#but I still hope she gets to meet Kix

[heyclickadee]

I really hope Omega gets to meet Kix someday. I think it would do both of them some good to know that they’re not alone.

[sarcastic-sketches]

Suddenly bowled over by the image of Anakin with a baby Ahsoka strapped to his front during the middle of work. Ok I guess??

Ahsoka getting cursed into a toddler during the Clone Wars and Anakin is now suddenly responsible for a literal baby. He is now acutely aware of the fact that the 501st are in an active engagement and his protective instincts are dialed right up to max. They have to be pulled back from the front, a young padawan was pushing it as it was but this is a Babby.

He's having to think about what baby togruta eat. Ahsoka can't feed herself or defend herself or anything except wiggle around like a striped potato. Her montrols are non existant, just little nubs, and its almost bringing this Jedi Knight to tears with how cute she is. He knows she's a carnivore but surely they don't eat meat that early?? Do they need anything else to develop correctly?? Is he going to accidentally harm her somehow through neglect?!

Anakin: Master Ti, what do baby togruta eat??

Shaak: Pardon?

Anakin: Help.

She gets the explanation from Anakin in pieces and a better explanation from Kix. She can tell him how to look after her until they can reach Coruscant, milk if they have any on board will do fine in the interim and Ahsoka will like being bundled up. The pressure of being cocooned is soothing (thinking of Momma Tano strapping babby Ahsoka to her front but now it's Anakin making sure she goes with him everywhere) and will prevent her from becoming too agitated.

She keeps chewing on his leather glove when he holds her but he doesn't mind, and just lets her gnaw on his knuckles like a chew toy. Its not his flesh hand anyway so it's fine. He can’t effectively secure her to him on his own so he has to get Rex to help him do it properly with Shaak still on speeddial for instructions.

She can’t help but notice how oddly domestic the scene looks as Rex carefully wraps Ahsoka in her papoose cocoon to Anakin's chest. They're both cooing at her. Shaak cannot wait for a Council meeting to be called about this.

The clones are caught between being distraught at what's happened to their Commander, as well as thinking she's the cutest thing they've ever seen. Since Anakin is now focusing harder on keeping Ahsoka safe since she can't protect herself anymore, Rex has taken it upon himself to stick at their side even more than usual. Just a very protective satellite orbiting around both Jedi in case they need anything.

No, the other men are not jealous that Anakin automatically hands Ahsoka off to his Captain if he needs to be free if her for a minute or two.

Back on Coruscant he knows she's better off being handled by the creche but ... that's his Padawan, just small. Everyone on the Council had hoped he'd deal with a Padawan just fine but were admittedly a little surprised by just how well he took to it. Seeing him immediately throw himself into taking care of baby Ahsoka, and all her species specific needs, has a lot of them second guessing their assumptions of him.

It's Obi-Wan who eventually asks where his almost instinctual knowledge comes from. The answer is that Shmi Skywalker was the go to mum for any new mothers on Tatooine and there were quite a few in the slave quarters during Anakin’s time there. He learned by just being there to help out.

Obi-Wan: if you want to continue to care for Ahsoka, you could do so by just working in the Creche and helping there with the rest of the infants

Anakin: !!

[haven-is-happy]

Meeting the family

Summary: Echo gets some shore leave and turns his comm off

Word count: 2,3 k

Warnings: Just kissing, this is completely sfw

A/N: Had a ton on fun writing this, I hope it's good enough for your expectations. The sentence prompt is in there

Tags: @cloneficgiftexchange @wizardmando

As a general rule (gently suggested by Captain Rex to the 501st), Echo is not to be disturbed when calling with his girlfriend. Not only because of possible less-than-innocent activities on the call, but also because of how damn happy Echo was when he ends the call himself undisturbed.

When he got together with Y/N, his optimism skyrocketed. Every mission, assignment and battle was done quickly but thoroughly, so he could come back to her. He made the other troopers work faster to be done with the paperwork (much to the displeasure of Fives), cleaned up when others didn’t want to, anything to get rewarded more time off.

Even general Skywalker noticed a difference. Echo no longer went with any crazy plan Fives threw on the table. He’s stubborn enough to convince them of a safer route, or staying behind on base for the craziest assignments. 

“I want to come back home,” he answered every time. Nobody asked him what “home” was. It was against regulations, but everyone turned a blind eye.

Rex has never actually met her, but he was sure he like will like her when he does.

—---

“Well, call him again! What if it’s an emergency and we need to leave for an impromptu mission?” 

Despite Rex loving his men with all his heart like brothers, sometimes, he gets quite frustrated with their headstrong attitude. Especially if he does a headcount at breakfast and finds some of them missing.

“Maybe he went to a bar and slept over?” Jesse suggests and shovels a spoonful of military rations into his mouth.

“Impossible. It’s been more than a day. Echo is not that kind of person,” Kix counters, “I would expect that more from Fives.” He points at the trooper with his clean spoon, his face sporting a half-smirk.

From the other end of the table, he hears an offended “OI!”.

“Don’t pretend to be offended, Fives, your tab at 79’s is still open. Besides, Echo has someone waiting for him home, he wouldn’t do that.”

As if a lightbulb went off in his head, Kix turns to Rex.

“Have we checked if he isn’t with them?”

Rex shrugs. “We don’t even know if the person lives on Coruscant, much less know their location.”

Fives froze for a second in realisation. He starts hitting Jesse next to him, as if possessed.

“She is on Coruscant! I have her address in case of an emergency!”

The entire table groans.

“Then kriffin lead with that!” “Fives!” “And you didn’t tell us this sooner?!”

—

"Hear me out: Melted cheese with carrots."

"You know what, that actually might be good."

Since your leftovers ran out for lunch, Echo and you were brainstorming cooking ideas. 

Well, it is more of "Echo says a food combination and you shoot it down". It sometimes feels like he has no sense of taste, his tongue fried from eating republic rations all the time.

The holomovie has become white noise at some point, background in your conversation while you cuddle on the couch.

"The carrots have to be boiled so they don't crunch, we could maybe even use blue cheese," you list off ingredients, in thought.

"I'm sorry, WHAT cheese?!" Echo is half horrified and half curious at your statement. 

"Oh, you know, a cheese that has a bit of grown mold on it. It adds flavour and it's not bad for the body at all," you explain, watching his expression go from 100 to 200.

"How could mold on cheese be anything other than bad?"

"Actually, I have no idea. It just is," you shrug and pull out a datapad, putting in a shopping list.

Echo peers over your shoulder. 

"Does it really need that many ingredients?"

"Yeah. You need the pasta, salt - which we already have - and the sauce needs some cream, garlic, cheese and carrots. If you want to spice it up we can add some ham," you say, counting the ingredients on your fingers. You're by no means a master in the kitchen, but you want to feed your boyfriend food with ACTUAL flavour.

Echo lays his head on top of yours, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.

"Can you teach me how to do it? I want to cook you something someday," he mumbles into your scalp, pressing another peck after he finishes the sentence.

"I will if you want to, but you don't need to cook me anything! I can always look up recipes or we can order takeout."

"But I want to."

It makes the corners of your mouth rise and warmth spread to your chest. What the republic thinks is a hardened soldier is also a softie who wants to learn how to cook for someone he loves.

"Thank you, love."

Echo doesn't need to move his head to see your smile, he just knows. The tone is obvious to him.

"Cooking is really complicated," he puffs out.

"Oh you have no idea. Pasta is mostly simple to do, one of the easiest dishes in fact," you point out. After sending the shopping list into the app, you toss the datapad to the side.

Now just to wait half an hour for the groceries to arrive, carried by a simple task droid.

You don't want to point your attention towards the TV or go out shopping. It feels like you're wasting precious time you have while Echo is on shore leave. You want to be wrapped up in him for the entire remainder of his vacation.

Curled in his side, you can feel every single muscle of his athletic body through the thin shirt of his blacks. He knows you don't mean anything by it when you snake a hand under his shirt and start drawing shapes into his skin. 

As always, his skin is warm to the touch, bringing you instant comfort.

By the time the movie ends, the hypnotic nature of drawing circles into Echo’s skin puts you in the sweet zone between awake and asleep. His chest rises and falls as he watches the credits (something only he ever does), syncing your breathing with his.

Warmth blooms in his heart at your sleepy form, like small fireworks in his veins. He feels as if body will burst.

“I cannot stop smiling when I look at you,” he whispers to you, making you smile in return. He isn’t even sure if your brain registered it or turned it into a pleasant dream. 

He slowly moves by centimetres on the couch into a more comfortable position to take a nap and let you snooze.

However, before Echo could even begin falling asleep with you, a sharp ring makes him flinch out of his own head.

An adorable whine leaves your throat.

“Is the food here?” Echo asks and gently takes your arm off him, getting up to get whatever is at the door.

“Hopefully,” you grumble out and lay down flat on the couch, covering where Echo was sitting.

“Can you put everything but the bread in the fridge? I’ll cook in an hour,” you speak up, louder than usual so Echo hears you through the apartment.

You hear the door open and then-

“What the kriff are you doing here?!”

You shoot up from the couch so fast your head nearly spins. Echo rarely swears so to you, this would be a jedi-level threat.

“Well you didn’t answer your comm so Fives told me where your partner lives-” “That information is for emergencies!” an identical voice replies to your boyfriend before getting shot down by (what you assume is) your Echo.

When you get into the line of sight of the door, you realise why.

There, right outside the threshold of your door, stand at least six clones, all wearing the same armour Echo has left neatly in a pile by your shoes. All of them have lines, triangles and patterns painted on their helmets in blue, black or red.

Echo’s legion.

“Well you weren’t answering your comm and… oh…” a blonde trooper in the front with his helmet under his arm speaks out and trails off when his eyes land on you.

“Yeah, I have told you I am away.” You’d think his annoyed voice is hot if you weren’t in a situation that could put him at such risk.

Right behind the blonde clone (who you assume is his caprain Rex from what he Echo told you) is a clone with a standard haircut and a number five tattooed on his temple in galactic basic.

His twin, Fives. You remember his tattoo from a conversation you’ve had with Echo. You wanted to meet him some day as he means so much to your boyfriend, but you have hoped that the meeting would be in better circumstances.

Before anything else can happen, you want to diffuse the situation. You don’t know if a clone trooper legally be in a relationship, as the war made the Senate refuse to look at anything else (certainly not look at the rights of the soldiers fighting said war). You might be in deep waters.

“Good afternoon sir. Is Echo in trouble?” You inwardly grimace. That was such a stupid question to ask, acting guilty in the court before even getting called to the stand.

A small smile gets to the captain’s lips.

“No, he isn’t. We’re just here to check on him because he wasn’t answering his comm.”

Some of the weight leaves your shoulders. You really didn’t want the first meeting with his brothers to be about disciplinary actions.

Echo’s entire face goes red, caught in the act. “I thought I put it on emergency only,” he tries justifying.

“Next time, double check. I sent you a message an hour ago. We wanted to know where you are,” another clone, one with a republic tattoo across his face, suggests.

“I told commander Cody that I am taking a day of shore leave. Did he not tell you guys?” Something shifts in Echo, like a knot coming loose. His stance shifts to be more relaxed and a single hand reaches out for your own.

His captain takes out a datapad and reads through messages while you two watch, previous anxiety dissipating just a smidge  .

“Ah, Cody got called away yesterday for a diplomatic mission.” The captain puts away his device and turns back to Echo.

“I- didn’t know that. Sorry Rex” utters your boyfriend and squeezes your hand. You squeeze back, seeing the guilty look on his face.

“It’s alright, you couldn’t have known, General Kenobi got the call and needed to leave immediately,” the blonde, Rex, reaches out a hand and pats his shoulder. 

Then, his head turns to you and he nods respectfully. “Nice to meet you ma’am. We’ll be going, sorry to bother you.”

“No problem at all,” you reply and watch the troopers utter variations of hellos and goodbyes, with his twin being the last to leave your porch.

He sends you a mischievous smile and reaches out a hand to shake yours. “I’ll stop by some time.”

He sends him a glare as he pulls away. Fives pats his shoulder and turns around, jogging to catch up with the rest of his brothers.

You lead Echo back inside your apartment and shut the door behind. His hand leaves yours and he kneels next to his armour to take out the commlink from his pack. He pushes a button, switching it on.

A bit sheepish, he puts it back and stands up. “Sorry you had to meet my captain and brothers for the first time like this,” he looks down.

You reach out a hand to cup his cheek and lift up his head to make him look at you.

“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re not in trouble,” you say softly and curl your free arm against his waist. His hands instinctively reach out to rest at your hips and bring you closer.

“I really wanted my comm to be off for the day, to spend the time with you. I’m sorry mesh’la.”

“Stop saying sorry for things out of your control. Your captain is sweet for wanting to check on you.”

He brings your foreheads together, something you have learnt is a kiss in his culture.

“Still, we could have gone through our day without this. I want to be here with you. For you. I don’t want you to feel like we are one message away from never seeing eachother again,” he murmurs.

You sigh with a sad look on your face.

“But we are, Echo. And that’s the reality. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t here for me,” you reply and pull away just enough so you can kiss his cheek and then bury your face in his neck. 

His hands go from your hips to hugging you. It’s the kind of bear hug that makes it impossible to breathe deeply, but you’re okay with that.

“I’m here for you too,” you whisper into his skin and land a peck on the junction of his neck and shoulder.

His arms falter and he pulls away, only to kiss you like his life depends on it.

He has no qualms pushing his tongue past your lips, multitasking while gently walking the two of you over to your couch.

“Kriff!” you squeak out as you stumble a bit, unaware of your surroundings from the haze of kissing. You stabilise yourself against Echo’s muscular chest and plant your feet firmly, making your boyfriend almost lose balance in return.

As you both regain your footing, your eyes meet again and you both snicker at the clumsy attempt at romance.

You want to lead Echo towards your couch to continue the session, but the bell rings again.

“So help me force Fives, if it’s you, I am going to put sand in your bed!”

“I think that’s just the delivery droid. It’s been an hour.”

“Oh, cool. Can you show me the recipe?”

[danceswithsporks]

Warm- Part 7

Part 1 of 6 in the Complete Series!

Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6

Tech x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Order 66

About: Cal and Ahsoka help Tech retrieve his memories where he meets someone unexpected.

Authors notes: Thank you everyone for your continued support! So sorry this took so long but I wanted it to be perfect! So much work and emotions went into this! I really hope y’all enjoy it!

Warm, the feeling of Ahsoka's hands on Tech's face as the clone laid on a pillow in her lap. His brown eyes looked up at the young Jedi as she spoke with the redhead next to her. She was going over the plan once more with the younger Jedi, a plan that Tech still didn’t fully understand, nor did Echo and Kix.

“Rex, are you sure this will work?” Echo stood with his back against one of the walls in your room. Ahsoka and Cal had been clear that your room was the best place to attempt this. The scent of you that hung in the air would work as a guide to get your memories back.

Rex nodded carefully as he moved to the side of your bed and passed Tech the thermos now filled with one of your teas. “You know as much as I do that the force does some amazing things. The Commander was able to find the chip using it. If it can find a small chip in my brain, then I trust that it can put his memories in order.” Looking at Tech carefully, Rex motioned for the spectacled clone to take a sip. “Drink, it’s the same one she made for you the first time you went to her shop.”

Ahsoka looked down at Tech and smiled softly as Cal spoke. “My Master and I did a lot of research on memory recall for those with amnesia. He’d hoped my sense echo could be used as a healing ability. We found that important memories hold the most power. So something like your first date with her could be enough to trigger the dam to finally break.”

“Recreating the Tea she first made you, her scent, anything to help stir that memory will be our starting point.” Ahsoka watched carefully as Tech sipped the tea before laying back in her lap. “I’ll be working as an amplifier for Cal. This could take more force ability than even he has.”

Tech swallowed the tea carefully and savored the familiar taste. It was delicious and cooling, a nice hint of citrus dancing on his tongue. First date? Was that what it had been? His mind wandered to the video on the datapad, you and him kissing, how you told him you were just friends. “I’ll do whatever it takes to remember everything, to remember her.”

A hum came from Ahsoka as her hands returned to the clone's face. She’d helped so many clones escape the empire with their beloveds. Watched as families were formed and saved. Cuts' family had been one of the first ones she and Rex had helped. After the Batch helped them leave their home planet they’d found their way to the Path. Seeing a clone with a wife and children renewed something within her and helped to drive her efforts. Now they’d assisted more clones than she could count. Helping Tech, the clone that had found Echo and freed him from the stasis chamber, return to the one that made his heart happy would be an honor. “She’s stunning. I hope we can help you.”

“And if it doesn’t then you just start over with her.” Echo watched as everyone’s eyes shifted to him. Letting out a breath he decided to elaborate. “ Think about it, you two were brought together for a reason. If it’s meant to be then you two will end up together again.”

“So we were together then? I asked her what we were and she told me we were friends.” Tech closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. “Why would she lie?” A tap on his cheek from Ahsoka made him open his eyes and look at the young Jedi.

“She probably wants you to remember on your own. From what she told me, your relationship was unique. I think remembering on your own would be a good thing and if you don’t then you make new memories with her.” You’d told her everything the moment you met her. The air of comfort she gave off was enough to get you talking.

Tech chewed his lip as she spoke. How special had your first meeting really been? “She told me she’d tell me how we met after five months if I couldn’t remember.”

Ahsoka smiled softly as she ran a hand over Tech's eyes, closing them. “Then let’s get to work.”

A nervous breath was released from the clone as he nodded. “Tell me how this works one more time.”

“Sure.” Cal rubbed his hands together before taking Techs in his hand once more. “Ahsoka will help me focus on your memories that are still blocked. The goal is to open them slowly and methodically. We do this too fast and you could go into total shock. Be down for weeks.”

“What should I expect?” The last thing Tech wanted was to be surprised and go into shock that way.

A hum came from Cal as he thought back to his studies. “I’ve only tried this one other time with a clone who had been hit on the head with a crate back when I was with my Master. The clone said it was like being in a long hallway with a lot of doors. Doors that were locked and light guided him to each important memory.” The ginger shrugged carefully. “According to the ancient texts, it could be different for each person though.” Who knew what it would be like for Tech?

Tech opened his eyes and glanced at the child from the side. He’d only done this one other time? “Did it work? Did he get his memories back?”

Cal looked away from them and towards his lap, a dark memory pulling its way to the front of his mind. “Yeah, just in time for him to try and kill me.”

Everyone in the room froze at the child’s words. A dark memory for every one of them. Rex had taken the bullet in the group and sat Tech down to explain what had happened. This wasn’t a memory the clone should remember suddenly. It was only right he understood what was truly happening in the galaxy and what had happened to so many of their brothers, and the Jedi.

Tech gave Cal's hand a gentle squeeze. A silent apology for the trauma they all lived through. Hearing what had happened, what his brothers had been forced to do, had been heartbreaking for Tech. The clones had given their lives for the Jedi and had stood on the battlefield beside them as friends, as family. Now they’d all but been wiped out, because of the clones. Very few Jedi remained now, somehow surviving the purge, Cal and Ahsoka being prime examples. It made him happy to know they’d survived and he hoped that countless more were out there.

Cal appreciated the silent apology. He’d heard so many apologies over these last few months on the run. It was odd. Like the more time passed, the more the chips began to wear off and more clones understood what had happened. He’d heard so many apologies now. The words became hollow after a while. But coming from Tech, a clone who didn’t remember the event, it meant more. “Just promise not to attack me.”

“Heh, I won’t.” The dark joke made the clone smile, glad to know the kid didn’t hold it against them and was able to joke about the event.

