#clone trooper pillar

[petrifiedforests]

"Sorry, I'm being so difficult for you." for, hm Tup/Dogma or Hics/Pillar ?

First of all, I'm absolutly very cool about this being a prompt for Hics and Pillar (clearly people online would never lie). Thank you!

Secondly, here it is!

Summary:

Ignoring a brother is bad luck. Treating someone as if they were already marching ahead shows the little gods who to guide.

Fill for the @clonefandomevents oc bingo

[citruswriter]

The Echo of a Warrior

Pairing: Reader x Anakin Skywalker

Reader Is: Afab, gender neutral, former Jedi, firebender, trading merchant.

Anakin Is: Sith Lord, Uncharred (sorry ladies, no BBQ crispy Sith for you).

Citrus Rating: Orange, Lime if you squint

Warnings: They/Them pronouns, angst, little to no paragraphs, sloppy writing (been forever since I written), slavery mention.

A/N: This is solely based off a dream I had + me filling in the gaps and fuzzy parts. Lol. It's gonna be put into two parts. This is essentially the backstory, pt 2 will be the smut.

Listen in with me! ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

"Hey Anakin?" You rolled over onto your stomach and poked his face, causing the young Jedi Knight to crack his eyes open and side eye you. "Yes?" He questioned. "Do you think we'll be friends forever?" You asked. Anakin laughed softly, causing butterflies to flutter around in your tummy. Oh how you loved his laugh... "Of course we will, silly". He said, poking your face back. You held up your hand, raising a pinky. "Prooooooooomise?" You asked, causing Anakin to laugh again before lazily hooking his pinkie around yours. "Promise".

Chaos ensued at the temple. What was going on?! You had been peacefully sleeping when you were awoken by blaster fire. Without even dressing properly, you grabbed your lightsaber and ran out of your room, clicking the blade on. Was the Temple under a Separatist attack? You ran out only to find the clone troopers shooting up everybody in sight. Taking a step back in horror you froze. It was only until a trooper close to you raised a gun to your head did you really snap out of your trance. You swung your blade at him, cutting his gun in half. When he went to grab you with his bare hands, you slashed again, cutting them off. You fled out of plain view. This was bad. Really bad. You ran back to your room so you could quickly dress but was knocked down the ground by a body crashing into you. You yelped as you were thrown to the ground. Struggling to scramble to your feet, a hand gripped your throat and threw you against one of the Temple pillars. You looked up in panic. "Anakin?!' You gasped. The boys grip on you loosened. "A-Anakin. Anakin what the fuck is going on!" You panicked. "The Jedi Order had betrayed the Republic". He answered, eyes downcast. You stared at him. "You're lying". You muttered and the boy looked back up at you with his blue eyes. "When have I ever lied to you?" He growled, grip around your throat tightening, eyes glancing down briefly to take in the silk gown you were wearing. Your breath hitched as his eyes flickered back up to yours, anger and hurt at your mistrust in him swirling in his gaze. "You're right, you're right! I'm sorry!" You agreed. You couldn't explain the rush you felt in your body. You had such trust in this man, he could tell you to jump off a cliff and you would. And he knew this. So why didn't you trust him now? His other hand went to grip your hip, causing you to swallow thickly. "I saw Master Windu attempt to murder the Chancellor myself," he spoke in a low and dangerous tone, as if he dared you to question him again. "You need to run, (Y/N). Because of the Master Jedi betraying him, he's ordered the killing of all Jedi. I know it may seem a bit overkill. But he doesn't know who can and can't be trusted. Please. Please, pretty girl. I'm begging you. I'm giving you this one chance to run away". Your heart fluttered at the nickname. "But Anakin.. If I run, I betray the Jedi Order. They rescued me from slavery. Anakin I owe them my life". Anakin pulled you in for a tight hug, him gripping you as if you'd disappear before him. After a few seconds he pulled back. "But if you stay here. You betray me." And that's all he had to say. He immediately saw you soften before nodding. "Ok... Ok I'll go. I'll run and I'll never turn back. I'll swear off the Jedi Order." You murmured and Anakin hugged you again, inhaling your scent for what could very well be the last time. "Thank you..." You let him pull back first. And when he did, you stared up at him before turning around and running off into the night.

You awoke with a start. Memories of old plaguing your dreams. With a groan you sat up. You wish the dreams would stop, but alas they didn't. Rubbing your eyes you glanced over at your old lightsaber. It hadn't been turned on since that night at the Temple. You didn't know if it even still worked at all. You swore off all things Jedi but your lightsaber was still very dear to you. So you held onto it and it became a decoration. Sighing as you rubbed your eyes, you stood up and wiggled your way into the teeny tiny bathroom your ship held. Looking in the mirror, you dipped your hands into the bathroom water reserve and washed your face before touching up your hair so it didn't look like complete shit. Looking at your torn and dirty clothes. You decided that it would do you some good to dock soon. Set up shop for a few weeks. Get some new clothes and a hot shower. You drew the hood of your cape up as you walked up to the cockpit. Pushing buttons and flipping switches, you set a course for a nearby planet before hitting the button to jump into hyperspace. While you waited, you grabbed some juice and some junk food. Not the best of breakfasts but it was all you had right now. You tidied up your bed and went to do a quick inventory. Making a list of everything you had and coming up with prices you deemed as fair on your holopad. When a beep alerted that you were close to the planet, you stretched and walked your way over to the cockpit. Dropping out of hyperspace as you clutched the steering wheel, you paled as you almost came face to face with a Republic starship. "Fuck!" You shouted, jamming the wheel down, causing your little ship to dive. Unfortunately for you, the starship noticed as blaster fire began to head your way. A string of curses left your mouth as you dived and evaded. Smashing a button to open a comm you almost shouted, "Stand down! I'm a friendly ship! I'm only a merchant! Plea- FUCKING SHIT! Please hold your fire!" Soon the fire stopped and you heard a voice back, "Apologies. We're tractoring you in now to check your cargo and question you". You sighed in annoyance as you allowed the large starship to pull you in. You had a bad feeling about this...

"That was some skilled piloting". The officer in front of you said as he eyed you suspiciously. You fiddled with your now damp hair. The officers had been kind enough to give you a room with a shower and some fresh robes. You had taken your time freshening up until you had been summoned for questioning. "Thank you, sir. I learned from only the best." You replied. The officer only hummed back in response. "We found some Jedi things on your ship, care to explain". You attempted to hide your nervousness as you felt your old lightsaber dig into your back. You couldn't leave it on the ship, so you stuffed it into your sash and hid it. "I'm a merchant. I buy, sell, and trade. Sometimes Jedi artifacts come into my possession. People are more than willing to pay a hefty sum for such a rare item, or trade something equally as rare". You replied with a casual grin and the officer rolled his eyes. Obviously he didn't think highly of merchants. "I suppose you're correct". He replied coldly. "What's up with all the questions anyways? I've been questioned by officers before and it's never taken this long". You said casually, which was a lie. You had never been questioned by Republic officers. In fact you avoided them like they were an incurable plague, but you were curious. The energy of the ship felt... off. "If you must know, we have some dangerous prisoners on board. Don't want any of their friends coming to save them". He sneered and you nodded your head. "Well if that's all, I'd like to get to the planet's surface. Respectfully, I have business to do". The officer rolled his eyes once more and two troopers stood on either side of you, ready to escort you back to your ship. You had only turned onto your third hall when the whole ship suddenly shook. You and the troopers almost crashed into each other but you quickly recollected yourself as you heard screams. "Red Alert! The prisoners have escaped!" A voice on the intercom screamed. The two soldiers immediately abandoned you. After all, you were just a merchant. Right?

♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡

Anakin fumed as he power walked the halls of his ship. "How the FUCK did one of them manage to blow a hole in this ship?!" He practically screamed. "I'm not sure sir! We think it may have been a Rebel spy!" A trooper responded. "There was also a merchant that recently boarded! We don't believe they're involved but it's not impossible!" Anakin grabbed his lightsaber, clicking the blade on. "Well? What was their name?!" He asked. The trooper grabbed the gun tighter. "(Y/N), sir!" Anakin froze and whipped around to face the trooper. He never expected to hear your name again, especially not in this context. Did you betray him finally? Or was this simply wrong place, wrong time. "Find them!" He spat. As much as he'd love to go after you himself, he couldn't. Rebel blaster fire shot his way as the trooper darted off. Two young individuals sprang forward, blue lightsabers in hand. They weren't Jedi, far from it. He could tell by their fighting style. He battled the two of them. The sound of saber clashes mixing in with the blaster fire. A girl lunged forward and attempted to pierce his side. He dodged just in time and slashed his blade forward, cutting her arms off. "Master run!" She screamed. Jerking his head, he saw a taller man run off. Growling, he jumped over crates and ran after him.

♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡

Another explosion rocked the ship and you stumbled into the wall. This ship might be going down. You needed to get off. Running down another hall, a body crashed into you, causing you both to stumble. Your old training kicked in and you immediately dropped into a fighting stance, hands ignited with flames as you assessed the possible enemy. "(Y/N)?" The man questioned. You recognized the voice and immediately put your flames out "Master Ulic?! I thought you were dead!" You gasped. "Old, but not dead." He rumbled. "I'm here on a mission with the Rebel Alliance". He stated. "Actually, I could use some help. Some of my men were killed and I don't know if I can do this alone". He continued and you winced slightly. Anakin came skidding to the end of the hall. His eyes flickered between you and Master Ulic and rage immediately coursed through his veins. Of course you betrayed him. How could you? How could his sweet (Y/N) betray him? The audacity you had to- "I appreciate the offer, Master Ulic. But I'm a different person now. I swore off the Jedi a long time ago. I'm just a simple merchant now." You replied as politely as you could. The Master frowned down at you slightly. Anakin noticed his focus was all in you, not his surroundings. He took this chance to spring forward and attempt to strike. Snapping his head up, he shoved you behind him, causing you to crash to the floor and smash your head against the floor. You groaned as your head began to swirl with pain. Shakily you attempted to find your bearings. Gripping the floor, you pushed yourself up onto your knees before attempting to gather yourself onto your feet. I need to get out of here. You thought as you stumbled into the wall. Fuck I need to get out of here. You attempted to lean forward so you could flee once more but a voice tore your thoughts back to the situation at hand. "(Y/N)!" A voice called, causing you to turn around. It was Anakin... The now Sith Lord had overpowered the Master Jedi and he was now calling out to you. "(Y/N) please! You don't have to join the resistance, but at least don't let me die here!" He pleaded. You turned your gaze to Anakin, who seemed to be observing you. He could just kill the Jedi. But he wasn't. No he wanted to see your reaction. You felt as if Anakin could see straight through you. You took a step back and the look on Master Ulic's face immediately changed. "No! No, no, no! You stupid girl!" Master Ulic roared. His newfound rage gave him the adrenaline rush he needed, smashing Anakin into the wall he stood up and began to stalk towards you. You tried to turn tail and run but the man used the force to draw you in. "I always knew you were loyal to the stupid Skywalker boy. Not even the High Jedi Council saw the deep attachments you had to him. But I did! Ooooh I did". He scowled and gripped your throat when you were close enough. "Why can't you see it? He didn't love you then and he doesn't love you now! He never will! He doesn't care about anybody but himself!" And with that you snapped.

"You shut your fucking mouth," you spat with such venom that even Anakin himself was in shock. In a fit of rage you did the one thing you promised never to do again, you drew your lightsaber. Master Ulic barely dodged your blade as you drew it in a backwards handle grip. Dropping you, you dropped gracefully before spinning around to face him. You launched yourself at him, the golden-yellow glow of your Jedi Sentinel blade meeting the angry green of his Jedi Guardian blade. Blades clashed as the two of you fought. You were now fueled by an absolutely primal rage that tore through your veins. Flipping your blade to a forward hilt grab, you put your strength into the next slash, causing him to stumble backwards. Wasting no time, you clipped your blade once again before dropping down into a stance. Drawing in a breath you focused your energy into your pointer and middle fingertips. A bolt of lightning shot from your fingertips, landing square in his center mass. He flew backwards and you exhaled sharply. Unlike force lighting, which was a dark side ability, your lightning was simply an extension of your flames. It took a lot of practice and focus, but it was deadly. Rising out of your stance you stumble forward slightly, it had been some time since you exerted so much energy and, unfortunately for you, you were rather out of shape. You winced as you felt the stitch in your side that had already taken the liberty of forming. Sighing you went to turn once again. It was time for you to leave. Or so you thought. A guttural scream ripped from your throat as a dark green saber struck you through the chest. Master Ulic, although injured, wasn't dead yet. He had used the force to launch his lightsaber and plunge it through your chest. Another shriek left your lungs as the Jedi Master recalled his blade to him. He had a job to finish. You heard a scream from somewhere, but you didn't know who it belonged to. You crumbled to the floor, wailing in pain. You wouldn't die, much to Ulic's dismay. Your species had regenerative abilities and were infuriatingly difficult to kill. Your vision began to blur as you felt your body begin it's self healing process. Wailing in pain, you still attempted to flee. Clawing at the floor and dragging yourself forward, your whole body shook as you sobbed. Eventually, the pain became too much and you rolled onto your side, wailing until your throat became hoarse. Your vision began to black out as you felt your body be lifted. You could barely hear the man above you as you began to loose consciousness. "Hang in there, pretty girl. You'll be ok. Please be ok. I can't loose you again..."

