#clone medic remedy

[kkrazy256]

Fox: yeah these marks? I got hit with a freak lightning storm on a upper level patrol once. Haha, wack right?

Remedy, a medic who knows that lichtenberg figures usually disappear within 24 hours, looking at new patterns on Fox’s back every week: 🧍

[calamity-aims]

siiiiigh im going to regret this but day 4 with Drift?

Hiiii Gaea! @kkrazy256 also asked for day 4 so I smashed their guy Rem in there too! This may make little to no sense to anyone else though hfdjksahgajlsh

Day 4: sensory deprivation, hallucinations, "you're still alive in my head"; 685 words

“It’s…not going to be pleasant,” Remedy said. His voice was as flat as ever, but with a rare undercurrent of apology that made Drift’s eyes widen. The CMO of the Coruscant Guard was a tough old bastard, never apologizing for anything and running his medbay with an iron fist. Hell, Drift had seen him go toe-to-toe with Fox more than once, and Fox was scary.

So Drift could only assume this bacta dip was going to suck space balls.

“I can’t put you under,” Remedy continued. “Your system is still coming off the spice and stims and whatever fucked-up concoction that excuse for a medical practitioner gave you -” here Remedy’s eyes tightened slightly, as they always did when Pharma was mentioned - “so you’re going to have to be awake in the tank.”

Drift would nod, if he could, but his recently re-implanted artificial spine was a searing line of pain down his back, so he said nothing as the CMO went on.

“You won’t be able to see, hear, or move. Whatever you do, kid,” he said, pinning Drift with an intense gaze from behind his glasses, “Don’t panic.”

At the time, Drift hadn’t understood what he’d meant. It was just a dip in a bacta tank, right? True, Drift had never actually been in a bacta tank - Remedy guarded the two tanks the Corries had been allowed like a space dragon of legend, only using their limited supplies on the very worst of cases.

But still. How bad could it be? Maybe Drift could even get some sleep. Imagine that.

—

Drift did not get some sleep. The residual stims, spice, and Pharma’s serum kept his system humming, a shaky sort of wakefulness that set his teeth on edge.

Being submerged in bacta was nothing like the water training exercises on Kamino - the fluid around him was almost heavy, restricting his movements as though he were an insect set in amber. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear; Drift floated through space, totally alone.

Not alone.

Drift flinched - it was all he could do, with every limb weighed down and nearly immobilized. His jaw clenched under the oxygen mask. He would just - pretend he didn’t hear that.

He drifted. Heh. Drifted. That was funny –

You’re even more of an idiot than I thought.

No, nonono. He was not losing it in here. Losing it was postponed until a later date. He would not panic, he would just breathe, and breathe, and breathe, and ignore the voice that sounded so familiar–

Awww, c’mon, don’t ignore me. Don’t you miss me?

No. Who would?

That supercilious voice seemed to be coming from everywhere, somehow. Well, Remedy, for one, it hissed. Do you really think he’ll forgive you for this?

I didn’t kill you, Pharma. He did.

He did. But you pushed him to it, didn’t you? All this could have been avoided if you weren’t such a braindead fool. It’s all your fault. His pain is on you.

He – there wasn’t any other way –

People do seem to have to keep fixing your mistakes, don’t they, Drift? First your batchmate Wing, now Remedy…tell me, how long do you think it’ll be before you get him killed, too?

Shut up.

Are you a betting man? I’d put long odds on him even making it to the end of the year, with your track record. 

Shut UP! You’re fucking dead, Pharma, so just shut the fuck up.

Dead? Of course. But here in your mind, I’m still alive. 

You’re just a hallucination. Just a figment of my imagination–

You may be right. But that doesn’t mean I’m not telling the truth. Pharma’s voice seemed to come from everywhere somehow, enveloping Drift in its poison. 

Now. Shall we begin where we left off?

Where we left o–

Agony. A searing line of pure pain traced down the length of Drift’s spinal implant, like a scalpel cutting into his flesh. Like when Pharma had cut into him to tear the implant from his body, leaving Drift bleeding out and useless on the floor.

No. No, not again.

Yes, Pharma’s voice said with glee. Again.

[gaeasun]

Thought of this and it was too funny in my head to not get out so. Top left is my guy Twitch, top right is Remedy by @kkrazy256 , bottom left is Sponge by @mwolf0epsilon, and bottom right is Pharma also by @kkrazy256 but who else could I pick for this spot lol. Template is below so you can do ur own if you want!

[mwolf0epsilon]

The Hospital Clubhouse - Pt4

Summary: The Coruscant Guard gets a new medic transfer from the Kamino Guard. Needless to say, Tongue Twister is not exactly the most Normal™ of brothers...

[lost-on-kamino]

You got a Gift! Hopefully it was that Miniature set you pointed out last week- (Rem Day!! Beloved Rem!! Man its been a while since i’ve drawn you dude) Remedy belongs to @kkrazy256

[nahoney22]

🌺 Orchids Tech 🌺

Medical Flora

X Female Reader

word count: 1.2k

🌸 💐 Flower Fic Event 💐 🌸

My second fic for the clone flower event 🌸 read my Commander Fox one here 🌺 Check the tag #cloneflowerficevent to see more! 💐

warnings: None, fluff, mutual pining, friends to lovers 🌸💜

Other writers for this event include (will add links to each ficlet once writer has posted):

🌸 Myself - Tech | Fox

🌸 @jedi-hawkins - Kix | Echo | Crosshair

🌸 @moonstrider9904 - Howzer

🌸 @photogirl894 - Hunter | Wrecker | Fives

🌸 @eyecandyeoz - Waxer

🌸 @arctrooper69 🎂- Tup | Rex | Gregor

🌸 @l-lend - Wolffe

🌸 @dragonrider9905 - Hardcase

🌸 @totallyunidentified - 99 | Cody

“I appreciate you coming with me, by the way, Tech. Herbalism isn’t for everyone.” You chuckle as you bend down to inspect some nearby plants, using a scanner to check their properties.

After some members of your group had fallen ill, you asked Tech, quite reluctantly, to accompany you in finding a remedy. With credits scarce, medicine wasn't readily available to any of you.

“I do believe our best choice is to go to Felucia and seek out some Nysillin,” he says, looking around as he follows you. “But you are welcome.”

“We don’t have the time to go all the way to Felucia,” you sigh. While you partly agreed with him, it would take at least three rotations to get there from your current location, and none of you knew if the illness would spread or worsen in the meantime.

You stand up, and the two of you continue walking through the dense foliage, the air humid and slightly sticky. “If you see any flowers, point them out to me.”

Tech adjusts his goggles, scanning the area meticulously. “Understood. Though I must point out that identifying medicinal plants without a proper botanical reference could be inefficient.”

“I know, but we have to try something,” you reply, keeping an eye out for any potential remedies.

Your reluctance to Tech coming with you was simply from a place of feeling, precisely, your feelings for him. He made you both nervous and giddy but you knew nothing would ever come from it. So, instead you just relished in the time alone with him.

A few minutes later, Tech halts, his attention fixed on a cluster of vibrant orchids nestled among the greenery. “There,” he points, “those orchids might have some medicinal properties.”

You walk over to the orchids, marveling at their beauty. “Good eye, Tech. These could be promising.” You carefully gather a few specimens, making sure not to damage the stems and petals. Tech goes ahead and takes your scanner, beginning to analyse their chemical composition.

You crouch down beside him, looking at the scanner, curiosity piqued. “Can you tell me anything about them?”

“It states here that orchids have been known to possess a variety of medicinal compounds. With any luck, these might help mitigate the symptoms the others are experiencing,” he explains. Truthfully, some of his words go in one ear and out the other because you can't help but quietly admire him.

He turns his gaze to you, his eyes curious. “Do you believe these orchids will suffice?”

You snap out of your reverie, clearing your throat and looking down at the pile of scattered petals. “O-Oh, of course,” you say swiftly, helping Tech gather some into his backpack carefully.

You look back at the orchids, the soft mix of pink and purple flowers filling your senses. “These are so beautiful. Seems a shame to pick them.”

Tech looks at the flower and thinks for a moment. “I suppose they are nice on the eyes, yes.”

The next few moments feel like a dream as you watch Tech pluck a small strand from the bush. Your skin grows warm as he takes a hold of your chin with his thumb and index finger, turning your head towards him. Breath catching in your throat, you watch as he brushes your hair behind your ear and tucks an orchid into it. “I hope this will suffice,” he says softly.

You blink at him, taken aback. Where had that come from? Had he hit his head? Your silence lingers, and Tech suddenly realises his gesture was nothing short of flirtatious. “We,” his voice squeaks adorably, and he quickly clears his throat, “we should head back to the ship.”

You nod, still processing what just happened. “Yes, of course.”

As you walk back to the ship, the orchid in your hair has you recalling back to Tech did. His gentle words, his lingering touch on your skin… it was lovely. Tech walks beside you this time rather than behind, his usual composed demeanor slightly rattled, and you can’t help but smile at the thought of the brilliant, logical man having a tender, spontaneous side. Just for you.

You steal a glance at Tech, and your eyes lock. He looks slightly flustered, the tips of his ears turning a deep shade of red. As the Marauder comes into sight, you decide to take a gamble and stop. “Tech?”

He stops too, looking at you with curiosity. “Yes?”

“Thank you for coming with me. I know I already said that before, but I really appreciate your help.” Your voice is soft, and your fingers fidget nervously behind your back. “And for the flower in my hair… it was sweet of you.”

Tech smiles, taking a step closer. “You asked for my help, and I gave it. There is nothing to thank me for,” he says. His eyes flicker to the orchid in your hair and then back to you. “I apologize if this is forward, but I have always secretly favoured orchids. Both for their medicinal properties and, as you said before, they are beautiful and…” He trails off, his fingers flexing as he takes a deep breath, “and so are you.”

Your heart feels like it might burst from your chest, and your eyes glisten with unshed tears at his sweet words. Does this mean he likes you back? The possibility makes your heart race. But it could just be Tech being straightforward, yet you had never seen or heard him act this way with anyone else.

“Really?” you ask, the question sounding silly instead of just thanking him.

“Yes.”

You realize that you both have stepped closer to each other, your chests almost touching as he gazes down at you with gentle eyes. His gaze flickers from your eyes to your lips, but he’s nervous, and truthfully, so are you. Tech isn’t easy to read sometimes, making it hard to decide if he wants to kiss you or not.

You can feel his ragged breath on your face, his posture straight and stiff. So, you take the lead, standing on your toes and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. You let it linger, smirking as you feel him take a sharp inhale of breath.