“Then let’s begin,” Ahsoka spoke softly as she closed her eyes and began to focus. “I am one with the force and the force is one with me.”

-*-

“Hello?” Tech looked around the calm and empty island. It was like a tropical getaway. A name flitted across his tongue carefully and a breathy “Pabu” left his lips as he turned in place. All the doors to the homes were closed tightly. Locks hanging from their doors in an almost comical way. When was the last time locks like these were even used?

“Tech.” Your voice was airy and danced across the wind to him.

Tech spun on his heels and looked at you quickly. The same gown you had worn in the video from before now on your lovely body. There was an almost glow to you as you moved down the cobbled path toward him. He watched as you smiled softly at him, happiness in your eyes that he hadn’t seen before, or maybe he had but couldn’t remember. “W-what are you doing here?”

The sound of a ceramic spoon spinning in a teacup filled the air as you laughed softly. “I’m here to guide you, of course.”

“Ah, you are my mind's representation of a guide then?” Of course, you weren’t actually there. He watched as you shook your head before stopping in front of him.

“I am not your mind, sweet Tech. Your friends, the Jedi, know me as Ashla, the force.” The force bowed its head carefully, your eyes twinkling back at him.

“I thought the force was a Jedi-only thing. Why are you appearing to me?” Tech was barely wrapping his head around Order 66 and having amnesia. Now he needed to figure this out?

A light chuckle came from Ashla as it motioned to a house at the base of the hill. “The force is within everything. Some are just attuned to me more than others. They are called Jedi.” It began its walk down the path and toward the structure. Time was of the essence. “Come, we have minimal time.”

Tech followed behind obediently, more questions than he could handle filling his mind. “There’s a time limit to this?” He honestly thought he’d have all the time he needed.

Ashla hummed softly as your fingers danced across the lock. After a moment a quiet click could be heard and the lock disintegrated into stardust. “We have until the sun rises. You must remember everything by then, or risk never remembering.”

“So if I don’t remember now, I’ll never remember?” That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear. His hand ran through the mess of curls on his head and he let out a long sigh. “I just want to remember you, her, you know what I mean.”

A hum came from Ashla as Tech neared. “The longer it takes for the memories to return, the more likely they will never return. Our time together is limited but important.” Its hand raised and ran across Tech's cheek. “Allow me to give you some hope.”

Your hands, its hands, this was getting confusing for Tech, felt like Karlini silk as it glided across his cheek. Tech's eyes fluttered shut and for the briefest of moments he had a memory of you flit across his mind and for once he was able to pinpoint it, feel it, and remember it.

***

“Here, I brought some water, kinda hot today.” You stood next to him with a flask of water in your hand. On the pier next to your feet was a basket with a few sandwiches inside. One of the boats had broken down and Tech had been sweet enough to offer his skills with fixing it.

“Ah, thank you.” Tech took the container from you and drank from it. After a moment he pulled the bottle away and raised an eyebrow. The water was…sweet.

“Do you like it?” You smiled brightly at him, your lip between your teeth as you waited for him to reply.

Tech looked at you carefully as he mulled the taste in his mouth. He saw the way you anticipated his response. How you bounced on the balls of your feet in excitement. “I do. It is a unique taste.” Resting his hand on the mouth of the bottle he slowly unscrewed it. “May I take a peek inside?”

You nodded excitedly. “It’s water with a mix of berries. You said you didn’t find the appeal. So I wanted to test if that was true.” Shrugging playfully you took the water from him and took your own sip, putting the feelers out to see his reaction. Another experiment of yours. But he didn’t need to know about that one.

He watched as you sipped the drink before returning the original mouthpiece. The way your plump lips wrapped around the top of the bottle made something stir in him. It wasn’t right for him to have these inappropriate thoughts about you. Not when he wasn’t sure about your feelings for him. “A-are you saying that you experimented on me?” You smiled at him slyly before nodding. A laugh left him as he shook his head. “Did you perhaps pick that idea up from me?”

With a shrug, you took a seat on the pier next to him and dangled your feet towards the water below. “Maybe I took a note from when you tested Wrecker's sense of taste last week. Or maybe I’ve been doing some of my own research.” A smile played on your lips as you looked at him. This was nice, relaxing.

Tech really liked how you were currently looking at him. How the glow of the setting sunset surrounded you in a warm hug. Sitting back he hummed softly as a breeze hit you both. “ I must say, I was surprised that he did not notice the Trandoshan spice pepper in the macaroon you prepared.”

“You’re telling me. My brother tried one and started crying they were so spicy!” You laughed brightly, your hand coming up to cover your mouth as you did so. Beside you, Tech smiled softly at you, living the way your laugh sounded. Clearing your throat, you hummed softly. “Thanks for letting me be a part of that.”

Tech nodded as he looked down at the space between you two. If he moved his fingers just a little to the right he’d be able to touch your hands. Hunter's words rang in his ears once more and carefully he adjusted himself. “Of course. You make exceptional pastries and I knew he would not suspect anything if you offered them up.” His hand moved carefully and rubbed the side of yours. When you didn’t move it, he felt wings flutter within him once more.

“Anytime you need help with another experiment, just ask.” You smiled at him and the feeling of his hand next to yours. If you weren’t so much of a chicken then perhaps you’d snake your fingers through his and get it all in the open. But that’s what you were, a chicken. So instead you reached into the basket and pulled a sandwich out for Tech. “Here, eat up before you get too focused on that engine.”

***

Tech felt something within him lighten as the memory fizzled away. That memory had happened a few days before he left. A sigh left him as he finally remembered something that you were a part of. “I never realized she had listened when I mentioned not eating when I worked on projects.” Another sigh left him as the memory of him explaining how he tended to hyper-focus hit him. Another memory was back. Already he could feel more small ones hitting his body. Behind his eyes, the pain began to form once more and he found himself worrying that he’d collapse again.

Ashla reached forward and placed a delicate finger between his eyes. “Calm yourself, as we traverse larger memories, smaller ones will fill in the missing pieces. Do not worry. You will not go into shock, I will not allow it.”

The pain that had begun to form behind Tech's eyes dissipated slowly. As it did more small memories danced their way through his mind. How you liked your tea, the way you always hummed when a breeze went by. The smell of the ocean air and the smell of your perfume. This was a start. There was still something pulling at Tech though as Ashla moved its hand away. “I still don’t understand why you are helping me, a non-force sensitive.”

“Because.” Ashla moved its hand in a circle, stars spun around its fingers for a moment before an image of you sleeping formed. “Across the Galaxy, on a warm paradise planet. A pure heart is reaching for you with more strength and love than I’ve ever felt. I am inclined to see that heart not break any more than it already has.” Ashla wasn’t one to normally step in with these matters. But the way your heart begged and pleaded was enough to move its own heart if it had one.

Tech reached his hand out and hovered over the sleeping image of you. His brown eyes took in the way your brow was furrowed, how you tossed and turned in your sleep. Were you having a nightmare? Or were you just restless? He wished he could help you, calm you, or at least wake you up from whatever was distressing you. “Is she ok?” His voice was soft as he tried to remember the feeling of your hug.

“She has many nightmares, her mind is constantly filled with worry and fear. Though she puts on a warm smile and a brave face, within her is a cold fear that binds her heart.” Ashla could see the way Tech worried for you.

“I wish I could help her. Fix everything quickly so she could be happy once more.” Seeing you like this and hearing how hurt you were was painful for him. To his surprise, Ashla took his hand and pulled it toward the image. His fingers were pushed into the cool image and he watched in surprise as you woke up.

With a gasp, you shot up in your bed with your hand over your heart. The nightmare already becoming a distant memory for you as your hand ran over your face and through your tangle of hair. You couldn’t believe you’d woken up so quickly. Usually, the nightmares plagued you all night and held onto you tightly. But this time it was like someone had forcibly pulled you from your nightmare. A sarcastic laugh came from you as you moved the blankets on your bed around as if someone could forcibly wake you up while not being there.

“What just happened?” Did he have something to do with you waking up suddenly? Tech watched as you moved blankets around before letting out a sad sigh. “How long has she been having nightmares? Why is she having nightmares?”

Releasing Tech's hand, Ashla hummed softly before ending the image and instead replacing it with an image of him on the bed in your room. The others were now gone and he laid in a peaceful sleep on your bed. “When she left you and returned to her family, she left behind an item of importance that assisted her in handling her grief.” Tech gave it a confused look and Ashla decided to continue. “I believe you call the device a datapad.” With a spin of its hand, the image moved to you with Techs datapad in your hands.

“My datapad?” Tech watched as multiple images of you with the datapad flashed in Ashlas hand. “She spent every night with it, didn’t she?”

“Indeed.” Ashla willed the image back to your room. “The device was left behind when she left. Without it, it seems that the nightmares she kept at bay have returned.”

“But why did she leave it behind?” None of this was making sense to Tech. If the datapad had been helping you, why did you leave it behind? You didn’t seem like someone to forget something so important. While Tech pondered why you’d leave it behind, Echo's voice caught his attention. Turning towards Ashla, he found another image playing out.

***

“Cyare, are you sure you have to go? I’m sure your brothers are more than capable of taking care of him.” Echo watched as you moved around your room, packing everything into a small bag as quickly as you could.

“My brothers need to focus on the shop and honestly, I need space from all of this.” You sighed as you took the datapad in your hands and sat on the edge of your bed. Echo took a seat next to you and looked at Tech's datapad. “I thought I could handle this, work through all of this slowly and rebuild what Tech and I had. But after last night, I just…I think I still need time to process him being alive.”

A sigh left your lips as you passed the datapad to Echo. “When he remembers enough, make sure he gets it. There’s…some files on there I made for him.” Your hands shook slightly as you passed the datapad over. It felt like a part of your heart was being given away.

Echo nodded and carefully took the datapad, his hand resting on yours as he did so. “Will you come back?” When you shook your head he sighed while placing his forehead against your shoulder. “What do I tell the others?” You were the heart and soul of this place. Your warmth and caring smile helped all those that came through feel safe.

“For now, tell them I went home to help my dad. Then in two weeks, tell them I’m not coming back.” Your head tilted to the side and you rested it on top of Echos. “I’m sorry, Echo. I guess I’m not as strong as you all thought I was.”

Echo squeezed your hand gently. “Don’t say that. You’re stronger than any of us.”

“Thanks, Echo.”

***

“She’s not coming back?” No, you had to come back. You being around was what he needed. The memories were coming back finally. “I need to wake up. I need to get to her.”

Ashla closed the image and placed both hands around Techs. “Remember, if you wake now. You run the risk of losing all the memories.” Tech let out a long breath. “Stay and retrieve your memories. It will be worth it. That I can guarantee.”

Tech stared at Ashla in silence for a while as he tried to make a decision. Leave and possibly lose all memories or stay and get them back. If he left now he could hopefully build new memories with you. Start fresh and make something new for you both. But his mind went back to the night with you in front of the window and how hopeful you’d seemed. Looking at the door in front of him, Tech swallowed and stepped forward. “Let’s begin.”

-*-

“It’s been two days. When do we start to worry?” Echo chewed his lip as he stared at Tech's sleeping form on your bed. One of your blankets had been pulled over hun to keep him warm.

Kix checked Tech's pulse once more, as he did every hour, and shrugged. “He’s not in distress. I think it’s safe to say things are fine…for now.” Moving across the room, Kix sat in a chair and wrote his notes down quickly. He was anything if not diligent when he came to his medical notes and research. “Have you heard from her? How is her father doing?” His eyes never left his datapad. It wasn’t like you to not check in with everyone, he was beginning to worry.

Echo swallowed at the question. “Uh yeah, she’s been a bit busy with her family's shop. She sends her love.” Nope, he couldn’t tell any of them you weren’t coming back. He couldn't destroy all of their hope like that, not now at least.

-*-

Tech was tired, oh so tired. He’d experienced so many memories, so many moments in his life that made him think about everything. He’d relived order 66, Cross turning on them and leaving. Meeting Omega, the fall of Kamino, and the discovery of the chips. He remembered Cid and all the hard work the batch had done for her and how she’d left them stranded on that damned planet. Almost everything was back now, all that was missing was his time with you.

Over the course of getting his memories back, he’d slowly made his way up the large hill of Pabu. Now the top was in sight. Behind him, the night sky was beginning to brighten as the sun began to rise. Time was running out. Above him, Ashla sat on the stonewall near the top of the island. Feet dangling over the side, it watched as Tech wiped his hand across his forehead. “Time is almost up, I still need to remember her.”

With a wave of its hand, a rope fell from the top of the mountain towards Tech. Beside him, a barrier blocked his path up. “Then climb.”

A tired hand ran over the rope carefully. It wanted him to climb a rope the rest of the way. Tech's eyes shifted to the barrier and with a defeated sigh he began to climb. “Why am I climbing?”

Ashla hummed in thought, going over all of Tech's memories in its head. What was blocking the rest of his memories from coming in? Below it, the sound of Tech slipping and gasping showed what was wrong. “Your final memories of your beloved are blocked by a memory you refuse to remember.”

Tech clung tightly to the rope as it swayed back and forth above the island below. What did Ashla mean? How could something block his memories? “What is it?” He could see something shift in Ashlas eyes as it looked down at him. After a moment of silence, a dagger appeared in its hand and before he could react or say anything, the rope was cut.

And he fell.

-*-

“No!” Tech sat up with a gasp. His hand held his chest tight as the memory of him falling finally finished. Tears threatened his eyes as he tried to handle seeing his supposed death all over again. A shaky breath left his body.

“Tech, I’m here.” Echo rushed to his brother's side and wrapped an arm around him, letting him know he was safe. “You had us worried.”

Across the room, Kix moved to grab Tech a drink and inform the others that the clone was finally awake.

“How long was I down?” It felt like simply a day. But something told him it had been far longer. The sound of the door opening drew his attention. Kix, Ahsoka, and Cal all stepped into the room. Relief on all of their faces.

Kix crossed the room and passed Tech the thermos as he began to take the clone's vitals. “A week.”

Tech began to open the thermos but stopped at Kix's words. “A week? It felt like a day.” Sighing he took a drink and hummed at the taste of your tea. It wasn’t exactly like how you made it, maybe something was missing, but it was still good enough to trigger the rest of his memories of you. It all rushed back to him like the tsunami wave that hit your village. He could remember you holding onto him tightly as the waters pushed you two around. The look on your face as he kissed you to force air into your lungs. The way you looked at him after he kissed you a second time. “Where’s my datapad?” Tech looked around the group. He needed to see what you’d left him.

Echo placed a calming hand on his brother's shoulder. “Calm down. One thing at a time.” How did Tech know about the datapad? “What do you remember?”

He didn’t have time for this. “Everything. I remember everything. Now please, my datapad”

Sighing softly, Echo stood and moved to your dresser. He carefully slid the top drawer open and pulled out Tech's shirt. “Here.” He passed the shirt to Tech who unwrapped it carefully. Inside was the datapad that Tech was so desperately in search of. “There’s something you should know Tech, that all of you should know.” He looked at the group now assembled in the room.

“She’s not coming back.” Tech tapped at the screen and watched it prong to life. Instantly he began to search through the programs for anything you may have left behind.

“What?” Kix looked at Tech and Echo quickly. “Is this true, Echo?”

Echo ran his hand over his face. “It’s true.” His eyes shifted to Tech. “How did you know that though?”

There was something here in the messages section that he hadn’t seen before. Echos question reached his ears and nonchalantly he replied. “Ashla told me.”

Ahsokas head whipped away from Cal and to Tech. “What did you say?”

Tech fought the sigh that struggled to escape. He needed to focus on the current task. Placing the datapad down he looked at the ex-Jedi. “Ashla, the force, told me. Well, she showed me actually.”

“The force talked to you?” Ahsoka struggled to believe this. But only Jedi knew the force's ancient name.

“It did.” Tech quickly explained how it had taken on your image to speak to him. How it guided him through his memories and kept him from going into shock. He explained how Ashla had only appeared because your heart begged for help.

“I need a moment.” Ahsoka sat on the edge of the bed with her fingers against the bridge of her nose.

He really wanted to look through his datapad in peace, find what you left behind and then find you. “I understand your surprise on the matter. But I must request that I have some time to catch up on things I have missed.”

A chuckle left Echo as he motioned for the others to leave. “Glad to see you’re almost back to normal.” Only once the room was cleared, to the argument of the others, did Echo close the door and look at Tech. “So you’re back to normal?”

“As normal as I can be, Echo.” Tech could now see the message log between you and him, the missed messages sent after the mission. Placing the datapad down he decided to get questions answered before delving into the datapad more. “Did you find Cross? Is everyone ok?”

Echo nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, Cross is safe. He’s on Pabu with the others.” He watched as Tech visibly relaxed at the information. “Tech, things didn’t go so well after you fell.”

“I had a feeling. Where’s Cid?” He watched as Echo visibly made a face of disgust. “That must explain why Phee owns the building now.”

“After you fell, we crashed into the terminal. No one was seriously injured, but it was enough that we were down and needed a place to lay low. The tracker? It didn’t hold. Cross blames Saw Gerrera.” And so did he. “We came back here to rest up and think of a new plan.” Echo felt venemon begin to rise in his throat. “Cid turned us in. Because of her, we lost Omega.”

Tech's fists tightened as he continued to listen to Echo explain what happened. How they managed to get a tracker on Hemlocks ship as the scum left with their precious sister.

“With the help of Rex and Gregor, we were able to infiltrate the base.” Echo shuddered as he thought about Mt. Tantiss. “The things we saw there. It was like walking into hell. Clones were being experimented on in the worst ways possible. That’s where we found Omega and Cross….and Cody.” A defeated sigh came from Echo as he remembered the state Cody was in. How Omega looked when they finally found her cell. The way she’d sobbed finding out that Hemlock had killed Nala Se because the Kaminoan had refused to experiment on Omega. “We got everyone out. But Hemlock had already evacuated his more top-priority experiments. A program called the Dark Trooper. We’ve been trying to work through those files. But the encoding is trickier than I expected.” With Tech back though, maybe they’d have better luck.

“So Hemlock escaped?” That was disappointing and concerning to hear.

“Tried to. Cross took care of that problem.” Echo had wanted to be the one to do it. Hell, there had been a line of people ready to do the honors. But Cross was their sniper for a reason. One shot was all it took to bring his shuttle down and into the side of the mountain.

Tech made a face before nodding. “Good. And Cid?”

“Hemlock had her assassinated shortly after he got Omega. Didn’t want any loose ends. Honestly, she got lucky the Empire did it. Hunter was out for blood. I honestly don’t know what would have happened if Hunter had gotten to her instead.” He sighed as he fell back and laid across the bed. “That’s the long and short of it all. Omegas on Pabu with the others, she’s doing better. Hunter says she still has some nightmares here and there. But she’s getting better.”

“Wow.” That was all Tech seemed to be able to say. A lot had happened while he was…gone. “Do they know about me?”

Echo turned his head and looked at his brother carefully. “Cross and Hunter do. You know Wrecker can’t keep a secret to save his life and we didn’t want Omega finding out before you remembered everything. The last thing the poor kid needed to know was that you didn’t remember her.”

It made sense. Omega had been through so much in her young life, it was only right to keep him a secret. At least now they’d be able to let the child know. “You should probably contact them then. Let them know I’m back to myself.” Or as close as he could be. He felt different, looked at things differently, and even thought differently.

“Yeah. That will definitely brighten her day.” Echo tiredly moved his body off the bed and stretched his arm above his head. Perhaps he’d do it in the morning after he finally got some decent sleep. Over the last week, they’d each taken turns staying by Tech's side. Too many nights he’d fallen asleep in the chair. Even with his enhanced body parts, he was getting too old for this. “I’ll drop some food off for ya in a bit, Tech.” He stopped by the door and looked at his brother who was already buried in the datapad. “Tech? It’s good to have ya back.”