Tag List: None Yet

Anywayyyyyyys. That's the first partttttttt. Might write the other part tonight. Probably will bc I'm not feeling the best so might as well put that into smthn yk? Sorry again for the sloppy writing, it's been literal ages since I've actually put effort into some writing.

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

Midnight Masquerade - Invitation

Summary: You receive a mysterious invitation to an equally mysterious costume party off-world. While you don't normally do things like this, you're glad you decided to attend this party, especially once you realize what you stand to gain.

Warnings: reader is a monsterfucker; monster!clone au; unexplained Force magic potions; alcohol consumption; this intro is pretty tame but minors DNI regardless; individual chapters will be tagged with specific kinks and additional warnings

Word Count: 2.8k

MDFM's masterlist | Suggested listening for this series

You’d been distracted all day, mind fixated on the mysterious invitation and accompanying note you returned home to last night. A simple rectangle of orange paper, the invitation’s words spun dizzying circles in your mind: ��Come not as you are...but as you wish to be.” The note, signed simply from “your favorite trooper,” explained that the proclaimed “midnight masquerade” is for a costume party to be held today, off-world—but that’s the extent of the information you know. 

Maker, you don’t normally do things like this. Granted, you don’t often have time to do things like this; working as a senatorial aide leaves much to be desired in terms of a healthy work/life balance. If you’re being honest with yourself, you’ve been feeling stuck lately, wishing for something greater, something better, something more, to happen to you.

Which brings you here, to the mystery destination. The ship you’d chartered on Coruscant had given you a gorgeous view from space of this planet, a giant crystal ball, glimmering pastel blue in the light of the local star. Up close, though, the landscape is even more breathtaking. Towering spires of crystal glow from the inside in shades of white, blue, and purple. As you step tentatively toward the nearby town, the ground crunches underfoot, as though you walk over a field of tiny crystals. Jaw hanging open, a rush of awed excitement pours through you, electric and hot. 

The town itself looks almost out of place. Curving durasteel and plaster walls clash in harsh juxtaposition with the natural landscape. So far, you’ve seen no signs of other people or the planet’s native inhabitants. Swallowing thickly, you do a full 360. Anxiety begins to churn in your stomach. Thoughts, each darker than the last, chase each other in circles in your mind. In your palm, you clutch the invitation so hard it crumples.

“Hello there,” a singsong, ethereal voice calls.

“Kriff!” You nearly jump out of your skin. 

“I did not mean to startle you,” the voice says. A moment later, a tall, slender being emerges from behind one of the nearby pillars. Skin almost the same shade of blue as the crystal, they smile at you with such otherworldly beauty that you find you can’t breathe properly. Standing easily ten feet tall, they seem to glide forward, robes of pure black draping over their body like shadows, iridescent hair cascading down their back.

“Do you carry an invitation?”

You blink dumbly. “Um. Y-Yes. Here.” You hurry to smooth out the piece of paper before presenting it.

Their cloudy eyes drift serenely down to the paper. “Excellent. Right this way. There are many who have already arrived.”

Turning, they begin to meander towards town. You rush to catch up. As you approach the cluster of buildings, you notice signs of the party that was promised. Bassy music thrums up through the soles of your feet, and the scent of mulled cider tantalizes your nose and taste buds alike. But still a worm of anxiety wriggles within you. 

“Sorry, but, what exactly is this party?”

The strange being’s gaze caresses your face. “It is a most sacred ceremony in celebration of life, during a time in which death is closest. The spirits grow restless; we do our best to placate them through dressing in costume, among other things.”

As a senatorial aide, you’ve had many years’ practice of schooling your expression into polite neutrality. It’s a mask you wear well. You find yourself donning it now. While you don’t discount the possibility of veils between planes, spirits, and the like—not to mention the Force, not with the Jedi constantly in the Senate—you personally harbor no such beliefs. 

“Understood,” you say. 

The being chuckles, a pleasant, tinkling sound, like a wind chime in the evening breeze. “Not yet. But you soon will.” They glide to a halt in front of a large building, from which the sounds and smells of merriment emanate. “Here I leave you.” 

In the time it takes for you to approach the door and turn back to thank your guide, they’ve vanished. A shiver snakes up your spine. “Creepy.”

The blaring, synth-rock music is a physical force to the chest as you push the door open. Where the landscape outside is a swirl of crisp, crystalline blues, the interior is a foggy expanse lit by hues of rich violet, burnt orange, and vivid green. Gnarled, bare trees dot the large room as decoration. Several dozen high-top tables cloaked in tattered cloths are laden with food and drink. 

Perhaps most striking, though, are the dozens upon dozens of troopers in costume. 

Door falling shut behind you, you can’t contain your wide, incredulous smile. As you begin to step toward the dance floor, you catch sight of Mayday, Hexx, and Veetch adorned in identical Frankenstein’s-monster-like face paint. Through a break in the crowd, you spot Kix carrying far too many shots in one hand, dressed as—a slutty nurse? You blink to make sure you saw that right.

Interspersed throughout the crowd are a handful of other nat-borns. You recognize none of them.

Someone grabs your arm. Jerking your head around, you heave a relieved sigh at the familiar sight of Rex. Atop his head rests a wire halo. His body is dressed in a loose, draping white toga, with fluffy white wings protruding from his back.

Your eyebrows shoot up, both in amusement and in genuine joy to see your friend. “Rex! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“I lost a bet,” he admits with a cavalier smile. “Come on, we’ve got a spot saved for you.” 

Chest warming at his words (and definitely not at the glimpse of his partially bare, toned torso), you follow eagerly. Around you, costumed clones chatter away, sip drinks, and just generally appear far more relaxed than you’ve ever seen any of them before.

Near the edge of the room, lower tables have been set with seating and peculiar centerpieces. Glowing from within, the vase-like decorations sprout darkened and decaying flowers, stuck through with glitter bats, cats, and pumpkins—an odd assortment for a crystalline planet, but you’re distracted from the thought when you spot the table Rex leads you to. 

“When you said ‘we,’ I thought—”

“Torrent Company?” He flashes a wry grin over his shoulder. “Not quite. Gotta keep you on your toes, mesh’la.”

Squished around a table that is far too small for all of them are another ten troopers. Present are the entirety of Clone Force 99—a rare sight to see them sitting still; Commanders Cody, Wolffe, and Fox—your knees weaken when you realize you’ve never actually seen Fox without his helmet; and, deep in discussion, Fives and Sister, both of whom you’ve developed budding friendships with.

Rex squeezes into the booth between Cody and Fives. 

Jostled by his captain’s return, Fives glances around. His expression brightens when he sees you. “There’s our favorite aide!” he calls. 

Emboldened by his attention, you snag a nearby chair and pull it up to the last bit of free space at the table. To your left, Wolffe arches one severe eyebrow. His skin shines with a gray pallor, and a dark, twisting crown rises out of his curls. Black robes that look suspiciously like General Koon’s wrap around his body. To your right, Echo, dressed to the nines in a custom-tailored suit with red bowtie, gives you a genuine smile and nod. The rest of the troopers cheer or raise their glasses to you, welcoming you to the party.

“About time you showed up,” Fox deadpans. 

Someone pushes a shot into your hands. “What, didn’t think I’d miss getting blackmail material on you all, did you?”

As the others whoop and holler, Fox fixes you with a flat stare; around his eyes glint realistic scales, painted the same hue of red as his armor. Segmented horns curl up from his graying hair. As he lifts his drink to his lips, you catch the tiniest nod of appreciation from him. Your entire body flushes in satisfaction. 

Maker, this bunch is going to be the death of you.

You let yourself get swept into the current of the conversation. For the most part, you content yourself to listen. Occasionally one of them will ask you for input from a senatorial perspective, and they all seem to value what you have to add. But you’re more than happy just to observe. While each and every one of them are absolute stunners in regular life, tonight they all look divine, glowing with relaxation and costume makeup.

Most of their costumes are easy to parse together. Rex and Cody seem to have coordinated, Cody dressed as a devil to counter Rex’s angelic nature; Hunter has opted to dress as a werewolf halfway in the process of transforming; on Crosshair’s neck you spy two pinpricks of fake blood; Tech has donned a blood-spattered lab coat and swapped his usual yellow-tinted glasses for swirled ones; and the scales on Fox’s bare skin reveal his inner dragon. But you can’t quite pin down what Wrecker, Echo, Sister, Wolffe, and even Fives have dressed as.

With a shrug, you assure yourself you’ll find out at some point. 

You knock back the shot at last and grimace as it burns down your throat. Cody slides you another with a dangerous wink; you raise an eyebrow and shoot him a wink of your own. The deep, pulsing thrum of the music washes through you, and you let it control the rate of your heart. And you miss, or perhaps choose to ignore, the lingering looks they all give you, the ones that trail down your body and study your face with equal intensity. Heat, stoked by their looks and the liquid courage, simmers below your skin. 

The barest hint of an idea begins to form in your tipsy, buzzing brain. 

When Fives shoots you a conspiratorial smirk, raising his glass in a toast to you, you enact the half-formed plan. From the cluster of finger foods at the center of the table, you pluck a skewered olive, lift it to your mouth, and, eyes boring into Fives’s, make a show of licking the salty snack before wrapping your lips around it. Fives sputters and chokes on his drink. 

“Mesh’la,” Wolffe grits out, a warning note in his gravelly voice.

You turn wide, innocent eyes on him. “Something the matter, Commander?”

His grip on his glass tightens, to the point you worry he’s going to shatter it. Resisting the urge to wilt under his mismatched glare, you snag another olive and suck it into your mouth in much the same manner as the first. Wolffe breaks first, glancing away.

Around the table, the rest of them shift in their seats, acting like they didn’t all just watch you practically give head to those poor olives. Stifling a smirk of your own, you lean back, satisfaction lingering in your veins. After a moment, the conversation resumes its ebb and flow around you.

You’re not sure how much time passes before the music quiets and a dreamy, floating voice comes over the speakers. “Revered guests, now is the time for you to decide whether you will cross the shadowed veil and experience another form of living. Potions will be provided for consumption. You may notice that you become more than a mere costume. Be assured, the potion’s effects are temporary.

“One final word of caution: in the case of sexual coupling, it is inadvisable for more than one person to partake of the potion.”

A buzz of confused, excited chatter whispers across the assembled crowd. At the mention of possible intimacy, your skin flushes, heart beating rapidly against your ribcage. Whoever had been speaking has just dredged up the unspoken thing between you and every person at your table. An idea begins to bloom in your mind, spurred on by the alcohol in your system, the bone-rattling music, the sweet scent of the fog machines, the looks they’ve been giving you all night. You glance, suddenly shy, and find Rex already looking at you with concern slanted across his brow. With a smile, you relax. 

“I’ll get the potions!” Sister clambers out of her seat and disappears into the crowd. She reemerges several minutes later carrying a tray of shot glasses, each filled with a murky, swirling liquid. You grimace at it when she hands you one.

“We’re supposed to drink this?” you mutter, voice drowned out as the music resumes its previous volume. 

Wrecker sniffs at his glass. “It smells nice. Herbal and fruity.” 

Rex catches your attention again. “Maybe just one of us should try it first.”

You’re about to affirm what a good idea that is, when Cody’s gaze shifts from you to someone behind you. Turning, you watch as one of the Wolfpack downs the thick drink in one go. For a moment, nothing happens, and then his entire body shudders violently. You must have blinked, because suddenly he’s no longer fully corporeal, and instead floats a few inches above the ground, his body and clothes gray vapor and mist. You realize with a start that the entire squad is costumed similarly to Wolffe; he’s the only one wearing a crown.

Next to you, Wolffe heaves a sigh at the same time that Fives and Sister gasp out, “Wizard!” The two of them share a conspiratorial grin, then, clinking their glasses together, throw back the mystery shot.

The same odd shudder-and-blink phenomenon happens to them. In place of Fives’s plastic horns and fabric tail are suddenly real, bony horns protruding from his forehead and a writhing, leathery pointed tail. Sister’s nature-themed costume sprouts living flowers. Her braided hair becomes a mass of vines. 

“It appears that the drink turns you into your costume,” Tech observes, one finger raised.

