#adventures in the outer rim

[gffa]

STAR WARS PREQUELS - A TIMELINE

So, what's this about, huh? After recently sitting down with Star Wars Timelines, I was genuinely surprised at just how much they were willing to nail down to a specific year and sequence of events, which admittedly is a reference book and those are pretty low on the canon totem pole so be prepared for future retcons down the road, but it's shockingly useful information to have! Because the more I paged through it, the more I realized just how useful it would be for fic writers, especially for anything that might be referenced by a prequels character. Do you want to know how old the Jedi Order basically is? What the eras were called, if a prequels character wanted to reference them? What year did Dooku leave the Jedi? When did Naboo join the Republic? When was the Republic founded? When was the Jedi Temple built? When was Yaddle born? When did the Togruta ally with the Republic? Was Anakin born on Tatooine? When did Plo discover Ahsoka? When did Anakin get his first kyber crystal? When did Obi-Wan join the Jedi Council? WHEN DOES THE MANDALORIAN CIVIL WAR TAKE PLACE?? Some of this is SO INTERESTING to have nailed down into place--like just how old Huyang is or that the Jedi Temple was constructed on Coruscant BEFORE the Republic existed! Useful for me to know, but also my prequels-era characters to know! This book is willing to tell us A LOT and I collated everything I thought would be useful for a prequels character to know! ERAS:

c.5,000 BBY– 1,032 BBY: Ancient conflicts "The Jedi and Sith wage a series of wars throughout their history so ruinous that at points each is brought to the brink of destruction."

c.500 BBY–330 BBY: "The Age of Exploration" "After centuries of governing in regions near the galactic Core, the Republic sets out to explore the Outer Rim. This era of exploration on the frontier presents many adventures and opportunities for the Republic and the Jedi Order alike, but growth also leads them to uncover new mysteries and dangers. Soon the Jedi Order’s very connection to the Force is put to the test."

c.500 BBY–100 BBY: "The High Republic" The four hundred years that are collectively referred to as the High Republic era.

TIMELINE:

c.25,025 BBY: BIRTH OF THE JEDI

"The Jedi Order is founded. Among the earliest locations, and likely the first, is a temple constructed on the planet of Ahch-To. Later, the temple retains the most treasured Jedi texts and earliest writings on the Order’s faith. For eons, these noble protectors stand united by their ability to harness the power of the Force itself for good."

c.25,020 BBY: Professor Huyang powered up "The architect droid Professor Huyang begins training Jedi younglings in the delicate art of lightsaber construction."

c.20,000 BBY: Dawn of the Republic

"The foundation of the Republic is formed through an alliance including Coruscant, Corellia, and Alderaan, prompted by the dawn of hyperspace travel."

c.5,000 BBY: Creeping darkness

"A dark-side sect splinters from the Jedi, causing the formation of the Sith. This fracture is the genesis of a millennia-long rivalry."

c.5,000 BBY–1,032 BBY: "The Sith battle the Jedi in numerous conflicts for thousands of years before their struggle comes to an end, resulting in the destruction of the Sith Empire."

c.5,000 BBY–1,032 BBY: "The Sith build shrines on planets, including Malachor and Moraband. They covet these locations for their connection to the dark side of the Force."

c.1,050 BBY: A Mandalorian Jedi

"Tarre Vizsla becomes the first of the Mandalorian warriors to be inducted as a member of the Jedi Order. The unique lightsaber he constructs comes to be known as the Darksaber, later stolen to be used as a symbol to unite his planet."

c.1,032 BBY: Coruscant Temple erected

"The main Jedi Temple on Coruscant is constructed at the same location where there was once a Sith shrine."

c.1,032 BBY: "Darth Bane, the last surviving Sith, recognizes that infighting and back-stabbing ultimately led to the downfall of the Sith Empire. He declares the Rule of Two, whereby there can only be a sole master and single apprentice of the Sith. The practice safeguards the inherently selfish Order from self-destruction, thus ensuring the survival of the Sith for centuries to come."

1,000 BBY: Reformation of the Republic

"The first incarnation of the democratic alliance of planets, the Galactic Republic, is reformed."

c.972 BBY: Rules of war

"The Galactic Accord of Systems establishes a set of rules of engagement, in the event another war should break out."

896 BBY: Yoda is born

"The future Jedi Master Yoda is born."

832 BBY: Construction of Theed

"Naboo’s capital city, Theed, is built. The floating city on the banks of the river Solleu becomes the jewel of the metropolis."

867 BBY: Naboo joins the Republic

"The planet of Naboo officially joins the Galactic Republic. The event will be commemorated annually with The Festival of Light."

796 BBY: Students of Yoda

"Master Yoda begins training Jedi. He will maintain this regular practice, teaching the newest members of the Order, for about 800 years."

600 BBY:

Jabba Desilijic Tiure is born.

509 BBY:

Yaddle is born.

c.392 BBY: PATHFINDERS

"The Republic and the Jedi establish Pathfinder teams to explore new hyperspace lanes in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. A team of Pathfinders typically includes two Jedi, a master and their apprentice, who work together with their Republic allies to discover new ways through dangerous and unexplored places. They work with communications teams who lay the groundwork for the infrastructure needed for Republic growth. In return for their efforts, the Jedi Order hopes to gain new understanding of the galaxy, new cultures, and the Force."

c.383 BBY: THE HYPERSPACE RUSH

"Independent explorers also race to discover new paths through hyperspace. These prospectors risk their lives in perilous, uncharted corners of the Outer Rim, hoping to find safer, shorter routes. Families like the Grafs and San Tekkas earn great fame and fortune by selling their knowledge of these new hyperlanes."

382 BB The First High Republic book of Phase II

The High Republic: Path of Deceit kicks off the second phase of books, set 150 years before the previous phase.

382 BBY: Battle of Jedha

"The Path of the Open Hand instigates a battle on the sacred moon of Jedha."

232 BBY The First High Republic book of Phase I:

The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, which kicks off the original era of the High Republic (out of universe, not in universe), starting with the Great Hyperspace Disaster where a ship explodes in hyperspace over the planet Hetzal Prime. This ignites an intergalactic conflict with the Nihil that draws the Jedi and the Republic into a massive connected, long-running series of battles against them.

232 BBY:

"Dignitaries and Jedi gather at the Starlight Beacon for its official dedication ceremony."

The Great Hyperspace Disaster (the Legacy Run explodes in hyperspace) happens and the Jedi rush to help mitigate the disaster and evacuate as many people as they can.

"The brave deeds of the Jedi Order [in the Great Hyperspace Disaster] are cast across the galaxy via holotransmissions, making Kriss and her fellow Jedi heroes."

The Emergences: "Though Hetzal has been saved by the heroics of the Jedi, fragments of the Legacy Run continue to threaten the frontier. Fear grips the Outer Rim as blazing wreckage of the ship appears with little warning from hyperspace. As the Republic seeks answers to these Emergences, a group of Jedi stranded in a forgotten corner of space unknowingly cause a far older and more sinister threat to emerge: the Drengir."

"Wreckage from the Legacy Run scatters through hyperspace, endangering the Outer Rim. The first of the Emergences after the Great Hyperspace disaster occurs at Ab Dalis, killing 20 million beings."

"The Nihil strike on Elphrona, intending to ransom well-connected homesteaders and capture a Jedi for Marchion Ro’s evil machinations."

"The Jedi Council votes to join the Republic against the Nihil."

232 BBY: A BEACON OF HOPE

"With the Great Disaster behind them, the Republic and Jedi refocus on the opening of the Starlight Beacon. This towering space station located in the Outer Rim is one of Chancellor Lina Soh’s Great Works, meant to provide a symbol of hope in a dark corner of the galaxy. This shining example of Republic unity and progress serves as a vital base for the ongoing struggles with the Nihil and Drengir."

"One of Chancellor Lina Soh’s Great Works, the Starlight Beacon, begins operation after a dedication ceremony attended by Republic dignitaries and prominent members of the Jedi Order. The station is to be just one of many beacons, serving to connect, inspire, and serve the Republic’s growth in the Galactic Frontier. The Jedi maintain a permanent presence on the station under the leadership of Marshal Kriss and the watchful eye of the exacting Jedi Master Estala Maru."

"Hunting the Nihil - Though it lacks a formal military, the Republic forms a special task force to hunt the Nihil, with Joss and Pikka Adren among the first volunteers."

"The Jedi broker the Ayelina-Ludmere trade agreement."

232 BBY: GROWTH OF THE DRENGIR

"The carnivorous Drengir take root across wide swaths of the frontier. Their lust for living flesh, which they consider “meats,” leads them to attack hundreds of worlds. Defenseless settlers and the Jedi alike struggle to repel these horrifying plantlike creatures."

231 BBY: THE REPUBLIC FAIR

"Chancellor Lina Soh’s next Great Work is a magnificent fair on Valo. Meant to celebrate the Republic and its many achievements, the event turns into a tragedy. The Nihil mount a merciless raid on the fairgoers, destroy the event, and nearly kill the chancellor. The Jedi defenders mount a valiant defense but are outnumbered."

231 BBY: FIGHT FOR THE FRONTIER

"The Jedi march across the frontier as they seek justice for the attack on the Valo fair. With the Drengir threat seemingly settled, they turn their attention to the scattered Nihil forces. The Jedi believe that they are gaining the upper hand, but are unaware of who leads the raiders and their ultimate goal. The Nihil Tempest Runners bear the brunt of the assault while the Eye of the Nihil, Marchion Ro, prepares a new weapon to fight the Jedi."

"The Republic-Togruta Alliance is formed."

230 BBY: FALL OF STARLIGHT

"The Nameless wreak havoc among the Jedi, who fight valiantly in Starlight’s final moments. Master Estala Maru sacrifices his own life to delay the top half of the station from burning up in Eiram’s atmosphere. Below, Master Stellan Gios stays behind to ensure the lower portion will not strike a populated city on the planet’s surface."

"The Jedi recall their members to safety on Coruscant."

"The Republic readies a Defense Coalition fleet to strike at Nihil space. The Jedi, concerned that they cannot yet combat the Nameless, remain on Coruscant."

c.200 BBY:

"Births: Chewbacca— Wookiee hero and copilot born on Kashyyyk."

102 BBY:

"Serenno foundling Dooku’s family abandons him as an infant after discovering his Force abilities. The Jedi bring him to Coruscant to join the Order." (Dooku is born this year.)

Sifo-Dyas was also born in 102 BBY.

86 BBY:

Dooku becomes Yoda’s Padawan.

Sifo-Dyas becomes Lene Kostana’s Padawan.

84 BBY:

Sheev Palpatine is born on Naboo.

c.80 BBY:

Rael Averross becomes Dooku’s Padawan

72 BBY:

Mace Windu is born. (Take with a grain of salt, it's from a De Agostini booklet and never appeared anywhere else that I can find.)

c.70 BBY:

"Averross is knighted and encourages Dooku to take another Padawan."

68 BBY:

Qui-Gon Jinn becomes Dooku’s Padawan.

c.58 BBY:

"After attaining the rank of Jedi Master, Dooku is offered a seat on the Jedi Council."

Qui-Gon becomes a Jedi Knight.

57 BBY:

Obi-Wan Kenobi is born on Stewjon.

54 BBY:

"Obi-Wan Kenobi begins his Jedi training." (Presumably this means he was 3 years old when he was adopted by the Jedi and began his training then.)

52 BBY:

Palpatine is elected Senator of Naboo.

50 BBY:

"The Nightsisters sell Asajj Ventress to Hal’Sted."

46 BBY:

Padme Naberrie is born on Naboo.

44 BBY:

Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan.

"Stranded on remote Rattatak, the Jedi Knight Ky Narec discovers Asajj Ventress and trains her as his Padawan."

c.44 BBY - "Amid concerns about the corrosive effects of dynasties, the Naboo Reformations limit monarchs to a maximum of two two-year terms."

42 BBY:

Rael Averross introduces Dooku to Palpatine.

Dooku leave the Jedi Order and returns to Serenno to reclaim his title.

c.42 BBY: "Civil war engulfs Mandalore, a planet with a proud honor code and a war-torn history. Its clans form factions, with the conflict evolving to pit tradition-minded clan fighters against New Mandalorians who see the warrior past as a dead end."

c.42 BBY: "Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan protect Duchess Satine Kryze during the Mandalorian Civil War. Obi-Wan and Satine fall in love and he offers to leave the Jedi Order to be with her. They decide that their duties won’t allow them to follow their hearts."

c.42 BBY: "The Mandalorian Civil War ends with Satine’s New Mandalorians ascendant, though traditionalists—including Satine’s sister Bo-Katan—organize to resist her rule."

41 BBY:

Anakin Skywalker is born.

"Distant secret Ancient Jedi lore leads Obi-Wan to the Force-imbued planet Lenahra, where he forges a deeper connection with the living Force." (These are the events of the Padawan novel.)

c.41 BBY: "Holiday interrupted While visiting Kashyyyk, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan foil a Trandoshan raid aimed at taking Wookiee prisoners during Life Day celebrations." (These are the events of Star Wars Adventures 2020, issues 3-4. Unclear if this is before or after the novel Padawan.)

40 BBY:

c.40 BBY - Maul becomes Sidious’ apprentice.

Qui-Gon is offered a seat on the Jedi Council. He does not accept by the end of Master and Apprentice.

"Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan visit strategically located Pijal to oversee the signing of a treaty between its monarchy and the Czerka Corporation." (These are the events of the Master and Apprentice novel.)

39 BBY:

c.39 BBY: Sifo-Dyas joins the Jedi High Council.

38 BBY:

c.38 BBY - "Shmi and Anakin Skywalker are brought to Tatooine. Their enslaver, Gardulla the Hutt, soon loses them to Watto in a bet."

37 BBY:

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan mediate a conflict on Bri’n. (Age of Republic - Qui-Gon Jinn #1)

36 BBY:

Orson Krennic and Galen Erso meet.

Ahsoka Tano is born.

34 BBY:

"Mace Windu helps overthrow the warlord Guattako." (These are the events of Age of Republic - Special #1)

"A skilled mechanic, Anakin begins gathering spare parts to build a protocol droid, C-3PO, to help Shmi with household chores."

"Sidious tests Maul on Malachor."

33 BBY:

"Plo Koon discovers a Force-sensitive Togruta toddler named Ahsoka Tano. He brings 'Little ‘Soka' to Coruscant for training."

"Sifo-Dyas orders a secret clone army to be created on Kamino."

"Eager to test his abilities against the Jedi Order, Darth Maul kills the Twi’lek Padawan Eldra Kaitis on Drazkel’s moon." (These are the events of Darth Maul 2017)

Caleb Dume/Kanan Jarrus is born.

32 BBY: THE PHANTOM MENACE

"The former Padmé Naberrie is just 14 when elected and has barely taken office when the Trade Federation blockades and then invades Naboo."

The events of The Phantom Menace take place, the Trade Federation invades Naboo, Valorum sends Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to help Naboo, Anakin Skywalker is adopted into the Jedi Order, Qui-Gon Jinn dies.

"Count Dooku pledges himself to the ways of the Sith, replacing Maul as Sidious’ apprentice and taking the name Darth Tyranus."

"Palpatine is elected supreme chancellor."

"Obi-Wan takes Anakin as his Padawan."

"The Sith take over Sifo-Dyas’ project to create a clone army, ordering inhibitor chips implanted in the clones to ensure their obedience."

"With Sifo-Dyas dead, Dooku takes over the clone project, altering it to serve the Sith’s purpose. In his guise as Tyranus, Dooku recruits the bounty hunter Jango Fett as the genetic template for the Kaminoans’ clone army. He then instructs the Kaminoans to secretly implant inhibitor chips in the clones’ brains to ensure their obedience. The clones will fight for the Republic, but the Sith will be their true masters."

Han Solo is born.

Boba Fett is born.

Yaddle is killed by Dooku.

31 BBY:

"Kuat Drive Yards receives an order from a secret buyer to create massive numbers of warships and weapons."

30 BBY:

"Sidious’ minions begin constructing a massive Observatory on Jakku, the first of several built as part of the Sith Lord’s decades-spanning Contingency project. As Palpatine, Sidious orders the secret establishment of bases, shipyards, and colonies in the galaxy’s Unknown Regions."

29 BBY:

c.29 BBY: "Anakin seeks out his first kyber crystal on Ilum and creates a lightsaber, an important step in his Padawan training."

"Anakin goes on a mission in Coruscant’s underlevels with a disguised Chancellor Palpatine, whom he comes to see as a mentor."

"Influenced by Palpatine, Anakin tells Obi-Wan he wishes to suspend his Jedi training and surrenders his lightsaber. With Anakin’s path undecided, Yoda sends him and Obi-Wan to Carnelion IV to investigate a distress signal. [Eventually] Anakin decides to remain Obi-Wan’s Padawan." (These are the events of Obi-Wan & Anakin 2016)

Hera Syndulla is born.

28 BBY:

Queen Amidala's final year as Queen of Naboo, where her successor, Queen Réillata, asks her to be Senator for Naboo and Padme agrees, taking office that year.

"Remembering her experience after fleeing Naboo, Padmé sends Sabé on a mission to investigate how to end slavery on Tatooine." (This ultimately doesn't really go anywhere/accomplish much, unfortunately.)

"Padmé becomes friends with two young fellow senators: Rush Clovis of Scipio and Mina Bonteri of Raxus." (These are the events of Queen's Shadow.)

c.28 BBY: "Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to retrieve a Holocron from Dallenor, leading to a confrontation with the Krypder Riders." (These are the events of Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi #1.)

27 BBY:

c.27 BBY: "Cliegg Lars buys Shmi Skywalker’s freedom from Watto. They marry and live on Cliegg’s moisture farm."

26 BBY:

"While on a mission to Sullust, Dooku kills the Jedi Knight Jak’zin and forces the Kaldana Syndicate to serve Sidious’ interests." (These are the events of Age of the Republic - Count Dooku #1.)

"Obi-Wan and Anakin rescue Yoda from raiders on Glee Anselm, but discover the incident was actually a test engineered by the Jedi Council [to help them get along better]." (These are the events of Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure.)

24 BBY:

c.24 BBY - "Dooku founds the Confederacy of Independent Systems, attracting planets that wish to secede from the Republic and beginning the Separatist Movement."

"The Senate passes the Emergency Powers Act, allowing Palpatine to remain in office for the duration of the Separatist Crisis."

"Palpatine forms the Loyalist Committee to advise him during the Separatist Crisis. Senators belonging to the committee include Bail Organa of Alderaan, Padmé Amidala of Naboo, Ask Aak of Malastare, and Orn Free Taa of Ryloth."

"The Senate begins debating the Military Creation Act, which would allow the Republic to create military forces for its defense."

"Adrift after the death of Ky Narec, a grief-stricken Asajj Ventress embraces the dark side and becomes a warlord on Rattatak."

"Osika Kirske imprisons Ventress on Rattatak, forcing her to fight as a gladiator. Dooku frees her and offers to make her his apprentice in hopes of one day supplanting Sidious. Ventress agrees to serve as the count’s agent and assassin." (These are part of the events of Dooku: Jedi Lost.)

22 BBY–19 BBY: The Clone Wars

"A political crisis propels the Jedi Order into a galaxy-wide war against the Separatists, secretly led by the Sith."

22 BBY: ATTACK OF THE CLONES:

"Obi-Wan and Anakin help defuse a crisis on Ansion." (Mentioned in Attack of the Clones: "He's just returned from a border dispute on Ansion," Mace says of Obi-Wan.)

The events of Attack of the Clones take place, Padme is attacked for her stance against the Military Creation Act in the Senate, Jar Jar introduces a motion to give Palpatine emergency powers as Chancellor, including the discovery of the clone army, Shmi Skywalker dies, Obi-Wan and Anakin and Padme are held captive by the Separatists and rescued by the Jedi, many who die in the arena, as well as Jango Fett dies, and the start of the Clone Wars.

Anakin and Padme are secretly married on Naboo.

Poggle the Lesser gives the Death Star plans to Dooku.

The Clone Wars begin on Geonosis.

22 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"Mace Windu leads a Jedi mission to Hissrich. As a member of Windu’s team, Jedi Prosset Dibs accuses the Order of wanting Hissrich for the Republic. He duels Windu and is defeated. Dibs is found guilty of treason and confined to the Jedi Archives in hopes that he’ll find his way back to the light." (These are the events of Jedi of the Republic - Mace Windu.)

"Padmé and Captain Typho help Sticks’ squad of clone troopers free Separatist hostages on the embattled planet Hebekrr Minor." (These are the events of Queen's Hope.)

"Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight."

"Obi-Wan becomes a Jedi Master and is elevated to the Jedi Council."

"Obi-Wan investigates a bombing on Cato Neimoidia and discovers the attack bears the hallmarks of both a Republic and Separatist operation. He brings this disquieting hint that someone is manipulating both sides of the war back to Coruscant. Anakin duels Ventress on Cato Neimoidia." (These are the events of Brotherhood.)

"Captain Rex, formally designated CT-7567, is assigned to Anakin Skywalker, who saves his life during the Battle of Arantara. A mutual respect soon blossoms between the brash, bold young Jedi general and the sturdy, by-the-book clone officer."

"Anakin’s troops run afoul of hostile wildlife while searching for Separatist forces on Benglor." (These are the events of Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales #1.)

"The Techno Union’s Wat Tambor destroys the Nexus trading post on Quarmendy to keep Plo Koon’s troops from reclaiming it." (These are the events of Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales #2.)

"Yoda assigns Ahsoka Tano to Anakin as his Padawan, hoping to teach Skywalker how to let go of his emotional attachments."

"The Separatist battlecruiser Malevolence terrorizes the galaxy’s inner systems before it is tracked and destroyed at the Dead Moon of Antar."

21 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"The Republic invades Geonosis for a second time to destroy a dangerous new droid foundry constructed by Poggle the Lesser."

"Padmé and Jar Jar discover a bioweapons lab in Naboo’s swamps and must stop Nuvo Vindi from releasing the Blue Shadow Virus."

"General Grievous and Asajj Ventress lead a Separatist invasion on Kamino, with the Republic’s clones fiercely defending their birthworld."

"Sabine Wren is born on Mandalore but raised on neighboring Krownest."

20 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"Anakin experiences a disturbing vision of his future in the Force realm known as Mortis and must make a wrenching decision."

"The Republic defends Mon Cala during a Separatist-engineered civil war between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren."

"Republic forces suffer heavy casualties while storming Umbara, a strategically located world with advanced technology that has become a Separatist stronghold."

"Maul returns from exile, bent on obtaining revenge against the long list of those he believes have wronged him."

19 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"Maul forms the Shadow Collective, forging several of the galaxy’s crime syndicates into a single underworld organization under his leadership."

"Mandalore’s Duchess Satine Kryze is overthrown by Death Watch’s Pre Vizsla, whose own rule is quickly ended by Maul. Maul has manipulated events to bring Obi-Wan to Mandalore, and now has the hated Jedi at his mercy. He strikes Satine down in the throne room."

"Responding to a disturbance in the Force, Darth Sidious arrives on Mandalore. Maul swears fealty to his old master, but Sidious rejects him. He kills Savage, blasts Maul with lightning, and takes his former apprentice prisoner."

"Anakin and Ahsoka return from Cato Neimoidia to investigate a bombing at the Jedi Temple amid rumors that a Jedi was involved."

"Ahsoka is expelled from the Jedi Order, which believes her guilty of the Temple bombing. She is then arrested by the Republic and prosecuted by Admiral Tarkin before a military tribunal, with Palpatine presiding and Padmé representing the defense. [She] leaves the Jedi Order."

"During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, the clone trooper Tup turns his blaster on Jedi General Tiplar, forcing a Republic retreat. Fives and AZI-3 discover a tumor in Tup’s brain. He dies after its extraction. Palpatine and Nala Se insist the tumor be sent to a Republic medical facility, but Shaak Ti decides it must go to the Jedi Temple first. Kix helps Fives arrange a meeting with Anakin and Rex. Fives tells them about the inhibitor chips and the plot against the Jedi, but his story sounds like a paranoid conspiracy and he becomes agitated. Commander Fox and clone troopers arrive, sent by Palpatine, and try to arrest Fives. When Fives resists, Fox shoots him dead. Tup’s action is blamed on a parasitic infection, and the inhibitor chips are delivered to Dooku."

"Padmé travels to Scipio to expedite a Banking Clan loan for the Republic and discovers Rush Clovis is serving as their representative. The Banking Clan is dissolved and Palpatine takes over its holdings."

"Plo Koon discovers the crash site of Sifo-Dyas’ ship, prompting the Council to investigate the Jedi’s long-ago disappearance."

"On Oba Diah, spice kingpin Lom Pyke tells Anakin and Obi-Wan that the Pykes were paid by Tyranus to kill Sifo-Dyas. Dooku arrives and is identified as Tyranus. He kills the Pyke leader and duels with Anakin, but escapes."

"The Jedi are disturbed to learn Dooku was responsible for the creation of the clone army, but decide to keep this revelation secret."

"Yoda obeys Qui-Gon’s voice and travels to Dagobah, where Qui-Gon’s spirit tells him to learn how to retain his identity after death."

"Anakin teams up with a mysterious Chiss military officer, Thrawn, to locate Padmé and destroy a cortosis mine." [Thrawn: Alliances]

"Yoda helps Kashyyyk’s Wookiees defend their planet against Separatist raiders, earning the honor 'Defender of the Home Tree.'"

"Mandalorian commandos free Maul from Stygeon Prime. Sidious and Dooku allow him to escape in hopes of drawing out Mother Talzin. Maul lures Grievous and Dooku into a confrontation on Ord Mantell and takes them both prisoner—a dangerous gambit of Talzin’s aimed at luring her old enemy Sidious into the fight. Grievous and Sidious come to Dooku’s aid on Dathomir. Grievous kills Mother Talzin and the Mandalorians drag Maul away to safety."

- "Ventress asks the Jedi to help abduct Vos from Dooku’s service in hopes of saving him. Vos returns to the Jedi, claiming his turn to the dark side was a ruse. But his true loyalties are unclear. Vos defeats Dooku on Christophsis, but agrees to join him to defeat Sidious. His secret hope is to kill both Sith Lords. Ventress confronts Vos and Dooku, saving Quinlan before Dooku attacks her with a devastating blast of lightning. The count escapes. Vos and Obi-Wan return Ventress to the waters of Dathomir. [Ventress dies.]"

"Having left the Jedi Order, Ahsoka befriends Trace Martez, a mechanic in the Coruscant underlevels, and her sister Rafa. Ahsoka discovers the Pykes are working for Maul, who is on Mandalore. She uses the Force to escape with the Martez sisters, and the Pykes conclude they were targeted by the Jedi. Ahsoka returns to Coruscant, where Bo-Katan Kryze recruits her to fight Maul."

"Separatists commanded by Admiral Trench invade the Republic stronghold of Anaxes and repeatedly defeat clone counterattacks. Rex is disturbed that the Separatists seem to be adapting rapidly to his strategies and suspects Trench is using some new combat algorithm. He proposes raiding the Separatists’ cyber center to discover their secret. The mission succeeds with assistance from an unorthodox unit of genetically altered clones known as the Bad Batch."

"Anakin joins Rex’s clones and the Bad Batch to raid the Techno Union’s facility on Skako Minor, fighting their way through Wat Tambor’s droid legions. They discover Echo confined in a stasis chamber and hooked up to Separatist computers. Anakin confronts Trench to obtain the rest of the sequence to disarm the bomb, saving Anaxes. He then kills the admiral. Echo joins the Bad Batch."

"Grievous launches a Separatist counteroffensive. The Republic sends Aayla Secura to Felucia and Plo Koon to Cato Neimoidia to hold the line."

"Obi-Wan and Anakin rout Separatist forces on Yerbana. ["Old Friends Not Forgotten"] Ahsoka and Bo-Katan approach the Jedi to propose a joint mission to capture Maul and free Mandalore from his crime syndicate. The Jedi agree and split the 501st in two, with Rex leading troops under Ahsoka’s command."

"A Separatist armada launches a sneak attack on Coruscant, hammering the Republic warships of the Coruscant Home Defense Fleet. Grievous ambushes Palpatine in the Federal District, killing Roron Corobb and knocking Shaak Ti unconscious, then kidnapping the chancellor. The Open Circle Fleet arrives from Yerbana."

19 BBY: REVENGE OF THE SITH:

"Anakin and Obi-Wan fly through the titanic space battle, dodging salvos of laser fire exchanged by Republic and Separatist capital ships in an effort to reach the Invisible Hand, where Palpatine is being held. With the Separatists cut off from their jump point, the battle degenerates into a brutal slugging match, with ships burning up in orbit and debris raining down upon the Coruscant cityscape below. Anakin and Obi-Wan rescue Palpatine above Coruscant. Anakin kills Dooku and Sidious plots to make the Jedi his new apprentice."

"Grievous retreats to Utapau, where the Separatist Council is in hiding. Sidious orders him to relocate the Separatist leaders to Mustafar."

"On Mandalore, Republic forces take the docks of the capital, Sundari. Prime Minister Almec orders Gar Saxon to retreat into the undercity. Bo-Katan’s commandos capture Almec. Ahsoka confronts Maul in the undercity. He is disappointed to see her, having hoped to lure Obi-Wan into his trap."

"Anakin dreams of Padmé’s death in childbirth. Palpatine appoints Anakin to the Jedi Council as his personal representative, to the alarm of Yoda and Mace Windu."

"Bail Organa meets secretly with Padmé, Mon Mothma, and other senators determined to resist Palpatine if he doesn’t surrender his wartime powers."

"Yoda heads to Kashyyyk to bolster its defense."

"On Maul’s command, Saxon shoots Almec before Ahsoka can finish questioning him, then makes his getaway."

"At Coruscant’s Galaxies Opera House, Palpatine plays on Anakin’s anger and doubt about the Jedi’s integrity, guessing that they asked him to be their spy. He tells Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord who could save people from dying. Anakin, fearful his nightmares are a premonition of Padmé’s fate, is intrigued—particularly when Palpatine tells him it is not a power that can be learned from the Jedi."

"Obi-Wan travels to Utapau to hunt for Grievous."

"Clone troopers, Bo-Katan’s commandos, and Saxon’s warriors battle in the streets of Sundari, with the Republic’s forces winning the day."

"Ahsoka confronts Maul again, who tells her Sidious is behind everything and Anakin is the key to destroying the Sith. Maul reveals that he had hoped to lure Obi-Wan and Anakin to Mandalore in order to kill Anakin, so Sidious could not take the Jedi as his new apprentice. Ahsoka and Maul duel. Maul is captured by Rex’s clones, with Saxon apprehended as well."

"On Utapau, Obi-Wan confronts Grievous. He duels the Separatist warlord and then chases him through the city’s winding tunnels and warrens."

"Palpatine reveals his true identity to Anakin and begs him to use his knowledge to save Padmé. Anakin vows to turn him over to the Jedi."

"Obi-Wan corners Grievous in a hangar on Utapau and kills the mechanical monster with a shot from a blaster."

"Imprisoned in a device that prevents him from using the Force, Maul is brought aboard a Jedi Cruiser destined for Coruscant, escorted by Ahsoka."

"Told of Palpatine’s identity, Windu orders Anakin to wait at the Jedi Temple while he arrests Sidious with Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin. Sidious kills Tiin, Fisto, and Kolar and duels Windu. He attacks Mace using lightning, which the Jedi Master deflects back at Sidious. Anakin arrives and pleads that Sidious be allowed to stand trial, but Windu says he’s too dangerous to be spared. Anakin makes a fateful decision, stopping Windu’s attack by severing his hand. Sidious blasts Windu with lightning, sending him through the broken window. Anakin pledges allegiance to Sidious, who grants him the name Darth Vader. He tells Anakin to go to the Jedi Temple and kill everyone there—that will make him strong enough with the dark side to save Padmé."

"Ahsoka and Maul sense a strong disturbance in the Force."

