms struggling in vain. 
"You're a lot more than just a farmer. Engineer and mechanic also come to mind," he let the firing pin come just within grasp and you went for it, taking the bait greedily just like Jumbles ate the eggs right off your lap. Paz removed his hand from your stomach and you fell. 
Sailing right through the air, you tried to catch yourself as the breath whooshed out of you, heart thundering at the loss of stability, a garbled yelp escaping the back of your throat. Then there were hands, just as quickly as there hadn't been, cushioning your fall before you made impact with Paz's lap. You weren't a fan of that trick, trying to calm down as he picked you up and righted you. "Y-y-you couldn't j-just gi-ive it t-t-to me?"
"No, that was a little too fun," he admitted to your chagrin. The beskar was cold, leaching through the thick shirt you were wearing, which had climbed up a few inches since you'd been dumped in his lap, nearly baring your ass. You shivered, the firing pin finally in your grasp, glancing down at the pistol as your heart rate began to pick up in an accelerando. "Fix it."
Like this? On his lap? Oh dear, your mind was already beginning to churn a little slower than usual. Shifting, you fumbled for the pistol, fingers clammy and not as deft and confident as usual. Your loose curls puffed around you, mostly dry from your shower and smelling absolutely divine. But it was sort of in your way. You blew a curl out of your face, jolting when you felt a gloved finger trace along the crown of your ear and tuck a few strands out of the way. Your heart picked up again. Now you were glaring at the pistol as if it'd called your mother a fat bantha. Don't be distracted. You can do this. You can-- a hand wrapped around your midsection, dragging you further onto his lap, flush against his cuirass. Ok, you weren't thinking of anything more than each minute thing that the Mandalorian did.
From the steady rise and fall of his chest, the palm on your leg massaging into your flesh, the other one tight against your abdomen. Focus! He was doing this on purpose. This was all a part of his game -- and. you. weren't. gonna. lose. Were you a sore loser? Honestly, you hadn't played many games except with the Jawas and you liked to rub it in their rude little faces when you won. So yeah, you probably were a sore loser. 
"Mesh'la," he drawled in your ear, causing you to tilt your neck back, throat bobbing as you finally had the pistol taken apart enough that you could return the firing pin to its home. "Can you be a good girl for me?"
You were convinced he was still trying to distract you. "W-why?"
"Because you look so pretty putting that pistol back together. Can you be good for me?" he murmured and that's when you realized it, this was a turn on for him. Seeing you, someone absolutely clueless about weapons, learn from him and then put it together piece by piece... You froze where you were, wondering how to perceive this new bit of information. You were already growing flustered, a combination of arousal and competitiveness making your cheeks hot and attention wane. There was something incredibly sexy about trying to impress a Mandalorian with your newly found skills in taking a pistol apart, even if you weren't a good shot. You just hadn't thought that he'd enjoy it so much.
"What do you want me to do?" you questioned softly, your rapid pace grinding down slowly, nearly to a halt. Replaced now with the gunning of your heart rate and the ever increasing blush jetting across your features. 
"Finish and then close your eyes," he instructed. 
Nodding, you completed the last pieces of the puzzle and reached to place the pistol down, finding that your arms were too short to reach the table. His hand moved from your leg, taking it and sliding it back into his holster. The next breath you took stuttered, your nerves getting the better of you as you closed your eyes. Paz shifted and then pressed a button on his vambrace, plunging the cabin into total darkness. You couldn't see, because you hadn't opened your eyes, but you could tell by the way your lids were now completely dark.
A soft click, followed by hydraulic hissing made you tilt, steadied by the man before you before your heart rocketed into your throat. The thick blanket of your hair was pushed to the side, scratchy facial hair meeting the tender side of your neck, and Maker -- oh, it was his mouth. The realization made you groan, a strangled, pitiful noise as you comprehended why he'd asked you to close your eyes. Just another safety precaution on top of the cover of night in the Kote. He sucked at your skin, biting marks down the side which burned as they were exposed to the air. 
You were making the most delicious mewling noises as he kissed your skin, confirming that his decision was certainly worth it. He owed you more than this he thought, but he was also on borrowed time. In his shirt, trying to learn about weapons after he'd broken your rusted out blaster, and then managing to fixate on putting it back together despite his roaming hands... You'd done a good job too and his trick had been rather underhanded. You had put the pistol together with what you were given and he couldn't fault you for that. But perhaps he had been hoping you'd notice right away. He was still impressed that you'd been able to do it at all. There were a lot of pieces to a gun and you'd been undaunted. Then again, you were good with machines, so he hadn't expected anything less from someone who had taught themselves how to repair a starship from books.
You were precious and didn't deserve to be alone. He didn't want to leave you alone. He wanted more time to sit at a table with you, to teach you how to defend yourself, to show you all the places you were missing that were just as beautiful and wild as your home planet -- but in unique ways of their own. He wanted to bottle your sunshine and take it with him. He was afraid to let you go, afraid you'd meet your parents' fate, and that his world would be a little darker if he came back to this planet to say hello and found out you were gone. That's why this felt right, because he wanted you and didn't want to frighten you by saying it -- forcing your hand in coming with him when you loved it here. 
And what did he have to offer other than himself? A constantly moving home? A covert that had to hide in the shadows? Being gone for long periods of time when he had to go on hunts to provide for the Tribe? 
His mouth met the hollow of your throat, you'd been slowly turning in his grasp to his will. Cradling you in one arm, bent down to lavish attention on your neck, his other palm meeting your chest again. Ankles twisted out into the darkness in front of you, your own hands clinging to his leg as you held yourself firm, pushing your chest out a little, into his grasp as he finally crested over your jaw and met your own mouth. You were overwhelmed in an instant, an explosion of heat and sensation that rocked your whole body as you got lost in his embrace. You already knew his lips were soft, but flush to yours, they were heaven and you never wanted them to leave. 
He was gentle, so astonishingly gentle for such a large, imposing man. Kindly plying at your mouth before you were the one who lost your patience. Your lips parted and you licked his eagerly, seeking entrance, wanting to feel all of him. He acquiesced, filling your mouth with his heat, tongue interlocking and a gasp causing you to sputter as he squeezed your nipple. When... when did his hand get under the shirt? You hadn't noticed, distracted entirely by the electricity you felt while kissing him. 
He broke away and you whimpered, thumbs swirling circles around the stiffening peak of your nipple, flesh pebbled. "Good girl... can I take it off?"
"It's your shirt, you can take it back whenever you want," you breathed, deserving a light chuckle as he pulled it up and over your head. Careful to keep your eyes shut, your bare ass met the beskar and you hissed.
"Let's move to the bedroom," he suggested.
You nod, about to get on your own two feet when he gets up with you in his arms. You hoped his ribs weren't hurting, but you felt a bit guilty in admitting that you sort of didn't care, because you were wondering about what was going to happen. He placed you carefully on the bed and from the sound of it, he was reaching into a drawer. 
"Mesh'la? I'm going to put this over your eyes. Just in case?" he offered it to you so that you knew what it was, the soft gossamer material sliding against your pads. A blindfold? 
"Ok." You wanted his mouth back, squirming as you waited and he secured the blindfold around your head. While it was unfortunate that you couldn't see his body, you were still highly aroused by the amount of trust he had in you to ask for just closed eyes and now a blindfold. Huffing anxiously, you gripped one of your breasts, thumbing your nipple while waiting, wondering what he was doing. 
Finally, after a couple of minutes, he returned, the bed depressing as he climbed onto it. Robbed of your sight, you leaned heavily on your sense of hearing and touch. And your hearing was shot, really only aware of the pounding of your pulse as you yearned to be touched again. A hand planted beside you, warmth radiating off of him as if he were a heater, before he kissed your collar, jolting you like a little shock of electricity, a sigh of relief following and easing your shoulders. Why... why was he doing this? Not that you were complaining, Maker no, you definitely weren't complaining -- it's just... No one had ever spent this much time on you. 
He was sucking welts into your skin, each one sending lancing ripples of pleasure across your exposed flesh, as he made way down to your breasts which, admittedly, made you a bit nervous again. "Mesh'la?" he noticed that you were holding your breath. "What's wrong?"
"I-they're sensitive. And... in the past-" Oh you were going to ruin the mood, but what if he accidentally hurt you too? That would definitely ruin the mood. He’d been careful before, but this wasn’t last night and you were fully exposed for him to do as he pleased.
"I'm going to be gentle, I know..." he assured you, pressing featherlight kisses around your breasts before taking a nipple in his mouth. He teased the skin lightly, nibbling, sucking. All doubts you had evaporated like water after the wet season and you exhaled deeply again, chased with a moan of agreement. "I'd never hurt you, mesh'la. Never." And you believed him, with all your heart you believed this terrifying, intimidating warrior of legend would never hurt a hair on your head.
Massaging the breast he wasn't kissing, you arched into his palm, core melted completely, taken aback by how much this was doing for you. Your thighs pressed together, trembling with anticipation, your bundle of nerves vying for attention. He moved lower, dragging his tongue along your ribs, creating more marks on your soft tummy, before his beard scratched along your hips and you bucked. A strong hand guided your legs apart and you didn't resist, needing attention down there as you panted as if you’d run two miles and the rest of your body vibrated in expectancy. 
You were expecting his hand, so when the warmth of his mouth met you down there you actually screamed. 
"Woah! Hey, it's alright-" he jumped up, holding your hip down as you almost began hyperventilating. 
"S-sorry. Y-you su-urprised m-me," you stammered through your confusion and fright, trying to gulp down breaths to steady your heart rate. Now, you'd given blowjobs before, but none of the men had ever reciprocated. "Yo-you don't have t-to." You'd never even suggested it before, coming under the assumption that it was just a dirty thing that men didn't like to do. "D-don't feel obligated be-because I-"
"Has no one done this to you before?"
You shook your head, cheeks flushing, thankful for the darkness to hide your face. Or... that's what you thought. You didn't know there was a light on in the room and Paz could see everything going on. So then why did you shake your head? You were too frazzled to think straight.
"Mesh'la, I want to. I want to taste you everywhere."
The confession made you whimper wistfully. "But I thought-" that guys didn't like to do this.
"I don't know why someone wouldn't have by now," Paz admitted, caressing the skin he'd marked up, admiring your complexion and body.. Even as he told you this, part of him was further aroused that he'd be the first to take this from you. "You're so pretty. Everywhere. Especially down there. Will you let me?"
Part of you was disconcerted, battling with the idea that you'd thought was a no-go for most people. But then you thought about how nice the warmth of his mouth had felt and the trust you had in him to make you feel good. Finally, you nodded again. 
Paz returned between your legs, carefully warning you as he blew on your clit before lathing his tongue over it. Your neck jerked and you arched immediately, the new, foreign sensation making you cry out, but not of surprise. Gripping the blankets, your legs trembled, his palm keeping you from closing and squeezing on him. His tongue was softer than his fingers, more dexterous and able to fill your clit up entirely, tracing it in a new way that felt erotically luxurious and overwhelming. "So sweet, love. And wet. All of this for me?"
You hummed in agreement, barely able to control yourself as you clenched your teeth between huffs. Why had no one done this before? Stars, you had no idea what you were missing out on. How much more was there that you'd not experienced? He sucked on your bud, switching between lavishing attention and swirling circles. He trailed down, his tongue dipping between your folds, the insides of your sensitive thighs catching the rough edge of his facial hair. 
He returned to your aching nerves, laying into you as his tongue flicked quickly, clutching your thigh as your breaths became more labored. You couldn't see, but you felt it coming, scooping low into your pelvis, pressure building to the point where you felt the reins of your control slipping and you got choked up. He might've spoken had his mouth not been what was dragging you to the proverbial edge, destroying you, obliterating you like the Death Star had done to countless planets. You disintegrated, the same bird flying over the edge, but this time both wings were healed and you soared into the sky. You kept riding, his mouth replaced with fingers as he continued his ministrations through your orgasm. 
"That's it mesh'la," he soothed, the deep voice cradling you as you panted and came down, legs clutching as your clit became intensely oversensitive. He licked between your folds, removing his hand from your swollen clit and began lapping up the mess you'd made. 
"W-wh-wha," you were breathy and a little incoherent, speech slurring as you tried to fumble around for him blindly. 
"What is it?" he inquired calmly.
"Wh-what about you?"
"Do you want to keep going?"
"Mhm."
"Tell me what you want," he edged up the bed, coming down to lay beside you, returning his mouth to yours. He was wet, facial hair damp from eating you out, and his tongue was tacky. The taste was foreign, but not unpleasant and a little sweet. He wasn't wearing any beskar now, which must've been why it had taken him a moment to come to bed. Your palm met his bare chest and you savored the ability to finally be able to explore it. You were careful, not wishing to brush too hard against his ribs, but what you felt was as impressive as what you'd seen before. Your fingers butterflied over his strong pectoral muscles, trailing to meet in the center as you coasted between his ribs and to his solid abdomen. He was broad, hips bigger than yours, a wisp of hair descending below the belt. 
"This," you slid your hand underneath his waistband, not surprised to find him hard after playing with you. It'd been like this last time. Even though you claimed it, you were partially terrified of trying to accommodate his cock. A thrill rushed through you, the idea of the immense pleasure it could bring or how it'd fuck you within an inch of your life. There was no knowing until you tried and you wanted to try. 
He huffed in your ear, "You certain?"
"Yes," you asserted, squeezing him and enjoying the moan that followed; your small palm couldn’t even fully encircle his girth. Yet it was the unmodulated tone of his bass, filling your belly up with warmth as he laid beside you. Stars, his voice was so much better, if that were even possible. Every breath, noise, and huff no longer crackling with static and the full heat of it numbing your senses. 
"You... should be wet enough, but-" he considered you, Maker he wanted to do it, but you were so small. You weren't frail, you'd proven this by now, but the difference in size between the two of you was severe. You only reached up to his chest while standing, not even his shoulders. He was afraid of breaking you. 
Now your hands had wormed down and you cupped his balls, squeezing all recourse from his mind as he moaned again. "I trust you."
Paz drew in a deep breath, filling his diaphragm as he considered the logistics very, very briefly. His ribs still hurt and they were aching now. "You'll have to go on top, mesh'la."
You were always up for a challenge, despite the fact that his words sort of scared you. On top? As in getting speared by him? Absolutely split open with nowhere to go? He was rubbing reassuring circles into your side, giving you the time you needed to think about this before you finally gave another 'mhm'. Hooking your fingers of the waistband of his pants, you helped guide them off before he sprung up in your palm. Able to estimate where his hips were, you threw a leg over and pressed his shaft into the heat of your folds, beginning to slick him with your wetness. Each stroke against him was debilitating, from the sensation of your pussy, to the way your perky breasts bobbed, and the cascade of hair fanned out in a curly cloak behind you. Paz was absolutely entransed. 
Finally, you decided you were wet enough to make your attempts. Realizing what you were about to do, he gripped your hips as you came up onto your knees, touching his weeping head to your heat. Your legs began to quiver, anxious but also excited, blood rushing as quickly and suddenly as a flash flood as you tested carefully. Just his head stretched you wide and there was more to follow. This was gruelling work, so painfully slow that you weren't even certain it was possible as you coasted down an inch and stiffened. Drawing a deep breath, you shimmied more and let out a heart stopping moan. The rest of him slicked up and you yelped as he was buried to the hilt.
Both of you froze, mostly you because you hadn't expected the rest to go in so easily. Not easily exactly. Your entire insides felt as if they'd been rearranged at this point and you didn't know if that was good or bad or if moving would make it worse. So you sat there, on the brink of panic.
Paz was frozen because you were so fucking tight. His cock felt as if it were being strangled by you and you weren't even doing anything. His head fell heavy against the pillow and he tried not to spend himself in that moment, but it was difficult. You were silken inside, the tight walls a vice grip around his cock and pulsing around him. 
And then you moved, testing the waters a little bit and bucking forward as you knew this was going to obliterate you. Not in the same sense as the orgasm Paz had brought you to before, but in the sense you were going to hurt tomorrow. Even now your legs ached as you mounted him, refusing to move properly as you tried to ride him. 
He could see your struggling and the valiant effort you were making to move, but he gleaned that this was overwhelming for you too, your pubic area distended slightly as your tiny frame managed to fit him. Maker, the sight of that caused him to shift, grinding his hips into you, watching as you released the lip you were biting and cry out gently. He could see his own form in you, stretching you, but somehow still fitting aside from the telltale bulge.
"We can... we can stop-" Paz offered despite the fact he didn't want that. He wanted to keep going. He wanted to see how he moved inside of you, filled you up, and made you whimper. His thoughts were derailing and he was losing his composure. 
"N-no. I just... need help," you told him dolefully.
He could do that. "Just tell me if it's too much." He began slowly before smoothing his hands along your hips. The last thing he wanted to do was break you before leaving you on your own. The rhythm was slow at first, each soft strike causing you to moan in protest, but it was the slowness that hurt more. You began to move into him, picking the pace up a bit, working in tandem so that his hands could guide and assist your trembling legs. It still hurt, but it was a blistering white burst, each hit against your pelvis a battle between pleasure and pain. Maker, you'd never been stretched so wide before and it was so good, an experience of ecstasy you’d never had the honor of battling, clenching your jaw as you fought for control and were beginning to unravel at the seams. 
You moaned his name finally, incapable of keeping a straight face, the result an even quicker assault into your cunt, his fingers brushing back against your clit as you panted. 
"Mesh'la, Maker-- you're so fucking good. So tight and perfect. Cum for me a second time? Will you?"