“I would have never known,” Crosshair snarks. He, too, downs his shot. Skin growing paler, the mock wound at his neck dries into faded scars. When he flashes you a smirk, two pointed canines poke from between his lips. Arousal shoots through you with sudden heat, your core clenching.

One by one, the troopers around you down their potions, until you’re the last one left. Mulling over the announcement, you weigh your options. You’d be a liar if you said you haven’t had a few...indecent thoughts since arriving tonight. But you know none of these troopers would hold it against you if you decided to drink the potion and similarly transform.

Twirling the glass in your fingers, you shake your head to clear it and set the drink on the table. 

“I have a proposition for you all,” you say, leaning forward. You preen a little when you see you have their rapt attention. Confidence surges through you, hot and languid and bold. A smile curls over your face.

“I’ve always wanted to know how a monster fucks.” 

For a brief moment, the table remains draped in silence, punctuated only by the nearby raucous shouts of other clones and the heady, bassy music. Then, all at once—

Tech, always aiming for precision: “Technically, we are not monsters, but rather realistic imitations of them.” 

Crosshair, snarky and smug: “Really think you could handle it, doll?”

Cody, one stern eyebrow raised: “Is that so, mesh’la?” 

Sister blushes a wonderful shade of red, giggling as she reaches up to close Fives’s hanging jaw. Hunter squints at you. In the strobing multicolored lights, his eyes seem to reflect like an animal’s. Only Wolffe and Echo seem to have maintained their composure, though you catch the dangerous smirk toying at Echo’s lips.

As the initial outburst of reactions subsides, Fox snorts, a gasp of smoke puffing from his now-elongated snout. “That sure was a funny way of begging, little one.” 

“I only beg for those who earn it, Commander Fox,” you say, a little too sweetly, judging by the way his eyes—dark and reptilian and piercing—rove your features.

Rex clears his throat, drawing your attention back towards him. Your breath catches; in the chaos of everyone transforming into their costumed selves, you’d somehow missed the finer details of Rex’s new form. The fluffy white wings, formerly attached by elastic, now rest gently against his back, shifting as he adjusts in his seat. Floating above his head, casting his face in radiant beauty, the halo burns in a miniature solar flare. 

“All you have to do is say the word, mesh’la,” he says.

Swallowing, the trickling realization of what you’ve gotten yourself into finally sinking in, you shake your head. You dart up from your seat and rush to a nearby trash receptacle. Thankfully, you don’t have to dig, the object you need resting near the top. 

You return to the table with an empty bottle. Eleven near-identical expressions of dismay and confusion clear as you settle back into your seat and rest the bottle on the table in front of you.

“Let’s let fate decide.” 

You spin the bottle, watching, mesmerized and anxious, as it rotates in a blur, before coming to a rest, its neck pointing at...

...Crosshair

...Fives

...Echo

...Sister

...Tech

...Rex and Cody

...Wrecker

...Fox

...Wolffe

...Hunter

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[catohphm]

In my latest Hogwarts Legacy Star Wars AU brainrot today, I looked into the question of how Jedi Danny would survive Order 66. I ended up coming up with an action sequences where he uses his lightwhip and a speeder bike to escape.

Master Islwyn was out in battle on a Separatist-occupied plant. He and his clone battalion headed into a tunnel to secure the next area. They approached what was a checkpoint that seemed to be deserted. A squadron of CIS soldiers emerged from behind crates and containers to ambush them, catching them by surprise. The Jedi and his clone commander quickly took cover behind some containers while the troopers returned fire at the CIS squadron. It was a short but fierce exchange of rapid blaster bolts.

After all the hostiles were downed, the group was about proceed further down the tunnel toward their target when the clone commander suddenly unholstered and readied his DC-17 blaster - Danny overheard it and promptly disarmed him with his lightwhip. The pistol hit the ground and went off, the shot hitting a weak supporting pillar. It fell over and landed behind him and the commander, separating them from the battalion.

The two engaged in a hand-to-hand brawl as the tunnel started to collapse. The Jedi overpowered the commander with the help of his lightwhip. Unconscious, he was thrown over the pillar to his clones, who had no choice but to hastily retreat while leaving Danny to be crushed by rubble. Meanwhile, the Jedi quickly commandered a Flitknot speeder bike that belonged to one of the Separatist men and floored it.

Although the Flitknot was a fast speeder with good acceleration, it was still a race for Danny's life. The tunnel had just started to cave in, and it was catching up. It was going by like a blur as the vehicle was picking up speed. Boots deep on the pedal, the Jedi hunched forward, gaining momentum. The falling rubble was still reaching closer, threatening to devour him. It now inches away from his speeder. The light at the end of the tunnel had to be close. Danny squinted his eyes closed in desperate hope, leaving himself in the hands of the Force. Then, in a big blast of dirt and dust, he bolted out of the tunnel portal on the other side. He had made it.

If Danny had not pulled off his escape with the speeder bike, he would have perished like the Separatist troopers in the tunnel. Like the collapsing tunnel threatening to obliterate everyone in it, the CIS, Jedi and the Republic would be crushed by the colossal might of the Empire, ruthless in its hunger for power of the galaxy.

[rexxdjarin]

using commander fox vs captain rex or arc trooper fives as either ends of a spectrum of

What happens to soldiers in the system they serve

Where - Arc Trooper Fives is the “leftist?” He was an immensely gifted soldier. A genius. A free thinking, talented leader whose valuable independence lead him to the truth that very, very few others in the entire galaxy ever knew. He discovered the terrible truth about the system he thought he served in, about who he thought he was and he, as a true arc trooper should, jumped into action to make it right. to find justice for the sake of all innocent life in the galaxy. because that is what the republic he served was truly supposed to be. He died for the truth. He died for justice. He was right and he died for it.

Where - Captain Rex is the “loyal just left of center?” He believes in the tenant’s of the system he serves. He’s an absolutely brilliant and steadfast leader. Men who outrank him value his insight and his skill above many others in the galaxy. He was a pillar of the grand army of the republic. He was everything a solider and a captain should be. He was loyal to his core. And yet …the deeper he got, the more hard learned truths he discovered, the harder and harder it was to maintain the loyal image he wanted to be. The system was set up to fail. It was set up to fail him. It was set up to fail the tenants of justice he propped up and held so dear. He survives by breaking from the system he swore to protect. It was the only way. He continued to move left and to rebel to hopefully bring back the justice and republic he fought for. The one the innocent people of the galaxy, including himself and his brothers, deserved.

And finally

Where - Commander Fox is the “right?” kinda ? He wholeheartedly believed in the system he served. And unfortunately blindly followed it, even if it harmed him. He didn’t want to believe that what he was created for wasn’t the justice he was told he was enacting. That he was being used. As long as he was loyal, as long as he did what his leaders told him then he was fulfilling his duty. But he obeyed too much. He, unknowingly did the bidding of an evil dictator because he did not seek to question his orders. Until it was too late. Until he was forced to forsake his brothers, his republic and everything he ever held dear. His loyal to a fault leadership wound up hurting him in the end and his fate was the same as all his brothers - a means to an end of violence, ultimate control and obsolescence no human being deserves.

Fives was willing to put his own life at risk to expose the truth to save the galaxy. He died for the right thing to do.

Rex gave up the only life he knew, a leader in the republic army, to carry out the tenants of justice against the will of the very system he was once vital to. He learned his lessons the hard way but ultimately rebelled and fought for the right thing to do.

And poor Fox, and most clones, stayed loyal to the fallen republic, albeit mostly against their will at first, meeting the ultimate bitter end of being decommissioned and cast aside despite all they fought so hard to uphold and with nothing to show for it, if they even survived at all.

They are each very real reflections of how soldiers are treated. Each with their own difficult paths and issues to overcome.

I’m mostly interested in a Commander Fox who learns the hardest way of all. I want to see the Commander Fox who realizes nearly too late that serving under Palpatine, in the Empire, isn’t what he wants. And even though he suffered, even though it’s so so hard, even though he’s been through unimaginable pain and likely committed even worse, his perseverance and commitment to justice and survival of his brothers would be far more inspiring to read and see develop than any other headcanon there could be.

[ghostmistdraws]

Get Him To Swap Our Places

Synopsis: Hunter and Crosshair were able to kill the clone assassin... but they're not prepared for who they find underneath that helmet.

Word Count: 1136

A/N; WARNING ANGST AHEAD!!! I've never post any of my fics on Tumblr, but I figured this might do well here. Anyway, still sobbing from the finale so forgive any spelling errors

Crosshair was barely awake and his head was throbbing for the second time. Every single terrible memory of this place was replaying all over again. He’d gotten his brothers captured, tortured. It should have been him, they should have ran and called for backup. Now they were all going to die, because of his failure.

But, fate had other plans for them. And fate’s name was Omega. She’d come back for him, she’d come back for him again. 

Crosshair's body ached and his head spun. He was seeing double, which definitely didn’t help with his already terrible aim. But he still fought like hell. For his brothers, for his sister.

The Darktroopers were highly skilled, highly trained. Crosshair knew that, he remembered the conditioning process all too well. His hands still trembled whenever he thought about it. But, he clenched his fists tighter around his blaster and pressed on. His shots were a little sloppy and uncoordinated, things that would have got him highly reprimanded when he was a cadet on Kamino. Yet, right now, all he could think about was keeping his family alive.

Crosshair screamed out as he saw Hemlock cuffing Omega and dragging her away. He thought he did, at least, but not a single sound came out of his mouth. A sinking feeling rushed through his body at the thought of losing her all over again. Crosshair knew how skilled she truly was, but he couldn’t stop that jolt of anxiety that ran through his body at the very idea.

But the only thing that filled his veins the moment Omega left his sight was rage. He knew these Darktroopers were not acting of their own accord, but he still was pissed. He was pissed at Hemlock.

Crosshair saw red. He didn’t care what happened to him now, he was going to fight like hell to save his family. If he died, so be it. He blasted, punched, and kicked troopers over and over again. 

But when he was distracted, that clone assassin jumped him. They were both knocked to the floor. Crosshair fought for his life, but the assassin was strong and had him pinned down. 

“Crosshair!” He heard Hunter’s voice and managed to catch his brother’s eye. Hunter picked up the electric javelin that one of the troopers had been wielding and nodded to Crosshair. They immediately understood each other.

Crosshair managed to curl his legs in and kicked the assassin as hard as he could directly in the chest. The assassin skidded backwards, slamming into one of the pillars, and Hunter hurled the spear. It flew through the air and right through the assassin’s heart, spearing him to the pillar.

Hunter offered Crosshair a hand and pulled him back to his feet. Crosshair was breathing heavily and leaned on his brother for support as his legs were still weak. The rage finally simmered out of his system and left him feeling empty and exhausted. His eyes lingered on the dead assassin for a moment.

Despite it all, Crosshair felt this strange kinship with the mysterious clone assassin. They were both forced into roles that they didn’t want, that they didn’t choose. That choice was stripped from them. And now, this clone, this brother, was killed fighting for another corrupt organization, without a single say in the matter.

Crosshair took a quick step towards the assassin, skewered to the pole with a javelin like some kind of animal. Clones deserved better than this, better than being experiments like he was. Crosshair reached up to the assassin’s helmet.

“Be free.” He murmured in a quiet voice, so only they’d hear him.

Then, he removed the helmet.

Nothing could have prepared him for the shock and horror that filled his veins. It was so strong it almost knocked him off his feet. Crosshair’s eyes widened so much it felt like they might pop right out of their sockets. His mouth fell agape. He took a step back that almost made his knees give out on him. His mind reeled.

This had to be some kind of sick joke.

Tech.

Why did this bastard have his brother’s face? He couldn’t be. Tech had died on Eriadu, right? That’s what Omega had told him, that’s what she said had happened. Plan 99. But, it was Hemlock who’d given them his goggles. If Hemlock found Tech…

Oh god, no…

Crosshair wanted to throw up. His hands trembled without ceasing. He took a few unsteady steps backwards, running right into Hunter. He also was stood frozen in complete shock and horror. His eyes trailed to his own hand, then back to Tech.

Hunter couldn’t believe what he’d done. He knew that time was short, he had to get to Omega, but he couldn’t bring his feet to move. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the body of his dead brother. His heart felt like it had been ripped straight out of his chest.

Hunter killed his little brother.

He’d done it for a second time. He couldn’t save Tech, again. The sight of his little brother with such a lifeless and cold expression on his once soft face made his chest tighten. His warm brown eyes, once full of such intelligence and curiosity for the universe, were without color or life. Hemlock had done this. He’d turned Hunter’s brother into some mindless killing machine who’d follow orders without question or remorse.

Hunter felt bile rising in his throat at the realization. The realization of what his brother had become. Tech wasn’t allowed to rest in peace. His final action should have been his sacrifice, his selfless choice to save the rest of them. But that choice had been stripped of him.

By Hemlock.