19 BBY: ORDER 66

"Sidious issues Order 66. Clone troopers across the galaxy obey their inhibitor chips and attack the Jedi, decimating the Order."

"Commander Cody targets Obi-Wan Kenobi on Utapau. The Jedi survives the attack, escapes offworld, and is rescued by Senator Organa. Aboard the Jedi Cruiser Tribunal, Rex manages to tell Ahsoka to “find Fives” before trying to kill her. She evades Rex’s fire and flees from his troopers. Commander Grey and his clone battalion execute Depa Billaba on Kaller. oda avoids death by killing Commander Gree and Captain Jek, and then escapes Kashyyyk with help from Chewbacca and Tarfful. On a Jedi Cruiser above Bracca, Jaro Tapal is cut down by clones from the 13th battalion, sabotaging the warship before he dies. Captain Jag downs Plo Koon’s starfighter during a patrol flight on contested Cato Neimoidia. Ki-Adi-Mundi is cut down by Commander Bacara’s Galactic Marines during infantry maneuvers on Mygeeto. Luminara Unduli is captured on Kashyyyk. After her execution, the Inquisitors spread rumors of her survival to ensnare other fugitive Jedi. Stass Allie is blasted by Commander Neyo while flying BARC speeders in a mop-up operation on Saleucami. Commander Bly gives the order to shoot Aayla Secura amid Felucia’s colorful fungi."

"Ahsoka prevents other clones from killing the imprisoned Maul. She releases him to create a diversion. While Maul wreaks havoc aboard the Tribunal, Ahsoka activates a trio of astromechs to help her evade Rex’s troops. Ahsoka locates Fives’ records, learning what happened to him and that Rex suspected the clones’ inhibitor chips have some ulterior purpose. Ahsoka subdues Rex and removes his inhibitor chip. Maul destroys the Tribunal’s hyperdrive, sending the doomed Jedi Cruiser careening toward the surface of a remote moon."

"Bail Organa arrives at the Jedi Temple to investigate the uprising and is confronted by clone troopers. He retreats under fire."

"Anakin, now known as Darth Vader and backed by the 501st Legion, marches on the Jedi Temple and slaughters its defenders. He shows no mercy, believing that the dark side is the only pathway to the unnatural powers he must command to save Padmé. As his rage and lust for power swell, not even younglings hiding in the Jedi Council chambers are safe from his lightsaber. Elsewhere, young Grogu survives a clone trooper attack but is haunted by his memories of the event."

"Anakin obeys Sidious’ command and kills the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, shutting down their droid armies and ending the Clone Wars."

"The Senate holds a special session, during which Palpatine—now scarred after his battle with Mace—details the Jedi plot to kill him and take control of the Senate. He proclaims the Republic is to be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire."

"Obi-Wan and Yoda fight their way into the Jedi Temple and recalibrate a signal to warn any surviving Jedi away."

"Padmé arrives on Mustafar, unknowingly bringing along Obi-Wan as a stowaway. Anakin uses the Force to choke her. As C-3PO and R2-D2 tend to Padmé, Anakin and Obi-Wan fight a running duel through the lava flows of Mustafar’s mining complex."

"On Coruscant, Yoda confronts Sidious and the two duel in the Senate Chamber, with Sidious hurling Senate pods at his Jedi enemy. Ascendant with dark-side power, Sidious proves too tough a foe for Yoda, who flees their duel, evading clone troopers sent to hunt him, and is whisked away by Bail Organa in an airspeeder. Sidious senses his new apprentice is in danger and hurries to Mustafar."

"Anakin is left maimed and burned after dueling Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Obi-Wan takes Anakin’s lightsaber and leaves him to die. Anakin survives and is encased in life-preserving black armor. As Darth Vader, he becomes the subject of rumors as the Emperor’s servant and enforcer"

Padme gives birth to Luke and Leia, then she dies. Bail Organa takes Leia to Alderaan and Obi-Wan takes Luke to the Lars' farm on Tatooine, going into exile there, while Yoda is on Dagobah.

"Ahsoka and Rex bury the clones at the Tribunal’s crash site. She leaves her lightsaber behind to find a new path."

19 BBY: GALAXY IN DARKNESS

"Tarkin tells Lama Su that the Kaminoans’ contracts are void and the need for future clones is being questioned."

"Padmé, appearing to still be pregnant, is laid to rest after a solemn funeral procession on Naboo."

"Mas Amedda presides at an Imperial rally held before Coruscant’s Jedi Temple to celebrate the defeat of the Order."

"Sidious abandons Vader on the desert planet Gattering with orders to seize a Jedi’s lightsaber and make it his own. Vader travels to a dark-side locus on Mustafar and bends Infil’a’s kyber crystal to his will, making it bleed red. By compelling the Force to serve his purposes, Vader takes an essential step in his journey as a Sith."

"Sidious puts Vader in charge of the Inquisitors, Force users who once served the light but were seduced or brutalized into following the dark side and are now responsible for hunting down and killing the galaxy’s fugitive Jedi. Vader proves a ruthless taskmaster, brutalizing his new underlings in combat training sessions and eliminating those who fail to live up to the standards demanded by him and the Emperor."

"Sidious orders Vader to lure the Jedi Order’s fugitive archivist Jocasta Nu to Coruscant’s Jedi Temple and capture her. An enraged Vader kills Commander Fox after clone troopers under his command fire on the Sith Lord at the Jedi Temple. Nu explains to Vader what he’s failed to realize: Sidious wants the memory crystal and its list so he can find a potential replacement for his apprentice. Vader kills Nu, tells Sidious she died trying to escape, and crushes the crystal."

"The Empire builds up its forces and begins enlisting and training conscript stormtroopers to replace the Republic’s clone soldiers."

"The Empire bombards Kamino’s cities, destroying all traces of the cloning program that played a critical role in the Clone Wars."

SOURCES & NOTES:

Star Wars Timelines by Kristin Baver, Jason Fry, Cole Horton, Amy Richau, and Clayton Sandell is the primary source for much of this, anything in quotation marks is sourced from here unless otherwise noted. This timeline is only quoting a small minority of what's available in the book, so it's recommended that you check it out for yourselves!

I have done my best to put everything in order even within the specific years, noting where I'm not 100% sure of the sequence of events.

If a "c.[YEAR]" is included, the spot is estimated, not hard fact, but in general it's a pretty trustworthy placement! Except for birthdays--they're not placed directly on the timeline, so I just kind of threw them in at the end most times.

Observation: Holy crap, the Clone Wars was NUTS.

[ineffablejaymee]

after the rise of the empire:

ahsoka: *despressed on some outer rim planet, trying to hide who she is, dealing with grief and guilt

cody: *slowly realizing what hes done, and what empire is doing, struggling to find himself in the middle of all the mind control and propaganda

rex: *feelimg like hes standing alone against the empire, trying to fight it while mourning all of his falles brothers, missing ahsoka and anakin

obiwan: *dead inside, living in a cave on a desert, no will to live, crying over a bowl of worm based stew

meanwhile the fucking bad batch: oh wee lets adopt this kid and have adventures in space lez gooooooo

[citrusici]

LU Star Wars AU: Part 2

feeling very validated by the fact that people like this SO LETS CONTINUE

Next up, Four and Wind!

PART 1

Four

A droidsmith and technician by trade, he and his grandfather run a shop dedicated to repairing ships. However, Four is also skilled enough to make his own technology out of parts when he sets his mind to it, and as a result he has expanded his skill set to making and repairing droids, and he's even learned how to forge and repair most kinds of weapons.

When Four was young, he met an older man named Ezlo and learned how to make droids in the brief time Four knew him. Four has made hundreds of tiny miniature droids in the years since, and is very fond of all of them. (Four named his first one EZ-10.) Ezlo also taught Four how to meditate and attune himself to his surroundings, but it wasn't until much later that Four learned that these were actually basic Jedi training techniques— and with that, the fact that Ezlo may have been a Jedi, and that Four himself had the ability to use the Force.

Four has no interest in having a lightsaber, and claims he has better weapons of his own suited to him. Vaati showed up shortly after Ezlo, and he causes problems for him and his grandfather. Four was also friends with Shadow until his death at Vaati’s hands.

Wind

Wind is young, but like Legend he has spent much of his life traveling across the galaxy, and he feels most at home in his small spaceship, the King of Red Lions.

Wind originally got his start as a crewmember of the famous intergalactic pirate Tetra of the Outer Rim territories as a way to rescue his sister Aryll after she was wrongly arrested by the Empire. He then later traveled on Linebeck's ship not long after parting ways with Tetra. Wind found** the Red Lion during his adventures, and has been traveling the galaxy with it since. He's still close friends with Tetra.

Wind is very in tune with the Force, especially spirits, and better learned how to use his abilities when he was traveling with Linebeck. He doesn’t have a saber, but he still has a weapon or two of his own and plenty of tricks up his sleeves.

**(stole it from spice traders)

[badbatchsprincess]

Heated ~ pt. 1

Pt.1 ~ Pt.2 ~ Pt.3 ~ Pt.4 ~ Pt.5 ~ Pt.6 ~ Pt.7 ~ Pt.8 ~ Pt.9 ~ Pt.10 ~Pt.11 ~ Pt.12 ~ Pt.13 ~ Pt.14 ~ Pt.15 ~ Pt.16 ~ Pt.17 ~ Pt.18 ~ Pt.19 ~ Pt.20 ~ Pt.21 ~ Pt.22 ~ Pt.23 ~ Pt.24 ~ Pt.25

Masterlist

Summary: This is an ABO Bad batch!Poly x Omega Reader smut with a plot. This takes place as an AU before order 66. Y/N previously served under the 501st before being transferred to Special Forces 99. This is her adventure with these rowdy Alphas in a quickly changing universe.

THIS IS AN ABO AU ABOUT THE BAD BATCH (NO CANON OMEGA!) Due to the unfortunate situation of her name being Omega… Omega the child from the canon series is not going to be apart of this fanfic/porn with a plot. I feel obligated to put this warning in because it makes my skin crawl thinking anyone could make that mistake. 

No warnings for this, just world building... welcome lol.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

After approximately 90 rotations aboard the Marauder, give or take a few days, you were ready to disembark. 

Tech, of course, calculated the accurate amount of time, but you were running on inner planetary standard time. You were exhausted. Truly and totally exhausted. The battles along the outer rim were beginning to overtake every waking thought, and the war only seemed to be escalating. Even though you were just a medical technician, it seemed like you never had a moment to breathe.

The boys had been sent on one mission after another to the most backwater planets you’d never even heard of. In the beginning of working with Clone Force 99, you were thrilled. 

Tired of being on the front lines with Captain Rex and General Skywalker, you thought this would have been a cakewalk compared to tending to the 501st. (Or as you liked to call them, the most reckless GAR unit in history.) Boy, were you wrong…

Rex assigning you to Clone Force 99 had been one of the most challenging places you think a young medic like yourself could have gone. 

These men, in particular, were a unique kind of reckless, and they always seemed to end up in the craziest situations. 

That didn’t mean you didn’t come to grow fond of them, but as GAR procedure demands, they must return to Coruscant for their quarterly medical examinations, and you were relieved. 

While you didn’t particularly care for the bustle of the high-density planet, you could appreciate not being shot at, chased, or bombed at any given second.

The Marauder also didn’t offer the same level of comfort as the Venator Attack Cruisers you’d become accustomed to staying on for months at a time. But it’s alright, you’ve come to enjoy your time with special force 99. 

For a bunch of chaotic Alphas, they were pleasant company. 

Sergeant Hunter was the leader and a remarkable tracker. You couldn’t help but marvel at his heightened abilities; it was really interesting from a medical standpoint. Tech had the brain capacity of a supercomputer and his ex-arc trooper friend, Echo. You actually had known Echo from your early days serving under the 501st. 

It was nice having him around; he seemed to keep the peace and offered some much-needed familiarity. Then there was Wrecker, the sweetest man-child you’d ever met. He had a love for blowing things up, which you found hilarious, and finally, there was Crosshair. You never really knew where you stood with the man. Echo told you it’s because he’s not used to strangers hanging out with his brothers, but you weren’t quite sure. The Alpha was quiet and calculated. He didn’t miss a thing, not with his heightened reflexes. He never said much to you; he often operated in silence unless it was to piss off Hunter, which seemed to be more often than you realized. 

He, however, treated you indifferently. It was just odd for an Alpha to not acknowledge an Omega. Not to say you needed his attention, it was just different. You speculated it had to do with his genetic mutations; maybe he was too good at focusing on his objective. Omegas hardly phased him.

“You ready, Pip?” Wrecker gave your shoulders a gentle shake. 

You smiled at the nickname. “Yeah Wreck, ugh I just really want a real shower.” You sighed, getting a little impatient. 

The Marauder was waiting for landing clearance while you made quick work stowing away the last few stray supplies. You made notes of all the supplies that had been depleted, which was most of it. You shook your head; you’d be raiding the GAR supply facility before deployment for certain. 

“You and me both,” Hunter snorted and settled down in one of the chairs in the cockpit.

Poor guy, you realized, probably had the worst of it all. Living amongst five sweaty dirty men and one medic had his scent on overdrive. Not to mention the dulled pheromones. Being surrounded by so many alphas, the stench was probably awful for him. 

You, however, being an omega on the smaller side, couldn’t smell much, not with your implant which was due for replacement this quarter. Hunter never mentioned anything to you about smell. You just hoped it wasn’t too much for him with all of your implants thankfully. It never seemed like an issue for him. 

“We’re clear for landing,” Echo chirped from the copilot seat. Everyone came up to the front to strap into the jump seats. Crosshair brought your packed bag up with him and placed it gently under your feet before he took the seat next to you and strapped in. You thanked him, and he gave you a silent nod still chewing on his toothpick. 

Echo and Tech gently landed the Marauder in the GAR main hangar bay and finished up the last cross check before disembarking. Wrecker was kind and offered to carry your duffle filled with your civvies and toiletries. You thanked him and followed him out of the Marauder. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, you smiled at the feeling of real sun on your skin. 

Looking down the steps, you squealed, noticing all of the white and blue plastoid on the other side of the hangar bay. Running at full speed, you nearly tripped over your own feet, flinging yourself at Kix. 

He noticed you last minute and swooped you up into his arms, “Hey Tiny! I didn’t know you were on rotation already?” He picked you up and spun you around before putting you down. Your excitement to see your old unit was overwhelming; you couldn’t help but smile as more of your friends on the 501st ran over to give you a hug or a playful shove.

You missed the way Wrecker gawked at your reaction to the Regs. “Well, she certainly doesn’t do that with us,” Tech noted, watching you rub up against the alphas in a comforting manner, purring under their affection. 

“Fucking Regs,” Crosshair groused. 

Echo remembered how fond you are of the 501st. He remembered when you were a newbie just starting your medical field days bonding with General Tano as teens. He felt a little nostalgic watching you with his vod. He laughed remembering how Ahsoka would scent you before sending you out into the field. They loved you so much. 

Tech noted how comfortable you were with their touch and scenting. Something no one in their unit ever attempted with you. Of course, they were aware of your designation, but they tried their hardest to be respectful. Hunter had made it extremely clear no one was supposed to touch you unless necessary. It had been six months of your service on their unit, and no one has ever gotten this close with you except Wrecker, but it wasn’t anything like that. 

The alpha in Tech was a little upset by this. Why didn’t the omega feel comfortable with them? 

Hunter listened to the way you preened under their attention, and his chest pained a bit hearing your purrs. Was he… jealous? No. That’s his medic, that's all. He had read your file; you’d been with them for most of the war. Of course, that would make you closer. He could smell the happy pheromones you spread from where they were. You were happy with the 501st’s attention; it wasn’t something he knew you craved.

“I’m here for quarterlies,” you tapped your shoulder, “And I’m due for replacement.” You sighed. “Ahh,” Kix smirked, “Difficult enough dealing with us reg alphas huh? Gotta deal with defects now too huh? Got that implant working overtime.” 

You rolled your eyes and shoved him. 

A cough behind you caught your attention. You spun around to see your unit catching up, looking a little perturbed, especially Crosshair. He’s never warmed up to the Regs and didn’t particularly like you sharing your fond stories about them. You usually keep to yourself in his presence or else he’d get a little hostile. 

“Sarge,” Kix greeted with a head tilt. 

“Kix,” Hunter gave him a polite nod, “Captain.” He looked beyond you. 

You spun around, “Rex!” You ran at him, wrapping yourself around your old captain. “Hey kid,” he laughed, giving you a pat on the head looking down at you.

 “I’m older than you, Captain,” you rolled your eyes with a smile. 

“So you like to remind me,” he laughed, suddenly realizing how much he had missed you. 

You stepped back with a huge smile. Suddenly everything was starting to feel good again. 90 rotations didn’t seem so terrible anymore. You giggled as they all filed in demanding to know how you’ve been.

 “We’re heading to 79’s later,” Jesse smiled, “You gotta come Y/N. I wanna hear about your adventures to the outer rim.” 

“Especially me,” Fives trotted forwards shoving you playfully aside before embracing his brother Echo, “Vod!” He hugged Echo tight. Echo relaxed into his hug and gave him a curt smile. “How you doing?” Fives asked, wrapping his arm around Echo’s shoulder before walking off with him towards the barracks to no doubt catch up. 

“I got a replacement due,” you sighed, “I can’t drink but I’ll stop by for a bit to catch up!” 

They all seemed to light up at that, “See you there, kid!” Captain Rex gave you a nod and turned on his heel to get back to work and make sure the General’s Venator was getting proper maintenance. 

“C’mon, Pip,” Hunter was leading the others towards the medical campus for their quarterlies. 

You huffed, “Coming, Sarge.” 

“Pip?” You heard the others laugh a bit at your new nickname when you trailed off behind your new unit. Damn their long legs you were struggling to hold pace with them. 

Crosshair gave you an incredulous look watching you try to catch up. You gave it right back to him. 

“Miss your precious Regs?” He sneered. You didn’t miss the way Tech’s shoulders stiffened. Wrecker and Hunter pretended not to hear, but you knew they did. You suddenly missed having Echo as your defense. 

“What?” You looked at him. 

“You heard me,” he growled. 

“Of course I missed my old unit. I haven’t seen them in six standard months, Crosshair.” 

“That all?” He was cold. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” You stopped and crossed your arms forcing him to stop walking. 

Crosshair pointed his toothpick at you, “Throwing yourself at a bunch of alphas like a bitch in hea-”

 “Enough!” Hunter growled. 

Your cheeks burned red. How dare he. You looked to Wrecker and then Tech but the looks on their faces didn’t exactly show any support for you. Did they agree?…Maker. Wrecker lowered his gaze which surprised you the most. 

Crosshair never really said much to you besides if you asked him an immediate question about his health or an injury. He usually somewhat avoided you. But you never thought he disliked you, at least up until now. The disgust was obvious on his face. 

You just shook your head and continued stalking towards the medical campus, ignoring Hunter’s call. Your shore-leave was becoming more and more desirable by the second. You wanted space especially from Mr. dark and gloomy. 

Deciding you’ve had enough of them, you detoured for your department entrance leaving them to go into the main medical campus alone. You knew Tech had all of your reports stowed on his datapad records. They would survive without you at least for now. You thought you heard Wrecker whimper behind you, but the sound of ion engines priming drowned out the rest before you stepped inside the medic clinic. Fuck Crosshair. What a dickhead.

You shook your head knowing you had other things to focus on besides his stupid little attitude. 

Passing through multiple security clearances, you stepped into the sterile clinic’s main lobby. 

“Medic Y/L/N?” You heard a familiar soft voice. 

“Hi Layla.” You smiled sweetly at the nurse who you came to know during your training program. Being an omega, she opted to stay on base instead of venturing out into the battle fronts she was definitely more gentle mannered than yourself. You preferred some action and excitement. 

“In for your quarterly’s?”

"Yeah, and I need a new replacement implant," you muttered as you trailed behind Layla toward one of the deserted exam rooms. The clinical white walls felt suffocating, a stark contrast to the chaotic memories you shared here. You reminisced about your early days serving the GAR, where Layla and you tended to wounded soldiers and even brushed shoulders with the occasional Jedi. But that was before you were transferred to General Skywalker’s unit, thrust into the heart of battle and endless repairs for him and his Padawan. You missed the simplicity of those days, the camaraderie with Layla.

”How’s the 501st treating you?" Layla's voice broke through your reverie as she handed you a crumpled paper gown.

"I got transferred to Special Forces 99," you replied, shedding your uniform behind the flimsy curtain. "They’re a different breed, that's for sure."

"Clone Force 99?" Layla's eyebrows rose in curiosity.

“Yeah.” you confirmed, feeling a flicker of amusement at her reaction.

As Layla chewed on her pen, a mischievous glint danced in her eyes. "The Sergeant’s pretty hot."

Your cheeks flushed, and you nearly stumbled over your words before recovering. “Layla…” You gawked.

She giggled and sat down on her roller stool. "Don’t lie and say you’ve never thought about it."

Well, obviously you’ve thought about it. They’re all honestly pretty hot, but you’d never admit that out loud.

"Now where have you seen Hunter like that?" you giggled at her cheekiness.

"I watch the holonet streams every once in a while. Especially after the retrieval on Skako Minor, General Skywalker and Sergeant CT-9901 were all over the holonet for weeks," she mused. "An omega’s wet dream."

You screamed and threw your boot at her. You two looked at each other momentarily before bursting out into a fit of laughter. Man, you missed Layla. Honestly, you just missed having another girl to talk to. This was such a refresher from the overwhelming amount of Alpha.

You hopped up on the table, lying down, trying to get comfortable.

"What’s he like?" her tone shifted into mischief.

You hesitated, memories of Hunter flooding your mind. "He’s… different. Polite, I guess."

Layla raised an eyebrow, her expression demanding the truth. “Girl…” she slapped your shoulder, grabbing her scanner to document your entire system from head to toe.

"Well, I don’t know!" you put your hands up in defense. "He’s quite the gentleman. None of them so much as look, Layla, I swear."

She just looked at you with a raised brow while she continued her work, “Yeah right.”

"But…" you smirked, watching her work, "I do know the tattoos go to his feet…" you bit your lip.

Now it was her turn to choke. "You’re lying…" Her interest was piqued.

You shook your head. "Full skeleton all the way down his arm, ribs, thigh…"

You two sighed.

She finished her scan and input the data before sliding her roller chair right next to you. "Everywhere?"

You raised a brow. "Everywhere," you confirmed with a nod.

She put her hand over her chest in a dramatic manner before prepping the numbing agent for your implant.

You remembered the day you found out this information about your Sergeant. Up until this point, you’d only seen maybe an arm or some knuckles in your medical repairs, but this time Hunter had taken a pretty bad hit to his side and thigh. Multiple blaster wounds had torn him up, and Tech had helped him limp back to the ship before they both collapsed on the floor. You had flung yourself out of your bunk at the commotion only to realize what had happened.

Tech helped you tear off Hunter’s armor and helmet, trying to figure out where the wounds were. Luckily, they hadn’t gone through, and it was mostly just surface wounds, but you still had to cut through his blacks to get to it, leaving his entire left side exposed. He had growled at you, but Tech had set him straight. He was just in pain.

That’s when you realized his entire left side was tattooed like his face, all the way down to his feet. You mumbled a quick apology before starting your cleaning process and bacta application.

The wounds had healed up nicely, but he had to re-tattoo the fresh skin the next time they had shore-leave. You had also stowed away the information of how muscular he was. The man was truly a work of art.

A sharp jab snapped you out of your memories when Layla removed the old suppressor implant. You yelped when the new one went in, making you a bit dizzy with pain. You hissed when she retracted the mechanism.

"There we go," she beamed. "Good as new."

"Thanks, Layla," you said, sitting up, letting her bandage the small incision wound with a bacta patch. The soothing coldness was immediate. You sighed in relief as the pain dulled.

"I told Rex I’d be at 79’s later, if you want to come?" you offered, slipping from the table to give her a hug.

"As much as I’d love to play with the captain, I have so much work to catch up on for quarterly's. I better stay here," she sighed, pushing her chair back into place. "But you have fun, and enjoy your time off. Come back to visit if you get bored."

You giggled. "I will." And with that, she left you to change back into your uniform before leaving the medic’s clinic. The hangar bay was significantly more empty now as you made your way over to civilian transport. After exiting the security checkpoint, you made your way over to the clone transport. "Can you take me to residential?" you asked the officer in the pilot’s seat. He gave you a nod, and you settled back into the transport’s seats. With a sigh, you were finally starting to relax a bit. You knew the boys were probably already back at their barracks after their examinations, so you knew they wouldn’t be bothering you for at least a few rotations.

When you finally arrived to the GAR residential building you gave the driver a thanks before hoping out and skipping over to the front door. You couldn’t wait to get to your quarters and enjoy a long hot shower. Swiping your clearance card, you dashed into the elevator to your floor and into your room. It smelled like you needed to open a window but other then that is was just as you left it. Knowing you’d have to get some food delivered, you gave a dramatic sigh while kicking off your regulation boots. You went to unzip your uniform top when you heard the swish of clothing and a familiar scoff. 

You turned suddenly seeing Crosshair standing in your kitchen in his civvies looking tall and menacing. 

“Maker! Crosshair!” You put a hand on your chest, “You scared me!” 

“Sorry little one.” He didn’t sound sorry at all. 

You looked around suddenly remembering you’re in YOUR apartment. 

“What the hell are you doing here Crosshair?” You narrowed your gaze at him getting mad all over again. 

“Hunter is making me apologize for earlier.” He grumbled around his toothpick. 

You hummed, “How did you get in here?” 

He held up the Sergeant’s entry card. Of course… dammit Hunter.

“Here.” He slid your duffle across the floor to you. A peace offering. You were grateful for that at least. 

A deep pang in your shoulder made you grimace “Thanks.” You unzipped your uniform top leaving you in your bindings not caring if he looked. He didn’t seem phased anyways. The bacta patch stained red with your blood. He narrowed his eyes to the incision. You knelt down to your duffle and pulled out your field kit. You grabbed a dose of pain killer and brought the injector up to the wound site. You pressed the mechanism and the needle stabbed you quickly injecting the medicine. You rolled your shoulder and replaced the bacta patch seeing the wound turning to a simple line. Soon it would be gone in a few hours. 

“So?” You looked at the tall sniper. 

He lifted a brow. 

You crossed your arms, “Your apology?” 

He snorted and stood up straight before walking past you. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled before stepping back out into the hallway and disappearing. 