When you pull back, you gauge his reaction. He’s bewildered and quite in awe. Eventually, he breaks out into a grin, and reading the situation correctly, he places a hand on your cheek and slowly leans in. His nose brushes against yours, and his lips are about to meet yours until…

“Are you two back?” A voice calls from the ship, and you both jolt back, alarmed. You look to see Wrecker coming into view, rubbing his tired eyes. “Any luck?”

A wave of relief washes over you both, thankful that the intimate moment wasn’t fully interrupted, but both a little disappointed it didn’t happen. Tech gives you an apologetic look before following Wrecker, who retreats back inside.

That afternoon, you make a remedy with the orchids and hand cups to each of the batch, making sure they drink it all and monitoring their progress through the rest of the day. By the fourth hour, they are looking better than before, and you feel immense relief.

You and Tech don’t have time to speak about what happened that day, but when he is asleep in his bunk, you notice you still have some leftover petals. So, with a small thought, you retrieve his helmet and begin placing the flowers along the edges of the visor, scattering them along the top.

The next morning, your heart swells and you realise you’re completely smitten with him as you see Tech wearing his helmet, the cute still flowers adorning it. He doesn’t seem to mind them at all.

Tags: @littlefeatherr @Kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @Jesseeka

@theroguesully @ladykatakuri @padawancat97 @staycalmandhugaclone

@ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet @dangraccoon @plushymiku-blog

@pb-jellybeans @nunanuggets @sleepycreativewriter @erellenora

@ezras-left-thumb @the-rain-on-kamino @lamiliani

@tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi

@greaser-wolf @tinyreadersmur r @kaminocasey @marvel-starwars-nerd @ladytano420

@ladyzirkonia @thesith @raevulsix @cw80831 @knightprincess @crosshairlovebot @imalovernotahater r @sithstrings @whore4rex @imperialclaw801 @temple-elder @mysticalgalaxysalad @yunggoblin @the-bad-batch-baroness @lulalovez @thiswitchloves9904

[lonewolflupe]

Let Me Fix That For You (One-Shot)

I might have accidentally written this whilst trying to finish three WIPs #writer's struggles

Summary: when you start having a panic attack, medic Kix can only think of one last treatment to calm you down Rating: Teen and up Tags: light angst (battlefield/injury/panic attack), hurt/comfort, fluff (kissing), SFW Words: 917 Pairing: CT-6116 Kix x gen!reader Read this one-shot here on AO3

It was hard to sit down still and motionless with all the action going on around you. Your instincts made you cower your head whenever there was an impact near your position, you shot upright when a squad of clones made it past you towards the battlefront and you fidgeted with your comm device the moment it made a static sound, ready to receive new orders.

Kix carefully examined your arm, slightly turning it to see what exact angle the small piece of shrapnel was making in order to get it out by hurting you as little as possible. Luckily, it hadn't been a direct hit, or it would have been much worse. The shrapnel had bounced off from some debris before it had hit your arm.

“Let me fix that for you,” he said gently, his comforting smile lost behind his helmet before he got to work. He took a tool from his medpac and placed a firm grip on your arm to steady you. But you were all over the place, a sensory overload from everything that was going on around you and the need to return into battle, to keep up with your responsibilities.

“Keep still,” Kix urged you sternly when you kept shifting nervously at every unusual sound, the gaze through his visor not averting from your wound. “Yessir,” you shot at him, trying to make it sound light-hearted, but you winced when he pulled the shrapnel out with one smooth, sudden movement.

“That was the worst part,” he said in a comforting way, but that didn't make the remainder of his treatment a pleasant experience. The bacta spray stung in your wound, and you pulled back your arm in a reflex. 

“Keep. Still,” he shot at you, slowly to make the words sink into you more clearly. “I-I don't have time for this,” you muttered, trying to get up, but he pulled you back down. “Oh, there will be plenty of clankers left when I'm done with this, don't you worry,” he chuckled at you, trying to lift the mood to make you feel better, but his intentions were lost on you.

“They need me out there!” you shot at him, a strange, frantic look in your eyes, and he instantly knew you were starting to have a panic attack. “Focus!” he called at you urgently, as your chest started heaving from heavy breathing.

Without thinking, he took his helmet off, his brown eyes piercing into yours. “Focus,” he repeated, this time softer, as he gently took your face between his hands, forcing your gaze to his in hopes to calm you down.

But it seemed like you were looking straight through him, your eyes hollow and your breathing shallow. There was one last remedy he could think of; something he had wanted to do for some time now, but he had never imagined it would be in a situation like this, as a last option.

He leaned forward and landed his lips on yours. Your eyes widened in surprise and a gasp left your lungs, but it had the intended effect: you calmed down immediately, solely focussing on this tender moment.

At first, it was just to grab your attention, to distract you so you would stop panicking. But since Kix had been looking forward to this moment, he started putting more feeling into it, giving in to his own emotions and desires.

His hand slid to the back of your head, holding you gently and keeping you steady as his lips explored yours. And slowly but steadily, you indulged in the kissing, answering his unusual treatment by returning the favour. Your lips brushed against his, and he could feel your breathing steadying against his skin.

You caught him off guard when you lunged forward, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling yourself close against his chest. You tilted your head in order to reach him, to taste him, to let him know you had wanted this for some time, and he was all too glad to receive you.

When the two of you finally cooled down, you could feel Kix chuckling softly against your lips, which made them curl into a smile. Your chest was heaving again - but this time from excitement. You pulled away, but Kix’s hand was still on the back of your head, his thumb caressing your scalp.

“You good?” he checked on you, a caring smile on his face, but you noticed a flicker in his eyes. “Yeah, never been better,” you replied smiling, sliding a hand through your hair before you noticed his shoulder piece was shifted out of place - probably caused by your sudden lunge towards him.

“Let me fix that for you,” you repeated his earlier words before readjusting the piece of armour. He chuffed in the most endearing way; he had been sure you hadn't processed those words during your starting panic attack earlier, and here you were, using them on him.

When you finished fixing his shoulder piece, he gently put his hand on top of yours and squeezed it. “No more injuries, alright?” he kindly urged you, and you granted him a quick nod and another ‘yessir’. He smiled and stroked your cheek before he put his helmet on again.

“See you when it's over,” he said to you, getting back to his feet and offering his hand. You gladly took it, and he pulled you up. “I'm counting on it,” you smirked at him, before emerging into battle again.

[ellenhghg]

˖⁺‧₊˚Final Fantasy 7 boys and sick s/o headcanons˚₊‧⁺˖

Because why not and also because I am too addicted to the games (and men) Headcanons for Cloud, Sephiroth pre- and post Nibelheim, Zack, Reno and Tseng

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ Cloud Strife ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

♡‧₊˚ Awkwardly hovers, unsure how to help but unwilling to leave your side ♡‧₊˚ Silently panics if it's more than a common cold, might call Tifa for advice ♡‧₊˚ Will literally fight the concept of germs if he could ♡‧₊˚ Unexpectedly good at giving forehead kisses to check your temperature ♡‧₊˚ Cloud's not great at nurturing talk, but he'll sit quietly by your bedside, holding your hand and offering silent support ♡‧₊˚ He gets adorably flustered if you need help bathing or changing clothes, but he'll do it without complaint

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ Pre Nibelheim Sephiroth ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

♡‧₊˚ Sephiroth takes a very methodical approach to your illness. He researches symptoms and treatments extensively ♡‧₊˚ Precisely measures medicine doses and tracks your symptoms in a notebook ♡‧₊˚ Awkwardly tries to comfort you, patting your head like you're a chocobo ♡‧₊˚ Uses his influence to get you the best medical care in Shinra ♡‧₊˚ Might work on reports by your bedside, just to keep you company ♡‧₊˚ Might accidentally intimidate the doctor with his intense concern for your well-being

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ Post Nibelheim Sephiroth ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

♡‧₊˚ Sees your illness as a weakness to be eliminated. He might try to "cure" you with Jenova cells, regardless of the consequences ♡‧₊˚ Your fever dreams get WILD with his influence ♡‧₊˚ Offers to "help" by turning you into a Sephiroth clone ♡‧₊˚ Alternates between obsessive caretaking and philosophical monologues about transcending mortal ailments ♡‧₊˚ Gets irrationally jealous of the attention your illness is "stealing" from him ♡‧₊˚ In his twisted mind, he might see the illness as a sign that you need to "ascend" with him to godhood.

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ Zack Fair ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

♡‧₊˚ Becomes the embodiment of a golden retriever, constantly asking if you need anything, possibly overwhelming you with care ♡‧₊˚ Tells terrible jokes to try and make you laugh/groan ♡‧₊˚ Insists on carrying you everywhere, even just to the bathroom ♡‧₊˚ Makes a pillow fort around you filled with every comfort item he can find ♡‧₊˚ Reads you stories, doing all the voices with great enthusiasm ♡‧₊˚ Ends up catching your cold because he refused to stop cuddling you

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ Reno ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

♡‧₊˚ Cracks jokes about your "zombie apocalypse transformation" ♡‧₊˚ Sneaks you into Shinra's top-tier medical facilities "for a check-up" ♡‧₊˚ Mixes up a "secret Turk remedy" that's suspiciously alcoholic ♡‧₊˚ Will binge-watch trashy TV shows with you without complaint ♡‧₊˚ Whines dramatically about catching your cold, but still refuses to leave your side ♡‧₊˚ Secretly very worried, checks on you frequently under the guise of "just happening to stop by"

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ Tsung ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

♡‧₊˚ Efficiently organizes everything you might need, from medicines to entertainment ♡‧₊˚ Takes time off work to care for you (shocking everyone at Shinra) ♡‧₊˚ Reads reports to you as "bedtime stories" when you can't sleep ♡‧₊˚ Makes traditional Wutaian remedies, insisting they're more effective ♡‧₊˚ Secretly touches your forehead to check for fever when he thinks you're asleep ♡‧₊˚ Might use Turk surveillance techniques to monitor your condition

[questforgalas]

Code Red Training

···

GIF by mlmanakin

Summary: Kix has to give a training on the menstrual cycle to the 501st. It goes exactly how you think it would

Characters: 501st legion (Jesse, Fives, Rex, Kix, Echo, Dogma, Appo, and made up clone names), Ahsoka Tano

WC: 2.4K

Notes: This is based off another silly HC I posted the other day I couldn't get out of my head. I think the idea of the engineered clones raised surrounded by men learning about the menstrual cycle is a hilarious concept. Very silly stuff. The boys are in awe of their commander after

Tags: descriptions of the menstrual cycle and what occurs. Swearing

Tay's Masterlist

Read on AO3

Kix was running out of tasks to keep his hands busy. The informational flimsies were on the fourth variation of stacking, and he’d rearranged the educational sculptures in every possible space on the desk. He wasn’t nervous. He just could make a list of 1000 other duties he’d rather be doing than, well, this.