Hunter knew he didn’t have time for a proper goodbye. They’d come back for Tech, give him the proper burial on Pabu that he deserved. They’d finally let him rest, finally let him stop fighting.

But, right now, they had to save Omega. Hemlock couldn’t be allowed to do this again. Not to one of Hunter’s family. He’d die before he’d let it happen. Hunter approached Tech’s body and gently pressed his forehead to his brother’s. Hunter’s eyes gently closed, a single tear escaping his eyes and rolling down his cheek.

Tech’s skin was cold and clammy, but Hunter didn’t care. He remembered the time when his brother was full of light and life. When he’d eagerly explain a new concept that they’d discovered, or gush to Hunter about a new project. When they’d used to do this after a long fight.

Because that was the Tech that deserved to be remembered. And he would. As long as Hunter lived, as long as any of them lived, Tech would never truly die. He’d live on in their memories and in their hearts.

[photogirl894]

"Sun and Rain Part 2: Age of the Empire"

Chapter 38

"Jump"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

A/N: Today might be my birthday, but here is a gift to all of my lovely readers!! 🥰 Enjoy!!

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @intrepidmare , @legolkenxbi , @tech-aficionado ,

@ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan , @sammi9498 , @darthzero22 , @scarlettrose9901 ,

@thebadbatchscyare , @chxpsi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @4pplecider , @locitapurplepink ,

@l-lend , @nekotaetae , @eternalwaffle , @merkitty49 , @avathebestx ,

@idoubleswearimawriter , @techs-stitches , @fantasyproductions , @totallyunidentified , @dreamsandrosies

《 Chapter 37

》 Chapter 39

All parts (Part 2) (Part 1)

Explanation: Now with Rex's friend, Gregor, liberated from his captivity, Kimber, Hunter, Echo and Tech must escape the Imperial base on Daro.

The chase was not letting up as the Bad Batch and Gregor continued to run through the Imperial base with several troopers on their tail firing at them. Fortunately, the Imperials’ aim wasn't as great as their predecessors, so it was easy for the Clones and Kimber to dodge the shots. They all ducked behind pillars on either side of the hallway for cover, jumping out to fire at the enemy. Tech threw another smoke bomb to Hunter, who set it off and tossed it at the Imperials, encasing them once again in smoke. Once the smoke surrounded them, the Clones were able to stun most of the other troopers, but there were still more soldiers coming. At Hunter's unspoken command, they continued down the corridor.

“Hurry!” Kimber cried as they ran.

Tech, Gregor and Kimber were at the front and as they came around a corner, they were surprised by a commando in white and yellow armor suddenly appearing in front of them. Two shots rang out and made contact with Gregor's chest.

“Gregor!” Kimber exclaimed in shock.

The commando was quick to try and shoot at Tech, but Tech easily avoided his shot and fired a stun blast that the commando dodged. As he dodged, he moved forward and shoved Tech to the ground. With an angry cry, Kimber leapt forward and shoved him back a couple steps with her shoulder. Then she attempted to throw a kick at him, but he ducked under her leg, moving behind her, and he proceeded to shove her, as well, right into Tech, the two of them colliding and hitting the floor. Then both Hunter and Echo started shooting stun blasts at this commando. Kimber watched in astonishment as, after two stun blasts, the trooper was still standing. It took three more stun shots from Hunter to finally knock him unconscious.

“Are you okay?” Kimber asked Tech.

“It's fortunate for me that you are not very heavy,” he replied, standing up.

Hunter and Echo carefully pulled Gregor to his feet and Tech helped Kimber up, but the chase was still not over as more shots came their way from the other end of the hall. Hunter and Echo led Gregor away while Kimber and Tech covered them and fired at the enemy as they ran. There was a control room at the end of the hallway that they quickly ducked into. Once the doors were shut, Tech shot the controls on the wall to ensure the Imperials couldn't get through.

While Echo started going through the computer system in front of them, Kimber holstered her blasters, approached Gregor, who was clutching at his blaster wound in his chest, and asked, “Are you all right, Gregor?”

“How bad?” Hunter added, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Gregor let out a nonchalant chuckle and said, “Ha! Don't worry about me. This is nothing. I got blown up once and survived. I can survive this.”

Hearing that, Kimber didn't fail to notice Echo perk up at hearing what he said and she didn't forget either that Echo had also survived an explosion before.

Then Echo informed them, looking at the computer screen, “They have all the access points to the central ring blocked off.”

“Maybe we really do need to just blast our way out,” Kimber suggested.

Then Tech pointed up above the computers to a grate in the wall. “There. Those pipes are reactor conduits.”

“And?” Hunter asked.

“Well, they should lead to the main reactor's external exhaust port. That is our path to the outside,” Tech explained.

“Outside? You mean halfway up the mountain?” Kimber questioned him, taken aback, as he continued tapping things out on his datapad.

Then Gregor stepped forward, adding, “We can't survive that jump.”

Putting his datapad away, Tech responded, “No, but we would be able to signal our ship.”

Then he took out a small thermal detonator, activated it and threw it with ease up to the grate. Seconds later, it went off and the destroyed grate clattered to the floor. Echo gave Hunter a lift first up to the opening and then Tech was next. After him, Echo helped Kimber get up to the open grate.

She crawled in and then peered back over the edge, offering out her hand to Gregor. As he placed his foot in Echo's hand and Echo carefully pushed him up, Gregor reached up and took her hand, grunting in pain as he got pulled up.

“Easy does it, Captain,” she said as he pulled him in.

As he got in and started crawling through the pipe, she reached back down for Echo. He hopped up and grasped her wrist, pushing up off the computer desk with his foot to give her some help in pulling him up. Once he was inside, he gave her a thankful nod and they both crawled through the pipe after the others. Once they got through into the exhaust port and could stand, Echo and Kimber got on either side of Gregor and put his arms over their shoulders to help him walk.

While, up ahead, Hunter commed Wrecker and Omega for a pickup, Echo asked Gregor, “How did you even end up in this place?”

Through heavy breaths, Gregor answered, “I was sent here with other commandos….” He took a second to cough and continued, “and quickly realized I wanted out.”

“I don't blame you. You made the right choice,” Kimber assured him.

Gregor then said with a cocky grin, “Yeah. It turns out the Empire doesn't take too kindly to desertion.” Then he chuckled good-naturedly.

“Yeah, no kidding,” said Echo.

“Well, don't you worry. We'll get you out of here and you won't have to worry about the Empire anymore,” said Kimber.

After another groan, Gregor said back, “I appreciate you guys helping me.”

“It's what we do,” Kimber replied gladly.

Up ahead, Hunter and Tech had halted just outside where the reactor port ended. When Echo, Kimber and Gregor caught up, they stopped and realized that it was a sheer drop directly in front of them down the mountain and into the forest below.

Gregor released a nervous cry and said through a chuckle, “Glad we're not going that way.”

“Yeah, that…is not ideal,” Kimber commented aloud, peeking over the edge.

“That is my line,” Tech said in reply.

Right then, over the comms, they heard Omega state they were on approach just as the Marauder came into view in the distance. Tech let her know that they all saw them as they waited. However, there was then the sound of blaster fire behind them and shots whizzed past their heads. They realized more troopers had followed them up into the reactor port. Gregor, Echo and Tech ducked for cover on one side while Hunter and Kimber positioned themselves on the other.

“Stay close to me,” Hunter told Kimber as he fired back at the Imperials.

Dropping to a knee so she could fire around him, she replied, “No need to tell me twice.” Then she started firing blasts, as well, at the incoming soldiers around the corner.

Not long later, the Marauder pulled up beside the ledge. Tech jumped out in the open, shooting at the soldiers, and then swiftly moved out of the way as Wrecker, now in the open doorway of the ship, started firing off shots--not stun blasts--at the Imperials to clear the way, taking out a couple of the troopers. He told Omega, who was clearly piloting the ship, to move closer and kept firing. As the ship inched closer, Wrecker called for them to get inside. Tech was the first to jump on and then Gregor followed. Unfortunately, though, before anyone else could get on the ship, a squad of Imperial fighter ships came flying from around the other side of the mountain and began firing at the Marauder, which caused the ship to retreat in order to lead the Imperial ships away.

Kimber looked back just in time to see a commando running in their direction and cried, “Look out!”

Seeing Echo was right in the commando's line of sight, Hunter pushed him out of the way just as the commando started firing. Then the commando turned his sights onto Hunter, grabbing his wrist and making him drop his blaster. Hunter in turn pushed the commando’s arm with the blaster rifle away, kneed him in the stomach and pulled the blaster rifle out of his hands, shoving him towards Echo. Echo grabbed the commando and held him in a headlock, which he desperately tried to get out of. After a brief struggle, the commando threw his head back into Echo's helmet, causing him to let go, and the commando stumbled forward. However, the other troopers back in the tunnel didn't cease firing and shot the commando right over the edge, where he fell with a pained cry.

“Shooting their own men…Imperials really aren't the smartest,” Kimber stated.

“You can say that again,” responded Echo as he moved back against the wall.

The three of them continued to hold off the Imperial troopers while they waited for the Marauder to return. The enemy wasn't letting up and the most they could do was just keep avoiding the incoming shots.

“We're coming back around. Be ready!” they all then heard Tech inform them on the comms.

Within seconds, the ship pulled up alongside the cliff and Omega appeared in the doorway, calling to them to jump. Hunter signaled for Echo and Kimber to go first while he covered them. Echo jumped onto the stairs and then turned back, extending his hand to Kimber. Just before she was about to jump, she saw the Empire's fighters coming back. Quickly, she leapt forward, catching Echo's hand and landing on the ramp just as the ship's started firing on the Marauder. The ship suddenly lurched to the side and began going down and Kimber stumbled a little. She was about to yell out to Tech to wait because they were leaving Hunter, but when she looked up, Hunter was leaping off the edge down to the ramp. She watched him carefully, ready to pull him inside before the Marauder took off.

Hunter landed on the ramp…but his feet only caught the edge of the last step, which caused him to slip. Kimber jumped forward to catch him, but was too late as, to her horror, Hunter fell over the edge.

“Hunter!” both Kimber and Omega cried out.

Seeing her love falling towards the ground, farther away from her, Kimber's body suddenly reacted on its own and, with Hunter being the only thought in her mind...she jumped from the ship.

“Kimber, no!” Echo shouted, but she was already gone. He pulled Omega inside and closed the ramp as the ship took off.

Omega then yelled up to Tech in a panic, “We need to go back!”

“What happened?” Tech called back.

“Hunter fell and Kimber jumped after him!” Echo cried.

“She what?!” Wrecker called out.

Now plummeting towards the ground, Kimber scanned the area for Hunter as fast as she could. She spotted him a few yards away to her left, so if she made it to the ground all right, she knew which way to go. Now, the problem was not actually dying on the way down. She hadn't considered that until after she'd jumped. In the moment, she just acted without thinking, her only thoughts being she had to save Hunter. She couldn't leave him. Especially not when she'd promised she'd never leave him again ever.

The trees were getting closer and she braced for impact on the branches. She roughly hit a couple that started to slow her fall, but then she landed on a steep rocky slope on the side of the mountain. Hoping to halt her fall as she slid down, she grabbed a hook from her belt and attempted to latch it onto the edge, but the ground was too loose and the hook fell right off as she continued to fall down the mountainside. She managed to grab another ledge for a moment, stopping her, but then her hand slipped and she kept going, not as fast this time as she had been seconds before. She looked down and saw she was speedily approaching the ground and remembered to keep her knees bent so they wouldn't break upon impact. She hit the ground, a wave of pain shooting up her legs as she crumpled to the ground and rolled a bit down the hill she landed on. Once she stopped, she stayed on the ground for a second, a pained groan escaping her as she mentally assessed the damage. Nothing felt broken or sprained; a little bit of stinging here and there from the branches, but her body mostly felt sore from the impacts she'd suffered. That hadn't been the smartest move, but she'd somehow survived and that was what mattered.

Then she heard over her helmet comm Tech's voice saying urgently, “Multiple system failures! We cannot take many more hits!”

Getting up to her feet, Kimber could barely see the Marauder through the tops of the trees, still being chased by the Imperial ships. There was a cloud of smoke coming from one of its back engines. She knew that if the ship got hit again, then it would surely go down and they would all be in trouble. She had to find Hunter fast, so she started running in the direction she'd seen him fall.

She'd only gotten a few yards when, to her immense relief, she heard Hunter's voice on the comm, “Get the ship out of here. I'll find another way back.” He had survived the fall, too, which already made her feel more at ease.

“Negative. The odds of escape are not in your favor,” Tech refused.

As Kimber continued to run, she heard Hunter emphasize, “Go, Tech! That's an order!”