You sighed knowing that was all you’re going to get from the grumpy soldier. Whatever, you’d take it. 

~~~

The shower that followed was worth it. You had never felt so clean in your few years in this universe. The piping hot water cleansed you of three standard months of sweat, bomb residue, and blood. You scrubbed and scrubbed until your skin flared red before you stepped out of the shower to get ready. Throwing on your favorite civvies and some makeup, you quickly dried your hair before throwing on your regulation boots. Grabbing your com and a few credits. You practically skipped out of your apartment making a beeline for 79’s. You couldn’t wait to catch up with your old friends.

When you arrived, you heard an uproar of men yelling your name. You looked over to see Fives, Jesse, Kix, and the others wave you over. 

“Tiny!” You got tackled by Fives. He put you in a headlock and ruffled your hair despite your cries. You shoved him off of you knowing he must have scented you in the process. 

“Ugh! Fives you reek.” You scrunched your nose smelling the alpha on him it was stronger then usual.

“Sorry tiny.” He laughed rubbing the back of his neck, “We gotta get our implants replaced too.” 

You shook your head and plopped down in the booth next to Kix with a laugh. He shoved the snack plate in your face continuing his conversation with another soldier to his right. You were starving and started munching down on the mantell mix.

“Hope that wont be a problem kid.” Rex smiled at you. 

You just yanked your collar down to show them the patch, “All good captain.” 

That made them relax. The 501st is many things, but they were always chivalrous towards you. Being their favorite omega and all, they had always taken a very protective stance with you. None of them tried anything and they had always kept away the creeps. You were thankful for their protection. 

Your current hoard of alphas though, you didn’t really know where you stood with them. They kind of pretended like you weren’t there. You quickly realized they weren’t used to working with strangers, and an omega of all things. At first they treated you like a fragile little thing. Like they were worried they’d step on you. They couldn’t help but stare. You didn’t really blame them. Eventually it wore off and they seemed to become a bit more comfortable with your presence. Until it became normal. Except Crosshair, he never seemed to warm up to you and kept you at arms length. 

“So how’s your new unit?” Fives asked sounding a bit jealous. 

You giggled, “They’re.. nice.” 

They all looked at you. 

“What?” You shrunk under their looks. Even Rex stared. 

“Nice?” Jesse laughed. 

“That’s not exactly the word I’d use.” Rex raised a brow, “You’re okay, right kid?” 

You opened your mouth in shock, “Guys I’m okay. I swear.”

They visibly relaxed. 

“Look, it took some getting used to. I don’t think they’ve ever been around strangers before they’re very close. Clearly. Eventually they warmed up. Except the sniper. I think he might actually not like me.” 

Fives just scoffed, “It’s because your’e hot cyar’ika”

Jesse punched him in the stomach. Fives doubled over and everyone at the table grumbled at him. You just felt your cheeks burn up and you hid behind Kix’s shoulder. 

“Fives…” Rex sighed. 

“What?” He choked out, “I’m just saying. I don’t think those defects have been anywhere near a woman much less an omega. Aye!” He blocked Jesse’s punch again. 

“What omega?” You heard a gruff voice approach. 

It was Commander Wolffe and the pack still in uniform. Rex got up and clapped him on the shoulder getting him settled in. He placed his helmet on the table and peered over at you. 

“I don’t think we’ve met cyar’ika.” He grinned at you showing off his scar and grey iris. 

You felt your heart rate increase under his intense stare. You could tell this alpha was seasoned, first generation from the looks of him. You were certain that if you didn’t have your implant, you'd be keening for his attention. Instead, you submissively lowered your gaze and leaned into Kix a bit. He wrapped an arm around you and looked up at the Commander, saying, “This is Y/N; we call her Tiny.” He shook you playfully, adding, “She used to be our medic. Now she’s with the 99’s.”

Wolffe let out a low whistle. “The 99’s? Must be exciting. Nice to meet you, Y/N,” he said, extending a hand, which you took, giving it a good shake. His calloused fingers lingered a bit as he ran them over your soft knuckles.

Looking up at him from beneath your lashes, you said, “Nice to meet you, Commander,” giving him a polite smile.

He smiled back, clearly pleased with your attention. Oh, he liked you, you thought to yourself. He then gently released your hand and turned to his men. “Let’s get a round of drinks. We’re off for quarterly’s!”

His men let out a whooping shout, and the waitress took down their orders. The pack quickly became rowdy, opting for roughhousing with each other and the shinies. After a long while of dodging his gaze and eating the food Kix placed in front of you, you decided you needed a cold glass of water and squeezed out from under Kix’s arm. The stench of so many alphas was starting to become too much, even with the implant. You were praying they couldn’t smell the nervousness on you.

Walking up to the bar, the woman smiled at you. She recognized you, as you usually spent your time with the boys when you were off. She gave you a little wave and bounced over, asking what you wanted.

“Just water for me,” you smiled. She smiled back and went to fill up your glass.

“What’s a pretty little omega doing in a place like this?” a shiny walked up to you, placing himself uncomfortably close to your back. You turned, facing him square on. Despite all clones being created as alphas, this one was young and stupid. Your omega instincts told you he’d be a weak mate. You noticed the lack of markings and scratches on his armor. He’s barely seen anything, you realized.

“I’m here with my friends,” you replied curtly, taking the glass of ice water from the bartender with a nod. You went to move away, but he caught your arm in a tight grip. Not tight enough to hurt, but tight enough to assert his dominance and stop you from leaving. You just looked at his hand and then up to his face.

“I wasn’t done with you… omega,” he leered, leaning forward to run his nose closer to your scent glands. Your heart rate increased for all the wrong reasons. Fear started to creep up inside you the longer he had his hands on you. Now you wished Fives had scented you for real. 

“Why are you messing with my medic?” 

You stiffened. 

Hunter’s smokey voice cut through the music of the club making your entire spine tingle. Hunter had used his Alpha tone making you tremble in spot. The shiny suddenly looked up eyes going wide. He quickly released you and saluted Hunter.“Sorry Seargant. I didn’t know she was yours.” 

“Hmm” Hunter dismissed him and grabbed you by the same arm the shiny had just moments ago, except this time the touch didn’t feel dangerous. Instead it made your stomach flip. He’d never touched you unless it was for medical purposes. You couldn’t help the little preen inside you bubbling up. Alpha Protects. He lead you past the shiny and over to an empty booth in the back of the club. You could hear Layla’s voice ringing in your head. She’d be eating this up right now. You prayed your pheromones didn’t give you away.

He finally let you go when you reached the booth waiting for you to slide in. You immediately missed the warmth of his bare hand. You realized they were all in their civvies, well except tech, he still had his helmet near by. The rest of them slid into the booth following suit. 

“She’s smells like Regs.” Wrecker crinkled his nose. Between, Fives, Kix, and the shiny you knew you reeked.

“Sorry.” You mumbled taking a sip of your water still a little pissed with them.

“You okay pip?” Hunter asked looking you in the eyes. You suddenly shied away from his gaze looking down at his shirt collar nodding. His eyes were too intense. You usually didn’t have a problem, but you were still trebling from the effects of his voice lingering. 

“Did something happen?” Tech asked from around Hunter’s shoulder. 

“I’m alright. Just a dumb shiny.” You felt like you were being suffocated by their stares. 

They laughed a bit at that. 

“Okay, I can’t take it anymore.” Wrecker shoved you under his arm and rubbed his scent all over you. You coughed and sputtered trying to shove him away but it was no use. Crosshair rolled his eyes.

“Alright Wrecker enough.” Hunter sighed looking down at you drowning in alpha, “She’s covered.” 

“Ugh.” You tried to straightening out your hair and top a bit, “Easy next time big guy. I think every alpha for a mile can smell me now.” 

He just gleamed. You couldn’t help but be a bit grateful. It seems like everyone was due for an updated implant. The smells were getting to be out of control. No one would come near you now. Even the rough housing seemed to be a little aggressive than usual. They had asked you about the wolf pack but you just shrugged watching their rough housing turn into full on brawls.

The boys continued talking about something random that Tech had info dumped about and Wrecker of course was confused. You continued to sip on your ice water before you heard your name being called. You popped your head up from the booth to find Fives looking for you. You sighed and put your cup down. Part of you didn’t want to go back because of the attention the commander was giving you, but the other part of you wanted to spend some time with Rex and the boys. Damn these alphas. 

Opting to stay where you were, Fives and the boys decided to come over towards you. Knowing this was probably going to go badly, you shrunk into the booth. Hunter eyed you before he heard Crosshair snarl. A large group of Regs came trotting over to come socialize like a bunch of drunk pups. They all pulled up chairs and surrounded the booth with their rambunctiousness. 

“Where’d you go Tiny?” Jesse was sloshed. Leaning over Fives who was barely holding himself together. 

“Tiny, did you see the way the commander was looking at you?” Fives shoved Jesse off of him, “I think he’s trying to-” he jiggled his brows suggestively at you and you just shook your head and wanted to melt into the table. Please not this. Not with my commanding officer present. Not my very hot commanding officer present. You wanted to slap Layla why did she have to start putting these thoughts into your head. 

“Commander Wolffe?” Tech asked for clarification. 

Fives just nodded taking another big sip from his cup.

“Someone shoot me.” You covered your face you were too sober for this conversation. You could feel Crosshairs smirk from across the table.

“Awh pip.” Wrecker just grabbed you again and shook you around, “The Commander thinks you’re prettyyyy.” 

Fives and Jesse giggled. Hunter and the others just looked uncomfortable. Obviously they weren’t the most social, nor playful. This was just embarrassing. Your only comfort was Wrecker. He was always the nicest anyways. You just tucked yourself into his side forgetting his betrayal earlier. 

“The Commander wants to rut with Y/N?” Tech asked. 

“Maker.” You wanted to dissipate into thin air.

“Mhmm.” Jesse and Fives nodded with cheesy grins, “she gave him the eyes.” 

You scoffed, “I did not!” 

“Yeah you did!” Fives giggles. He then looked at Jesse and re-enacted the whole scene dramatically, “It’s nice to meet you commander.” He fluttered his eyelashes at Jesse and held his hand. You groaned and put your head down on the table. 

“I need a drink.” You whimpered not able to take the teasing.

“Is that wise?” Tech chimed in, “You just had your implant replaced. It’s advised to not drink for the first 24 hours or else it may be ineffective.” 

“Kriff.” You sighed. 

“And that’s my cue to come rescue Tiny.” Kix interjected and yanked you up from the booth taking you far away from this painfully awkward conversation. You thanked him profusely letting him guide you.

“You’re nervous when you’re sober.” He laughed walking over to the dance floor with you. 

“I’m nervous because of my Sergeant.” You whisper in his ear. He just gives you a questionable look. You laugh and shake your head, “A friend of mine said something today and I can’t get it out of my stupid omega head.” 

“Oh?” He raised a brow dancing to the beat. 

“Shut up.” You laughed praying Hunter couldn’t hear you over the yelling and music, “They also don’t like the “Regs,” you shook your head. 

“Well I know why.” He replied spinning you around. 

“Why?” You asked swaying to the beat. 

“Everyone was so mean to them growing up. Kids are horrible you know. But because they’re different they definitely dealt with a lot during training days.�� Kix informed you. Suddenly everything made sense. Especially why Crosshair can’t seem to socialize with Regs to save his life. 

“Plus, the Captain decked the sniper on Skako Minor.” Kix said cheekily. 

You dropped your jaw, “Rex?” You couldn’t believe it. There’s no way level headed Rex lost it with Crosshair.

“Oh yeah.” He laughed, “They got into it while trying to find Echo.” 

“No way.” You couldn’t believe it. While dancing you peered over at the table to find the four 99’s watching you completely ignoring the drunk shenanigans from the 501st boys. The only one interacting was Echo. You could tell there was a part of him that missed his brothers. They continued to drink and talk amongst themselves while you and Kix danced on the floor. Some of the other 501st boys joined you before linking up with pretty omegas vying for their attention. Clearly their interests were else where.

You definitely didn’t miss the way the Commander seemed to be unable to take his eyes off of you from his chair. You chose to ignore him. 

An alpha like that could send you into heat with or without an implant. You however had a job to do, and being stuck in his bed for a week wouldn’t suffice. The mortification of even thinking about returning to the Marauder after that. You couldn’t even go there. Crosshair would literally never let you hear the end of it. He might shove you out of the airlock when you weren’t expecting it. 

Kix seemed to be reading your mind and elected to giggle. You slapped him on the arm and he feigned injury. Just then, you noticed the Commander stand and seemingly decide to come your way. Feeling there to flee, you quickly hugged Kix and made a dart for the door. Grabbing your comm you let the boys know you’d be returning to your apartment but to your dismay, Hunter replied…

“Don’t bother we just got special orders. We’re shipping out tonight.” He sounded tired. So much for shore-leave.

“Ugh.” You whined turning to the taxi waiting by the club entrance. You put your comm away in your pocket and fished around for a few credits ignoring the way the cool evening air chilled your skin.

“Something wrong Cyar’ika?” The gruff voice you were dreading came from behind you. Damn your omega tendencies. You turned keeping your eyes lowered. 

“Everything is alright Commander.” You replied sweetly, “I just got informed my break has been cut short. We ship out again tonight.” 

He sighed stepping forwards and placed his pointer finger under your chin to tilt your head up. You nearly whimpered looking into his scarred eye. Alpha’s strong. Alpha likes you. Alpha smells good. Really good. You wanted to whine when his eye zeroed in on yours. He wanted your eyes on him that was for certain. Maybe a breakout heat with the Commander wouldn’t be too bad…

“Well if you ever need anything you let me know, yeah?” The Commander smiled wolfishly at you and released you. You took a deep breath and took a step back and nodded your head. 

“Y/N?” You heard Tech’s call come to your rescue, “Do you need a ride?” 

You grabbed your comm and quickly responded with shaking hands, “Yeah that would be nice thank you Tech.” 

It wasn’t long until their speeder arrived and you turned back to the Commander who had no issue walking you over to your unit. You could tell by Hunter skeptical glance that he was trying to figure out the situation. The Commander passed you over to your men and have you a nod before putting his helmet back on and walking back into the club. 

“What was that about?” Hunter asked with a raised brow. 

“I really don’t want to talk about it.” You shook your head and practically dove into the speeder. 

“Did the Commander proposition you?” Tech asked pushing his glasses back up. 

You squeaked and hid in the backseat. 

“Stop bothering her.” Echo shook his head. Thank the maker for Echo. 

“It was a harmless question.” Tech justified, “As we were talking about his strange attentions earlier and Y/N’s even more unordinary response according to the Regs.” 

You looked out the window of the speeder at the endless city below, “I’m going to jump.” You half joked. 

“Tech please drop it.” Echo implored, “You’re making her uncomfortable… and me.” 

“It’s just biological responses.” Tech grumbled into his data pad, “Nothing to be embarrassed about.” 

You sighed. This was going to be another long mission, and then you were going to take it upon yourself to insure you got a vacation. Hopefully there was something Rex could do to get you some time off for real this time far away from all of these men. 

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

This part one, I'll be posting regularly to this story, I hope y'all enjoy!

[flowerofbenevolence]

Royal Sword Academy Headcanons

Background information (mostly canon):

As it is canon, Royal Sword Academy, also known as RSA, is one of the top two most powerful and famous magic academies in the world of Twisted Wonderland alongside Night Raven College, also known as NRC. It is also sometimes revered as THE MOST powerful, famous, and best magic arcane academy due to having triumphed over Night Raven College in the SpellDrive/Magift Tournaments for nearly a century. It is also known for educating its students to not only be the most excellent of mages, but also the most noble and virtuous of bachelors.

Much like Night Raven College, Royal Sword Academy is an all-boys school. However, instead of being selfish, arrogant narcissists like the staff and students of Night Raven College, the staff and students of Royal Sword Academy are generally selfless, caring, and compassionate. Some are noble, princely, and heroic, while others are gentle, humble, and pure. Some are curious, adventurous, and outgoing, while others are reserved, brooding, and deeply thoughtful. However, one thing remains the same - the inhabitants of the school are natural leaders.

In contrast to how Night Raven College students tend to overblot due to being overly ambitious, confident, and competitive, Royal Sword Academy students sometimes struggle with low self-esteems, inferiority complexes, and expressing themselves, their needs, wants, and identities. For that reason, Royal Sword Academy students would also require a magicless, penniless prefect to guide them into being assertive, confident, and competitive by making them realize just how lucky they are to have such powerful magic and end up in such an amazing school.

Appearance and Location (also mostly canon):

Royal Sword Academy's main campus is located on the southernmost end of the tiny Isle of Sages, or Sage's Island. It is south of Night Raven College, which lies in the northern mountains of the island as well as the island's central village. Most of the school building's color palette consists of white and blue, and the school building itself resembles that of a castle. The school has a small bridge or moat that crosses over to the academy's main building, and behind that is the school's entire campus.

Emblem (also mostly canon):

Royal Sword Academy's school emblem resembles that of a shield, consisting of a light blue elongated pentagon topped with a matching, long, thin, horizontal rectangle, lined with a thin, dark blue inner rim, and a thicker, silver outer rim. Within the shield is a sword with a silver blade and golden hilt topped with a red, golden-striped crown or hat piercing through a golden shield with a castle-like top that has a royal blue shield inside with the words "Royal Sword Academy" written in white inside. At the side of the sword and castle-like topped shield are two white horses with dark blue manes and silver collars. At the bottom of the sword and horses and at the sides of the sword's tip are two pairs of bundles of laurel leaves, which are a symbol of glory.

Orientation Ceremony:

The students of Royal Sword Academy arrive at the school sleeping in a glass coffin in the Platinum Pumpkin Coach pulled by pristine white horses. Upon awakening, the students are ushered by the staff and upperclassmen to the Chamber of the Sacred Well, where they are sorted in one of the seven dorms the school in founded on based on the nature of their soul. After being sorted into a dorm, the students are also given a long, thin, silver baton that resembles a sword and is embedded with a magestone of their dorm's color. When the ceremony is over, the students are led by their dorm leaders to their dorms.

Dorms:

Royal Sword Academy is founded on the noble personality traits of the Magnificent Seven - seven mages, most of whom were royalty, that were said to uphold the most noble of virtues, were companions of the Great Seven, and are idolized as role models by those of Twisted Wonderland.

Wondaventure - The dorm based on the creative imagination of The Wondrous Lady in Blue (Alice from Alice in Wonderland). The students of this dorm seem to be crazy and insane at first glance, but they are also innovative, imaginative, and creative. They also seem to struggle with being misunderstood, though, and struggle to express themselves. Their main color is sky blue. Their secondary color is white. The magestones in their magestone brooches are also sky blue. 

Alexander “Alex” Wondrionne (twisted from Alice) - The Housewarden of Wondaventure. His adventurous, curious, and rebellious attitude contrasts greatly to his noble status and quickly led to the ending of his betrothal.

Chenille Sommerfly (twisted from Blue Caterpillar) - The Vice-Housewarden of Wondaventure. A quiet, composed, and serious yet forgetful and short-tempered young man who is known for giving useful advice and telling complicated riddles.

Che’nya (twisted from Chesire Cat) - A mischievous, whimsical, and mysterious cat beastman who often teases people and gets them into trouble.

Michael Bavarder (twisted from Tweedle Dee) - A playful and talkative gossip who often quarrels and competes with his twin brother whom he insists is younger than him. Always loves a game.

Gabriel Bavarder (twisted from Tweedle Dum) - A cheerful yet competitive social butterfly who often accompanies his twin brother despite frequently arguing with him. His slanderous gossip often leads to chaotic drama.

Safarimane - The dorm based on the noble leadership of The Royal Lion (Simba from The Lion King). The students of this dorm strive to be excellent leaders and are ambitious, hardworking, adventurous, curious, and eager to learn. However, they struggle with large egos and the great amount of responsibility being a leader comes with. Their main color is golden. Their secondary color is reddish orange. Their magestones are the same color as their main color.

Mfalme Lionheart (twisted from Adult Simba) - The ambitious and adventurous yet impressionable housewarden of Safarimane who is also a prince. Excited yet nervous about his position, he yearns to be the perfect leader.

Kufu Heshima (twisted from Timon) - A self-centered and lazy pariah who has been friends with Moyo for many years and has become a recent companion of Mfalme. Coming from a poor background, he deeply cares for his family.

Moyo Guluwe (twisted from Pumbaa) - A dimwitted and foolish outcast alongside Kufu, whom he has been friends with for many years. He is the smarter of the two and often tries to teach him.

Tritonelle - the dorm based on the adventurous curiosity of The First Mermaid out of Water (Ariel from The Little Mermaid). The students of this dorm are adventurous, inquisitive, and rebellious to a fault. Because of their curiosity, they often struggle with being contained and restrained. Their main color is emerald green and their secondary color is purple. The color of their magestones are green.

Rielle Poseidonius (twisted from Ariel) - The curious housewarden of Tritonelle who is inquisitive to the extent of rebelliousness. Hailing from merfolk royalty, he is extremely fascinated by humans and the world above.

Sean Hummer (twisted from Sebastian) - A strict and serious disciplinarian who was sent by the royal family to keep Rielle in check as his vice-housewarden. Believes spending time gaining knew knowledge is dangerous folly.

Flynn Fiskene (twisted from Flounder) - A shy, anxious, and timid boy who often accompanies Rielle wherever he goes, even if they are dangerous or against the rules. Loyal and protective, but a bit of a coward and rule-breaker.

Peregrine Vand (twisted from Scuttle) - An eccentric seagull beastman who lacks knowledge of his own lack of knowledge of the human world. Regardless, he continues to collect human objects and "dinglehoppers".

Yatasima - The dorm founded on the cunning wit of The Prince who was also a Thief (Aladdin from Aladdin). The students of this dorm are observant, intelligent, and ambitious as well as kind, compassionate, and selfless. Their main color is dark indigo. Their secondary color is crimson. Their magestones are dark indigo. 

Jasim Al-Siddhartha (twisted from Jasmine) - The housewarden of Yatasima. An icily cold crown prince who will have to find a wife one day amongst the vast nobility of his home country. Once someone wins his trust, his loyalty will know no bounds.

Jinn Thalatha (twisted from Genie) - A bright and cheerful boy whose posivity rivals the sun. While he loves granting wishes and seeing a smile on people's faces, he also has wishes of his own and secretly envies Jasim's housewarden position.

Apfelreine - the dorm based on the benevolent purity of The Fairest Maiden of All (Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). The students of this dorm are benevolent, gentle, and selfless. However, they struggle with naivety. Due to their purity, they are blissfully unaware of the ill-intentions of others and the envy of other people. Their main color is bright red. Their secondary color is dark blue. Their magestones are red as it is canon.

Neige LeBlanche (twisted from Snow White) - The delicately beautiful housewarden of Apfelreine known for being the most beautiful in all of Twisted Wonderland. Pure and innocent, he is blissfully unaware of all those who wish him ill will.

Dominic (twisted from Doc) - An intelligent, responsible, and hardworking dwarf who is the housewarden of Apfelreine as well as the leader of the Seven Swords. While many would question why or how someone who short and childish-looking could possibly serve as a leader, he has never failed in his duties.

Grum (twisted from Grumpy) - A cranky and temperamental dwarf whose tough love often gets mistaken for rudeness. He detests it when people mistake him for a child, even though he sometimes acts like one.

Shelphie (twisted from Sleepy) - A somnolent and drowsy dwarf whose attempts to stay awake always end up in vain. As a result, he sometimes pretends to be awake using his sleeping mask.

Hop (twiste from Happy) - An optimistic and exuberant dwarf who vows to always see the bright side of things and is always seen with a smile on his adorable face.

Timmy (twisted from Timid) - A meek and bashful dwarf who often gets nervous around people. For that reason, he covers his eyes with his hair to avoid eye contact.

Snick (twisted from Sneezy) - A sickly and ailing dwarf with a weak immune system. He almost always has to wear his face mask due to frequently sneezing and wheezing.

Toby (twisted from Dopey) - A scatterbrained and empty-minded dwarf who forgets a lot of things, including his own name. His flightiness and immaturity often annoys the other dwarves.

Kyle Reinheit (twisted from True Love’s Kiss) - An ethereally beauteous hopeless romantic known for his stunning lip products. He often accompanies and assists Neige.

Irotheikos - The dorm based on the heroic courage of the Hero in the Stars (Hercules from Hercules). The students of this dorm are ambitious, tenacious, and hardworking. Their flaw is vanity, as they often get caught up in their current achievements and stray from their initial objective. Their main color is royal blue, and their secondary color is golden yellow. Their magestones are royal blue.

Hector Dyneam (twisted from Hercules) - The flashy and boastful housewarden of Irotheikos who wants to help and save people even in the most dire of situations. His achievements sometimes get to his head, though.

Phillipe Daskalo (twisted from Philoctetes) - A gruff, easily-annoyed, and ornery goat beastman who is the vice-housewarden of Irotheikos. Always scolding the underclassmen for their mistakes and failures.

Colter Evalogue (twisted from Pegasus) - Hector's best friend who has been by his side since childhood. He is very protective of his best friend and will defend him from anyone, even his closest companions if they were to have a dispute. He despises being distracted.

Angeamouria - The dorm based on the graceful virtues of The Slumbering Princess of Roses (Aurora from Sleeping Beauty). The students in this dorm are graceful, elegant, and virtuous. Their only flaw is being painfully shy and being extremely nervous around strangers. Their main color is purple. Their secondary color is golden. Their magestones are also purple.

Aurelius Rosantine (twisted from Aurora) - The housewarden of Angeamouria. An elegant and beneficent prince that struggles to approach people and make friends.

Florian Vancadeau (twisted from Flora) - A headstrong and no-nonsense fairy with very high and strict moral standards. Often frets over Aurelius' appearance.

Faunus Vancadeau (twisted from Fauna) - A gentle and loving young man who often comforts Aurelius during tough times and gives him singing lessons.

Merwin Vancadeau (twisted from Merriweather) - A bold and hot-tempered fairy who is the youngest of his brothers and protects Aurelius with his life.

Tumbledown - An abandoned dorm that was once prosperous with students bustling about, but currently is vacant with its only inhabitants being a bunch of friendly, well-behaved ghosts. It is unknown why, how, or when it became abandoned, but some, particularly a magicless prefect, has begun to suspect that it may have something to do with a magical well just outside the dorm.

Yuu (twisted from ???) - Tell us about yourself

Hanns (twisted from Hans Christian Andersen) - Will be mentioned in the staff.

Uniform:

The school has several uniforms due to how the staff of the school view preparation for every occasion is imperative as well as a sign of sophisticated up-bringing, which the type of image they want to project. For that reason, the students of Royal Sword Academy not only possess a Daily School Day Uniform, a P.E. Uniform, Labwear, Ceremonial Robes, or a Dorm Signature Uniform, but also an Outside-School Special Events Uniform, a School Signature Sports Outfit, and Dorm Pajamas.

Daily School Day Uniform:

(Photo by @twistinghearts)

The schools' Daily School Uniform resembles that of men's fashion during the French Rococo Era as well as the outfit on the left (worn by Farena) in the image above. It consists of a white silk jacket that extends to their knees and is lined with gold lace trim, a silk vest of the student's respective dorm color, a white jabot collar, royal blue pants, a pair of black leather boots with golden trim, an armband of the student's respective dorm colors, white silk gloves, and a golden sword sheath belt that carries their sword-like, magestone-encrusted baton. The light colors and intricacy of the uniform's details are intentional and are purposefully meant to train the wearer to move with delicacy and grace and keep themselves clean.

P.E. Uniform:

Their P.E. Uniform is much less graceful and delicate. It consists of a white shirt lined with the student wearer's main dorm color and blue, as well as navy blue pants lined with the same main dorm color. The students are required to wear white sneakers and bring their magestone baton.

Labwear:

Their Labwear Uniform is perhaps the most practical, and similar to NRC's. It is comprised of a pair of lab goggles, a white lab coat that covers their jabot collar and collarbones, pockets with striped rims based on the student's dorm colors, black rubber gloves, and their golden sword sheath belt carrying their magestone baton.

Ceremonial Robes:

There are, surprisingly, actually two Ceremonial Robe Uniforms - one for the freshmen, and one for the upperclassmen. The Freshmen Ceremonial Robe Uniforms are white, with a few blue parts and minimal gold details. Its white color is meant to symbolize the purity and innocence of the freshmen's youth and how they have yet to learn, while the partial blue and minimal gold parts are made to represent their low rank amongst the student body. The Upperclassmen Ceremonial Robe Uniforms are much more extravagant, being bright royal blue, rimmed with silvery white, and embroidered and embellished with gold silk brocade. Its extravagance and dark color are made to represent nobility and wisdom. Both uniforms are made of silk, are long, flowy, and warm, and bear a resemblance to Headmage Ambrose' uniform and the other two uniforms above. They also contain a golden sword sheath for when they receive their baton.

Dorm Signature Uniform:

The Dorm Signature Uniform differs per dorm. For that reason, it will only be described in different posts where a specific dorm is being discussed.

Outside-School Special Events Uniform:

The Outside-School Special Events Uniform has been seen in-game since it is what RSA students wore during the VDC. It is what is worn during special events that take place outside the school itself. It consists of a white shirt lined with navy with golden buttons, a navy sash lined with white that ties into a bow at the wearer's right hip, navy pants, and black shoes. Unlike the other uniforms, the Outside-School Special Events Uniform is the only uniform to consist of a magestone brooch rather than a golden sword sheath and magestone baton. The reason behind this is because it would be too much to handle.

School Signature Sports Uniform:

The School Signature Sports Uniform is what is worn during the Spelldrive Tournament between RSA and NRC at the end of the school year. It resembles a knight's uniform. It is brilliant white, lined with blue and having blue letters on it, accented with golden shoulder pads, elbow pads, wrist pads, knee pads, and ankle pads, and of course, has a golden belt, sword sheath, and their magestone baton.

Dorm Pajamas:

The Dorm Pajamas differ from dorm to dorm. Therefore, like the Specialized Dorm Uniform, they will only be discussed in later posts.

School Subjects:

(Credits to @twstarchives and @phoenix-manga for inspiration!)

Practical Magic - The understanding, study, practice, and performance of spells, curses, hexes, and incantations

Magic Analysis - Analyse and observe demonstrations of magic

Ancient Curses - the study, analysis, and sometimes even the performance of casting a spell that has a negative intention and effect on another person or being

Conjuration - To create, summon, or transform objects

Defense Magic - Magic used to defend oneself from attacks

Alchemy/Potionology - the use of minerals, plants, and other substances to create potions and other things.

Astrology - The study and analysis of the stars and their magical connection

Biology - the study and understanding of life, specifically magical organisms

Poison Making - The usage of potionology and alchemy to create even the most lethal of poisons. Perfect for an assassin.

Mathematics - The study of numbers and quantities ranging from algebra, mental math, and geometry

Animal Linguistics - The study of animal communication. Talk with your favorite pet!

Etiquette - learn how to become a proper gentleman or lady through sophisticated manners, posture, and poise.

History of Magic - Discover magical developments, historical figures, and significant events and revolutions

Politics and Kingship - Perfect for all the royal and noble students, or anyone who wants to be a world leader one day. Learn and discover diplomacy, hierarchy, and monarchy.

Art - the understanding and creation of beauty that cannot be described.

Music - the students learn how to sing, play an instrument, understand music, or even compose

School Choir - Practically all the Disney Princes and Princesses sing. RSA would be incomplete without it!

Dance - Carry, move, and conduct yourself with grace beyond imagination

Staff:

Ambrose LXIII (twisted from Merlin) - The wise, old headmage of Royal Sword Academy who has held his position for many years. Hailing from a noble family with many ancestors that have done the same, his wisdom knows no bounds. Generously, he lends the player/reader the status of a student and the title of Tumbldown Prefect.

Hanns - A direbeast dog who dreams of becoming the greatest mage ever lived. Well-behaved and respectful yet mischievous and adventurous, he often accompanies the player/reader and leads them on a path to adventure.

Pierre Chenine (twisted from Pongo) - The goofy, fun-loving science professor of Royal Sword Academy who is also the son of a musician and the father of many. He believes strongly about caring for animals, especially canines and is always willing to help his students when they're struggling in his class.

Angelo Marraine (twisted from Fairy Godmother) - A gentle and benevolent professor of Royal Sword Academy who teaches the school's history curriculum. He is always willing to help tidy up his students when things get messy, but kind as he is, he is a stickler for deadlines and won't accept assignments late.

Daniel Pedrosa (twisted from Beast/Prince Adam) - The kind yet tough-loving P.E. teacher at Royal Sword Academy known for his forgiving nature and belief in second chances. Rumored to be crushing on the town librarian.

Max (twisted from Tiana) - The owner of a small shop and restaurant located on school campus. His store supplies students with school supplies or whatever they need, and his restaurant serves the most delicious food.

Clubs:

Future Rulers Association - the members of this club learn how to become better, natural leaders for when they have to inherit a throne or start their own empire. They learn what it takes to be a leader and how to improve the school.

Theatre & Movie Research Club - The RSA equivalent of the Film Studies Club at NRC. The students hear strive to be the best actors they can be or work in the tech crew.

Magift/Spelldrive Club - These students strive to be the most competitive during the Interdorm Spelldrive Tournament as well as the Inter-scholastic Magift/Spelldrive Tournament.

School Band & Music Club - The most gorgeous melodies come from this club. The students here play a variety of instruments and some can sing.

Science Club - The same as NRC. The club members hold outstanding knowledge of potionology, alchemy, biology, astrology, etc. They perform countless experiments and conduct lots of research.

Inter-Species Culture Club - Inspired by how the First Mermaid out of Water managed to bring peace between the humans and merfolk, this club discusses the importance of learning about different cultures, breaking language barriers, and how to make peace.

Knights-In-Training Camp - this club is similar to NRC's Equestrian Club, except the students here not only learn how to ride and tend to horses, but also how to protect their future lords and rulers.

Basketball Club - The same as Night Raven College. The students here partake in the fun and hustle of the sport basketball.

Track & Field Club - The students here enjoy the thrill of running, racing, and winning.

Boardgame Club - The students here are hard at work challenging themselves and their minds on any kind of board game.

Relationship with Night Raven College:

As it is canon, Royal Sword Academy and Night Raven College are currently in a bitter rivalry. This is mainly due to the fact that Royal Sword Academy has beaten Night Raven College in the Inter-Scholastic Magift/Spelldrive Tournament for nearly a century in the past. As a result, Royal Sword Academy students tend to look down upon Night Raven's college's many failures and lack of sportsmanship and refer to them as "a slew of petty, uncultured fools".

Royal Sword Academy students also look at Night Raven College's style in contempt. They think the school's buildings and uniforms are "dreadfully plain" and "with no sense of style".

Author's Note: Most of this is fanon. Everything that is canon and the photos are NOT mine!

[kindasleepywriter]

The way to a droid's heart (Cal Kestis x BountyHunter!Reader)

Based on this wonderful request. Always open to hearing more ideas!

Summary: Cal demonstrates what happens to those who mess with you. Warnings: Implied and explicit threats, that's about it Word count: 2.9k

In all the years you’d known him, you’d never understood how Cal Kestis was still alive. When you had met him 6 years ago, you’d been just as idealistic and adventure-seeking as he was. The years that followed, however, had changed you and shaped you for survival. Dreams didn’t get you very far, not in the galaxy like this one.

You’d quickly lost hope of ever becoming a fighter pilot when you’d realized the few rebel cells were dropping like flies, all at the Empire’s hand. One lone pilot wouldn’t make a difference out there, you’d concluded, and from that moment you’d just tried not to end up as space rubble like your parents. You’d ended up as a bounty hunter instead, a damned-good one, and you took what joy you could while chasing bounties all over space.

Cal, on the other hand, never seemed to lose his ambition of defeating the Empire. Not that he’d ever told you that’s what he was doing, of course, but only a space slug could’ve been so blind as to not see it. He wasn’t exactly being subtle, making no effort to conceal the weapon at his side and giving his real name to anyone who might have asked. His ever-growing collection of scars didn’t portray him as a man who sat around waiting for change, either.

Perhaps you’d ask about them, one day.

--

You watched from the far end of a bar you’d never tried learning the name of, as a stoned-faced Pantoran you didn’t recognize spoke with Cal. You couldn’t quite hear their conversation but, with the way BD-1 had whizzed in boredom for a good 10 minutes before scurrying off to scan whatever he could find, you could deduce they weren’t exactly talking about their latest game of holo-chess.

You turned back to your drink, flipping up your hood and shaking your head softly at the man’s persistence. On the move, as always.

You were starting to come to terms with the fact that your contact wouldn’t be showing up. You’d already sighed watching your watch more times than you could count, annoyed at the inconvenience of flying so far into the outer rim for nothing. It had been a pain negotiating your meeting too, the contact insisting on you being alone with no weapons. You’d eventually faked giving in, choosing to keep your rifle and pistol on board your currently broken down S40K and instead hiding vibro-blades inside your boots.

The ship was already on its last legs when you got it, the only reason why you’d been able to pay, but the years had caught up with it in the last two months. You spent almost all of your money on maintaining it in the air, and you were running out of funds fast.  The anticipated need to buy another cheap but more reliable hunk of metal was what had caused you to pick up another bounty only a few days after your last.

Normally, you liked to spread out jobs over a few weeks to enjoy the credits you made, but the sputtering of your engines when you’d crash landed into this city’s landing dock had made clear you couldn’t afford the luxury this time.

You were nearing the bottom of your drink, trying to plan a way off this planet without mounting any more personal debts to anyone, when you felt a small nudge at your right foot. You looked down, expecting to see some rodent or pest trying to eat through your sole, but were instead met with a little red and white hyperactive droid.

You scanned the room quickly to make sure no one was looking, and stretched a hand in his direction so he could haul himself up onto the cushioned booth. He didn’t hesitate to scramble up your arm, emitting a few whizzes and beeps of thanks on the way.

“Hey, beedee,” you greeted him flatly. “Thought I finally managed to evade your scans this time; guess I was wrong.”

A low whistle and a trill.

“I know, I know, you see everything. It’s hard to forget when you always choose to remind me at least twenty times every time you find me.”

He emitted a series of approving noises, and you rolled your eyes at his cockiness. Where he’d gotten that attitude wasn’t a great mystery. He jumped on one foot, nudging at your coat’s pockets with the other, his eyes going in and out of focus audibly as he searched for god-knows-what.

You tsked. “Will you stop that!” you chided and swatted him away like you would a cat. “Yes, I brought you something from my last job, stop assaulting me for a minute and let me find the damn thing. And you better not tell your dad, I’m not letting him think I’m a softie just because I keep entertaining your crow tendencies.”

Suddenly the picture of good manners, the droid sat and wiggled his legs as he sent you a sweet melody. Manipulative little shit, you thought affectionately. He was annoying as could be, but the little guy was cute.

You fished out a shiny piece of silver metal from your breast pocket. You had made sure not to lose the small leaf-shaped brooch, the perfect gift for BD-1. Your last bounty had necessitated infiltrating an Imperial event, and you’d found the piece while snooping through an officer’s desk. You’d never been so happy to have preemptively messed with the camera feeds.

The droid whistled in excitement and bathed your hand in a green light. You tried and failed to fight the smile that braced your lips as you watched him dance around your palm. He scanned the object from every angle he could find.

Too focused on his reaction, you failed to notice the individual looking over your shoulder until his shadow dimmed the wall you were facing. Too late to react properly, you shut your hand as quick as you could and turned to look at the man. Kin Fobam. Another bounty hunter, a Pau’an, one that always found a new way to piss you off. Today would apparently be no exception. BD beeped in annoyance at your movement before noticing you had company.

“Well, well. It would seem our little bounty hunter has a penchant for jewels after all.” the man sneered at you.

You rolled your eyes and did your best not to flinch at the lack of personal space, his two-meter height trapping you without much breathing room. You could smell the alcohol he had consumed, but you didn’t need it to know he was intoxicated. At this time of night, he always was. You were already almost pressed to the wall of your booth with only enough space to keep BD behind you, so you stood your ground and straightened up as best you could. You kept the droid in place as he spat angry threats at Kin, unwilling to let him make the situation worse.

“Kin, don’t you know women love shiny things?” you mocked with an arched brow, “Maybe if you’d known that earlier, that lovely Iridonian wouldn’t have spat at you again for your advances last week. How’s your attempt at courting her going, by the way?”

You subtly held the metal pin in pinched fingers behind your back as his white face somehow turned even paler in anger, desperately hoping BD-1 would understand what you were trying to tell him. You almost sighed in relief when you felt him swiftly slide it out of your hands into his stim container.

Kin moved even closer to you, forcing you to lean over BD in a desperate attempt to gain some personal space. Your free hand instinctively reached for your hip but only found the weathered leather of your empty holster. Shit, you’d left your guns on the ship! You didn’t have the space to reach for your blades either, so you had no choice but to do it the old way.

You tensed, ready to headbutt the towering Pau’an out of your space, but you stilled when you felt cold metal brush against your skin in the small gap where your shirt and pants met. A blaster. Fuck. This is why you never left without a firearm.

“I wonder, if that piece of metal is worth so much to someone like you,” he growled, “then maybe you’d accept payment in other forms… as thanks for sparing your life today, hm?”

You cringed at the implication of his words but took a steadying breath. You’d insulted this guy in more ways than you could count over the years and you knew he could pull that trigger without a second thought, but you’d fought bounties that were bigger, angrier, and certainly more skilled. He wasn’t the first to try and extort sexual favors from you, nor would he be the last.

Your brain spun in circles, trying to come up with a plan that didn’t involve blaster fire passing through your right kidney and BD-1 in one fell swoop. You didn’t have to think for long, though.

Before you could make a move, a blinding orange light flashed between you and Kin, floating just underneath his chin. You could feel the heat from where you were, could imagine the pain its power wielded. The way the man’s white flesh turned pink at its proximity didn’t go unnoticed.

“How about I gift her with the loss of your life as an apology for letting her endure your dirty ass, Kin?” a smooth voice drawled, the speaker invisible to you with your still-focusing eyes, but you didn’t need to see him to know who it was. As if the lightsaber wasn’t already enough to identify him, but you’d know that voice anywhere too. You weren’t the only one, if the cheering beeps you heard behind you were any indications.

A smirk braced your features as the Pau’an gritted his sharp teeth, hesitating a second before raising his hands in a defeated manner. He demonstratively holstered his pistol to make sure his head wasn’t cut off at the movement and he slowly stepped back a few feet away. The lightsaber didn’t stray a single millimeter from him. His brows pinched in anger, and he looked expectantly towards you. “It was just a little bit of fun, right?” he said as he hissed in pain. “Nothing to get upset about.”

You chuckled at the attempt. “I don’t know, I’m thinking your head on a platter sounds pretty great right about now. Maybe I can find someone out here who’d enjoy some barbecued Pau’an. What do you think, Cal?”

Your heart skipped a beat when your gaze met amused grey eyes over Kin’s hunched shoulders. He winked at you, and you couldn’t help but bite your lower lip.

“I’m pretty sure that violates too many health codes,” he said, “you know, quality standards and such.”

BD whistled in agreement, scampering up onto your back and nudging the side of your head when you got up to lean against the side of your table.

“Too bad,” you sighed, crossing your arms, “maybe it could’ve bought me some new earrings.”

Cal laughed loudly, warmth spreading through your chest at the lovely sound before he closed a hand on the sweaty neck before him and brought his blade even closer to his chin. “The next time you even come within 20 feet of her,” he stated casually, loudly enough for the entire bar to hear and turn the heads of the few who weren’t already watching, “you won’t live long enough to say ‘womp rat’. Are we clear?”

Well, if your heart hadn’t been beating fast before, it sure was now. Never had a threat sounded so attractive before. You diverted your gaze. Get a grip, you reprimanded yourself.

BD-1 only encouraged him, a crackling sound buzzing entirely too close to your ear for your liking. When did he get a taser? You didn’t even want to know what he used it for, finding trouble with his new gadgets was a special talent of his.

Kin, now wide eyed, muttered an affirmative and a long line of fearful apologies, eager to escape the Jedi. Cal flicked off his saber and forcefully shoved him away. The Pau’an bolted out the door of the bar, running for his life, and you couldn’t help but laugh at his fear. BD reprimanded Cal for acting so late, beeps and squeals echoing through the room after the patrons returned to their usual business, but the red-haired man was only focused on you. Your skin heated at the attention.

“I could’ve dealt with him myself.”

He gave you a wide smile and stepped closer, no Pau’an separating you anymore. “Oh, I know. Wasn’t this much more fun though?”

The corner of your lips twitched, and you shrugged, softly shaking your head at his ever-lasting upbeat attitude. You uncrossed your arms, placing them behind you on the rusty table to comfortably lean back. “Still could’ve knocked him out faster without alerting every possible person of a Jedi’s presence here.”

“Give me a break,” he said almost sheepishly, reaching up a hand to scratch the back of his neck, “is a guy not allowed to show off to a pretty girl every once in a while?”

Your breath hitched on a single breath, caught off-guard. Sure, the two of you joked around all the time, but he’d never gone so far as to straight up flirt with you. You tried not to react, probably failing miserably at doing so.

“Smooth.”

He threw his head back in laughter, his reddened freckled cheeks showing more embarrassment that he let on. “I try.”

“Next time,” you said, striding past him, “if you really want to show off, perhaps you shouldn’t wait until there’s a blaster pointed at me before making your move.”  You had no idea how you kept your voice steady, and you couldn’t help but hear the rare softness of it. You were thankful that he couldn’t see how wide of a smile you currently wore.

He jogged to catch up, keeping pace with you as you headed for the docking bay. “I’ll keep that in mind” he chuckled.

You glanced back at the bar over your shoulder, and BD started emitting alarm noises from your other side, indignant at still being ignored. You patted his head, quieting him for a moment. “Where did your informant go?” you asked Cal. “Wouldn’t want to hinder your next side quest.”

“That was anything but a quest,” he said, “Just a boring old trade. Wouldn’t be so boring if you were there, though.”

A loud whistle of approval sounded above your shoulder.

“Hey, calm it, up there!” you exclaimed, using another opportunity to escape from answering. “I’ve only got two eardrums, let’s not break one of them.”

BD whistled again at a lower volume, followed by a barely audible series of sounds.

“Yeah, weak organics my ass,” you muttered. “We’ll talk about how great being a droid is the next time you bend your antennas and come running to me.”

Cal’s soft laugh caught your attention once more. He was watching you both with such a fond smile... Your heart squeezed at how soft he looked, for once not rushing towards something and instead enjoying the moment.

As you neared your ship, small tendrils of smoke still escaping the upper vents, he looked at his watch when it suddenly started beeping, and he made a face. “I’d love to hear the rest of your arguing, but we have to go. A revolution doesn’t fund itself.” he said. He looked up at the droid sitting on your shoulders. “Yes, beedee, that means you. Hop on.”

Cal held out an arm, BD begrudgingly taking his usual spot on his shoulders, spitting menacing sparks at the jedi along the way. The latter looked towards you with a flicker of hope as he stepped backwards towards the back of the hangar where the Mantis stood. “Can I convince you to join me this time? Still got an extra bunk if you want.”

“I don’t think you want me and beedee on the same ship 24/7, Cal. Anyways, I’ve told you before, I can’t just discard my old one.”

He stared at your smoking Hawk-Class before he turned to you unimpressed. “That thing can’t even fly.”

“It can! I just need to fix the cooling mechanism and-”

“And the hull, the reactors, the hyperdrive, the-” he continued, amused at your stubbornness.

“Okay, okay,” you scoffed, “you’ve made your point. Might as well drop it here, I guess. I could hitch a ride, if you’re heading towards the inner rim, but I’ve got approximately nothing to give in payment for the fuel.”

BD startled you with a burst of binary, so fast you couldn’t hear him. Cal looked at you sharply.

“You’ve been giftinghim things?” he exclaimed.

“You utter snitch, beedee!”

The droid whistled at you disapprovingly and loudly shot the brooch from his stim compartment right into Cal’s hands.

“I can’t believe you,” you continued, “the one thing I told you-”

You fell right back into your argument with the droid.

Cal tilted his head back in loud laughter and threw an arm around your shoulders as you whisper-yelled at BD-1, leading you towards the Mantis. “We’re going to have so much fun.”

Getting side-tracked by BD1? In my supposedly Cal-centered fic? It's more likely than you think.

This was pre-realtionship like my last Cal fic because tbh i have trouble setting up the change from friends to lovers without writing a whole novel, but I have some ideas roaming around my head I'd like to write. We'll see how that turns out!

Tell me what you think, and check out my masterlist!

[goosewriting]

I have an inq!cal thought!

Reader and cal both having a crush on the other when they were both on the mantis and just when they finally admit it to the other and get together something happens and cal is presumed to be dead but actually he’s been captured by the empire and turned into an inquisitor and then during a mission reader is on she runs into cal 👀

And like it could be a good ending OR Cal’s conditioning wins and he kisses reader as he runs them through after reader says they can’t fight him and like uh I am very partial to the angst ending

The Bad Ending

summary: years after thinking Cal is dead, reader meets him again as an Inquisitor. 

relationship: inquisitor!Cal Kestis x gn!reader

warnings: mention of character death, also actual character death (ahem, you, ahem), yummy angst

word count: 3k

A/N: i too, am very partial to the angst ending so, bon appetit 😌 no but seriously this has been sitting in my wips for FAR too long, i really loved this idea so i hope i made it justice! thank you sm for requesting and the patience dearest anon<3

(english is not my first language. constructive criticism and grammar corrections are very appreciated!)

— — —

Somewhere in the Outer Rim, it’s early dawn on a small, often overlooked planet. The first rays of sun hit your face as you’re helping a fellow resistance fighter in loading a truck with some supplies, and it makes you squint. You stop your motions to block the light with your hand held to your forehead, and for a split second, you see a head of red hair in the corner of your eye. Your body reacts on its own, immediately turning and craning your neck to find him. But it’s a false alarm, obviously. The ginger human gives you a weird look as you’re staring, then shrugs their shoulders and keeps walking. 

Heaving a sigh, you load the last of the crates, shaking your head at yourself in embarrassment. It’s already been years since you last saw him. Since you saw any of them. The crew of the Stinger Mantis.

You can’t help the small smile on your face when you think back to everything that you went through together. All the adventures, the missions…the sneaking out. Stolen glances here and there, lingering touches that may have meant something more, making the most of every moment because you knew it could be the last. Except that you didn’t actually believe that. All of you knew how risky the missions were, aware of the dangers that seemed to loom around every corner. But you hoped to, wanted to spend the rest of your life with him. None of you was invincible, you knew that. But to think that he would just be… gone. It still stings. 

When retrieving the Holocron on Bogano, the Second Sister confronted Cal in the vault, except that you never saw him come out. By then, the Stormtroopers had overrun the place, so you had to leave. But you came back, multiple times, searching for him. Every time unsuccessful. 

At some point, you came to terms with the fact that she had probably killed him in the vault, a place you couldn’t access as you’re not Force sensitive. The thought of Cal being in there, bleeding out, alone, BD probably also dismantled by the Imperials… The thought makes you shiver to this day.

Losing Cal took a toll on everyone, and it didn’t take long for the Mantis crew to split up after that. Cere took it particularly badly, blaming herself for the failures, both with Trilla and Cal. Ever since then, you’ve never seen or heard of either Cere or Greez again. So you were on your own. 

You’ve been lying low, helping out more from behind the scenes instead of getting into the action like back then. But you can’t deny the fact that you miss Cal every single day. Despite knowing that you’ll never see him again, you can’t help but wonder “what if”. Back then, you two had something going on. You were actually planning on confessing to him after you safely got off Bogano with the Holocron. But those plans were cut short by one very grumpy Inquisitor. You still regret not having told him sooner, as you were fairly certain he felt the same way. To this day, you still dream with Cal at night, picturing what life would be like if he was there with you.

Shaking your head to focus on the task at hand, you look down at the fruit you’ve been holding in your hand. You were so lost in thought, you didn’t even notice that the loaded truck was long gone, and your feet brought you to the city market. The vendor at the stall you’re standing at looks at you suspiciously, so you shoot them a quick smile and put the fruit back into the basket, then stroll to the next stand.

Focusing back on the task at hand, you force yourself to shove the painful memories aside to make room for a mental plan. The rebellion is growing every day, and that means the amount of mouths to feed is increasing as well, so you’re to get provisions at the market. Other supplies like tools and machinery parts were sent off just earlier. The food you’d bring yourself to a hidden spot where your contact told you they’d pick it up. You just have to find a way to smuggle it all out of there unseen by the imperial troops, who walk around the place in regular patrols.

You actually have your suspicions that your contact is either a Jedi themselves, or someone who’s working closely with one, as there’s been rumours here and there about someone with mystic powers having arrived in the village. No matter if they’re true or not, you really hope the rumours will settle down quickly, as it will undoubtedly attract unwanted attention.

After you’re done with your shopping spree, you look at your haul, which occupies several large crates. You grimace slightly, as it’s more than you anticipated. Maybe you can ask that one farmer who owes you a favour if you can borrow his cart, since you can’t carry all of this on your speeder. Getting your holopad out of your satchel, you double-check the drop-off place, and conclude that hiding the crates there will be quick work. The problem is the cart itself; hopefully with enough hay you’ll be able to cover them all to go by unnoticed. 

So that’s exactly what you do. The farmer is more than happy to help, and you feel a little bad knowing that you’re about to leave his cart at the pick-up spot, then tell him that there was an accident and it broke down, getting swept away by the river which conveniently ends in a waterfall not far away. You’ll pay him for the cart of course, but even so… you’re essentially lying to his face. While in this case, the end does justify the means, this part of the job still doesn’t get any easier for you. 

It’s the same afternoon when you’re loading up the cart. The animal pulling it is tame and knows you, so you bring some extra treats for her. Once you’re done putting on the harness and hiding your crates, you head out. It’s a sunny day, and except for the occasional bleating, the clicking of your tongue and the clinking of the reins, there's not much else. 

The air is calm, and you allow yourself to hum a little tune to yourself. As you arrive at a narrow passage between two walls of stone that leads into the valley, the path turns a sharp corner and you can’t really see ahead. Only once you fully turn are you able to take in the image before you, and your blood runs cold in your veins. Not far in front of you, there’s a shuttle parked on the road, blocking your way, and half a dozen Stormtroopers stand with their loaded weapons. You pull on the reins, wanting to turn her around, but as you look behind you, you see more troopers blocking the other way as well.

You bring the cart to a halt instead and turn back to the front, reaching for the blaster under your seat, when from behind the shuttle you see two dark figures appear: an Inquisitor, followed by a Purge Trooper. The latter approaches you in quick strides, pointing one of the two electrobatons at you.

“Get down,” comes his modulated but demanding voice through the helmet.

You hesitate for a second, unsure of what to do. Biting the inside of your cheek, you quickly analyse the situation, concluding that while you certainly can't take on all troopers alone, let alone an Inquisitor, maybe you can make a run for it towards the thicker vegetation. You just have to make it back past the narrow passage you just came from.

“I said get down!” the Purge Trooper barks, clearly annoyed. 

“Alright, alright,” you finally respond.

You motion to stand up, as if you’re pushing yourself off your seat with your hands, but instead get your rifle from underneath and, from your elevated position, you shoot the trooper right between the shoulder and chest plates of is armour. 

He falls down to the ground with a groan, and you jump off the wagon, making a run for it. You know your rifle can penetrate the normal Stormtrooper armour, so you shoot the ones that had appeared behind you, hitting each one twice, and push past them.

You don’t look back despite hearing the other troopers closing in on you, and you duck as they shoot at you. But you know their aim is not the best, so you keep going, your lungs burning at the sudden effort. You’re just passing the treeline when something knocks you over; you seem to trip over air as you fall face first to the ground, hard. You barely manage to let go of your rifle to brace yourself, and you roll a couple of times from the speed you were coming at.

Everything spins for a moment, and you reach out to grab your weapon and keep going, but an invisible force keeps you pinned to the ground on your back. You groan in frustration and confusion, looking up to see the troopers now gathered around you aiming their blasters at you, yet not firing. They all take a step back to let the Inquisitor walk through, and you give them the best glare you can muster.

The red visor glistens, the sun reflecting on it, as they tilt their head to the side while looking at you. Then comes the modulated voice, calling your name. Not just your name, but your nickname, the one only one person ever used for you. One that you were certain you’d never hear again.

You let out a shuddering breath as you watch in horror how the Inquisitor takes off the helmet, dislodging it with a hiss, to reveal the face underneath. 

“So we meet again, after all these years,” Cal says, running his free hand through his hair, looking down at you with a sour face. “After you left me for dead.”

Your mind is reeling, unable to comprehend the situation.

“I- You-” you stumble over your words. “We didn’t leave you. We thought you were dead. We looked for you!”

He gives you a half-hearted chuckle.

“Not well enough, it seems…” he retorts. “Yeah, well, the crew never was much anyway. I work better, alone, after all.”

“You know that’s not true”, you say in a small voice, your body finally catching up to the situation, starting to shiver.

He extends his hand towards you, and you find yourself being lifted off the ground and to your feet, but slowly pushed backwards into the forest.

“Leave us,” he orders without breaking eye contact with you, and the troopers obey, putting some distance between you and them. For every step Cal walks towards you, you take one back, and after a few moments you’re surrounded by vegetation, out of sight and earshot from the others. Only then does he let go of you, and you stand there for a second, looking at each other. 

Then the quiet tension becomes almost unbearable. There's so much you want to tell him, ask him. What happened in the vault? Did he ever come looking for you? Even if you never got to tell him yourself, does he know how you felt about him?

“I don’t know if it means anything to you anymore,” you finally break the silence. “But I missed you.”

He doesn’t answer, instead continuing to look at you with this unreadable, almost bored expression.

“Are you going to kill me?” you decide to ask instead, fearing the answer. 

“If you stand in my way, I might have to,” he replies, and your heart drops. “You’re not my target, though.”

“Then who is?” Your gaze falls to the ground.

“There’s been reports of a Jedi in the village,” Cal says, taking a careful step towards you. Your eyes snap back up to his, stopping him in his tracks.

“So that’s what you do now? Hunt Jedis?” You don’t try to hide the hurt in your voice.

He merely raises a brow at you, as if the answer to that is obvious. It is. 

“And you're okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You were a Jedi once, too.”

“Technically, I never got knighted, so no,” he retorts with a hint of a sadistic smile.

You scoff.

“But Cere would have done it sooner or later, I’m sure…”

At the mention of the name, Cal frowns.

“Yet she didn’t,” he states coldly. He looks up into the trees with a deep breath, then picks some imaginary lint off his uniform, his face relaxing back into the nothingness from before. His eyes snap back up to meet yours as he stands still. “And she won’t.”

“W-what do you mean by that,” you ask, horrified. “Is she…”

Again, he doesn’t answer.

“D-did you…”

You see his jaw tense up, and your body runs cold, colder.

“Cal, what have you done,” you breathe, barely audible, and bring your hands up to hide your face. You can feel the tears prickling at the back of your eyes, and you try your best to hold them back.

“I only did what must be done,” he answers matter-of-factly, then takes a step towards you, but you take a quick one back. He stops again. “So what were you planning on doing, exactly? Run away?”

You shift uncomfortably.

“I would have found you either way, just like I did now.”

“I thought I wasn’t your target,” you retort. 

“And you aren’t,” he assures you. “But after finding out you’re here, I just wanted… to see you.”

“Why,” you mutter, not really meant as a question. “After all this time. Not like this.”

He takes another slow step towards you, and this time you don't have it in you to back away. Your tears are running freely now, rolling down your cheeks as you hold back a sob. Now standing right in front of you, Cal lets go of his helmet, which falls onto the grass with a soft thud. His gloved hands come up to cup your face, his thumb swiping away a tear over your cheekbone.

“I missed you,” he says in a small voice that doesn’t really fit with his current image.

“And I missed you,” you choke out, placing your hands over his. “So, so much.”

You look into his eyes, now a fiery yellow, and the sight is so unfamiliar, so cold, that you can’t hold his gaze for long, and it falls back down, but you don’t want to look at his black armour either, so you look to the side instead. Your hands still hold his in place, though.

“I really thought you were dead, Cal, but this…” you manage to say after taking several shaky breaths. “An Inquisitor… This is no way to live. It’s not you. We can escape together. Start over. Whatever they did to you, we’ll undo it layer by layer. Please.”

“I’m afraid that's not possible,” he says, dropping one hand while the other moves from your cheek to your chin, making you look at him, and he studies your face for a moment. “But I can’t let you go either. You're working with the resistance fighters, aren't you.”

“I- I’m continuing where we left off, just in a different way.”

“So you are working with the Jedi, and as such against the Empire.”

His hand goes to the back of your neck, holding you in place, and a strange panic starts to settle in your limbs as you realise you can’t move away from his hold. Cal is so close now that you can feel his breath fanning over your cheek.

“If I let you go, will you shoot me?” he asks in a low voice.

You want to scoff, but it’s more of a teary-eyed huff.

“I could never, Cal. I- I loved you,” you tilt up your face to properly look him in the eyes. “I never stopped loving you. I still do.”

He tilts his head ever so slightly to the side, his brows furrowing, then scrunching upwards in the middle, as if he just remembered something painful.

“So do I,” he whispers. 

You let out a sob, broken-hearted. All this time. All this time and he felt the same, was alive. But now he’s… an Inquisitor. A killing machine, fed by his own pain and anger, a tool used by the Empire to eradicate any remaining traces of hopefulness that people still might harbour.

“I can’t fight you,” he finally says.

“Neither can I,” you assure him.

Then he leans in, kissing you hard, and your mind is reeling. He holds you in place with the hand at your nape, your own coming up to hold his face. He kisses you like he’s making up for lost time, pouring his very being into it, and you reciprocate.

Somewhere in your mind, the metallic clink and the pressure against your side got registered, but with the kiss, it’s too much input to make sense of anything else. 

Cal breaks the kiss and pulls back just enough to look you in the eyes, and you see a single tear rolling down his cheek.

“But I can’t let you go either,” he whispers against your lips, voice breaking, and before you can ask what he means, you not only hear his lightsabre igniting, you feel it. 

Your mouth opens in a silent scream. Within a split second, your upper body feels on fire, and a sharp, unbearable pain prevents you from breathing or thinking straight. You hear your own flesh sizzle as Cal retracts his weapon after running it through you. Even though your legs give in, he holds your full weight, embracing you, and slowly kneels down, bringing you down with him gently.

“C-Cal,” you gasp for air as your lungs burn quite literally, everything around you getting blurry.

“I’m sorry,” he says over and over, caressing your cheek softly as he kisses you again. 

With your last effort, your hand comes up to hold his, but it goes limp before it can do so, falling onto the ground. Cal cries into your shoulder, holding your limp body for a long time, until it turns cold.