"Mm," you couldn’t even talk as you could feel it building up in you as he drew quick circles, pounding into you, your back aching as you tensed. Your ailing core was glazing over and your eyes rolling back into your head as you started to fall away. "A-ah. I-I'm going to, b-but-" Where would he finish? You weren't on any kind of birth control, you hadn't needed to be for a couple of years now. 
He shifted, throwing you down against the mattress with ease, before continuing to strike into you. This angle was different, his mouth meeting yours, the soft mutterings in a language you didn't understand not mattering. You knew he was saying sweet things in your ear. "Where?" he knew it was coming, you were on the brink of an orgasm, toes curling. 
"O-on me," you managed, just as your body betrayed you, muscles snapping into rigidity and voice halting to a pitiful whine in the back of your throat as you lost sense of up and down. You were snared by the rapture of each forceful pound into your cunt, fingers still tracing your clit, until you were overwhelmed entirely and mumbling incoherently. 
It took all his will as you clamped down around him, walls fluttering and back arching beneath him. The darling noises in tandem with how good you felt made it gut wrenching to pull out and stroke out the last few bits of his orgasm, spending his seed on your breasts and stomach. The pearly ropes flew from him as if he hadn't just been sucked dry a few nights ago. Glistening in the low light with his cum, your chest continued to bob as you came down from your high a second time. You were a pretty sight, one that he admired as you tried to catch your breath. 
Eventually, you brushed your chest, coming away with the sticky cum. Bringing it up, you slid your fingers into your mouth, suckling away the precious liquid just as you had done before. You savored the taste of him, finding yourself hungry for it again after last night. Paz was leaning back against the headboard, length twitching as he watched you lazily mop up his spent load and place it between those plush lips and swallow. You missed a few spots in your blindness, but Paz scooped it up, bringing it to your mouth where you cleaned his fingers. He kissed you after, an insistence mess of his lips as he tried to prove what he was feeling with that kiss. 
"Mesh'la," he purred, pulling you back across the bed and into his arms. You fit perfectly enough that he could snake his arm around your hip and nestle onto the curve of your ass.  "Are you hurt? How are you feeling?"
"Good.. tired, but good," you mumbled, naturally nuzzling into the side of his pec as his arm came around you like that other night. Your legs ached, numbed slightly and from how you’d been split open further than ever before, but you didn't regret any of it. "Was it good for you? I'm sorry I had to ask for help."
"Don't be sorry, I didn't think you'd even be able to fit me," he chuckled, brushing your thick hair back and coasting his thumb in crescents along your hipbone. "You were amazing. So perfect. Just wish my ribs weren't still hurting."
"Are they ok right now?" you reached up gingerly, grazing over the afflicted side. 
"They're fine." 
"Maybe I shouldn't have... you did turn me over at the end..."
"Shh, I'm fine," he assured you, grabbing the edge of the blanket and tugging it over both of your forms. "Just go to sleep. I'll be here in the morning. You're safe."
"I know," you mumble, nearly incoherent as you're pushing a kiss into his collarbone. "I know."
--- 
He was there like promised when morning came, strong, solid, warm, and snuggled close, but you were also duly reminded that you hadn't been home a lot in the last few days while working on the Kote. You really didn't want to leave his side, because there were probably only a few days left of getting to be beside him, but you also couldn't ignore your animals. The idea of pulling away made your every fiber shriek in disdain, because you’d wanted this more than anything. To wake up beside someone, to be in their arms, and to just waste an entire day there.
"Paz," you whispered, poking his chest lightly. 
"Hm?" he sounded groggy, as if you'd woken him up by doing that.
"I have to go check on the farm," you said apologetically. Truly, you didn’t want to go. "Do you have your helmet nearby so I can get up?"
His fingers tightened around you, the idea of having to lose you not a fond one, but you had responsibilities. Sighing, he grabbed it off of the nightstand and slid it back on, smothering the clean smell of you and the breaths he’d once felt against his cheek. Each moment that you both lingered like this staved off the eventual separation. Chasing it away like a bad dream. But sleep was coming and you couldn't keep that nightmare away forever, nor the sorrow that would chase after. "I'll meet you there in a bit."
You removed the blindfold after the sound of the helmet clicking back into place. Finally able to see, his chest was revealed to you and you could make out the lattice work of scars along it that you hadn't quite noticed before when you'd stripped him to heal him. They were hidden beneath his chest hair, but this close, you could really see them. Maybe you'd get to ask about them before he left. You tried not to wince at the idea, shoving it to the back of your mind after pressing a kiss to his chest. 
"Where did you put my clothes?" 
"In the ion cleaner, next to the fresher."
"See you soon," you hummed, heading out, naked as the day you were born to find your clothes where he'd told you. They were clean and fresh, vacant of oil and clay filled sand. Throwing it back on, you snapped the scrunchie on your wrist around your hair and smiled gently. This was his home, so neat and clean when it wasn't in disarray from a crash landing. It suited him, you decided. There was a homey feeling to it despite it just being a starship. Maybe that was because of the night you'd shared around the table, talking about something that was a part of his everyday life, leaning about it... he had described everything so well to you.
There was only one speeder bike, but you knew the path well enough that walking on this fine morning wasn't a big deal. Sunlight smiling over the ridge, not yet basking you in its warmth as it hadn’t crested the edge of the canyon. Trudging up the pass, you hummed a soft tune, finding that despite your legs being a kind of achy, that you're in a really good mood. It didn't really skim your mind that you hadn't seen Jumbles in a few days. He wasn't actually your pet, just a wild animal that liked your company. He was probably fine, hunting in the nearby passes while you only checked in periodically to feed the remaining tip-yips. Wait... How many days had it been? It might've been two since you went home.
Picking up your pace, you chugged up the rest of the hill and glanced at the coop. No chickens. Aw hell, did those fucking assholes take all of them? Usually they made pretty well on their bargains. Fuck. You'd have a stern talking to Tho next time you saw him. Maybe you'd be even angrier if you weren't in such a pleasant mood from your evening with Paz, but you were already destined to go to the city. Grumbling, you stomped over toward your home something catching your eye. Not something... more like a few things. There were a handful of speeder bikes out in front of your house.
Had someone stopped by? Ah, well as long as they hadn't dumped the place you supposed that was fine. Make themselves at home within reason. You went to the front door and opened it, somewhat excited to have other guests. Man, so many people all in such a short amount of time! 
And then your chipper smile slid right off. Sitting at your kitchen table was a pod of stormtroopers. "Uhhhhhhhh," you froze in the doorway. You were good at fixing things, but reacting on a dime during a stressful encounter? Shit. You were absolute massiff shit at that. 
"Do you live here?" one trooper inquired.
"Y-yeah," you looked between them, realizing that they were playing Sabacc. Ha. That was kind of funny. "Am I in trouble? Can I help you with anything?" You clasped your hands in front of you to keep them from shaking. The Empire had been looking for Paz. Is that why they were here? Nothing else on this planet that might interest them.
"Depends. Have you seen a Mandalorian?"
You giggle, because you're extremely nervous and that seems the logical thing to do. Had you seen a Mandalorian? You'd slept with him last night. Was that the Mandalorian they were looking for? "Nu-uh," you lied, hooking your fingers in your utility belt. "Why would a Mandalorian be all the way out here? Ain't nothing out here."
"You're out here," a stormtrooper pointed out. This one was in all black armor and he sounded more dangerous than the others. The grit of his tone raked unpleasantly down your spine and your anxious smile quavered. "What's a pretty little thing doing out in the middle of nowhere?"
"Workin'," you grumble.
"No husband? No family?" 
"Gotta husband," you protested, hoping that saying this would deter them from doing anything... bad. Kriff, what were you kidding, they were going to do whatever they wanted unless Paz was right behind you and you knew he wasn't. 
"No, you don't," the dark stormtrooper laughed. "You're here on your own. I know, because I went through this shack."
Fuck. Welp. You had two choices and you didn't have a blaster, so you turned around and fucking booked it. Flight. Definitely flight. You heard them shuffling after you, legs regrettably weak from your tryst with Paz and you were stubby and short. Adrenaline did a good amount of the work for you as you sprinted back down into the ravine, sorta praying a krayt dragon would pop up and save your sorry ass. 
"Stop running!" You were yanked right off your feet, held up by the back of your coveralls like a kitten. You garbled, losing a chunk of the oxygen in your lungs as you swayed. "You know where he is, don't you?"
"N-no! I do-on't know w-what you're talkin' 'bout!" You thrashed helplessly in his grasp, the dark trooper leaning in. 
"Mhm, so I'm guessing that your nonexistent husband gave these to you," he poked at a sensitive mark on your neck, making you gasp, completely forgetting that Paz had given you those. "I mean, if I found you out here on your own, I probably would've done the same. Look at you. Must be lonely to let some random mando sleep with you. Tell us where he is and I'll show you a better time. What a real Mandalorian is like."
He was Mandalorian? He was wearing the wrong armor. You gave him a look down before bucking, continuing to thrash to no avail. Nothing ever happened on this planet. Why the one time something really good happened it was followed by the freaking Empire? 
"Stop," the trooper ordered, but you didn't, you just kept flopping around like a fish hoping he'd drop you. "Stop!" He slapped you so hard that you felt it in zip all the way down to your toes. Now you stopped, ears ringing and eyes unfocused as stars danced in front of your vision. "There. That's a good girl. Now tell me where the Mandalorian is and I'll be a little nicer next time." Good girl? No, he hadn’t done anything to deserve calling you that.
You gave him a contemptuous glare after your vision stopped spinning, still rather pitiful coming from you. He was waiting for an answer. So you cursed at him in Jawaese, deserving of another earth rending slap. 
"You've seen him. Where. Is. He?" he drew his blaster and pointed it at you, cold metal meeting your tender throat. "I thought people were hospitable on this planet. You've been nothing but a hassle. The Mandalorian's not worthy dying over. Just tell us where he is and we'll let you go."
Maybe the Jawas hadn't taken your tip-yips. How many days had the Imps been here? You glanced around, jaw stinging and weary from your fight. You were still off your feet like a petulant loth-cat being held by its scruff. The other troopers were milling around, kicking over supplies, they'd pushed 6PO to the ground and it couldn't get up, legs flailing, cricking quietly as it couldn't speak to ask for help. Jumbles wasn't around, which didn't make any sense. Jumbles was always around. Jumbles was-- and then you saw him. Over by the barn door where you stored your speeder bikes, his legs sticking out from the door. 
"Jumbles?" But you knew he wasn't going to get up. You knew you weren't going to see his stupid drooling face. You could feel the lack of lifeforce from him. They weren't going to let you go. No, one of the stormtroopers was pouring fuel all over the tip-yip coop, another was pilfering through your greenhouse. "Jumbles?!" You were more hysteric this time, blinking tears as you began crying over the massiff. 
The death trooper glanced in the direction of the barn. "Oh that?" he tilted his blaster away to laugh. "That thing was your pet? Thought only Tuskens kept them. Learn something new everyday. So, what's it gonna be, dala?"
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darth-bagel · 4 years ago
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OC Interview -- Sylvas Sha’ael (1/4)
I was tagged by @swtorizz @inventedbyawriter @shanfamilydrama and @theniveanlegacy (that's why there will be 4 parts, get ready xd)-- thank you all for tagging me 💙✨
Hello there! My name is Bagel, and I have some interesting people coming in today to answer questions, our first guest is an already infamous chiss smuggler!
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(Artwork by @sentinelapologist 💙✨)
► Name? ➔  They smile charmingly as they plop down in their proper seat “At this moment in time? Sylvas Sha’ael.”
► Are you single? ➔  They chuckle “Hah, it’s complicated, but I’d say yes”
► Are you happy? ➔  “I’m good, there are refreshments, and no one’s shooting at me yet”
► Are you angry? ➔  “Nah, you’re good”
► Are your parents still married? ➔  They cock their head to the side, calculating for a few seconds “Pret-ty personal there, huh. I don’t know, you tell me”
NINE FACTS
► Birth place ➔  They shift a bit to sit cross-legged “Corellia, or so I’m told”
► Hair color ➔  “Black. Mostly. ”
► Eye color ➔  Their eyes narrow a bit “...Red”
► Birthday ➔  “29th day of 6th month, and yes I stopped paying attention to years a while back”
► Mood ➔  They flip their legs up on the armrest and sit sideways, more lounging at this point “I’m peachy, thank you~”
► Gender ➔  “Nah”
► Summer or winter? ➔  “I hate when it’s too hot so, winter. Easier to counter-act too much chill than the other way around”
► Morning or afternoon? ➔  “Morning. Surprisingly, considering I love sleeping in. But on the rare occasion, I vastly prefer it”
EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE -- “Dear gods, okay” They laugh and stretch a bit more.
► Are you in love? ➔  They raise one eyebrow and smile knowingly “Maybe”
► Do you believe in love at first sight? ➔  “Not really, no. Attraction or infatuation at first sight? Yes.”
► Who ended your last relationship? ➔ They wince and smile bitterly “A sniper. No, I won’t elaborate”
► Have you ever broken someone's heart? ➔  “I wouldn’t put it past me, I always try to be upfront about my feelings in those situations but-- probably”
► Are you afraid of commitments? ➔  “Not really. It is complicated tho, considering I like having multiple partners-- takes negotiations”
► Have you hugged someone within last week? ➔  They straighten up and sit normally for a second to think  “I didn’t actually. That’s unacceptable!” They jump out of their seat and run backstage. There is some commotion, a muffled yelp, and laughter following it. Sylvas returns to their seat after a few moments with a huge grin and after cleaning their throat they continue “Yes”
► Have you ever had a secret admirer? ➔  “Oh yeah, multiple. And usually not that secret honestly.  I still get messages and gifts from time to time. It’s very flattering, my ego loves it”
► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔  Their wide smile recedes slowly into a thin line “It’s hard to say. Let’s skip this one”
SIX CHOICES
► Love or lust? ➔  “Both is best. I let my lust be tinted with love, even for passing partners, or maybe not love. Adoration, infatuation. I really like making people feel good in my company. Am I romantic at heart? Maybe” They wink at the camera and lean back more comfortably.
► Lemonade or ice-tea? ➔  “Mix them!”
► Cats or dogs? ➔  “Droids” They keep a straight face for about 10 seconds before starting to chuckle “Joking! Both are great, but I’d skew towards cats”
► A few best friends or many regular friends? ➔  “A few best friends, I like having a limited, trusted circle. Safety reasons” They smirk but it has a sharp edge to it.
► Wild night out or romantic night in? ➔  “ A wild night out followed by a stay in, possibly even a sleep-in” They shrug “I like both, it’s a theme”
► Day or night? ➔  “I like day. Nights are great but, I tend to stay up late with occasional insomnia and it gets lonely… too much space to overthink things. Days are full of movement, I prefer that.
FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS
► Been caught sneaking out? ➔  “Yes, I did. Multiple times. That’s why I now have a stealth generator”
► Fallen down/up the stairs? ➔  “... Yes. Once, and then out the window. It’s a long story. No, I won’t tell it” They have a shit-eating grin on their face.
► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔  “I’m not used to denying myself what I want but, there were a few times…” They trail off for a few seconds, eyes unfocused, before smiling apologetically.
► Wanted to dissappear? ➔  “Few times. Curiously I actually did manage to disappear for real”
FOUR PREFERENCES -- “Wait, wait, wait! Where’s the fifth ‘Have you ever’? I’m not that bad at counting you know…” They lean in and smile wider “Are you blushing, Bagel?”
--TECHNICAL TROUBLES -- WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK--
It pans back to Sylvas very happy with themselves, back to lounging across their seat. “Let’s continue~”
► Smile or eyes? ➔  “Ugh, decisions, decisions-- I like both, kay?”
► Shorter or taller? ➔  “Either is fine. I do appreciate taller tho, can be lots of fun~”
► Intelligence or attraction? ➔  “Attraction at first, but damn it--  both again. I’m predictable I know”
► Hook-up or relationship? ➔  “I do both, at the same time too. With everyone involved in the know, alright? Both is a different kind of fun and let’s leave it at that” They scoot around a bit, ending upside down with legs over the back of their seat. “What? Continue~”
FAMILY  -- There’s a prolonged whine “Do I have tooooo?”
► Do you and your family get along? ➔  It’s hard not to smile at them sitting like that “I guess we don’t really talk. Becuz, ya know-- I don’t know them. But I do consider Liz and Rilfaen my family so we are pretty good. Didn’t see them for a while but we write and holo-call, they are busy ladies after all”
► Would you say you have a 'messed up life'? ➔  “My life is… interesting. But nah, some had worse”
► Have you ever ran away from home? ➔  “I did quit my apprenticeship to jump ship with some smugglers out of Corellia-- but I already was an adult, well. Kinda. And just sneaking out doesn’t count”
► Have you ever got kicked out? ➔  “Not from home!” They laugh and nearly fall over, but catch themselves on the armrests.
FRIENDS
► Do you secretly hate one of your friends?➔  “Nah, I have a handy name for people I hate. Enemies, ya know. I usually have trouble with hiding my ire towards someone, so yeah”
► Do you consider all your friends good friends? ➔  “Yes, I do”
► Who is your best friend? ➔  “Again split between Liz and Rilfaen, they are very important to me”
► Who knows everything about you? ➔  “I’d like to say no one, I try to keep some secrets to myself-- keeps things interesting”
“Are we done? Lovely” They stand up and stretch, sure to make their shirt ruck up a bit as they wink at the camera. Music starts playing over the footage but Sylvas and Bagel talk and smile, laughing at something or other. In the end, they scoop Bagel into a tight hug, picking them up.