Kix had the 41st Elite Corps to thank for this one. The poor padawan commander of the 41st apparently wasn’t prepared for her cycle, and while she was trying to retreat to her quarters to remedy the situation, she was caught with a noticeable blood stain that, understandably, caused her troopers to go into a panic. Chaos ensued as an entire corps sprang into action to save their commander who, to their knowledge, was bleeding to death for no reason.  

There’s no official report on the matter, but the message from Insi, the medic of the 41st, simply said “The troopers involved won’t be looking Commander Offee in the eye anytime soon”.

So now, all battalions led by a female general or commander had to sit through educational training on the menstrual cycle.

A 3-D model of the uterus taunted him from across the desk.

“Gotta say, don’t exactly envy you with this one, Kix,” Captain Rex’s voice interrupted Kix’s internal battle to cancel the next session and run, but instead, he turned to face his Captain, standing at attention and offering a short salute.

“You envy everything else I get to deal with, sir?” The medic offered a sly smirk as Rex put him at ease.

“You got me there,” Rex chuckled. “Although, last I remember, it wasn’t too long ago you’d be right next to Fives and Jesse when I’d be threatening another ‘fresher duty to ward off any antics.”

Kix brought a hand to his chest, feigning hurt, “Me, sir? Antics? I’d never.”

“Just because you knew how to hide the evidence better doesn’t mean you were more innocent.” A playful shove on his shoulder broke his performance.

“It’s called a medic’s attention to detail, sir.”

Rex offered a hum in response, the fond smile on his lips softening the threat of his eye roll, and he continued to make his way across the room to the chair set up in the back corner. As the commanding officer, Rex had to give his approval on the training which meant Kix already took him through the session – The captain remained professional the entire session, but the increasing crimson of his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed – so his presence here now only meant one thing.

Rex knew who was on the roster, and he was here for a show.

“You think you’re being sly Captain, but I see right through you,” Kix accused.

“I’m not sure what you mean. It’s my duty as captain to perform surprise training inspections. It’s for the good of my men.” Rex’s face remained impassive, but the medic didn’t miss the smirk tugging at his lips or the glint in his eyes.

Before he could answer, he heard voices coming down the hall. Kix went through the same mental routine he did when he boarded a LAATi, and with one last deep breath, he readied himself for battle.

_____________________________________________________________

“Wait, wait, wait! A tube?! They have an actual tube in them?”

“Not just a tube, Hardcase. Two tubes!”

“Can females create metal?!”

“How does a baby even fit in there? Like, the same size as us in the tube? Come out of THAT!”

“FEMALES LAY EGGS?!”

The first ten minutes of the session went about as well as Kix could hope for. Characteristic of this group, they were rowdy when they filed in, most coming in from the mess hall, and many in the middle of glorified battle stories that their audience wasn’t buying. As they took their seats, they settled in, and most conversation had quieted down, but when Kix stood upfront waiting for a second too long, pointed looks by Echo and Dogma had the room quieting down quickly.

Much to Kix’s surprise, the group remained attentive and curious during the first parts of his notes as he walked them through the anatomy. Not to his surprise, all hell broke lose when he started to explain conception and gestation. When the questions erupted, Kix stole a glance to the back of the room. Rex was barely holding his composure, and it looked like Jesse’s outburst broke the professional dam as Rex quickly hid his face behind his hand, shoulders shaking.

“Alright, alright, alright. Calm down! One question at a time,” Kix barked. “First, the fallopian tubes are not metal tubes, Hardcase. It’s just what they’re called because they connect two sections. Second, yes, babies as big as we are when we come out of the tube are born through the vagina. If necessary, they can be cut out, bu-“

“THEY CUT THEM OU-“ Smack “Ow!”

“Cut it, Appo,” Echo scolded.

“As I was saying, they can be cut out, but that’s in emergency situations. And lastly, they don’t lay eggs. Not females with this anatomy. They carry eggs, and once a female hits puberty, their ovaries release one egg once a month for it to be fertilized,” Kix finished.

“Oh I can tell you allll about how they’re ferti-“ Smack. “Ow!”

“Fives, you’ve never even talked to a girl,” Echo was on a roll Kix very much appreciated.

Taking a pause before moving onto the next section, Kix swept his gaze across the room. Dogma furiously scribbled notes while Hardcase and Oddball looked like they were trying to solve the equation of an ion engine. Echo lazed with his arms across his chest, attention trained on the medic, but gave Appo another swat when he noticed his head nodding to the side. Fives still rubbed the back of his head where Echo hit him, looking like a hurt loth pup not getting to make his crude joke.

Crowded in the middle, a hand raised. Kix recognized the trooper as one of the newest 501st.

“Yes, Doma?”

“Thank you, sir. I’m just curious. What, what happens to the egg if it isn’t fertilized? Does it just…fall out?” The trooper looked around on the ground as if expecting to find a scattering of eggs around him. A soft laugh floated from the back corner of the room.

“Well, Doma, that leads us into the final part of this training. If the egg isn’t fertilized, then the female body goes through what is called the ‘menstrual cycle’ in common. It’s possibly called other things in other languages, but it all refers to the same process.”

Kix picked up the 3-D model and moved back to the front and center of the room, pointing to the uterine lining.

“When released, the egg settles in the lining of the uterus. If it’s not fertilized, the lining sheds and discards the old lining and the egg through the vagina. Then the lining builds up again over the next month preparing for the next egg,” Kix explained. Silence settled over the room and not a single trooper moved. Even Echo looked like Kix just explained a 10-page battle strategy to him with one minute to learn it. “Ok, where did I lose you all?”

Eyes glanced around, no one wanting to speak first. Finally, Dogma raised his hand.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘sheds and discards the old lining’?” he grimaced.

“Here goes nothing,” Kix thought.

“Well, exactly what it sounds like. The lining literally tears itself from the uterus, falls through the vagina, and exits.”

Eruption.

“YOU MEAN-“

“THEIR BODY IS LITERALLY TEA-“

“HOW OFTEN DOES-“

“SHEDS? LIKE, THEIR BODY JUST-“

Fives, Hardcase, Jesse, and a trooper Kix didn’t recognize jumped to their feet, yelling questions. Dogma turned pale. Doma was bracing his head in his hands. Echo’s eyes went wide, stare fixed on a spot in front of him, and troopers around the room reacted with a mix of horror and confusion. The quiet laugh in the corner of the room mingled with the ruckus. Acting fast, Kix brought his fingers to his lips and let out a whistle the patrol across camp could probably hear. Immediately, the questions ceased, but the looks of horror remained. His narrowed eyes got the message across, and all the troopers settled back into their seats. Once he was sure they were focused back on him, Kix went on.

“This is where we’ll open up the question portion of the training.”

Every hand shot up.

“Fives, if this is a joke,” Kix warned.

“No, it’s serious I promise!” Fives pleaded. Kix nodded for him to go on. “When they’re going through this men-menstrol? Mens-“

“Menstrual.”

“Thanks, vod. When they’re going through this menstrual cycle, is it painful?”

“Yes. Pain can vary female to female, but common symptoms are severe cramps. Many females experience cramps painful enough to cripple them anywhere from a couple hours to days. Other common symptoms are muscle cramps in their lower backs and legs, interrupted sleep cycle, severe mood swings, bloating, digestive changes, and headaches or migraines.” Kix explained. A room of faces grimaced back at him.

“How long does it last for,” Echo asked.

“Again, it varies female to female, but on average 3 to 7 days.”

“7 days?! They’re just…bleeding! For 7 days!” A trooper exclaimed in the back.

“Maker, I didn’t think of that,” Jesse mused. “They’re just walking around with their bodies tearing itself on the inside, and they’re just…ok?”

“Well…” Kix started. “I wouldn’t say they’re ‘ok’, but they’re expected to go through life with it. So yes, many females you encounter could be in their cycle.”

“And this happens, every month?” Jesse asked, amazement in his voice.

“Yes, once the female becomes of age, and as long as everything is regular, it happens once a month.”

“Whoa,” Awe passed over the troopers.

“Wait,” Appo shot up in his seat. “Commander Tano!”

Kix’s eyes instinctively found Rex’s. The captain’s smirk turned into a wolfish grin, and it took all of Kix’s respect for the decorated captain to not flip him off.

“What about the commander?” Kix returned to the group.

“Well, she’s a female!” Appo blurted.

“Appo, are you asking if Commander Tano experiences a menstrual cycle?” Kix asked. The captain answered with a vigorous nod of his head, blood rushing to his cheeks.

“Well, I can’t disclose patient information, but Commander Tano is of the age that it’s common for females to begin theirs.”

“That..is so…fucking…cool!” Oddball exclaimed.

“You mean our Commander is out there kicking clanker butt while her body is literally tearing itself on the inside? I mean, can she be any greater?” Echo proclaimed, a proud twinkle in his eye.

“Ohhhh is that why she randomly hordes all the chocolate cakes in the mess?” Fives mused.

“I don’t think I need to remind all of you that it is not procedure or polite to bombard the commander with questions about this,” a stern voice interrupted from the back. Amusement still danced in his eyes, but the expression on Rex’s face shut all conversation down immediately.

“Yes, sir,” echoed unanimously.

“Alright, well, if there aren’t any more questions, that concludes the training,” Kix dismissed. While his brothers filed out of the room, Kix allowed himself to relax his shoulders for the first time since Fives entered.

Rex appeared in front of him, hand clasping down on his shoulder, “Not bad trooper. I think you’ll only be getting questions from Hardcase for the next 20 rotations.”

____________________________________________________________

“Hey, Rex. Have you noticed the boys have been…odd lately?” Ahsoka asked while she and Rex made their way through the halls of the Resolute,

“Not sure I know what you mean, Commander,” Rex responded.

Walking through the narrow halls, a few troopers stepped to the side to salute the commander and captain as they passed. Ahsoka noticed two things. First, their eyes went wide when they first took her in. Second, their force signatures spiked instantly with something mixed with astonishment and pride. Once they passed, she could swear she heard one of them murmur, “An absolute legend.”

These types of occurrences had been happening regularly over the last few weeks, and Ahsoka grew more confused with each one.

“I don’t know. All of them have been looking at me like the shinies look at Anakin when they meet him for the first time. It’s, unnerving,” she explained.

Rex did his best to hide the chuckle rumbling in his chest. Of course, he’d noticed his brothers completely obvious demeanor change towards their commander. Ever since Kix’s trainings finished, the whole 501st viewed their vod’ika in a whole new light – one that put her on par, if not higher, than their general.