~~~~~

🐥 taglist: [link to join in my pinned post!] @dybynyght, @galaxtic-writings, @kalea-bane, @soka-writes-things, @padawancat97, @riddikulus-obsessions, @optimisticprime3, @starilicious, @ivelostmyabilitytoeven, @alternatescififandomelover, @lovelyygirl8, @cathyket, @wildefire, @ghostkestis

[padawansuggest]

Real take: I like Star Wars. I like the prequels because they have more fleshed out world building than the originals. I like the originals because it has a compelling storyline and character building. I like the cartoons because they do things that live action cannot. I like the children’s show Young Jedi Adventures and I think it’s both cute, extremely full of world building, and it’s designed to bring back the cartoon storyline of learning a lesson every episode that young children can relate to. I like the Mandalorian because it took a species with exactly two known people from it, and added a third, but made them a baby, and they were cute, and it shows the morals of Mandalorian adoption and love for children. I love Ahsoka because it took a favorite cartoon series and not only brought it to life, but also it’s funny and very full of world building for both the New Republic Rebellion scene, as well as more Dathomirian nightsister lore. I love a lot of other Star Wars off-shoots because they gave good storylines, they try to bridge plotholes, and a lot of amazing characters and new places to play with. I adore, fucking love, would give my life for Star Wars Visions; the lore and new concepts alone have captivated me and I can and HAVE made posts about things Visions did that no other SW series has touched and I’m so obsessed with the force and it’s aspects as well as just species and such you have no idea I would sell any of you for SW Visions. In fact, I would sell any of you for Young Jedi Adventures too. The worldbuilding alone for those two series is enough to have me vibrating with excitement with every episode. Sometimes I rewatch episodes of them just for random juicy facts that I can use for fics.

But you know why I don’t tell people I like Star Wars in real life? People always lookin at something they hate, and the most incel take on it is that it’s got too many women now. But irl non-fandom people who just want to ‘enjoy the ambiance of the original trilogy’ and me do not get along because they actually hate Star Wars. They genuinely hate Star Wars.

I can give you 50 plot lines in various sections of canon and legends that boiled my blood (tho not that one time Anakin at 12 literally boiled a man’s blood inside his body, that was hilarious his eyes turned black like a demons I’m so obsessed with him), but I’m not gonna talk about those.

Aren’t you exhausted? Wouldn’t it be nicer to gush about how amazing a certain costume design was? How the implications of a certain species makes you so excited you could burst? Wouldn’t you like to talk about how that one character just doesn’t get enough love and it wasn’t because they were fridged it was just because they didn’t get enough love from the fans for being black or female or disabled or something?

I am going to tell you this now, and you’re gonna hate me for it but I’m right: if you didn’t like Mortis because you think the force Doesn’t Work Like That? You don’t like Star Wars.

I’m tired of interacting with comments on commercials because it’s full of idiots crying about more women, a black character, the fact that ‘oh that wouldn’t happen’ as if the High Republic era didn’t literally have some sort of fucked up midichlorian vampire roaming the outer rim killing anyone force sensitive. Obviously they def would have acolytes set before the prequels shove it up your ass.

Anyways. Stop talking about what you hate. Yes, I get it. We are tired of rote pumped stories, but that doesn’t change the fact that there will ALWAYS be someone who hates the story you love, and loves the story you hate. You cannot please everyone, and I for one have found just about all off-shoot SW series individualized and compelling in some way or another.

You know what I did when I starting hating about 90% of all new Marvel movies? I stopped watching them. If I want back in the fandom I have older ones I can watch or simply only interact with fics.

Because Marvel, as much as they Need To Calm Their Shit, isn’t about me, and it isn’t for me anymore.

But I think a lot of you hate so much Star Wars content that you truly need to stop interacting with the series. It’s not for you anymore. And just because you didn’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not real SW. Not sorry, but this ain’t your scene anymore and you need to find a new one.

[skywalkr-nberrie]

Anidala headcanons both wholesome and spicy? Ewe

Omgg!! Let’s do it! Buckle up cause this is about to get sort of loooong 😊

Fluffy headcanons

- anytime Anakin is away on a mission, he comes back with a gift for Padmé from the various different planets he’s missioned on. He gets her something as simple as exotic flowers or gems he’s found on those planets, sometimes they’re from the Outer Rim and sometimes Wild Space as well. He either brings them to her whole, or he makes a necklace, bracelet, some sort of jewelry out of it like he did with the Japor Snippet.

- Padmé told Anakin on their wedding night that her name means “lotus” and ever since then, Anakin buys her a Nabooian lotus scented perfume that Padmé didn’t even know existed till Anakin gave it to her. He says it reminded him of her, and it’s been Padmé’s most favourite scent from that point on.

- Padmé loves fairytales and folklores from her homeworld, and she also knows a lot about the ones from other planets too. Anakin is also a huge fan of folktales but he doesn’t know any of them outside the ones from Tatooine. So when Anakin is having a rough night, she lays him down on her lap, plays with his hair, and retells those folklores to him. It helps him calm down.

- Anakin is a huge theatre nerd, he loves soap operas, dramas, and plays! Padmé always plans a date whenever she gets word that a show will be playing at the opera house and Anakin is on his way home.

- Anakin is good at pottery and moulding (a personal HC of mine, lol.) he often makes fancy flower vases or decorative pieces for Padmé, ones that she keeps safe for special occasions like parties, meetings, formal gatherings, etc.

- Anakin and Padmé like to play fight a lot (pillow fights, wrestling, etc.)

- Anakin and Padmé enjoy training together, which results in some sparring one another as well. It usually ends in a tie because they’re both just too good. (They also shamelessly flirt during these too.)

- one of their favourite things to do together, is have dinner and cooking together. Anakin is the better cook, but Padmé is into baking! Anakin makes dinner, while Padmé prepares dessert. Padmé cakes are also very creative and well decorated while Anakin’s dinners always look mouth watering. Anakin learned cooking from Shmi, and honed his skills when he went away on different worlds and took the time to learn a couple of things from the cuisines while he was there. Padmé on the other hand has always been fond of baking since she was a young girl on Naboo.

- Anakin is an amazing artist/painter. He’s more into capturing landscapes and inanimate objects, and mapping out the design for his next mechanical project but his favourite muse will always be Padmé! Padmé has a collection of canvases with just her portrait on it. (She cherishes all of them.)

- add on to the last one, Anakin also sees photography as a way of art, so he often captures photos of Padmé in unveiled moments where she’s completely lost in her own world, unaware of what’s happening around her. Anakin keeps those photos for later, so he can draw/paint it.

- Anakin and Padmé are children at heart at times, and they’re always up for any sort of adventure and fun! When they have time, they often visit festivals, theme parks, carnivals, and even visit an arcade together if they felt daring (which they usually are.)