NEXT IN LINE -- GRAZ’ZT TENAR’RI, LORD OF THE SITH-- STAY TUNED
(I’ll tag @whoever-would-like-to-do-it @chaoticspacelesbians​ @kyber-heart​ @dragonheart-swtor​ -- if you want obviously, no pressure from this Bagel~)
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littlespaceporgs · 4 years ago
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The Clone Wars Reacts - Part 5
Or Leah loses her shit at Jar Jar, thirsts for Aayla Secura for an episode and a half, and then swoons for Riyo Chuchi.
Welcome once more to the Reacts series! I’m a busy woman for now but I am setting up a schedule for this series which will be
Today we’re covering episodes 12, 13, 14 and BONUS! 15. This is because I got super bored during episode 14 and basically didnt write anything so, here you go! As per usual, major spoiler alert for season 1 of the clone wars! If you haven’t read the previous parts to this series, I suggest you do so that you can follow along! 
Part 1 - Episodes 1 and 2 Part 2 - Episodes 3, 4 and 5 Part 3 - Episodes 6, 7 and 8 Part 4 - Episodes 9, 10 and 11
Tags (if you want to join, my taglist can be found on my page!): @likeshootingstarsinthenightsky @girlvader @simping-for-fives @littlevodika @hounding-around @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @onabouteverything @acciokenobi @catsnkooks @captainrexstan @roseofalderaan @fractiouskat
We’re well past the half-way point, so there is 2 parts left of season 1, and then onto season 2! So lets get into it!
Episode 12: The Gungan General
> heheheheheheheh jar jar I am KEEN
> I get hondo and jar jar in one episode
>> this’ll be funny
>>> actually no scratch that, this is gonna be hilarious
> oh and they woke up in a cell this will be fun
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> HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA AND THEYRE BOUND TO DOOKU
> DISASTER I TELL YOU
> “if I keep my mouth shut you’ll devise a plan so get off the god forsaken planet?” “YES”
> this dude seems traitorous as fuck (im referring to one of the pirates, not dooku shockingly)
> I wish Ahsoka and Yoda were in this too, I want more disaster lineage
> ah he is indeed a traitor
> “HEIDY HO CHANCELLOR”
> JAR JAR WHOO
> “stop messing around, we’re landing. Secure yourself” “MESA TRYING ITS STUCK”
> promptly followed by jar jar falling everywhere
> oh and now he’s in the cockpit
> oh shit that senator guy is definitely dead right?
> “do control tour protégées insolence” “anakin, control your insolence, the count is concentrating”
> “do we know where we’re going?” “Ssh anakin” “DO we know where we’re going?”
> is it safe? Of course it i- riiiiiight
>> I forgot this was the clone wars for a second, this is gold
> FRIENDS DONT DRUG FRIENDS HONDO
> y’know, dooku’s quite amusing when he’s not trying to kill my favourite characters
> “are you now in command” “uh no, binks is the highest ranking” ooooohhhh boy
> ooooooohhhh and some mind tricks too, nice
> I hate to say this, but jar jar is actually smart
> holy shit
> beasties are nearby too, we’ll be fine. they run, we run
>> Dayum jar jar actually making good decisions?
> I present a real and accurate image of my reaction to this statement
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> Mesa be having an idea oooohhh booooyyy
> obi wan that is no way to speak to your grandmaster
> be patient master the count is elderly and doesn’t move like he used to
> I would kill you both now if I didn’t have to drag your bodies
>> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH this is the only reaction I’ll accept
> then falling all over each other is the only thing I’ve ever needed to see
> “ this is not going well” no shit
> my question is why did obi wan not drop Dooku?? Does he actually still care about this man?
> you’re right, I don’t think youre going to be friends 🤦‍♀️😂
> sneaky lying snake
> bruh they don’t even know you’ve got the Jedi captive??????????
>> so how does that work you dumbass
> no shit, you will look like fools obi wan
> “there be some bombad clankers” 😂😂
>> “huh YOURE right, bombad clankers” I love the shock
> YOURE RIGHT HE IS SMARTER THAN HE LOOKS, GIVE JARJAR SOME CREDIT
> oh boy anakin, just keep your mouth shut genius
> man electrocution doesn’t look like fun
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> HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH
> The next few lines of confused joy are me reacting to jar jar somehow single handedly taking out 3 tanks
> what the fuck
> JarJar I I’m what-
> JUST DID A GOOD THING, I DONT REGERT THIS THING AT ALLLLLLLL
> fuckin JarJar was great
> “KILL HIM HES NOT A REPRESENTATIVE, HES A PLAGUE” I’m ded 💀😢💀
> serves you right you snake, now dooku gonna choke your ass
> oooohhhhh that’s how these two twits (hondo and obi-wan) became friends
> “and... he knows where you live” Oof the subtle threat is real
> hem I love obi wan very much and his sarcasm
 Episode 13: Jedi crash
> I JUST SAW AAYLA I AM EXCITED I AM ALSO ATTRACTED TO HER VERY MUCH
> SHES HOT
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> I LOVE HER
> AND HER VOICE JUST MAKES ME ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
> I wish I was bly, not gonna lie
> I have a quick question - the 501st colour is blue right? Then why do they have a gold squad, doesn’t the extra colours just confuse things?
> I love seeing anakin and Ahsoka in action coolest thing to watch
> And anakin
>> I am also quite attracted to him
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>>> imagine dragging your hands through that hair as he- wait no I have minors in my followers not gonna finish that
> Uh oh
>> Oh anakin you twit
>>> HE LOCKED HOMSELF IN WITH AN EXPLOSION JDGKJDJFKFKFKFKFF
> HES INSANE
> Are all Jedi so reckless? Just the good ones - love this by the way
> Oooohh shit for a STAR
> I mean like? I know anakin doesn’t die, but this shit is concerning
> Perfected the art of destroying ships and getting master almost killed? Sounds familiar
> I hate it when they just call them “padawan “ it just feels very impersonal like bleh
> Like I love aayla but god the Jedi preach some bullshit
>> God forbid someone raises a child and gets attached to it
>>> Like for fucks sake
>>>> Can you tell this is something I’m passionate about?
> Anyway, moving on
> Oh hi anakin! You’re alive!
> That bird lookin thing is tryna eat my boy 😤
> Oop - well that dudes dead
> Aawwwwwww aayla looks so sad, this makes me sad too
> Can we just appreciate this?
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> Well these little critters are cute
> Ooooohhh I think I agree with this little dude
> You can skip the paragraph if you like, its just me going off about ‘peacekeeping’
> Alright gonna get mildly into it for a second, the clone wars really gets into it with episodes like this, displaying how the entire galaxy was starting to lose faith in the Jedi and their peacekeeping ways, in the movies we just got that people just started hating the Jedi because they became part of the war, but this really fleshes it out and shows just how slowly and gradually the loss of faith is. Because he’s right, the Jedi aren’t peacekeepers anymore, they bring as much destruction with them that the separatists do and have become symbols of war. They’re fighting for a good reason yes, but they can no longer claim that they are peacekeepers or that they played no role in this war.
> ANYWAY BACK TO REACTS
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> AH MY TWO FAVOURITE WOMEN AND A PRETTY BACKGROUND AGAIN!! They really do be doing me a great service
Part 14: Defenders of Peace
> I’m really not into this episode, just saying it now
> Anakins just as bad as obi wan, like honestly just chill bro, fucking REST
>> MY BOYS DESERVE SOME GODDAMN REST AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL OK-
> Okay but is it taking a life if it’s a droid?
> Ugh this dudes ugly as fuck
> What did you think was gonna happen?? Of course your village was going to be ransacked
> I could go on forever about the pointlessness of this war like it just makes me mad palpatine you slimy git-
> My reacts this episode are really boring huh, I’m not into it 😭
*fully I didn’t write anything for about 10 minutes here because it’s just a little boring*
> HOLY SHIT NOW THATS A FUCKING WEAPON
> Yep sorry that’s it for this ep, I’m so bored 😂
>> Anyway, bonus episode because that one was short!
Part 15: Trespass
> YES OBIWAN WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO
> AND IS THAT RIYO CHUCHI I SPY?????
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> Hahahahahahahhahahaha it’s not tatooine, you got that right
> Oh god this dude already sounds like a dick (its the chancellor dude but not palpatine)
> Why’s he so defensive over it?
> Oh yikes, that does not look good
> Seppies don’t do that though - this is... odd
> Ah and the same thing has been done to the droids
> Off topic, but I think I’m going to make a clone wars drinking game that I can do while I do my reacts, so I’m going to make that this week, send me your ideas in the comments or dm me!
> Back to ep - pfffffffttt obi wans little taps and then anakin really goes WHACK
> Anyway I’m going to do this in the next couple days and then every Friday night I’ll watch a few eps and drink away
> Alright back to the episode once more
> Abominable snowman????
>> Definitely
> This is gonna go well isn’t it?
> “Well? Say something”
>> “Just shut up” *visible eye roll*
> What the fuck is their mouth
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> Okay really obi wan, I think it’s pretty clear they don’t speak basic
> YEEEEEEAAAHHH THATS MY BOI ANAKIN
> Awwwwwwww that shits cute, fucking bear huugggg I want to be hugged like that
> I’m not fussed if it’s anakin, obi wan or kit fisto but please someone love me
>> Preferably kit fisto
> Anyway this dudes a dick (again, its the chancellor dude)
> They obviously have intelligence, and this dude has issues
>> I’m thinking he’s trying to compensate for something 👀
> Oof you really gonna tell a Jedi what to do?
> HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA the other people’s were there already
> Ugh he reminds me of my very racist grandparents oh boy
> You’ve been told like 4 times that it is not your jurisdiction anymore and you still can’t take it?
>> BRUH
> She’s so tiny and adorable and her voice is just 🥰🥰🥰🥰
>> Oh no
>>> I’m simping for another character
> Surely this guy dies
> HAHAHAHAHAH HE JUST GOT SPEARED SERVES YOU RIGHT MOTHERFUCKER
> What a dick, he shall not be missed
> She’s just, so pretty??? And smart????
>> FUCK MY BISEXUAL ASS CANT HANDLE THIS
> he’s seriously not dead yet?
> AAAHH RIYO YOU SMART GIRL YEEEEESSSS NEGOTIATE THAT PEEEEAAACCEEEE
> THATS MY GIRL SENATOR CHUCHI YEEEESSS
Welp that’s it for today folks, it was lovely, see y’all at some point this week where I say the drinking game rules and then next drunken Friday (even though these are gonna be released on saturdays but I write them on fridays?)
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avengersassemble-fics · 5 years ago
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Lost and Found
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Anakin Skywalker x Reader
Summary: Set slightly before ROTS, the war with the Separatists was at an all time high. The war was being fought on all fronts, with the Jedi at the forefront of almost every battle. Anakin and his 501st regiment are on their way to meet up with Obi-Wan and his fleet to help protect a planet that’s about to be attacked by the droid army. Anakin begins to feel something in the Force, that leads him to finding something he thought was long lost.
part 01/10 “a surprise”
Word Count: 4.5k
an: so this is kinda like a mix of the movies and tcw series. as far as anakins mannerisms and development but!! i hope you enjoy, im very passionate about these star wars stories right now :) also!! don’t come at me for anakin/padme’s relationship sorry but im working around that
thank you again to @omg-i-am-lord-voldemort for reading through this. you’re the best :)
spotify playlist to listen to while you’re reading!
There was a disturbance in the Force.
It felt like a cry for help, it felt like a desperate clawing at a life that is fading. But one thing that Anakin Skywalker knew was that he heard his name being called for.
It happened in the dark moments of the night, the stars laid out around the cruise ship he commanded, somewhere near the Outer Rim. He had just managed to fall asleep, but the voice still rang in his ears.
Anakin-
He had stirred awake, his eyes staring into the darkness of his small cabin, and he sat upwards, the blanket he had over his torso falling into his lap. He was confused, but he knew, he knew, he had heard the voice, felt it in his soul. He had tried to meditate to reconnect with that voice, that feeling, but he couldn’t find it again.
He was scheduled to meet up with Obi-Wan the following day to continue on a joint mission to an Outer Rim planet that the Separatists were attempting to invade. There was a large colony, an ally of the Republic, that was facing imminent attack by the droid army, and Obi-Wan and him were being sent to protect the people, along with the 501st squadron.
Obi-Wan stood alongside Anakin as they were being briefed on the mission at hand, but all Anakin could think about was speaking with his master about what he had felt, and if maybe he felt it too. He wasn’t paying much attention as Captain Rex went over the information they had on the colony, the man who was their elected ruler, the terrain, everything Rex had said went in one ear and out the other. Not that Anakin would ever admit that to anyone.
Finally, Obi-Wan had motioned for his padawan to follow him to their ships to leave to the planet below. Anakin’s strides matched his, and Obi-Wan was the first to speak.
“Is something troubling you?”
Anakin shook his head, “I was hoping to speak with you about something I had felt last night, there was a disturbance in the Force, I felt.. Like something, or someone, was calling for help.”
“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied, “I felt it too.”
“I had never felt something that strong,” Anakin continued, “it felt.. close. And I could’ve sworn I heard my name as well.”
“Hm,” Obi-Wan paused, as the two men waited for a lift to arrive, he stroked his beard, “I can’t say I felt that presence.”
The turbo lift had arrived and opened for them to enter. When they did it proceeded to close, and whisk them towards their ship bay.
“But I know it,” Anakin said, “someone called for me.”
The lift opened, and Anakin took a step out, and Obi-Wan followed, “You may be right, but Anakin,” he paused and Anakin looked behind him at his Master, who held a stern gaze, “please be alert on this mission, I fear we are closer to the source than anticipated.”
“Yes, Master.” Anakin answered. The two men nodded their farewells and went their separate ways - Anakin to his ship and Obi-Wan to his. Both ships were to lead a handful of Clone ships down to the surface, and to begin setting up a defense against the anticipated attack. Anakin neared his ship and nodded towards the Clones he passed on the way, and set his hands on ship, his pal R2-D2 whirled around to face him in the droid slot.
“You ready R2?” He asked, climbing into the small cockpit, and settled in for the relatively short trip down. R2 chirped happily at him, and he smiled, flipping a few switches and the engine of the aircraft coming to life. The clear top slid closed as Anakin put a lightweight headset on, and he readied his ship to lift from the ground.
“Try not to fly too hastily,” Obi-Wan’s voice rang in his ears, and Anakin just grinned.
“Can’t promise you that Master.”
The sunlight was prominent through the sparse trees that lined the ground of the city. Mostly a rocky terrain, absolutely not to be confused with Geonosis he’d say, there was a bountiful piece of land the city resided on that was home to a trickle of a river, and a few trees that stood gorgeously large in the middle of the city. The hot planet was otherwise rather calm and cool here, the old natives would say this was because of the fact it was a holy place, but he chalked it up to just being one of the planets characteristics. He was standing in front of his humbly appointed advisors, each who had their eyes locked to the ground, and watched as the Republic vessels landed before him.
How lucky for him to be the host of two Jedi and the famous 501st regime. What an honor!
He cared deeply about honor.
He watched for a moment as the two Jedi hopped out their respective ships, and the large carriers opened to reveal dozens of clone troopers. He smiled at the two gentleman who began to make their way over, and he moved to meet them halfway.
“Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker,” he greeted, clasping his hands together and bowing his head slightly, “it is the highest honor to meet you, even under the dire circumstances.”
“Governor Shuule, thank you for offering to meet with us,” Obi-Wan greeted, his padawan quiet as he observed the surroundings.
“Of course, once we were paid a visit by Count Dooku, I had to alert the Republic immediately,” he nodded as he spoke, “my highest concern is the safety of my people.”
“As is ours,” Obi-Wan replied, and the governor motioned for the two men to follow him into the polished government building.
The words leaving Governor Shuule’s mouth seemed lined with honey, sweet and silky but sticky. He spoke about how the residents of this “fine city” were those who fled their worlds seeking a safe place to call home, and every person they passed by offered a smile - yet they didn’t feel genuine.
There was a disturbance in the Force.
Anakin could still feel it! It kept him on edge, and he allowed his Master to do a majority of the speaking. His mind, on the other hand, wondered, trying to make sense of this feeling-
-that’s how most of the day had passed without him even realizing. The Governor was offering them a chance to clean up before dinner was served. But of course we’ve already sent some food for your troops, he said as they were leaving the room. Anakin let out a pent up sigh, and Obi-Wan chuckled.
“I have never seen you so pensive, Anakin.”
“I’m sorry Master,” he replied and the two began to walk down the corridor towards the exit to outside, there, Rex and Fives were standing with a couple others, discussing something, “but honestly this place gives me the chills.”
“It feels too perfect,” Obi-Wan replied, earning a nod of the head from his Padawan, and as they neared the clones, all but Rex and Fives went off to their posts, and the two remaining clones stood a little straighter, holding their helmets on their hips and ready to give their reports.
“Sir, the outside wall has been secured and set with troops around the perimeter, keeping watch for the night. Most of the civilians have been accounted-“
“Most?” Anakin interjected, receiving a nod from Fives.
“Yes sir, there’s about 3 dozen unaccounted for.”
“That’s far too many,” Obi-Wan replied, there was a happy holler from down which they came. Looking over their shoulders the Governor was waving to them from near the room they came, dinner must have been ready. The two Jedi glanced at one another, almost like reading one another’s mind, and Obi-Wan nodded, leaving Anakin alone with his troops.