“Eh, I’m sure it’s nothing. You know how they get, especially in between missions. Restless and bored. Start actin’ weird. Don’t pay attention to it,” Rex tried to deflect.

Making their way around the corner, Fives and Echo were spotted leaving the mess heading in their direction. When the ARCs recognized who was ahead of them, Fives bounded their way.

“Commander! Lucky running into you. Here, I grabbed an extra chocolate cake just for you. Figured you can stash it away, save it for later,” Fives suggested, giving a wink like he and Ahsoka were in on a secret only the two of them know.

“Uh, thanks, Fives. That was, kind?” Ahsoka shot a look to Rex that said “See?”, but he just shrugged her off as if Fives giving her chocolate cakes happened every day.

“Oh, and commander, I stopped by the med bay earlier. I saw they were low on high strength painkillers, so I requested that Kix put in a supply order right away so we’re well stocked. Wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared, right?” Echo added.

Rex groaned internally. For ARCs, these two were the most obvious troopers he’d ever known.

“That’s, good to know, Echo. Thanks, I think?” Ahsoka tried her best to sound polite, but the whole interaction just confused her more.

“You’re welcome! Well, we’re off to the rec center for some sparring. Rex, join us later?” Echo asked.

“Another time, Echo. I have a briefing at 1500,” Rex answered, dismissing the troopers.

Later that day, Ahsoka stashed that cake in her quarters and made a note to stop by the med bay to grab some of the painkillers before next week. She didn’t know what was going on with the boys, but she wasn’t going to not take advantage.

[littlemissmanga]

I just need opinions on how you think any of the 501st men or Clone-Force 99 would handle chronic pain, something like migraines maybe, in their partner? I love all your work btw it's really incredible 🩵🩵🩵

Aw, thank you, Nonnie!

So this is something I think about a lot as I have a fucked up back. Fortunately, I have a really good group of drs so I've been able to go longer and longer without a flair up, but when I'm incapacitated on my couch, thinking of how these guys would react brings me so much comfort.

I think most of the boys would be really understanding and helpful. But let's get into it! HCs below the cut :)

Hunter may be able to sense acutely when you have a bad day before you even notice the symptoms (those heightened senses strike me like the way medical alert dogs can sense a seizure coming on in their human). His first instinct is to hold you against him, but he holds off until he ensures you are in the most comfortable place, your environment is perfect for what you need, and you have any medication needed. Then he'll wrap around you and do what he can to make you feel better. IDK why, but I feel like he'd gently hum a little tune as he holds you, literally trying anything and everything to soothe you. If he can't take away the physical pain, he can make damn sure you feel cared for.

Wrecker is also someone who's gonna try and cuddle you through an episode. If that's something that helps you, you'll be in heaven. He'll literally make a nest for you and bring you all the snacks. If your condition comes with muscle pain, he'll give you the most gentle and soothing massage. He will get that sad look in his eyes, though. Personally, I like seeing my partner care but I know some people don't like to feel pitied so if that's you, you may need to have a conversation with him. Similarly, if physical contact isn't helpful for you, you'll have to let him down gently. Best to give him something else to do - like help with the responsibilities you can't do - because Wrecker really doesn't like feeling as if he can't help.

Tech is going to learn everything about your condition itself. And I mean everything. He'll become the (secret) preeminent expert on your condition if he has to - and he'll very much believe he has to because frankly he doesn't trust previous doctors who told you this was just a condition you'll have to live with. You have to have a few talks with him that his insistence on trying new approaches to "cures" isn't helpful when you're having a flair up, and that while you love the intention behind it, you need him to either help you in the moment or leave it to you. That sobers him up a bit. But he mostly just puts the "cure" search on the backburner and focuses more on finding the optimal remedies for your symptoms in the moment. He won't really cuddle with you unless you expressly ask but he absolutely will bring his datapad into the room and research/work by your bedside so he can monitor your progress. He'll wake you every few hours to give you more medicine and make sure you stay hydrated.

Echo also studies up on your condition, but unlike Tech, he only cares about remedies. He'll run his findings by Tech, but generally trusts the literature regarding mitigating symptoms. If you find something that works better than other remedies, he's a stickler about making sure you have access to that remedy at all times. He's a big believer in being prepared. He may have some small treats for you, but he'd prefer to have nutritionally balanced food for you during a flair up to give your body everything it needs to get through this and recover. He usually doesn't cuddle with you, preferring to give you the space you need to settle in and recover. But he will be touching you constantly - caressing your head or arm - and talking softly with you if you're up for it.

Crosshair doesn't like admitting your condition scares him. You've explained it's not fatal or anything but it does cause you pain on the regular. And he doesn't like how matter of fact you are when you tell him you experience pain strong enough to put you out of commission with enough regularity that you have a plan for what to do when it happens. He knows you're not a complainer and you tend to push yourself, so for something to knock you out means it's serious. He feels useless and weak at not being able to help in what he feels is a meaningful way.

At first, he'll pull away, selfishly hiding from the sight of you in pain because he doesn't want to confront it. But if he does see you struggling or if he hears you in pain/call his name, he'll be right at your side. You need him. You asked for him. He won't leave you alone again. It'll take him a bit to figure out little tricks to helping you/making you feel better, but eventually he'll get into a rhythm. And woe be to anyone who crosses your path if you have a flair up in public - Crosshair is very much a shoot/punch first ask if they were a threat to you (in act or attitude) later.

501st Boys

Jesse, and Fives are going to learn all they can about the best way to make you feel better not through research but literally by quizzing you. They try asking the first time they see you in an acute flair up and realize those questions will have to wait until you're feeling a little better. And by quiz, I mean these guys prove why ARCs are made different. They'll get down into the minute details. The next time you feel your pain coming on, they'll make sure the environment is perfect for you to rest - as dark and quiet as you need, with all the water and snacks you could possibly want. And they'll totally give you snacks you want that'll make you feel better emotionally more than good for you snacks. If they can stay, they'll bring you bring you fresh, cool towels to drape over your forehead or ice packs/heating packs for your muscles every 30 minutes. Both feel like failures when they have to leave you during an episode.

Between the two, Jesse definitely relies on his humor and tries to keep you talking (if it doesn't hurt you more) to get you through this, and you love that he treats you like normal, that there's no pity in his eyes. But for Fives, this is a situation where he actually gets quiet, lowering his energy to give you the space to rest up.

Kix is, like Tech, going to do all the research. Unlike Tech, Kix has access to military-grade medical facilities. And he WILL use them to get a thorough understanding not just of your condition, but how your body handles the condition. He hates to see you in pain, and it's a negotiation with him as to how much medication you want/need as if Kix had his way, he'd just stick you in a bacta tank each flair up to minimize your pain and any damage ... which obviously isn't practical. Also, there's no "Maybe I can push through it, this flair up feels manageable." The moment Kix knows you're feeling symptoms, you're in the medbay. You'll also find the smallest of treats next to your bed when you wake up.

Dogma similarly, tolerates no negotiation. Sure, you've been dealing with your condition for a while, but if you're not following dr.'s or Kix's orders to the letter, he will make you. I feel like Dogma is incredibly passionate and feels deeply, and he will not risk your health or well being, even if you ask him to just trust you. Eventually, you need a mediation with Kix so Dogma gives you a little room to breathe. Like Wrecker, it helps to give Dogma things to do while you have a flair up so he feels like he's helping. He'll bring you everything you need and then go tidy up your living space or do your paperwork on your behalf or just general errands you need to run. Acts of service is his love language anyway, so this is a system that works really well for you both.

Rex hates that he can't always be with you during a flair up. He literally has a list of people you can call (in order of those he trusts the most to take care of you) if you need assistance. But you've come up with a code to message to his datapad in case he can't be there. If he gets your message, he'll excuse himself as quickly as possible to call you and just talk you through the worst of your flair up and ask if you need someone to be with you.

If he can be there, you won't find a more attentive and gentle person to nurse you through. He'll make sure you're settled and have everything you need and he'll talk you through it until you fall asleep. Then, he'll straighten up your living space and make some food for you for when you wake up. When you do, he'll give you a small portion to start with and hold you against him when you're done.

Tup will run you the most perfect bath ever. Water at the perfect temperature, no harsh smells in case that makes things worse. He helps you get settled then starts helping you wash. And by helping I mean he refuses to let you do anything for yourself. Getting your hair washed by Tup is a spiritual experience and something that, even if your pain persists, reenergizes your soul. He'll dry you gently with the fluffiest towels and then settles you in your room with all your comforts. He's another who will sit by your side until you feel better and he'll cuddle on request if it won't hurt you more.

I hope this is what you were looking for!!

Taglist: @clonemedickix @idontgetanysleep @sunshinesdaydream @dystopicjumpsuit @dreamie411 @secondaryrealm @wizardofrozz @wolffegirlsunite @blueink-bluesoul @wings-and-beskar @freesia-writes @multi-fan-dom-madness @starrylothcat @sinfulsalutations

[kkrazy256]

"Working" for the wip guessing game!

Send me a word, if it’s in my wip document I’ll answer your ask with the sentence that it appears in

“I could’ve let him do the surgery.” Even as Remedy says it out loud, Fox can see his lips twitch into a sneer at the very idea of it.  “Let him, let him experience,” the words start getting stuck as his voice turns breathy and lost.  “How fucking desperate and useless it felt.” His eyes are looking past the nonexistent birds and the nonexistent fountain water. A breeze whispers through, and Fox thinks he can smell death and antiseptics. The drips of water trickle away to muffled orders being shouted, blinding lights, ragged breathing, and metal tools clinking.  Fox blinks away the battlefield; Remedy has his head buried in his hands now, muttering the rest of his words in a flurry of half-wretched shudders. “I could’ve let him do the surgery. Made him do it. No stopping. You can't stop, you're not allowed to. Working nonstop on a lost cause until they die on your table firsthand. Just like how he made me—” 

[calamity-aims]

77 for the spotify wrapped asks if you're still doing them <:0 --catboydogma :)

77. Hazey - Glass Animals

It's obvious, it's so obvious. Even if Remedy weren't the Chief Medical Officer of the Coruscant Guard, the blown-black pupils and jumping muscles in the jaw and fingers would have given it away.

He sighs. "Drift..."

Immediately, the ARC trooper jumps on the defensive. "What? I'm working on it, Remedy, I just-"

"You're NOT!" Remedy roars, suddenly furious. "You're so juiced, I can almost smell the burnt-out circuits from here, and I'll be damned if I patch that prosthetic one more time."

If only the Coruscant Guard's budget wasn't so shoestring tight, then maybe Remedy could afford to give Drift something for pain management... but he can't. Integration of Drift's spine prosthetic is painful, Remedy knows, but he's just going to have to white-knuckle through it.