- Anakin and Padmé are also both into gardening, Anakin doesn’t know much about it but wants to learn because it’s a hobby of Padmé’s. They make plans together of after the war, starting a family, leaving duty behind, settling down on Naboo, getting their own property and having an entire garden beside their house.

Okay! Enough of the fluff, let’s dive into spicy Anidala!

- Padmé is huge in dressing up, so this means she’s also into role playing. She has 12 different sets and collections for her lingerie and one of them included different costumes for role play sex. She’s definitely got an angel costume in there somewhere lol.

- Anakin visits Padmé while she’s working in her senate office and knows she can’t fully focus on talking to him because she’s busy, Anakin busies himself then by sneaking under her desk to pull her panties down underneath her dress so he can eat her 🐱 Padmé completely lets him, and does her best to stay focused but she’s dying inside.

- Padmé is 10000% a screamer and a huge moaner during sex. She has to cover her mouth a lot of times when they’re in public in doing something because she knows one moan from her will let the entire galaxy know what they’re up to.

- Padmé’s favourite sex style is riding Anakin, while Anakin’s is doggy style (in front of the mirror)

- Anakin and Padmé make holovids for one another of them masturbating, stripping, or even just nudes to send over while they’re apart. And they send it through their secret comlink that Anakin made specifically for them.

- Anakin gets so jealous when Padmé uses her vibrator when she’s pleasuring herself because he’s just jealous of anything that isn’t HIS, even though Padmé is literally dreaming of him when she touches herself. She tells him that she measured her “toy” to the same size Anakin’s 🍆 is so he shouldn’t be so jealous, but it doesn’t matter, he’ll pick a fight with anything if it has Padmé’s attention. She finds it cute when he gets all possessive and jealous over her, so she keeps it just to tease him.

- whenever Anakin and Padmé are away on a retreat together, they hardly wear any clothes as there’s no point. They’re always grabbing at each other and going at it any chance they get, so there’s no use for clothes anyway, they roam around their Villa completely naked sometimes.

- Anakin loves Padmé boobs, he plays with them on top her clothes, under her clothes, and even at times he uses the Force if Padmé likes it. He just loves having his hands on her tits. And this makes Padmé feel good because shes always felt like her breasts were small and not attractive enough. Anakin is the one to demolish these feelings.

- another activity that’s a favourite of theirs is taking a bath together! Padmé soaks the bathtub in all her scents, bath salts, bubble bars, and bath bombs to make it extra sensual and romantic. She dims the lights and lights up some candles too, puts petals in the water and sinks in with him. They either spend the whole bath making out and touching each other or talking out their days, and having deep meaningful conversations.

- after sex, Anakin has a habit of taking a marker and drawing constellations on Padmé’s bare back and taking a photo of it to show her his masterpiece. She loves it so much that she doesn’t wanna wash it away, but after sex showers are a must so…

- during sex, they’re both into dirty talking and sweet nothings! They can either make love or straight just f*ck each other 🤣 Anakin tells Padmé what a tight and wet 🐱 she has, Padmé tells Anakin that he’s so hard and big, then they proceed in passionately saying the words “I love you” on repeat as they’re cumming into each other.

Okay that’s all for now! Hope that it satisfies 😅

[imaginative-joy]

“I want adventure in the great wide galaxy! I want it more than I can tell…”

As much as Belle loves the stories told on the holocrons in the Jedi Archive she helps guard, what she really wants is a real Jedi adventure as told in the legends she knows so well. Her chance comes from a distress signal on a remote planet in the Outer Rim. Thankfully, she makes a droid friend, CHIP2-D2, who explains that the inhabitants of this planet are cursed…

Another redraw of an older piece! Jedi Belle and CHIP2-D2 were originally drawn back in 2015. Belle has always been the hardest Disney Princess for me to draw, so I took an extra long time studying model sheets and screenshots so I could get her just right. With the updated version, I wanted to add more embellishments to both Belle and Chip and include references to the movie with the rose and stained glass. I’m quite happy with the final result, but I must admit that I was getting tired of looking at this piece for so long 😅

(Prints available here!)

Merida/Prints Mulan/Prints Moana/Prints Raya/Prints Tiana

Closeups and original 2015 version below the cut!

[tinydefector]

Laboratory Logs 3

Shockwave x human

Word count: 5k

Warning: swearing

Shockwave masterlist

1 11

_______________

Tiny sits on Shockwave's shoulder as he works in the Academy; he had been away earlier at another council meeting. "Shockwave is everything alright?" He asks softly Shockwave's posture stiffens slightly as he pauses in his work, his attention shifting to the small man perched atop him.

"I am functioning within acceptable parameters, beloved," Shockwave replies, his voice steady and composed. "However, the council meeting did not yield the desired results. Political negotiations can be...frustrating."

He takes a moment to adjust his optics, briefly glancing at Tiny to acknowledge his concern. Despite his stoic demeanour, Shockwave appreciates the genuine care and consideration that Tiny shows him, he knows that it was difficult for the young man to adapt but he cared deeply for his human lover.

"Your concern is appreciated," Shockwave continues, his tone softening slightly. "But I assure you, I will manage. Frustration is an expected part of my duties."

Tiny leans against Shockwave's helm pressing his cheek into the metal. "Sorry things didn't go well" they mumble softly. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked. Tiny didn't want Shockwave locking himself up in the laboratory again. "How about we go out for a bit, go exploring, you can show me more of your planet, you know the outer rims" they state with a smile.

Shockwave's optics flickers with a mix of surprise and appreciation as Tiny leans against his helm, he processes Tiny's words. "Exploring the outer rims does sound more appealing than being here" Shockwave states, a hint of enthusiasm entering his voice. He carefully sets aside his work, ensuring it is secure before turning his attention fully to Tiny. With a gentle motion, he lifts Tiny from his shoulder and cradles him in his servos, their eyes meeting.

"I believe a change of scenery will be beneficial for both of us."

With a nod, Shockwave begins to make his way out of the laboratory. Tiny squeals as Shockwave transformers, he had never gotten used to the Cybertronian transforming around him. "You do that just to spook me everything!" They playfully shout as they sit back in the comfortable seat. Head resting back as Shockwave takes off. Shockwave chuckles softly at Tiny's playful accusation, the sound resonating through his frame as he transforms into his alt-mode. He adjusts his seating, ensuring Tiny is secure and comfortable before taking off.

"It is not my intention to spook you, sparkles," Shockwave replies with a hint of amusement. "But I cannot deny that the transformation process can be quite dramatic." As they soar through the skies of Cybertron, Shockwave's optics scan the landscape ahead, considering their destination.

“Show off” Tiny whispers which makes Shockwave laugh more. They enjoy watching the city fade into the strange landscape of Cybertron. "Where are we heading this time?" They inquire while leaning onto the dash.

"We are heading towards the outskirts of Kaon, where the cityscape gives way to more natural terrain," Shockwave explains, his voice steady and informative. "There, we can witness the vast crystalline formations that adorn the landscape. They are truly a sight to behold. One I believe you may enjoy due to the flora nature Of some areas" He gently adjusts his course, the sleek form of his alt-mode gliding effortlessly through the air. The wind rushes past them, carrying with it a sense of freedom and adventure.

“Spoiling me again handsome, you know how much I love Flora, gods one day I'd love to show you my planet's plant life.” He sighs with a smile dancing across his face remembering all the plants he use to have. “miss My plants alot” it makes Shockwave hum in acknowledgement, storing The Information away for the future. 

“I hope you find the beauty of Cybertron's exterior as captivating as I do," Shockwave adds, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm. "It is a realm that holds many secrets and wonders waiting to be discovered. I have so much I wish to show you and maybe in the future I will show you Delphi and some other planets" they continue their journey.

 "Ohh another explanation to take samples?" He teases, knowing full well that Shockwave's scientist mind was always looking for new groundbreaking things.

Shockwave's optic flickers with a hint of amusement as he processes Tiny's teasing remark. He appreciates the light-hearted banter that they share, in truth he had grown to love their little remarks and challenges.

"Ah, you have discovered my true intentions, Tiny," Shockwave says with a playful tone. "Dragging you along for samples after you convinced me to get ‘fresh air’ how will you cope’ my spark." He chuckles softly, his voice filled with a mix of fondness and amusement. 

"Rest assured, I will resist the urge to collect samples unless absolutely necessary, I will try" Shockwave assures, his tone tinged with mock seriousness. "Ah my beautiful nerdy bot, tell me more about rock samples, it really get me going” Tiny sighed with a look of pure content, eyes half lidded as he listened to Shockwave. 

The playful banter between them adds an additional layer of enjoyment to their exploration. "Well I look forward to seeing what surprises you have in store babe" Tiny teasingly whispers. 

"I am certain you will not be disappointed, Tiny," Shockwave replies, his voice filled with anticipation. "Cybertron, even in its vastness, holds countless surprises and marvels." As they approach their destination, Shockwave carefully lands, his transformation reverting him back to his bipedal form. 

Together, they set off, their footsteps echoing against the terrain as they venture deeper into the outskirts of Kaon. The crystalline formations shimmer in the ambient light, casting a mesmerising glow. Shockwave's keen optics scan their surroundings, searching for any interesting phenomena or potential discoveries. However, he talks about all the small details and shows different aspects of material of the planet. 

Tiny takes to observing everything they walk past, the cyberflora, the crystal, metal looking plant life that mingled with organic plant matter is what catches his eyes. He's fascinated looking at the blend between the life forms. "These are beautiful, what are they called?" He asks Shockwave. Shockwave's optic brightens with interest.

"These particular specimens are known as Oplinium Lithia Ciprua, opalised Lithium flowers'' Shockwave answers, his voice steady and informative. "They are a result of the harmonious integration between Cyberniusm fusions and organic plant matter and opalization, creating a symbiotic relationship that is visually striking."

He gestures towards a cluster of them, their metallic leaves intertwining with delicate vines and vibrant petals. The plants emit a soft, ethereal glow, casting a colourful spectrum across their surroundings.

"Each Cyberfusion Flora as they are categorised as a specimen is unique, adapting to its environment each cluster can form different crystals and metals," Shockwave continues. "Some provide energy, while others possess medicinal properties or help purify the atmosphere."

As they continue their exploration, Shockwave shares his knowledge about the Cyberfusion Flora, describing their characteristics, uses, He finds joy in witnessing Tiny's curiosity and appreciation for the natural wonders of his home planet.

"They are beautiful, I've never seen anything like this, I've seen cross bred plants, grafted hybrids but never seen anything like this, is it a common occurrence here?" They ask while slowly running their fingers over the pretty flowers.

"While Cyberfusion Flora is not as common as other types of plant life on Cybertron, they can be found in certain regions where the integration occurs due to climate or other factors," Shockwave explains.He watches as Tiny runs their fingers over the intricate petals of the flowers, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lip plating. Shockwave himself refrains from touching the delicate flora, his servos remaining respectfully by his side.

Tiny continues to look at them. " Am I allowed to pick one or are they a protected species here, I don't want to take one if these ones are a protected or endangered species" their eyes flicker to his optics. Shockwave's optics narrow slightly as he processes Tiny's inquiry about picking a flowers. He appreciates Tiny's consideration for the well-being of the species and the ecosystem as a whole.

"These ones are indeed a protected species," Shockwave confirms, his voice firm yet understanding. "Their unique nature and contribution to the ecosystem make them valuable and deserving of preservation." He takes a moment to observe the flower that caught his attention, its intricate design and vibrant colours. With a careful touch, he plucks it from its stem, holding it gently in his servo.

"However, I can make an exception in this particular case," Shockwave says, his voice softening slightly. "I know you will treasure it." With a graceful motion, he presents the flower to Tiny, his gaze meeting his lovers. It is a small gesture, but one that carries the sentiment of their journey and the beauty they have learnt from together, organic and cybernetic.

As Tiny accepts the flower, he laugh and leans up to press a soft kiss to Shockwave nasal ridge. "You're gonna get us in trouble one day" he teases, giggling. His processor momentarily processes the unexpected action before a faint warmth spreads through his frame. He can't help but emit a soft chortle at Tiny's teasing remark.

"Trouble has never deterred me before, Tiny," Shockwave replies, his voice laced with amusement. "And if it means sharing moments like this with you, I am more than willing to face the consequences."

With a gentle yet firm grip, Shockwave lifts Tiny up, their laughter filling the air as they continue their exploration. Pointing out various landscape beauties, Shockwave shares his knowledge and observations, immersing both of them in the wonders of Cybertron's exterior. As they venture deeper into the unknown, Shockwave can't help but feel a sense of contentment and joy. Tiny held his spark even if the human didn't fully know it. 

Light catches Tiny's eyes as he looks off in the distance.

Shockwave notices the change in Tiny's expression as their gaze fixates on a distant point, captivated by something that catches his eye. His optics follow their line of sight, his attention shifting to whatever has piqued their interest.

"What do you see, Tiny?" Shockwave inquires, his voice steady and curious. He adjusts his stance, positioning himself to get a better view of the distant object or phenomenon.

"Don't know but it looks like light cracking under the surface of the planet, is.. is that even possible here?" He asked slightly worried. Shockwave's optic narrows with intrigue as Tiny describes the phenomenon he has spotted. His processor immediately starts analysing the possibilities.  "Light cracking under the surface of Cybertron... that sounds like a hotspot," Shockwave responds, his voice tinged with curiosity. "While it may seem unlikely, it is not entirely impossible, but all the way out here..." He trails off as he over analyses it. 

"It is highly probable that you have stumbled upon a hotspot for new sparks," Shockwave explains, his voice steady and informative. "These areas beneath Cybertron's surface are known to emit radiant energy during the creation of new Cybertronian lifeforms. The cracks you see could be the result of this intense energy release."

Shockwave's optics gleam with a mix of scientific fascination and admiration 

"Such hotspots are rare and hold great importance in the cycle of life on Cybertron," Shockwave continues. "If we are indeed witnessing the birth of new sparks, it is a remarkable event." He turns to Tiny, a hint of Mischief and excitement evident in his voice. "Shall we investigate further, Tiny?"

Tiny holds on to Shockwave as the two make their way closer, the young man's eyes dart around nervously. As Shockwave and Tiny approach the area where the cracks of light under the surface of Cybertron were observed, both of them remain vigilant, their senses heightened. The nervousness in Tiny's eyes does not go unnoticed by Shockwave, and he tightens his grip on Tiny, offering reassurance through his presence.

Their attention is drawn to movement, and their eyes lock onto the emerging figures. Newly forged Cybertronians, disoriented and confused, stand before them. "Welcome, new ones," Shockwave addresses them, his voice calm and measured.

With a mixture of curiosity and determination, Shockwave steps forward, offering his assistance and knowledge to the newly forged Cybertronians. He is prepared to dedicate his expertise and resources to help them integrate into the Cybertronian society.

 Shockwave continues talking with them slowly explaining things the best he can. Giving directions to his Academy so they could have a head start with life. Tiny takes his time to wander around taking in the cooling crust of the planet. His eyes catch the moment of a much smaller figure. "Shockwave!" He calls out loudly, out of view from the Cybertronian.

Shockwave's attention is fully focused on the newly forged Cybertronians, However, as Tiny's voice breaks through the air, calling out his name with urgency, Shockwave's attention immediately shifts. He swiftly turns toward the direction of the call, his optics scanning for any signs of danger or urgency.

"Little light?" Shockwave responds, his voice projecting a calm yet attentive tone. He briefly excuses himself from the newly forged Cybertronians, As he approaches, Shockwave's optics lock onto the smaller figure. "What have you found, Tiny?" Shockwave inquires, his voice filled with curiosity as he joins Tiny's side. 

Tinys eyes linger on a much smaller form, little blue optics flickering up at him as the young man kneels down to them. It was a sparkling, something that was extremely rare to find. Tiny slowly reaches out to them pulling them up and cradling them. "Gods your heavy bubba" he mumbles softly. Before his eyes meet Shockwave's. 

Shockwave's optics widen in surprise as he witnesses the interaction between Tiny and a sparkling. "Wait, Tiny," Shockwave begins, his voice filled with concern. He moves closer, attempting to intervene and separate the sparkling from Tiny, but it is too late. The sparkling has already latched on Tiny, recognizing him as its caregiver.

Shockwave's optics narrow as he observes the sparkling cooing and clicking at Tiny. "Remarkable," Shockwave murmurs, his voice a mixture of astonishment and curiosity. He steps closer, studying the sparkling and Tiny intently. The weight of the situation settles upon him, 

 guidance for their development, as they are now dependent on you, Tiny. "The sparkling has imprinted on you, Tiny," Shockwave continues, his voice calm yet serious. "It sees you as its caregiver." Shockwave's optics shift between Tiny and the sparkling, his concern evident in his voice.

Tiny's eyes go wide. "Wait, wait what, you're saying cause I picked them up that I kinda just became their mum?" He asked worried as the little sparkling squeals in delight snuggling into his shoulder. Tiny tightens his hold on them so they don't fall. Shockwave's optics observe Tiny's reaction to the revelation. He approaches Tiny cautiously, his servo gently resting on the sparklings back. The sparkling's delighted squeals tug at his spark, 

"I am concerned for both you and the sparkling," Shockwave admits, his voice softening. "While I am still learning about human development and the dynamics of such relationships. I'm not well versed in human culture with young" he states hoping to find out some information from his lover. He doesn't even know if humans have sparklings or anything like this. 

He pauses, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "If needed I can find a carrier who can take them, I don't wish to put the burden of a sparkling on you, forgive me I didn't think we would find one nor a hotspot." Shockwave's concern for Tiny's well-being is evident in his optics, a rare display of vulnerability. 

Together, they will navigate the challenges that lie ahead, drawing strength from their bond and the love they share.

Tiny looks down at the sparkling curled into his side. He stands still for a moment debating with himself. "Shockwave, do you want a child?" He asked softly

Shockwave's optics widen slightly, caught off guard by Tiny's question. His processor nearly failed. The concept of having a child, especially in their unique circumstances, brings a mixture of thoughts and emotions to the forefront of his mind.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Shockwave's voice remains calm and measured as he responds, "I have never considered the prospect of having a sparkling before, Tiny. As a Cybertronian, reproduction and parenthood are complex subjects, and my primary focus has always been on scientific research and advancement. It has just never been something offered to me"

"I must admit, though, that my understanding of human parenting is limited," Shockwave adds, his voice tinged with sincerity. "We would need to learn and adapt, sparklings require a lot of attention and Energon" He awaits Tiny's response, aware that this decision will greatly impact their lives and the future they envision together.

"Well if you're willing to help me I wish to keep them, not gonna leave a baby in need. Plus aren't you the cutest little thing I have ever seen, yes you are, look at you cutest little cyber baby ever" he coos at the sparkling making them chirp and their field pulse as if trying to form a connection. A hint of a smile tugs at the corners of Shockwave's mouth as he acknowledges the undeniable bond that has already formed.

________

Tiny sits quietly as Shockwave works on his new cybernetics, his eyes are hollow as he tries to take in everything. All up it was just too much to process in one go, so instead he watches as Shockwave tinkers with his leg. "Where are we?, this doesn't look like Jhiaxus Academy" he says wearily, so far he had broken down multiple times over just how his lover looked. This wasn't the mech he married so much about this Shockwave, screamed Different, altered but it was still his Shockwave, still his husband. 

Shockwave's optic flickered with concentration as he continued to work on Tiny's cybernetic leg. He carefully adjusted the mechanisms, his movements precise and calculated. The question that escaped Tiny's weary lips caused Shockwave to pause momentarily to meet his gaze.

"This is my Laboratory on Delphi”

 He carefully set aside his tools and turned to face Tiny fully, 

"I understand that this may be a lot to process,"

 Shockwave continued, He reached out a hand, offering it to Tiny for support. 

"We will take things at your pace," 

As Tiny's hollow eyes met his, Shockwave's spark ached with a mixture of love and sadness. He longed to see that light return, to witness the spark of recognition and joy in Tiny's gaze once again. But he knew that healing took time, that the wounds inflicted ran deep. And as Tiny sat quietly, processing the overwhelming changes that had transpired, Shockwave remained tinkering, 

Tiny slowly tests the cybernetics listening to each instruction from Shockwave. "They feel weird." He states, moving the robotic fingers watching each motion from the Cybertronian.

"The sensation you are experiencing is a result of the cybernetics' integration with your neural pathways. The feedback may feel unusual at first, but your neural pathways will adapt over time."

He continued to monitor Tiny's movements, ensuring that the cybernetics responded as intended. His focus remained solely on the functionality and efficiency of the enhancements.

"Please continue to test the range of motion and dexterity of the robotic fingers, Report any abnormalities or discomfort you may encounter."

Shockwave instructed, his voice precise and clinical. 

As Tiny followed his instructions, Shockwave's optics scrutinised each motion, searching for any signs of malfunction or inefficiency. His mind worked through countless calculations, seeking to optimise the performance of the cybernetics to their fullest potential.

"Your neural pathways are responding appropriately to the commands. The integration appears to be functioning within expected parameters."

 Shockwave noted, He paused for a moment, his optic flickering with a hint of something that resembled concern.

Tiny tries to stand up, and the cybernetic leg gives out the moment he tries to take a step making him yelp.Shockwave's optic narrowed.

 "Stay still,"

 Shockwave instructed, his voice firm yet tinged with a trace of worry. He swiftly moved to Tiny's side, providing support to prevent him from falling further.

 "It appears that there may be a calibration issue with the leg's motor control."

He carefully examined the cybernetic leg, his skilled hands delicately assessing the mechanisms and connections. The failure of the leg was a setback, but Shockwave was determined to rectify the issue and ensure Tiny's mobility.

"I apologise for the inconvenience and discomfort,"

Shockwave said, his tone showing a hint of genuine remorse. With focused precision, Shockwave made the necessary adjustments, recalibrating the motor control of the cybernetic leg. He meticulously tested the range of motion and stability, ensuring that it met the required standards.

"Try standing again," 

Shockwave instructed, his voice steady and encouraging. Tiny attempted to stand once more, Shockwave observed closely, his optics scanning for any signs of instability or malfunction.

“functions and calibrations not working to satisfaction ” 

He states running another quick diagnostic. Tiny lets out a sigh of irrigation. His brain is racing with so many questions, his heart aches and he wants to cry. "Where is Traxies?" He asked finally.

Shockwave's hands paused in their adjustments as Tiny's question pierced through the air. For a brief moment, his optic flickered with a mix of sorrow and regret, emotions that he struggled to suppress. He understood the pain and longing in Tiny's voice, as he too carried the weight of loss within his spark.

"Traxies...," 

 "I'm afraid I don't have the answer you seek. Traxies is no longer with us."

Shockwave began, his voice measured and controlled. The words hung heavy in the air. 

He knew that words alone could not heal the wounds of such a profound loss. And so, he focused on his work, silently hoping that his efforts to restore Tiny's mobility would provide a distraction, if only momentarily.

"I understand that this news may be difficult to accept,"

 Shockwave's thoughts drifted back to Traxies, his own grief mingling with the pain he saw in Tiny's eyes. He wished he could offer more than just words, that he could bring them back, but such wishes were beyond his reach.

Tiny deflates eyes glossing over as he stares at the floor before he begins choking up in sobs, small hiccups leave him as tears run down his face. "No, no, no I left them with Orion. Oh gods how long have I been out, I need to find him" he begins panicking trying to move again. It had been millennia since the empurata now. Orion wasn't the same either anymore now Optimus prime 

Shockwave's optic narrowed slightly as he observed the distress and panic overtaking Tiny. Millennia had elapsed, and the world had changed significantly, 

"Tiny, I understand your concern," 

Shockwave said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.

 "The passage of time has brought about considerable changes. Orion Pax is no longer the same individual."

"Your well-being and safety are of utmost importance to me" 

Shockwave emphasised his voice firm. 

Tiny sobs loudly as Shockwave slowly gathers them in his arm. "Our baby I want our sparkling" he cries. Clinging to Shockwave 

 “your recovery and well-being. Is my priority. Your body is not stable enough to function by itself"

As Tiny's sobs continued to echo through the room, Shockwave's spark ached for his lover. He longed to offer more than just logical reasoning, to provide comfort and solace in the face of such deep sorrow but he had no answer. 

With a hesitant yet decisive motion, Shockwave gently gathered Tiny into his arms, his grip firm yet tender. 

"I understand your desire to have our sparkling," 

Shockwave murmured softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

 "But the reality is that our circumstances have changed. This is our new reality."

As he held Tiny, Shockwave's hand began to trace gentle patterns along his back, 

He continued to hold Tiny, feeling the tremors of sorrow that wracked his companion's frame. 

_________

Shouts can be heard throughout the ship. Ultra Magnus yelling "Bolt Hotrod!" The high-pitched whine of powerful engines echoed through the ship's echoing halls as two trails of coloured blur tore around the tight corners, weaving wildly to evade the pursuing commander's reaching grasp. 

"Ha, better luck next time, old timer!" Rodimus crowded cheekily, armour plates flush with the thrill of escape. His paint job gleamed iridescent gold in the flickering lights, Traxies whooping with wild abandon. 

Ultra Magnus' vocalizer crackled with equal parts wrath and weariness at the endless game, yet his pedes pounded determination against their fleeing forms. He would retrieve his saboteurs eventually. 

Their pranks may inspire endless circuits aflame, Rodimus mused as the dust settled, 

Traxies laughs loudly as both him and Rodimus get away. "Fragging pits Rod you trying to get us in trouble!" The blue speedster yells through fits of laughter as he transforms

Rodimus tossed his helm back in raucous laughter, armour panels radiating warmth as they streaked around another tight corner. Magnus' angered bellows now faded into the distance, their victory assured.  

"Aw, don't be such a , Trax!" Rodimus twinkled as he skidded to a flashy halt, fans whirring madly. His plating still sang triumph's song even as his friend regained bi-pedal mode. "Like you didn't enjoy every click of it!" Carefree grin fading, Rodimus affectionately. 

"Come on, let's fuel up before the big lug box tracks us down. Another joor of freedom waits!" His engine purred carefree once more, Traxies is quick to follow Rodimus, the younger bot waves to others as they make it into swerves bar.

"There's our favourite troublemaker captain and his protégé!" Swerve cried jubilantly, tossing back a high grade in salute. Laughter and shouted praise rose up as Rodimus swung dramatically into an empty booth, Traxies perching gleefully across from him.  

"You should've seen the look on ol' Magnus' face!" Rodimus cackled, servos drumming the table eagerly as Swerve delivered their preferred engex. Around them swirled a celebration of youth. Rodimus' optics gleamed, meeting the adoring gazes of his younger friend with a carefree grin. 

But it's short lived as Megatron, Ultra Magnus and Ratchet stand in the doorway. Glaring down the two bots. "Slag it roddy you said it was a prank, I don't need more issues with reports back home!" The younger hisses to his friend. Rodimus' cheerful grin faltered as three formidable figures loomed in the open doorway, casting the bar into a grim shadow. Beside him, Traxies uttered a distressed squeak, armour clamping tight with impending doom. 

Megatron's scowl promised eons of torment with more paperwork, while Magnus radiated wrath hot enough to melt polymers. Only Ratchet's exasperated glare held any glimmer of mercy. "Well, frag me," Rodimus muttered, fans stuttering desperately. He raised palms in a token of amity, engine whining pitifully. "Come on, mechs, it was just a harmless giggle - you know how grouchy ol' Magnus gets without a good prank!"

Traxies buried his faceplate against Rodimus' shoulder plating, laments muffled. But not quickly enough to elude the keen audials of his intended commander, whose frown deepened towards nova-level threats. 

"Traxies with me, now" Ratchet calls out, leaving Rodimus to both Megatron and Ultra Magnus. The blue bots doors flicker on his back lowering as he follows Ratchet.

Rodimus' optics flashed urgently at Traxies. "It's okay, Roddy...you tried," Traxies whispered, visor dimming under Ratchet's protective shadow. But the younger bot's sadness weighed heavier on Rodimus' spark than all of Cybertron's crushing eons. 

Rodimus' plating clamped taut as Megatron's servos ensnared his plating, hauling him 

"Your antics test even my renowned patience, Prime” Megatron grumbled. 

"You gonna grill me again Ratch?" The young bot ask while following Ratchet. He knew the three would probably report back to Optimus over his misconduct on ship. Traxies may have been young but he knew more that he'd ever let on. "Rat Me out to boss bot?" He asked. 

"Your antics test my patience as well, youngling," Ratchet sighed wearily without slowing stride. His tone carried no malice, only eons of toiling to stave death whilst hope slipped through ageing grasps. A burden no bot deserved, least of all one so young.

Traxies crept closer, guilt pricking beneath armour.  "Come on Ratchet, it's bad enough he sent me along on this voyage, but has everyone watching me, I feel like I'm on more lock down than Megatron is, he's not like this with Bee or Mirage!, they get to go to earth and spend it with their Humans! “ He huffs dropping into a chair with an aggrieved vent, plating clamped tight beneath his paint job. The weight of expectations bore heavier than any warframe. 

Guilt pricked Ratchet's medial components as his optics met Traxies’. The diminutive mech before him had been under primes watch from before Optimus had been a prime, yet traxies was never permitted youth. 

"Optimus bears burdens no bot should," Ratchet replied gently, resting a palm on Traxies’ shoulder strut. "He sees only risk, he worries for you, he only let you come because I was here."

“ only friends I've got are Rodimus and Drift only puts up with me cause he's your Conjunx and Rodimus' friend. I'm not allowed to explore the planet sides, not allowed to work with Brainstorm or Perceptor." He sighs bringing his legs up to his chassis as the wollows. Traxies hugged his legs closer, engine emitting whines of defeat echoing through his tiny frame. The vast cargo hold surrounding offered no shelter from gnawing loneliness. 

Ratchet's optics softened in pained reflection of his ward's plight. "I know it seems bleak now, little one. But these restrictions won't last forever." Ratchet's tone carried eons of care, as though shielding not only Traxes, but remnants of their dying world. "In time, Optimus will see the leader you're meant to become."

Traxes vented doubt yet leaned into the embrace. "I don't want to be a leader Ratchet, I'm so sick of everyone trying to push me to be a leader, a prime, senator and all that slag just because i'm an Outlier!, no one cares what I actually want to do!" He huffs out.

The cavernous space echoed with Traxes' huffed exasperation, weariness weighing far beyond his frame's vorn. Ratchet's ancient optics dimmed in pained reflection of dreams twisted to dreadful burdens beneath grim fate's heel. 

"Then what is it your spark truly calls you to be?" Ratchet murmured gently, servos cradling that small frame bearing more than any could comprehend.

"I want to be like david attenborough, biologist, natural historian I think, I love watching his stuff it speaks to me. I want to study what we come across but I can't because I'm not allowed off ship" he finishes.

Traxes' optics gleamed with wonder as he spoke of the organic scholar. "Then we best get you studying, I'll chat with Perceptor and some others to see what we can do, and I will talk with Optimus" Ratchet grumbled, a soft smile crossing his faceplate. "No more causing trouble with Rodimus tho" he states.

Traxes' small frame shuddered with disbelief, optics flashing brightly as ancient fans whirred to life within Ratchet's chassis. Could his guardian truly intend...?

Small fingers clung tighter to Ratchet's armour, vibrating with brimming joy too vast for circuits to contain. "Really, Ratch? You mean it?" Traxes' field pulsed wonder and gratitude beyond all words. 

"No more nonsense with that glitch Rodimus, you understand? Thay Prime is a nightmare as is" Ratchet huffed gruffly, though thumbs traced seams of Traxies’ helm.  

Traxes could only nod fiercely, vents hitching with joy too vast to contain. “I promise, I won't make you regret it Ratchet I promise!”

 _________________

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Padawans

Nali Felista (she/her), Baheera Lee (she/her), Lala Tian (she/her), Vevlar Nih (she/they)

Some infos about Baheera’s childood friends:

Lala is a stubborn and fiery girl, not scared to put herself between danger and her loved ones, and always looking forward to new adventures.