“I want you two to search this place, top to bottom,” he ordered, talking lowly for only them to hear, “something feels off, and I want to know what that is. Especially with that many people just unaccounted for.”
“Yes sir,” the two clones said in almost perfect unison, and Anakin nodded, following his Masters footsteps to join the Governor and a few others for a meal.
-
The sun had set a while ago, the grounds were dark all along the buildings, some lights illuminating the small residential buildings, others turned off as the two clone troopers walked down the road. The city was like a large circle, making it a bit easier to know where they were going. Both men were chatting as they walked alongside one another, glancing in either direction for anything they hadn’t yet noticed.
“It’s getting late,” Fives commented at one point as they were about to round the corner back towards the front of the largest building, the center of it all, that housed the Governor.
“You heard Commander Skywalker, search top to bottom.”
“Yeah,” Fives scoffed, “search top to bottom of what? Dirt?”
Rex stopped and faced the other clone, tapping his friend on the arm, “We do what we were told, take a look again and see if we missed anything.”
“Alright alright, fine,” the other replied, and they both faced the front of the city, but Rex shoved his arm forward for his friend to stop, giving a quiet stop order, and Fives followed his gaze.
In the distance, they saw Governor Shuule exiting one of the resident buildings, glancing around for anyone who was watching. The two clones quickly stepped around the corner of the nearest building to hide in the shadows, kneeling to the ground to stay as quiet as possible. Rex quickly turned his helmet light off and peered around the corner once again.
Governor Shuule quickly moved around the corner of the door, shutting it tightly behind him and seeming to release a pent up breath. His body relaxed for a moment before straightening and spinning around to face the entrance of his own palace (although he wouldn’t call it that, it was a “home to many”).
Rex’s stomach dropped for a moment, watching the man almost float back inside, carrying himself with as much pride as Dooku did.
“What was that about?” Fives finally spoke, and Rex looked back at him.
“No idea. Wanna find out?”
“Don’t even need to ask,” Fives replied, and both clones carefully made their way to the dark home the Governor had just left.
It was a normal cottage, well as normal as the other ones had looked at least. The outer wall was made of rock, keeping with the design of the tall mountains found nearby, with a metal door and normal windows. Not suspicious at all, unless someone is sneaking out of it of course. Of course, it was locked by a hand scanner, but Rex scoffed.
“Easy,” he mumbled, pulling something from his utility belt and dusting it onto the panel. It was silent for a few moments before beeping happily, and the metal door slid open. Both clones stepped carefully inside, and activated the lights on their helmets once again.
The outside of the building made it look as if there was a large room you were entering into, but that wasn’t the case. The clones stood on a small landing, but the ground beneath them descended down into a dark pit, stairs seeming to twist around a corner. Rex took the lead, taking quiet steps down the stairs, Fives just a few steps behind.
“What do you think he is keeping down here?” Fives questioned, earning a shrug from his companion.
“Something he doesn’t want us to know about,” Rex offered.
The stairs seemed to just keep spiraling, leading the two men deeper and deeper into the ground. The rocky texture was similar to the rest of the planet, with a hung light every once in awhile. How anyone could see down here without proper light, they didn’t know. The deeper they went, there were noises that seemed to resonate louder with each step.
Rex lifted his hand and stopped walking, Fives halting his movements and glancing down, “What is it?”
“There’s an opening,” Rex replied, motioning to the few steps left that were brightly lit, indicating an opening that had some source of light in it. The noise they could make out clearly now sounded like chatter around a room, “Proceed with caution, we don’t know what we’re about to walk into.”
“Yes, sir,” Fives replied, and the two made their final steps down, not prepared for what they were about to see.
The room was a large cave, littered with what they could imagine were the 30 missing souls. There were so many different species, and as they stepped down into the opening, in awe, a group off to the side turned around.
“What the-“
“Clones! We’re saved!”
“They’ve found us!”
Voices began to radiate in the rocky cavern, and with a glance between the two, Rex and Fives took a couple steps forward towards the group that was approaching them. A Twilek, a couple humans, and a Quarren stood in front of them.
“What is going on here?” Rex questioned.
“Shuule has imprisoned us down here,” the Quarren replied, his voice hoarse, “many of us are sick, in desperate need of medical attention.”
“How many of you are there?” Fives asked next.
“Thirty in total,” the Twilek spoke next, her eyes were dark and droopy, “about a dozen are sick, we haven’t eaten in days.”
Fives looked to Rex, who glanced only for a moment at him, “Why would Shuule hide his own people down here with no food?”
“His people..” a human voice managed from the back, causing the Twilek and Quarren to move out of the way. Behind them stood a human female, whose face looked hollow around the cheeks, and skin that had hints of purple like they were freezing. Definitely the worst of the crowd, they were being helped stood up by another on their side.
“Shuule has made his mark in this world by.. by stealing people from their homes.. families,” their voice shook with each word, and as they spoke the crowd only seemed to grow, “and bringing them here to be his slaves.”
Slaves.
Anakin hated slave owners. It made his skin crawl and blood boil when Rex told him over their comm links. Obi-Wan and Anakin had excused themselves when their commas blinked green, indicating a message coming in. Obi-Wan quickly turned to his Padawan, who he had to grasp onto.
“Anakin-“
“That dirty, no good lying son of a-“
“Anakin!” Obi-Wan’s voice was more forceful this time, making his Padawan stop, breathing heavily with his fists clenched, “We cannot make a hasty judgement right now, we don’t know what Shuule is capable of.”
“Oh I can tell you what he’s capable of that disgusting-“
“Our best course of action,” he interrupted, “is to have Rex and Fives evacuate those who are locked away, get them to a medical ship and then the rest to safety. Return them to their homes if we can.”
Anakin shook his head, finally letting out a more calmed tone of voice, “You’re right, Master. We‘ll distract him, and have the men evacuate those people.”
-
Looking at the same rocky walls everyday was torture in a new way. And you had been a slave on Tatooine until you were of age and your parents debts were paid off. Needless to say, these orange rocks made you feel crazier then the hot sand of your early life.
You were the first to revolt against Shuule. You had earned you freedom from Tatooine and he stole that from you the day before you were set to leave that desert planet. You were tired of having to wait hand and foot on a man you had hoped to just perish one day.
It’s what he deserved for everything he had done, to everyone here.
You said no to his orders, stunning him and others. He turned around so quickly with his hand fiercely against your face. It had stung, but you didn’t back down.
You said no.
He promptly locked you down here. It was a shock that he had it ready for a situation like this but you weren’t surprised, he was capable of the dirtiest and lowest of things. The first two nights you curled into a ball against this stupid rock and didn’t sleep much.
He visited you two days later, carrying food and water on a silver platter and kneeling in front of you. He had honey eyes and a somber look on his face, offering your sad soul the water first. You took it. That was your mistake. He let you finish everything, really you had inhaled it but there was no difference, with a smug grin. That was when he told you.
“You chose this ending my love.. but don’t worry, the poison should work soon enough.”
You were dying. That bastard poisoned you, and almost everyone else who came down here. You had tried to warn them not to eat the food, and some had listened, but the call of hunger was too strong for some. It had only been a few days, most surviving off just water but we all knew that wouldn’t be able to last forever.
“What are we going to do?” your Quarren friend asked. There was a group of you, the first ones who had been down here, that were looked to as leaders. The ones who wanted to revolt in the first place. Ultimately, the ones who caused this mess.
“Someone will come. Someone will find us,” you managed, your voice weak and you rested your back against another’s.
“How do you know that?”
“I have hope,” you smiled.
Then here they were. The clones now identified as Commander Rex and Fives. They walked around, scanning everyone and counting each head. As soldiers do. When they came to you, Fives was the one to speak to you first.
“What’s your name?”
“(Y/N),” you managed. Your group of friends surrounded you, letting you rest against the rocky wall, your arms laid in your lap and your eyes tired. They looked at you with pity.
You hated that.
“And your last name?” Rex had asked.
You shook your head, “Don’t-“ you closed your eyes, your breath hitching in your throat.
“It’s okay,” Fives places his heavy hand over yours, “we’re going to help you. I promise.”
You nodded, opening your eyes to meet the face of the two men before you, “I know.. I knew you would come.”
“You did,” Rex more so said then asked.
You offered a weak smile, “Maybe not you two specifically.. but I knew someone would. Better now than later.”
“Was that a joke?” Gives asked you, earning a nod from you in response. They chuckled for a moment, before there was a sudden shake in the ground.
“That can’t be good,” Fives commented, both of them standing and placing their helmets on.
“Go up and see what the devil is going on,” Rex commanded. Fives responded with a yes sir and hurried back up the stairs. Others in the cave began to chatter, and your friends all knelt down to help you up.
You felt you didn’t have much longer, but maybe if you could just manage up those stairs-
Rex stood and put his helmet back on, and Fives was scurrying back down, “Sir! The door is blocked. The droids have attacked the city, General Kenobi has sent some of the others to secure the rest of the people, but we cannot get out the way we came.”
Those nearby began to talk louder, what were they to do now? Rex looked all around, before noticing in the distance what seemed to be an opening, maybe a way out. He pointed where the cave opened to darkness.
“Where does that lead?” He asked.
“That.. It shouldn’t go anywhere.” One of your friends answered.
“Well we need to try,” Rex said, “we have to try and get out of here, and survive. It’s our best bet.”
You nodded in agreement, struggling to hold yourself up even with the help of others. They were weak as well, but Captain Rex and Fives were quick to hold you upright. They motioned for your friends to let them help you, and they obliged.
“Thank you,” you said to them both.
“We wouldn’t dream of leaving you behind,” Fives commented, earning a small laugh from you. That made him smile beneath his helmet, all while Rex shook his head. Not the time or place, he thought.
People hurried down the dark cave opening, it was almost like a perfectly made hallway. Where did it go? No one knew. The only lights guiding them were produced from the helmets of the clone troopers. It felt like you were walking forever, but maybe that was just because your strength was leaving your body. A couple times the men had to almost lift you enough that your feet glided across the ground.
You told yourself you would not die on this planet.
The crowd seemed to come to a stop, the people in front of you becoming more and more vocal. Rex and Fives, while carrying you at this point, had to push their way through the crowd.
Your stomach dropped at the sight, maybe even theirs as well. The cave did come to a large opening.
But it was completely blocked by boulders. Something must have caved in. Needless to say, you were trapped. Some people began to weep. The ground still occasionally shook as a battle raged up top, some words filtered through your mind.
We’re trapped!
I can’t go back, my legs are too weak.
I just want to go home.
“Put me down,” you mustered, earning a glance from Rex, “please just put me down.”
They set you back down enough to where your feet touched the ground, your legs wobbled a bit under the pressure, but you released your arms that were hung around each clones shoulders. You took a step forward, and those around you parted slightly.
“(Y/N)-“ a voice said, you’re not too sure who said it, not in that moment.
“I’m not dying like this,” you said, pausing only for a moment as the rest of the people in front of you, “we are not dying like this. Not here, not in this place,” you were finally in front of everyone gazing at the rocks in front of you, “I had hope and I could feel someone would come and find us, and I’m not giving that hope up.”
You had never done this before. Not really. It was only ever just a feeling that you would follow. You took a breath and with closed eyes, you just focused on that feeling. You didn’t know what you were doing, but the silence you had once heard filled your ears in a tone that felt like you were fading yourself.
But then your skin felt warm.
Your eyes fluttered open only for a moment, and the rocks that were once in front of you were know gone, seemingly placed somewhere else in the canyon that was now opened to you. Those around you hurried past you, but your legs buckled from below you.
Rex was the one who caught you before you hit the ground, your eyes closed tightly and skin cool to the touch. What he had just witnessed was something he believed only a Jedi could do. The com on his wrist blinked green, Fives was busy keeping everyone together, and checking on those who had to lower themselves to the ground to sit.
“Captain Rex, please come in,” the voice called. He could recognize it as General Skywalker any day, he knelt down as he held you in his free arm.
“Sir, we’ve managed to get out the cave, but-“
“That’s great, we’re sending a medical transport to your location now.”
“Yes sir,” Rex replies into the com, “but General-“
“We can discuss it when we return to the ship, but right now we need to focus on getting everyone to safety, and Shuule in for his conviction.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, focusing down at your nearly lifeless body.
-
How did you get here?
When your eyes finally reopened you were in a bed, a blanket over top your body, and the room was large, fitting multiple people in a row on each of your sides. Your head fell to the side as you tried to find something of familiarity, only seeing a medical droid a few beds down, along with the clone you had come to know as Fives. He glanced up at just the right moment, saying something to the droid, before making his way over.
“How’re we feeling?” he asked you. Your head rolled back so you were looking straight at the ceiling, the medical droid coming over to read your vitals.
“I feel.. Good. Better than before,” you answered, earning a nod and small smile.
“I’ve been tasked with trying to locate everybody’s home worlds, and finding them a way back to their families, so can you tell me-”
“I don’t have a home,” you cut him off, your eyes were locked with his but he diverted them away from yours. He cleared his throat, and moved out the way as the medical droid asked you if he could sit you upright. You nodded, pushing yourself up on your elbows as it adjusted your pillows, and helped you slide backwards into a sitting position.
“Where were you hoping to go then?”
You thought about it for a moment, “I don’t really know.. When I was freed I had bought passage on the next ship out, I didn’t care where. I was going to look for someone.”
“And who was that?” he asked you.
Anakin was walking alongside his Master towards the bay they had converted into a place to house the refugees. The two were engrossed in a conversation, being followed by Rex behind them. They were heading to follow up with Fives about what he has documented so far. Anakin had to postpone his debriefing with Captain Rex for the moment as they awaited new orders about getting these people back to their homes.
Obi-Wan had told Anakin he was proud of him and how he handled Shuule, and not letting his anger dictate his actions. Anakin nodded, but he was still disgusted with the whole ordeal. He had yet to completely process the last 24 hours, especially with his lack of sleep, but he did feel more at ease.
The Force felt oddly calm.
The doors to the bay opened for the three man group, and they entered still having a casual discussion.
“The Council will have to act fast in this regard,” Obi-Wan was commenting. Anakin nodded, and they neared where Fives stood, “they may decide to send smaller vessels, avoid any kind of detection-”
“Ani?”
Anakin paused. No one besides Padme called him Ani, but it certainly was not her voice that quietly filled the room. It was uncertain, laced with a sweetness he hadn’t heard in awhile. Everyone was watching, and Anakin’s body faced the source of the voice. His mouth parted slightly in confusion, processing what was in front of him.
“(Y/N)?”
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jabbajambler · 4 years ago
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10
Human
The Mandalorian/Din Djarin x f!OC
Word Count: 1,919
*GIF by @weloveweird​*
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         It was so beautiful outside of the ship. Each star appeared to shine brighter than the other, although Mando corrected me a few times by telling me they were distant planets and moons. I never pegged him as someone who would know so much about the galaxy. He would even tell me the names of stars and the stories behind some of the constellations.
         As much as I loved gazing out the window at the passing planets, there was one in particular that caused a sick feeling in my stomach.
         Nevarro.
         I used to love coming home to the gray planet, but now it was strange to me. I couldn't seem to recognize it anymore, at least not as my home.
         Mando's focus remained on the skies as we neared the planet, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was so much more than I imagined he would be, more than most Mandalorians. I didn't want our time together to end when it was just beginning.
         The only sound in the ship was the control panel's beeping and whirring. We had been quiet for a while. I couldn't find the right words to say. I hated that I had grown so close to him.
         It made the goodbyes so much harder.
         Mando moved his hand to press a button that lit the cockpit with a hologram of Greef Karga. My mouth went dry at the sight.
        "Mando. I've received your transmission. Wonderful news. Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I have no idea if he wants to eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy...And Mando? When you arrive...Could you please search for Myrah? I haven't seen her for a few days and I'm worried. I'm willing to pay anything if you find her... Safe passage! You know where to find me."
         I gulped, trying to get the lump out of my throat as the image disappeared. I could hear him talking to the child as it tried to mess with his controls. I only hoped that perhaps it would lighten the mood.
        "Mando, I-"
        "You were running away?"
        "Well, no. Not exactly."
       He spun to face me and I quickly tried to turn away from him, but his hands landed firm on the arms of the chair to keep me from moving. I kept my gaze down on my hands, or, at least I tried to. He gently pinched my chin and pulled my head up to look at him. He made me feel weak.
         "What were you thinking?"
        "I wasn't running...I wanted to prove myself."
         He sighed and pulled his hand from my face, allowing his fingers to linger on my jaw a while longer. The delicate touch left goosebumps on my skin.
         "I can't go back." I whispered.
         "What?"
         "I have to leave once we're done. I've stuck around too long, I can't stay there any longer, I-" I jumped up, grasping his hands tight in mine. I was surprised when he didn't flinch or pull away. "Come with me! We make a great team. The possibilities are endless, we could become the best damn bounty hunters this galaxy has ever seen."
         "Didn't you try to kill me less than a week ago?" He asked while rubbing small, soft circles on the back of my hands. The subtle action filled my stomach with butterflies.
         "I didn't try to kill you. I knocked you out and tied you to a chair... There is a big difference." I joked and pulled one hand free from his grasp to trace the lines on his helmet. The craftsmanship of the Mandalorians never failed to amaze me.
         I could hear his breath hitch as I ran my fingers over the curves of his helm. He quickly yanked his hands away from mine and took a step back, nearly stepping into the panel. My chest clenched and I could feel my cheeks grow warm from embarrassment.