Remedy can't condone Drift's use of illegal circuit boosters, even if they do grant some pain relief. Even if Drift is making huge eyes at him from across his desk. The kid looks pathetic, but-

He doesn't look like he's in pain, for once.

Remedy refuses to be swayed. He sighs and sits down heavily, passing a hand over his tired eyes.

"I can't get through to you, kid."

(CMO Remedy belongs to @kkrazy256 and I miss him)

[ahsokathegray]

A Remedy for Memory || Part Two

Pairing: Rexsoka

Prompt: Rexsoka Monthly Jan. ‘24 - Accidental First Kiss

Summary: One simple fall causes a certain commander to fall in love with his co-commander all over again. Rex expresses his gratitude to his lover rather affectionately — unaware that he's never done so before, unaware that he and Ahsoka aren't together.

Tags: order 66 didn't happen, temporary amnesia, whump kinda, fake dating kinda, protective brotherly Anakin

Word Count: 5,713

A/N: if you saw the rom com this was inspired by, no you didn't. but fr go watch it, it's called the other zoey! (@rexsoka-monthly)

read on ao3! / masterlist

Three Months Ago

“Commander Rex, the latest briefing has come in.”

Her Commander turned to face the officer on the bridge before focusing his attention back to her, “Want to have a look? It might have an update on General Kenobi’s efforts.”

That kind smile flashed upon his lips and reached his bright eyes. Ahsoka found that she was incapable of refusing. Being at his side in these few days since her return felt almost magnetic and she didn’t desire to part with that anytime soon. She followed the officer and Rex waited for her to fall in line before he let himself move his feet. 

The doors to the briefing room swept aside and encased them in the small space, the holotable glowing with the waiting figure of Commander Cody. “Rex, are you and Commander Tano en route to Coruscant?”

Ahsoka smiled at the man’s use of her former title. No one was seemingly able to drop it either out of habit or respect or both. Even outside of her former legion, the clones continued to refer to her as their Commander. She smiled and Cody greeted her as well. 

“We are. Just departed from Mandalore and had entered hyperspace right before you called. Maul is in custody below,” Rex answered. “Any update on your end?”

“Yes. My men are retrieving the body of General Grievous as we speak… what’s left of him, that is. General Kenobi was successful in his efforts against the pile of scrap. I shouldn’t speak too soon on such matters brother, but, with the death of Grievous comes the end of the war — rendering the Seperatist’s forces without orders and therefore… ineffective,” Cody said, his voice sounding as if he didn’t believe the words he spoke. 

The words sounded wrong to everyone. 

Rex’s eyes narrowed and he had to sit his helmet down, “You’re positive?”

Cody laughed, “I had to confirm three times myself. My medics declared him dead. Proceed en route to the capital, Rex. Commanders. We’ll join you shortly. Cody out.”

His blue form fizzled and the holotable went dark. 

Ahsoka’s mouth hung open and she searched Rex for his reaction. His eyebrows were high on his forehead, a similar expression of shock painting his face. They stood there in a weighted silence. Neither of them knew what or how to feel. 

It went without saying that this war had been their only real purpose in life, each of them growing up in it and knowing nothing other than to be a soldier. All they knew was the mission, the field, the fight, the reports, the lack of sleep. They only ever knew the hurt and pain of war — the never ending loss amidst small victories. It wasn’t an endless cycle, it was just their life. 

Neither she nor Rex remembered a life without the war or life without the other person in it. 

What did they do now if it was all over? How did they proceed after the people they were on Mandalore? 

He was the first to speak, cutting through the loud and suffocating silence, “Well, in the theme of good things resulting from war.” A half-hearted chuckle rumbled in his chest, referencing their earlier conversation on the bridge. “They end.”

“What will you do now?” she blurted, the words leaving her mouth as soon as he finished. 

He put his tongue in the pocket of his cheek, scanning the empty room. No… not here. Such honesties weren’t appropriate in this location — not that said honesties were appropriate in any scenario. “Whatever the Republic asks of me, I suppose. My loyalty remains with it. The fight won’t end overnight,” he said. 

“And if it does?” Ahsoka prompted, not satisfied with his answer and knowing well that he was right. 

She should’ve felt more shame with the way her focus rested on his lips, watching them part in anticipation of his response, far too hopeful that he’d mention the gundark in the room. Rex’s tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip and she hung desperately onto each torturous movement. His tongue rose behind his teeth as he prepared to speak, but his response never came.

The door opposite of the bridge slid open and Jesse and a squad of clones stepped in. Rex’s attention fell from her to his brothers. 

Jesse was out of breath. “Commander Rex, I just got an update from Cody.”

“We just got off with him,” Rex said. “What he says is true, but don’t go telling the men just yet. We want them to finish up with everything before they start producing flasks and alcohol out of thin air.”

Jesse laughed guilty and patted a pouch on his waist, “You got it, Commander.” He saluted Rex and faced Ahsoka, doing the same, “Commander.”

The doors didn’t close behind him as his small squad left, allowing air into the tense little room and allowing the Commander and Advisor to catch their breath, but stripping them of their criminally short bit of privacy. 

Rex fought with his decision not to tell her. He’d waved the opportunity by as it passed him yet now intensely wanted it back. They’d unfortunately rejoined reality, but it was nowhere close to feeling as real as the reality they’d been a part of when the briefing room had been theirs alone. The tight, charged bubble of air that had encapsulated them on Mandalore followed them on the bridge of the Tribunal, shrinking steadily all the while and pushing them further together. It had reached a point of suffocating smallness, but one that Rex and Ahsoka both had welcomed — only for it to suddenly burst. 

Ahsoka stepped away from him and he could physically feel the distance growing between them in the pit of his stomach. It was then that he realized the end of the war didn’t quell his fear of losing her again — now in more ways than one. 

“You coming?” she asked, moving toward the exit. His stomach lightened. “The sooner things get done, the sooner we can tell everyone the good news.”

Rex picked his helmet up and his shoulders along with it. The soft curve of her full lips made his entire body feel lighter. There was not a thing in the galaxy to feel so mournful about just yet. 

“We could check up on how far along the men are with the post-mission checklists again,” Rex suggested. 

Ahsoka bit her lip midway through his sentence, suppressing a curious grin and shutting off her datapad. 

“What?” he asked, his own lips curving upwards. They’d been doing that frequently since her return. 

“We can only check the status of the gear so many times, Rex,” she laughed. “It’s been four years. Your men have it under control. They could probably do it in their sleep, I’d wager.”

That pulled a laugh from his lungs, “I reckon’ you’re right. The boys would start thinking I’ve come down with something if I start hovering again. Besides, the corries being on board are enough to do a lot of it for me.”

“I think I’ll have to confer with Jesse on that one. A relaxed Captain Rex is not something I can picture,” she teased, bypassing the final set of ships in the hangar.

“I’ve told you. It’s true. More than just Jesse can attest.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Ahsoka kept on, giving him a wink and that smirk of hers as he jogged up to catch her. “We’ve seen to our duties three times over now—”

“Two and a half,” he corrected, winking back at her, the blood in his ears pumping furiously.

That earned him a mocking eye roll, squeezing at his heart. “So far, you’re not proving your case. And as your advisor, I’d advise you to turn in early and get caught up on lost sleep. You should take every opportunity you get. I hear the war will be over soon,” Ahsoka jested. It’s all the men were talking about. Word had spread more quickly than even the Blue Shadow Virus had. 

He shrugged his shoulders, a loose smile playing at his lips, “Which doesn’t exactly mean the end of reports.”

“Vaughn has them covered as Captain,” she countered, crossing her arms and foiling his one and only excuse to remain in her presence for just a little while longer. 

Blast it. 

The last thing Rex wanted to do was turn in early. He very much wanted to finish overseeing the men, and he wanted to fill out the various mission reports from the siege… not that it necessarily needed to be done now or by him specifically. It was something that gave him purpose and perhaps a bit of joy. Did he still experience that same joy from said tasks when Ahsoka wasn’t around as he did them? 

Well, not exactly, but that has nothing to do with anything. And how many more opportunities would he get to do those things with her if the war truly was ending?

Even though it was still unclear, Rex felt a mass settle in his chest that told him their time together was limited. Did they just not address all that banter? The absence of appropriate distance between the two of them? The shortness of breath where they got perhaps too close? 

They were running out of time and he knew it. Everything was about to change. 

Rex wasn’t Force sensitive by any means, but he could feel that Ahsoka knew it too — just as he could somehow sense that she felt everything he felt. 

They came to a lift adjacent to the hangar and Rex stepped in after her, something like the wings of keeradacks brushing against the walls of his stomach. Had these things always been so narrow? 

He swore they were bigger on the Resolute. The Tribunal had to be an updated model of the Jedi cruiser. 

Their arms touched. 

Ahsoka cut her eyes up at him from under her lashes. He smiled but didn’t move. She didn’t either. Her gaze fell to his throat, watching it bob as he swallowed. The confines of the lift were having a physical effect on him and it was not going unnoticed. Ahsoka smoothed her dress. It was doing the same thing to her. 

A sharp ding then filled the thick air between them and Rex cleared his throat, hanging behind to allow her to exit first — because he was a gentleman and also because he wasn’t.

He bit his tongue at the way her short dress hugged her backside.

Ahsoka led the way through the corridor, passing the men’s empty barracks and heading toward the wing reserved for commanding officers and other such superiors. She was taking the long way and didn’t think he’d notice. 

It shouldn’t have, but the air felt thick up here as well. There was no one around but the two of them — their forces still cleaning weaponry and finalizing tasks for their return to Coruscant. These halls wouldn’t be so deserted soon, but for now, they echoed.

Commander’s quarters were within sight all too soon and Ahsoka leaned against the wall opposite of his door. Rex stopped suddenly, not approaching the door. It had been on his mind since they departed for this mission and he’d not gotten the opportunity to offer beforehand.

“Ahsoka,” he said, earning her curious eye. “You can have my quarters if you’d like. I know they used to be yours and it’s something that would feel familiar. You shouldn't have to sleep in a guest room.”

She smiled softly, “I wouldn’t ask that of you, Rex. Besides, I am technically a guest as an advisor. I appreciate it, but it’s quite alright.”

“I know you’d never ask it of me, which is why I’m offering it to you.”

“Rex, I’m not taking your bed from you.”

He swallowed, that specific string of words lighting his insides on fire.

“Then sleep in the General’s quarters at least,” he suggested. “If the Council hadn’t done what they did to you… that’s the room you’d be in right now anyway.”

Her brow markings dipped questioningly, an amused yet honest expression decorating her features. “What’s this about, Rex?”

If she said his name one more time, it would be the medic he’d have to seek out.