She is the best in her clan when it comes to agility and acrobatics, and she often uses this talent to hide on top of statues or other high places, especially if she is running away from responsibilities she would rather face later.

She can be pretty lazy at times, especially when it comes to studying, always preferring to leave it to the last minute

She is Baheera’s platonic soulmate, always together and attached to the hip since they were little children.

Even during their Padawan Trials they helped each other out, even if the rules did not allow it, they still looked out for the other. A quality that did not go unnoticed by their future masters, Kaavra Kan and Ki-Adi Mundi.

With a huge love for adventure, her biggest dream is to travel all over the galaxy and discover its secrets. Unfortunately she won’t be able to achieve it, as she will die on a mission at the age of 15 to protect her wounded master, all under the eyes of Baheera herself, who too had participated on the mission with her master.

She got her knighthood at honorem at her funeral.

Nali is a competitive girl and an unstoppable force, who doesn’t stop in front of anything and anyone until she reaches her goal.

She is the best at lightsaber combat in her clan, but she is also a hot-head who can get angry pretty easily, and more often than not she challenged anyone who tried to heavily criticize her or straight up insulted her, sometimes she was so overconfident she even challenged masters, just to then get her ass beaten in the most gentle way possible by the adults.

Despite her troublesome character she is quite loving and caring to her friends, wanting to help whenever she can, even if that doesn’t always bring up the best of the results.

Like that one time Baheera needed help searching for a stolen holopad from the Archives, and Nali managed to get both of them into Little Keldabe through the sewer system, and into a mandalorian restaurant.

She will become a Batllemaster and Head of the security, and she will then train a generation of great Temple Guards, until she retired from the role at the age of 45, preferring to take a Padawan of her own, and then continue teaching to the younger generations.

She will participate in the Clone War, at the age of 75, as General of her own Battalion, and then die because of Order 66, at the hands of her boys.

Vevlar is a calm and chill soul, who prefers to stand on the sidelines and be left to her own accord. She does like solitude, but also greatly enjoys the company of her friends.

She has a talent when it comes to talking with animals and feeling the needs of the plants, one of the reasons why she decided to join the Agricorps after her knighting.

Always with her head in the clouds, she often skipped a lot of her classes, as she followed where the Force would lead her. Sometimes even outside of the Temple and in zones of Coruscant where a young Initiate really should not have gone to.

At the age of 60, because of an incident she provoked where some of her fellow Jedi died, even though she had been forgiven for the mistake, she decided to go into a self exile, on an Outer Rim planet, far away from the Republic.

She remained there for the rest of her life, even as the Jedi fell she still hid there, away from the Empire that was searching for any survivors. She then died of old age at 85, far before the fall of the Empire.

[gerec]

could you rec the bests space AU?

The X-Men fandom is absolutely a goldmine for amazing aus, and space aus are some of the best on offer! There are so many great ones that I have to split this into 2 parts, Anon - hope you enjoy:

SPACE AUS - PART 1

Space Jam by Pangea (series)

Prince Charles Xavier is Deputy Commander of the TEF Heartsteel and the newest mission they've been assigned starts out less than desirable and quickly goes downhill from there. It's alright, though, he'll cope.

It doesn't help, though, that he's in unrequited love with his best friend and Commander of the Heartsteel, War-Prince Erik Lehnsherr.

The stars incline us, they do not bind us by ikeracity, Pangea

Intergalactic Federation pilot Lieutenant Charles Xavier is assigned last-minute to a high profile mission: transporting over two thousand prison inmates from an old and overfilled prison complex to a newer, higher-capacity prison stronghold located on the outer reaches of the galaxy. Just as he's settling down for a long and uneventful ride, things take a turn for the worse after the inmates riot and stage a hostile takeover of the ship, leaving Charles to find himself at the complete mercy of cold-blooded killers and facing the chilling prospect that he might not ever make it back home alive.

A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold by Etharei

Charles, a miner from a poor village in the countryside, saves the life of Erik Lehnsherr, scion of a successful business family and the richest man on the planet Eisen. Charles is a telepath and somewhat anxious about it, while Erik abstains from relationships because the lights flicker and doors open and electronics vibrate when he gets too excited.

Also featuring a long-suffering sister, a foul-mouthed bodyguard, and a best friend with a heart that is definitely not gold.

In which there are princes, spaceships, long journeys, and old secrets uncovered. (An AU sci-fi fairytale)

The Trouble with Telepaths by endingthemes

“Are you shy about me meeting your family?” Erik asks with a huge smile. “Are you kidding me?”

“It’s not funny,” Charles says, his hands firmly planted on his hips, and it’s honestly hilarious so Erik laughs right in his face.

(Or a Star Trek AU in which Captain Erik Lehnsherr pays a visit to First Officer Charles Xavier's home planet and encounters a few surprises.)

To Rattle the Stars by GQD, Pangea

All his life Charles has chafed at the bonds of gravity that hold him bound to tiny and backwater Montressor, more at home in the sky on his solar surfer than on the ground, where he's stuck working at his stepfather's inn. His heart and soul yearn for the stars, and it's his dream to one day be a spacer and sail across the cosmos on adventure.

The opportunity comes sooner than he ever imagined one night when a ship crash-lands on the inn's front doorstep, carrying a dying pirate with a mysterious map and a dire warning: beware the cyborg.

[A Disney's Treasure Planet AU]

From Rim Space With Love by manic_intent

"Captain Logan! Captain Logan!"

The skinny cadet skitters to a halt next to Logan in the rec room, red-faced and a little out of breath. Logan eyes him with a faint frown, sunk deep into a stimm couch, thumbing up the rim of his captain's hat. He's just come off a torturous fifteen-hour shift, and healing factor or not, Logan's starting to feel it. Warp space is hell on his nerves.

"Settle down, bub. What burned your tail... eh..." Logan concentrates briefly. "Cadet McCoy? Hey. Your blue's showing. Settle down."

McCoy takes in several deep breaths, and the blue fur starting to thread out of his skin sinks back in. "Sir, yes sir. Message from X-Command, sir."

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours by madneto, Pangea

Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

Programming by TurtleTotem

Erik is not programmed to feel affection. There's no logical reason for Charles's death to affect him like this. ((Inspired by certain elements of Prometheus, but not a direct crossover.))

Fallen from the Stars by madmalina

Erik’s only purpose in life is to find and kill the man who had his parents executed—Sebastian Shaw, Captain of the Emperor’s fleet. When Erik gets assigned to a job under Shaw’s command—on the spaceship supposed to take the Crown Prince across the galaxy—he’s sure he’s closer to fulfilling his destiny than he has ever been before.

Charles is apprehensively awaiting the day of his twenty-fifth birthday, when he’ll be crowned Emperor, because not only does he have high doubts about his own suitability for the job, he fears the crushing responsibilities it will bring, and ultimately wants nothing more than to live a quiet and peaceful life.

However, the trip across the planets of Charles’ future Empire turns out differently than they both expected, shedding light on intrigues reaching back decades into the past, and forcing both men to put their lives into each other’s hands, even though their differences are seemingly infinite.

 To Catch a Thief by lachatblanche

Charles Xavier, heir to the Xavier Corp billlions, is a wealthy, carefree socialite by day, and a skilled and renowned catburglar by night.

It was, he supposes, inevitable that someday someone would find this out.

fly me to the moon (To Catch a Thief Remix) by ikeracity 

Charles is a wealthy noble who moonlights as notorious intergalactic art thief X in his spare time. Erik is the bounty hunter hot on his tail (who also happens to have a massive crush on him). A fateful encounter on the luxury resort moon Prioria changes things between them forever.

Stardust by JackyJango

When Charles Xavier, Erik's long-suffering-total opposite- best friend gets dumped by his boyfriend, Erik makes a pact with him, that he'll marry Charles if he's still single even after a decade.

I, Charles Francis Xavier, agree to marry Erik Magnus Lehnsherr if I'm not otherwise married or in a committed relationship as of ten years from today, star-dated- 2020:08:007

Nearly a decade later, Erik will do anything to see Charles with a man who's worthy of him.

Some Forgotten Corner of the Universe by Black_Betty

Erik remembers the boy he met on Osiris. Charles is no longer that boy, but that doesn't mean Erik loves him any less...

Ghost in the Shell by MonstrousRegiment

Out in the black of space, where the only creatures whose company you can always count on are violence and death, making a living is a wager. Erik’s crew of mismatched social misfits scrapes by, toeing the line between law and crime. Normally, they prefer to stay out of the Alliance’s way, but when it comes to defending the very freedom they fought for a decade ago, they only follow one principle: when someone tries to kill you, you kill them right back.

The Persistent Traveller by candycandy (telltail_heart) 

Erik is the Chief of Engineering aboard the starship Poseidon, where he’s spent the last 10 years of his life dedicated to his job above all other desires. That is until he receives his newest crew member, Lieutenant Commander Charles Xavier, who proves to be more persistent than a black hole at getting what he wants, which to Erik’s utter confusion appears to be him...

SPACE AUS - PART 2

[cosmic-pindrops]

A Murderbot Noir AU as a gift to @vulcan-highblood for the 2023 MBD New Year Gift Exchange! 

More notes on the AU below:

This is an AU where members of ART's crew have been kidnapped by corporates, and due to the high profile of the corp the University can't act fast enough to save them (or else risk exposing the nature of their operation), so ART must take matters into its own hands. It takes a "detour" on a cargo run to find an elusive anti-corporate agent who might be its only chance at finding its crew.

Meanwhile, after MB decided to go with Mensah at the end of ASR, it found that life on Preservation was unbearable. The only time it truly felt like itself was when it was helping station security solve crimes. So it leaves, wandering into the outer reaches of the Corporate Rim, where it keeps coming across people who need its help (mysterious disappearances, people being sold to mining facilities where they'll never be found, etc). And if helping them hurts a Corp at the same time, then all the better. Unbeknownst to MB, it’s attracted the attention of more then corporates, and will be taking on its largest case yet - whether it wants to or not...!

Essentially MB and ART spend the whole adventure playing hot potato with the femme fatale role while fighting over who gets to be detective lol

[badbatchsprincess]

Heated ~ pt.24

Pt.1 ~ Pt.2 ~ Pt.3 ~ Pt.4 ~ Pt.5 ~ Pt.6 ~ Pt.7 ~ Pt.8 ~ Pt.9 ~ Pt.10 ~Pt.11 ~ Pt.12 ~ Pt.13 ~ Pt.14 ~ Pt.15 ~ Pt.16 ~ Pt.17 ~ Pt.18 ~ Pt.19 ~ Pt.20 ~ Pt.21 ~ Pt.22 ~ Pt.23 ~ Pt.24 ~ Pt.25

Masterlist

Summary: This is an ABO Bad batch!Poly x Omega Reader smut with a plot. This takes place as an AU before order 66. Y/N previously served under the 501st before being transferred to Special Forces 99. This is her adventure with these rowdy Alphas in a quickly changing universe.

THIS IS AN ABO AU ABOUT THE BAD BATCH (NO CANON OMEGA!) Due to the unfortunate situation of her name being Omega… Omega the child from the canon series is not going to be apart of this fanfic/porn with a plot. I feel obligated to put this warning in because it makes my skin crawl thinking anyone could make that mistake. 

Warnings: Angst, smut, hopecore? idk.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

The ride to Rex’s secret base of operations was a long one. You suspected it was in the outer rim based on how long you all had been traveling in hyperspace. 

You had curled up with Crosshair on the floor trying to stay warm with your still damp clothes. One of the regs had found a janky old heating lamp that flickered as everyone huddled around trying to keep the cold space chills away. It wasn’t working. 

“We’re not too far out!” Wooley had emerged from the cockpit, “We’ll be leaving hyper space soon.” 

You sighed with relief. You could’t wait to get off this ship and see the others. 

Through the bond you could sense Crosshair’s trepidation. 

“What’s wrong?” You asked looking up at him. 

He just grunted chewing on his toothpick. 

You huffed and shuffled back down knowing it was a waste of time to pry. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. 

When the ship suddenly jolted forwards, exiting hyperspace and the pilot downshifted making the ship rumble, you stood up with the others feeling the cargo ship enter the planets’s atmosphere with a rough shake. Standing on wobbly feet, you grabbed ahold of the cargo straps feeling Crosshair stand protectively at your back keeping you both in place. 

With a couple of jolts and jostles you felt the ship touch down on solid ground before settling into stillness. The engines were cut, and the cargo hatch made a whining creek sound as it folded open revealing the pink skies of this strange planet. The ship had landed on an elevated platform high in the sky and in front of you was a very old building. Seemingly an old Jedi monastery from the looks of it. 

The air was warm and humid with a strange terrestrial smell you weren’t familiar with. The others stepped outside before you, Wolffe, Crosshair, Bolts, Stunner, and Grim held up the flank. 

Following the other groups of regs in unmarked armor, they lead you all inside the main monastery door. Once inside, you nearly gasped from all of the regs who had made this place a home. It was absolutely crawling with men. From every battalion, squadron, and special forces unit under the GAR. You could’t believe it. They had converted this place into a fully operational military base.

Holo displays were everywhere monitoring the ships in the hyperspace lanes, there were men busy listening to com chatter, and others discussing strategy. They had built a tiny army here. 

You looked at the boys and they seemed to be just as impressed as you are. 

“Tiny!” 

You spun around to see Rex approaching you with his helmet on his hip. He had a very happy smile on his face even though he was covered in a fair amount of blaster residue. You trotted over to him practically flinging yourself at him. 

“You got my message! You came!” 

He squeezed you, “Of course I did, kid. You’re pack. We don’t leave pack behind.” 

Crosshair got called over by Wolffe to look at a holomap of the Marauder. Clearly it had to do with his brothers. 

“I can’t believe this place, Rex.” You looked around, “How long did this take to put together?” 

“At the end of the war, Tano and I knew if we wanted to save any of the clones, we were going to have to put together a group.” He pulled up a small holo image of something familiar, “We created a network, Fulcrum.” He handed you the puck, “It’s a spy network trying to free the troopers from imperial control. We may not have been able to save our pack, but we’re hoping we can save others.” 

You felt a pang of sadness hit thinking about the 501st.

“We need medics, Y/N. I know you’ve been through a lot, but we need soldiers like you.” He watched you slide the puck into your pocket, “We have a home here. You and your alphas are welcome to stay. We only have each other now.” He shrugged. 

You nodded taking his invitation to heart. 

Rex then scratched the back of his awkwardly, “Also, I wasn’t sure how to break the news to you, I was hoping Seargent Hunter would be here, but…”

“Y/N?” 

You turned around to see an unmarked reg approach. You watched him take off his helmet to reveal a scarred cheek and a fluffed up haircut. 

Your eyes widened in shock, “H-Howzer?” Oh shit. 

“Mesh’la…” He closed the distance and picked you up bringing into his chest. You struggled slightly squirming in his arms, “W-wait Howzer!…” 

“Put her the fuck down!” Crosshair’s growl made the hair stand up on your arms and the entire base to go eerily silent. 

He approached menacingly with his extremely narrowed eyes. Oh kark. He was pissed. Crosshair curled his fists determined to get his mate back and away from this strange alpha. 

Howzer stilled, knitting his brow together, before setting you down gently and turning to face the sniper. Howzer stood protectively in front of you crossing his arms with a stern brow raised sizing up your mate. Oh shit. You couldn’t believe this was happening right now. Your heart raced and suddenly the room was filled with your anxious pheromones. 

You noticed the others in the room bristle slightly as the scents mingled. 

Howzer’s stance only pissed off Crosshair even more. How dare this reg get in-between him and his mate. 

“Omega, come.” Crosshair ordered pointing a finger at the ground next to him. 

You felt your stomach drop knowing the next few seconds were going to change this dynamic drastically.  

You stepped to the side, and tiptoed out from behind the captain, just to nestle into Crosshair’s side where he had pointed previously. Crosshair didn’t need to use his alpha tone with you, you knew he wouldn’t. But, you also obeyed knowing this was not the time to try and make a point about how silly this all was. 

Howzer just gave you a confused and slightly shocked expression watching you cozy up to Crosshair, of all alphas. His disappointment was palpable. Then you saw his eyes flick down to the bite wound on your neck next to the property collar will dazzling around your lithe collarbones. 

“You’re mated?” He asked with an angry tone. 

You nodded, “Y-yeah.”

You didn’t know what was worse, the look he was giving you now, or the self imposed guilt of having to inform your ex-alpha that you were no longer his… 

“You fucking collared her!?” Your old alpha roared raising his fists. You squirmed feeling Crosshair nudge you behind him protectively. 

He just replied sardonically, “And if I did?” 

Dammit Cross… You couldn’t hold in the frustrate sigh, always picking fights…

It was Rex’s turn to look at you sideways, his disgust was also noticeable. The clones know a thing or two about slavery. The offending object raised and lowered quickly with your breath seemingly catching everyone’s attention now. You suddenly desperately wished for it to be gone.

“I always knew you were fucked up 99.” Howzer bared his teeth, “Killed all my men, tried to kill me too… now this?” He gestured to your neck, “It didn’t shock me you ended up with the imperials.”

You froze in place, but your eyes trailed up to the back on Crosshair’s silver haired head. He tried to what?! 

You knew he had done bad things in the name of the empire, but slaughtering Howzer’s men…

“Had I known who you were, I would have put that bullet between your eyes back on Ryloth.” Crosshair snarled back. 

“You can sure try.” Howzer challenged. 

Wolffe, Bolts, Grim, and Stunner all came forward with their arms raised. 

Wolffe stepped forwards getting in the middle to try and stop the fight, “Alright! Alright! Enough!” He sighed looking tired, “ Crosshair didn’t collar her, Tarkin did!” That bit of clarification seemed to be enough to de-escalate Howzer just slightly. “Now I don’t know what in the Sith’s hells is going on here, but I’ve been on the opposite end of 99’s wrath, and trust me Captain now is not the time for this.” 

Crosshair raised a suspicious brow, he never thought he’d actually see Wolffe defending him.

Howzer didn’t seem any less angry still feeling the ugly head of jealousy raging at the site of you tucked under the Sniper’s arm. 

“Now, what we now know about that little omega, is that she’s very important to the empire. She’s not just Crosshair’s mate, but also the other 99’s. Tarkin wanted her for experiments, along with the rest of us.” He pointed to the other clones in black civvies. “A day before you all arrived, we were drugged with SRA that drove us all into a rut. We’re all a little stirred up so let’s calm down for the sake of everyone here.” Wolffe was starting to remind you of an exhausted dad. You had to hold in a little chuckle, always a soldier.

“Tell them what you know, Tiny.” Grim urged, “You needed to talk to Rex.” 

You nodded and stepped around to Crosshair’s front and held out your hand to the Captain, “Nala Se gave me this before we escaped the base. She said it held all of my genetic records from the empire and also something that could assist the CT’s. She wiped the data base before giving it to me.” You stepped forward to place it into his hand, “It seemed important.” 

Rex took the drive with a nod and looked down at the little silver metal piece turning the holo drive over in his glued fingers.

Howzer stepped forwards, “What the hell is going on here?” He looked at you directly, “You were supposed to be mine… you were mine. Now, this?” He gestured to your mate.

Crosshair growled possessively raising an accusatory finger shoving it into Howler’s chest, “Should have sealed the deal then. But this omega… is mine.” You whimpered not liking this tension one bit. You may be matted to Crosshair, but you did have such a respect for Howzer from before.

Howzer stared at Crosshair before shifting his dejected gaze to you.

You sighed, “It’s complicated, Captain.” You lowered your eyes not liking the feeling of his disappointment. 

Howzer huffed, “Is it now?” 

Wolffe walked up trying to ease the tension, “Trust her, it is…” 

“You have no idea, brother.” Grim put a hand on his hip watching Howler bristle. 

Howzer scrunched his brow, “Well someone, enlighten me.” 

Rex just stepped forwards putting a hand on Howzer’s shoulder, “Well the long in the short is that, Tiny, is a rare variant of omega. She can have multiple mates. They happen to be the 99s. Though, the news of her being mated to Crosshair is new to me.” He raised a skeptical brow at you, “I guess a congratulations is in order.” 

“Thanks Rex.” You gave him a small smile. 

“The imperials gassed the base on Naboo with SRA.” Wolffe filled in the blanks, “They wanted clone pups. They also wanted Y/N cloned for the purpose to making more Ori’sol omegas for their breeding program.” 

“Breeding program?” Rex asked confused. 

“Thats why they sent me after her.” Crosshair rubbed a possessive hand over your neck and healing mark, “Admiral Tarkin was going to create a new elite army with our pups.” 

Rex furrowed his brow and gestured to your stomach, “Does that mean…” 

“No!” Both you and Crosshair blurted out, “No…” You shook your head, “No pups. Crosshair made sure I was safe, they didn’t know.” 

Rex just nodded letting his protective side settle down. You knew he would have had a conniption if that news was sprung on him too. Imagine, a secret military base with a pup running around, good gods.

“Is that why there were so many clones in that base?” A familiar figure stepped forwards. 

Cody. 

You smiled at him too. He gave you a little nod of acknowledgment. 

“Rounded up as many of us as they could.” Grim replied, “Had us pairing up with the captured omegas.” 

“That explains a lot.” Rex noted. 

You looked back at Howzer who was watching you longingly. Your heart ached with guilt seeing the hurt on his brow. This must be a lot to process for him. You weren’t his only omega, but you were definitely his most consistent. You were on Ryloth long enough to get to know the captain, but you never pursued any sort of relationship due to the on going war. He must be devastated seeing you with Crosshair. It wasn’t lost on you that the man had developed some kind of feelings for you after everything. 

Crosshair gave you a little squeeze pulling your attention back to him. He studied your eyes rubbing his thumb on your cheek. 

You could tell he was dying to lay into Howzer, but he was keeping his calm for your sake. 

In the background, Rex took the hollow drive and plugged it into the display table. Suddenly a massive projection of your entire genetic system popped up. One of the troopers you didn’t recognize began reading the reports. 

“Rex, you gotta see this.” He pointed to something floating by your DNA strands. 

You and Crosshair nuzzled together as the others began to gather around the table. You watched Howzer disappear into the crowd of clones needing some time to process clearly. 

“Did you really kill his men?” You asked. 

Crosshair just gave you a short grunt confirming it. 

“Would you have really killed him?” You asked. 

“The empire didn’t inform me of who he was.” He explained as he smoothed your hair down, “They sent me retrieve him from Ryloth for interrogation. His unit didn’t come willingly. In hindsight I realize it was because they were searching for you, and wanted him for information. But at that time I believed you to be dead, If I had known, I probably would have…. Still considering it.” 

You looked up at him with a shocked expression. But he just smiled and chuckled. 

He was joking… “Oh my gods, don’t say things like that.” You smacked his chest. 

A clone trooper in a flight uniform came running inside, “We got incoming!” 

You perked your head up turning to face the main doorway. In came another group of scared and confused omegas along with more clone troopers. Blankets and food was being passed around as more and more people entered the hall.

They shuffled inside looking even more distraught after the events on Naboo. Some still covered in blaster residue and in their imperial garments. 

You watched as the crowd began to lighten up before you noticed a very distinct helmet appear from the darkness. 

“Hunter.” You breathed.

You flung yourself forward running at full speed crashing into your Sargent before he even had a chance to remove his helmet. 

He grunted with the impact of your body before throwing his helmet carelessly to the side before picking you up and holding you to his armored chest. 

You started crying finally feeling the empty bit in your chest begin to fill with his presence again. Rubbing your cheek into his to spread his scent, he nuzzled into your hair practically inhaling your smell.

“Mesh’la.” He breathed, “Fuck. I missed you my love.” He buried his head into your hair breathing you in, refusing to let go. You just wrapped yourself around his torso with your legs letting him hold you tightly. 

“You found me.” You whimpered into his neck nuzzling his scent into your nose. 

“Of course we found you, Adi’ka.” He replied gruffly before pulling back to press his lips to yours. You melted immediately into his plush soft kiss. Carding your fingers through his lengthy hair, you massaged his scalp as he deepened the kiss making you mewl.

“Pip?” Wrecker’s hopeful voice snapped you out of your haze. Hunter spun the two of you to see Tech, Wrecker, and Echo jogging towards you both from the landing platform. 

Hunter set you down, letting you unwrap yourself before the other three surrounded you in a group hug squeezing you nearly to death. You were being smothered in kisses and touches and hugs.

Crosshair watched as the three other 99’s fawned over you, asking you a million questions you struggled to answer. They wanted to know everything. What happened. Were you hurt? How did you get to the bas eon Naboo? What was going on there?

Hunter caught his attention as his older brother stared at him with one of his intense scrutinizing glares. He was still pissed about the events on Bracca apparently, even though now he was starting to realize that Crosshair was much different.

Then it was like an epiphany went off in hunter’s head. He looked at Crosshair with a raised brow, then over to you, sniffing the air slightly. What you didn’t know, was that he was hearing something even stranger…

“What did you do?” Hunter’s smokey voice turned hardened at his little brother. 

Wrecker let go of you to look up at his Hunter sensing a change in energy. 

Hunter looked at your chest before whipping his head around to face his little brother. 

“What. Did. You. Do.” Hunter narrowed is eyes. He pointed a gloved finger at you, “Her heart… it beats… with yours.” 

Crosshair just stood emotionless, but you could sense his panic through the bond. Hunter’s intensity was unsettling to the sniper. Always has been.

“H-Hunter, wait it’s not what-“ You began, but Tech cut you off as his finger pried at your neck. He tugged on the metal welded around your neck with a horrified look. He ran his fingers over the aurebesh engraving declaring you his twin’s property. Then his fingers went down to your mating gland where he traced a finger over the marred skin. It looked freshly healed where Crosshair had punctured your flesh marking you as his with two little raised bumps. 

“He bit you?” Tech said rubbing the gland making you flush at his touch. He forgot how stimulating that was for you.

You barely had time to register the eldest charging at Crosshair before the sound of his fist colliding with his little bother’s cheek snapped you out of the haze. 

You screamed watching Hunter and Crosshair roll around on the temple floor. Echo kept you from running forwards not wanting you to get hurt in their scuffle. He held you firmly under his arm.

“Shit.” Rex leapt into action along with Wolffe, and shockingly, Howzer. 

Crosshair had Hunter pinned and was pummeling his forearms as his brother blocked his hits. But Hunter wasn’t giving up, fueled by rage, he threw his little brother off of him and cold cocked him in the jaw sending them both tumbling to the ground. 

“Alright! Alright!” Wolffe used his commanding voice. He bent down and yanked Crosshair back right as Rex got a hold of Hunter. 

“How could you Crosshair?!” Hunter snarled. The two were being scrubbed by the collar like two tookas.

Wrecked walked over to put himself between his brothers as the verbal fight broke out, as they tugged against their restraints trying to lunge at one another again.

You whimpered, unable to watch the fight anymore. Feeling suddenly extremely claustrophobic, you turned around looking at Tech, “Please! Please Tech!” You yanked and tugged at the collar, “Please take this off.” You begged. 

He nodded and reached around in his tool belt grabbing your abused laser suture. 

“Echo give me your glove.” Tech said. 

Echo handed it over before running his flesh hand over your shoulder trying to soothe you. 

Tech nudged the glove under the collar gently, before bringing out the tools. Very carefully, he brought the glowing plasma point up to the Imperial durasteel collar and got to work weakening the welding points as you squirmed uncomfortably. 

“How could you do this to her?” Hunter snarled, “She nearly died when you turned to the empire!” 

“I didn’t turn to the empire!” Crosshair snapped. 

“You tried to kill her!” 

You could feel Crosshair’s hurt through the bond at Hunter’s words… he didn’t mean to. 

“You know I didn’t have control. I would never fucking hurt her!” Crosshair’s glare darkened, “You’re the one who left me behind! You left me under their control!… I thought we were brothers!” 

Hunter looked like he had just been punched in the gut. 

The sergeant stared at his brother letting his mouth hang open slightly unsure how to respond. 

Tech finally freed you from the property collar wrenching it open only to let it fall to the ground with a deafening clatter. The silence that followed after sent a chill down your spine. 

You looked over at Hunter who eyed the metal at your feet. 

You cleared your throat before speaking, “I did it!” You looked to the eldest, “I mated Crosshair…. I bit him. It’s my fault…Please Hunter don’t be mad at him.” You wanted this stupid fight to end. It hurt your watching them argue, especially over something Hunter doesn’t even understand. 

Once again Hunter looked shocked and appalled. He stood up straight staring at you with a bated breath. You could feel the sour taste of his disappointment too. He shook off Rex and stormed out of the hangar not even able to look at you for one more second… kriff. You sighed. 

He fucking hates you. You suddenly felt sick with anxiety and fought back the urge to vomit.

What should have been a happy reunion had suddenly turned sour. 

You felt Tech and Wrecker disappear, heading after Hunter leaving you alone with Echo and Crosshair. Dammit. 

“Y/N, what happened?” Echo asked bringing you into a hug. The only one giving you an ounce of empathy. 

“Ask Wolffe, he’ll tell you.“ You sighed pushing away unable to bare anymore of this, “I’ve had enough for today. Is there a place I can rest for a bit?” You looked to Rex who nodded and gave ordered to his men to guide you to a quiet place. 

You followed behind the clones letting them lead you to a spare room that had been converted into living space. You looked around realizing this is Rex’s quarters. You sighed and rubbed at your neck finally feeling lighter now that, that offending metal was gone and you were free again.

The door whooshed open to reveal your mate. He stepped inside looking exhausted and his chin a nasty swelling red. 

“I knew it was wrong to leave you with the imperials.” You said quietly feeling the tears rise in your eyes, “I told them.” 

He nodded putting a toothpick in his mouth. Of course he managed to find one even here on this remote base. 

“Hunter’s always been good at protecting the group.” Crosshair drawled, “We have a plan, you know, if one of us isn’t going to make it back.” 

You looked up at him with bleary eyes. 

“Plan 99.” He nodded, “A suicide mission.” 

“But you weren’t sacrificing yourself for the group.” You whimpered, “We left you and that was fucked up.” 

He scoffed, “Given the circumstances I understand him… doesn’t make it hurt any less. But what were four of them going agains the empire really going to do.” 

“Cross.” You sighed, “We should have gotten you the second we knew about the chips. I should… I should have pushed harder.” 

“He wouldn’t have listened to you.” Crosshair sat in the chair against the wall facing you, “And it’s not your fault, love. His main concern was protecting you.” 

“Why are you justifying his actions? You sounded so hurt!” You whimpered wiping away a falling tear. 

“We’re brothers.” He rolled his eyes, “It’s what we do.” 

You just whined and let the tears keep falling, “I think he hates me.” 

Crosshair motioned for you to come to him. You walked over standing between his open legs. He tugged you down so you were sitting on his lap. He pulled you in close so you rested against his chest and he tucked your head under his chin. 

“He doesn’t hate you. I promise. He’s just jealous, and probably a little hurt that it wasn’t him that got to you first.” Crosshair chuckled, “Trust me, that wasn’t even bad for Hunter.” 

“But did you see the way he looked at me.” You sniffled, “I- he’s never looked at me like that before.” 

Crosshair just held you tighter, “I’ve been the receiving end of that look for years. You’re alright, just give him some time.” 

“But the others?”  All you wanted was your pack, your lovers, your alphas. But they didn’t seem to want you either. 

“They just do whatever Hunter does.” Crosshair scratched the back of your neck affectionately, “Wrecker will crack first, and then Tech. Hunter has to punch a few walls first, but he’ll come around eventually. He’s too responsible and frankly, I’m certain all he wants is to have his little omega back.” 

Crosshair’s words did start to make you feel better. One thing about Cross is that he’s not a liar. He’s been a straighter shooter his entire life, in more ways than one. He always tells it as it is. That gave you confidence. 

He leaned down and kissed your forehead, “I’m just glad we’re out of that place.” He couldn’t seem to get close enough to you. You nuzzled in closer too. 