         "Myrah..." He mumbled. "I can't."
        It took me a moment to realize what he said, but once I did, it hit me like a speeder.
        "You're afraid..." I scoffed and tried to hide the pain. It was silly, childish, even, to ask him to run away with me. Still, a part of me hoped he would. "Kriff, I never thought I would see the day where a Mandalorian would act so- so-"
         His head snapped towards me, apparently I had struck a nerve. "So what, Myrah?"
         "Weak! Pathetic! C-" I stopped myself before I could go too far.
         "No, continue. What were you going to say?" He demanded and took a few steps closer, towering over me.
         "Cowardly." I hissed, immediately regretting my words.
         The air had been sucked from the ship. We stared, daring the other to make the next move.
         "Okay, Princess." He scoffed and turned away from me.
         "What did you just call me?" He was silent, trying to look busy while poking around at the controls. "You know nothing about me."
         "I know enough!" He snapped and spun around to face me again. "I know that you would never have to work a day in your precious little life if you didn't want to. I know that you walk around and act like everyone and everything else is beneath you. And then you want to run away? Like your wonderful life isn't perfect enough for you?"
         I could feel my eyes burn as I fought off the tears that threatened to fall from them. Still, he continued.
        "It doesn't take a genius to see that you don't care about what happens after this. You're just in it for the reputation and money."
         "Wow." I scoffed and tilted my head back, trying to hide the tears that escaped my eyes. "You think you know everything, don't you?" I shook my head and looked back at him. Sometimes it was hard to argue with a chunk of metal. "You're so smart, Mando. I should give you an award for how much you know about my life. Guess what? You don't know shit...Just land the damn ship and get this over with."
┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉
         Mando landed the Razor Crest on the gray, dusty terrain of Nevarro with ease. He was unbelievably calm even after our argument while I could still feel myself shake from the adrenaline. I guess I misunderstood our friendship, or, what I assumed was a friendship.
         We all exited the ship in silence and began our journey into town. I tried my hardest to stand tall as we walked through the streets. Greef said the citizens here lived off of other people's sorrows. It was best to not show it at all.
         I underestimated the intensity of the mission. It wasn't the average bounty, it was more underworld than what we usually did. Although, I didn't expect for us to have to travel down shady alleys to reach the client's 'hideout.' Something was very fishy about this mission.
         He knocked on the door and held up a card for the small round droid to scan. The door opened to reveal two stormtroopers armed with guns. The air had been knocked out of me.
         Now I knew there was something up with this client.
         I could feel that gross, sick feeling coming back when they herded us down the hall. They roughly grabbed onto the child's pod and yanked it behind them. I opened my mouth to speak, but Mando beat me to it.
         "Easy with that."
        "You take it easy." The trooper snapped back.
         We had finally reached the door that opened to reveal a large, cold, stone room. It was practically empty except for a desk in the center of it all with a balding old man behind it. His eyes lit up when we entered and he quickly strode towards us.
         "Yes." He whispered. "Yes, yes, yes."
         He weirded me out. I found myself inching closer to Mando with every step he made. A young scientist came over and scanned the whimpering child with a bright red light.
         "Your reputation was not unwarranted..." He grinned and looked towards me, his eyes narrowing. "And who is this?"
        "I-"
        "How many fobs did you give out?" Mando interrupted.
         For once, I was thankful that he cut me off. I was worried that if I told them who I was, they would sweep me away as well. Greef never believed me when I told him that the Empire wasn't completely gone. I couldn't imagine his face if he witnessed this.
         The client sighed. "This asset was of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure its delivery... But to the winner... Go the spoils."
         He grabbed a large container and lifted it onto the desk to reveal its treasures. It contained more beskar than I had ever seen in my life. I wasn't even sure there was that much beskar left in the galaxy.
         We moved towards the desk to admire the rewards. It was beautiful and more riches than I could have ever imagined, but I couldn't keep it.
         I had no use for beskar and it belongs back in the hands of the Mandalorians. I had no place taking the reward at all.
         "Such a large bounty for such a small package." The client hissed.
         A heart broken cry caught my attention from the other side of the room. While I was busy gaping over the payment, I had completely forgotten about the child. It cried again as it was brought into another room, refusing to take its eyes off of us.
         It hurt me to see it so sad.
         I turned to see Mando watching the child intensely. Could he have been wondering the same thing I was?
         "What are your plans for it?" He asked.
         "How uncharacteristic of one of your reputation. You have taken both commission and payment... Is it not the Code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten? That beskar is enough to make a handsome replacement for your armor."
         My eyes darted across his armor. It was rather beat up and seeing its harsh damage, I assumed it wasn't too durable. A full suit of beskar was fitting for his job, but I would miss his old, rusty fit.
         "Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel." The client finished and with a stern glare.
         I quickly tore my gaze away from him, occasionally glancing at Mando out of the corner of my eyes. His focus was stuck on the client for a moment longer before he grabbed the reward and we left.
         The stormtroopers followed us the entire way out, making me feel incredibly uneasy. Again, I found myself moving closer to Mando and immediately scolding myself for it.
         "I have to make a quick stop... I'll meet you at the bar in an hour." He looked down at the container of beskar with a soft, sad tone to his voice. I guess he was going to get an upgrade.
         "Right... Listen, Mando, I-"
         "We'll talk later." He ended quickly and spun on his heel to leave.
         I wanted to run after him, but he was already out of sight. I needed to apologize or just, something. I wasn't sure why I needed him to know that I didn't hate him. If anything, I should just forget he exists and move on with my life.
         But I couldn't.
         And little did I know, I wouldn't.
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cmescapade · 4 years ago
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my long overview/review of ‘Star Wars: Journey to Batuu’ after forcing myself to play it almost nonstop
so i said i was going to amend what i said in response to this ask after playing to min/max shit so here is a tldr version of my opinion after playing:
I consider this pack to be a 2/10; It's enough to kill time as a temporary distraction, but not for long. There’s absolutely no replay value after going through all those missions as each outcome is ultimately the same by faction. There also doesn’t seem to be any negative outcomes for each prompt in the little “choose your adventure” pop ups--And if there is, it is extremely low since I have never gotten a negative outcome. 
The aspirations are fair, and are the only things I found in this pack that’s anyway redeemable since I believe the rewards can be used well in conjunction with general solo/super-sim gameplay.
kinda sat on this for a while bc i wasn’t sure if i should post something so lengthy but then i remembered this is my blog n i can post my left toe if i wanted to
even tho i would never post a pic of my left toe anyway
.......at least for free. With the right price, however....
anyway more details under the cut if you’re interested bc i like to ramble :))
I decided to split this into 5 sections to organize my thoughts a little better. I’ll be separating my thoughts on each faction, the ships as a rabbit hole, the faction missions, the star wars aspirations, and then the breakdown of my 2/10 rating. 
1. Factions
When you travel to Batuu, the game gives you a starting “mission” or quest to get you acclimated to the areas, and each area has a specific Faction associated with it.
And yes, you cannot live anywhere, nor are there any lots, as was already stated.
Every area has a similar makeup which has:
Control Panels
Supply Crates
1 non-rabbit hole area
1 interactable ship
The Black Spire Outpost is the biggest area and has:
Two places to grab food, three if you count the Cantina
Aside from the Cantina, the other areas are rabbit holes
The two eateries are:
Docking Bay 7
this one has the most food options
you’ll never go hungry in batuu because the cheapest items on the menu are Outpost Popcorn Mix and Water at 0 credits lmao
the other two foods not shown in the screenshot above are Yobshrimp Noodle Salad and Braised Shaak Roast
Ronto Roasters
This food place has two of the same options Docking Bay 7 has as well as two additional food items
Oga’s Cantina
The only area that you see the inside of
yea the bar serves batuu-only drinks too
also where you find the guy who would give you Scoundrel missions, Hondo Ohnaka.
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You can essentially max your Scoundrel reputation without it hindering whichever side you wanna take, and you can keep it when you essentially max out your rep on either the Resistance or the First Order.
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There aren’t any real pros to being a Scoundrel aside from some socialization interactions. It doesn’t do anything for initial Batuu gameplay aside from unlocking Scoundrel outfits in CAS and some upgrades for your droids, but this goes for all of your options (Resistance, First Order, & Scoundrel).
The Dwelling
This is a rabbit hole where your sim goes to sleep, pee, or shower… If not the closest bench. 
It’s located opposite to the Cantina. 
If you’re ever lost, there’s a spire you can sit/nap on right in front of it–or you can just wait till your sim wants to pee. 
they’ll automatically run there 
that’s… how i found it, tbh
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Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities
Another rabbithole
This place sells items you can use to complete missions, like Dataspikes and a couple of Lightsaber parts
Majority of the inventory are decorative stuff to bring back with you
Savi’s Workshop
Right behind the antique shop is the lightsaber place where you can find more hilts, kyber crystals, and display cases for your lightsabers.
You can also click on the shop to start a lightsaber challenge.
Outside this area, you have the First Order District which has more supply crates and control panels than the other two neighborhoods, and a lot more activity–Makes sense since this is basically the hub for the First Order in general. 
There’s only the Droid Depot in this area, and the only real shop that has use for credits. Food wise, there’s a food stall, and if your sim is stinky or tired, they’d basically disappear for a few minutes to recharge and come back. 
Droid Depot
Each faction has specific Droid personality traits
Aside from “voices,” these personalities don’t do much
I guess the First Order one is a lot more zap-happy though
The Resistance Camp is even smaller. Like the other areas, it’s littered with supply crates, but only has one control panel and no shops. However, there’s a rabbit hole toward the back in the Caves.
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This doesn’t lead you to anywhere interesting, and it’s just another ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of thing. 
2. Ships
In the Black Spire Outpost, you’ll find the iconic Millennium Falcon. You can do kessel runs and explore in the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca if you have a high Scoundrel reputation. 
However, although I said you get to ride with Chewbacca, you don’t ever see him come out 
He just kinda……………..stays there
and the prompts tell u he’s there
n ur gonna have to go with it and use the power of your imagination to believe he really do be there
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In the First Order District, there’s the TIE Echelon, which functions the same way as the Millennium Falcon… But, you can’t do anything outside of exploring or using it for missions. This is how the X-Wing Starfighter in the Resistance Camp functions as well. 
It’s all pretty copy and paste, but w/e, that’s how EA does it  
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3. Missions
There may be several different missions per faction, but to no one’s surprise, they’re all literally the same one but worded differently.
Regular missions only have one plus (+) and one negative (-) icon
Regular Scoundrel missions only have one plus icon and no negatives since they don’t impact other factions
Each faction has a regular mission that pertains to:
Obtaining information
Exploring with the faction’s designated ship
Stealing from Supply Crates
Hacking a Control Panel
Yes………………….They’re very repetitive
You don’t have to do all of them though
You can spam the same one over and over as long as it fits the time slot
For example, the Resistance’s ship exploration mission is limited to only the day time and seems to disappear when it gets late in game
also there’s an error with the TIE Echelon where it’s missing a whole ass prompt
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……As you can see, the options make no sense because the prompt is the same one that came before it 🥴
anyway…
Story Missions are the only missions that seem to differentiate from each faction.
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All missions that pertain to the “story” are indicated with prerequisites of higher ranks within the faction
All of them give a double boost toward your faction
If it’s a Resistance story quest, it’ll always increase hostility from First Order members
Vice versa for the First Order faction
The Scoundrels are neutral, and do not impact any faction 
It’s only the Resistance and First Order factions that have very similar plot lines
but I’m guessing it’s only like that since they’re supposed to follow the vague cause/effect the two of them have?
4. Aspirations
The initial Aspiration you get when you pick the Star Wars umbrella in CAS (or in game) is “Hope VS Order.” After completing this one aspiration, you unlock the 3 that pertain to each faction.
Paragon of Hope
Resistance aspiration
Reward trait gives a boost to Charisma skill building
This is probably nice for those careers that need Charisma to be high, like the Political and Business branches
Enforcer of Order
First Order aspiration
Lowers chances of “Death from Anger”
Since I like killing my sims, I think this aspiration is pointless lmao
Galactic Privateer
Scoundrel aspiration
“Sleight of Hand” reward trait
Unlocks pickpocketing outside of Criminal branch usage
Best one here tbh
Works outside of Batuu, you’ll steal simoleons instead of credits
Also you can cheat whenever u play Sabaac and no one will notice
5. Reevaluation of Initial Opinions
I’ll be going through my initial list from my Response to the Ask I got before. I originally stated that it seemed promising and it was a 3.5~4/10.
Aesthetics/Visual: my opinion is unchanged, it still made me sad i can’t have a little shanty house out there or rent a garbo lot, 0.5/5
The longer I played, the more I didn’t find any new animations
The lightsaber sparring slowly began to look like a mash between GF and RoM duels after a while
I still hate that the areas were beautiful (+0.5) but the interactive places forced cutaway
why do you wanna ruin my screenshots like this, man
CAS/BB still is hard to integrate–Unless your sim is a geek with figurines, the ship models might be nice to add to their collections
Otherwise……
….
I don’t have a follow up for that, sry
Gameplay: uhhh at least i found something i could use outside of Batuu, 1.5/5
I think that playing 3984729847 repetitive missions for a long period time really orientated me to the whole map
…but the fact that i had trouble the first time around still makes it not-user friendly
the issue I had with the resistance members not having an icon? It’s a thing, I guess
The resistance quests take you on a weird trip to “prove” yourself so i guess the icons are supposed to show that they’re “not” resistance members or something idk
they’re supposed to be the sneaky underdogs who wanna do good or w/e
I guess that’s immersive…….. +0.5
sry im first order trash
they also have “Ignite the Spark” and “Ask about Missions” both leading to the same mission screen……………….
convenience?? i guess??
missions are still confusing, made worse when the game itself glitches up a storm
there was one mission where i had to go to the cantina to find someone
and they wouldn’t spawn within the time frame………….
i had to go in and out for like 3 days until they actually spawned
i only knew this bc i arrested half the people in the cantina while i was bored
so anyone without a red bar was probably them lmfaoo
also, as i stated above……. there’s some mission errors in the prompts 
Currency is still worthless.
Everything can be done by purely stealing from supply crates
Credits are only worth to blow it off on sabaac! 
The only real need for credits is to have 1,000 so u can buy a droid
Then slam the rest of those credits on the table to bet bajillions on a game of sabaac!
Aspirations………. Useful +1
Despite them being sorta niche, they’re pretty decent
Can abuse the rewards for optimal gameplay for a super sim
Honestly i just love the pickpocketing reward off the Scoundrel aspiration, just because it works outside of Batuu (and that he didn’t have to be in the Criminal career for it either)
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In total, my personal rating for this pack is 2/10.
It was nice, but I don’t really see this pack being replayable, considering that i did everything there was to do on Batuu in a single trip. Sure I could’ve taken my time, but since everything would end up the same anyway, it felt like it was set up to be a one-time gig. 
At least with JA you’re moderately forced to return so you can collect treasures that are RNG–In JtB, you can snatch up all that you need on Batuu from grinding everything like a nutcase. There’s also chances of failure in JA, but on Batuu that percentage is almost little to none. The most you’ll ever get is a dazed moodlet that barely lasts, a negative relationship, and being escorted to a loading screen.  
I feel like this pack could be a little better if there were more risks involved, but there are barely any that I encountered. It’s just another weird, rehashed cash grab by EA.
17 notes · View notes
capricornus-rex · 4 years ago
Note
For your muse! :D “How about making me vice president in charge of cheering you up?”
“Two Sides of the Coin” | Chapter 16: Memory in a Shallow Grave | Jidné Sheedra x Cal Kestis
Summary: Hell-bent on exacting revenge and retrieving the Holocron, the dreaded Darth Vader is now on the hunt for the young Jedi Knight, Cal Kestis. Under the assumption that he still possessed the artifact, while fueled by the intrigue of the boy’s strength and skill with the Force, the dark lord hires the bounty hunter, Jidné Sheedra, to track him down and have him delivered alive. However, the task becomes a trial for young Jidné, as she faces a conflict that tests her beliefs of a scarred past she had hidden for so long.
A/N: This has got to be the longest reply (in the guise of a fic chapter) I’ve ever written! ;A; I hope you don’t mind the 4000+ or so word count, honey... because this is the part where Order 66 angst kicks in T^T
Also tagging @silver-is-in-too-many-fandoms @calsponchoemporium @stellar-trinity @queen-destenie @calgasm @cal-jestis @justtinfoley @peterwandaparker @sweeetteaa @ayamenimthiriel @superwarsofthrones @fallenjedii
Also in AO3
Tags: Fem OC, Jidné Sheedra, Force-Sensitive! Fem OC, Bounty Hunter! Fem OC, Jedi! Fem OC | Special tags: Order 66, Nomara Anesh, Togruta! Fem OC, Jedi Master! Fem OC
Chapters: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 | Previous: Part 15 | Next: Part 17 | Masterlist
16 of ?
23 BBY
Jidné passed the time by studying the Holocrons she borrowed from the Archives, she came across Master Kit Fisto’s Holocron wherein he has discovered the ancient lightsaber modification that allows one’s saber to function underwater as it would on dry land. The little Padawan was intrigued and fascinated, so she set aside the other datacrons to listen to this particular one.
For the rest of the afternoon, she whiled away in reviewing the instructions and carefully studied the cross-sections. She realized that in order for this modification to work, she will need a second kyber crystal for the energy channels to route one another—since a single kyber would short-circuit if submerged or activated underwater.