Tech looked up at Echo and nodded. “It’s good to finally be back.” He watched as Echo smirked before closing the door.

-*-

It took Tech time to actually read through the messages. For the time being he took in being in your room. The way your perfume hung on the pillows and blankets. He could make out the little trinkets you’d acquired scattered across your room. An old clone doll rested on the table beside the bed and Tech wondered if you cuddled with it every night. His fingers ran over the material of his old shirt and he realized it was the only thing in the room that didn’t smell like you. It had no smell at all. Did you never wash it? He recognized it as one of the shirts from his laundry pile, he knew it hadn’t been cleaned before the mission.

Taking a deep breath, Tech pulled the datapad back into his lap and opened the screen to his messages.

“I hope the mission is going well.”

“My dad is cleaning up the boat. I think he’s more excited about our date than we are.”

“You’re never gonna believe what my brother just did. He left a pack of condoms on my bed with a note saying ‘Make sure your soldier puts a helmet on his soldier.’ I’m gonna kill him.”

“It’s been a few days. Are you ok?”

“I hope your mission has been a success so far. That tea I was telling you about is finally here. I’m waiting for you to get back so we can try it together. I was thinking about trying to learn mando’a. There's a protocol droid here that knows over fifty thousand languages. I asked and he knew Mando’a.”

“I miss you, Tech. Come home soon.”

Tech wondered if you ever tried that tea. He could tell you’d learned mando’a. You spoke it wonderfully, as did the others. He thought about what Kix had said to you his first night there.

“It’s ok, my angel. I’m here.”

It hadn’t seemed like you and Kix were an item. But maybe the emotions of everything had covered that? Had he taken too long to find you? Had he lost you to one of his brothers?

“Angel, please, get some sleep. For me?” Echos words played in his mind from when he’d overheard the two of you from his room. Hopefully, the nickname was just that, a nickname they all used for you and nothing more.

Tech scrolled through the programs on the datapad as he tried to find what you’d left for him. It couldn’t have been the messages, those were old and it seemed like you had something to say to him.

-*-

It took Tech hours to find the files you’d interacted with the most. He knew about the videos you’d repeatedly listened to. Those were still cued up in a playlist you’d created. His fingers hovered over a private file and he wondered if you’d found it. Opening it he sighed at the realization that you had. There in the margins of the file where your notes.

‘I always had a feeling they didn’t survive.’

‘I can see why you spared me the truth.’

‘They didn’t deserve to die.’

‘I wish I could have thanked them one last time.’

It was a file he’d hoped you hadn’t found. A file that laid out the last mission of a unit of clones known for their pink and white armor that was completely wiped out on a rescue mission for an outer rim planet. Tech wondered about your state when you found it. Were you mad at him at first? Were you scared? Were you distraught? It was hard to tell from your notes. Pulling up the file information he saw that you looked at the file multiple times. Perhaps it helped you somehow?

It was only a few moments later that he finally found what you had left for him. A video in a private file that you’d hidden. Something he’d taught you how to do. He chewed his lip as he wondered if he should watch it. The date on it was days before he’d returned. Back when you thought he was dead. What if what you had to say didn’t matter anymore? A shaky breath left Tech's lips as pressed play and watched your face fill the screen.

“Kix said I should record a goodbye message. Help me get closure. I don’t know. It feels wrong doing this. Like if I do then that means you're actually gone.” A sigh left as you ran a hand through your hair. “Maybe that’s why I’m avoiding this. Tech…I didn’t expect to fall for you the way I did. I knew that if I ever fell for someone I wanted it to be like my parents. That seemed impossible to me. What they had was one of those one-in-a-million kinds of love. Where you felt a warmth through your fingers and toes and to the tip of your nose. My mom used to say she could almost feel my dad's emotions before he even entered the room. That they could just look at each other and know what the other was thinking. I envied them for that love but I was also jealous. I knew that the chances of me finding that would be impossible.” You chewed your lip carefully. “But then I met you. You came into my life and swept me off my feet.” A little laugh left you. “Literally. Ever since that moment, I’ve had this feeling inside me. A feeling that made me warm all over. It made my fingers and toes tingle and even my nose. I never thought I’d feel that.” A smile spread across your face as you fought back tears. “I thought about you every night and when you started coming to the shop. Stars. It made me excited every morning. But I didn’t think you actually felt the same. But then as we spent more time together I began to second guess that feeling.” Your face dropped slightly. “Then you kissed me…again and everything felt…warm. So unbelievably warm. You did that to me and I couldn’t believe it. And then you died. It felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped on me.” Tears pulled at the corners of your eyes. “I’ve been trying my best to stay strong. Put on a face and keep everyone around me happy and safe. Guess I’m not the best at hiding it though. Kix noticed pretty fast and while he’s been helping me try to work through this, I still just…miss you so much Tech. If I could go back in time I’d tell you sooner how I felt. Let you know how wonderful I found you and how you made my entire body feel warm. If you were to walk through the door tomorrow and apologize for being late it would be the happiest day of my life and I’d never let you go again.” You wiped your face of the tears that had begun to run down your cheeks. “But I know that’s impossible. So this is goodbye, cyare. Maybe we’ll meet again in a future life.”

Tech watched as you leaned forward and ended the video. Your lips pursed in a blown kiss as you did so. Warmth ran down his cheek and he quickly wiped at it. Pulling his hand back, he realized he’d been crying. Your words had confirmed the feelings he’d been struggling to understand himself. You made him warm. You made his fingers and toes tingle. When you looked at him and smiled it made his ears heat up. For so long he’d tried to figure out how to describe what you did to him and here you were, naming it perfectly.

You made him feel warm.

-*-

Cool, the feeling of the evening sea air on your skin as you moved around the tea shop. Ever since you’d come home the shop had been chaos. It felt like everyone on the island wanted to be there and to see you. The children always followed you around, asking for stories of the world outside their little island. Women asked you about the latest fashions, though you had to constantly break their hearts by informing them that you didn’t go to any of the wealthier planets. And of course, the men just wanted to see you. You’d lost count of the number of times you heard “You look good.” Or “Wow going off the planet really worked for you.” It was draining.

But because of everyone’s curiosity, the shop stayed open later into the night. You’d just returned from your break where you had run home to pull on a soft pink sweater over your cream dress when you heard the gate bell ring. Looking over your shoulder you nodded to Phee, glad to see the woman was back on Pabu. You sent her a nod before turning back to the table you were currently at. Even with your brother's help, it was hard keeping up with everyone’s orders. You were behind at least three tables. In the kitchen, your eldest brother tried his best to make the pastries your father usually made, but you always found yourself being the one to get the batters done.

“Baby sis? I think somethings burning?” Your middle brother moved by you with a bin in his hand, ready to clean up a table that had just emptied.

A sigh left you as you finished taking your current tables order and shoving your datapad into your pocket. “On it.” It was most likely the cookies you’d put in the oven. No doubt you’d spent too long at this table and now they were burnt. The sooner your dad healed up the better. As you walked towards the kitchen, a shuttle flew by overhead and towards the top of the island. Perhaps a new shipment was finally in? It was a bit late but who knew what problems they most likely faced coming in? With a shrug, you continued into the kitchen while your youngest brother went out to take more orders.

-*-

By the time you’d cleaned up the burnt mess of cookies, remade the batter, and personally watched the cookies bake until completion, the shop had cleared out a bit. No longer was every table packed and the overflow of people lined up against the wall. Now only a few people filled the tables. The air had become cooler and one of your brothers had lit the fire in the center of the patio. It was the calm nights like these that made you happy to be home. Did you miss the boys? Of course. The amazing street food and the unique vendors? No doubt. But being home had given you that clarity you had needed after the interaction with Tech.

You’d realize that even if Tech did remember you, you wouldn’t force him to be with you. A lot had changed for you both during those six months. Even with his memories back, would he still feel the same way? Would he want to be with you still? Or did he already find himself in a different place mentally?

Walking to a table that needed clearing, you found yourself lost in thought. So many different scenarios began to run through your mind. Tech never remembering you and you both moving on. Him remembering you but no longer feeling the same way. More and more scenarios like that continued to run through your mind as you stacked the plates and cups into your arms.

*ding* *ding*

The sound of the gate bell drew your attention as you placed the dirty dishes into the wash bin. “Be with ya in a minute. Go ahead and take a seat wherever.” You’d mentally taken count of how many people were currently in the shop and where each one was sitting. It wouldn’t be a problem figuring out who the new person was.

Moving quickly, you made your way to the kitchen to wash your hands and grab a tray of cookies. The least you could do for the new customer was give them some warm cookies while you made the wait. Looking around the darkened patio you noticed a new figure sitting against the wall overlooking the sea. So many times you’d sat there with Tech during your breaks and chatted. Seeing someone else there was always hard.

“So sorry about the wait.” You pulled your datapad out of your pocket while placing the cookies down, your eyes focused on the datapad that was snagging your apron. Warm calloused hands ran across yours as the person took the tray from you and placed it down carefully. You hummed thanks as you finally managed to get the device free. With a tired smile, you looked at the customer finally.

“What can I get yo…” Your words trailed off as you took in Tech sitting in front of you. He’d cleaned up a bit and it looked like his goggles had been fixed. “Tech.” His name left your lips in a breathy sigh. “It’s good to see you back on Pabu.” The way he was looking at you was making that warm feeling spread inside you once more.

“Cyar’ika, I’m so sorry I’m late. I hope I didn’t offend you.” The way your eyes widened at his words, how your bottom lip began to tremble and your hands squeezed the datapad tightly, made Tech lose his breath. You were as gorgeous as the day he’d left you behind.

Words failed you as you understood what he was referencing. Your eyes burned as tears broke through like water being freed of a damn. “L-like you could ever offend me.”

Then his lips were on yours.

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[fionajames]

WELCOME BACK FIRST OF ALL!!!

May i PLEAAAAASE request a little something about the Kadavo arc? May it please stray a bit from canon so Rex can get a bit more of a main role in the arc and he does a tad bit more and he you know sticks up for the togrutas and he gets worn out and is all worrying about Kenobi that he collapses and when he wakes up he has an emotional reunion with his vod’e 🥺 that was so specific but I’m begging you please I trust you with this pretty please with sprinkles on top?

Ilysm!!!!!!! You don’t have to do all that but just please more Rex 😭 I miss him

blood and bandages

A/N: OML FIRST IM SORRY THIS TOOK FUCKING FOREVER AND ITS ONLY 1K IM SO SO SO SORRY. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THO. PLEASE SEND REQUESTS GUYS IM BEGGNIG YOU.

(divider by @saradika-graphics)

Exhaustion hung heavy over Rex’s head as he took one weary step after another. He didn’t want to complain about the pain he was in, and so instead he lumbered quietly after his Jedi. Ahsoka was by his side and he watched her with worried eyes.

Thankfully, she was back in her usual attire, and not that filthy slave-costume she’d been forced to wear. Anakin had already apologised profusely for her having to wear it, and she’d insisted it was okay, but Rex still didn’t like it.

With every tiny movement of his body, pain shot throughout him, and Rex couldn’t help but bite his tongue until blood was drawn in. It hurt so much. 

Alongside Obi-Wan, he’d earned his fair share and then some more of whiplashes. And for no real reason. There was a particularly ugly wound on his left side from shielding a young Togruta from a whip when blood and tears were streaming down the teenager’s face. He hadn’t regretted protecting the frail child, even when blood was now staining his blacks as it trickled down his torso.

Cody was the first of his vod to greet him, and just the mere sight of him brought a smile to Rex’s face. His hands were still shaking from clutching electric staff he’d driven into the slaver’s chest. Something about killing that man had felt wrong, he just wasn’t sure why.

Maybe it was the fact that when he’d checked the man’s pulse to ensure he was dead, he’d left with blood coating his hands. Blood his and blood not. Another man’s blood on his skin. He’d broken another man’s flesh, and so violently that he’d bled and died, he’d killed a man. Killing a living, breathing man was different from killing a droid. That was something Kamino could never have taught him.

Rex glanced down at his hands, bile building up in his throat at the dry and dark red state of his skin. The blood was dried and crusted, and coating all of his hands. Underneath the thick layer of torment were his blisters and calluses, so damaged that merely breathing on his hands shot pain through them.

Cody rushed to meet him, barrelling into him hurriedly, wrapping his arms around him firmly and holding Rex close to him. He buried his face in the crook of his brother’s neck, and Rex couldn’t do anything to control his emotions when tears began to fall from his eyes.

“Rex’ika,” Cody murmured, cradling his brother's head as he felt the water drip down his neck. He saw the concerned glance Obi-Wan shot him, but the Jedi seemed to understand. “C’mon, let’s get you to Kix.”

Rex nodded but didn’t move until Cody turned him around. He stared at the ground as tears began to stream down his face, relying on Cody’s arm to guide him safely. When they finally reached medbay, Cody pushed him through the mass of injured Togrutas and to the front, where he called out to Kix. 

“Vod,” he called to the medic, who turned around quickly. “Can you take a look at Rex, please?” Kix nodded, patting the Captain’s shoulder. A sob bubbled up in his throat as Kix began to remove his armour, and then the top half of his blacks.

He knew from both Cody and Kix’s gasps that his injuries were as bad as they felt.

“Rex’ika,” Cody whispered as Kix began to frantically gather his equipment. “You should’ve told us sooner.” His gaze ran along the numerous whip wounds and cuts lining his brother’s skin, and his stomach burned hot with rage. 

Kix began to clean the wounds, and as soon as the first antiseptic patch touched his skin, Rex yelped, his body lighting up with the stinging sensation. A comforting hand ran through the short wisps of his blonde hair as Cody stood up, moving Rex’s head so his forehead was against Cody’s stomach. “It’s alright, vod, it’s alright.”

Kix worked quickly, cleaning and bandaging his wounds. With every gentle touch came a spike of pain, but Rex began to get used to it as they continued. Time passed slowly as Cody patiently ran his hands through Rex’s hair, over and over and over.

Once the stinging and the pain and the healing was finally over, Rex was more bandage than man. But his hands were still red and rough. Cody had noticed the way his brother seemed to only sob more whenever he saw it, and so as soon as Kix released them, he guided him to the sink to wash the blood off. 

Slipping the bar of soap between his hands and turning on the hot water, Rex finally began to feel some relief when the water rushing down the pipe was tainted red, and so he began to roughly scrab at the flesh. Cody watched carefully as his brother bent over the skin, dragging his blunt nails over his skin occasionally to see if any blood was hidden under the nails.

He scrubbed until his hands were numb and raw, and pink from being scoured so fiercely. Once he’d cleaned every speck of red off of his hands, Cody yanked the soap from him and turned off the water, much to his confusion. But he didn’t question it.

Instead, he let Cody guide him to the barracks, a warm presence amongst the cold blizzard swirling around Rex. The blonde felt numb, all over, as though he’d been dumped in an ice bath, and forced to stay there until he couldn’t feel anything.

But it was as though Cody leaked warmth, like a fireplace in the middle of winter. That was how Rex felt, like his icy white blue had been invested by gold orange shine. It was intoxicating, and he leaned into his brother’s touch as the dull silver corridors began to suffocate him in familiarity.

When they reached the barracks, a swarm of 501st soldiers rushed to congratulate Rex on his skilled rescue and assistance to the enslaved, but instead of feeling like a saviour, he too felt like a slave. Cody managed to disperse the ground with ease, and they understood as the older brother guided the younger to his bed. 

“Get some rest, Vod’ika,” Cody murmured, running his thumb over the top of Rex’s short hair. But a whine escaped from his lips, dragging Cody’s attention back to him and away from the path to the door. “What is it?”

“Can you stay?” Rex asked breathlessly, a plea so quiet Cody almost didn’t hear it over the din that was the 501st barracks. The Commander froze, contemplating whether or not he should. A moment of silence between them passed, before he let out a soft sigh, and nudged Rex to move over. 

Cody moved to lay down on the bed next to his brother, half dangling off the edge as he glanced at the Captain’s face. “You’re alright, Rex’ika,” he murmured, his eyes tracing the bandages covering his brother’s body. “You’re alright.”

A/N: I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!! PLEASE SEND REQUESTS!!!

(taglist: @techs-goggles9902, @skellymom. dm me if you want to be added/removed from the taglist!)

[fanfictasia]

Angstpril Day 16

Cry For Help

Spoiler: This is an excerpt from an unnamed fanfic

Kix shows up at the door only minutes later, looking breathless like he ran most of the way and radiating an obvious level of anxiety and uncertainty he’s radiating.

“Kix? Did something happen?” Anakin inquires.

“I saw Fives,” he explains, breathlessly.

What?

“Where?” Rex demands.

“Is he alright?” Anakin asks. Well, as alright as he can be if he has potentially permanent brain damage. He still doesn’t want to think about that part of it.

“I don’t know,” Kix replies, frowning, “But I ran into him at the clone bar. He was there to give me a message. He wants you two to meet him at these coordinates so he can explain what happened and he’s requesting that you come alone.” He shows them coordinates – it’s somewhere in Coruscant’s underworld. Not a place Anakin’s familiar with, but he knows it’s a good area to hide.

Why does this feel like an exact repeat of what happened with Ahsoka?

All he can do is desperately hope it’s not going to have a similar ending. It’s still hard to fathom that she’s gone, the last moments of their conversation before she walked away replaying on repeat through his mind, even if he knows it’s probably better for her if she is away. The war was always hard on her. But he doesn’t even know where she is out there, or if she’s down in the underworld right now struggling to survive.

But he needs to think about Fives right now, much as Ahsoka’s absence is a constant ache inside of all of them.

“We’re going immediately,” Anakin decides, standing.

Rex nods, moving for the door. “Why doesn’t he just turn himself in?”

“He said what he’s involved in goes all the way to the top and what he has to say will never get to you if he doesn’t talk to you directly,” Kix replies.

Anxiety twists inside of him. That… He doesn’t know what that means, if there’s something to that or if he’s just delusional.Should he tell the investigator about this? Fives did ask them to come alone, though, and Anakin trusts there’s a reason for that, even if he’s cautious. There has to be something of Fives still in there. He’s asking to explain. Anakin’s not going to get other people involved until he can talk to him first.

[dumfanting]

Questionable Conduct ch 4

Chapter 3

AO3 Link

Rating: E, explicit

Warnings: Tup is Ace, secret meetings, nipple play, penetration, PiV | fem reader, second person pov, present tense

1986 words

It’s been far too long since the last update, I hope this was worth the wait. I know this is short, but I had to stop myself from getting carried away.

F! Jedi Reader/ Dogma

He isn’t fucking you. Hell, this isn’t even just sex.

Dogma wanders through the halls of the ship, trying not to make it obvious that he’s looking for you. As he moves, he wonders if you’re aware of just how much you’ve done for him outside of your bed over the past month or so. After that initial night with you, once Fives and the others were done being annoying about it, he didn’t feel like such an outsider among his brothers. He’s able to relax and even trust them now, to an extent. With that in mind, when he passes Rex and Kix, who both give him a pointed, knowing look, he nods once at them, and they do the same. 

He knows you don’t want him to thank you any more than he already has, but he still wants to make his gratitude known. He just has to find you first.

After walking for another minute, his wish is granted when the door to a common area slides open, and you step out with Tup. Dogma is close enough to hear what sounds like the tail end of an intense conversation between you two. 

“I promise you honey, you aren’t ‘broken’,” you say, gently gripping Tup’s shoulder. 

“T-thank you, really,” he says. 

“Of course. You can come to me again if you need to, you know that, right?” you say. 