The closer she stepped, the more his throat seemed to close. “General Skywalker promoted me and, well, your bed is worlds more comfortable than mine — the Commander’s bed, I mean,” he corrected himself, cursing the blush that was blooming under his collar. “It’s worlds better than the Captain’s ever was and I deduced that the guest beds must be about the same as the barracks.”

Ahsoka raised her brows and nodded, confirming his suspicions, a little laugh punctuating her words, “You’d be right on the credits with that assumption. Always seeing between the lines.”

“Skywalker didn’t assign me to you for no reason,” he said, half joking. She laughed. Kriff, he loved it when she laughed. He loved even more than he could be the reason she laughed.

“You wouldn’t tell if I hijacked the General’s quarters, then?”

“Not a soul, General,” he playfully saluted. 

She rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the wall, approaching the door beside his. Her door whooshed open and his followed. 

Slender sienna fingers gripped the door and they drowned in one another’s eyes, staying quiet for too long and staring longer than was acceptable. If the war wasn’t coming to an end and there were more scenarios like this one, Rex wasn’t so sure either of them could keep a leash on their self control. That pull was back — that gravitational force between them — the bubble shrinking around them. 

She finally broke eye contact and glanced away, skin tinged with a blush. Her goodbye was reluctant. “Good night, Rex,” she whispered.

There was no no remaining moisture in his mouth and a frightened love in his “Good night, Ahsoka,” tugging back on itself, trying to keep itself a secret.

He waited until her rear lek disappeared through the door and it slid closed, the distance and the wall between them a heartache. Rex ran a hand over the back of his head and looked at the cold door. 

He loved her. It was in every word spoken to her, in the crossing of blaster under saber, in longing stares, in the lingering behind after everyone else had gone, the accidental touching, the knowing what they were doing with all that banter. He loved her. She made him understand the word in a way he never thought possible. 

At no point in the war had Rex paced so karking much. He did it until he thought maybe he was keeping Ahsoka awake with it, as they shared a wall. One wall. One fucking, miserable, mocking wall. He sat on the bed. His knee bounced incessantly. He didn’t even try to shed his armor and get the shut eye she’d advised. Sleep would not be coming any time soon. Rex knew well that her being an advisor had meant the war variety, not in the sleep variety. She had only been half teasing when she’d suggested it, of that he was aware, but he didn’t want to let her down.

She plagued him. She infected his every cell. He ought to find the medic and get him to run a diagnostic. He was sure the monitors would beep with a high amount of ‘A-count’ over that of the normal M-count he heard talk of all those times Kix had seen to Ahsoka’s injuries. 

Ahsoka had invaded his body and mind and he didn’t want to get her out. She reigned over all of his senses.

He checked the chrono and released a huff of air. It had only been an hour since they’d both confined themselves to their quarters. His mouth was void of all moisture, knees bringing him to stand from the bed and approach the door. With a sharp inhale and a setting of the jaw, he pressed the button to open it and the brightly lit hallway greeted him.

Roaring laughter could be heard to the right, pouring from the barracks. A drink was what he really needed, a bit of Tihaar to numb his nerves. Jesse would no doubt have a separate stash he could borrow from, with no fear of running low. But he didn’t turn to the right. Rex took one step to the left and found the door to the General’s quarters open — Ahsoka’s door. 

It was dark inside and he peered in, finding the sheets awry and no one in bed. No one was in the room at all. Where had she gone?

For a fleeting moment, Rex reconsidered the barracks, wondering if Ahsoka had joined the men in celebrations. But he shook his head, walking in the opposite direction. Rex had no destination in mind. Like his future, his current path was undetermined, leaving him aimlessly wandering about the cruiser. 

Most sections of the ship were completely untouched, indicating that the Tribunal had only recently been released from the Kuat Drive Yards. He wondered if Mandalore had been its maiden voyage — if it had been constructed for a war it would never see. 

After all, the siege had not officially been a part of the war. 

He sighed, trying with proven difficulty not to think about the time that had already passed and the time that still would. They were all waiting like sitting convors as one era quietly bled into the next. He didn’t expect to ever be so… unsettling. 

The rambunctious chatter in his helmet did nothing to lift his mood or ease his mind, moving him to switch his comms off entirely. No one was looking for him at this time of night, all under the impression he’d gone to bed. Hell, if a drunken trooper came face to face with him in the corridors, they’d look even more so like a kybuck in headlights than they did when sober. 

At any rate, Jesse was with them and doing an excellent job of being both the babysitter and the drinking buddy.

Their laughter echoed down the halls even this far away from the barracks. Ahsoka had to know what they were all doing, but either didn’t mind or had gone somewhere else to sleep. Between her not being on this mission as a Jedi as well as the war’s status being up in the air, she wasn’t there to bust any codpieces.

His face flushed furiously under his bucket at the thought. 

Rex had no idea how all this had managed to happen in just a few days' time. She was never not on his mind. If he took a left up ahead, it would lead him on the path to the medbay. It might be worth going to sort this thing out. He had to have breathed in some kind of pollen or intoxicant that made him feel this way about Ahsoka…

But deep in his heart he knew that nothing had gotten into his airways — nothing except her. 

Rex took said left and found himself walking above the hangar. The lights had been shut off, meaning the men had properly finished their assigned tasks without him going behind them to ensure it. He spoke too soon, however, as there was one light still on.

Without the comm chatter of the boys in his helmet, Rex’s own thoughts filled the bucket and suffocated him. Completing that earlier two and a half rounds of inspections would do well to clear it. He sighed and made for the lift in the hall to take care of the light when he passed by the hangar control center, catching sight of sharp movement from within through his periphery. 

The room was completely dark. 

“Hey,” he called, walking into the small room, his tone taking on that of reprimanding a loitering shiny. “No one should be in here, it’s after hour—”

His pauldron caught the edge of the wall and he lost his footing, catching himself with ease but not before bumping into someone.

Ahsoka. 

She was leaned up against a panel, smirking up at him as if she’d been waiting for him to get here, backlit by the one light in the hangar and the glow of the control panels. More importantly, she was flush against him and hadn’t moved despite his misstep. 

He had never been more regretful in his own steps as he backed away. Kriff, she was angelic. 

“After hours? Even for advisors?” she asked playfully, crossing her arms. 

He’d done nothing but smile like a fool since her return and now was no exception. Rex stood there admiring her, transfixed with her beauty and out of breath at the way she shone in the dim light. It was difficult to swallow, but he managed, thankful she couldn’t see his lopsided grin under the helmet. “I distinctly recall you infamously never abiding to the rule anyway,” he said, adding, “Some things never change.”

Even in the dark he could see her knee-weakening curve of the lips, smiling at his second use of the phrase, referencing a slice of their amorous interactions on Mandalore. Karking hells. This had taken the top spot of most beautiful things he’d ever seen — and everything on the list was Ahsoka.

Rex didn’t smile so genuinely very often, yet her return had broken new records. Seeing her face for the first time again, her reaction to the helmets, his handiwork had swelled in his chest and engorged his heart. He didn’t anticipate her being so beautiful, so perfect. As soon as those doors had opened and she’d walked in with Skywalker, Rex had been done for. And once they were on their way to Mandore — once they were alone — the banter began, but not ever how it had been before. His heart fluttered and his stomach flipped, that muscle behind his navel coiling. It was charged, magnetic, and only increased over the past few days. 

His poor heart hammered against his chest plate, threatening the integrity of the armor. 

“Don’t tell me you’re up because you were going to triple check the men’s efforts in the hangar,” Ahsoka taunted. 

He pressed his lips together and chuckled softly, “Well, if I told you I couldn’t sleep, that would be a lie.”

And a lie it would be. As much as he hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, his path tonight was never undetermined — it was always going to lead him to her. 

Ahsoka stepped forward and yet again they were nearly flush together, the distance between them now so small that it would raise all sorts of concern and probably broke several protocols. She studied his helmet and tilted her head, offering him a sweet smile. Rex knew better than to think she was merely taking stock of the armor, looking instead past it at the man underneath.

Ungloved hands closed around the bottom half of the bucket and lifted, all of Rex’s suffocating thoughts and feelings dissolving into the air. 

That had to be a protocol violation — but it would be one he never filed and his heart wasn’t complaining. 

And he was past letting it. 

Ahsoka hummed, “You didn’t even try, did you?” Rex offered her a guilty raise of the hands and purse of the lips and she laughed. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. And,” she said, running a finger along the rangefinder on his helmet, her words tickling his lips. His entire body came alight with electricity. “You’ll be pleased to know that the men did a perfect job with the ships in the hangar, like I said they would.”

His brows knit together and his mouth fell slightly agape, their breaths mingling. They were probably the only two people on board not drunk off their shebs, but Rex swore that was changing. He was becoming intoxicated just being this close to her, his mind struggling to work past the haze. 

Thankfully, his reserves kicked in and her meaning fell into place. “And you called me unrelaxed,” he heard himself say.

Shrugging, Ahsoka mirrored his earlier words, “Old habits and all. Like you said, some things never change, right?” He swore she winked at him but couldn’t be sure, the haze fogging his brain could’ve seen what it wanted to. “I did save you one though.”

A single brown eyebrow raised and he mirrored her smug little smirk, “Oh yeah?”

“I had a feeling I’d find you wandering this way at some point tonight,” she said, turning to exit the room, still holding his helmet and casting a soft, unreadable smile over her shoulder. 

Rex followed her again into a tiny lift and made a point to purposefully graze her arm with his, not that it wouldn’t have happened naturally if he didn’t try. He watched her lips raise out of the corner of his eye. 

The ding sounded all too soon and he decided that there was very little in this universe he wouldn’t give to be able to get stuck in this lift with her. 

She led him down the dim hallway towards the main doors, walking in comfortable silence and feeling his heart inch further up his throat with every step. This was where he had to tell her. They were quite literally walking into the opportunity. It was quiet all around them, but his thoughts were loud, so loud in fact that he was sure they’d start echoing in the hangar along with his and Ahsoka’s combined footsteps. 

The ship in question was a small shuttle tucked away to the left. It was the only thing in the hangar that was lit — the overhead light above it buzzing. 

“I can practically hear the gears turning in there,” Ahsoka commented softly, glancing back at him. 

“Just on edge a bit,” he said truthfully. “Guess we all are with the rumors that are circulating,” he said less truthfully. 

She pressed a button that lowered the ramp of the shuttle, nodding in agreement. “Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to not being a soldier with you, whether it's now or later.”

Rex straightened his shoulders, “I’m not sure what will happen to all of us clones, but it would be the highest honor to assist you in being a keeper of the peace. There’s nothing I’d rather do.”