“That would mean going to Ilum again,” Jidné thought out loud in the solace of her dorm. “I wonder if I could ask Master Anesh. I bet she’d allow me.”
“Jidné?” the disembodied voice of her master beckoned her.
The girl’s head jerked to the direction where she found the voice, she seals the Holocron shut using the Force with promptness and sees Master Anesh walking into the garden square. Jidné set aside the artifact on the bench along with her leather-bound journals where she copied the things she liked page after page, she landed on her feet as Nomara approached her little Padawan.
“I’m here, Master Anesh,”
Nomara peeked over the child’s shoulder and saw the Holocron sitting atop a small pile of notebooks.
“Have you been busy?”
“Just studying, I have something to tell you as well, Master Anesh!”
“Later, after today’s practice,”
Jidné nodded in agreement, then the master noticed the four turquoise beads adorning the end of her Padawan braid.
“Did you do something with your braid?”
“Hmm? Oh, remember our mission back in Alderaan? A peddler sold these beads. I thought the color’s pretty and they resembled the ones on your headband, so I thought of decorating my braid with it—to make it look like yours!” the Padawan girl beamed.
The radiance of her innocence endeared her master, the gesture warmed Nomara’s heart that she had to clutch her chest out of impulse.
“How sweet of you. I think it made your braid twice as prettier,”
“Thank you, Master!”
“You’re welcome. Come now, my little one, we’ve much to do for today’s practice,”
Jidné timed the moment where she can ask Master Anesh if she’ll permit to go to Ilum for that one requirement of the modification. Outspoken and carefree as ever, the Padawan girl decided to speak it out anyway before they could commence the training session.
“Master, if I may ask,”
“Yes, what is it, Jidné?”
“About your saber. Is it waterproof? I mean, can you use it underwater?” the Togruta slighted her head to the side, shooting the girl an attentive look.
“Yes, I can use it underwater. Why the sudden interest?”
“I came across a Holocron that shows how to modify the saber to make it work while in the water,”
The Togruta smiled, clearly recalling and knowing what the little Padawan is referring to.
“Ah, so that Holocron over there must be a copy of Master Fisto’s,”
“Yes, well, I was wondering if…” she trailed off rather bashfully, almost too shy to speak. “I could ask permission to go to Ilum—with you, of course! To get that second crystal to make it work,”
Nomara smiled, her response to Jidné’s request birthed a wide grin across the little ten-year-old’s face. The girl sprang up and down from the floor out of sheer excitement, her ecstatic “Yes!” echod across the emptiness of the gardens.
“But first, we still have instruction. We’re going to need to work on your Force Shroud. Remember when you told me that you still had trouble in using it? Well, we’ll work on that, okay?”
The girl flashed a small smile, “I’d like that very much.”
“We’ll begin when you’re ready,”
The Padawan did a series of stretches for warm-ups, as well as her spinning exercises for her lightsaber handling. Nomara’s teaching methods were similar to how Master Caius trained her—he didn’t rely on drones and droids, he personally sparred with Nomara during her days as an apprentice as well as enemies in the battlefield.
Nomara shed off her long, brown robes—making it easier for her to engage in combat against her Padawan. In between strikes and dodges, the Jedi Master bantered with the Padawan—giving her words of affirmation or extra tips to better the girl’s combat style. Jidné showed the same amount of promise that she demonstrated in the Initiate Trials; her skill with the lightsaber amplified with Anesh’s rather hands-on method of training, motivated by the aspiration to master Form V: Shien & Djem So—which the master can clearly see in the Padawan’s pattern of movement.
“Steel your nerves, Jidné, that way your Force Shroud doesn’t falter in the slightest scare!” Nomara coached, and the sharp-witted girl took that into mind.
In the next move, Jidné did steel her nerves while cloaked within her Force Shroud, she evaded Nomara’s line of sight and studied her master’s watchfulness until she could find the window of opportunity to strike. Jidné jabbed at Nomara’s direction—to which she flexibly deflected—but immediately pulled away to mislead her master’s eyes; again, she observed the Togruta’s expression and quickly realized that Nomara is still searching for the invisible Padawan.
“Very good, Jidné!” Master Anesh commended albeit incapable to find her Padawan.
Perhaps Jidné didn’t notice it—she didn’t turn visible when she landed that jab and only found out after Master Anesh affirmed her. The child was satisfied and proud of herself, continuing in that same rhythm, the instruction carried on until dusk.
—–
22 BBY
A year has passed since the Clone Wars began.
Members of the Jedi Council were, by default, appointed as generals, much to their chagrin and great contrast to the principles of their Order. A handful of Jedi were also dispatched as an auxiliary military group to aid the clones in fighting the war against Separatist and the droid army.
Seeing that it couldn’t be helped, Nomara—along with her little Padawan—has been named a general. She made peace with the fact that she can never keep a protective umbrella above Jidné’s head—away from all sorts of harm and violence—given that this was the life that her mother preferred for her than digging the earth to live back in her homeworld of Eshyn.
At the disposal of the Jedi General are the 304th Battalion of clones commanded by the trooper captain—CT-7462 or Captain Gat—and a fleet spearheaded by the Venator-class cruiser named Wayward Patriot. The Patriot became the pair’s second home after the Jedi Temple, Jidné’s only consolation and company aside from her master were the clones—which greatly fascinated her. She talked their way into their hearts with her curious questions and playful nature.
“Is training hard for you guys?” Jidné inquired.
The clone chuckled, “Well, it gets a bit tricky sometimes. I mean, it can’t be any different from your training, eh, kiddo?”
“Nah, I have it hard too, I guess,” Jidné shrugged one shoulder, then slowly breaks down into little chuckles. “Who doesn’t get their nerves worked up when they’re fighting another youngling with tons of masters and other kids watching you?”
“Ooh, that does sound tough!” the second clone played along while being genuinely bemused by the girl.
Despite the war, Nomara and Jidné continued their usual days for practice and instruction. The Padawan has made progress in utilizing her Force Shroud until she can now manipulate and bend it to her will. The eleven-year-old also found it thrilling and frightening at the same time—to be exposed to such degree of violence at this early a stage of her life.
“Run along now, little Jid,” the first clone tussled the girl’s head. “General Anesh is waiting for you. Best not to keep her waiting,”
“Right, see you guys later in my free time!”
Jidné hopped and skipped through the corridors of the Patriot until she found the specific room where she usually has her physical lessons with Master Anesh. She walked in on her master conversing with the clone accompanying them on the control room. The Padawan cleared her throat politely to call Nomara’s attention.
“Ah, Jidné, just in time,” Master Anesh cooed, gingerly dismissing the clone with a slow wave of the hand. “Are you ready for today’s practice?”
“Yes, Master Anesh,”
“Very good,” the Togruta turned to the terminal to press a pattern of buttons and then beckoned her Padawan. “Come now, my little one.”
The two of them descended from the control room for the ground level of the room via a turbolift. When they walked to the center of the room, Nomara held up a small remote in hand—with the single touch of a button, the tiles of the floor started to rise, take shape, hover and stick to the walls. The shifting and changing of the environment startled Jidné at first, but she got the hint.
“I didn’t know this room has that!” she beamed.
“It’s very conducive for using skills that you’ll often be utilizing in the battlefield,”
“I’m ready, Master!”
“I like your enthusiasm, Jidné,” Nomara smiled back. “Alright then, whenever you’re ready.”
Beginning with the physical exercises, little Jidné did her personalized set of stretches, she also studied the room—how it looked like, where the blocks are for her to take cover or use to her advantage—with a single passing glance before signaling her master to commence.
“Remember what I taught you, little one,”
“I always do, Master!”
The tile where Master Anesh elevated her until she stands in the same level as the control room, her pedestal remotely stayed in that height. Meanwhile, Jidné remained in the ground, her senses keening as she continues to study the structure of the room—given that the tiles and blocks can change at any given moment of Nomara’s command—while anticipating for her master’s starting signal.
Turrets unfolded from the ceiling of the room, their loud whirring alerted the girl, Nomara forewarned the girl that the guns were configured with non-lethal projectiles set for a training setting.
“Shall we begin, Jidné?”
The girl buckled, “Ready when you are, Master!”
Observing the Padawan scamper across the room, evading blaster fire here and there, Nomara can’t help but ponder to herself in her mind as she watched the girl skillfully evade and deflect the projectiles.
She has become more adept than I either hoped or imagine. That’s good. She’s learned to be strong and willful with the Force.
Her thinking led her to become off-guard of other thoughts. Out of the blue, the whistling noise the turrets made whenever they fire stimulated blurry images and incoherent sounds ringing in Nomara’s drums. She brought her hand to her head, massaging the base of her montral as she struggled to ease the sudden heaviness that she feels within her but couldn’t find.
—–
20 BBY, THE DAY OF THE JEDI PURGE
Jidné joined her master in the conference at the bridge comprised of the admiral manning the Patriot, real-time hologram projections of the Jedi Generals Plo Koon, Depa Billaba and her Padawan Caleb Dume joining the transmission. Jidné recognized Caleb as she has met him during a joint campaign with their masters; the two children smiled at one another upon finding each other in the conference.
The masters concurred in giving each other reinforcement if the need arises. Jidné intently studied the projections flashing in the holotable, reading the inscriptions and data numbers floating beside the diagrams of the weapons and map.
“May the Force be with us all,” Plo Koon bade, not out of custom but out of heart before his projection fizzled out of existence, followed by the other Jedi Masters and the other Padawan.
Nomara released a long sigh, she remained leaning by the edge of the table, her hand brought to her lip as she spaced out into deep thought. Jidné noticed this and didn’t disturb her until she opened her eyes again. The little girl wondered if the Togruta had the same thoughts she’s been having of late, she meant to disclose it to her master but they’ve been piled with tons of transmissions as the tension of the war rages on.
“There seems to be no end, does it, little one?”
“I suppose so, Master, but… We are doing a big help, aren’t we?”
The Togruta noticed the little girl’s tone to have mellowed but there’s a tinge of concern to it. Nomara places her hand gingerly on her dear Padawan’s head, stroking her hair down to her beaded Padawan braid.
“Yes, we are. It’s our job as peacekeepers to stop this kind of destruction from disturbing the planets who don’t deserve and need chaos,”
The master’s words did little to console the girl, despite managing a smile at the Togruta, the feeling of being downtrodden persisted within the young learner. Nomara then shepherded the child to the hangar where their starships await them. Along the way, Jidné didn’t seem to be herself lately.
“Your silence says a lot on your mind, child,”
Jidné jumped a bit, startled that her master pointed out her silence.
“Master, something doesn’t feel right. Please tell me you feel it, too,” it was unusual for Jidné to speak in a hushed tone, Nomara sensed the pang of worry that rung between the words of her Padawan.
She thought she had fully buried that worry into the recesses of her mind, but she was proven otherwise when the same heavy feeling returned to her—clutching and wrenching at her core. It was a bothersome feeling that she can’t exactly pinpoint… at least not yet.
“Yes, I have, my little Padawan. Although, much like yourself, I cannot seem to place my finger where it originates,”
Deploying from the underbelly of the Patriot, Nomara and Jidné’s starfighters led on a squadron of fighter pilots to the surface. The vessels dotted the sky in a crisp V-formation and circled the perimeter of the city in Modala, where thousands—if not hundreds—of battle droids were marching in organized blocks and columns, with the superweapon guarded in the middle of the formation.
“Cleaver, make sure you charge and prepare your ion cannons. We’re going to put that superweapon completely out of commission before it could reach the legislative building!” Nomara barked through her radio.
The fleet of fighters closed in on the surface, getting more range at the enemy by the minute. The droid army was alerted when their radars and scanners picked up a multitude of signatures coming from the Jedi’s fleet and their clones. The sight of their ships caused panic among the sentient, metal beanpoles that are the battle droids.
Nomara forewarned the entire fleet to disperse once the high-intensity ion cannon is fired. When the signal was given, all of the ships flew away from the blast radius that could disable their ships’ auxiliary and main power grids and made a running pass around the perimeter to find a safe landing spot.
“Prepare to continue this on land!”
Jidné licked her lips, a smug smirk curled on her face, “This is where the fun begins!”
The ground assault was tense. The flock of LAAT gunships assisted Nomara from the air, amplifying their firepower against the approaching droids and their superweapon.
Lightsaber in hand, both master and apprentice charged through the line of battle, deflecting blaster fire and cutting down the battle droids by the numbers until they could reach the building in the heart of the city.
The battle was won, but not the war. What seemed to be only hours felt like days, the Jedi and her Padawan have secured the legislative building as the Separatist general who hid in it willingly relinquished it after being arrested. Despite their victory today, Master Anesh could not shake the dark feeling that lingered within her heart.
“General Anesh,” a clone approached the pair to report, standing just behind Jidné. “We’ve made a sweep in the building. The captives and the guards have been freed and are taken to a medical ward in the city.”
“Very good news, please relay that to me later for my report to the Council,”
“Understood, General,” the captain erected his posture and saluted at the Togruta. He excused himself and was about to return to his post by the door, but in the middle of his walk, he answered an incoming transmission labeled as urgent.
Execute Order 66. Groaned an ancient, raspy voice through the muffled feedback of the clone trooper’s comlink.
The Togruta turned her attention to her little Padawan, overlooking the city through the window of the office space.
“Now that Modala’s been freed, are we going to give Master Plo or Master Billaba some reinforcements?”
“That still depends, my little one, we have yet to expect their transmiss—” Nomara abruptly left her sentence hanging, her hand instinctively went to the base of her montral, her fingers curling around the fullness of the horn to alleviate the aching but to no avail.
“Master, are you okay?” Jidné’s voice shuddered.
At the corner of her eye, Nomara spotted the clone aiming his rifle straight at the child’s head; the Padawan noticed the steely look in her master’s eyes and followed its direction, looking over her shoulder only to be face-to-face with the hole of a blaster’s barrel. Everything seemed move in slow motion, her heartbeat was the only thing ringing in her eardrums; the adrenaline sharpened her reflexes and senses, the Togruta brandished her saber, pushed the girl out of the line of fire and then cut down the clone. Jidné registered everything when the deed was done.
“Wha—what was that!? Was he gonna shoot me?! What’s going on?!” Jidné bombarded her master with question who was still recovering from the nausea.
“Jidné, something’s not right. Something’s very wrong,” Nomara panted. “Our clones have betrayed us. We need to leave this place. Now!”
“They’re in here!” the shout of a clone roared through the door, muffling his voice.
Nomara thought fast, she locked the door using the Force and laid out the escape plan to the girl as concisely as possible. However, they were cut short when one of the clones planted a sticky bomb to the door. The master and apprentice quickly cut down the clones that were coming after them, even after that run-in, neither of them withdrew their sabers.
“Where do we go from here?” Nomara thought out loud.
The Padawan peeked over the window again and saw that their starfighters were still intact.
“Master! Our starfighters!”
Both of them vaulted over the desk where they took cover, but before they could leave the room and run out into the open—with the risk of being chased by their clones—the Togruta grabbed Jidné by the shoulder and knelt to her Padawan’s height. Her plan was to split up—making herself live bait to lure out the clones so that Jidné can get to the ships safely. Of course, Jidné preferred sticking close with her master as much as possible, but Nomara tried to talk her into it.
“Whatever happens, you run. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Jidné shuddered. Unable to contain her fear, she threw herself into Nomara’s arms and the Togruta embraced her Padawan in the tightest she could.
Master Anesh held the girl’s small face in her elegant hands, “Now, be brave. Don’t look back. I’ll be right with you. I promise.”
Jidné nodded, in turn, her master mouthed “Go” and the little Padawan girl bolted through the halls. Her legs carried her fast as they could, evading the clones whose senses are now on high-alert for both Jedi and Padawan. As much as she wanted to use her Force Shroud, the sheer levels of stress intervened with her focus—being able to only use it for a few minutes’ worth of running—when she felt that she’s re-materializing, she hugged the walls before turning around a corner to see if the coast was clear.
What went wrong? What changed? These questions screamed and ricocheted on the walls of her skull, and were answered by missed blaster fire and angry shouts of the clones, claiming that they’ve spotted the Jedi running.
“Where’s the little girl!?”
“She’ll come around, get the Jedi!”
Jidné crept to another path in the intersection, she was too busy focusing on the two clones who were in the corner that she didn’t notice the clone in the path where she’s heading into and bumped into his side. The clone was understandably startled, but upon sight of the Padawan, he swung his rifle and struck her across the face, a portion of the weapon had scraped the skin—producing a cut on her cheekbone.
The young Padawan was too frightened and confused to think fast, she crawled backwards—away from the Stormtrooper who was already aiming the barrel at her heart, until an indigo beam of light flew his way, cutting through his torso forward and then another when the lightsaber was spinning back to the direction of its owner.
“Jidné! Are you alright?!”
“Yes, Master Anesh!”
A clone appears out of the corner at the end of the hallway, “The Jedi and the little girl are here! Don’t let them escape!!!”
“This way, child! Come on!”
“Coming, Master!”
The two bolted through the grand, luxurious hallways now strewn with bodies of clones—both from the siege and their betrayal against the Jedi. The closer they think they’re getting to the exit where their starships are, the farther the clones push them in—cornering them into the building like mice in a maze.
Eventually, the clones have led them into the central foyer of the legislative building where they surround the master and her Padawan in a circle. This wasn’t part of Nomara’s plan, so she collected all of her might in her body—while praying to the Force to be with her—and then invisible yet torrential ripples exploded out of her hands, throwing the clones off of their feet and disorienting them. While there’s still a chance, before any of the clones could get back up on their feet again, both Jedi returned to following their original path.