“Yes ma’am. I trust you,” he says, looking gratefully at you. You smile softly at him. 

“And I’m honored. Now go get some rest,” you say, patting his back. You both wish each other a good night before separating. When Tup passes by, Dogma stops him. 

“We’ve been wondering when you’d meet up with her,” Dogma says, his voice low.

“Keep wondering then, because I’m not,” Tup says, rolling his eyes. “That aside, I can see why you all like being around her. There’s something about her, she just feels safe, almost like…” he says, trailing off.

“Like being home?” Dogma suggests. Tup nods at him, then continues to walk down the hallway. 

Moments later, Dogma catches your eye, and you allow him to casually fall into step with you.

“Trooper,” you say, keeping up the act you’ve been putting on outside of your room. 

“Commander,” he responds, dutifully playing along. The two of you continue moving without speaking until you’re in a deserted area. “It’s been nearly a week. You busy?” he asks, keeping his voice low. 

“Am I?” you say, also staying quiet. 

“Rex and Kix got me,” he says. 

“Good,” you say, your facade cracking when you can’t help but smile at him, just a little. “We’ll split ahead; follow me in half an hour,” you continue. 

“Yes ma’am,” he says, and once you both reach an intersection, you walk in separate directions. 

—

A half hour passes, and right on the dot, as always, there’s a soft but distinct tapping at your door. You slide it open, then peek out into the hall, confirming that there’s nobody to catch you. You step back and allow Dogma to slip inside. You barely have time to shut and lock the door before he’s on you, feverishly crashing his lips to yours. You open up for him, and while your tongues dance, you grab his shoulders and drag him towards your bed while moving backwards. Your knees hit the edge of the mattress and the two of you break apart long enough to completely undress. Once his undersuit and your panties have hit the floor, he kisses you again, his earlier frenzy cooling down into the more intimate and sensual pace the two of you have grown to prefer together. 

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he groans, pushing you into a seated position on the bed while his mouth travels downwards along your throat and he kneels before you. 

“I know Dogma, I’ve missed you too,” you say, and your words melt into a soft moan when he starts to swirl his tongue around one of your nipples. He rolls the stiffened bud of your other between his fingers and uses his free hand to push your legs apart. He rests his hand on your inner thigh, and pulls away from you enough to see it when you clearly and eagerly nod at him.

He straightens up enough to softly kiss your lips, and when your eyes meet, you feel that same strong emotion from him, followed by the now-familiar swooping sensation in your stomach. You can’t lie to yourself any more; You know full well what these things are, what it all means, but you ignore it. At least, you try to, but your mind wanders anyway. 

The moment you first welcomed Rex (and the others, over time) into your bed, you knew deep down that doing so was a massive risk. At the start, you were really only concerned about keeping yourself out of trouble, but as things continued, and you got to know each of the men better, you worried less about yourself and more about them. 

You know you’re breaking the rules, and you’ll accept whatever gets thrown at you if (but more likely when) you get caught. You’ll take it, because you know your disciplinary consequences won’t be nearly as severe as theirs. Relationships are forbidden, and if the higher ups knew that you all were involved like this, well… You’ve seen troopers reconditioned for smaller things. The very thought makes your chest ache, but especially so when you think about anything happening to Dogma. 

“Commander?” 

You blink a few times, startled out of your spiraling thoughts. Dogma has moved his hands to your shoulders and he’s watching your face carefully, obviously worried. 

“Are you alright? Have I done something?” he asks, and the tinge of guilt in his voice makes your heart ache for him. 

“Oh no honey, it’s nothing you did, I promise,” you say, speaking earnestly and maintaining eye contact. “I was just thinking.”

“About this?” he asks, visibly deflating. You nod at him. 

“I shouldn’t be here,” he continues, speaking flatly, then he pulls his hands off of you and sits back far enough that you aren’t touching anymore. 

He moves to stand, but stops when you lean forward and grasp his elbow. 

“Commander?” he says, confused. He’s on his feet, but hasn’t moved. You also stand. 

“No,” you say softly, sliding your hand from his elbow to his wrist. “I shouldn’t have invited you, or anyone, here. We’re both in the wrong,” you continue, and he shifts uneasily on his feet. He seems to be having a hard time meeting your eyes. You take a step closer to him, and when you do, he rests his hands on your hips without hesitating, his palms warm against your bare skin. You link your hands behind his neck. 

“If you want to leave, even now, I won’t stop you,” you say, your voice so low that it’s barely audible. “But I need you to promise me something, Dogma,” you say. He finally looks at your face and again you can Sense the conflict within him. You separate your hands and use one to cup his cheek. He visibly relaxes into your touch. 

“Anything,” he says, just as quiet. 

“If you do turn me in, leave your brothers out of it,” you say, your tone somber. “I don’t care what they do to me, but I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to even one of you. It’s cruel, but in the eyes of the GAR, I’m more valuable than you, so I won’t be punished nearly as harshly,” you say. 

“But you are-,” he says, but you cut him off by moving your hand from his cheek to cover his mouth. 

“Stop. Every last one of you matters just as much as I do, maybe even more so,” you say. Dogma jerks his head back from you, freeing his mouth. 

“Commander, what are you saying?” he says, and he sounds deeply confused. You sigh and sit back down on your bed, and he follows by kneeling in front of you on the floor again. 

“I can leave this whole mess at any time, and they can’t stop me or punish me for it,” you say. “But you, you don’t have any choice. You’re worth more than I am.” 

“That’s not true,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper as he looks away from you. 

“Bullshit. It’s true to me,” you say, and you softly take hold of his chin and turn him back to face you. You feel a wave of overwhelming gratitude wash over you from him, but you’re more taken aback by the single tear threatening to escape his eye. 

“Dogma? Did I-?” you start to say, but he cuts you off by wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close, crashing his lips against yours. He breaks away and holds your face gently, almost reverently, in his hands. A second later, he’s holding you tightly as he buries his face into your chest. He’s shaking.

You shift enough to slide off of your bed and onto your knees before him. All you can think to do is hold him just as closely. You maneuver an arm around his shoulders and cup the back of his head. You softly kiss his forehead, then turn your head and rest your cheek against it. 

You two stay like this for a while, but when your knees start to ache, you loosen your grip on him, and he does the same, sitting back on his heels. He exhales heavily, looking up at the ceiling for a few seconds, trying to compose himself. 

“Has no one ever said that to you before?” you ask him, cautiously taking his hands into your own. 

“Never,” he says, shaking his head before cautiously meeting your eyes. “But even if someone had, it just… it means so much more coming from you,” he continues, squeezing your hands. Your stomach swoops again, and he keeps talking. 

“I know you don’t want me to keep thanking you, but I really need to,” he says. You open your mouth to speak, but he stops you with another soft kiss. He pulls back and tells you everything he’d been thinking about while looking for you earlier. 

“I trust them now,” he says. “That would never have happened without you. So, thank you, Commander, so fucking much.” 

“Oh, Dogma,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper. You had no idea. You don’t know what else to say to him, so you instead get to your feet, pull him up, and hook your hands onto his shoulders from behind, taking him down with you as you lie onto your bed. 

He kisses you again, and you shift underneath him, opening your legs and nudging his knees apart. When he realizes what you’re doing, he breaks away long enough to give you a pointed look before moving any further. You kiss him, and whisper his name. 

“Please, Dogma. I need to feel you again,” you say. With that, he nods at you and slowly moves forward, carefully penetrating you. He gasps when your soft, wet heat surrounds him, and takes a moment to savor it. 

“Fuck, I’ll never get over how good you feel,” he says, his voice low, almost reverent. You kiss him again, and when you taste each other, you wrap your legs around his hips and cross your ankles against the small of his back, spurring him into motion. 

You two typically take your time together, but even more so tonight. Each thrust of his hips is careful and measured, and you squeeze around him with every movement. You soon realize that he’s focused on being as close to you as possible and not reaching an orgasm. 

He isn’t fucking you. Hell, this isn’t even just sex. 

This is lovemaking, and when you meet his eyes, you see that he knows it too. 

Taglist: @kaminocasey @madameminor @jennamelinda12 @arctrooper69 @the-cantina @jedi-hawkins

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[marymary-diva17]

Meeting the troopers

anakin x padawan reader x Ashoka + 501st

Being away from the temple and on your own was something new for you as you were no longer youngling you are now padawan. starting your won joinery away from the place your grew up and from all the friends you made over the years, you were feeling many emotions as you were trying to keep up with everything that was happening right now. The on going war did make you feel better as well as because now you had to face the stories and news you had been told about in person.

Y/n " ......." it seems like your masters could tell something was the matter with you, as you had become very quiet and were not asking any questions.

anakin " you know there is nothing to be worried about y/n"

y/n " yes master"

anakin " okay first of all when are you are my padawan you will call me anakin when are together or with the troop, all the master stuff make me feel old"

ashoka " you are old sky guy you can all also call him that, you can call me ashoka"

anakin " starting today you will be our padawan and we will be here to teach you and we hope you can teach us something as well"

y/n " yes anakin"

ashoka " now come omelets go meet with the guys they are going to love you" you soon smiled feeling better now and no longer being nervous anymore. After some walking the trio stopped walking and soon reached the 501st squad as they were all talking with each other.

anakin " hey everyone we have some wonderful new from the republic" Soon everyone and stopped their conversation and all eyes were now on anakin.

Rex " what the new"

ashoka " well it seems like we are done here on our mission at the moment but that subject to change" the troopers seem to be happy about it knowing they might be done fighting here for now.

echo " hey who the kid" soon all eyes were now on you as you stand there.

hardcase " hey she the kid the came with the supplies on the shop for us and the citizen of the planet"

jessie " oh yes we meet her"

anakin " well it good she knows two of the members everyone is is y/n l/n and she my new padawan"

fives " oh so we have a new commander"

ashoka " that not all the news she is also my padawan as well" everyone had become shocked and quite as they looked at anakian and ashoka, and soon at the twi'lek girl standing between them.

kix " wait general Yoda assigned her as both of you padawan"

ashoka " yes it seems like yoda think we can teach her something and it will be good"

kix " oh this is going to be interesting"

y/n " I hope I can be a good commander"

rex " hey kid don't worry everything will be fine" rex had place a hand on your shoulder and gave you a smile.

echo " yeah it good to have someone new part of the team, and maybe you can help us deal with them"

anakin " hey we are not that bad"

ashoka " we'll I'm not that bed sky guy"

anakin " when are you going to stop calling me that spins"

ashoka " when you stop calling me spins I'm no longer and kid and you treat me like one"

anakin " well stop acting like a kid"

y/n " umm I ....."

fives " kid it best if you let them fight now is will become your new normal with them"

y/n " okay" you soon relax you did know that anakin and ashoka did fight but you didn't know it was like this, but it was going to take some time to get use to the whole situation.

Fives " hey kid why don't we show you around so you can meet the rest of the 501st"

y/n " sure I will love that" you soon walked off with the troopers leaving anakin and ashoka together, as they still were fighting about something. Rex and fives had introduced you to everyone of the 501st along with the wolf pack and 212th. They were all very nice and funny as well they were just like the stories you had heard, and you were hoping to not let them down. As starting today you will become their commander and you were hoping that you will not let them down.

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 3

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: As always, thank you to the wonderful @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this chapter for me (and always encouraging me when I'm nervous about stuff. YOU ARE THE BEST TJ!).

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: mentions of death, grief, mourning (I promise I'll stop torturing them both eventually), language

Word Count: 6.7k words

Rex scrubbed his hands over his face again in frustration before glancing at the chrono on the wall one more time. “Are you almost ready up there? People are already walking up to the city center!” he barked.

How long could it take to put on one garment? Maybe she’s detangling that tooka nest of hair she has.

Either way, people were already filing by in the street, and Rex’s hopes of not being immersed in a crowd were dwindling. He turned again, glaring up the stairs towards her room.

“VALLA!”

“JUST A SECOND!”

He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face again.

At least she’s making an effort, I suppose.

The thought wasn’t as comforting as he’d hoped, but then again, not much would comfort him today. He’d woken up with a shadow hanging over him, clinging to his every thought.

Fives… Jesse… Kix... Dogma… 

Their names hadn’t stopped running through his mind all day as he’d attempted to go through the motions to prepare for the outing this evening. He’d attempted to distract himself by going over the backstory he and Senna had spent the last few rotations carefully crafting, but even that couldn’t distract him from the memories of his brothers.

A whole year. A year since everything fell apart. And we’re celebrating.

The Empire Day event was looming in his mind as well. He could feel his nerves fraying with every ticking second. It was one thing to go into battle with soldiers bred for war. There, he at least felt like knew what he was getting himself into. Covert operations with a near stranger were a different story. While some of the tension between himself and Senna had seemingly thawed recently, Rex couldn’t help but feel unprepared for this moment.

I still hardly know anything about her.

He tried the Jedi breathing techniques again to quell some of the tingling in his fingers, rolling his head and neck and shaking out his hands.

It will be alright. They wouldn’t have assigned someone that can’t handle this.

Again, the thought did little to comfort him. He tugged at the collar of his shirt. His dress jacket felt like it was strangling him slowly.

The sound of a heel hitting the tile floor at the base of the stairs disrupted his worrying, and he whirled, finding a somewhat timid-looking Senna watching him quietly. She was almost unrecognizable in a floor-length dark blue gown. It was a fairly simple garment with subtle beading on the bodice and sleeves, which billowed out slightly before closing back around her wrists. She had some simple beaded necklaces draped across her collarbone that matched the detailing on her gown with a ring on one hand that also complimented the gown. What Rex noticed most was her hair. She had obviously washed it and brushed it, and it now hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She’d even woven a beaded headband into it, and the dark brown color of her hair shimmered in the dwindling light seeping in through the windows. She gave him a small smile.

In that moment, Rex forgot some of his concerns. “Wow,” he breathed.

“Yeah?” she asked, ducking her head slightly. “Amazing what a shower and a brush can do, huh?”

He felt heat rising in his face and tried to return the volley. “You actually own a hairbrush?”

“Ok, don’t push it. Or get used to me looking like this.”

He chuckled. “Got it.”

Striding to the window, she parted the curtains to peer out into the street. He could see she was also carrying some sort of weight, and it puzzled him.

The end of the war was hard on everyone. You don’t know what she went through.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked.

She breathed a deep sigh. “Yes.”

“You’re certain.”

She turned to look at him and the twilight seeping in through the gap in the curtains caught the color of her irises, making them appear to have gold flecks dancing in the blue. She smiled again, but he noticed the expression didn’t seem to reach her eyes. That didn’t stop her from winking at him before she stepped forward, nudging his shoulder with hers.

“Absolutely, Lon.”

Together, they strode out into the cooling night air. A light breeze tugged at the hem of Rex’s jacket and swirled Senna’s skirt around her ankles. The streets had been decorated with strings of lights, and people were already filing towards the city center building. It would have almost felt festive if not for the heaviness that had settled in both of their chests.

Rex inhaled deeply and felt Senna’s hand slip under his arm, giving it a light squeeze. He looked down at her, and she smiled back up at him. “Let’s go,” she said quietly. He placed a hand over hers, allowing his thumb to graze her knuckles in an attempt to reassure her. He wasn’t certain if it worked, but she squared her shoulders, exhaling deeply one more time before she nodded at him. They took their first steps outside of the dwelling’s walls together.

Immediately, Rex’s senses were overwhelmed with the celebration. There were children with sparklers weaving through the crowd, bumping into people and squealing as they raced past, and the smell of all sorts of street vendor foods invaded his nostrils. There were hundreds in the street laughing and dancing. He felt his body tense in revulsion at the atmosphere, and the grip on his arm tightened, grounding him. “What a lovely celebration,” Senna said aloud. He could barely perceive the resentment in her voice, but it was there.

“Indeed,” he rumbled under his breath.

A loud voice behind them made her jump. “Neighbors! How nice to finally see you out! We’ve been wondering how you were doing!” Senna squeezed his arm, and the two of them turned and faced the man that had called out to them. He was tall with close-cropped black hair that was graying at the temples and a beard that perfectly framed his face. He wore purple dress robes with golden fringe that made Rex self-conscious about his simple suit jacket and trousers that he’d selected, hoping he wasn’t underdressed. A slender woman with dancing green eyes was draped across the man’s arm, wearing an emerald gown that matched Senna’s in silhouette but had significantly more ornamentation that made her jingle with every movement. 

Rex’s voice was caught in his throat, and as he struggled to get his suddenly-leaden tongue to form words, Senna stepped forward, engaging them.

“How lovely to meet you both! My husband and I have been so busy getting settled, we’ve barely had time to explore what’s around us. The move was difficult, and I never realized we had so many things until we started to unpack them.” She smiled engagingly, releasing her grasp on Rex’s arm to receive them. “I’m Valla and this is my husband, Lon,” Senna lied, tossing a glance backwards at Rex. “We recently moved from the countryside. We gave the farmer’s life a try, but I just don’t think it suited us. Well, maybe Lon, but I couldn’t stand the dust.” She clasped both of their arms in greeting as they introduced themselves as Brak and Zea. Brak’s dark eyes hadn’t left Rex’s face for most of the interaction, and Senna noticed, reaching behind to pull Rex forward, bringing him into the conversation.

“You know Lon, you look terribly familiar,” Brak said slowly. “I’m having trouble placing it, but I swear – “

Rex felt his stomach knot. Brak’s words didn’t match the look on his face.

He must know. He knows I’m a clone. We’re blown. We should-

“He looks like a clone,” Senna stated matter-of-factly, bringing Rex’s internal train of thought to a screeching halt. “When we were children, everyone always said he had one of those faces that any person seemed to recognize, and when the war started, it somehow became even more of a common occurrence.” Smiling, she placed an affectionate hand on his cheek and stroked her thumb across his jawline.

The feeling of her palm against his face sent a flurry of thoughts through Rex’s head, and he blinked rapidly, trying to not show surprise at the sudden tenderness. They’d spent hours crafting their backstory and going over it time and again, and yet they hadn’t rehearsed any kind of intimacy. It had always been assumed that they would need to show each other affection since their identities were that of newlyweds, but somehow, they’d never discussed it, and he certainly hadn’t anticipated it happening so soon.

Probably should have.

He also realized no one had touched him like that in a very long time. And that he liked it.

“You two grew up together?” Zea asked, bringing him sharply back to the present. Luckily, Senna was more than willing to keep up the ruse while he mentally recovered. Lying convincingly had never been his forte.

“Yes, on Naboo before heading off to separate universities. My mother-in-law used to always speak of how she suspected there was a descendant of Mandalore on her side of the family. We thought she was joking until we met clones during the war, and everyone seemed to comment that Lon looked like one of them. I’ve never seen the resemblance myself, but we’ve heard it enough that I’ve always wondered if he shares some DNA with the Mandalorian that was the origin of the clone army.”

Brak’s eyebrows unknitted, and he appeared to accept the story, slapping Rex on the back. “You just might! With the migration that took place after the siege of Mandalore, we all may have a little bit of that blood running through our veins in a few generations. The war never made it all the way out to Lothal, but I have seen one or two clones from the occasional business trip during the war. That was so long ago, I suppose I’ve forgotten what they look like.” He laughed heartily, and Rex forced a laugh with him, slipping an arm around Senna’s waist. He felt her rest her hand over his, and he briefly wondered if she was attempting to reassure him. The thought warmed him.

We’re holding each other up tonight. As we should.