She couldn't imagine the pressure Tech had to be under at the moment, but she knew what Hunter was doing was right. He had to keep the squad safe, which meant telling them to leave him as well as her behind, but she got the feeling he didn't know she was down here with him. He certainly wasn't going to be happy when he found out; she knew that for certain.

Activating her comm, she cried into it, “Do as he says!”

She looked up again and saw the thrusters on the Marauder activate and it shot across the sky, now going faster than the Imperials. It looked as though Tech was obeying Hunter's order and for that, she was glad. She'd rather the others leave them behind than get shot down trying to rescue them.

Then she heard Omega's panicked voice, calling out desperately over the comms, “Hunter, tell them to come back! Order them to come back!”

“I'm sorry, kid. I can't do that,” Hunter's voice replied.

As she heard his voice on the comm, she thought she could also hear it nearby and picked up the pace through the forest. She could hear distant chatter and soon saw Hunter standing on top of a small hill. Though, as she came through the trees, she was shocked to see three gunships along with a big squadron of Imperial soldiers all standing in front of him with their weapons aimed at him. He stood there, defenseless, as they slowly approached him. Just as she thought to retreat and make a plan, a twig snapped under her foot and she lightly gasped. She'd been compromised.

A few of the soldiers near the back heard the noise and whipped around in her direction.

“There's another one!” one of them called out, turning his weapon towards her.

Hunter looked as two soldiers grabbed him and his heart sank at seeing Kimber a few feet away, her hands up in surrender as the troopers walked up to detain her, as well. Why was she there? She was supposed to be on the Marauder, leaving the planet safely with the others and away from danger. Now, she was being taken into Imperial custody, same as him. To his even greater dismay, they were both being taken back inside the base, but on separate gunships, which only escalated his anxiety. If anything happened to her and he couldn't protect her…he would never be able to live with that failure.

On the other ship, Kimber was feeling the same way. She had no way of knowing what the Imperials were doing to Hunter. Hopefully, they would be somewhat honorable and take him back to the base without hurting him. If she later learned they had harmed him…then the entire military base on Daro would surely know her fury.

Back inside the base, Kimber was quickly processed and her weapons and communication devices confiscated. The soldiers weren't exactly gentle about all of it, either.

“Where is my companion?” she demanded of the commando that was with her.

“He's being processed and put into holding, just as you will be,” the commando answered.

“I want to see him,” she said.

He turned to face her. “Oh, you'll see him. You'll both be locked up together until one of the Commanders arrives,” he replied almost condescendingly. Then he gave her a shove forward in the back and they moved along.

She was led through the base and into the detention level, where they had been not long before. She could see the glow of a ray shield just ahead, which had to mean Hunter was already in the cell. They reached the cell and sure enough, she could see Hunter sitting on the bench inside, his helmet beside him, and he jumped up to his feet upon seeing her. He seemed unharmed, which made her feel a little calmer, at least. The commando deactivated the ray shield and roughly shoved her into the cell, making her stagger forward, and he brought the shield back up. Once she was inside, she threw off her helmet and found herself immediately enveloped in Hunter's arms.

“Kimber, you're okay,” he gasped with relief in her ear, running his hand over her hair and holding her close.

Wrapping her arms around him in return, she replied, “I'm so glad you are, too.”

Then he pulled back and demanded, calmly yet still frantically, “Sweetheart, what happened? Why are you here? Why didn't you leave with the others? You should be with them.”

“And leave you behind? Never!” Kimber answered.

“I gave you an order,” he refuted.

In return, she stated, “You gave Tech an order…and by that time, I was already on the ground.”

“What happened?” he asked again through a frustrated sigh.

Sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her neck, averting her eyes for a moment, and simply said, “I…jumped.”

When she looked back at him, he was staring blankly at her and blinked a couple times. “You…did…what?”

Grinning nervously, she explained, “After you fell, I just…I jumped after you.”

His eyebrows rose up and he gave her a completely flabbergasted look. “You jumped down a mountain?!”

She just tried cracking a half-grin and casually shrugged like that notion was no big deal.

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away. He swore he could feel a headache beginning to form. “I'm an enhanced Clone, I can survive more things than most. That fall could have killed you, Kimber!”

“I knew what I was doing!” she snapped back, even though she knew that wasn't really true.

He gave her an incredulous look. “I don't need my heightened senses to know that you're lying. What were you thinking?”

“I thought I was going to lose you again!” she blurted out. He appeared taken aback and she kept going, “You almost died in front of me once before and I couldn't let that happen…not again. I also made you a promise back on Saleucami; I promised that I would never leave you again and I wasn't about to this time.”

Taking her gently by the shoulders, he said to her, “Your safety is my priority. You wouldn't be leaving me in that way. Your promise has nothing to do with this.”

“Yes, it does, Hunter. I wasn't going to let you get captured and endure this alone.” She reached up and grasped his arms that still held her shoulders, looking intently into his brown eyes. “I am yours and you are mine. Whatever we do, we do together. If you're getting captured by the Empire, then so am I.”

Hunter sighed and shook his head. “You're incredibly reckless…you know that?”

“Isn't that why you love me?” she replied.

He glanced back at her and he couldn't suppress a small smile, remembering he'd asked the same question of her before getting to Daro. “Among other reasons,” he answered. Despite his worry for her being there and almost potentially getting hurt from the fall, he knew deep down that he'd always been attracted to her recklessness. It was part of what made her a perfect fit in his squad and a perfect match for him.

He stepped forward and brought his forehead to hers, one of his hands tenderly tracing her cheek. “Despite everything…I am glad you're with me, my love,” he said softly.

“I would rather be in a cell with you than worrying myself to death over you elsewhere,” she replied, “which, sadly, I'm sure is what Omega is doing right now.”

Hunter let go of her shoulders and stepped back, releasing a heavy breath as he did so. “I know. I feel guilty worrying her…but I had no choice,” he said, his face downtrodden.

Seeing the guilt in his expression, Kimber took his hand in hers. “You made the right call, darling. The squad's safety is important, especially Omega's. If they had come back around for us, they would've surely been shot down and things would be much worse for all of us.”

“You're right, I know,” he said, sitting down on the bench.

“Naturally, she'll be scared for us, but I know the lads will take care of her and they'll find a way to save us,” she reassured him, taking her place beside him. “Although, that now begs the question: what do we do? Do we even try to escape…or do we surrender ourselves to whatever the Empire has in store for us?”

“I…I don't know,” he said with uncertainty.

They sat in silence for a moment, both of them pondering on their current predicament. Was there even a way that they could get out? The two of them alone against tons of Imperial soldiers wasn't really an ideal situation.

As she kept thinking, Kimber remembered something from before that now concerned her: what the commando had said to her.

“You'll both be locked up together until one of the Commanders arrives.”

“Hunter…one of the commandos said they were waiting for a Commander to get here,” she stated, turning back to him. A shaky breath left her as she then went on to ask, “What if…what if they send Crosshair?”

His gaze wandered down to the floor and there was a knowing look in his eyes. “To be honest…I've thought about that, too,” he admitted.

Burying her face in her hands, she said, “I don't even know what to expect if he comes for us. He's tried to kill us before and yet, last time….” She faltered as she recalled her last meeting with Crosshair back on Ryloth and how different he had seemed from before; how he'd been more reserved and less hostile and didn't want to fight her.

“What about last time?” Hunter questioned. “You told us he tried to convince you to join the Empire again.”

“He did…but he seemed different from when we last saw him on Bracca,” she told him.

“How?” he asked.

Her hands wrung together anxiously just thinking about it. “He didn't want to fight me. He just wanted to talk, which wasn't what he was like on Bracca. I didn't…I didn't want to believe him, but when I looked into his eyes...he looked miserable, like he was in pain.” She sighed, running her hands over her face. “I don't know what to think. I know he still has the inhibitor chip and it's still not entirely his fault, but--”

“Hey, hey…don't think about that right now,” said Hunter, bringing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

However, she couldn't put it out of her mind. “I'm almost certain it's him that's coming. Why would they send anyone else for us?”

“If he does come, then we'll handle it. We'll try to get through to him…together,” he said to ease her worry.

Kimber nestled closer to Hunter, laying her head in the crook of his neck. She still was concerned about Crosshair potentially coming for them, but she at least felt better about it having Hunter there with her. Whatever was going to happen, they'd get through it together just like they always did. With him at her side, she could get through anything.

Many hours passed and both Hunter and Kimber sat together in their cell just letting the time pass. Until at one point, Kimber took notice of Hunter's head perking up like he'd heard something and he was looking towards the entryway. She knew he had sensed something and directed her attention to the entrance, as well. Sure enough, a few seconds later, someone appeared on the other side of the ray shield…and it was just the person they suspected.

“We figured you'd show up,” Hunter greeted him a bit disdainfully.

Crosshair deactivated the ray shield and then removed his helmet, showing his face to them. “I was hoping for the whole squad...but you'll do,” he responded darkly, looking between the two of them. Then he stepped inside the cell, causing Hunter to stand and start inching his arm protectively in front of Kimber. “Where are the others?” Crosshair then asked.

“Far away from here,” Kimber answered, getting up to her feet herself. “What do you want with us?”

“You already know the answer,” Crosshair replied.

That response made Kimber clench her teeth and her hands curled up tightly at her sides. Surely, that meant he intended to kill them.

Just then, the other members of his Imperial squad came into the doorway. Two of them came in with cuffs and placed them on Hunter and Kimber's wrists.

“Crosshair, don't do this,” Kimber tried to plead.

“You brought this on yourself,” he spat back. “Now, you're both coming with me.” With that, he put his helmet back on and walked outside the cell, the rest of his squad following him.

The two that put Hunter and Kimber in cuffs forcefully pushed them forward and Kimber cast a glare at them as she walked. She and Hunter then exchanged nervous glances, not knowing what the future now held in store for them.

All they could do was hope they'd either find a way out of this themselves or that their squad would find a way to save them.

[pyromaniac4198]

puppets

i had the idea for a single scene from a fic but couldn't think of what else would be in such a fic so i decided to put it to tumblr. if you want to write the fic just send me the link

TW: clone abuse, mind manipulation, Palpatine being a sleemo.

“CC-1010, execute orders 13 and 14,” the chancellor commanded, before pointing to a corner between two bronze statues. “And then kneel in that circle, drawn on the floor.” Palpatine smiled, reveling in the despair of the clone trooper as his body moved against his will to turn off his helmet cam and kneel in the rune circle.

“Supreme Chancellor, sir,” the intercom on Palpatine’s desk buzzed, “knight Skywalker is here to visit you.”

“Send him in.” Immediately after Palpatine spoke, the blond jedi strode through the door. When he saw Fox, kneeling in the corner, his eyes dimmed and glazed until he turned away.

“Chancellor! It’s so good to see you again, I’ve been on campaign for months. How have you been since I left?” At Palpatine’s gesture, Anakin sat down on the low, black bench across from the mahogany desk. “Has the senate been giving you trouble again?”

“They have,” Palpatine started, picking up a large square stamp out of a pad soaked in Fox’s blood and hiding it in his large sleeve. “But I’m feeling much better, now that I’ve seen you again.”

“Thank you, sir,” Anakin started to grin, “but really h-“ as the jedi’s smile pressed his eyes shut, Palpatine struck, pressing the stamp to Anakin’s forehead where it imprinted bloody runes. Immediately, the boy’s face slackened, his eyes opening back up but appearing more purple than blue and entirely vacant. Palpatine gestured as if pulling something, and an image like a 3-dimensional map appeared, except in white and red instead of blue.

“Do you see this, clone?” he said, pointing to the lowest level of the structure, which was a pyramid of increasingly small pavilions held up by Nubian-style columns. “Do you see how this lower level has columns that have been Darkened?” He pulled his hand through the projection, and a red thread followed his fingers.

“These are the pillars of his sanity. Beautiful, aren’t they?” He tied the string around one of the white columns. “It is such a shame that I have to Darken them one at a time, or his mind will automatically purge the Dark, but it does give me more options.”

He laughed.

“Soon enough, there will be enough Darkened pillars that his sanity will crumble, and he’ll have just as much control over himself as you do, when your control chip is activated. This slow movement gives me time to decide whether I want him to be too delirious to disobey, or for him to truly believe that everything I say must be perfectly true. Either way, within the year he will be obeying so well that I can order him to kill all the younglings in the jedi temple and he won’t even consider not doing so. Wont it be glorious?” He turned back to fox, grabbing his chin and wrenching his head up painfully. “Tell me it will be glorious, commander.”

“It will be glorious, your Excellency.” Fox felt like pukeing, as his body spoke the words without his consent. the Sith smiled and turned back around.

“My masterpiece is almost complete.” He banished the image, putting his grandfatherly façade back on. “In just over a year, now, this republic will become my Empire.” He used the Force to clean off the general’s forehead.

“-ow’ve you been?” Anakin continued on with his sentence, not noticing that anything happened. Palpatine smiled and gave a grandfatherly laugh, offering to order food for them both.