“Keep up with me, Jidné!”
“I’m trying, Master!”
Finally! After losing their breath from evading the clones, the starships were in sight. The hope they thought was lost was regained. The two of them dashed out of the main entrance, the wake of destruction from the siege still ran fresh as smoke pillared to the heavens.
Just when they thought they’ve finally secured their escape, a line of troopers with an ARC Trooper in the middle stood in their way between the starships.
“Get behind me, little one!”
Jidné literally went back-to-back with Master Anesh, lightsaber in hand, and faced the direction of the main entrance anticipating the clones that the Togruta had disoriented using the Force. Not a moment later, the same clones from inside had reached them in the outer lobby.
“Jidné, I want you to do exactly as I say, do you hear me?”
“Yes, Master…”
Nomara spoke in the calmest of voices that Jidné has ever heard amidst the chaos, “Use your Shroud. Now.”
The Padawan’s eyes widened, partially with confusion and immense horror, she had a clue of what her master’s plan is. She didn’t like it—not a single bit.
“Jidné,” Nomara spoke calmly again, but the tone of her voice was hard and strict, so as to not give away their bluff to the troopers. The Togruta’s eye glanced to the side, looking at the frightened Padawan. “Now.”
The ARC Trooper, already trigger-happy, barked at his brothers, “Blast her!!”
“JIDNÉ, NOW!!”
“NOOOOOOOO….!!!!”
In the blink of an eye, Jidné felt like she was flying—and flying she was, Nomara had used the Force on the Padawan to send her out of the line of fire. Jidné only landed a feet away from the circle of clones with the Jedi in the center, deflecting and banking away their shots with the remainders of her strength. Obviously, it was too much for one exhausted Jedi to overpower a ring of fifteen or so clone troopers shooting at her from all directions. The little girl, unaware that she had absentmindedly activated her Force Shroud, witnessed the clone troopers—the other people she called her friends ever since this war began—pelt her master’s body with blaster fire.
Nomara, her body riddled with bullet holes through her armor and clothes, spotted little Jidné—in this instance, she was surprised to be able to see Jidné while the child was under the influence of the Force Shroud, she didn’t sought for the explanation, she was glad that her dear Padawan is unseen and unharmed, although it saddened her when their eyes met; never have Nomara ever seen the little girl so stricken with terror upon what she’s seeing.
As the final fulfillment of her promise—not to the mother anymore, but to the child albeit unspoken—Nomara called upon the Force, amplifying her the nearly-fluctuating energy within her. She pulled her arm back, fist clenched in the tightest that she could hold, and struck the soil hard—this wave was very much stronger than the last, the seismic magnitude of Nomara’s Force ability sent the clones literally flying. Some of the clones caught in the shockwave have died from a shattered spine or a cracked skull upon impact of a rock or the stone ground when they landed.
When the wave died down, Jidné is unscathed, though she’s left with the unfathomable degree of fear that her thirteen-year-old mind couldn’t wrap around. Nomara was still standing—however she’s clinging onto the last threads of dear life as she knows it. The Padawan scrambled up to her feet and caught her master before she could fumble near-dead to the soil.
“Master…” Jidné sobbed, cradling Nomara’s head on her lap.
“Jidné…” Nomara gasped, her vision already blurring and a black ring bordered her eyes.
“I’m here, Master…!”
The master hoists her weak hand to the Padawan’s cheek, her thumb ran across a tear streaming down the girl’s face. She choked as she struggled to speak.
“Jidné… you have to go…”
“No, I can’t leave you here!”
“Please… Jidné, more of them will be coming for you,” coughed Nomara, a tear rolled over her cheek. “Save yourself… Run!”
And with that final word, the bright, sparkling teal of Nomara’s eyes have turned milky and lifeless. Jidné couldn’t yet accept the reality of her master’s death, she shook the Togruta in a hopeless plea to wake up and there was no response. Nomara’s head bobbed limply in Jidné’s scrawny arms, the strand of beads fell from the montral headband and clattered to the dust. The girl picked it up and kept it in her pocket, regretting her decision of setting up a pyre for the deceased Jedi, seeing that this would alert the other clones who might still be looking for her.
Following her master’s final request, Jidné did run. Eventually, her running has brought her into the dense urban area of Modala, the entrance of her new life while leaving behind the one she has always known.
——————————————————–
CURRENT TIMELINE
“And ever since then, I survived Modala… somehow. But it still haunts me up to this day, I can’t seem to let go of it even if I wanted to,”
“We all have lost someone during the Jedi Purge. I know how hard it is to overcome the sadness,”
“Yeah… It’s just difficult to find more ways to cope,”
“How about making me vice president of cheering you up?”
Jidné turned her head to the boy. She chuckled, endeared by his child-like purity, a similar trait she has buried within the depths of her core, though she doesn’t realize that.
“Here, I got something for you,”
Cal produced a trinket strand similar to Jidné’s: a chain of Featherfern and Royal Fluzz buds—two for each—encased in transparent, glass beads. The Jedi girl admired the handiwork with wonderment.
“It’s a saber tassel like yours, I made it myself. My first gift as vice president of cheering you up,”
“It’s beautiful,” Jidné sighed, not wasting a second in tying it up along with her original tassel at the pommel.
She secured it with a tight double-knot, the new addition to her pommel dangled with the turquoise beads as she held it up in front of her and Cal. Finally, her tassel got prettier with the variety in color. She turned to the redhead and smiled warmly at him.
“Thank you… so much,”
“C’mere, you must be cold,” Cal cooed, lifting up his arm to open the sleeve of his poncho to offer his side to Jidné.
The girl scooted closer to the redhead’s side until his arm could wrap around her shoulder. She released what ought to be the biggest sigh to date, she felt her entire body soften up the moment Cal held her close, nuzzling his cheek against her head and curling his fingers tighter around her arm. For the first time in years, she felt safe.
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shadow-assassin-blix · 4 years ago
Text
It’s a Grey Area
Chapter 2:
A/N: ‘Italics’ are thoughts. Warnings? Swear word or two?? Skywalker bashing. OC’s not a fan. Its a bit sad? Talk of parents dying, if thats a warning??
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Gif is from @gif-hunts-for-you​ bless you for your Jessica Lowndes gif sets
It took another 3 hours to finish sorting and doing the inventory, after which Blix sent Amber and Bre on home. There were not many patients in the Med Bay currently, so the night rounds would be quick. Blix was finishing up some paperwork, when she heard someone sigh quietly, near the door. She looked up to see who came in.
“Ben? Come in. What’s-“ Blix began to ask, before noticing the blood dripping from his arm. “Come here. Let me see.” She held out her hands.
He stepped forward and mumbled, “It’s not a big deal, it’s just annoying.”
“Uh huh. Let me be the judge of that,” She stated as she gently rolled up his sleeve. There was a large scrape running along his forearm, that was slowly bleeding and covered in dirt.
“How did this happen?” She asked as she examined it to see how deep it went.
“Luke. Training. He threw me into some trees,” He murmured.
She sighed deeply and began to disinfect it with some pads, before spraying it with Bacta. As she worked, she felt a prod in her mind. Like something was trying to break through her mental barriers.
“Ben, you are lurking without a permit. Get out of my head,” She lightly admonished not looking up at him.
“My apologies. Force of habit,” He replied.
“Mh. One that you need to get rid of. You want to get to know someone, try talking to them. Ask questions. That sort of thing. No one likes their minds being probed, and if you ever did that to Commander Dameron again, no one would stop him from beating your face in,” She remarked as she finally turned to look at him.
“Noted. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding you doctor. No one seems to know your background, nor do you seem to interact with anyone beyond your work. Why is that?” He questioned starring at her intensely, curiosity shining.
“I am not here to make friends. I am here to heal. That’s it. May I give you some advice though, in relation to this?” she gestured to his nearly healed arm. “Just because Luke is your uncle, and sort of your teacher, doesn’t mean you have to constantly take his beatings. I’ve seen your powers. You are strong. Don’t let him get away with this shit, just because you feel like you need to be punished for crimes that you have made amends for with your mother. Forgive yourself and take a damn stand. I didn’t take you for a coward nor do I see a child. An ass, maybe, but not a quitter.”
His face showed no emotion, though his eyes showed some surprise. His only response was to simply pull his arm from her grasp before walking out without another word.
Blix sighed as she cleaned up the mess and then made her way back to her room, her shift over for now. Her room was simplistic, a bed in the center of the room, a small kitchen to the right, refresher, and closet to the left. She had a small desk to work at; books, journals, and scrolls lying everywhere.
She quietly showered and changed into some sweats and a shirt. She thought about making herself something to eat but didn’t have the energy to do so. She laid in bed, starring at the ceiling, wondering to herself, ‘Why did I agree to come here? What exactly is my purpose?’
She thought she knew when she went to med school. Help people, no matter who they are or where they come from and heal them. Now, that purpose, while still important, was fading slowly; an emptiness began to fill her chest and mind. A hole that she pondered over late into the hours, which usually only led to her sleeping for a spell.
She’s not quite sure when she fell asleep, she just knows when she woke up it was about 6am and someone was knocking on her door. She stands up, exhausted to the core, but growing annoyed with constant knocking.
“I’m coming!” She yelled as she walked/wobbled over to the door.
She flings it open to see an officer standing there. “Yes? What is it?”
“The General requests to see you in the Command Center, Dr. Blix,” He informed. “I am to escort you once you are dressed.”
“Joy. Give me like 5 minutes,” Blix replied sarcastically. She closed the door and turned around to go get some get some clothes on. She pulled on some black cargo pants, and a green shirt followed by a long grey cardigan. She threw on some socks and her boots and grabbed her keycard on her way out.
She reopened the door and stepped out with a sigh. The officer then proceeded to lead her to the command center, never once saying another word to her.
As she stepped up to the center, she saw General Organa, Luke stood off to the side with Rey & Ben, and Poe nearby with Finn & Chewy. She heard a small beep and felt a bump to her leg. She looked down to see a familiar orange and white droid who began to beep happily at her attention.
“Hello Beebee. I’m good, how are you?” She quietly asked him, as she gave his head a pat, a small smile on her face. He began to beep his response when a voice cleared their throat loudly stopping it. Her smile froze and quickly disappeared as she straightened up and gave her attention to Leia.  
“I am sorry to have awaken you so early doctor, but it has come to my attention that you have never been on a field mission before. Which I found strange when I first heard of it and had to confirm it myself. That changes today,” Leia informed her.
“Come to your attention, you say?” She repeated as she turned her head slowly to Poe, anger and betrayal laced her features, as she glared at him. He had the decency to flinch and look away, as he shuffled behind Finn to avoid her gaze.
“Listen. General. I am a doctor. Not a soldier, a fighter, or a pilot. I am a doctor; I belong in the med bay not out galivanting across the universe. So, you can take whatever mission you are about to shove into my arms, elsewhere. I am not doing it,” She declared and turned away, intending to leave.
“Blix,” Came Admiral Holdo’s voice.
She growled and turned around swiftly, and angrily answered, “Yes Amilyn? What? Let me guess. You once again want to bring up how ‘my parents wouldn’t have approved of my behaviors.’ How if they were alive, they ‘would have been disappointed with how I am reacting’ and that I ‘need to respect my superiors, especially one as admired as her?’ Right?”
Before Holdo could even answer, Blix continued, “Newsflash. They are dead. My father died long before I was even born, on a planet that was blown to smithereens by the Deathstar. My mother died long before I even turned 10.”
Many in the room shifted uncomfortably at this information and Leia stepped forward cautiously, and interjected, “I understand that you have lost a lot in this war, but so have others. I empathize with your pain, I sincerely do. Everyone else understands that the only way to find peace is to fight for it. They fight because they have hope in a better future. They-“
“Save the speech. I am sure it’s quite inspiring to everyone else, but I was raised to be a politician just like you Princess,” Blix interrupted, emphasizing Leia’s previous title through gritted teeth. “I know when I am being fed a line. ‘Rebellions were built on hope?’ You mean rebellions were built on the blood spilt and the dead bodies of the hundreds of thousands of people that died because of YOUR family.”
There were many gasps heard but Blix no longer cared.
“You tell me you understand but, how could you? When your family is the reason why I, hell, why half the galaxy doesn’t exist anymore! Your father reigned terror and death for decades, and you expect me to just, what? Forgive and forget what he took from me? Or forget that it was your idiot brother who tried to attack and kill your son. The son that then turned to the dark side and helped the First Order come to fruition. You and your family are a plague,” She snarled, before turning and exiting the room.
She stormed out of the base and could feel herself lose control. Her mind was raced, adrenaline surged through her as rage continue to bubble in her chest. She took a shaky breath trying to regain control over herself. Her hands shook as a tingling sensation worked through her fingers. Her teeth gritted, and gnawed on her lip as she tried to desperately calm down
She made her way out to the surrounding forest, and eventually found the familiar winding path that she had created in her time here. She followed it for several minutes before it opened out to a small field of flowers. She began to pace frantically up and down, but the rage refused to die down. Taking deeps breaths didn’t work. She couldn’t concentrate long enough to count.
There was only one thing she could do. She turned to a large boulder and raised her hand out to it. She felt a surge of energy as the Force surrounded her and as she clenched her hand closed, the boulder exploded into many pieces.
The energy released left her slightly drained. She was breathing heavy as she stood there. She collapsed to her knees; head bowed, exhausted. Her vision swam a bit and she could feel tears build up.
“Now, what exactly did that boulder do to you?” a warm voice asked.
Blix jerked her head into the direction of the voice, “Grandfather?”
A pale, ghostly blue figure, a Force Ghost, stood there in her small sanctuary. He moved to sit before her and gave her a soft smile.
“What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but you don’t often appear before me,” she quietly inquired.
“Your rage could be felt even amongst the dead. My dear heart, why are you doing this to yourself?” He gently questioned.
“Not quite sure I know what you mean,” Blix replied, not making eye contact with him.
“Don’t play coy. You know what I mean. You have been holding a part of yourself back for years. You have built this wall to hide who you really are. Your soul is tearing itself apart as you deny your destiny,” He chastised.
“Destiny? What destiny? My destiny to wind up dead for being within the same star system as a Skywalker?” Blix scoffed, her eyes rolling.
With a small sigh, he reached out and flicked her on the nose. She blinked rapidly and slowly reached up to cover her nose as it lightly throbbed with pain. ‘Ow.’
“Enough of that. You were destined to be a Jedi. Your powers cannot be held back anymore. There will come a time when you will have to use them, and those walls will come crashing down. Stop fighting who you are meant to be. Your soul and mind are at war with one another. That void you keep feeling? The restless nights? That is your power trying to break free. It is only going to get worse unless you start accepting it.” He urged her, trying to get her to see reason.
“I just..” She struggled to articulate her feelings. There was so much she wanted to say to the man she only knew from his journals and had only seen in her dreams. Tears formed again and fell down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away not wanting him to see.
“I know. Time was cruelly stolen from us. There are many things I wish I could have taught you personally, but you have done so well on your own. You were destined for greatness. Are you going to continue to fade away in obscurity or are you going to be the Jedi you were meant to be?” He questioned, pressing a kiss to her forehead before fading away.
Blix sighed heavily. She sat there for an hour maybe two, mulling things over in mind, before she got up. The rage had died down and the world slowly came back into focus, and the sounds of the forest grounded her. All that could be heard was the wind rustling leaves, birds chirping. Off in the distance, she could hear the flight deck come to life as pilots fired up their ships for takeoff or engineers began their work.
She made her way back out of the forest, and over to the flight decks. She could see Poe and Chewie were getting the Falcon ready. She took a deep breath, and as much as she didn’t want to, she swallowed her pride and move toward them.
She stood before them, cleared her throat, and inquired, “Ahem. So. What’s this mission about?”
Poe, upon hearing her voice, stopped in his tracks, and looked at her stunned. After a moment, a smile broke out on his face. “Get on board, and I’ll tell ya on the way, gorgeous.”
She smiled back softly and greeted Chewie as she walked up the ramp, the two of them following behind a moment later. Chewie walked into the cockpit to get the ship fired up, as Poe stood next to her. She bit her lip as she tried to figure out what to say to him. Should she explain? Should she apologize?
Poe stopped her train of thoughts when he reached out and grabbed hold of her hand. She tried to focus on what he was telling her and not on how warm his hand felt, or the small callouses that gently soothed over her own hand. ‘Such different lives we’ve lived.’ She thought.
“We are going to meet up with a possible informant who may have intel on the First Orders next plan of action,” he quickly informed. “You and I are going to pretend to be a couple while there so as not to raise suspicion. Simple mission. Very easy. I promise nothing will happen.”
She nodded her head, and as she stared at him, she knew he wanted to remark on what happened earlier. He sighed and looked down for a second and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand. He eventually looked up and gazed into her eyes.
“Listen, I’m not going to ask you about the stuff you said this morning, unless you feel comfortable about it. I do want to say. I am sorry for going behind your back and requesting you for this mission, without talking to you first. That was a dick move, and I hope you can forgive me,” He apologized.
She bit her lip for a moment, and with a nod replied, “Apology is noted. Acceptance is pending.”
He pouted for a second, before it switched to a smirk and he stepped closer to say something else, but Chewie roared that the Falcon was ready to go and that they needed to leave soon.
“To be continued?” she offered with a small smile.
His smile was the only answer she needed, and they headed toward the cockpit. Poe sat in the co-pilot seat, she in the seat behind him, and seconds later they were off.