The two couples turned and started walking together, the women strolling next to each other with Senna leading the conversation. Rex was surprised and also relieved that she was carrying on so that he could focus on the surrounding crowd and calming his nerves. He still couldn’t shake the tight feeling in his stomach, one that he assumed was from him locking any feelings associated with the day away. Senna slipped her hand into his, and he focused on the feeling of their intertwined fingers as he tried to ground himself. Senna seemed to understand what was happening, and she engaged him just enough with questions and statements to where he didn’t appear rude or distracted, but not so much that he had to be an active participant in the conversation.

“So, you said you two grew up together. How long have you two been married then?” Zea asked.

“Oh, we’re still newlyweds technically,” Senna said, shooting Rex an affectionate glance that brought heat to his face.

She’s really selling this well.

He smiled back down at her, and it felt less tight in his cheeks, more natural and less forced.

Senna continued, “We drifted apart when we began our studies, but ironically, the war brought us back together. We both opted to serve as civilian logistics specialists for the Republic and ran into each other on Coruscant for training. We were lucky enough to get sorted into the same team and were always stationed together after that.”

“Oh my, did you ever see any action?”

“Not much. We were fortunate in that respect. Much of our work took place at outposts well away from the battles, mostly focused on recovery efforts. It was usually fairly relaxed and somewhat boring. That left us with a lot of down time to ah… reconnect.” She winked at Zea and the two women giggled together knowingly.

Rex gave her hand a little squeeze smirking down at her. They had spent a lot of time going over their cover story, and she had done an excellent job filling in the missing pieces when prompted. He had stressed that a little bit of truth in her lies would help sell it, so when she had proposed Naboo as their home planet, he had agreed, hoping that would make it easier for her. He supposed he shouldn’t be shocked at how quick on her feet she was with the conversation, but he had never observed her in a social setting before and had been anxious to see how it played out. As it turned out, she was significantly more personable and more refined than he’d anticipated.

She fits right in.

The city center was quite a sight to behold as they approached. The large dome was illuminated with soft lighting around the statues and columns that stood outside. Imperial banners were draped above the windows and entrances with large floral arrangements of native Lothal greenery placed along the drapery and the path that they had now been funneled onto. This must have cost a good chunk of credits, Rex thought, fighting the urge to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

As they approached the building, stormtroopers lined the streets and Rex couldn’t help the tension that seemed to stiffen his spine and shoulders with every step. Senna noticed, slipping her arm around him. Leaning closer, she pressed her lips against his ear and smiled as if she was whispering something wicked. Rex saw Zea and Brak shoot each other a look of adoration at the sight of what they interpreted as two newlywed lovers sharing a moment.

“It’s going to be alright. Just breathe and stay calm,” Senna whispered into his ear. “We’ll get what information we can, stay as long as is polite, and then leave.” She gave him another reassuring squeeze. “You were a captain of the Grand Army of the Republic. This should be a walk in the park for you.” She ran her hand up over the back of his neck as he pulled back to look at her. She had that star-crossed look smeared across her face again, and it was incredibly convincing. He noticed Zea and Brak still staring at them, so he did what he thought was best: he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to Senna’s lips, hoping it helped sell the moment.

Her lips were softer than he’d anticipated, and he was immediately inundated with her scent, something light and floral. He broke it quicker than he’d have preferred, but they had to keep things moving. 

“Yes ma’am,” he whispered back, attempting to ignore the slight tingle that ran up his spine as the smell of her lingered. He rolled his shoulders. 

Just been a while. Everyone likes a good kiss, even if it’s pretend. 

As they stepped to the front of the line, the spot on his hip where his blaster was normally holstered felt abnormally light and just wrong. His fingers twitched for a trigger that wasn’t there at the sight of the stormtroopers surrounding them. Senna squeezed his hand, turning and winking at him as they moved forward to present their chain codes to the stormtrooper checking everyone in. Rex felt his heart skip a beat as the trooper took their disks, slipping them into the scanner. He knew most of his brothers had left Imperial service with only a few remaining behind, but they’d been banking on none of them making it all the way out to Lothal. He’d combed the lists of personnel Senna had put together, and hadn’t spotted a single birth number among them. But there was always the possibility. 

Their luck appeared to be holding as the trooper didn’t appear overly concerned with the man standing before him, more focused on getting through the line. Senna smiled as engagingly as she could when the trooper looked at her face through the cold, blank plastoid, but Rex could see some tightness in her cheeks.

She’s a little worried too.

They’d only had to use their chain codes a few other times, but it never seemed to get easier or less terrifying. After what seemed like an eternity, the trooper nodded, handing Rex back the disks.

“Enjoy your evening Mr. and Mrs. Cardell.” The voice was modulated, cold, and unfamiliar. 

They bobbed their heads in thanks and began climbing the steps towards the dome. Rex let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and he felt Senna relax slightly next to him. They shot each other a look, and she slipped her arm back into his as they entered the hall.

“See, nothing to worry about,” he said quietly. 

She huffed a laugh, but said nothing. 

Imperial banners hung from the ceiling inside the hall as the townsfolk intermingled under the soft lighting that almost mimicked candlelight. It seemed like everyone had turned out dressed in their finery with Imperial uniforms of different ranks sprinkled throughout. Rex had looked up all of the officers that had been listed as attendees and had been relieved to find none of them had served in the war. Rather, this seemed to be their debut as some of the first graduates of the newer Imperial academies. There were some more senior officers around, but the vast majority of them were also Lothal natives that had been far removed from the war, hometown heroes the Empire was lifting up on a pedestal for the public’s approval. Luckily, that afforded Rex some additional anonymity. 

Service droids moved through the crowd, offering drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Rex felt Senna’s grip on his arm tighten. “Where do we start?” she whispered. Rex was pondering that as well when he heard Brak’s loud laugh behind him.

“You two seem lost!”

Senna turned to him, her smile plastered back on her face. “We just haven’t met anyone here aside from you two. There’s so many people here! It’s wonderful to see such a turnout.”

Brak grinned back at her. “Indeed it is! Here, let us introduce you to some folks.”

Zea appeared at his side. “Brak works at the Imperial Resources Center coordinating mining and farming operations on Lothal. He recently was promoted and works regularly with many of these officers.”

“How wonderful! Congratulations!” Senna grinned. “We don’t want to be an imposition though.”

Rex couldn’t help but smile as he watched Brak play directly into Senna’s hands.

“Oh no, I insist!” Brak assured, swatting Senna’s fabricated concerns away. “It would be my pleasure.”

Rex had to stifle a triumphant smirk as Brak led them towards an officer in all black with medals gleaming on his chest. It was obvious to him that Brak wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of his heart; he was doing it out of a desperation to be admired. He couldn’t wait to show off how much he rubbed elbows with these officers with his new promotion. Proximity was important to him, and Rex was more than happy to allow him to indulge in this ego-stroking if it meant they could gather valuable intel. He followed Brak and Zea, slipping his hand back into Senna’s outstretched palm. They exchanged sideways glances, and he leaned down, pressing his lips to her ears. 

“Well done.” 

“Don’t sound so surprised,” she replied, winking at him again.

 —

“- and THAT was quite the battle, let me tell you, but we managed to crush the rebel cell before it could gain any traction. A glorious day indeed!” The Imperial captain slapped Rex a little too roughly on his back, sloshing ale down his own dress greys, which Rex just managed to avoid. 

We’d have never behaved like this, especially not while in uniform.

Rex did his best to hide his utter distaste at the officer’s lack of decorum. They’d been mingling for several hours and had gained some valuable insight into the Empire’s dealings on Lothal, particularly as the cocktail glasses had continued to refill throughout the evening. Rex had taken great care to nurse the whiskey in his glass at a slow pace, watching as Senna charmed her way through the crowd. He was astounded that this was the same woman who he’d found covered in drool and grease just a few nights before, but he was impressed. He quietly listened as she told and re-told their “epic love story”, and as soon as she floated the line about their “reconnection”, he’d get all sorts of knowing glances and wiggling eyebrows from the men around him. He hated it, but would smile back and occasionally wink as if he was in on the joke. As someone that had only been of use for how much punishment his body could take as a solider, the thought of a lover or partner only being of use for one thing made his skin crawl, and he disliked even having their fictional marriage reduced to just that one thing.

Senna caught his eye as a particularly inebriated commander brushed against her rear, making little effort to make it seem unintentional. Rex felt the warmth of the whiskey in his stomach flare into a quiet anger. Wordlessly, he stepped across the current crowd that had gathered for the conversation to her side and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close enough to whisper in her ear. “Are you alright?”

She turned to look at him and nodded, that same convincing smile falling into place, but he could see some of the discomfort lingering in her gaze. “Just a little while longer, dear,” she reassured loudly enough to be heard by the others. “My feet are starting to hurt from these blasted shoes.”

Feeling eyes on them again, he nodded and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She leaned into him and he could smell her again, the scent of her skin and perfume filling his nostrils. He allowed himself to enjoy it this time. 

It’s nice. Nicer than I thought she’d smell if I’m honest. 

The thought struck him as odd, and he took another sip of whiskey as he tried to clear his mind. 

Spend more than thirty seconds near a woman and suddenly you’re acting like a shiny. Get it together. Maybe the drink is stronger than you thought. 

“So Brak, what are your thoughts on the decommissioning of the clone army?” the inebriated commander loudly interjected, bringing Rex’s attention back to the moment. The commander’s gaze passed over Rex. 

Fisk is his name if he didn’t slur that too terribly when he introduced himself. He’s too drunk for that question to be a probing barb. He’s just making conversation as best as he can in this state. That man’s uniform is so clean he probably got it yesterday. Never laid eyes on one of us before.

Apparently his lack of interaction with any clones didn’t stop Brak from having an opinion on the matter. “Long overdue. The clones served their purpose during the war, but they’re obsolete now. The recruitment programs and the academies that have been established to train Imperial officers will no doubt provide more effective soldiers. And at least now we don’t have to have the debate about who deserves personhood rights anymore. What a waste of time that’s been.” Laughter erupted around them at that last statement.

Whether due to the whiskey or his continually fraying nerves, Rex felt rage bloom in his chest. He’d been fighting all day to keep his emotions in check, but listening to his brothers being discussed so callously was pushing him to his breaking point. To his annoyance, Senna seemed to notice. She leaned against him gently and looked up at him, but he refused to meet her eyes, focusing instead on the officer and sipping his whiskey. The burn in the back of his throat felt good, and the warmth in his stomach was a slight comfort even if it meant his senses were dulling slightly. He battled to keep his anger in check, but the ember in his chest was quickly fanning into a full blown fire, and he ground his teeth. Senna tried to keep him calm, slipping her hand around his back, slowly stroking his shoulders. He fought the urge to angrily shrug her off. 

She doesn’t understand. She never will. None of them will.  

Some of his animosity towards Senna returned, fueled by his bitterness towards the day and the whiskey now coursing through his system. 

“Lovebirds, what are your thoughts?” Brak asked, carelessly waving his drink in their direction, clearly oblivious to Rex’s internal turmoil.

Senna turned to look at him, plastering her smile back on her face. “Well, you must admit that the clones were quite effective during the war and against the Jedi when the time came. From what I understand, there were nearly no escapes, is that correct Commander Fisk?”

Rex’s blood boiled. He fought to keep his face neutral. 

“None that have actually been confirmed,” slurred the drunken commander. “But you never know where they could be hiding, and the clones may have underreported escapes to remain rele...relegant? No, *hic* relevant.”

“I understand the Jedi were traitors, but did they have to eliminate the younglings as well? That just seems so…barbaric,” Zea stated, leaning against her husband.

“Oh no, their indoctrination happens at such a young age, the Emperor had no choice,” Senna insisted without hesitation. “They’re like an invasive weed and must be ripped out by the roots. I completely understand the decision.”

Rex slowly turned to look at her. Senna returned his gaze, her smile unwavering and as sincere as could be. “Wouldn’t you agree, dear?” she asked, her voice betraying no remorse. 

Rex just stared at her, the coals in his eyes fanning into a flame, but before he could reply, the inebriated commander violently vomited all over his own shoes. Everyone recoiled from the putrid liquid as droids rushed in to clean up the mess.

“On that note, I think we should call it an evening,” Senna stated. “It was lovely to meet you all. Thank you for making us newcomers feel so welcome. Please reach out to us any time.”

“It was wonderful to meet you both,” Zea returned. “Happy first Empire Day!” She leaned in to embrace Senna, planting a light kiss on her cheek.

Blood was roaring in Rex’s ears. Downing the rest of his whiskey, he hurriedly placed his glass on a passing droid’s tray before starting to make his way towards the exit, brushing past Brak and leaving Senna behind.

“Oh dear, is he upset?” Zea asked.

Rex barely heard Senna’s response over the blood pounding in his ears. 

“No, he has a thing about vomit. Can’t handle the sight or smell of it before he has to lose his lunch too,” Senna joked. “Until next time then.”

“Yes, make sure he’s alright. Until next time, Valla.”��

Turning on her heel, Senna marched after Rex, trying to keep her pace not too rushed while also not losing sight of his blonde hair.

Rex was internally churning with anger. 

She doesn’t know a damn thing. She wasn’t there. How could she say those things so easily? 

His thinking was fuzzy from the whiskey, but that did little to quell the anger his grief was fueling.  

Because she doesn’t care. This is just a fucking science project for her. 

Senna caught him as he stepped out into the cool night air. Grabbing his arm as gently but firmly as she could, she pulled him close to her. Stormtroopers were still guarding the entrance, although far fewer than before. Turning to face him, she leaned into his ear, whispering angrily while trying to maintain the smile. “Pull yourself together, Captain. There are still eyes on you.”

He looked down at her with a full blown wildfire in his eyes, making little attempt to hide his anger. Quietly, he growled back, “Do not call me that.”

She glared at him, but turned without another word, guiding him away from the city center. He at least allowed her to walk with her arm linked through his as they exited the courtyard and made their way back through the streets to their dwelling. Once inside the outer wall, he wrenched his arm free of her grasp, storming into the house. He attempted to slam the door close button behind him, but the door hit her outstretched forearm, springing back. The lack of satisfaction he felt from the door being jarred back open only intensified once she slammed the lock behind her instead, kicking her shoes off in the doorway and staring at him with more anger than he’d seen from her. 

Good. I’m ready for a fight. 

“What were you thinking, Rex? You could have gotten us both killed behaving like that.”

He charged forward, roaring in anger. “I told you to not call me that. That is NOT MY NAME WHILE WE ARE HERE.” He was too far gone to notice how uncharacteristic all of this was for him. He was hurting, and he wanted her to hurt too, to feel a fraction of the pain he felt. He was angry, and she was the closest target. 

Fives… Dogma… Jesse… Kix… Cody… 

The names ticked through his mind again as he glared down at the woman in front of him, the most current source of his ire. She didn’t back down, stepping towards him to close the distance instead. 

“Yeah, well you certainly acted like a hot-headed captain of the GAR who has no idea how to command himself, let alone his troops.”

His volume only increased as he seethed at the mention of his brothers. “You aren’t a soldier, so you have no idea what I was like,” he snarled. “How dare you speak like you knew them. You know nothing of what I went through during the war and in its aftermath. You haven’t got a clue about what it’s like to be a soldier and fight for something.”

“Don’t you dare presume to know how I feel or my experiences,” she snapped back. “You’ve just started actually acknowledging my existence this week, so how could you? You treat me like an inconvenience rather than a partner. You know nothing about me.”

“I know that when I went looking for your file to figure out who the hell I was getting paired up with that it was virtually empty. You know who has empty files? Civilians that chose not to involve themselves until the war suddenly affected them. So what did you do while others enlisted in and fought alongside us? Sit at home in your comfortable little house on Naboo and pretend it wasn’t happening? Go to your fancy engineering school and dream about designing starships? But now, NOW you’re here? Why not go off to an academy and help the Empire come up with new and exciting ways to kill people? I hear they’ve got some really incredible ships coming off the line, you’d probably get lost for days tinkering with those. Or was this just the more interesting science project for you?”

He loomed over her while she stood defiantly, her rage matching his. “You know nothing about me,” she repeated quietly before shoving past him and striding up the stairs.

He wasn’t about to allow her to have the last word. Not tonight.

“I know you said impossibly cruel things about my brothers and the people I served alongside without batting an eye,” he shouted, following her up the stairs. “The Jedi were heroes, and you compared them to weeds in a garden.”

“It’s called acting. It’s called doing my job. You should try it sometime, Captain.”

“Was it acting? Or do you just not care about clones and Jedi as long as you get to solder something? Do you even care about other people?” 

He was swinging wildly at this point, desperate to land a blow. She didn’t answer him, stomping down the hall and banging into her bedroom. She tried to slam the door behind her, but he caught it, ignoring the sting of his palm as he charged after her. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this, and the whiskey in his veins was making him angrier and bolder. She didn’t say anything to acknowledge his intrusion, yanking the headband from her hair and tossing it in a corner, and that only infuriated him more.

“Say something! WHY ARE YOU HERE?”

She had her back to him, closing the curtains on the windows. “Rex, get out,” she said quietly. Lost in his own rage, he missed the venom in her voice.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

When she ignored him again, his voice lowered to a snarl. “I said look at me, you coward.”

Something within her snapped. It was almost imperceptible, but he saw by the way her shoulders squared and her spine straightened that he had finally landed a blow, and he felt the thrill of satisfaction. The corner of his mouth twitched.

Senna turned slowly, the last curtain closed. The only illumination in the room was the dim lamp by her bedside, but the gold flecks in her eyes were hot coals now, and a vein throbbed in her neck. 

Now she’s angry too. Good. 

“Did you follow the order, Rex?” she asked quietly, the threat in her voice clear, but the question knocked him off balance. 

“What?”

“Did. You. Follow. The. Order?” Her eyes burned into him as she gritted out every word.

He stared at her, opening his mouth to launch into another tirade before he watched her raise her hand, fingers crooked, palm facing him. The gesture confused him, but he didn’t have time to analyze it further before he was struck in the chest by an invisible force, and he flew backwards into the wall, his shoulders slamming into the plaster. The anger in his mind was replaced with panic as his feet dangled off of the floor. He tried to pull his arms inward, but they were pinned against the wall as well. His eyes widened in sudden understanding as the cloudiness in his mind evaporated. 

“You…you’re…” he gasped.

“I’m going to ask you one more time, Captain Rex. Did you follow Order 66?”

Rex had felt the Force manipulate him before, but never like this, pressing into his ribcage and shoulders, pinning him firmly in place. He could feel Senna’s anger radiating off of her like heat from a bonfire as she pushed him harder against the wall, stepping forward until her face was inches from his. He felt his shoulders protest slightly, creaking against the force. Senna’s voice was gravelly as she spoke quietly to him. 

“Did you kill my friends? Did you murder Ahsoka where she stood? Did you cut Anakin down when he needed you most?” 

She’s a Jedi.

The realization sobered him. 

Today… for her…

“I…” His voice failed him. 

How? How did I not know?

“TELL ME!” She screamed, tears streaming down her face.

“Senna,” he said quietly, his eyes pleading.

The sound of her given name seemingly shattered her. She released him and collapsed to the floor, shaking with sobs she could hold in no longer.

All of today, she… I didn’t know. 

He knelt down next to her, slowly placing his hands on her shoulders. She violently shoved him away.

“Senna, please. Please.”

Her cries softened and she allowed him to gently sit her up and guide her so that her back rested against the end of her bed. She was shaking as he knelt in front of her, her breathing coming in short gasps, but she refused to meet his gaze, instead studying her fingers, picking at her cuticles.

“I know who you are,” she snarled. “I know you were with them when the order came down.” 

“Senna, I-”

“Ahsoka had just come back. That was the last comm I got from Anakin, telling me she had come back. He was so excited. And you…” her voice trailed off, cut off by another sob, and she cradled her face in her hands.