An hour later, the food eaten and the young knight sent away, the chancellor turned to fox one last time.

“Perhaps I will pay a visit to Senator Amidala today, and use the Force to make her more … fertile … than she naturally would be. After all, my soon-to-be apprentice is so family oriented, his wife entering a delicate state may speed his Fall. My empire may come in as little as 8 months, instead of 14.” the Nubian man sat at his desk. “What do you think, clone?”

“Whatever your excellency decides is best, your excellence.”

“Good. Stand, CC-1010. Wash that circle off of my floor.”

As Fox’s body moved, he ruminated. This wasn’t the first time he had seen his excellency do force osik, of course, as Darth Sidious loved to gloat, but this was a low that Fox hadn’t yet seen. The future the chancellor spoke of was horrific, and fox wished it were possible to kill him to avert it. At least fox would have control over his own thoughts, even if not his body. It was a cold comfort, but it seemed General Skywalker wouldn’t even have that.

Fox strode out of the chancellor’s office wishing that sometime soon the chancellor would forget to call order 14 so he could talk about what happened when the chancellor required his presence.

[toomanybandstocare]

{By Your Side Tonight}

Program: As the 501st's support agent, you've come to grow fond of your boys. Even if they're reckless and obvious. You only just marked it up to be a part of their charm, and two members of the boys in blue enjoy pulling at your heartstrings. Always trying to stay one move ahead of them in your game, a night out to 79s has you kneeling before one of them after what should have been a fatal blaster shot.

Pairing: Arc Trooper Fives x GN! Reader

Side Pairing Ref: Jesse x OC! Embrey, Rex x GN! Reader -> tiny hints

Genre: Fluff, Teasing, Flirty Humor

Length: 3930w

Warnings: Flirting, Petname (Cy'are, Little One, Mesh'la), Blaster wound, Some swears

Counselor Note: So excited to be apart of @cloneficgiftexchange!! The lovely @miaowshacat requested a funny/serious situation for their gift. Hopefully, you enjoy this! My sense of humor is definitely flirty irl, so I know that's not typically what humor is considered.

Request Prompt: "Please stop getting shot, it stresses me out". "Oh, well if you don't like it".

Camp Resolute's Masterlist

Skyscrapers shoot pillars of faint illumination through the night sky, and speeder taillights leave trails of neon in their wake. As war rumbles across the galaxy, the blaring bass and sonic speakers from the surrounding clubs cause Coruscant's lower levels to vibrate. Overly excited club goers stumble and giggle amongst themselves on the walkways as wary eyes peer out from alleys.

Even on nights out, a heavy unease seeps into your bones once you step onto the landing platform. Your eyes narrow as you try to take everything in, but not even the bright signs help you see past the heavy rainfall tonight. 

“If you keep glowering like that, you’ll scare away anyone who might consider asking your sour ass for a dance,” Fives shoulders past you and throws a wink over his shoulder.

You roll your eyes and follow the rowdy boys in blue closer to the pulsing music, “I’d be more worried about anyone seeing past your ego, if I were you. You do know that sweet words and drinks will only compensate for so much. Right, Fives?”.

Jesse howls in laughter, and Echo claps your shoulder. “Got you there, vod. For the so-called ‘people’s man’, you’ve been striking out lately,” Echo laughs. Each clone walks beside you with buzzing excitement, fitted with their new planetside outfits. Similar to their blacks, they all wear a tight, compression top with short sleeves with matching cargo pants. 

“Who’s side are you on, traitor,” Fives shouts back. With an unconcerned shrug, Fives’ face melts into a smile of soft admiration: “Maybe, I have my heart set on someone, and I don’t want to fuck it up”. 

Your breath hitches. For the faintest moment, you catch Fives’ eyes flickering to you. The rain splutters as it lands in the forming puddles by the line to 79s. A few stray away to kiss his cheek bone and trail down his glowing expression. They hang, frozen, on his jawline before they race down the column of his neck and find a home in the dip of his collarbone. Quick as the moment, the storm thickens, and Fives refocuses on his brothers leaving you with a racing heart.

“The side of reason, di’kut,” you cough as you shuffle closer to the entrance when the line moves. Knots twist and sit heavy in your stomach as your gaze shifts from one group of friends in the line across the walkway to a group of illegal speeders in the next landing bay. Pushing a deep breath through your lungs, you roll your shoulders. Even shifting your weight from side to side, you still feel restless surrounded by some many unfamiliar people.

Fives takes you in with a gentle look and holds your face, “Hey, look at me. Look at me, okay?” His soft voice rings clear from the cybernetic cacophony that makes your ears prick. You meet his honey colored eyes and feel your gaze soften. He leans in close to your ear, “Everything is going to be okay, I promise you. 79s is the safest club down here, and you have a small army of clones that’ll have your back. I’ll be by your side the whole night if you’d like”. 

Calloused fingertips carefully soothe your warm cheeks. Cool droplets of rain help tame the frenzied tingles burning your skin. Fives looks towards his brothers while carefully running his hands up and down your arms to help ease your nerves. While you think about his offer, you notice the coy looks and smiles directed at Fives over his shoulder. Pushing a heavy breath through your nose, you close your eyes and lean into his hold. Fives’s hand naturally falls to rest at your hip.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, it plummets into your stomach. Crushing the few butterflies who hoped to soar. “Well, I would hate to sour your night,” you shoot him a teasing smile and pat his chest moving up in line. Your lips purse as you hand over your ID to the bouncer, and the thumping stereo only further irritates you.

While you wait for the rest of the group to hand over their IDs, a warm hand rests between your shoulder blades. Although very similar to the ones that held you moments ago, you know it belongs to another. Slightly larger and holds you with a firm tenderness that you allow yourself to ease into. “Safe to assume this game’s continuing tonight then?,” Rex asks as he shuffles closer to you, allowing Hardcase and Dogma to pass over their credentials.

“Care to elaborate on what game you’re referring to, Captain?” you ask with a raised brow. Your blood sears through your veins as Rex meets your smoldering gaze with a knowing glint in his eye.

“There is not a single person who doesn’t see the two of you playing cat and mouse,” Rex lowly explains, “I’m getting quite bored watching you play around, little one”.

His hand trails up and across your shoulder line to rest on your upper arm, tucking you into his side. The only relief from the flush of warmth washing over you is the fact that you feel Rex’s heart hammering against his chest almost as fast as your own.

“And what would you have me do, hm? Or would you like some more attention instead? All you have to do is ask,” you ponder, “Besides, it’s all good fun. Did you ever think that I might like being the one who’s chased? This little game isn’t as straightforward as you may think”.

He shakes his head with a small laugh and guides you through the entryway into the club. “Then I’ll leave you to your fun tonight. You’ll have to teach me the rules to your heart next time, mesh’la,” Rex’s voice darkens as he parts away from you with a lingering touch. The fleeting feeling of his calloused fingertips trailing along your side makes you dizzy.

Bodies twist and bend around each other to the DJ’s beat. Flashing lights twirl and surround you in a warm glow as you step down into the ever fluctuating crowd. The boys in blue start to holler and skirt past you to get a jumpstart on their night. Kix pauses by you, “If you need anything, just grab one of us, alright? Have some fun tonight, too”. Before you can even spare a smile, he disappears into the mass of bodies.

You push and shove your way through the wave of patrons swarming the entrance to try to make it to the bar. Sweaty bodies graze up against you trying to get to their next destination while the deafening bass pounds your chest with every beat. Glimpses of the illuminated shelves of drinks and mixers being tossed in the air can be seen in the small openings between passing bodies as you squeeze through the last line of people.

Your chest constricts as more people seem to push you from behind and others shuffle you sideways. Reaching out with one arm, you huff before pushing back against the wave of people around you. With everyone moving in different directions at once, you’re jostled in the thick of it. When you break free of the rushing crowd’s pull, you tumble forward from its hold and it into the welcoming arms of another.

“Thought you said you didn’t want me by your side tonight,” Fives’ warm breath tickles the shell of your ear. He pulls back with his signature smirk and leads you with a hand resting on the small of your back to a pair of open bar stools.

You shoot him a playful glare as you settle onto your seat, “Don’t put words in my mouth, love”. You rest your head on your fist and kick him gently underneath the bar. Once the pet name slips past your lips and registers in his mind, Fives’ breath hitches. “Afterall, you were the one who called me sour when I’m only ever sweet to you boys,” you wink at him before signaling over the service droid.

“Now hold on a minute,” Fives leans in on his forearm with a smile pulling at his lips, “You’re sweet to us? Who else is graced by your kindness and charm? Thought I was the only man for you, cy’are”. Tearing his playful gaze away from you, Fives orders for the two of you. In a moment, two vibrant mocktails are set between your seats.

“Wouldn’t the people’s man like to know,” you drawl out and take a sip of your drink. A refreshing mixture of juices and ice blend together in your mouth. “Now, back to the boys-- how do you think the night will end for them?” you ask and do a sweep of the club with your eyes.

Most of the boys have managed to find partners to join them on the dance floor. Jesse is tucked away in a secluded corner with his partner, Embrey. The two men have only just started seeing each other, but you also catch Jesse smiling at his data pad more often now. Hardcase is tangled with the wolfpack in one of the booths as they continue their usual boisterous recollections of the latest events. Rex joins Wolffe and Cody at the unofficial CO booth on the raised level as they keep a careful eye on their legions.

“Jesse won’t be coming back to the barracks with us. That civvie’s got him wrapped around his little finger,” Fives pulls himself closer to your side and slides an arm to rest on the back of your stool.

You hum in agreement, “I somehow think that’s not hard to accomplish with you boys. You’re all practically a pack of tooka kittens — from pulling at each other's ears to pushing each other to try to get someone’s attention”. You smile at him over the rim of your drink, and the look of utter betrayal on Fives’ face sends you into a flurry of laughter. 

“Oh, don’t leave yourself out of that either,” Fives wags a finger at you, “Nearly bit my head off when you found out I didn’t get medcare after Teth only to keep me close when we were all playing sabacc. You’re just as bad as us when it comes to attention, and I would reckon that you’re even worse”. 

As Fives points out your shared similarities, you can’t help but lean into him more. Nearly tangled together, to the point where anyone could rightfully question if the pair of you are just friends, you rest a hand on his chest. You play with the collar of his shirt with your fingertips. The rise and fall of his breath upticks beneath your palm, and you find comfort in the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

“What’s the matter, love?” You tilt your head, “Cat got your tongue?”

As you pull your gaze away from where your fingers fiddle with Fives’ collar, your heart drops when you realize his attention lays elsewhere. “Now what could be more captivating than our conversation,” you weakly laugh. Twisting your head, you immediately notice the handsome Nautolan man eying Fives from his table. His eyes shift from your friend and widen when he meets your gaze. Even as your breath freezes, lungs constrict, want to push Fives’ arm away -- you instead send the man a soft smile and nod your head.

Turning away with slightly slumped shoulders, you put on a brave face and pat Fives’ arm. “I’ll make sure to tell Echo you won’t be returning to the barracks tonight as well,” you say as you rise from the stool. With a swift swoop of your arm, you grab your drink and quickly finish it off.

“Cy’are, come on. Sit back down. I said I’d stay by your side tonight, which means I’m not going anywhere you aren’t,” Fives pleads. One hand grasps your forearm and weakly attempts to guide you back to the stool.

Even with his warm expression inviting you to rejoin him, his hand feels cold against your skin.

Even with the teasing tip of his smirk pulling you back to his side, his silence rings clear.

Even though Fives is the person you dream of waking up next to in bed each morning, Fives’ eyes wander everywhere except for the one person who stands by his side.

“Go have fun, Fives. I’m going to search for some of mine own,” you reassure him and slide his hand away. You shoot him a wink as you walk past him and blend into the wave of patrons.

Once again flooded with the overwhelming proximity of strangers, frustration flames through your blood. The sticky atmosphere chokes you as your heart pounds against its cage. The corners of your vision blur and darken while you move solely focused on the entrance. Stinging static drowns out the annoyed protests and looped music tracks from your hearing. The moment you break free from the club’s hold, you stride into the crisp night air that envelops you in a thick downpour of rain. 

Not sparing a glance behind you, you continue to move as far away from the clone club. Yet with every step, something nips at the back of your neck. Not even an hour ago, you wanted to leave and return for a night in the barracks. Now you follow the near-empty streets as they twist and wind and lead you further away from your friends and into an awaiting pit of darkness. Finally able to blink away the rain just long enough to catch sight of a nearby storefront awning, you dart for cover and shiver against the cool durasteel building.

Heavy breaths wrack your body as you watch the trickles of rain plummet from the awning. 

Maybe it was time to put a stop to your little game and come clean?

The occasional speeder joins the rushing soundscape that drowns out your comlink’s alert. 