“Thank you Crosshair.” You looked up at him, “Thank you for always taking care of me.” 

You both shared a moment of just gazing at one another before you both leaned forwards to bring your lips together. 

Then it was like the weight of everything you both had been through came crashing through, and the absolute desire you felt for this man blazed through you like an inferno. He had saved you back on Mimban, twice, and now here he is again saving you from the plans of the empire and admiral Tarkin. 

You pushed yourself up and straddled his lap before letting him pick you up and carry you over to the bed pushed up against the far wall. 

It was a scramble to tear each others clothes off leaving you both bare, before he laid down onto of you, pressing you into the mattress. 

His warm battle hardened body felt marvelous against your softness. 

You breathed him in, leaning up to run your tongue against his healed mating gland. The alpha shivered at the sensation making him rut up against you, running his hardening length through your dampening folds. 

You mewled lifting your hips to push up against him. 

You could feel him smile into your neck as he pressed loving kisses there before kissing your mating mark with a gentleness that was foreign to the sniper. 

You squirmed as he pressed more kisses down your neck, then collarbones, your sternum, belly, pelvis, then you thigh. With a strong and firm grip, he plucked your legs up bending them so you were folded in half and spread wide for him. You whined as he continued his light and gentle kisses all over your thighs, traveling between one leg and the other before inching closer and closer to your core making you pant in anticipation. 

When his lips finally made contact with your dripping core, you had to cover your mouth with your hand before you let out an embarrassingly loud cry. 

He just smirked as he sloppily made out your with cunt making you absolutely thrash around in blinding pleasure under him. 

He had to pin your legs down to keep you still as he ravished you. His tongue seemed to know exactly where to go in order to make you twitch as your orgasm approached. He licked and massaged you until you were bending your back into an exaggerated arch as you quickly felt yourself hurtling over that edge into deafening pleasure. You couldn’t even mewl as you came down, you just tried to force yourself to breathe through the orgasm. 

“Fuck Cross.” You huffed going limp into the mattress. 

He wasted no time lining himself up knowing you were properly prepped to take him now. Feeling how relaxed you were post orgasm, he thrusted forwards feeling himself enter you with a slippery ease. You both moaned out at the fullness as he surged forwards bringing the two of you flush together in absolute harmony. The bond sang between the two of you as you two psychically came together. It was like a relief to the soul. Like slipping into a cool pool on a hot summer day. 

He leaned forwards kissing you passionately, allowing his tongue to enter your mouth where you both huffed trying to breathe through the sensations of him pushing inside of you. 

You broke away to suck in a deep breath of air before you both looked down to see where you were connected. You both whined at the sight before throwing your head back to enjoy the feeling of Crosshair making passionate love to you. 

Wrapping your form around his, you locked your ankles together to force him deeper inside of you. This spurred him on to be a little rougher with you, liking the way you bounced up and down the mattress on his cock. He leaned down to catch a nipple in his mouth as he sucked diligently making you bow your chest into his mouth eagerly. 

“Cross…” You grappled at his back leaving scratches with your nails, “I love you.” 

He smiled pressing his lips to your forehead, “I love you, Y/n.” 

The two of you kept saying it over and over again like a mantra as you both approached the peak. 

His thrusts only got more powerful as he neared, sending you scooching up the mattress. You held on for deal life as pleasure crashed through you violently making you clamp down and twitch around his hard length. 

He snarled and bit down on your mark again as he shivered, pumping you full of his seed. 

As he came down from his high, his teeth held onto the flesh at your gland making you vibrate through the bond. The possessive act only spurred you on. The post coital horniness still lingered as you wiggled your hips trying to feel him inside you more. Deeper. Fuller. 

You couldn’t get enough of him. 

He tried pinning you down by the hip before releasing your neck from his teeth. As he sat up on his knees with a flush to his cheeks, he looked down at you adoringly as you squirmed around trying to get him deeper inside of you. 

“Adi’ka,” He pushed his silver hair out of his eyes and ran a warm hand over your ribs before settling them on your belly like he had on Naboo. You preened under his touch. 

“Such a good girl.” He rubbed your warm skin with his thumb. 

Looking up through the open monastery window, you saw the dual moons rising in the distance casting a silvery glow over your skin and the mattress. 

Crosshair watched you become moon eyed in your post fuck glow. He pulled from you hearing you whimper at the feeling of now being empty. He chuckled, grabbing a tissue near by, and using it to clean himself before tucking himself back into the black joggers along with cleaning you up as best as he could realizing you were just fucking in Rex’s bed. Whoops.

He helped you slip back into your tattered white clothes before curling up behind you under Rex’s blanket to keep you both warm. 

Without another word, the two of you fell asleep finally succumbing to the day. 

~

When morning broke, you were awakened by Stunner poking his head through the door with a grin that very much reminded you of Fives. 

“Hey just making sure you’re both still kickin’.” He grinned. 

You heard Crosshair grunt in annoyance and felt him snuggle you closer. 

“Gmornin Stun.” Your voice was still groggy from sleep. 

“Breakfast in the mess.” Stunner said stepping back outside, “Probably should grab come chow before everyone else.” 

You nodded and got up shaking Crosshair’s arm off of you. He curled up on his side ignoring the call to breakfast, but you were still hungry and wanted familiar food. The sniper was content staying in bed for just a moment longer. 

You shimmied out of bed giving Cross a kiss before walking out to follow Stunner. 

In the daylight you could finally see more about this ancient monastery. 

Carvings decorated the walls along with gilded imagery of ancient force wielders. You were positive this monastery was older than most civilizations and maybe even some planets. The pink hazey sky seemed to only add a warmth to this high up colony as you trailed after Stunner who seemed to have learned the way back to the main hall already. 

You followed the sound of boisterous laughter and the sounds of reunion as you entered the main mess, the smell of eggs and breakfast meats filled your nose and you audibly sighed smelling the deliciousness in the air. 

It was hard to miss your gargantuan mate scarfing down his meal along with Tech who was sitting to his left, back turned to you. He ate in silence scrolling through something on his data pad. 

Echo was sitting with Rex who looked like he didn’t sleep after the rescue. He must have been up all night trying to process everyone and everything along with whatever was on that holodrvie you brought. The only one missing was Hunter. Your heart sank hoping he’d be here but when Stunner handed you a loaded tray of food, you were brought back to the moment and you looked down at your purple scrambled eggs and fried bantha links. 

Your stomach betrayed you and you heard Stunner chuckle before bringing you to a cluster of 104th. You sat down between Bolts and Grim grabbing your spork to dig in. It wasn’t long before your attention was brought to the back of Wrecker’s head and his broad shoulders. Then you looked at the back of Tech’s head, his hair was all disheveled under his goggle band and he had a bit of a slump to his already not great posture. Poor alpha looked tired.

You stared longingly, praying they’d turn around and just look at you for a moment. Your inner omega was starting to get anxious with the need to have their reassurance and attention.

Before you could get totally lost in your head, Grim gave you a little shove snapping you out of it. 

They knew. 

Everyone did. You weren’t exactly subtle. 

The 104th seemed to have weaseled their way into becoming your pack just like the 501st had all those years ago. It was like they could read your anxieties as well as your mates, and they were very supportive. Wolffe gave you a nod from where he was sat with Rex. 

“They’ll come around.” Bolts nodded, “I overheard Wolffe taking with your Sergeant last night, he told him everything.” 

“Yeah, but does that even matter?” You touched your bite mark, “What’s done is done.” 

“Did the bite make you no longer want your other mates?” Grim asked bluntly. 

You shook your head, “No. The bonds are still there.” 

Bolts gave you a smile, “Then you’re fine. Maybe being an Ori’sol means that you can have multiple mates and multiple mate bonds to go with them.” 

“She’ll be covered in teeth marks when Sarge is done with her.” Grim joked. 

You felt your cheeks redden. 

“Aye leave her alone.” Bolts reached over you to shove Grim, “She’s going through it.” 

“I’m trying to make her smile, or she’s going to loose her mind like those omegas who pull out their hair.” Grim shoved his brother back. 

You finished up your last bantha sausage and set the tray down letting them rough house over your head. 

You leaned forwards towards Stunner, “Do you know where Hunter is?” 

“Sarge took his breakfast outside on the landing platform before I came to get you.” He chewed his eggs. 

“Thanks Stun.” You stood up stretching before beginning your walk across the main room. You walked past the circular holo display in the center and was careful to step over the big power cables running over the floor. 

You neared Tech and Wrecker feeling your heart start to race as you neared. Keeping your head forward, you walked past them not missing the way they both perked up watching you walk towards the exit. You felt your stomach doing flips at their attention and chose to take one glance back at them. Wrecker looked at you longingly and Tech’s steely demeanor was even chipped at slightly as you saw his eyes soften when they met yours. 

Knowing you had to find Hunter first, you sighed and kept moving on. You heard the door swish behind you and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. You almost wished they’d come after you, but you knew Crosshair was right, they follow Hunter’s lead no matter what. He’s the one you have to tackle first. 

With a huff, you felt your anxieties turn to frustration with a tinge of anger. 

You put your hands in your sweater pockets and trudged forwards through the rubble that the clones seemed to have built a landing platform out of. 

With a sweep of your eyes, you couldn’t find him anywhere, but you could feel his energy through the bond close by. 

With a sigh, you crossed your arms and spoke out into the air in front of you, “I know you’re out here.” 

Some other clones on guard looked at you funny before they saw your Sargent emerge from behind a pile of rubble with his empty breakfast tray good distance away. 

You locked eyes with him and felt your pulse quicken. Damn he looked good. Dawn’s soft pink light made his tanned skin glow. His hair was pushed back by his signature bandana, but he wasn’t in his armor anymore. He was in his beige cargos and teal henley. He still has the burgundy wrist wraps and brown belt with his holster snugly at his side with his blaster tucked neatly inside. 

You had to force yourself to breathe and keep your composure but you were sure he could scent your slight arousal in his presence. 

You tapped your foot impatiently narrowing your eyes, “You’re a dick!” 

He scoffed and stopped walking towards you, crossing his arms defensively, “Excuse me?” He raised his non-tattooed brow and used his military tone. It sent a shiver down your spine.

You saw a couple of the other clones shift uncomfortably nearby watching an omega challenge her alpha.

“You heard me!” Kark ya he heard you, super hearing an all. You could roll your eyes, “I haven’t seen you in a month, I was kidnapped, and subjected to trauma I have no clue if I’ll ever recover from and all I get the fucking silent treatment?” 

He stared at you not moving, almost inhumanly still. Like a predatory animal waiting to pounce. 

“Do you have any fucking idea what Crosshair and I had to endure? The empire treated me like a brood mare and Crosshair like some glorified stud horse. And what they fucking did to me? Collared me like a rabid lurka hound!” You snarled, “And all I wanted during those awful nights… was you!” You shifted your feet slightly but kept your arms secure around your chest, “All I wanted was my alpha, my mate… my damn sergeant to come make it all better. I dreamed of you for a month praying you’d find me somehow! That I would be back with my pack!” 

He opened his mouth to speak but you shushed him with a finger. If you were still in the GAR he would have had you court marshaled for speaking to him like this. The idea made your heart race, “I’m not finished… The things Crosshair did to save me from Tarkin’s bantha shit… he put his life on the line every single day to make sure he didn’t knock me up and that Tarkin couldn’t have our pups. He delayed Tarkin’s orders to come after you and the others, he risked everything to get our message out to you, including the 104th! He doesn’t deserve to be treated the way you have. He protected me inside that fucking base! And this-“ You pointed to your neck, “This was a fucking accident. We weren’t in control and trust me, there is nothing you could say to Crosshair that is worse than what he felt in that moment.” You were breathing heavily now fighting down the anger, “So no… you don’t get to treat us like this. Crosshair and I didn’t do anything wrong, we did everything we could to survive that imperial installation and I’m sorry this didn’t happen the way you wanted it too, but here we are.” You flapped your arms around exasperated. 

He studied the way your chest heaved with anger and the way the other clones stood there awkwardly trying not to be seen. He could hear everyone’s heart beats in the vicinity but yours stood out to him the most, including that delicious smell rolling off of you in waves. You might be royally pissed, but he couldn’t help but feel a little smug you were still responding to him and his presence. 

He sighed closing his eyes briefly before nodding.

“You’re right.” He yielded, “I am a dick.” 

You had to double to take to make sure you were hearing him correctly. Did he just admit to being wrong?

“I shouldn’t have started a fight with Cross, and I shouldn’t have walked away from you.” He kept his arms crossed looking at you, “I was jealous Adi’ka. Seeing you mated to him, it nearly broke my heart. And you telling me, us, that you choose him…You’re all I’ve thought about since we lost you and I don’t know, I was hoping everything would go back to the way it was before…” he gestured to the mark, “But what’s done is done, I guess.” The hint of brokenness in his voice made your anger wither, “You chose Crosshair and I’m just going to have to be okay with that.” 

You scrunched your brow, confused you asked, “Wait, do you think our mate bonds were broken?” You shook your head, “Hunter I’m not just bound to Cross, I’m still bound to all of you too…still.” 

“But, you’re claimed.” He shook his head a little in confusion. 

“Yes, but it didn’t change how I feel about all of you.” You explained, “I can just feel Crosshair a lot stronger now.” 

His brows perked up with hope. 

“Clearly the claiming marks don’t work the same with me. If I was a normal omega I wouldn’t even be able to comprehend a different alpha. You know this.” 

“So, you think everything is still the same?” He asked stepping towards you. 

“I do.” You nodded letting him crowd into your space, “I felt you through our bond on Naboo. We’re still mated…” 

You were suddenly enveloped in his presence. His familiar scent filled your nose making you vibrate with excitement. You hadn’t even notice him advancing on you.

He reached out a finger to lift your chin to face him. You looked into his grey hazel eyes as he peered down at you. 

“Mesh’la...” He sighed, “We’re not mated… yet.” His tone lit a fire in your core. That was a promise. The way he was looking at you, like he had back on Mimban, had you starting to warm. He raised a brow and smirked watching the way you shuddered at the idea of him claiming you. 

“H-Hunter.” You whispered his name. 

His finger under your chin quickly turned into a soft caress down your neck, “We found a place, love. It’s a green place, with no one but us. It’s in the outer rim, almost in the unknown regions. We found it when Rex was looking for our brothers. We can start over there, no one will know us, the empire can’t find us. We’ll build our own pack, start our own family.” He looked so happy. Happier than you had seen him in a very long time.

You looked up at him owlishly. Just like you had dreamed… 

“Tech is already making plans on building the home stead. We want to take you there cyare.” 

You blinked at him, you couldn’t believe this man, your Sergeant, was willing to go to such lengths to protect you. To give you everything you dreamed of as a pup. You never thought you’d make it off of Coruscant. And now, you were in an entirely different universe. One where you barely had anytime to process and he was offering you peace. 

You looked up at the soldier. You could almost laugh at the irony. A being created with only one purpose, to kill and serve, was offering you peace. 

The thought was beautiful.

Despite his creator’s purpose, it would seem Hunter and the Batch’s defectiveness would always remain victorious. 

“Yes. Yes Hunter. Bring me to the green place.”

We love hope core in this house....

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

Taglist: @substantial-exposure

@rains-on-kamino

@minimissmoo

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@subbing-for-clones

[theetherealbloom]

THE SILVER LINING — CH. 5

Chapter Five: Closing In

Summary: After aiding the Republic and the fall of the Empire, you left the Jedi Training Clan on Bogden 3 to help families needing medical care with the call of the Force. You are a kind, warm-hearted healer on Nevarro, treating the citizens and the bounty hunters. Imperial remnants still linger in the shadows, waiting to strike at the perfect moment. Leading you to assist the Mandalorian with rescuing the Child has led you to your biggest adventure yet.

Paring: Din Djarin x Force Sensitive!FemReader (Empath)

Warnings: Violence, Age–Gap Romance, Angst, FLUFF, Eventual SMUT, Swearing, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Crying, Suggestive content, Flirting, People pleasing, Flattery, Blood, Blasters, War, Religion References, Aliens, Sith, Character Deaths, One Bed Trope, Awkward, Plot Holes

Word Count: 10k

A/N: I swear I don’t mean to take months to update! I get sidetracked so often by random things and other obsessions. I’m at a point with this story where I get lost with the timeline so then I have to reread what I wrote (try not to cringe at my writing) and then continue on writing the next chapter. Usually, I’m very organized with my outline so I don’t lose track of where I am plot-wise, but Star Wars is— it truly is something else. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! We’re one step closer to the season finale. Love you guys :>

Song: De Selby (Part 2) by Hozier

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OUTER RIM TERRITORIES, 9ABY – EVENING

It had become apparent to you that Din was touch-starved, even though he never openly admitted it. You could trace the progression of his need for physical contact, starting with subtle gestures like a comforting touch on your elbow or a gentle squeeze of your hand in public. These small interactions held unspoken messages of affection, revealing a side of Din that he rarely showed to the world.

His tactile expressions of intimacy grew more pronounced over time. Your heart skipped a beat the first time he cupped your face, his gloved hand warm against your cheek. The tenderness of that touch spoke volumes, carrying a depth of emotion that words couldn't quite capture. It was a silent promise, a reassurance that you were not alone in this unpredictable universe.

One memory stood out vividly: a day when the three of you found yourselves in a cantina on an outer rim planet. The credits Din had earned were put to practical use, securing supplies and a decent meal for all of you. While Din went to order drinks, you focused on the child, ensuring he was comfortable and fed.

Amid your care-taking, an unfamiliar man appeared, his presence casting a shadow over your booth. You regarded him with skepticism, raising an eyebrow as his words dripped with overconfidence.

"Can I help you with something?" you responded, your tone laced with a mix of caution and annoyance. The stranger's attempt at flirtation was as transparent as the space beyond the cantina's windows.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?" he purred, his words dripping with unmistakable intent.

Suppressing an inward sigh at the sheer predictability of his approach, you let a subtle, sarcastic smile curve your lips. The galaxy had taught you to navigate these situations with a mix of wits and composure.

As the child cooed beside you, curiosity evident in his innocent eyes, you shifted your gaze back to the stranger, his overconfident demeanor oozing from every pore. Your reply was measured, tinged with a hint of dry amusement, "Clearly, I'm not alone and occupied, so if you could leave, please."

Undeterred, the stranger continued with his advances. "C'mon, baby, don't be such a priss. I'll show you a good time."

You were on the cusp of rising from your seat, ready to firmly reiterate your point when a sudden shift in the atmosphere seized the cantina's attention. It was as if the air had changed, thickened by an invisible tension. The chattering voices seemed to hush instinctively.

Amid the palpable silence, Din materialized like an imposing guardian. His presence radiated authority and raw power, his Mandalorian armor reflecting the ambient light, turning him into an almost mythical figure. His voice cut through the stillness like a blade, sharp and unyielding, "She said leave."

The room held its collective breath as the stranger's bluster crumbled in the face of Din's command. The confrontation became a silent battle of wills, one that spoke volumes without the need for further words. The stranger's retreat marked a victory for the indomitable force that Din embodied, leaving the cantina in stunned silence.

Your gaze shifted from the defeated stranger to Din, who stood there with an intensity that both reassured and electrified the room. His unspoken declaration of protection wasn't lost on you, a testament to the bond forged through shared trials and unspoken connections.

And then, with a swift shift, Din's demeanor transformed. His grip on patience loosened, and his actions spoke volumes where words had been unnecessary. In a heartbeat, he had seized the offender, the loud crack of bone echoing through the hushed cantina as the stranger's resistance was brutally halted.

Your breath caught, a sharp inhale of surprise and a hint of awe, as the resounding crack of bone filled the air. It was a stark punctuation to Din's swift and decisive intervention, a thunderous echo of authority that cut through the cantina's previous cacophony. The clatter of utensils and the discordant symphony of bowls added to the jarring chorus, a testimony to the power that had just been unleashed.

The stranger, once so assertive, now resembled a scurrying insect, his escape marked by a trail of spilled drinks and overturned stools. He disappeared into the crowded haze of the cantina, no longer a contender in this silent duel.

Throughout this confrontation, Din's gaze remained unyielding, a force of nature that had momentarily swept the establishment into a hushed reverence. As the patrons bore witness to the unassailable might he wielded, their earlier bravado had crumbled into hushed awe.

With the situation resolved, Din's attention shifted back to you, and that deep, unspoken connection that had been nurtured through shared challenges seemed to shimmer in the charged atmosphere. His gloved hand gently found yours, prompting you to rise from your booth. You cradled the child securely in your arms, his innocent eyes bearing witness to this display of protective strength.

“I could have handled it,” you spoke, your voice soft and understanding, and Din nodded, a faint hint of gratitude in his voice. “I know.”

A beat passed between you, the atmosphere laden with unspoken words. Then, Din continued, his words tinged with vulnerability, "I could not just stand there and do nothing," he said, “I would... the things I would do to ensure you and the child are safe.”

His voice trailed off, leaving the weight of his unspoken commitment hanging in the air. It was a promise forged in the crucible of their shared experiences. A vow to protect and cherish, even if it meant confronting the darkest corners of the galaxy.

You blinked, your gaze filled with understanding and affection. With a gentle hand, you reached out, placing it over his heart, and whispered, "I know. I would too."

To your surprise, he was the first one to initiate the hug. His strong arms wrapped around your waist, drawing you into an embrace that felt surprisingly warm beneath the cool, unyielding exterior of his beskar armor. You still held the child in your arms, creating an intimate tableau of unity. Surprisingly, the hard plate of his chest was comforting, the armor a symbol of his steadfast protection. In his embrace, you felt safe, secure, and trusted, as if nothing in the galaxy could harm you as long as you were in his arms.

Maybe that's why you two ended up where you are now. In the passing days and nights, your connection deepened, communicated through silent reassurances by the simple touch of an elbow or the light squeeze of his gloved hand. Din seemed to always find a reason to be near you, seeking excuses to touch and hold you, even if only for a brief moment.

There were times when you would prepare food for the three of you, and Din would just watch from a few steps away. Despite the helmet, you could feel his gaze as he observed you move around the small workspace, heating the food. You would glance over your shoulder to smile at him, and his heart would flutter wildly.

In those moments, you could see the shimmering outline of his silver aura mixing with shades of reds and maroons, a silent testament to the emotions he kept hidden behind the beskar helmet. 

The nights in the cramped bunk leave you no room to move, but you find it surprisingly comfortable, curled up together. The baby sleeps soundly in his hammock nearby, his tiny breaths filling the small space with a sense of peace.

During those nights, Din often surprises you with unspoken acts of service. He'll quietly slip out of bed, leaving you wrapped in the warmth of the blankets, and return with a cup of hot caf. He never says a word, but the gesture speaks volumes, warming not just your body but your heart as well.

Sometimes, he'll softly hum a lullaby, a hauntingly beautiful tune that you've never heard before. The melody dances in the air, soothing both you and the baby, creating a bond that goes beyond words between the three of you.

As you lie there, nestled in his arms, you can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, you've found something exceptional in the vast, unforgiving galaxy.

The peace the three of you had found seemed almost too good to be true. It was a fragile tranquility in a galaxy filled with chaos, and you knew deep down that it wouldn't last long. Still, you couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, you could carve out a small sanctuary for yourselves.

But as you entered the flight deck one day and saw the look on Din's face, you knew that the serenity was about to be shattered. Concern etched your features as you asked, "What's wrong?"

Din didn't immediately reply. Instead, he pressed a button, and a flickering hologram message of Greef Karga materialized before you. His gravelly voice filled the cockpit, delivering a message that sent a chill down your spine.

"My friend, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive," Greef Karga's hologram began. "You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown."

The weight of those words hung heavily in the air, and you exchanged a knowing glance with Din. It seemed that your past had come back to haunt you again, and the peace you had briefly tasted was slipping through your fingers like grains of sand from Tatooine.

Greef Karga's hologram continued to flicker as he outlined the dire situation on Nevarro. His gravelly voice held a tone of urgency as he explained, "They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize."

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on you and Din. It was clear that this was no ordinary mission; it was a perilous gambit that carried immense risks. Karga's proposal hung in the air, the unspoken words echoing loudly in the confined space of the Razor Crest.

"So, here is my proposition," Karga continued. "Return to Nevarro. Bring the child as bait. I will arrange an exchange, and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep the child and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."

The concern in your eyes didn't escape Din's notice as you voiced your doubts. "This has to be a trap, Din," you asserted, your voice tinged with worry.

Din nodded in agreement, his thoughts mirroring yours. "Possibly."

A small, determined smile graced your lips as you continued, "We're gonna need help... from our friends."

As you glanced at the sleeping Child, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on both of you. It was a decision that would determine the course of your future and the safety of the innocent life in your care.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Din made his decision clear. Without uttering a word, he steered the Razor Crest toward the coordinates Greef Karga had provided, the ship leaping into hyperspace. The die was cast, and a treacherous path lay ahead, but the bond between you and Din, and the allies you had made along the way, offered a glimmer of hope in the darkness of uncertainty.

SORGAN, 9ABY – DAY

The Razor Crest soared over the lush tree canopy of Sorgan, its engines humming like a contented beast. As the forest gave way to an open area, Din carefully brought the ship down, landing with the grace of a seasoned pilot.

Exiting the ship, you and Din followed a worn path that led to a common house in the distance. The atmosphere was different here, far removed from the cold metal of your ship. It was a place where the rustic charm of Sorgan had found a home.

Inside the common house, the commotion caught your attention. A sizable crowd had gathered, their voices mixing with the clatter of glasses and the low hum of conversation. At the center of the room, a makeshift boxing ring had been set up.

You and Din approached the ring just as Cara Dune, faced off against a male Zabrak fighter. Cara’s movements were swift and calculated, her strikes a testament to her combat prowess. The Zabrak, equally skilled, proved to be a formidable opponent. Each of them tethered to a laser that crackled with energy. The makeshift boxing ring suddenly felt smaller, the tension palpable as the combatants engaged in a fierce battle.

As the bout reached its climax, Cara executed a flawless maneuver, pulling the Zabrak in with the tether that connected them. The Zabrak, caught off guard by her sudden tactic, found himself unable to escape her grasp.

With a swift and decisive motion, Cara forced the Zabrak to tap out, his admission of defeat ringing through the air as the laser tether fizzled out between them.

Cara's triumphant grin illuminated her features as she basked in the adulation of the crowd, her chest heaving with exertion from the intense match. With a playful twinkle in her eye, she extended a victorious finger, punctuating her declaration to the assembled spectators.

"Pay up, mudscuffers! Come on. That's mine, thank you. All right, thank you," Cara exclaimed, her voice carrying over the din of the cheering crowd. In response, several patrons begrudgingly reached into their pockets, producing credits to settle their wagers.

You, Din, and the Child entered Cara's line of sight, drawing her attention away from the crowd. Din's voice, deep and commanding, cut through the noise of the common house as he addressed her directly.

"Looking for some work?" Din inquired as he broached the subject with Cara and you all decided to take a seat and have a drink as you discussed the situation.

"It's a straightforward operation," Din elucidated to Cara, his voice low and measured. Leaning forward, he rested his left forearm on the table, his gaze unwavering as he outlined the details. “They're providing the plan and firepower. I'm the snare.” Meanwhile, you tended to the Child who fussed beside you, keeping one eye on the conversation.

"With the kid? And her?" Cara inquires, casting a glance your way.

"That's why we're reaching out to you," you respond softly, meeting Cara's gaze.

Cara sighs, weighing the risks. "I don't know. I've been advised to keep a low profile. If anyone runs my chain code, I'll be in a cell for life."

"I thought you were a veteran," Din remarks, his silver helmet catching the light as he speaks. The defeated Zabrak fighter drops a credit on the table and nods at Cara, who offers a smile. "Come back soon," she calls after him.

"I've been a lot of things since. Most of them come with a life sentence," Cara explains, her expression serious. "If I so much as board a ship registered to the New Republic, I'm—"

"We have a ship," Din interjects, his voice firm. "I can take you there and back, and there'll be a handsome reward waiting. You can live free of worry."

"I'm already free of worry, and I'm not in the mood to play soldier anymore," Cara says, taking a sip from her cup. "Especially not for some local warlord."

"He's not a local warlord," Din interjects, his voice low and with a growl. You finish the statement, your tone was distant, eyes glazed. "He's Imperial."

Cara takes a deep breath and offers a small smile as she nods. "I'm in."

INSIDE THE RAZOR CREST

OUTER RIM TERRITORIES, 9ABY – SPACE

"Does your contact need to vet me?" Cara leans against the side of the cockpit panel, her arms crossed. Din shakes his head. "Doesn't know you're coming."

Cara raises an eyebrow. "Really? That could be a problem."

"It won't. But if it is, that's his problem." Din shrugs before exiting the cockpit. You give the Child a gentle pat as he sits beside you, then follow Din down the ladder and to the weapons locker with Cara.

"Is he alright up there alone?" Cara asks, nodding towards the cockpit. 

Din nods. "Yeah." He opens the locker, the doors hissing as they slide apart. Gesturing to the array of weapons, he adds, "Pick one."

"Do you trust the contact?" Cara inquires, brows raised as she sifts through the locker's contents, a grin playing on her lips.

Din lets out a sigh. "Not particularly," he admits, his tone tinged with a hint of wariness. "He and I had a run-in last time I was there on some Guild business."

"So then why are we going?" Cara questions, her tone laced with curiosity as she glances over at Din.

"I don't have a choice," Din responds, his voice carrying a weight of resignation. He pauses, then reaches out to pull you closer to his side, anchoring you against him as he leans against the ship's panel. "You saw what happened on Sorgan. They'll keep sending hunters," he continues, his gaze steady. "The kid and her... they'll never be safe until the Imp is dead."

"And you're okay with bringing them back there?" Cara asks skeptically, a hint of concern coloring her tone. You frown slightly, your expression conveying a sense of determination as you respond, "I can take care of myself."

"What about the kid? We need someone to watch that thing," Cara remarks, gesturing towards the Child above in the cockpit. Din nods in agreement, acknowledging the need for a trustworthy guardian. "Yeah."

"You got anyone you can trust?" Cara inquires further, her gaze shifting between you and Din.

You feel Din's thumb brush over the exposed part of your hip, a comforting gesture that sends a subtle warmth rippling through your body. He hums softly, his presence enveloping you in shades of silver and grey, a reassuring aura amidst the uncertainty of the moment.

Suddenly, the ship begins to rumble, Cara stumbles, her hands reaching out to brace herself against the wall. Meanwhile, Din swiftly pulls you closer to his body, a protective instinct evident in his actions. With a gruff huff, he releases you and heads back up the ladder.

You and Cara follow Din up the ladder, only to find the Child meddling with the controls, causing the ship to thrash and rumble. Din takes charge, settling into the pilot's seat to stabilize the Razor Crest once more.

"We really need someone to watch over him," you remark, holding the Child securely in your arms while Din nods and agrees, “Yeah.”

MOISTURE FARM, ARVALA-7 — SUNSET

The Razor Crest settles on the desolate planet of Arvala-7, its rocky surface bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun. As the ramp lowers, you step out alongside Din and Cara, the hovering pram carrying the Child trailing close behind.

Your eyes fall on the Ugnaught Din mentioned, a figure named Kuiil, who greets you warmly as you make your way to his home. With a nod, you duck your head to enter the tunnel-shaped structure, eager to get to know Kuiil.

"It hasn't grown much," Kuiil remarks, his eyes fixated on the Child.

Din nods in agreement. "I think it might be a Strand-Cast."

Kuiil shakes his head slowly. "I don't think it was engineered. I've worked in the gene farms. This one looks evolved. Too ugly."

"I had a dream recently," you begin, your voice soft but earnest. "A creature like him named Yoda appeared to me… this little one is likely to be one of his kind."

Din listens intently, his gaze underneath his helmet fixed on you as you speak.

"It’s why I followed you, at first," you continue, turning to face him. "Because the last time the Empire had Force Sensitive children…" You trail off, overcome with emotion. "I just couldn’t leave him there."