Rex took her hands tightly in his, pulling them away from her face. “Senna, I am going to tell you something I haven’t told another soul in this galaxy, and I need you to see me when I do it. Please look at me,” he said quietly, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. 

All this time. And I never knew. Never suspected.

But this is one person I can trust. And I need her to trust me.

Slowly, she met his eyes. The grief and anger in them tore his heart into pieces. It was a feeling he was familiar with and wouldn’t wish on anyone. “Senna, I… I almost followed the order. I managed to resist it to an extent. But Ahsoka is alive. She saved me and helped me remove my chip, and we escaped together. I wasn’t with General… with Anakin when the order was given, and I never learned his fate, but I did everything I could to not betray the people I cared for.”

The memories surged back to him. 

Dirt and blood. A shovel. Blisters on his hands. Smoke and fire. Orange and white paint over blue. Twisted metal. The cog on Jesse’s helmet. All of the graves. Ahsoka standing over them. The glint of her lightsabers abandoned in the dirt as she walked towards him.

His voice cracked as he stared down at her hands in his, trying not to think of how bloodied his palms had been in the aftermath. “I-I buried my brothers with Ahsoka. All of them. And I mourn them every day. I mourn the loss of the Jedi the same as you do. I don’t know what happened to you or where you were, but I’m… I’m so sorry that you have to see this… this face every day. It must be… it must be unimaginably painful.” Tears leaked from his eyes, staining his cheeks. 

I was torturing her by merely existing and I didn’t even know it. She’s woken up every day and looked into the eyes of someone that is a copy of the men that attempted to murder her and slaughtered her friends, her family. 

What if I’m what she has nightmares about?

He slowly moved to sit next to her on the floor, resting his back against the bed, and he tucked his head into his hands, letting the gentle sobs he’d been staving off wrack his body, his anger finally melting to the mourning he’d been suppressing all day. “I’m so sorry,” he kept whispering. “I’m just so sorry.”

A silence settled between them before Senna finally spoke.

“Where is Ahsoka now?” she rasped. 

“I… I don’t know,” he whispered. “I-I gave her my comm. She needed time. I haven’t heard from her since.”

Senna was silent for a few moments, before he heard her huff quietly. “That’s what the comm is on your nightstand. It’s for her.”

It wasn’t a question, but he nodded wordlessly in confirmation. 

After several minutes, he felt her arms wrap around him, her chin resting on his shoulder. She gently stroked the top of his head and clasped her other hand onto his arm. He gently leaned into her, placing his hand on top of hers.

“Rex.”

Her whisper was hoarse in his ear, her throat raw from screaming and grief. He lifted his head to look at her tear-streaked face.

She gave him a small smile, resting her forehead against his. 

“Thank you for telling me.”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated.

“You didn’t know. And neither did I.” 

They clung to each other tightly, as if the other person was the only thing keeping them afloat in the ocean that was their shared grief. Not another word was exchanged, and eventually they fell asleep like that, their steady, even breathing was the only sound in the room. 

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @gjrain20-starwars @staycalmandhugaclone @redheadgirl @fordo-kixed-rex @wizardofrozz @ariadnes-red-thread @extrahotpixels @justanothersadperson93 @leftealeaf @obihiddlenox @meekaielmyerhs99 @kaminocasey @rain-on-kamino @ladykatakuri @sleepingsun501 @ladykagewaki @arctrooper69

[kit-fisto-obsessive]

Captain Rex Is In Trouble

Chapter 15: Captain Rex, Or Fun Rex?

AO3

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Summary

Rex wasn't thinking about Kit Fisto.

Notes

Hope you enjoy this chapter! Hardcase is talking about some stuff that is very personal to me, and very relevant to my current situation. Maybe that's why I've had so much trouble with it!

Thanks to @ssoundwavee for the beta <3

Rating: T

Warnings

N/A

Rex wasn't thinking about Kit Fisto.

Instead, he was thinking very hard about how he wasn't thinking about Kit Fisto. It absolutely wasn't the same thing, he'd decided.

His datawork had never been more professional or needlessly detailed. His and Kix’s shared quarters have never been neater. He’s never had the training and shift schedules planned out so far in advance. Usually that’s because something comes along to disrupt said schedule – the current galaxy wide war comes to mind – and so Rex never bothers to plan for more than a month in advance, and rarely more than a fortnight.

In the past week he had planned for the next six months. It’ll probably come in handy, even if it does get chopped and changed when they get their next set of orders.

Usually, Rex would have distracted himself by hanging out with Ahsoka. By hanging out with, he really meant training her in hand-to-hand, military tactics and command practices – but it was fun all the same. Unfortunately she was helping General Yoda babysit some even babier Jedi, and so Rex was shit out of luck on the distraction front. It was probably for the best. She would've been able to tell something was up with him instantly. She also would have asked him what was up, matter-of-fact teen that she was, and he wouldn't have had an easy answer for her. 

Other than Kix, who'd been there for Rex's breakdown, only Anakin had figured out something was up with him. How could he not, when every form Rex had filed went straight to his datapad? Anakin, being mostly an adult, had asked if Rex wanted to talk about it. When Rex had said no, Anakin had clapped him on the shoulder and walked off. 

Adults!

After coaching Rex through his panic attack, Kix had also not asked him what was up. He had, however, started to spend a lot more time in their quarters. Not talking – Force, never talking – just working together in silent companionship. Rex was grateful, both for the silence and the companionship.

Now though, he was alone in his office.

Before Ahsoka had joined the 501st, Rex had had a combined bunk room and office to himself. She'd needed her own space more though, so Anakin had given her his solo bunkroom – no desk space – and moved into Rex's. Rex had moved into Kix's double quarters with him and taken over Anakin's office. Anakin preferred to work in his bunk anyway, so it worked out well for all of them.

Rex stared down at the form on his datapad, then brought up the chronometer function. The two troopers he was supposed to be meeting with weren't technically late yet. They still had forty-five seconds until the clock ticked over to ten-oh-one, but Rex had been ready and prepped for this meeting for the last fifteen minutes. 

He was in danger of thinking about the thing he was trying very hard not to think about.

Luckily for Rex – and the troopers – they arrived with seven seconds to spare.

"Hey," Jesse said, sinking down into one of the chairs opposite Rex without asking for permission. "What's this about?"

Hardcase hopped into the other chair.

“Is this a meeting with Captain Rex, or Fun Rex?” he asked. 

Rex stared at him.

"Oh," Hardcase said, "Captain Rex then."

"The worst one," Jesse muttered.

Rex rolled his eyes at them, and they both laughed.

"Seriously though, what's up?" Jesse said, settling back in his chair. "You didn't say in your message."

"It's time to send the next pair of troops for ARC training," Rex explained. Both Jesse and Hardcase tensed, glancing at each other. 

"I know I said it last time, but I think it bears repeating," Rex continued. "I sent Echo and Fives instead of you two, not because you didn't deserve it or because you weren't ready, but because we needed continuity of leadership. The battalion has to come first."

Jesse's shoulders fell. Hardcase didn't really react other than to shift in his chair. Rex kept talking. 

"Now that Fives and Echo are properly integrated, have more leadership experience and better prepared to cover your positions while you're away, it's you guys' turn to go. If you're still interested, that is."

"Seriously?" Jesse said, leaning forwards. "We can go?"

"Yeah," Rex said, grinning a little. "The reason I didn't send you last time is because I was worried about how we'd survive without you, but I think Fives and Echo are more than capable of filling in for you. That – and I was concerned about how the battalion would react to two relative newbies in command positions. But they did well during the Ryloth campaign and everyone is well used to taking orders from them – I hate to say it, but we'll be fine without you. Do you want to go?"

"Yes!" Jesse shouted, jumping up from his chair. Beside him, Hardcase was suspiciously quiet. "Yes! When do we leave?"

"Two days."

"Awesome! I'm gonna go tell the others!"

Rex watched him bounce from the room, smiling fondly. Then, his eyes tracked to Hardcase. He was frowning, slunk low in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. 

"And you?" Rex asked. 

Hardcase shifted, frowning.

"I don't think I should go," he said quietly.

"What?"

"I don't think I should go," Hardcase repeated, hunching his shoulders. "I don't think I'll be good at it."

“But you’ve always wanted to go to ARC training!” Rex exclaimed.

Hardcase shrugged, looking away. Rex stared at him, completely aghast.

“I’m confused, ‘Case,” he said, leaning forward. “As long as I’ve known you, you’ve wanted to do ARC training. What changed?”

“C’mon, Rex. Don’t make me say it,” Hardcase muttered, still refusing to look at him.

“Say what, ‘Case?” Rex held out his hands, “I’m completely lost here. Help me out.”

Hardcase sighed, then looked at him. “I’ll only let you down,” he said. “You know I can barely even do my datawork. How the hell am I supposed to pass the written exams to become an ARC trooper? I only just scraped through basic training. What's the point in going if I'm just going to fail?”

Rex stared at him, and Hardcase glanced down again. He started to fidget with the edge of his red fatigues, the bound edge already frayed and picked apart.

"You don't know you'll fail," Rex said quietly, reaching across the desk. 

Hardcase's head snapped up. His face – usually covered in a grin – was twisted in anger. 

"Don't Rex," he spat, "don't try and spin this into some kind of – ADHD is a superpower” bullshit. Don't tell me what I can and can't do. You have no idea what my life is like."

Rex swallowed. "You're right," he said. "I don't." 

Hardcase wiped an angry tear off his cheek, scowling.

"So tell me," Rex continued.

"What?" 

"Tell me what it's like. Help me understand."

"You really want to know?" Hardcase asked, staring at him.

"Yeah, of course," Rex said. "Of course I do."

"Alright then."

Hardcase shifted, swallowing. 

“At any given moment I am barely hanging on.”

He took a deep breath. 

“Five minute, simple fucking tasks take me hours – if not days,” he continued. “Sometimes – when there's something really important I need to do, like the weapons requisitions, I put it off for days and give myself fucking panic attacks and then when I finally do it, minutes before the deadline, it only takes five fucking minutes and I hate myself but I do it over and over and over again. 

“I can never focus, unless it’s something interesting and then I get too focussed. I’m either not present or too present, there's no fucking middle ground. I lose all sense of time, I blink and I’ve lost… fucking hours. And the worst bit is… the worst bit is…”

Hardcase took a deep breath, wiping a tear from his cheek. 

“Sometimes I have no idea who I really am,” he said, looking down into his lap. “I feel like… I feel like… I'm always performing, just to try and seem more together than I really am. And if I’m always performing, then who the hell am I? Really? I'm – I don't feel like I'm real, half the time. I sure as shit don't feel like I deserve to be where I am, I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just – I'm just a fucking mess, Rex. All the time. And I just… I feel like no one really knows that… I feel like no one really knows me." 

Rex stared at him, frowning.

"I'm sorry, ‘Case," he said quietly. "That sounds really hard." 

Hardcase wiped his eyes again, staring down at his lap.

"And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel… bad, or –" 

"No you – you're actually great," Hardcase said, looking up at him. "You always give me the time I need, and you… you're fine. It's just –" 

He stopped, taking a deep breath that shook his chest. 

"Go on," Rex said softly. 

Hardcase sighed and leaned back in his chair. He hunched in on himself and folded his arm. 

"It was my quarterly check up last week – I had a new medic, kid was real shiny. Anyway, we got on to the mental health shit and he was asking about the ADHD stuff. He said that he'd heard that ADHD could be like some kind of secret superpower, like it was some good thing I've been blessed with and… it's just been bugging me.” Hardcase ran a hand over his bald head sheepishly. “Sorry, you didn't deserve the rant."

“It’s okay,” Rex said. “I had no idea… you know you can talk to me whenever you need to, right?”

“Course I do,” Hardcase said. He leaned forwards, folding his arms and resting them on the edge of the desk. “It’s just… sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it. The masking, I mean… it’s hard.”

“Well then I’ll make more of an effort to ask.”

Hardcase ducked his head, cheeks colouring slightly.

“You don’t have to,” he mumbled.

“Course I do,” Rex said. 

Hardcase smiled at him, and Rex smiled softly back. After a moment, he cleared his throat and wiped the last of the tears from the corners of his eyes.

“So, do you have an idea of who to send instead?” he asked.

“Oh, no, I’m still sending you.”

"What?" Hardcase exclaimed, his mouth hanging open. "Weren't you listening? You can’t send me, I won’t be able to deal with all the fucking exams and I’ll –”

“‘Case! ‘Case,” Rex said, holding his hands up. “Did you really think I wouldn't realise you'd struggle with the testing aspect? C'mon, ‘Case, you know me better than that.”

Hardcase blinked at him.

“I don’t understand,” he said slowly. “If you know I’m going to struggle with all the testing, why are you still sending me for loads of testing?”

“I’ve got it all worked out with Seventeen.”

“The Alpha who runs the ARC training?”

“Yeah,” Rex said, leaning back in his chair. “He’s been sneaking shit past the longnecks for years, especially clones who are… non-standard.”

“Do you mean neurodivergent?” Hardcase asked, one eyebrow raised.

“I mean… yeah, but not just that,” Rex tried to explain. “It’s… I mean I didn't hit a single height or weight target until my ninth year. I would’ve been decommissioned if not for him. He figured out how to get around the Longnecks’ testing procedures before I even slipped out my growth tube.”

“I still don’t really get what you mean,” Hardcase said slowly. “Like… how will that help me?”

“Well, I'm not going to lie – there will be a testing element. Seventeen isn’t going to give you ARC creds if he isn’t happy with you, but it’s his standards you need to worry about, not the Longnecks’. I mean, to be honest, they’re higher but… they make more sense.”

“You aren’t filling me with confidence here,” Hardcase said dryly, and Rex grinned at him.

“The main thing is, ARC training isn’t like normal trooper training. It's more about developing your personal skill sets and specialising. Identifying your own strengths and weaknesses. That’s why Echo did a lot of more advanced slicing and Fives did a lot more stealth and evasion stuff. The reports he sends to the longnecks at the end of it… they’re pretty much bullshit.”

Hardcase kept staring at him, face twisted in a disbelieving frown. 

“My point,” Rex ploughed on, “is that the tests are pretty non-standard anyway, and mostly practical. But Sev isn’t going to make you do a bunch of timed written stuff, and he’s not going to make you learn that way either. We’ve got your back.”

“So…” Hardcase swallowed, “I can still be an ARC trooper? And I won’t have to do a load of exams that I always suck at?”

“Nah,” Rex said, leaning forwards again. “I mean as far as I’m concerned you and Jesse both already have the skills to be called ARC troopers, this is just… a formality. That sound good to you?”

“I can be an ARC trooper?” Hardcase repeated. 

“If you still want it,” Rex replied evenly.

There was a beat, a moment where Hardcase just stared at Rex with his mouth open, and then suddenly Rex was being dragged into a hug across his desk. Hardcase’s biceps pressed his ears flat against his head, somewhat painfully, but the laughter and joy radiating from Hardcase was infectious. 

“Oh my gods, oh my gods,” Hardcase stammered. His arms were shaking, even as they tightened around Rex’s head and neck.

“Choking me here buddy,” Rex said, patting Hardcase’s back.

“Sorry, sorry,” Hardcase said. He released Rex abruptly, and scrambled around the chair. “I’m – I’m gonna go tell the guys.”

Rex hadn't even caught his breath back and Hardcase was gone – running from the room and grinning wildly. Rex smiled to himself, scratching his chin and looking down at his desk.

Hardcase was going to do well at ARC training, Jesse too. Seventeen was going to love Hardcase in particular. A clone who had to work just a little bit harder than the average trooper, just to make it through the day. Even better, if those clones pushed themselves even harder for no good reason other than sheer spite to be better than the best. 

It was no secret that Wolffe, Fox and Rex were his favourites. Or not so much his favourites, but just… they connected with Seventeen on a different level to the rest. Fox had struggled with anxiety and depression his whole life, Rex with anxiety after his batch bullied and starved him to the brink of death. Wolffe's dyslexia didn't affect him so much once Seventeen figured out that upping the blue tone on his datapads meant he could read more easily, and autocorrect helped him a lot too. 

With Wolffe, Rex reckoned Seventeen just saw some of himself in there. A lot, actually. Someone who cared, so so deeply about those around him, but who couldn't show it with words. Grunts, more often. 

Actions were the thing you had to look for with those two. Like the way that every time Wolffe was anywhere near Fox, he would inevitably end up with his arm over Fox's shoulder. It was like he had some kind of compulsion to constantly touch his little brother. 

Not that Rex would ever tell him to his face, but it was cute as shit. If Fox wasn't there, it would be Rex or Cody. That kid Comet too, more recently.

Rex would bet his left arm that there were clones out there who didn’t even know that they owed their continued existence to Seventeen and the rest of the alphas. The amount of work they do behind the scenes – persuading the longnecks that scraps batches should be a thing, hiding badly injured cadets so they had enough time to get better again, quietly tweaking the testing procedures to help those like Hardcase and Wolffe.

Rex knew he’d probably be dead if not for Seventeen. Cody too, but mainly Seventeen. His original batch would have finally gone too far and beat him more than he could recover from, or he would’ve failed too many growth targets in a row and been decommissioned. Wolffe would’ve failed too many exams if Seventeen hadn’t put so much effort into researching dyslexia and then trying everything under the sun to help Wolffe. 

Fox’s anxiety would have been noticed. Maybe he would have been fine – that anxiety had always driven him to get the highest scores pretty much across the board – but what good would a Commander who cried himself to sleep and occasionally had screaming fits be to their precious bottom line?

Hardcase had said he barely scraped through basic training, and Rex had to wonder if he actually did. Maybe some Alpha, maybe even Seventeen himself, had been quietly changing his test scores before the Kaminoans ever even got to look at them. 

Their first generation, if you didn't count the Nulls (and Rex tended not to). The cruelty the Alpha clones had had to face as living experiments, pumped so full of growth hormones they’d lived in near constant pain – fully grown adults in just five years. At least they’d only been accelerated to twenty, and not twenty-five like the younger generations. The Kaminoans said they were too aggressive and unstable. Frankly, Rex was frankly amazed they weren’t even more so. 

His thoughts had turned towards Seventeen himself, and how maybe that evening Rex should comm him and actually open up to someone about how fucking miserable he was, when his door slid open and Anakin barged in.

“Rex,” he said.

The tone of his voice filled Rex’s veins with ice in under a second. “What?”

“It’s Ahsoka,” Anakin said. “The gathering was attacked by pirates and the Council just lost all contact. We – we have no idea where she is.”

“Shit.”

Notes

I think if one more person tells me that ADHD is a superpower I will show them a short film called comorbid chronic depressive disorder, anxiety, and restless leg syndrome. It's a film of all my major panic attacks, sleepless nights, the times where I don't shower for weeks, with added commentary by my partner about my most manic episodes where neither of us get any sleep.

Hopefully see you all soon. <3

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[inafieldofstarflowers]

My Fics !

I realized I have very little connection between this account and my Ao3 account, so I figured I'd share a list of my fics on here in case anyone is ever interested :) WIPs are at the top, complete stories at the bottom

My WIPs:

In Darkness a Hope

An AU where Anakin wasn't found on Tatooine, Naboo fell, the jedi were blamed and scattered, war broke out, and the Empire began three years later. Anakin meets Ahsoka after she crashes on Tatooine, they run into Rex, and things snowball. Cody is also one of the two true main characters, but you wouldn't know it from his screen time at the beginning.

All That We Intend is Scrawled in Sand

An AU where Kix notices that something is up with Anakin, and that leads him to realize it may be connected to whatever's going on with the Guard. A few illegal choices later, he's in place to investigate. Basically, a Kix-saves-the-galaxy (with help from his friends) AU.