You heart wrenches at the thought of cutting off both men.

Faint shapes of bodies not even glancing at your hiding place come in and out of focus from the downpour. 

Then again, neither seemed too interested in making the next move.

Until one shadow stops. 

You shake your head to clear your mind from memories of their shared looks, and you push away your thoughts.

Its shape growing and defining itself against the curtain of rain that had shielded you.

Steadying your breath, you carefully stand. “Not another step,” you demand. In the moment the shadow pauses, you slip off your comlink and send an alert to the shared channel of the 501st. Hopefully, the darkness is your ally this time.

“Wouldn’t you want some company?,” a husky voice calls out, “This isn’t the type of place to be wandering around by yourself — especially in this weather.”

They take a step closer.

A faint alert chirps from your comlink.

“My friends are on their way,” you coolly reply as thunderous footsteps and shouts roar against the brewing storm.

The shadow’s head tilts, but not in contemplation. 

“That’s what we were hoping for,” the shadow snarls.

Shivers shudder down your spine in realization.

Just as you launch yourself from your spot, blaster bolts strike through the night sky like lightning. No longer concerned about the shadow who slipped into the darkness, you run towards the echoign command. Clenching your fists, you slam your feet against the rain soaked platform.

“Fives,” you shout.

Blaster bolts illuminate the walkway and reveal silhouettes struggling against one another.

“You picked the wrong person to go after, ge’hutuun,” one of your boys grunts.

Rain droplets pelt down on you and leave stinging splotches on your skin.

Bringing your comlink up to your mouth, you grit your teeth against the howling wind. “This is 501st support agent to base, do you copy? We need back up. This is an emergency, do you copy,” you try to speak clearly against the growing panic bubbling inside you.

A single scream silences the street’s symphony.

“Fives,” someone calls out.

“Fives?” you breathe out.

It feels like the rain weighs down on you and locks you in place. Each footstep harder to take than the last. As the 501st comes into view, tears blur your vision as you hastily look each man over.

Rex and Jesse stand just off to the side, speaking to a holograph of Commander Fox with apprehensive expressions. Hardcase, Dogma, and Tup surround the dazed assailants while pacing every few steps before returning. 

Echo and Kix kneel on the ground beside a body just ahead of you.

“Fives?” you croak.

Echo raises his head and motions you over to join them. His serious gaze pulls you from your cemented spot and into a run.

Skidding to a stop, you sink to your knees next to Fives’ head. Your eyes flicker from his pained expression to his heaving chest to the blaster graze just above his hip. The outfit he was so excited to wear out for the first time now smolders around blistering skin.

“This wasn’t the show I was hoping to put on for you, cy’are,” Fives hoarsely laughs.

A watery chuckle breaks your chapped lips, “Well, you’re quite the showstopper. You can put on an actual show for me another time. But, please stop getting shot, it stresses me out”.

Fives lets out a booming laugh that’s quickly cut off by a groan, “Oh, well if you don’t like it, I’ll just have to ask the Sith to stop the war for me. Sure they’ll be real understanding -”. His sentence cuts off when he sucks in a sharp breath.

You look over to Kix who has a less than amused expression at the two of you. One hand barely applying pressure to Fives’ wound.

“Calm down, you’re not going to die,” Kix rolls his eyes and slightly shoves Fives’s side, “You have second degree burns, di’kut. Just need some bacta patches, and you’ll be fine with minor scarring”.

“That should have been a direct hit though,” you murmur, looking at the wound. You face Fives once again, yet this time he won’t meet your eyes. Resting your hand on his jaw, you make him meet your pointed gaze. A slow warmth grows underneath your touch.

“His clothing is made up of an experimental light-weight, ballistic material. It’s a prototype for casual bulletproof clothing,” Kix explains and pulls  your attention back to him. He tugs at the singed edge of Fives’ shirt. The cloth barely moves from the strain. “Did -- did he not tell you why we came out tonight?” Kix asks you with an incredulous laugh.

“He actually went through with his dumb plan. Kriffsake, this should be good,” Echo snickers and shuffles away from you.

“It’s bulletproof?” you shriek at him.

Fives quickly throws his hands up and scoots away from you to push himself up into a crouching position. “Not completely! That’s why we had to test it out,” he defends.

His words still you. Narrowing your eyes, you watch as Fives pales under your sharp gaze. “Test it?” your voice comes out a low growl.

Fives sends a weak glare over your shoulder, “Who’s side are you on, traitor?”

Echo and Kix burst into laughter, barely spitting out coherent words. “The side of reason, di’kut,” they reply in unison.

“You were the one who volunteered to be the mark,” Kix notes.

“‘Just you watch, I’ll put an end to this little game of ours tonight,’” Echo say in a poor imitation of his twin, “��By the end of the night, I will confess my undying love for my cy’are”.

“I did not say that,” Fives barks back.

“I am so grateful that shot didn’t kill you,” you confess while you drop your head in relief. You try to conceal the snickers that threaten to slip past your lips.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Fives perk up. “Does that mean I can take you out on a date?” He asks.

“No,” you say. When his posture slumps once more, you slowly raise your head and meet his disappointed gaze. “No, I’d like to take you out myself,” your voice drips with false sweetness.

“Well, who am I to say no to a lovely date with my cy’are,” Fives leans closer to you with a small smile spreading across his face.

“I’m so grateful that bulletproof material kept you alive just long enough for me to take you out myself,” your voice growls in playful anger. 

Fives’ eyes widen, and he pushes off the ground and sprints away from you. “Cy’are, I’m sorry,” he laughs and shouts over his shoulder.

“Too late. Get back here, di’kut,” you yell and launch after him.

Footsteps slosh and slap against the platform while both your laughter mixes with the comforting hum of the evening. As you near Fives, your gazes meet as he turns to check on you with an adoring expression. Reaching out with one hand, your face lights up when he turns completely to face you. Arms open waiting for you to join him by his side once more.

Throwing your arms around his neck, you press yourself close to him. His hands rest comfortably on your hips, and Fives ducks his head in the crook of your neck. The gentle scratches as you play with the edge of hair bring small hums from his mouth that softly tickle your skin. 

“I’m still going to murder you,” you mumble into his shoulder.

Fives hums, and his hold tightens around you. “Just wait until after the date. I’m looking forward to it, and it would be my life’s regret if I never actually had the honor to spend the night by your side”.

The soft glow from flickering neon signs wraps around your bodies as the rainstorm eases to a gentle lull. Neither of you pay attention as the Coruscant Guard passes. Some send Fives a celebratory salute while others clap your shoulder with a chuckle. As the night life fades to distant hum, Fives straightens himself and pulls you under his arm to lead you back to the group. Soft smiles and shouts of relief greet the two of you, now that the game has come to an end. 

At least for tonight. 

One pair of eyes linger on you for a moment longer than they should have. “Rex, we’re good to head out now. Gave Fox the report and analysis already,” Jesse states.

Rex pulls his gaze from where you stand tucked comfortably in his vod’s hold, and he nods at Jesse. “Then I think it’s time we head back to the barracks and get some rest. I’m sure we’ll find ourselves absorbed in another game by the time we deploy again,” Rex shakes his head with a small laugh.

Jesse looks at him with an impressed, yet shocked, expression. “Don’t tell me you’ve been keeping out on us and have your eye on someone,” he says with a light elbow jab to Rex’s side.

With a knowing look in his eye, Rex motions for Jesse to make his way over to the awaiting transport. Once everyone from the 501st and guard are accounted for, Rex allows himself to relax against the wall. Letting his head fall to one side, he steals one more glance and smiles at the sight of you dozing off on his brother’s shoulder. Rex raises his gaze and meets Fives’ eyes, and they subtly nod at each other.

The night may be over, but the game is still in play.

[petrifiedforests]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Original Clone Trooper Character(s)/Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Hics/Clone Trooper Pillar Characters: Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Hics - Character, Clone Trooper Pillar - Character Additional Tags: Bingo, Drabble, Clone Trooper Reconditioning (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Culture & Customs (Star Wars), Clone Trooper-centric (Star Wars), Hopeful Ending Series: Part 21 of Hics's and Pillar's drabble adventures Summary:

Reconditioning: Reprogramming of a defective unit Recon: Loss of a brother, Finding of a new one

The Finding is subject to the agreement of all parties.

Fill for the @clonefandomevents Original Character Bingo

[awkward-tension-art]

Puppet on a String Chp.8 (Fives x Reader)

Chapter 7. Chapter 9.

Permission to Shoot

CW: Fives x Reader, Reader is a medical practitioner, angst, swearing, Death mention, Running from authorities, Mentions of dead characters, Inhibitor chip arc, Nala Se being cruel, Shaak Ti trying her best, lying, surgery, Fives stuns reader but its consensual, AZ-3 being a cutie

tag list (tyyyy): @notgonnaedit @spicydonut25 @amazonian-bae @bimboshaggy @tentakelspektakel

“Help! The fugitive is here!” 

Your faux panic worked like a charm. The guard outside your door rushed inside to your aid. 

You felt bad when Fives knocked him out. 

“Sorry, brother.” He mumbled, stripping the clone of his armor. Once he was covered in the pure white plastoid, he nodded to you, “We need to get the tumor analyzed.” 

You nodded, keeping the sample in your protective grip. Apparently Fives had noticed the cases being switched in the quarantine room after Tup’s death. However, what startled you was the fact that instead of a physical, the ARC trooper was going to be reconditioned and have his mind wiped. That's why he had attacked the guards and ran. To grab the tumor and save himself. 

There were only two individuals who could order a clone's mind to be wiped. Shaak Ti and Nala Se. 

Once your lover was properly covered, you spoke up, “We need to get to the Genetic Records Hall.”

“I agree. That will be the only way to compare genetic data.” AZ-3 hovered a circle around you. The little robot was endearing, and you couldn’t help but be glad that Fives had it. 

“Come on.” You motioned for Fives to go first. 

He readied the rifle in his hands and straightened his back. With a clearing of his throat, he spoke with a gruff voice, “Let’s go, prisoner.” The door opened with the press of a button.

You snorted, trying to repress your smile, “Follow me.” Your steps went out to the bright, white halls of Kamino. In the back of your head you thanked Dr.Mila’s ghost for putting you on the Ethics committee all that time ago. Because of her, you walking the labs and pathways wasn’t a strange sight. You’ve been here before. You were known as a fellow doctor.

Still, you were tense. If you ran into Shaak Ti, your cover would be blown. 

You tried not to think about that now. You had to focus. 

Luckily, you three managed to get to the Genetics Record Hall. The large doors opened revealing computers, consoles and tall pillars of pure information. Among them were other Kaminoan scientists, researching, walking around or speaking to their fellows. 

You paid them no mind, leading Fives to one of the massive data storage pillars, “Here, this is a database, It contains data on the original DNA of every clone. And Jango Fett’s DNA.” Your fingers worked fast as you typed rapidly, looking up Jango Fett’s genotype. 

As you typed, you brought up the subject you needed. The entire genetic data of Jango Fett, the base DNA for all clones. His image appeared on the screen, and you placed the tumor down on the console, “If any tumor like this has been noted before, it will be in this database.” You explained quietly.

The computer ran through countless images in a blink of an eye. However, after a brief moment, a large, red X approached on the screen.

What…?

“Mesh’la?” Fives whispered, noticing your bewilderment. 

“Nothing,” You responded, “The sample doesn't match anything found in the Jango Fett genotype.” Your fingers continued to type, running through the database again. Maybe you made a mistake…

After another run through of the data, the same X appeared. You quickly roamed through the data, “Fives…” Your voice was quiet, “The tumor…It’s not entirely organic,” You turned to face him, “it's foreign to the body.”

“The Doctors interpretation of the results is correct,” AZ-3 confirmed your results, “Most likely, this tumor was implanted inside your friend.” 

“An implant?” Fives sounded shocked, looking between the screen, you and AZ-3, “You mean this isn't an accident? Someone did this to Tup?” to his surprise, he pulled his helmet and pointed his rifle at the console.

“Precisely.” AZ-3 responded. 

You turned back to the database, “Let me see if I can find anything else….” You mumbled, “See what other information I can get.” As you searched through the computer, you hadn’t noticed that the other scientists around you began to slowly leave the Genetics Record Hall. 

The ARC trooper, however, did notice. 

“Is there another way out of here, besides the door we came in?” You heard him ask AZ-3 quietly. You paused in your research, turning to look at your lover in confusion. 

“Yes, there are emergency access hatches in every major room in case of flooding.” 

“Good.” Fives mumbled, “Let’s get moving.”

“Wait.” you grabbed his wrist, “Hold me hostage, then stun me when the General gets here.” 

“Mesh’la…what?”

“If I act like you took me hostage, I might have more freedom over the compound.” you explained, “Shaak Ti might trust me more. But we’ll have to split up…” 

He shook his head, “No, it’s too dangerous. What if something happens? We know Nala Se is willing to get her hands dirty.” 