He half thought she’d salute him again as she did on the bridge, but Ahsoka only boarded the ramp and set his helmet down on a nearby surface. 

“So… you’re rejoining the Order, then?” he asked, feeling the available air around them diminish.

Her lips flattened in thought and she nodded. “I think so, yes, but I'm not without my conditions. Besides, how else am I supposed to see you all the time?” she added, pretending like she was only joking. 

Something in the way she wet her lips told Rex otherwise. 

They’d barely made it two steps inside the shuttle’s narrow entryway and his heart already threatened to short out. He could control his breathing in any and all other situations, except for those that involved her. And for the first time, he noticed that her breathing pattern was the same. If not even the use of the Force could help her with regulating it, then he was fighting a battle he was destined to lose. 

By some miracle of the universe, his voice didn’t betray him as he spoke. “Did you really save this ship for my inspection?”

Ahsoka didn’t miss a beat and took a step forward. “You do have the better eyes,” she said, searching him far beyond that of the surface level. She seeped into his very pores.

Not another missed opportunity would pass him by, not when she was this close again, not when she was looking at him like that.

Rex pushed away from the surface behind him and matched her forward step, entering her space and turning her steps into reverse, backing her into the opposite wall. 

He was careful not to crowd her and she pressed herself into the durasteel behind her, looking up and finding his intense gaze. “I’d wager a fair amount of credits that yours are better,” he drawled, not at all in reference to her inspection abilities. One of his hands raised and settled on the wall next to Ahsoka’s head. Her left montral grazed the inside of his wrist and the breath in both of their throats hitched. 

The blue of her eyes felt like home and not just because they were the blue of Kamino’s waters on a day without rain. He would gladly sink to the depths for her if she asked it of him. Her wide eyes searched his, full lips parting as the inches between their faces dwindled. His knee ran along the outside of hers, that bubble around them tightening — constricting the air around them, forcing them to share the same breath. 

Whether or not Ahsoka had truly left this shuttle for his inspection or not was irrelevant. He’d figured out her unreadable smile and sleight of hand. She wanted to see if he truly had relaxed, if he could allow himself something like this despite his duty and despite his title — if he could love her. 

He did. 

He did and he was tired of not admitting it. Both to himself and to her. 

The backs of his knuckles slowly swept up her inner arm, gliding along her bicep. His fingers shook and his breath trembled, but he refused to look away from her, ready for any sign or signal that she wanted him to stop.

She swallowed visibly, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth and tilting her head just so, exposing her neck to him. The subtle movement was almost imperceptible, but Rex caught it, journeying to the skin and grazing her lekku with his knuckles along the way.

Ahsoka sucked in a heavy breath, heart pounding mercilessly. Rex continued, sliding his fingers over her neck and pressing over her very rapid, very visible pulse. She let out a breath of air as if to laugh at herself, but it became trapped in her throat as he leaned down, eyes on her. The ‘no’ never came.

His lips were soft as they pressed to her pulse point, kissing with the utmost delicacy and lingering not nearly long enough. 

Her eyes were blown wide when he pulled away, chest pushed forward and heaving. 

“‘Soka, I—”

She whimpered and cut him off, bringing both of her hands to his face and pulling him close, desperate to share his air again and feel his lips on hers this time. Rex’s hand fell to her waist and she wiggled to where his leg was situated between her legs. Ahsoka inhaled with quivering lips into his mouth and Rex did the same, lips touching briefly. His other hand cradled her face, thumb stroking the marking on her cheek, watching as her brow markings couldn’t settle on what to do.

Rex smiled into her mouth, sighing in relief as he closed his eyes and—

“Who left this light on? Someone turn that off before Commander Rex shuts the party down,” a voice echoed in the hangar. 

Ahsoka’s forehead pressed against Rex’s, the both of them out of breath and looking desperately into the other’s eyes as the footsteps drew nearer.

Another voice joined the first, “I saw Sterling turn all these off. Must’ve been an accident.”

Two orange fingers were held up and Rex nodded. Two troopers were coming this way and the ramp to the shuttle was still lowered. Fek, he hoped she had a plan. 

He wasn’t disappointed. Ahsoka closed her eyes and lifted her hand into the air, her nose scrunching as slightly as she navigated the Force. Rex watched on as the light from outside flickered a few times, repeating a few times and sparking before shutting off completely. The dark blanketed them completely. 

“Keep going,” she whispered breathily.

A blush blossomed over Rex’s entire body. Those men were still out there. 

“What the—” he heard one of them say.

“Must be a bad fuse. Tell a droid and let’s wipe our hands with it. I’d like to return to my drink,” the other giggled.

“Good with me.”

Karking hells they had to be right by the shuttle, with no idea that their Commanders were inside. 

His lips found that spot on her neck he’d kissed before, pressing his lips to it and deepening the kiss, one hand cradling her neck as the other found the tip of her right lek. Ahsoka sucked in a sharp breath and clenched her teeth to keep from making any noise. He bravely swiped his tongue along the tender skin and her body jerked, hands wrapping around his neck. 

“Rex,” she whispered, panting.

He hummed against her feverish skin, squeezing her lek and running it through his fist. 

She sighed, trying to control her reactions, “I think, I’d like to— I’d like to amend my statement from earlier.”

Rex sucked at the spot he’d been stimulating, right where her jaw met her neck, drawing the most delicious sound past her wavering lips. “Yeah? Which one is that, ‘Soka?”

He felt her swallow and catch her breath, antsy hands falling to his belt, “Whe— When I called you my friend,” she gasped.

All he could do was chuckle against her, pressing one final kiss to her neck. “I think we both knew what you meant,” he breathed. 

A small bit of light bled through the hangar as the two troopers vacated the area. She glanced towards the door and straightened despite the return of their privacy. “Linger back a bit,” she whispered. “Meet me in the General’s quarters.”

“Ahsoka,” Rex said, being sure to use her name properly. “Are you sure?” 

Her wrist was taken between his fingers and her other hand rubbed his shoulder in response. “I’ve never been more sure of anything, Rex. I’ve been sure for… how many days has it been?”

Rex expelled a bit of air from his nose and leant down to peck her cheek, “I’ve lost count by now, because of you.”

[mwolf0epsilon]

Summary: In which several clone medics create a private comm chat where they can discuss the daily shenanigans they are exposed to. Chaos, as usual, ensures.

[A chatfic where you get to see the clone medics either unwind after a long day, or occasionally pester each other for a quick laugh. Each chapter will be fairly short and simple, and there will be a LOT of Clone Medic OCs in it. Some chapters might focus primarily on certain characters rather than the group as a whole.]

[skellymom]

"Vagabonds" Chapter 6 "Job Gone Wrong"

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

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

To read Chapter 5:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/730320896366149632/vagabonds-chapter-4?source=share

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ

Word Count: 1.5K

Background: Mad takes a job that's more than she bargained for. Hunter and Wrecker go shopping. Omega and Sil bond over shared experiences.

Warning: Fear, the "F" word, Star Wars swearing, droid prejudice, brief mention of medical experimentation on unwilling participants, brief conversation of abuse and PTSD, supporting character death by blaster.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

Recap: If what the butcher back on Coruscant said was true, Tiggy was a hybrid between two Force sensitive breeds of canine: Vornskr hunting dog and wild Loth Wolf.  Seems her tail was docked to remove the venomous barb at the end and blunt any aggression.  Mad was concerned about any residual Vornskr aggression against Force users, but hoped the lofty Loth Wolf would dilute this.  Either Tiggy was going to be a great pet or a total disaster.  Mad was going to have to consult with Tech later to see if he had any knowledge or advice on the matter.  

She tiptoed toward the refresher to clean up and get ready for the next job...

"Job Gone Wrong"

Mad strolled across Ord Mantell and arrived at the meeting place for her next pick up.  She knocked 3 times on a non-descript door, waited for 2 knocks on the other side, then knocked 3 times again. 

When the door opened, an older bespectacled gentleman appeared.  He was short and wearing a clinician’s uniform.   

“Dr. Zebba?” Mad inquired. 

He nodded, “Mad?” 

“The one and only.” 

The doctor stepped aside and Mad entered. He seemed VERY nervous.  Not the best sign, but not totally out of the ordinary, as he didn’t seem like the type used to smuggling. “Come with me, please.” 

Mad rested a hand on her blaster...just in case. 

Dr. Zebba led her through a small entryway, then another door.  The room she stepped into was a clinic.  Rudimentary, but well kept.  The doctor walked over to a handheld cooler and lovingly caressed its top. A 2-1B med droid was busy cleaning and organizing the facility. Mad eyed it suspiciously. Its unemotive “face” and skeletal-like design was the furthest thing from providing comfort in her mind. 

“This is ‘Remedy’” Dr Zebba fondly motioned to the droid. “She’s been my assistant for quite a few cycles now.” 

Mad stood silently, hand still on her blaster, staring warily at the droid. 

“Remedy, meet Mad.” 

“Hello, Mad, pleased to meet your acquaintance.” A very calm electronic female voice emanated from the droid. It... she extended a metal hand in greeting. 

“NOPE!” Mad backed away from the meddroid with one hand up to block the greeting. The other now gripping the handle of her blaster. “Don’t touch me.” Mad’s hip firmly bumped into the table and jostled the cooler sitting on it. 

“Remedy is gentle, she would NEVER hurt anyone.” Dr Zebba looked slightly hurt by Mad’s reaction. The droid stood in place silently. 

“The Nomaadi have...a ’history’...as unwilling medical experiments, doc.” We are VERY wary of medical staff...and meddroids.” Mad was starting to sweat. “You can thank the fucking Kaminoan’s.” 

Dr Zebba was stunned by Mad’s very frank reply. An uncomfortable silence hung in the room for a few minutes. 

“Shall I step out for a while, Dr Zebba?” The meddroid politely inquired. 

“Yes, thank you Remedy.” He watched her exit the room, then cleared his throat. “Shall I brief you on this job?” 

“Go ahead.” Mad kept her eye on the door the droid exited from. 

“Well...as you know, the deal was to ferry humans across the galaxy. Unfortunately, the courier and the clone soldier sent to accompany her were...intercepted.  Instead of two individuals and this cargo...well, it’s just this cargo.” 

“Clone, huh? I don’t work for The Empire. Sorry.” 

“No worries.  I assure you this was and still is purely a mission for The Rebellion.”  The doctor seemed legitimate in his sincerity.  “Since we lost our courier, I am requesting that you carry it.  Otherwise, this mission will fail.  Several lives are hanging in the balance here.” 

“Oh?”   

“You will be compensated handsomely for the inconvenience.”  He pulled an extra case of credits out of drawer, setting it upon the table. 

Mad opened the case to see twice the number of credits that was quoted for the job. 