Marked

Also a work in my series about the Command Batch + Rex, featuring all of the commanders and the ways they're marked by the war. So far, Wolffe losing his eye and Rex getting his jaig eyes are written, with Gree, Bly, Fox, Ponds, and Cody still to come.

My Complete Works:

What Walks in the Shadows

Coruscant is haunted and Fox meets one of the ghosts, and proceeds to unravel a conspiracy as result. It's kind of sad but there's as happy of an ending as there can be in a fic where one of the main characters is already dead. It is a fix-it (because I am predictable) but it's set after Season 6 of TCW, so some people are already dead (rip Fives and Thorn specifically).

The Sins of the Father

My first Star Wars fic! AU where Fox manages to stop Order 66 before it's sent out to Cody, but not before Anakin takes the 501st to the temple. Mostly, it follows Luke and Leia coming to terms with who and what their Father is and what that means for them, via grand quests. Featuring: Jedi Healer Luke, Jedi Shadow Leia, Ezra Bridger being a good friend, Luke continually lacking self-preservation, and an ancient Force entity.

A Dance Among the Stars

A series following the Command Batch & Rex through the war. They're mostly short (like 2000-4000 words). Current works are:

The Tidings of War (When each member of the batch says the war began)

Many Meetings (They meet their generals and begin to trust them)

To See Again the Stars (Rex adopting Fives and Echo, and kind of Ahsoka, too)

Sleep No More (Ponds coming to terms with the deaths of his men)

Interlude (Conversations on leave between Rex & Anakin and Cody & Obi-Wan)

What Dreams May Come (Fox and the Guard being not okay)

What Was I Made For (Gree meeting Barriss and trying to help her through her feelings about war)

The Stars Their Ancient Courses Keep (Ponds having a conversation with Boba the night he's taken hostage)

A Buried and a Burning Flame (Five significant sunrises in Cody's life, and also maybe my pride and joy)

Something is Rotten in the State of Coruscant

An AU literally born from me going "What if Anakin was Hamlet?" Obi-Wan dies in the Rako Hardeen arc, and Anakin has to figure out how, exactly, that happened. One of the only times I've actually managed to let a character die, because it literally had to happen for the plot. The nerdiest thing I've ever done, and I stand by it.

[daddycephalopod]

Stars Fading Chapter 3

Calm Before The Storm

Summary: Kyra and Cody begin to realize something mutual is happening between them, just in time for the briefing on a very important mission.

Translations: Slanar norac at gar atin'la jetiise = go back to your tough Jedi.

Warnings: none

Tags: @starstofillmydream

Cody was still asleep when Kyra woke up but she didn’t want to move, leg aching horribly and a headache setting in. She had woken up on her side, a warm presence behind her with an arm draped over her waist. She felt the soft tickle of his breath on her neck, smiling slightly to herself.

Kyra had carefully moved away, sliding out of the bed and trying not to groan as she limped into the refresher. A hot shower seemed to help the ache, going to make a pot of caf afterwards and some breakfast. She ended back up on the couch with her datapad, trying to get some work done for her and her techs.

Cody woke up to the sound of his comm ringing, sighing and answering it.

“Cody, I hope you’re feeling much better today. We have an assignment.”

“Yes, I’ll be there shortly.” He said

“Are you alright?” Kenobi asked

“I’m fine, sir. In your office?” Cody asked as he sat up to locate his plastoid.

“Yes, I’ll see you soon.”

The call ended and he began to put his armor back on. He went out and found Kyra on the couch, working away.

“Hey, there’s breakfast if you want some and caf.” She said, not looking up from her work.

“I have to run.” He said

“Take some caf with you.” She responded.

It all felt so mildly domestic and made warmth bloom in Cody’s chest. If he was honest with her about his feelings and she returned them, would this be his reality? He made a to go cup.

“Thank you….and don’t hesitate to use that comm number.” He said

Kyra looked up at that and smiled, “will do. If you’re free tonight, you should come over. I’ll order dinner in.”

It was casual but there was a gleam in her eye he couldn’t quite place.

“I’ll let you know.” He smiled a bit before tucking his helmet under his arm and leaving to Kenobi’s office.

Isla had shown up shortly after and made Kyra go see Kix. She sat on the table in the med bay, arms crossed over her chest with a frown.

“Looks like the muscle in your leg was torn a bit, someone didn’t have good intentions for you. That cut on your arm is also starting to get infected so I’m gonna give you a bacta shot and a new bandage.” Kix said

“Can you also get her a cane?” Isla asked

“Why?” Kyra asked

“Because you’re going to mope around that apartment if you don’t have it.” Isla responded.

“I don’t mope.” Kyra tried to protest.

“Right. Sure.” Isla said, tone dry.

“I’ll get her a cane.” Kix said

Kyra was extra grumpy by the time they were done, cane clicking ever so slightly against the ground as she used it.

“I hate you.”

“You love me.” Isla said, “now come on. We’ve got a meeting to go to.”

“The real reason you wanted me to get a kriffing cane.” She griped as they walked together.

“Guilty.” Isla smiled sheepishly.

“We also don’t want to see you turn into a pile of blankets.” Aurora said as she started walking with them too, coming from the med bay herself.

“What are you doing here?” Isla asked

“Expired birth control. Emilie placed a new one.”

“No little baby clones? Your child would make a wonderful foundling.” Kyra said

“Only if something happened to me and Rex.” Aurora said, very serious in her response.

It made Kyra almost trip over her cane.

“What?”

“In that event, if something happened to us…I’d want it to be you.” Aurora said

“You’re gonna make me cry, and I’m already in pain so stop it.” Kyra said.

The three of them entered the meeting, Aurora going to stand up by Skywalker as Kyra took a seat next to Isla. As soon as Pong Krell entered the room, Kyra felt cold. She frowned and pulled her shawl tighter around her body, Isla shooting her a strange look. She shrugged and kept taking notes.

After the meeting, Kyra was not shy at all about walking up to Cody. He was finishing up some reports information with Waxer and Boil when she approached.

“Kyra, always good to see you.” Waxer said

“Likewise.” She smiled

“Did you need something?” Cody asked her after handing off his data pad to Boil.

“Walk me home?” She asked him

“If you insist.” He said, tone a little teasing as he offered her his arm.

She waved her cane in a circular motion, almost regretting it as her knee ached at the lack of support.

“I have this nifty thing now, I don’t need you anymore.” She said

“Oh. Well. If you don’t need me anymore, I guess I’ll eat take out by myself and you can walk yourself home.” He replied.

“Don’t be grumpy, commander.” She laughed, walking beside him now as they headed in the direction of her apartment.

They’d stopped to grab food on the way, placing it on the table after they came in. Cody noticed a small array of parts and gadgets on the table.

“Can I borrow this? If you’re not using it.” He said, holding up a spare engine part.

“I mean, sure. Just don’t do anything weird with it, I guess.” She shrugged.

“I like to take stuff apart and try to figure out how it works, how to put it back together.” He said

Her eyes lit up at that, “I have a whole pile of useless parts that you can absolutely do that with. Why didn’t you tell me you were also handy? Isla walks into my workshop and goes “damn, you live like this?” several times a day. I promise it’s organized chaos, though.”

He smiled at her excitement, going to take a seat but stopping himself.

“I almost forgot.”

He tried to hand her credits for that karking bet.

“Cody, I don’t want your credits.” She said, looking up at him from where she was sitting now.

“I hate one night stands.” He admitted, “I hate the cheesy pick up lines. I hate everything I did. So please, just take the stupid credits.” He said, placing them on the table in front of her.

“Why would you even come up with it then?” She asked, cocking her head to the side slightly again.

He noticed it was a quirk of hers, tilting her head in curiosity and he thought it was very cute.

“You’re witty and you’re smart with how you fix ships. You don’t back down from anybody or any situation, but you’re kind. You’re so beautiful with your passion for what you do down to the freckles across your nose, the gap in your teeth, your laugh. But you’re dangerous, some way. Somehow.”

Kyra had blushed at first but then her eyebrows furrowed, “who is telling you I’m dangerous? I’m just a tech, I can’t even…well. I can fire a blaster. I can also flip a grown man over my shoulder..but I’m not dangerous. Not to you.”

A silence hung in the air between them, heavy. The take out had been long forgotten by now, probably getting cold. Realization hit Kyra as soon as the words had left his mouth but she was hoping the Jedi had no influence in this talk of her being dangerous.

“My last name is Vizsla. That’s my clan…I can see why there would be rumors of me being dangerous coming out of that but I can assure you I don’t affiliate with my clan name. I’m Kyra, just Kyra. Sometimes I use Aurora’s last name if I must use one, but I am not my clan. I left that life, I promise you.”

“General Kenobi was warning me to keep my distance from you.” He said and she frowned.

“Get out.”

“Kyra?” He asked, “if I’ve offended you, I didn’t mean to.”

“Slanar norac at gar atin'la jetiise.” She said, venom in her words as her expression seemed to harden.

“I never listened to him, or I wouldn’t be here.” He said

“I’m supposed to take your defiance as a sign of what, exactly?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“That I’m smart enough to know better than rumors. You have never been a threat to me or my men, or my brothers. You can take care of yourself, you’re capable and strong. Maker, you…” the words seemed to get stuck in his throat.

“I what?” She asked

“I can’t think when you enter a room sometimes. Do you know how frustrating that is for me?” He asked

“The feeling is mutual.” She responded, standing up and using the table to steady herself.

“Is that so?” He asked, ready to reach out and catch her if she stumbled.

“It is.” She responded.

So many emotions and shifts in mood hung in the air, the air that seemed so very thick and heavy between them still. Kyra opened her mouth to say something when the sound of Cody’s comm going off seemed to snap both of them out of whatever this was.

“Gotta go?” She asked

He nodded, looking apologetic. She stood and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush for once.

“I’ll leave you some to be heated up in case you come back tonight” she said with a slight smile.

Cody couldn’t stop the small smile that appeared before nodding and heading out to meet Kenobi. He swore his cheek still tingled where she kissed him, although he knew that wasn’t a real or logical thing. He tried to be present and pay attention to what his general was saying, it was about Umbara after all.

When Cody returned that night, he found Kyra sound asleep in her bed and her data pad on beside her. A chat was open, something about an auxiliary, but he didn’t want to pry and put it away for her without looking. He stripped down to his blacks and climbed in, Kyra a little groggy as she shifted towards him before going right back to sleep. Cody smiled a bit to himself as he draped an arm around her waist, soon going to sleep too.

[writingforfun0714]

Hi everyone,

Sorry it’s been so long, I’ve been having some writers block. I’ve been trying to work on the block by drawing some fanart that I’ll post on my main @mabrego0714

Here are my WIPs I’m working on IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER so comment/reblog if you have a preference:

—Arcane Sisters of Mine fic Chapter 5

—Bad Batch AU—Jedi OC

—Game of Thrones/Jungle Book crossover

—Clone Wars Clone One-Shots (Day in the Life Of series, Shinies, etc)

—Delta Squad Reader Insert fic

I actually started getting writers block around the midpoint of Ahsoka. I hadn’t really had high hopes but it really fell short for me. I won’t get into it in this post, but because of my dissatisfaction with the show, my faith in Disney Star Wars has fallen. While I did think Rebels was more ‘kid-oriented’ at first, I didn’t hate it and I even grew to love it as a young adult (iirc Rebels is Disney’s first SW content). The Sequel trilogy should’ve been a wake up call.

Then, Clone Wars Season 7 was announced. I thought the animation was beautiful (aside from the horrendous clone model), and the soundtrack/music is incredible. That being said, I have some major problems with the story(ies). I liked the ideas but not the execution.

The Bad Batch’s intro is a perfect example.

It’s clear that the group is quite different in CW S7 than in their own show (which I won’t get into rn since those that have seen my previous posts know I hate tbb). In TCW, they are introduced as a unique clone squad that all have enhanced senses. They are shown to be disobedient and disconnected from the other clones, which makes absolutely no sense. They appear different to the ‘regular’ clones who have a derogatory nickname of ‘regs’. Their mission is to save a ‘reg’ clone who we (the audience) thought was dead: ARC Trooper Echo.

We see Rex’s loyalty to his men through his faith that Echo is alive. Despite being clones, Rex KNOWS the sound of Echo’s voice because of how long he’s served with him. Because of their prejudices, The Batch is skeptical and Crosshair, the sniper, even taunts Rex about Echo’s death. Despite being in the wrong, Wrecker, CF99’s weapons expert and largest of the group, defends Crosshair and attacks Jesse for defending Rex. That clearly set up a good group character arc of learning that all clones are brothers, not just the ones closest to you. At the end of Echo’s story, we learn that CF99 offers him to join the squad and he accepts (despite the group looking down on Echo and judging him once rescuing him).

We don’t learn until TBB that what little progress, if any, towards having a good relationship with clones is gone.

Next we learn about where Ahsoka’s been since walking away from The Jedi Order. It’s assumed she’s been hiding on the lower levels of Coruscant surviving. Her story opens with her speeder bike dying and her falling onto a garage platform belonging to the Martez sisters. Lots of people dislike the Martez sisters story arc due to their attitudes and behaviors. While I don’t hate them like a lot in the fandom seem to, they aren’t my favorite characters and I thought there were a lot of better stories that could’ve been told with Ahsoka.

That brings me to Ahsoka’s character. I get that people change over time and she was obviously still hurt by the Jedi Order, specifically the Council, but I didn’t like how easily she partnered with Bo Katan in the finale and sided with her cause given Bo’s history. She easily dismissed her relationship with Anakin (and Rex to an extent) despite her recognizing everything he did for her. But other than that, I loved Ahsoka meeting/fighting Darth Maul and the O66 moment for her and Rex was so tragic.

I loved the clones but I thought one person would’ve made it next level good: Kix, the 501st medic. I know in Legends he was frozen in carbonite/hypersleep or something and was woken up by pirates about 50-60yrs later, making him the last clone since the others have accelerated aging (aside from Boba/Omega). But I would’ve loved to see Kix either with Ahsoka and her 501st half or at least mentioned about being with Anakin and his 501st half.

So while I generally enjoy CW S7, I definitely prefer making my own interpretation and looking at fan-made art/stories.

Because I enjoyed the animation and music of CW S7, I was excited to see another show that has the same animation about clones: The Bad Batch. This is definitely one of those shows that has great ideas but the execution actually hurts it. They are shown to have lighter skin than the rest of the darker ‘regular’ clones and they all think they are superior to the other clones but especially Crosshair. Again, I won’t get into it, but TBB is a dumpster fire of racism and horrible story telling.

I definitely prefer the live action shows, but even then it’s hit or miss. Like I said, OWK and Ahsoka fell short for me. However I love Andor, Mando and TBoBF.

Which finally brings me to the upcoming Star Wars content animated and live action. SPOILERS—YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

First, the Mandalorian movie. I’m more hesitant about this movie despite my love for the show but that’s mostly because of Ahsoka. I didn’t like how Ahsoka was handled and because it left on a cliff hanger, I’m sure it’ll tie into the Mandalorian movie with Thrawn probably taking the role of the villain. I don’t think I really have any expectations other than it’s not bad, though Felony will helm the project so I’m not holding my breath.

Second, the Rey Skywalker movie. I definitely think Disney knows how badly they messed up with the sequel trilogy and will try and redeem Rey’s character. I think it’s an interesting premise. She knows Luke, who had a failed Jedi school, and she chooses to do the same, knowing it could fail like Luke’s but chooses to do it anyway. I’d love for this movie to show a new villain instead of Palpatine/Sith. I could see more Dark Jedi or even Night Sister magic being the main conflict instead.

Next, the James Mangold Star Wars movie. Supposedly it’s set thousands of years in the past and will focus on the first Jedi. I think that’s an interesting topic and a great chance to form new ideas as well as bring in Legends/EU content. However, with the mixed reviews of Indiana Jones 5, I’m tempering my expectations accordingly.

I know Taika Waititi has a Star Wars movie coming out as well but idk anything about it other than he wants to have original characters (which I think is good).

I think Shawn Levy has a Star Wars movie coming but again, no details about it since he’s been busy with Stranger Things S5 and Deadpool 3.

I believe Rian Johnson also has a trilogy set in a new place the lore has never explored before but I don’t think this trilogy is coming any time soon.

I believe that’s it for movies so over all I’m hesitant, but that’s because I need more info.

Now for the shows. I’ll start with the new ones.

Lando will obviously focus on Lando Calrissian played by Donald Glover. There’s no info about any idea of when the series will take place but I kinda hope it’s like right before the sequel trilogy.

Skeleton Crew has a good concept of a Jedi in hiding finding 4 Jedi kids and as long as it doesn’t get too family friendly and the writing is good I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. I’ve always thought this was the story they should’ve told with the Jedi Younglings in TCW arc.

The Acolyte is about the growing dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era (~200yrs before TPM). It seems like a noir-detective style show (like AotC) with a Master/Padawan duo investigating a series of crimes. It seems pretty cool and I’m excited for it.

I’m hoping Mandalorian S4 will be better than S3. I really want Din to call Grogu his son. Not his kid, not his boy, but his SON. SAY IT.

Definitely looking forward to Andor S2 the most. I thought Andor was slow at first and a bit complicated due to how many characters are introduced, but I loved the story and the actors had the passion that made their roles believable.

I could not care less about The Bad Batch S3. No matter what happens, I definitely prefer fandom ideas/my own headcanons. I MIGHT binge watch the season once all eps are out but I will NOT be watching on episode release days.

That brings me to the planned animated Clone Rebellion show. I’m assuming it’ll be the same CW style set after TBB S3 and focus on Rex (and possibly Wolffe+Gregor) which leads me to believe we won’t get much in the way of the clone rebellion in TBB S3. If this show uses the same damn clone model I will cut out Disney Star Wars. I don’t mind making my own stories/AU’s/etc, but Disney in general is on thin ice as it is.

Thanks for letting me get all that out. This is basically why I haven’t been writing. I’ve been pretty disappointed with Disney as of late due to their horrible live action remakes, mid-level animated movies like Elemental, Strange World, Lightyear and mediocre SW content.

If you’ve made it through this whole post, thank you for your time and I promise I will post something soon.

-Maisy💙

[ofgradobor]

—witcher she calls him, demanding his attention in a way that she shouldn’t and he scoffs, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. cursing under his breath, his jaw clenches, and he sheathed the weapon. there have been years since he had last seen her, however since their accidental encounter a few nights back, it seems that this is becoming a regular thing. he hates it given the circumstances, his job and her being a stubborn witch that cannot sit in her hut without getting herself in trouble. not that he cares, of course. meeting her violet eyes he is consciously careful not to read too much into her now; he doesn’t know her like he once did, yet he still sees her words are not quite a reflection of what she means to say. or that is just his assumption, the Witcher thinks. “you make a bad habit of running into me, Nereinne...” having said that in a matter-of-fact tone, Aldric hopes he sounded at least half annoyed by what he feels. it is not exactly her fault, but his day has been rather awfully...busy, to say the least, and having to also do this now doesn’t sit very well with the Witcher.

his gaze falls on the man laying dead before him. there is no softness in his eyes, no regret. that man deserved what he got, even if it shouldn’t have been up to him to make the call. his yellow eyes follow her as she moves closer to the dead man. don’t get yourself into this,” he tells her in a tone that doesn’t leave much room for discussion. “I will get Kix,” Aldric states, glancing at her for one more fleeting moment before walking past her; and then she can get out of there and let him deal with this, which goes unsaid.