It took about an hour to get to Cantonica, headed toward a town a few miles outside of Canto Bight. As soon as we landed, Poe stood up and said, “Come with me.”
She followed him over to one of the sitting areas. Blix took off her cardigan and threw it on the table to cool down a bit, as he opened a draw and withdrew a spare blaster. He turned to her and held it out for her to take.
“Um. What’s this for?” Blix hesitantly asked, stepping back a bit.
“For you. For your own protection,” He answered still holding it out to her.
“I.. I’ve never used a blaster before Poe. I..I’m not sure this is a good idea,” She admitted, shaking her head and rubbing her arm anxiously.
Poe smiled softly, “It is only for emergencies. In case we get separated. I just want to be sure that you are armed in the off chance that we run into trouble. Just point and shoot. I don’t suspect trouble, but I would rather be assured that you are safe and armed.”
He turned back to the drawer and pulled out a belt with a holster attached to it. He placed the blaster into the holster before he turned back around to her. “May I?” he politely asked gesturing to her.
Blix shifted for a moment, still not quite sure of this but she knew that there was a possibility that it could go wrong. She nodded and held her breath as Poe stepped forward, leaning over her slightly as he wrapped the belt around her. He quickly secured it to her asking, “Is this too tight?”
“No, its fine,” She responded. “Tell me, does it clash with my outfit?”
He huffed out a laugh at her question and stepped back to fully examine her. “Looks perfect on you. Shall we get going?” He asked as he grabbed his own blaster.
As they stepped onto the ramp leading out, the heat of the planet hitting them immediately, Poe stopped and turned to her slightly.
“Also. Out here, you follow my lead. This isn’t the med bay, and I am your commanding officer. Got it?” He firmly demanded.
The sudden shift in personality caused Blix to blink in surprise, because suddenly he wasn’t Poe Dameron, flirty flyboy. He had switched to Commander Dameron, respected officer of the Rebellion. She felt the need to tease him a bit, “Got it… Commander.”
They moved forward and began to make their way to the meet, a shady cantina. Blix slowly moved closer to Poe and muttered, “Put your arm around me, we’re meant to be a couple, yeah?”
He casually wrapped his arm her shoulders and she tucked herself into his side, arm wrapped around him, her thumb hooked into one of his belt loops, to rest.
After a few minutes they arrived at the cantina and were making their way to an empty table. As they took a seat side by side, Poe informed her that they were looking for human, who goes by the name Crixus. They had arrived early, and ordered drinks to not raise suspicion, sipping at them lightly.
A moment of silence had passed when Poe commented without looking at her, “So an orphan eh? Didn’t really see that one coming.”
She chuckled, somewhat bitterly. “Yeah. My mother was an ambassador who made a lot of enemies really quickly. She uh.. was killed by a bounty hunter. I wasn’t there, I was…elsewhere. I was about to turn eight. My mother never really spoke much about my father, all I know is he died on Scarif. I haven’t had the stomach to look her stuff and find out more,” She explained, finding a spot on the table, suddenly fascinating.
“Scarif? Like. Rogue One? He was a part of that? Wow!” He said amazed before adding, solemnly “I lost my mother when I was eight. Dad’s still around but I haven’t really seen him much since I joined the cause. I keep her close to my heart though.” He tugged at the chain of the necklace he wore.
“That ring is your mother’s? I always wondered but I never felt right asking about it,” She admitted, looking at him, as she bit her lip.
“Yeah. I plan to one day give it to the girl I want to marry,” Poe revealed. “I have a fairly good idea who I want to marry eventually. I just can’t seem to figure out if she feels the same way about me.”
She looked away, not really wanting to hear him describe who it is he clearly had feelings for and went with a simple, “Oh?”
“Yeah. She’s stubborn, and beautiful. Keeps refusing my dates and cites regulation at me. Though last time she didn’t do that, and it gave me hope that she is interested.” He continued offhandedly.
A smile slowly appears on her face, alongside a blush that she tried to hide. He gently cupped her face and turned her to look him in the eyes. “I’m going to guess by that pretty smile and lovely blush I see that that’s a yes?”
Before she could answer, someone loudly sat down across from them. They pulled away from each other and looked to see a human male, with dirty blonde hair, and multiple scars running along his face sitting there.
“Crixus?” Poe asked to confirm his identity.
He nodded and as they began to speak, Blix couldn’t help but to feel a nagging sensation inside her head. Something was off, something was wrong. As she examined the man before them, she slowly heard it. It was faint, and she had to focus to fully hear it. It was a beeping noise. A rapid beeping. Like that of a-
“Poe,” She interrupted. “Stop talking to him. Who sent you?”
“I don’t know what yer talkin ‘bout lady. No one sent me,” Crixus denied.
“Oh really?” She pondered mockingly, before she made her move.
She reached over, grabbed his head with both of her hands and slammed it down onto the table, hard. He was knocked unconscious, and she pushed at Poe to get out of the seat, urgently.
“Wh-what the hell was that? He was about to give us valuable information!” He protested as they both stood up and she leaned over Crixus.
She reached around into Crixus’ pockets and after a moment, she found it. A fob.
“He’s a bounty hunter, and we’re the bounty. We have to go now!” She exclaimed, as she dropped the fob on the ground and stomped on it to break it.
Poe grabbed her hand, and they made their way out of the cantina. They went a different route back to the Falcon. It led them down a path to an open market area, that quickly filled with stormtroopers, who recognized them immediately, and began to fire upon them.
Poe shoved into her an alleyway and he took to the opposite side, occasionally taking shots at the troopers.
“’A simple mission’ you said. ‘An easy mission’ you said. ‘Shouldn’t run into any trouble,’” She yelled over at him.
“I know! I’ll make it up to you!” He promised as he took a few more shots.
They were quickly being outnumbered. Poe was a good shot, but more and more were appearing. Her thoughts ran rampant, as she tried to figure out how to get them out of this. A plan that would get them to safety. A gust of wind blew, carrying a whisper, “You know what to do.”
‘Really hitting this on the nose, eh gramps?’
She straightened up, closed her eyes trying to focus and muttered to herself once, “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me.”
When she reopened them, she could feel the Force surrounding her, the energy crackling. She stepped out and walked toward the open market; ignoring Poe’s attempts to gain her attention.
As she stepped out, multiple troopers fired their blasters at the same time. She raised her hands, in front of her face, stopping them midair. They hovered for a mere moment before she threw her arms forward, sending the shots backwards into the troopers. As they fell, she threw her right hand out to her left, and then to her right, knocking those troopers back into walls and various objects.
The coast was clear, for now. She leaned forward, her hands on her knees, exhausted. Her energy drained, and she felt a bit lightheaded. Poe, at some point, walked up next to her and stared at her in awe.
She stood up, ignoring how tired she felt, and said, “C’mon. The Falcon isn’t far, and I don’t want to wait for more to appear, or for these guys to wake up.”
She began to walk away but she only got a few feet before she realized Poe wasn’t following. He was still standing there, gaping.
“You’re… you’re a Jedi?” He wondered.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. Let’s go,” she said turning back around, striding away.
Poe ran to catch up to her, and inquired, “You’re really just going to ignore my question? Blix? C’mon, you gotta explain that to me?”
They were finally getting near the launchpad that held the falcon, but stormtroopers were marching their way. They stopped short, and Blix uttered a small, “Fuck.”
He looked at her, then pushed her to a nearby wall. “Kiss me.”
“What?” She spluttered.
“Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable. So. Kiss. Me.” Poe demanded through gritted teeth, as the troopers got closer to them.
She quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Blix wrapped her arms around his neck, as his found her waist, before pulling her closer. She couldn’t deny the butterflies that had built in her stomach and were fluttering chaotically. He made her feel warm and safe within his embrace.
The stormtroopers passed but they failed to notice it, far too wrapped up into each other for the moment. It wasn’t until they pulled apart, gasping for breath, that they realized they were free to move on.
She pulled away from him so they could finally begin their hasty walk to the Falcon. As they rushed back on, Poe yelled for Chewie to get on the gunners, as the ramp closed.
Poe has her follow him into cockpit and shoved her over to the co-pilot seat. He pointed out which switches and buttons to hit to fire the ship up as they heard the familiar roar of TIE-Fighters entering the atmosphere. They took off but the path had a squadron of TIEs coming straight for them.
Poe dodged them left and right, trying to help Chewie line up shots to take them out. Several went down quickly but there was still a couple on their tail. They were flying out over canyons, and Blix vaguely recognized the area, and a terrible idea came to mind.
“Poe. I have an idea but it’s a little crazy,” she hesitantly informed.
“I have been told my middle name is crazy, so let’s hear it doll. Preferably before we are shot out of the sky,” He grunted as they were hit.
“See that crevice there? Dive into it.” She commanded pointing to a crevice that was coming up to them on their left.
He followed her directions, straight into a crevice that was only just barely wide enough for the falcon to fit through. They heard a couple of crashing noises from above, but they still had one TIE on them.
The narrow canyon, had them dodging rock formations left and right, and he yelled at her, “My trust in you is waning a bit, what the hell does this open up to?” As the falcon scraped several times along the wall.
“You’ll see. Go for that large opening,” She replied with a wince, pointing slightly to their right.
He does and as they breakthrough they enter an underground city of sorts, full of bright lights and towers everywhere. There was only one path, that she confirmed he needed to follow. The path was somewhat narrow but allowed enough space to dodge hits.
“Blix. Please do not tell me we need to go down that,” He asked worried, as he looked ahead.
“That” was a dark tunnel, that was named the Tunnel of Death (and labeled on the wall in bright lights), that they were swiftly coming upon.
“Yep. Just.. listen to me when I tell you to start pulling up, because it’s a straight drop, that suddenly curves,” Blix advised with a grimace. “Chewie! Buckle up, this is going to be rough!” She yelled toward the back, as she too buckled in, Poe following.
As they dropped down into the hole, they are plunged into absolute darkness. Blix was quietly counting to herself how long it had been since they began their descent. ‘1, 2,3, 4, 5,6.’
“Poe. Start Pulling up,” She told him as her mental countdown got to 7 seconds
He does so, and as they continued to straighten back out; they hear a final crash as the TIE flew directly into the ground. They soon saw cracks of light as they made their way to the exit, and finally flew back out into the open air. They flew until they had left Cantonica’s atmosphere, before jumping into hyperspace.
Once we were safe in hyperspace, Poe turned to her questions written on his face.
She smiled sheepishly, as she rubbed the back of her neck. “So. Did I ever tell you I was a bit of a wild child?”
He threw his head back and laughed, which caused her to laugh as well. As he sobered up, he replied, “No. Failed to mention that tidbit. What was that and how the hell do you know about it?”
“It’s an old pod racetrack. The entrance is back in the middle of Canto Bight, but I heard that there were secret entrances in the canyons. So, I was kinda going off my memory, hence why I said it was little crazy.” Blix confessed with a smile. “My mother used to tell me that while I looked like her, I had my father’s personality. His tendency to be super serious with a side of devil-may-care. I fell in love with podracing when I was like 4? And my best friend’s father was a mechanic, so we built a podracer. My first race I came in second place.”
Poe shook his head in amazement. “You are a mystery wrapped in an enigma,” He began and with sudden realization continued, “That’s. That’s where you were, when your mom died, isnt it? The “elsewhere?””
She nodded her head, with a sad sigh. “She uh.. wasn’t thrilled by new hobby, but she supported it. Said if I’m going to lose, do so spectacularly, and win as often as possible. I was in Kergans, it was a huge race. 19 other competitors, a huge purse as the prize. I was one of the last 5 pods to survive in total, the regular champ was an asshole who liked to cheat and play dirty. He got his comeuppance, when I knock him into a wall, and he lost an engine. My victory lap when I crossed the finish in first was cut short when I was informed that she had been killed on her way to watch me. Never raced again after that,” Blix divulged, leaning back into her chair, staring at the ceiling.
“Then Holdo’s family took you in?” Poe connected.
“Yep. Amilyn was alright living with. Her mother…not so much,” Blix trailed off.
“What? What was she like? Though, knowing the admiral I assume she was not great,” He admitted with a frown.
Blix sighed heavily, “Maureen. She uh. Didn’t care for frivolity. She made sure that I became a ‘proper young lady.’ She practically beat into my head that love was a fairytale and happy endings were not real. Marriages were meant to move power around and change alliances. Dating was not in the cards. Only courting with potential suitors.”
She rolled her eyes heavily at the memories of Maureen scolding her.
“Which.. is why I have been difficult every time you ask me out. I just.. I was conditioned to not accept potential romantic dalliances. I. She. Its difficult for me to get over that. I am trying to move past it, just.. be patient with me please?” she quietly pleaded struggling to explain, as she looked over at him.
He smiled softly. “I’ll wait however long you need me to,” he promised.
“I am sorry if I often seem cold or detached as well. I’m not trying to act bitchy or hoity toity. I just grew up with a hard woman who believed in all things rational and refused to acknowledge anything that suggested emotion,” She apologized her shoulders dropping.
His reply was immediate, “Apology is noted. Acceptance pending.”
She shook her head with chuckle, as he referred to their earlier conversation.
“So… that’s explained. You going to tell me about the Jedi thing?” He queried an eyebrow raised.
“I still have no idea what you are talking about,“ Blix replied standing up. ‘That is not a conversation I want to have with anyone honestly.’
He sighed annoyed at her dismissal of his question again and goes for instead “Okay. Then how about the kiss?”
“What about it?” Blix asked as she got to the doorway of the cockpit.
“What did you think about it?” Poe clarified turning his chair to follow her movements.
She thought about it for a moment, jokingly humming in contemplation, before she responded, “It was good.”
“Good? Just good? What do you mean by that!?” He spluttered not expecting that response.
“Yeah. Good. I’m sure the next one will be better,” She hinted with a smile as she skipped out.
Chewie made his way inside, and Poe hears her apologize for the bumpy ride she led them on. He responded in kind, gently roaring that it was okay.
As Chewie took his seat in the copilot, Poe stared out into the hallway for a moment longer, still processing what just happened.
“Next time?” he whispered. He nods his head several times before he turned back around to face the front. “I’m going to marry that woman. I’m going to marry her, she will tell me all her secrets, and I will die a happy man. It’s going to happen. Yeah.” He muttered to himself as he focused on the controls.
As they dropped out of hyperspace, they informed base that they were about to land. The moment the Falcon was on the ground, Blix made her way off. Poe followed after her, sensing she was going to try and make a quick getaway.
“Hey- wait a minute!” He called out grabbing her arm, stopping her. “Seriously though. You can use the Force? Why are you trying to hide this?”
“Poe. Stop. We are not talking about this,” Blix scolded glancing around, hoping no one heard him.
She pulled her arm away and walked away from him. Poe was determined though- he was going to get her to talk to him. He chased after once more and grabbed her hand again.
“I just- I don’t understand! You have this power and you’re not using it!?” He beseeched looking her in the eyes, searching for an answer.
Blix huffed and held her hand to up to his face and gently waved it, as she commanded softly, “You did not see anything.”
He stared blankly at her and repeated, “I did not se- Wait!” He blinked and shook his head violently. “Did you just… try to Jedi mind wipe???” He asked confused but excited.
Blix groaned loudly and clenched her fist at her failed attempt to use the Mind Trick, swearing softly as she turned and tried to once again walk away.
He ran after her and as he reached out to grab her arm once more, she turned to him suddenly and angrily growled out, “Poe. If you grab at me one more time, I will hurt you.”
“Oh? You going to use the Force and push me away?” He teased and held his arms out, waiting.
“No. I’ll just do this,” She stated seconds before she threw a punch out, hitting him in the stomach.
He leaned over and grabbed at his stomach as the pain (and shock) swept through him. She then dropped down and swung her leg out to sweep his legs out from under him. As he landed on the ground, she stood back up, dusted herself off, and headed to her room. She locked herself into her room and stayed there for the rest of the day, collapsed onto her bed, and passing out as the day’s event hit her.
As Poe laid on the ground, gasping for air, and trying to blink away the pain, Finn slowly moved over to him. Finn squatted down and asked, “Do I want to know what that was about?”
Poe propped himself up onto his elbows and looked at Poe with a dazed smile, and commented, “Finn. I’ve met my future wife.”
“Your future wife just knocked you on your ass. How do you feel about that?” Finn teased as he held his hand out for Poe to take to help him back up.
“Strangely alright,” Poe replied with a smirk, as he took Finn’s hand and got up with his help.
Rey stepped forward as well, confusion written on her face. “I’ll tell ya later. In private. I have to go to the mission brief. We’ll meet up at my place for dinner, it’s a doozy. Hell, I’m still wrappin my head around it,” Poe requested as he looked at them both.
His thoughts were scrambled, ‘Orphan. Podracer. Jedi. Podracer. Jedi. She likes me back but isn’t used to affection. Jedi. The kiss. Jedi.’ As he gave the mention brief, he left out her powers and the kiss, and told Leia that she did well under pressure, and if weren’t for her recognizing the sound of the fob, they would probably be dead. Though that did beg the question.
“Why was a bounty hunter sent after us? Very few people knew about this mission, and it was only planned a day ago. So why were they after us?” Poe inquired lowly to Leia, so no one else could hear.
“Those are very good questions Commander. Questions that need to be answered. Fast. Figure it out Commander,” Leia ordered quietly.
Poe nodded his head in affirmation and began to review who all knew about this mission, retracing his steps since this mission came to them. It was going to be a long night for the Commander.
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