“When you deliver the cargo at its destination, another payment will be given to you.  We will supply you with any chain codes to ease your journey, of course.” 

“Ok, so what’s the catch?” Still eyeing the door and rubbing her bumped hip. 

“Please sit and I will explain the details.”  Dr. Zebba gestured to a chair. 

Mad sat down to hear what crazy plan would earn her more credits than she had the past 6 months of smuggling. 

Meanwhile, at the Marauder, Hunter emerged from the refresher.  Tech and Echo had already left for the antique parts junkyard.  Wrecker was snoozing in the pilot’s chair.  Hunter’s night with Mad played back in his head.  He looked forward to seeing her again tonight. Hunter wanted to get her something special.  No kriffing idea what, though. 

He wished he had asked Echo about such things.  Echo was good at choosing heartfelt gifts.  Tech perhaps might even suggest something unique and exotic.  Hunter glanced at Wrecker sleeping while tying up his hair in a clean bandana. 

This wooing a woman stuff was new territory for Hunter.  Especially such a vivid woman like Mad.  No simple trinket would do.  Something significant, with meaning, but maybe not too much.  He didn’t want to seem desperate.  Oh, but he was...desperately falling for Mad. 

“Wrecker, wake up” 

“Zzz...wha...whatchawant?” 

“I uh...need help.” Wrecker could see something was eating at Hunter.  “Have to make a stop at the Vendor’s Market.  Come with me.” 

“Oh?  Can’t be food, we just stocked up” Wrecker stretched, then peered mischievously at Hunter, then lowered his voice, “Oooh, it’s for Mad, isn’t it?” 

“Matter of fact, yes.” 

“You really got the hots for her!  Even more than that girl back in basic training...or that Twi’lek at 79’s... or...” 

Hunter chuckled and shook his head at Wrecker.  

“Never brought them gifts, though.” 

“No...” 

“Sure, I’ll help ya”  Wrecker grabbed Hunter and squeezed him tightly.  “Must be serious!”   

“Just don’t want to show up empty handed to the ‘Dame for dinner.” 

“Whatever you say” Wrecker chuckled and winked. 

Mad accepted the terms of the job. Dr Zebba was able to talk her into it if “The Droid” stayed in the other room. The extra money was going to be a boon as well.  Meeting at the extraction point sounded like it would be quick and easy.  

“Now remember what I said about...” a sudden explosion in the next room interrupted the doctor’s instructions. He dropped the bacta patch he was about to adhere to Mad’s hip. 

“WHAT THE KRIFF???” Mad jumped from the sudden loud noise. 

Dr. Zabba immediately grabbed the cooler, shoved it into Mad’s chest and yelled, “RUN!  No time, our security has been breached!”  And pushed her along frantically towards the back door to the clinic.  He opened the door which led out to an alleyway.  Another explosion in the room behind her and blaster fire.  As Mad crossed the threshold of the doorway, a heavy weight fell onto her back.  She stumbled, slammed into the ground, cooler flying out of her grasp and into the alley.  The wind was knocked out of Mad, with Dr. Zabba’s dead body sprawled across her legs.  Mad squawked in terror and struggled to shove his body aside.  She felt the adrenaline surge, kicked herself free, got up and started running. Pulled her blaster and squeezed off a few shots for good measure.  Mad grabbed the cooler and took off down the alley as fast as her legs could run.  Abdomen cramped with stress, she bit her lip and kept going.   

“Shitshitshitshit”  What the fuck was she going to do?  Who was pursuing her?  The Empire?  Mercenaries?  Bounty Hunters?  She had nowhere to go except the Beldame.  No backup plan, no alternative hiding spot.  This job was supposed to be simple. 

Mad ran blindly in the direction of her ship.  Crossed the vendor’s market, hoping to find cover and lose her pursuers.  Whomever was after her didn’t care about causing a scene as there were still active laser blasts and screams of people running away from danger. 

Hunter and Wrecker had successfully acquired a gift for mad, with time left over to sit in the vendor square and relax.  Their respite was short lived, however, as the sound of blaster fire and screams filled the air.  They both shot up to their feet and drew weapons.  Vendor tents caught fire and smoldered, filling the air with thick smoke and affecting visibility.  A crowd of vendors and patrons ran in all directions adding to the confusion. 

Hunter heard her voice before he even saw her.  Mad was still swearing to herself as she ran through the smoke.  A crazed exercise in self-soothing.   

“Mad!”  She heard Hunter’s voice and slid to a stop, quaking in place.  “Stay still, I’m coming to you!!!” 

She was enveloped in thick grey smoke. Voices, screams, and blaster fire coming from all directions. 

Mad was easy to find.  Hunter could smell sweat and fear, hear her frantic breathing.  Wrecker followed behind his brother. 

Hunter reached through the smoke and grabbed Mad’s hand.  She spun around wildly with abject terror on her face. 

“They’re after me.  It all went bad!” 

“You ain’t kiddin’!”  Wrecker quipped. 

“Who???”  Hunter implored. 

“I don’t know for sure.  Didn’t stay around long enough to find out!” 

“Let’s get out of here.  Wrecker, I'm taking Mad back to the Beldame and leaving.  You run to the Marauder and get off world with Echo and Tech. Comm them ahead to prepare the ship.  We can meet up later.  Hopefully this smokescreen will buy us some time!” 

“I’m on it!”  With that Wrecker was gone. 

“C’mon!”  Hunter and Mad took off towards the ‘Dame. 

“Where did she get this?” Omega marveled at the bobbling plasticine Rancor affixed to the ‘Dame's dashboard.   

She and Sil had been sitting in the cockpit conversing and watching Love levitate Tiggy.  The puppy was happily executing the doggy paddle through the ship.  It was an easy way to tire her out and restrict access to anything chewable. 

Omega bumped the Rancor to make it bobble again.  Mad had “modified” the toy so the Rancor was holding a severed doll head by the hair.  The head bore a certain likeness to Emperor Palpatine. 

“Mad picks up all sorts of odd things all over the galaxy.”  Remarked Sil.  “From traders, other Nomaadi, odd shops, even things cast aside on the street.  She’s got an eye for it.  Used to bring me and the family exotic and funny gifts when we met for Reunion...that was before I was taken away.” 

Uncomfortable silence for some time. 

“It’s ok.  Talk to him.” Love urged Omega telepathically. 

“I’m sorry they hurt you.” Omega hoped she wasn’t speaking out of turn.  But she could tell by Sil’s expression he was dealing with some heavy scars.  Love had Force spoke to Omega briefly about how they found Sil and that he had been missing for several years. 

He nodded and sighed.  What could he say?  There was so much.  Certain triggers: A tone of voice, a touch, certain body postures, even random noises.  Panic attacks during the day and nightmares after dark.  Physical and psychological scars from things done to him.  Sil was trying the best he could to heal and not be seen as a burden to others. 

“You’re NEVER a burden, Couzin” Love whispered in his head. 

Sil glanced over to Love.  He forgot that occasionally his Couzin could sense intense emotion and snippets of internal dialogue with individuals they emotionally bonded with. 

Omega proceeded carefully, “The Kaminoan’s...they would run tests on me.  Sometimes I didn’t want them to touch me, but I had no choice.  The first time I ever left Kamino was with my brothers.  The Kaminoan’s would have kept me locked up at the facility forever.  It took me a while to heal...not completely.  Not sure that’s possible.” 

Sil was quiet for several minutes, thinking about Omegas words.  She extended her hand and held it open.  Sil reached out, took it, and gave a little squeeze.  They smiled at each other. 

Behind them Love smiled. 

Tiggy, sensing the emotion in the room wagged her tail and continued to doggy paddle in levitation. 

The ‘Dames comm lit up with Mad’s voice, “Love...Sil...Hunter and I are en-route to the ship.  Start her up!  We need to leave Ord Mantell NOW!!!”  Laser fire and screams could be heard in the background of the transmission.   

Sil spun around in the pilot’s chair with wide eyes.  “Love, lower the gangplank and meet them there.  It sounds like they’re in trouble.  You might have to do “that thing” again...like on Coruscant.” 

“What ‘thing’???” Omega demanded to know exactly what. 

“No time!  Take Tiggy and belt into a seat!!!”  Love Force spoke inside Omega's head, handing her the pup, and running to the gangplank. 

Sil fired up the ‘Dame and kept it running.  He used the thrusters to turn its nose towards the city.  Smoke and fire came into view through the cockpit windows.  Ships around them were taking off and leaving in a hurry, more than usual.  Something big and emergent was happening. 

“What the kriff is going on???” 

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To Read Chapter 7:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/734468366280065024/vagabonds-chapter-7?source=share

[starstrucksfnuniverse]

Journey & Remedy Headcanons

For @kayvi0 :)

-Remedy is taller than most other EGO members... maybe like 6'1-6'2 or so. She hates the attention that it brings her, so in a bit of a weird way it is part of why she likes her job as a medic. Injured patients are more worried about other things than judging how she looks

-Journey is a bubbly and sweet person naturally, but she also does use jokes as a bit of a coping mechanism for her mental health. She is absolutely terrified of Hazard, so sometimes will joke about how she and Remedy both have evil clones with green hair (to which Rem argues that Toxin can't be her clone if they aren't the same age, don't have the same DNA, etc etc)

-Adding onto that last one, Remedy does acknowledge that she doesn't like Hazard, and whenever she has time she helps Journey redye her hair to separate herself from her clone. Because she's a nice person. It's not like she likes Journey or anything

-Journey absolutely calls her Remy when there's nobody else around. Remy pretends to hate it but really doesn't mind it. She doesn't have any nicknames for Journey though, she sees them as a bit pointless

-No mountain climbing, no hiking, and no missions until Remy makes sure that there are enough medical supplies in the event that Journey has an accident. Which is very rare, but better to be safe than sorry.

-Journey is one of the only people that Midas never argues with, because he knows he can't win. She's too kind for him to be rude to her, and (privately) is one of the few agents who never does stupid things

-She's really good at physically healing people, but Remedy is comically bad at giving advice on mental health. Almost worse than Midas actually. "Build a bridge and get over it." is her usual words of wisdom before sending the person to someone else

-Rem and 8-Ball get along really well, they're both considered the grumpy member of their squad, and get dragged along everywhere by their mutual ray of sunshine. They also both have a really odd sense of humor that nobody else gets but the other

-There are technically no pets allowed in the Agency (Meowscles doesn't count because he's half human, Kit gets a free pass for being Meows' son). But for a long while Journey had a pet rabbit that she had found injured while on a hike. Remedy didn't want to be anywhere near it ("it's unhygienic"), but she saw how much Journey cared about it and secretly kept a space for it in the back of her infirmary