Kix, his beloved black mare has been his companion for over a year now, since he bought her off a drunkard for no more than a couple of coins, one night when it snowed heavily. the horse would have simply been his form of transportation to get a job done, yet he couldn’t give her away afterward. Aldric needed to barely whistle and she appears at the alley, in all her majestic beauty, standing patiently, though curiously eyeing Nereinne. he runs his fingers through her mane, then comes to stand a few steps away, yet still besides the mage. “well, if that would be all…” it isn’t a question, as he gestures for her towards the small street where she appeared from.

    A stillness hangs in the air, a dead-weight.  There’s a sense of foreboding in the chilling frost that encroaches upon her every breath; something desolate and hungry – too much death.  Nevertheless, the hurt and the in-need remain, which is why - with her furs and hooded cloak drawn tightly around her - she picks her way through the back alleys of the city toward Putrid Grove, and though the enchantress remains sharp-eyed and vigilant lest she be recognized, she doesn’t have the luxury of anticipating the witcher’s arrival. Instead, she’s met with his abrupt appearance before her, eyes widening a fraction to take him in as she rounds the corner of a back alley —and there he is, steel-ladden and silver in the enveloping darkness of the alley; some wolf with an edge to his ravenous appetite, gold eyes glinting.  She doesn’t try to hide the way that her step falters, her fair face darkening with something cold and distant;  Nereinne has never advertised any sort of expertise in subtlety. “Witcher." she greets him coldly, watching as he plunges his blade, scarlet with blood, back into its sheath, sparing her only a fleeting glance; watching with visible intrigue and something akin to surprise extending to the soft violet of her eyes,as the butchered body of a man that she swiftly recognizes for a Flame crumbles to the ground before him.  He meets her gaze, and there are pinpricks of violet light, burning at the center of her dark eyes. ( Aldric of Gradobor has seen the very edges of the world, where the water is sweet and naiads prowl the lands forever, and still he thinks she is more remarkable, he had once told her. Now he looks at her, and all she sees is stone-faced detachment. ) "This is the day for unwelcome encounters, it seems..." she notes, darkly, her body soon stiffening at the sound of voices pouring from the streets around them, people passing by the alley where they stand, and she is hastily moving toward him to examine the body, her cold gaze ever dark as she fleetingly peers at the dead man at their feet. "Come then," she urges, knowing full well what this would mean for him, where he to be discovered here with the maimed body of a Flame at his feet, "let us be rid of him."

@ofgradobor

[kaminocasey]

Under the Sheets Part 2

Summary: You and Fives confront each other finally after a month of ignoring each other.

Pairing: Fives x F!Reader

Warnings: 18+ Explicit, Angst, Smut, oral (F receiving), fingering, unprotected p in v

Word Count: 2.7K

A/N: HELLO I'M BACK. I know I said I wasn't fic writing for June but when the mood strikes, ya know? Anyway. Here's part two <3 Sorry It took me so long.

Part One

Fives knew it was a bad idea to suggest being friends with benefits. He’d been in love with you since you’d joined the 501st. Now, he’s messed up your friendship. He had practically run away from you. There’s no coming back from that.

Why did I just pull out like that? Why didn’t I just make up an excuse that I wasn’t feeling well or something? Idiot.

A month goes by and you tried to talk to him for a couple weeks but he would just put his head down and walk the opposite way. You finally give up and accept that whatever the problem is, it’s his to figure out.

“Where are you going?” Echo asks Fives as he gets up to walk out of the barracks.

“Going for a walk to clear my head.” Fives replies, hoping Echo just leaves it at that.

Thankfully, Echo doesn’t say anything else as Fives leaves to go for a walk. He needs to clear his head. 

All he’s been able to do for the last few weeks is think about you. All he’s been able to do every time he’s touched himself is think of you. Your taste, your smell, the feeling of being buried deep inside of you. 

He’s making himself hard just thinking about you. 

Until he sees you walk into Cody’s barracks with him. You don’t notice Fives as he’s walking by, but he notices you. He notices the way you’re smiling at the commander. 

Cody allows you into his private barracks and then sees Fives walking by and gives a polite nod. “Fives.”

“Commander.” Fives grits through his teeth and continues walking. 

Well, that’s that. You’ve moved on completely. Not that there was anything to move on from, but still. Maybe that’s what Fives needs to do too. Bury himself in some woman who doesn’t mean anything. 

Does Cody mean something to you? Do you have feelings for the commander? Cody isn’t the type to just sleep around. At least Fives doesn’t think so. You were easy to fall for, so it was no wonder the commander would take a special liking to you. 

Fives knows that Cody will treat you well.

“You know if you stare at Cody’s barracks hard enough, he may come back out.” Fives hears Rex sneak up on him.

“Huh?” Fives looks at Rex. “Oh, hey Rex.” 

“What are you doing?” Rex asks, curiously.

Fives shrugs. “Going for a walk.”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with a certain medic, does it?” Rex asks, placing a hand on Fives’ shoulder.

“Nah. Kix and I are fine.” Fives jokes, walking with Rex.

Rex rolls his eyes. “You know, you should just tell her how you feel.” 

“She doesn't want to hear it.” Fives looks ahead.

“Never know ‘til you try.” Rex offers, patting Fives on the shoulder. “Anyway, I’ve got a meeting with the generals, so I’ll see you around. Take my advice, Fives.”

Fives looks at Rex. Fives always takes Rex’s advice and it hasn’t bit him in the ass so far. 

“Alright.” Fives nods as Rex walks away. 

Rex’s advice was good in theory. Fives knows if he tries to approach you at this point, it’s just going to be awkward and difficult. But Maker, he misses you so much. He misses your laugh and your smile. He misses talking and joking with you. He misses cuddling up next to you after a long day. You’re a huge comfort to him and maybe that’s why he doesn’t think about it before doing it. 

Fives makes his way to Cody’s barracks before he can talk himself out of it. He knocks on the door. Fives doesn’t know what he’s expecting to find or interrupt. 

Cody opens the door, giving Fives a confused head tilt. “Fives?” 

“I’m looking for y/n.” Fives explains.

“Oh. Just a moment.” Cody nods, walking away to let you know that someone was at the door for you.

“Me?” You furrow your eyebrows in confusion but walk over to the door, only to find a helpless looking Fives. “Fives… what… what are you doing here?” 

He hadn’t gotten that far, to be honest. He isn’t sure what to say, really. “I-”

You tell Cody you’ll be right back and step outside, allowing the door to slide shut behind you. You look up at Fives with crossed arms and a confused stare. 

“What is it, Fives?” You raise your eyebrows slightly at him.

It still hurts looking at Fives now. You’re reminded of the way he hastily pulled out of you with no explanation, like he was suddenly so repulsed by you that he couldn’t bear to be near you any longer and ran away. It’s been a month since either of you have spoken to the other. 

“Uh… what are you doing in Cody’s barracks?” He glances at the door.

“What business of yours is it?” You lean on your hip, your arms still crossed. 

The audacity that this man has… 

“You’re right… it’s not. I’m sorry.” He starts. “I’m sure Cody can treat you better than I did.” 

Wait, what?

“You think that I’m… sleeping with Commander Cody?” You laugh loudly. 

Fives looks even more confused than he did a few moments ago. You’re half tempted to let him believe it. Except you don’t know if he’d tell someone that and then the entire 501st and 212th would think that and then your plan may be ruined.

“I’m not sleeping with the commander, Fives.” You shake your head, unable to help the small smile that forms on your lips.

“You’re not?” He looks at you.

Finally. Maker, you miss those eyes. That tattoo. That facial hair. Those lips.

“No. I’m not.” You shake your head.

“Then, why are you here?” He nods toward Cody’s barracks.

“Because I’m looking to put in for a transfer to the 212th.” You admit.

Fives’ initial reaction is to be angry. Kix didn’t tell him. Then, he realizes you didn’t tell Kix. 

You didn’t tell anyone.

“Why?” He asks.

“Why? Are you really asking me why? After what we did… and you just left like that… and now seeing you… it hurts too much.” You struggle to find your words, feeling like you’re going to throw up. 

Fives nods, relieved only slightly that you weren’t sleeping with the commander. 

“For what it’s worth… I never wanted to lose you.” He sighs, starting to walk away.

“Funny way of showing it.” You follow him.

He turns back around. 

“Why did you run away?” You ask him.

“Because… I realized you could never feel the same way that I do.” He answers you.

“What do you mean?” You ask him, confused.

“I want more. I want to be more than friends. I want to be more than just fuck buddies.” He admits, sounding almost angry about it.

“Why would you think that I could never feel the same way?” You ask him, stepping closer to him.

He looks down at you. “You said ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’”

You roll your eyes, remembering. You remember every detail of that day because for the last month, you’ve been going over every second of that moment, wondering what you did wrong. At last, you know. You weren’t forward enough. He thought you just meant you should have been friends with benefits sooner. 

“Fives… I just meant fucking in general… That was the best sex I’d ever had. But… I want more, too… I always have.” You tell him.

“You do?” He seems surprised.

You smile up at him. “I really really do.” 

“And just to be sure we’re on the same page… you mean you want a relationship with me, yeah?” He teases you, sliding an arm around your lower back, pulling you closer to him.

You nod. “Yes, Fives. I want you and only you.”

“Permission to finally kiss you again?” He flashes that perfect smile of his and you melt all over again.

“Permission granted, trooper.” You grin back. 

Fives pulls you against him more firmly and leans in to kiss you. His lips are softer than you remember. You missed them even more than you realized. You really don’t want him to pull away, but you know you can’t stand out here forever.

“Fives?” You whisper against his lips.

“Hm?” He pulls away to look down into your eyes.

“I need you… right now.” You murmur.

“Right… now?” He looks around as if he thinks you mean right here out in the open.

You roll your eyes in amusement and pull him away, leading him back behind the barracks. He gets the idea and pushes you up against the wall, pushing his growing length up against you, making you moan. 

“Missed you… so much.” He whispers as he places a kiss under your ear. 

“Missed you more.” You gasp as he bites softly. 

He chuckles and pulls away. You look at him, confused.

“As much as I’d love to take you right here, I’ve got a better idea.” He kisses you on the forehead and drags you back to his barracks.

When the door slides open, you see Echo, Kix, and Jesse laying in their bunks.

“Everyone out.” Fives demands.

“What?” Echo asks but doesn’t get an answer because Fives spins you, crushing his lips to yours immediately. 

You don’t have time to care that the guys are watching in shock. Fives picks you up, carrying you to his bunk. 

“Holy shit.” Jesse snickers as they all leave the room.

“You owe me five credits.” Kix tells one of the others. 

Fives drops you onto his bunk and in one swift motion and hand, pulls his shirt over his head, dropping it by his feet. You look up at him, admiring the way the light through the small windows bounces off of his skin, almost shimmering. He’s beautiful. You’ve always thought so. 

“See something you like, mesh’la?” He smirks, cockily.

There’s the Fives you know. You sit up slightly, pulling your shirt off to match his nakedness. He looks down at you as if it’s for the first time and you feel your face go warm. He unbuckles his belt, letting his pants drop and then his underwear. Your heart starts to race all over again, realizing that he still wants you as you look at his hardened length. He’s not repulsed by you. He wants you.

You slide your own pants down, letting them fall to the floor. You both stare at each other for a beat. You grin up at him and it seems to break of him of his nerves and he leans over you, kissing you again softly. 

“I never thought I’d get to do this again.” He whispers against your lips.

“Me too.” You curl your fingers in his curls, crushing your lips to his.

His hand slides down to your ass, pulling you against him. His length is still rock hard against your thigh and you moan into the kiss.

“Fives-” You whimper. 

“I know, baby. I’ve got you.” He promises, pulling your underwear down, dropping them to the floor. 

He slides down your body, throwing your legs over his shoulders. He smirks up at you before diving into your wet warmth. You moan loudly in response, unable to hold back. You’ve been deprived of pleasure since the moment he pulled out of you a month ago. Somehow, you know he understands. You grip his curls tightly, gasping softly. He groans into you, gripping your thighs tighter. 

“Fuck, Fives…” You whine as he starts to lap up your soaked cunt. 

You missed this more than you realized you would. You don’t ever want to let go of him again. 

He reaches a finger up to start rubbing circles over your clit and you find yourself gripping his hair tighter. He chuckles as he continues tonguing your dripping pussy. You can feel your orgasm nearing sooner than you’d like but you don’t have the patience to wait any longer. 

“More… please.” You beg.

Without a word, he moves his finger and pushes your legs back so that he can insert two fingers into your cunt, sucking your clit into his mouth. You arch your back, moaning Fives’ name loud enough that someone more than likely could hear you. You can’t bring it in you to care as you're thrown over the edge. 

“So fucking pretty, coming all over my fingers like that…” Fives sighs more to himself. 

You try to catch your breath, looking down at him. He rests his head on your thigh, looking up at you with complete adoration.

“I love you.” He sighs. 

Your eyes go slightly wide. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.” He laughs, placing a kiss to your thigh. “You don’t have to say-”

“I do too.” You mean to tell him you love him but it comes out rushed.

You know that he knows what you mean by the way he’s grinning widely up at you. As if he can’t hold back anymore, he comes up to you to kiss you again. You push him over onto his back, crawling on top of him. You grin down at him and line your soaked warmth over his still hardened length. 

“Maker…” He groans loudly. “I almost forgot how perfect you feel around me.” 

“Let me remind you.” You tease him as you start to bounce lightly over his cock.

He grips your hips tightly, guiding you up and down on him, watching his own cock disappear inside of you over and over.

“You’re so fucking perfect. You know that?” He groans, quickly flipping you over onto your back so that he can slam into you, making the air practically leave your lungs. 

You wrap your legs around his perfect waist. “Show me.” 

Lust overtakes his look and he starts slamming harder and harder into you, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the room deliciously.

“Wanted… you… for so… long.” He grunts between slams. 

You’re whimpering against him as he rests his face into the crook of your neck, biting your shoulder. Your hands go back to his curls, gripping tightly. You yank his head back slightly so that you can crush your lips to his. He moans into your mouth, breathlessly. 

“I’m gonna-” He gasps.

“In me. Please.” You beg him.

He groans against your lips as he spills into you, painting your walls perfectly. You’re not ready for him to pull out of you again. He understands and lays there with you in his arms, your legs entangled together, both of you breathing deeply.

“I’m never letting you go again.” He promises. 

“You better not.” 

“So, can you tell Cody that you’re not transferring now?” He laughs.

“I didn’t even get the words out before you rudely interrupted.” You place a kiss to his peck and then look up at him.

“Well, how about that?” He raises his eyebrows teasingly. 

“I did leave kind of abruptly without even so much as a goodbye. He probably thinks I’m rude now.” You sigh.

“No one could ever think negatively of you.” He reassures you. 

“ARE YOU TWO DONE YET?! WE HAVE TO MEET REX IN TEN MINUTES.” Jesse’s voice is on the other side of the door.

Fives groans, annoyed and calls back. “Give us a couple minutes!” 

You laugh and start to get up. Fives pulls you back to him, kissing you sweetly. You sigh happily against him. When he lets you go, you quickly clean up and then get redressed. Fives is done by the time you reach the door. You let the door slide open and it seems the entire 501st is outside the door, Jesse, Kix, Echo, Hardcase, Tup, and Dogma. 

“I’ll see you later.” You wink at Fives and walk out of the room.

The guys are all grinning at you knowingly. You roll your eyes and drag Kix away so that you can prep your medical gear. 

“We want details!” Hardcase shouts to you as you start to round the corner. 

You flip him the bird and keep walking with a chuckle.

“I get details right?” Kix elbows you in your ribs playfully.

“Nothing to tell.” You can’t hide your grin. 

What happens under the sheets, stays under the sheets.

TAGS: @damerondala @livi-s @studioramekin @zoeykallus @brynhildrmimi @madameminor @dumfanting @rain-on-kamino @wolveria @misogirl828 @rexandechosandwich @corona-one @tecker @ladykatakuri @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond

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[blackkatmagic]

:3 :3 :3 💖💖💖💖 :3 :3 >3

(As context for everyone else: OK, but the hilarious image of a group of medic clones becoming Sith, trying to get Shank to join them while Shank refuses with all the adamance of a toddler who refuses to eat their broccoli)

“Well,” Payback says, eyeing the expanse of the battlefield that is suddenly much emptier and much, much quieter. “That worked better than I expected.”

“You were expecting to be able to shoot lightning from the sky?” Shank demands, and it’s against every instinct to drop his pack and stop moving before the battle is well and truly over, with all the wounded back in medical and the beds gone quiet, but—

He eyes Kix, still breathing hard, where he’s kneeling next to Ahsoka, and—well. Kix took care of it, apparently. Kix really took care of it. there's no one Shank can see who still needs medical treatment, even if took an alarming amount of screaming to get them there.

“No,” Payback says, and that smile is a little too charming when his eyes are yellow. “Which is why I said it worked better.” He pauses, looking down at his hands, and when he raises his head again, there's something very grim and very tired and very determined settling into the lines of his face. “She was telling the truth, apparently.”

Shank grimaces. “I told you old women loitering near springs in the middle of the forest is shady,” he says pointedly, and because he’s really trying not to think about anything the woman told them being the truth, he grabs Kix's arm, helps haul him to his feet. “Okay, what pieces are missing that weren’t missing before?”

“I'm fine,” Kix says, even though he’s still winded, and he doesn’t even try to protest when Payback takes his other arm, helps half-carry him over to a tangle of mossy rocks. He sinks down on them with a groan, and Payback manages to get his scanner out before Shank can, checking Kix over and then tilting the screen so Shank can see. Actually fine, even if his heartrate is a little elevated, Shank thinks, frowning. That’s—

“We’re Sith,” Kix says, raising his head. He swallows, looks from Payback to Shank, and then says, “We can stop it. All the fighting.”

Oh no, Shank thinks, and that’s a definite resigned sort of sinking feeling in his stomach.

“We managed it here,” Payback agrees mildly, and he tips his head, looks at Shank with one brow raised. It’s that look he wears when he’s trying to pretend that challenge accepted isn't his life’s motto. “Wolfpack’s about to be deployed to Dantooine.”

“We can save them,” Kix says, and swallows. Pushes up—

Almost sits back down hard, because he’s still hanging onto Shank, and Shank has his shebs firmly planted on the karking mossy rock.

“Shank?” Payback asks, other brow rising to meet the first.

“What?” Kix wants to know, frowning. “Come on, if we go now we can get to Dantooine in six hours—”

Shank folds his arms over his chest and doesn’t budge. “No,” he says. “I'm not going to be a Sith. I wouldn’t be a Jedi, and I refuseto be a Sith.”

There's a pause, and Shank gives both Payback and Kix a dirty look for the look they're exchanging over his head. Then, with a sigh, Payback folds his arms as well, tips his head.

“I'm tired of patching up troopers,” he says. “I just want them to be fixed permanently and not come into my operating room like there's a revolving door. And the three of us together are probably strong enough and smart enough to beat a real Sith Lord.”

“Have fun,” Shank tells him, and means it. if Payback thinks he can stop the war, Shank hopes it’s true. “I'm not leaving. I'm not turning into a Sith.”

“Shank,” Kix says, and Shank pulls a face at the very serious, very even tone, because that’s Kix's business voice and no one comes out on the other side unscathed. No one except Shank, at least.

“Nope,” he says, and drops his pack on the rock next to him, just to make a point.

“Shank,” Payback says, pointed. “We can—”

“You can. I'm not a Sith. It doesn’t matter what creepy old women in big hooded robes say.”

“We have Force abilities and you want to ignore them—”

“I'm not going to ignore them. I'm going to find a cave in the middle of swamp somewhere and meditate until I'm absolutely surethat the guy with anger issues isn't accidentally going to torch a city—”