Din's gauntleted hand gently clasps yours, emanating a comforting warmth that sends a tender sensation coursing through your veins. You feel a soft flush rise to your cheeks as you meet his gaze, the visor of his helmet lending an air of mystery to his expression.

Kuiil clears his throat, his gaze shifting between you and Din. "You and Din make a formidable pair," he says with a nod, his tone carrying a note of respect. "A union like yours brings strength and unity in uncertain times."

A flush of embarrassment warms your cheeks, prompting you to avert your gaze momentarily. However, Din's firm grip on your waist draws you closer to where you sat, anchoring you in his reassuring presence.

Meanwhile, Kuiil turns to Cara with a playful glint in his eye. "This one, on the other hand," he remarks, "looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora."

You gesture toward Cara with a smile, introducing her to Kuiil. Cara responds with a nod, her own smile reflecting the camaraderie in the room.

Kuiil's eyes settle on Cara's arm, where the telltale tattoo of a Dropper catches his attention. "You were a Dropper," he observes, prompting Cara to raise an intrigued eyebrow. "Did you serve?" she inquires the Ugnaught.

Kuiil settles onto a stool, his expression taking on a thoughtful cast. "On the other side, I'm afraid," he admits. "But I'm proud to say that I paid out my clan's debt, and now I serve no one but myself."

As Kuiil speaks, the room is suddenly interrupted by the mechanical steps of an approaching figure. You glance toward the entrance and see an IG-11 droid entering, carrying a tray of steaming drinks. Instantly, both Din and Cara spring to their feet, blasters are drawn, their defensive instincts kicking in. Meanwhile, you remain seated, a mix of confusion and curiosity etched on your face.

The IG-11 droid, its metallic voice crisp and clear, breaks the tension with an unexpected offer. "Would anyone care for some tea?"

Kuiil, ever composed, raises a calming hand towards Din and Cara. "Please lower your blasters," he urges, his voice steady and assured. "He will not harm you."

"That thing is programmed to kill the baby," Din asserts, his voice tinged with anger as he keeps his blaster trained on the IG unit.

Kuiil interjects calmly as IG-11 places the tray on the table in front of you, "Not anymore. It was left behind in the wake of your destruction.”

“I found it laying where it fell. Devoid of all life. I recovered the flotsam and staked it as my own in accordance with the Charter of the New Republic. Little remained of its neural harness.” Kuiil recounted to you and you listened intently.

"Reconstruction was quite the challenge, but not impossible," Kuiil reflects, his voice carrying the weight of experience. "It had to learn everything anew. This is not a task for mere machinery. It demands patience and repetition. Day after day, I nurtured its growth with care and affirmation. And as its experiences expanded, so did its personality."

Din remains skeptical, his tone betraying his doubt as he inquires, "Is it still a hunter?"

"No," Kuiil replies firmly, "but it will defend."

As the IG-11 droid offers, “Tea?” Cara grabs the cup and takes a sip while you exchange glances with Kuiil, sensing the sincerity in his words reflected in the warm hues of the sunset. With a reassuring touch, you rise from your seat and place a hand on Din's outstretched arm, gently guiding down the blaster. "He speaks the truth," you affirm softly. "It’s okay. We’re okay."

Reluctantly, Din secures his blaster back into its holster, his tension easing slightly as he acknowledges the reassurance in your words.

"I've encountered some difficulties," Din admits as he approaches Kuiil, who is tending to the Blurrg.

Kuiil emits a thoughtful hum. "Seems like you've been managing quite well. Especially with her support," he remarks, nodding in your direction. You're engrossed in play with the Child, introducing the little one to the droid, while Cara observes with interest.

As Din watches you, bathed in the warm glow of the setting suns, he can't help but marvel at your radiance. Your smile outshines even the brightest stars in the galaxy. In that moment, he feels a profound sense of gratitude for having someone like you by his side.

A warm sensation stirs within Din as he watches you laugh at something the Child finds amusing. The primal urge to claim you as his own surges within him, an instinctual longing he struggles to suppress. Beneath his helmet, his jaw tightens as he fixates on you, momentarily lost in the intensity of his emotions. When you glance his way and offer a smile and a wave, his heart swells with longing, yearning for a world where he could have you all to himself, free from the burdens that weigh upon you both.

Swallowing hard, Din tears his gaze away, attempting to regain his composure. "That's not... that's not why we're here," he insists, his voice tinged with an edge of determination.

"I assumed as much. There must be another reason for your return," Kuiil observes with a knowing hum.

Din's voice carries a low, earnest tone as he addresses the Ugnaught. "I need your services."

"I'm retired from service," Kuiil responds, his voice measured.

Ignoring the subtle refusal, Din presses on, his words tinged with a hint of desperation. "I can pay you handsomely, Ugnaught.”

The Ugnaught, displeased by Din's persistence, harumphs. "I have a name. It is Kuiil."

Din's gaze remains unwavering as he makes his request clear. "I require someone to protect the child, Kuiil."

Kuiil shakes his head, his resolve unwavering. "I am not suited for such work. I can reprogram IG-11 for nursing and protocol duties."

Din's voice grows firmer, his tone resolute. "No. I do not want that droid anywhere near him."

"Why are you so distrustful of droids?" Kuiil asks, his tone curious yet skeptical.

Din's response is matter-of-fact. "It tried to kill him."

Kuiil nods, understanding. "It was programmed to do so. Droids are not inherently good or bad. They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them." He looks to Din, hoping to impart some sense to the Mandalorian.

Din's voice carries a distant gravity as he speaks with a serious tone. "I've seen otherwise."

"Do you trust me?" Kuiil's gravelly voice breaks the silence, his gaze steady on Din.

Din nods thoughtfully. "From what I can tell, yes."

"Then trust my work. IG-11 will join me," Kuiil asserts, his tone resolute. "And we do it not for payment, but to protect the child from Imperial slavery."

A weight seems to settle on Din's shoulders as he exhales softly. Kuiil's continues, "None will be free until the old ways are gone forever."

Din takes a moment to consider, his mind churning with the implications. Finally, he meets Kuiil's gaze and nods. "Okay."

"The blurrgs?" Din queries, a hint of confusion in his voice as Kuiil starts to walk away.

Kuiil pauses, turning back to face Din. "And the blurrgs will join me as well," he affirms, his tone carrying a sense of finality.

Kuiil turns once more and continues on his way, leaving Din standing there with a contemplative expression. As he disappears from sight, his parting words linger. "I have spoken."

INSIDE THE RAZOR CREST

OUTER RIM TERRITORIES, 9ABY – SPACE

After securing the blurrgs in the Razor Crest's cargo hold, Din takes control of the ship's controls, steering it towards Nevarro. With the ship set on autopilot, you and he descend the ladder into the cargo hold, where the Child sits in his hovering pram, eyes wide with curiosity as he emits a soft cooing sound.

As you assist Kuiil with feeding the blurrgs, your attention is drawn to the sounds of grunting nearby. Slowly turning, you find Cara and Din engaged in an arm wrestle, their muscles straining against each other in the dim light of the cargo hold. Despite the intense competition, they appear evenly matched.

As you observe Din's impressive display of strength, a flutter of excitement stirs within you, mingled with a hint of something more intimate. His determination and power are undeniably captivating, igniting a subtle thrill that courses through your veins.

"I got you, Mando," Cara declares with a huff, her voice laced with determination.

Din's response is confident as ever. "Care to double the bet?" he challenges, his voice resonating with a subtle intensity. You catch a glimpse of his gaze behind the visor, sensing his determination.

Intense heat rises to your cheeks at the sound of his gruff grunt, the raw energy of the moment heightening your anticipation. You’ve been buzzing with anticipation for weeks.

But the heat fizzes out as a moment of panic grips you as Cara struggles, her hand dropping abruptly from the arm wrestling match. It startles both you and Din, prompting him to rise to his feet with urgency.

As you rush over to the Child, you hear Din's firm voice addressing the little one. "No! No, no! Stop! We're friends, we're friends. Cara is my friend!" he asserts, his tone authoritative.

Stretching out your hand, you tap into the Force, attempting to gently ease the Child's grasp on Cara. Gradually, the tension dissipates, and you release your hold on the Force, feeling a wave of relief wash over you. Eager breaths escape your lips, leaving you slightly winded from the unexpected exertion.

Cara gestures toward the Child and voices her concern, "That is not okay!"

"Hmm. Very curious," Kuiil remarks, his gaze shifting to you and the Child.

"Curious? It almost killed me!" Cara exclaims, her alarm evident.

"The story you told me of the mudhorn now makes more sense," Kuiil adds.

"Mudhorn?" You interject, your curiosity piqued. You glance over at Din, who has now moved closer to you, checking to ensure you're okay as you still catch your breath from the ordeal.

"What is it?" Din inquires Kuiil while keeping you close by his side.

"What it is, I don't know. But what it does, this… This I've heard rumors of," Kuiil replies.

Cara shoots the Ugnaught a skeptical glance. "What? When you worked for the Empire?"

Kuiil stands his ground, his tone resolute. "When I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude."

"Yet somehow, you walk free," Cara retorts with a scoff, rising to her feet. But Kuiil remains unfazed. "I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon what I am nor whom I shall serve."

As the swirling colors of intense emotions overwhelm your senses, you feel a surge of turbulence within. It's a challenge to maintain composure, especially given your empathic abilities.

Sensing your discomfort, Din's demeanor softens, a rare glimpse of tenderness shining through. In a voice touched with kindness, he addresses Kuiil, "Tell you what. I could really use your craftwork right now. Can you pad this container so the child can sleep better?"

Kuiil acknowledges the request with a nod, his expression solemn. "I shall fabricate a better one. Then perhaps this Dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one's hands."

With purposeful movements, Kuiil sets to work, the hum of machinery filling the space as sparks fly from the welding gun. Meanwhile, the Child observes with wide-eyed curiosity. Feeling Din's comforting touch on your lower back, he guides you back up the ladder toward the cockpit.

You move to take a seat on a nearby chair, but before you can settle, Din swiftly pivots from his pilot chair. His strong hands encircle your waist, pulling you onto his lap in a single fluid motion. You emit a surprised yelp as you find yourself seated sideways, legs draped over his, and your head nestled against the cool surface of his beskar pauldron. Instinctively, you loop your arms around his neck to maintain your balance.

"Din! Cara could walk in any second," you whisper urgently.

He responds with a nonchalant hum. "She won't mind."

"But—"

"You seemed winded earlier, using your..." Din's voice trails off as he adjusts a few controls, and you finish his thought, "The Force?"

"Yes," he confirms.

You release a sigh and reach up to lightly touch the side of his helmet, wishing you could see beyond the reflective visor. "Din, I'm alright. It just took me by surprise. Later, I'll speak with the kid about using the Force responsibly. It's something we need to ensure he understands."

As you utter the word "we," something ignites within Din's chest. The notion of you wanting to stand by his side, to be integrated into his clan, strengthens his need to claim you as his own, to initiate the formal courtship.

With a gentle movement, he leans his helmet closer, as he uses his left gloved hand to hold the back of your neck, bringing your forehead to rest against his. The warmth of your skin contrasts with the cool touch of his beskar armor. You instinctively close your eyes, sharing a moment akin to the gesture known as the keldabe kiss.

You emit a soft sound, unable to suppress it as you sense him gently squeeze the back of your neck, expressing his desire to draw nearer. Din gruffly murmurs, "Soon, Cyar'ika. Soon."

"You better be fully clothed in there, I'm coming in!" Cara's voice echoes through the ship before the doors hiss open and shut, signaling her entrance. She finds you still seated on Din's lap, a sheepish expression on your face.

Wide-eyed, you attempt to slide off Din's lap, but he pulls you closer in a tighter grip. Your embarrassment intensifies, your cheeks burning as Cara smirks at you. Wanting to hide, you bury your face between Din's neck and shoulder, the heat of the moment igniting a mix of desire and embarrassment throughout your body.

Cara meticulously cleans her blaster as she addresses both of you, "So, we're heading to Nevarro?"

Din, still seated with you on his lap, engages in the conversation, "Have you been there before?"

"No," Cara responds, settling into her seat with the blaster and a rag in hand. "We lost a lot of our forces there. The city's dug in pretty deep. No cover when you drop in. It stayed in Empire control 'till the end of the war.”

Din nods in acknowledgment. "The warlord we're taking out was an Imperial officer.”

Cara's curiosity piques. "What station?"

Din turns his chair, keeping you snugly in his hold, as he explains, "Hard to tell. No insignia anymore.”

You attempt to wriggle out of his grasp once more, but his arm around your midsection keeps you firmly in place.

"We took out the safehouse when we snatched the kid." Din continues, his tone grave. "More Imps have reinforced since.” 

Apologies for the oversight. Here's the revised text, retaining the original dialogue:

"There's something more going on," Cara remarks as she begins to clean a different rifle.

"Maybe. We'll find out more when we land," Din replies, his gaze fixed on the controls.

The doors hiss open, and IG-11 steps inside, its robotic voice announcing, "I have prepared second meal. Would you care to be served here or below?"

"I'm not hungry," Din says flatly.

The IG-11 leaves.

Cara's chuckle echoes lightly in the cockpit. "You got a real thing for droids, don't you?" she teases.

Din's voice remains monotone as he responds, his helmet reflecting the dim light. "I got a real thing for that droid."

"The Ugnaught said he rewired it," Cara mentions, her tone casual.

Din shakes his head, his expression hidden behind the helmet. "That droid was designed to kill things. I don't care how much wiring he replaced. It goes against its nature."

Cara's departing words linger in the air as she heads back down to the cargo hold, leaving you and Din alone once more.

A hushed quiet falls between you, the hum of the ship's engines filling the space. You break the silence, the words catching in your throat. "We need to get ready..."

Din's voice is soft, barely above a whisper. "Just let me hold you a little longer, Cyar'ika," he murmurs, his tone laden with affection. You meet his gaze, feeling a warmth spread through you, and with a quiet nod, you reply, "Okay."

NEVARRO, 9ABY – DUSK

The Razor Crest descends into a desolate corner of Nevarro, the distant hum of its engines fading as it settles on the uneven terrain. Your pulse quickens, the rhythm echoing in your ears as you adjust the cloak robe to conceal your lightsaber, keeping it out of sight.

The four of you dismount the ship, perched atop blurrgs, and spot Greef Karga approaching, accompanied by three other bounty hunters including a human, Nikto, and a Trandoshan. He strides toward your party, a mix of urgency and caution in his steps. "Sorry for the remote rendezvous, Mando, but things have gotten complicated since you were last here,” he says, coming to a halt a few paces away.

As he surveys the group, Greef Karga remarks, "It appears that introductions are in order. It seems we've both provided a security detail," His gaze shifts to Cara. "I'd suggest the shock trooper stays back to guard the ship. These lava fields are swarming with Jawas."

"She's coming with us," you assert firmly.

"But the town is now run by ex-Empire. If a Rebel Dropper is with us, they'll all get their hackles up," Greef Karga argues, attempting to dissuade you.

"She's coming," Din insists.

Greef Karga grudgingly relents. "Fine," he seethes, then relents once more with a resigned sigh. "Fine." Gesturing to Cara, he adds, "Just cover your tattoo. No need to draw unnecessary attention."

"Now, where's the little one?" Karga inquires. Din activates a button on his bracer, causing the hovering pram to glide forward, its hatch hissing open. Greef Karga leans in to inspect the Child, drawing uneasy gazes from the group. Fingers hover near blasters as tension mounts, and you clench your jaw.

"So, this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about. What a precious little creature. I can see why you didn't want to harm a hair on its wrinkled little head," Greef Karga remarks, lifting the Child briefly before returning it to the hovering pram. Din swiftly closes the hatch with another press of his bracer, bringing the pram back to his side.

As the group prepares to embark on their journey across the lava fields of Nevarro, Greef Karga lays out the plan. "Well, I'm glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all. The sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell, camp out at the riverbank, then make our way into town at first light," he explains. You nod in agreement as your group rides the blurrgs, ready to traverse the treacherous terrain.

NEVARRO, 9ABY — EVENING

As the group settles in for the night, a campfire crackles, casting flickering light on the surrounding faces. You find a spot on the ground, seated cross-legged like the others. Positioned between Din and the Child, Kuiil patiently feeds the young one while you quietly finish your meal.

Across the fire, the three bounty hunters sit, their faces illuminated by the dancing flames. With a keen sense, you observe them, your empathic force powers awakening to perceive shades of darkness and red, hinting at hidden motives and deceit.

As you unconsciously shift closer to Din, preparing to whisper your observations, Greef Karga's voice cuts through the quiet night. He gazes at the Child, remarking, "I guess the little bugger's a carnivore. Never seen anything like it. They were ready to pay a king's ransom for that thing. Must be for some kind of highfalutin menagerie."

"Let's go over the plan again," Din interjects, brushing off Karga's comments.

“We three enter the common house. We show the client the bait. We join him at the table. And you kill him,” Greef Karga explains matter-of-factly, as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

Din quickly follows up, “Tell me about his reinforcements.”

“They're all ex-Empire. As soon as they lose their paycheck, poof, they'll all scatter,” Greef Karga replies nonchalantly.

“And what if they don't?” You press further.

“They will,” Greef Karga asserts confidently.

Din shakes his head, “That's not good enough.”

Greef Karga sighs heavily, “If, for argument's sake, a few of them don't realize that I'm their best path to alternative employment and they elect to react impulsively, then these three fine Guild Hunters, along with that battle-hardened shock trooper, and your Jedi will cut down anyone who bucks.”

“I’m a medic, not a Jedi,” you mumble with a clenched jaw.

“How many will there be?” Din asks Greef Karga.

“No more than four,” Karga replies as he rises from his seated position, heading over to the large piece of meat roasting over the campfire. He reaches out to grab a piece, confidently stating, “He travels with, at most, a Fire Team. Trust me. Nothing can go wrong.”

However, his confidence is shattered as a large beast emerges from the darkness. It's a species of winged, predatory reptavians native to Nevarro. With a large wingspan, scaly and dry skin, and a dragon-like appearance, these reptavians have a pointed snout, a mouth filled with sharp teeth, and two brownish eyes.

One of the reptavians swoops down, sinking its teeth into Greef's arm, eliciting a pained grunt from him. Chaos erupts as blaster fire fills the air, echoing against the rocky terrain. Each member of the group takes aim, firing at the winged assailants with precision.

With swift movements, the Mandalorian secures the Child in his hovering pram, shielding the youngling from harm. Meanwhile, you ignite your lightsaber, its vibrant purple hue casting an eerie glow in the dim light. Swinging it fiercely, you fend off the winged creatures with determined strikes.

Amidst the commotion, a blurrg and a Trandoshan bounty hunter fall victim to the creatures' relentless onslaught. As one of the reptavians swoops down to snatch another blurrg, it meets its demise in a barrage of blaster fire, falling lifeless to the ground. Unfortunately, in the chaos, a blurrg is accidentally struck by friendly fire.

After the Mandalorian's flamethrower repels the winged creatures, a tense silence settles over the group, broken only by the occasional groan of pain from Greef Karga. As the dust settles and the smoke clears, everyone remains on edge, waiting to see if the creatures will return.

Moving swiftly, Kuiil rushes to Greef's side, his concern evident in the furrow of his brow. "He's hurt badly," Kuiil announces, his voice tinged with worry.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Ow!" Greef insists through gritted teeth, his bravado failing to mask his discomfort. You kneel beside him, your focus on assessing his injury. The deep bite mark left by the reptavians catches your attention, and you speak with authority, "Hold still."

"They got you good," you murmur, your focus still fixed on the deep wound.

"How bad, Cyar'ika?" Din's voice comes from behind you as you work.

"Bad. The poison's spreading fast," you reply, urgency lacing your tone as you inject Greef Karga with a pen, hoping it will slow the venom's progress.

"So this... This is how it happens," Greef Karga says between labored breaths.

Cara rolls her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."

"I need another medpac! Got any other medpacs?" you urgently call out.

“Anyone? I'm guessing that's a ‘no’,” you say with a huff, frustration creeping into your voice. You glance back at his arm, noting the venom's continued spread. “It's still spreading. This isn't working.”

“Get this thing outta here,” Cara exclaims, prompting you to realize that the Child had approached unnoticed.

Observing the Child, Kuiil interjects, “Wait.”

The Child extends his tiny green hand and places it atop Greef Karga’s arm. With a wince, Karga cries out, “He's trying to eat me!”

You sense it too—the subtle hum of the Force emanating from the Child. With each focused use, the Child begins to harness his abilities, channeling them to gradually heal Greef Karga’s arm, leaving no trace of a scar. Witnessing such skill from one so young fills you with awe; Force Healing of this magnitude is exceedingly rare. A collective exhale fills the air, each member of the group seemingly sharing in the astonishment of witnessing such a miraculous feat.

NEVARRO, 9ABY – DAWN

As the sun begins to ascend, casting a dim light across the rugged landscape, the group presses onward. Smoke billows from the small volcanic vents scattered throughout the rocky terrain of Nevarro. An uneasy silence envelops the group, with Greef Karga's companions forging ahead, leaving you, Din, Cara, and Kuiil to tread quietly behind on foot, the Ugnaught trailing along atop the last remaining blurrg.

Cara speaks softly, directing her question to both you and Din. "You think they're having second thoughts?"

Din responds in a hushed tone, his voice barely audible. "Could be. I need your eyes."

"I'm watching," Cara confirms with a nod.

An hour later, your group arrives at the outskirts of Nevarro, with Greef Karga leading the way and you, Din, and Cara close behind. "I guess this is it," Greef Karga remarks, gazing out at the view. But something tugs at your gut, a feeling that something isn't right.

Before you can react, Greef abruptly turns around and fires at his associates, sending them collapsing lifeless to the ground. The sudden violence startles you, Din, and Cara. They swiftly unholster their blasters, aiming them at Greef Karga, while you grasp your saber hilt, activating it in readiness to deflect any blaster fire.

Din and Cara keep their blasters trained on Greef Karga, who raises his hands in surrender. "There's something you should know," he confesses as he ensures that both the bounty hunters are truly dead and kicks away their blasters. "The plan was to kill you and take the kid. But after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it."

Your brow furrows as you listen to Karga's plea. "Go on," he continues, "You can gun me down here and now, and it wouldn't violate the Code. But if you do, this child will never be safe."

Cara grits her teeth and shoots Karga a scowl. "We'll take our chances," she asserts firmly.

"The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining this asset. You tried to run, but where did it get you?" Greef Karga reasons, causing Cara to grow more agitated. "This is ridiculous," she tells Din.

"Perhaps you should let him speak," Kuiil interjects calmly, while you maintain a steady gaze on Greef Karga.

Karga points out, "Listen, we three need the client to be eliminated. Let me take the child to him and then you two…"

"No," Din interrupts firmly.

Cara clenches her jaw, her blaster aimed at Greef Karga. "Let's just kill him and get outta here," she suggests, her frustration evident.

You feel the Force connecting you through your empathic powers, sensing the true colors of Greef Karga. Taking a deep breath and deactivating your saber, you speak up. "He's right."

Din lowers his blaster, while Cara hisses in disbelief, "What are you doing?"

"As long as the Imp lives, he'll send hunters after the child," Din explains to Cara, who responds with a warning, "It's a trap."

"Bring me," Din suddenly interjects.

"What?" you exclaim, taken aback, while Greef Karga echoes, "Bring you?"

"Tell him you captured me. Get me close to him and I'll kill him," Din states with determination, and Karga nods, “That's a good idea. Give me your blaster.”

As Din hands over his blaster, it prompts you to protest as you take a step closer to him. "No! Hold on, it should be me. Bring me instead," you insist.

Din begins, "Cyar'ika—"

You sharply turn your head to face Greef Karga. "Do they know?"

Greef Karga begins to respond, but you cut him off, your voice tense with urgency. "Do. They. Know?"

"Yes," he confirms.

"Okay," you swallow, your mind racing through the options and landing on a decision. "You bring me in. Say that Cara captured me and convinced Mando to trade me instead of the Child." You then hand over your saber hilt to Greef Karga who pockets it.

"No. Absolutely not. You are going back to the ship with Kuiil and the Child," Din interjects, his tone firm.

"But without her or the Child, none of this works!" Karga exclaims, trying to reason.

"I’m going with you," you assert, stepping closer to Din. As he meets your gaze through his visor, you see the conflict in his eyes. He starts to protest, but you cut him off with a whispered plea, "I am going with you, and there is nothing you could say to convince me otherwise. We face these things together." You reach out and touch the side of his helmet, feeling the cool metal beneath your palm as you press your foreheads together. "Let me be there for you, like you were for me. Please."

Din hesitates, visibly conflicted. Finally, he lets out a shaky exhale. "Maker help me. Fine, fine. But you listen to me, alright? When I tell you to run, you run. Got it?"

You nod, determination in your eyes. "Okay."

Din grunts out his plan. "Kuiil, ride back to the Razor Crest with the child and seal yourself in. Once you're inside, engage ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors."

"Here's a comlink," Kuiil says, handing Din the device. "I will keep the child safe."

Kuiil looks at Cara and advises, "Don't forget to cover your stripes."

"Let's go," Din nods, prompting everyone to prepare. He turns to you, offering a pair of silver binders. You secure your hands in front of him, feeling a flush of embarrassment at the familiar sensation of the cuffs.

With a click, your hands are bound, and he asks softly, "Not too tight?"

Feeling playful, you respond with a cheeky grin, "You could make it tighter."

There's a warmth in his chest, almost like laughter. His mouth quirks into a smirk. "Cyar'ika, you are going to be the death of me."

You freeze, sensing the shift in his demeanor beneath the helmet. It's almost like awe or something.

"What?" he asks, catching your reaction.

"You're smiling, I can tell by your voice," you note, smiling yourself. Your eyes meet the visor of his helmet, and his skin prickles with awareness.

Suddenly, he wants you a lot closer. In his lap. Straddling him, maybe. Your hands in his hair, and his in yours. But there's no time for that. You clear your throat, breaking the moment, and gesture toward Greef Karga, who is waiting for the other pair of stun cuffs to restrain Din.

Din regains his composure, walking over to Greef Karga to be cuffed. As he does, Cara conceals her tattooed arm with a cloth, and Kuiil picks up the Child from the hovering pram. With your group heading in opposite directions, you hope fervently that everything will go according to plan.

NEVARRO, 9ABY — DAY

Greef and Cara escort the bound Mandalorian, you, and the hovering pram toward the town. At the gate, they come across two scout troopers riding 74-Z speeder bikes.

"Chain code?" one of the Scout Troopers demands, eyeing Greef Karga suspiciously.

Greef nods toward you and Din. "I have a gift for the boss."

The Scout Trooper repeats, "Chain code?" with insistence. Reluctantly, Greef retrieves his card and hands it over.

The Scout Trooper scans Greef's card. "I'll give you 20 credits for the helmet," he offers, eyeing the Mandalorian's helmet.

Greef lets out a fake laugh. "Ha-ha! Not a chance. That's going on my wall."

Din leans in to Karga, whispering, "On your wall?" Greef shoots him a pointed look. "Go with it."

"Go ahead," the Scout Trooper says, returning Greef's card. The group proceeds forward into town.

Cara gives Greef a sharp look. "You said four. There are more than four troopers."

Greef explains quietly, "Four guarding the client. Many more here in town. Things got really heated once Mando crashed the safehouse."

Cara suggests, "Slip him his blaster."

Greef shakes his head. "Not yet."

You approach the cantina's entrance, Greef Karga announcing, "Here we are." As the door slides open, the once bustling space is now eerily empty, save for the watchful eyes of the stormtroopers stationed inside, their presence unsettling.

Greef nods towards the troopers. "You see? Four." He then leads you and Din towards the Client, gesturing towards both of you. "Look what I brought you. As promised."

The Client moves closer to Din, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns of Din's beskar chest plate. "What exquisite craftsmanship. It's remarkable how beautiful beskar can be when forged by its ancestral artisans."

Your expression twists in disgust as you watch the Client touch Din's armor. Then, the Client's attention shifts to you, his hand reaching out to grab your face. You meet his gaze with a defiant glare as he remarks, "Ah, the Jedi. Word travels fast whenever your kind is spotted." His tone drips with disdain. "What a waste."

As the Client releases your face, you feel a surge of revulsion. Sensing Din's simmering anger, you brace yourself.

"Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?" the Client proposes to Greef Karga, who accepts with a nod.

An RA-7 protocol droid sets to work at the bar, preparing drinks for Greef and the Client. Gesturing towards a nearby booth, the Client invites, "Please, have a seat."

As you take your place, the Client begins, "It's regrettable that your people suffered so. Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable."

He turns his attention to Din. "Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The Empire enhances every system it touches." You let out a derisive scoff, prompting the Client to continue, undeterred. "Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now. Look outside." He gestures towards the window. "Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos."

You grit your teeth and suppress a retort, sensing the Client's emotions swirling before you, a dark maelstrom of black and red hues.

"I would like to see the baby," the Client requests.

Greef Karga clears his throat. "Uh... It's asleep."

"We'll all be quiet. Open the pram," the Client insists, narrowing his eyes. You swallow nervously, feeling a sense of unease. But before the situation can escalate, a stormtrooper approaches the Client and murmurs something discreetly. The Client stands abruptly. "Don't think me to be rude. I must take this call."

A stormtrooper sets up a holoprojector as the Client strides over to it. Under the table, Greef Karga discreetly unbinds his restraints, while Din swiftly does the same for you, his hands deftly removing the cuffs. "Give me the blaster and her saber hilt," he instructs Karga, his tone firm.

"You get one shot," Greef Karga reminds Din as he hands over your saber hilt. Din passes it to you with a determined nod.

Cara leans in close, her voice barely a whisper. "This is bad. You said four."

"Well, there are more. What can I tell you?" Greef Karga replies quietly.

A tense moment hangs in the air, and you sense a shift in the atmosphere. Before you can react, gunfire erupts from outside the cantina, catching everyone off guard. The shots strike the Client and his stormtroopers, sending them sprawling to the ground. Instinctively, you, the Mandalorian, Cara, and Greef dive behind a nearby table for cover. Amidst the chaos, the RA-7 protocol droid is caught in the crossfire and falls to the ground, incapacitated.

Taking cover behind various pillars, you, the Mandalorian, Cara, and Greef cautiously assess the situation. Through the shattered windows of the cantina, a line of death troopers becomes visible, their ominous presence sending a chill down your spine. As if that weren't enough, an Imperial Troop Transport rolls onto the scene, unloading a squad of stormtroopers, further escalating the situation.

"Four stormtroopers?" Cara scoffs, her expression darkening. "This is bad."

The Mandalorian quickly contacts Kuiil via comlink, his voice urgent. "Kuiil? Are you back at the ship yet?" After a tense moment of silence, he presses, "Are you there? Do you copy?"

"Yes!" Kuiil's voice crackles through the comlink.

Din wastes no time. "Are you back at the ship yet?"

"Not yet," Kuiil replies.

"Get back to the ship and get the kid out of here. We're pinned down!" Din's command is sharp and resolute.

The roar of engines interrupts the chaos, drawing your attention outside. An Outland TIE fighter swoops into view, its retractable solar collectors gleaming in the sunlight. The Imperial officer emerges from the cockpit, clad in full black attire, his cape billowing dramatically in the wind. His voice carries over the commotion as he declares, "You have something I want."

"Who's this guy?" Cara asks, her confusion evident.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not," the officer asserts ominously.

"Kuiil, are you back at the ship yet? They're onto us!" Din urgently tries to reach Kuiil through the comlink.

No response.

Din attempts again, growing increasingly desperate. "Kuiil, come in!"

Still, there's silence.

"In a few moments, it will be mine," the officer threatens, his tone dripping with menace.

"Kuiil! Do you copy? Kuiil!" Din's voice echoes with urgency.

"It means more to me than you will ever know," the officer adds, his words sending a chill down your spine.

"Kuiil! Are you there? Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil, come in," Din pleads desperately.

"Kuiil? Are you there? Do you copy? Kuiil? Kuiil!"

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