“I have a communications device.” AZ-3 piped up, raising a small metal hand with the comlink in his grip, “In the case of certain emergencies, I can transmit signals and messages.” He handed you the small device. 

After a few moments Fives sighed and nodded, “It’s a good plan. But I don’t want to hurt you.” 

You pecked his cheek, “It’ll be fine. You have my permission to make it look convincing.” 

The clone put his helmet back on and nudged you with his rifle, “Keep going, I’ll let you know right before I…uh…pull the trigger.” He hesitated and it twisted your heart slightly. Oh, he really didn’t want to hurt you.

You handed the tumor to AZ-3 and not a moment too soon the large metal doors to the Genetic Records Hall opened. Shaak Ti, along with her officer, some guards and Nala Se arrived.

“There!” the Kaminoan pointed to the three of you. 

Fives grabbed you and twirled around, holding you tightly against him. The barrel of the rifle was to your temple. Despite that, you didn’t fear him.

“Stop right there!” The officer demanded, aiming his own gun at your lover. However, none of them shot out of fear of hitting you.

“Sorry, mesh’la.” Fives whispered before shoving you forward. You hit the ground rather hard, and heard the echoes of blasters. He must have shot you, because the next thing you knew, Shaak Ti was kneeling down beside you. Nala Se, behind her.

The headache was killer and with a groan, you sat up. You weren’t on the cold floor, instead you had woken up on an examination bed.

“Easy Doctor, you had been stunned,” The Jedi beside you helped you up, “What is the last thing you remember?”

“Ugh...I got shot in the Genetic Records Hall…” You rubbed your face in your hands and looked around. You were in another examination room. It was plain, with gray walls dotted with screens and cabinets. Standard for the monotony of Kamino. 

“Why would Fives shoot you?” She asked kindly, being rather patient with you. 

“I…was a hostage.” You lied, “He’s investigating the tumor…and he needed me to get him into the hall.” your eyes were on Shaak Ti, “I…I was waiting for you to question me when he came through the vents.”

A part of you felt bad for lying. The General was always kind and polite to you, but the situation didn’t call for honesty right now. 

The togruta frowned, “Why would he do such a thing? The two of you are…close.” 

“Far too close,” Nala Se snarked.

Anger flashed through your system but you swallowed, “He’s desperate,” you answered, knowing he most likely looked worse now, “There’s something more going on.” 

“You believe him?” The Jedi asked, looking interested now. 

The Kaminoan behind her stared directly at you. Her large eyes were empty, but you swear you could see barely repressed rage. She opened her mouth to speak, “What could you possibly think is going on?”

“Let's let the Doctor explain,” The Jedi cut her off, “Now, tell me, do you believe him?”

Your nod was silent but honest this time. You looked down at your hands before speaking, “I do believe him.”

The togruta woman was quiet as she stood straight. Her eyes roamed over your form on the bed before she said, “You love him, do you not?”

“I do.” You whispered, looking up at her, “We love each other.” 

“A failure in his design.” Nala Se scoffed, “Clones are meant to be soldiers. This clone that’s causing such a mess is clearly defective.”

“Fives isn’t defective!” you snapped, feeling a surge of emotion, “He’s not! He’s a good soldier who is trying to figure out what happened to his friend!” The grief of Tup was still fresh. Not to mention everyone that you’ve lost because of this damn tumor. 

Tears were blurring your vision. You were losing it. Everything was collapsing on you.

Calm down dammit!

Shaak Ti raised one hand to try and calm the situation, “Nala Se, please leave the room.” 

Luckily the Kaminoan left without another word. Honestly, if you had to suffer through her indifference for one more second, you would have lost it entirely. 

“Now, continue.” the General looked at you. Her lavender gaze was patient.

Fives trusted her. You trusted Fives...and maybe you could get past the manipulation of Nala Se….

You explained everything you thought through your tears. From the 501st surgeon sending the scans out, Dr.Mila’s death, Rako Hardeen’s attack on you all the way to Tup’s breakdown, the total neurological failure and now. By the end of your explanation, you were on the verge of sobbing. Your emotions were haywire. Everything had crashed in on you.

Shaak Ti stood straight, “You believe this tumor…it could be a Separatist plot?” 

“Or Nala Se is scheming something…” You sniffled, “I’m sorry General…I don’t mean to be so emotional…”

“It is natural to feel so deeply after everything that's happened,” She put both her hands on your shoulders, “As a Jedi, I am duty bound to always keep my emotions in check. You aren’t so restricted, cry as much as you need.” The General hummed in thought, raising a hand to her chin, “Dr.Mila would be proud. Your friend, Tup, would be proud.”

You gave her a small, shaky smile. 

She continued, “What you are saying…while it is unlikely, I can not deny the evidence and circumstances presented to me.” Her voice was stern yet collected, “Confirm that this tumor is in every clone. But be quick, if what you are saying is correct, I am not so sure whoever is behind this will not deliberately hide the data. I will keep an eye on Nala Se.”

“Yes, General.” You got to your feet, “And…thank you, for believing me. For believing in Fives.” 

“It is not a matter of belief,” She stepped back, and motioned to the door for you to go, “It is simply the right thing to do.” Once you both were in the halls, Shaak Ti spoke again, “I will try and find ARC trooper Fives. If you find him before anyone else, tell him not to panic.” 

Your heart soared. She believed you. She believed Fives.

Once you were in the hall, you parted ways with the Jedi. Your steps wandered away before you turned to an empty hallway. As soon as no one was around, you quietly used the comlink AZ-3 gave you. 

“Fives?” you whispered, “Fives are you alright?” 

It took a few moments, but AZ-3 spoke up on the other end, “ARC trooper Fives is currently under anesthesia. But he will be awake when the surgery is complete.” 

“S-surgery!?” you nearly yelped, “AZ-3, what surgery!?”

“ARC trooper Fives expressed his desire to find and remove the implanted tumor in his head.”

You swallowed, hands shaking now, “Where are you?”

“Sterile operating room A-3462 South.” 

“Stay there, I’ll be right over to help,” you disconnected the comlink and turned. It was hard not to sprint through the halls, but you managed. The only times you sped up were when you were certain you were alone. 

Luckily, you made it to the surgical room without an incident. Once the door was open, you rushed inside to see AZ-3 shaving off Fives’ hair. 

Your heart broke again. You adored his curls…now they were gone. It was a necessary loss but…

Well, you’d miss his hair. 

“Hello Doctor!” The surgical droid gave a friendly wave of his metal hand, “I was just about to begin.”

“Hello AZ-3,” You immediately got to the rubber gloves and surgical masks, “I love the patient, so please be careful.” 

“My programming allows me to perform any necessary surgery without outside factors affecting my efficiency.” The hovering robot stated bluntly, “What you call love will not change my protocol.” 

Well that made you feel better…

“Right…” Without another word, you became his surgical assistant. AZ-3 did almost all the work. All you really did was keep an eye on Fives’ status as the surgery progressed. Your focus was on his heartbeat and brain wave activity. Thankfully, everything was maintained when the droid finished collecting the tumor. 

“Here you are, Doctor,” He handed you the small rectangle bio-glass. Inside of it was a tumor, just like the one Tup had. Except this one was different. 

Tup’s had become necrotic. Structurally it had been breaking down, and cells were dying much quicker than his brain could handle. But Fives’ looked healthy. Benign. There was no evidence of neuron failure or infection. 

Based on the samples in front of you, it was a sound conclusion that Tup’s brain tumor had a genetic mutation. Somewhere in the DNA of the sample, a base pair was mismatched, or a stop codon had failed. Somewhere, something in the tumor's genotype had broken down, causing Tup’s eventual breakdown as well.

Your breath escaped your lungs once it hit you what this meant. 

If this was caused by a genetic mutation. And every clone had this implanted tumor….

The entire Grand Army of the Republic was at risk.

[omaano]

Other than the obvious, what is a work in your WIP folder that will contain Rex? Got any fun Rex things to share with me? I'm predictable. LOOK. I love my boy getting attention.

There is one that I desperately want to both show off and also whine a lot about, but I can't because we have missed the promo period for that project and now you all will have to both wait and cheer me and @insertmeaningfulusername on to finish our pieces for the Clone Bang to see it (I'm gonna be so fucking proud when it is finally done!) TT^TT

And I also have a lot of other works that are connected to that big bang project and they are adorable and I want to show those off too but but but... This little overwhelmed Anakin is from one of these connecting projects, and probably that is all that I can rightfully show off right now, but Rex in that one is gonna be so good, I'm telling you!

I've got a LOT of (like, 3? which counts for a lot in my case, honestly) MaulRex plans (I'm running an agenda here) which will make me dust off my old AO3 account because I surely won't be able to post those drawings here even with a mature label lol.

There is cowboy Rex and Cody in the pile I shared in a previous answer; I signed up for a rexobi bingo but I don't have anything tangible for that one yet; but but but! there is also one that is permanently on the backburner in my brain from the "aaaaangst" labelled wip (see below)

Which gets redrawn basically every time I open it up, but the concept is based on Michelangelo's Pieta which is one of my all time favourite sculptures, I love it sooo much, it's so beautiful! but with Fives and Rex (because hey hello that arc had completely destroyed me, I haven't been alright ever since I watched it) with various helmets strewn around on the groun and the looming large forms/statues of armed clone troopers in the background as if they were pillars in a cathedral or something.

I have a very clear idea of what I would like it to be, which is a problem because that does not match my skill level and visual library, so I'll have to adjust to that, but it would be so very cool if I could figure out the adjusted pose (because armor makes things bend and twist differently even on a dead-limp body, and would you believe it clone body types do not match a scrawny Christ and his mother lol). Plus I'm undecided whether I only want Echo included as a broken helmet at their feet, or if I want him in there leaning against Rex's knee and hanging on to Fives' hand for the extra kick of it.

This is my big project I dream about finishing aside from that changeling AU and octo!MaulRex drawing.

Thanks for asking! (and letting me ramble on) <3

List of WIPS for the WIP GAME

[teaospin]

I present to you, a snippet of a new Clone Wars AMV I’m working on.

IM RETURNING TO 2009-2010 MY FELLOW CLONE WARS KIDS 😭

I LOVED PILLAR AS A KID, I SWEAR ALL THE CLONE WARS/CLONE TROOPER TRIBUTES ON YT HAD THIER SONGS ON REPEAT

[flowerparrish]

[Podfic Link] | fic by @petrifiedforests | Length: 1.5 minutes

Star Wars: Clone Trooper OCs (Hicks/Pillar)

Summary:

In the quiet space before sleep, a clone trooper asks the important questions. Fill for the Clone Fandom Original Character Bingo

Narrated by me & a friend, directed and edited by @kbirbpods, recorded AT FAER ACTUAL WEDDING for @voiceteam Mystery Box's challenge Sense of Direction.

[rexxdjarin]

Captain's Log: Chapter 13

Renewal

Series Summary: The galaxy is in turmoil. The Republic has fallen, giving rise to the sinister reign of the totalitarian Empire, led by the insidious Emperor Palpatine. The millions of valiant clone troopers of the former Grand Army of the Republic are now blindly sworn, against their will, to protect a regime they once sought to destroy. After being saved from a terrible fate by his former-Jedi ally and close friend, Ahsoka Tano, seasoned veteran CT-7567 Clone Captain Rex remains loyal to the pillars of Democracy, freedom and truth that shaped the former Galactic Republic. We follow him now struggling to deal with the personal aftereffects of survival and finding his place in the galaxy alongside the only person he has left. You. The love of his life.

[previous] [next] part of Captain's Log series post on ao3 Pairing: Captain Rex x Fem!Reader (she/her pronouns used) Word Count: 13.7k im sorry but also its worth it 😏 Series Rating: Explicit (18+ only, Minors DO NOT INTERACT) Chapter Summary: With most of the galaxy against them and the odds not on their side, Rex and his crew must decide how far they will go for family. Batchmates resurface and assign a new mission. Readers first symptoms begin and she finds herself in desperate need of relief. Chapter Warnings: 18+ EXPLICIT, P in V sex, fingering, mirror sex, dirty talk, squirting if ya squint ;), Mature Themes, Language, Political References, References to Canon Plot, References to Canon Deaths, Angst, Anguish.

Darkness. It could describe so much of my life right now besides just the atmosphere around our bunk room. Pitch black, not even a single ounce of light streaming in. Every part of the ship that was not life support or the hyperdrive navigation was powered down to conserve fuel, so even the cabin lights and switches weren’t dotting the walls like landing platform markers. After the meeting we had, life kinda felt like the ship–flying blind without a destination or a purpose to guide us forward. 

I couldn’t say I’d ever felt this much doubt, even during the worst of the battles I fought in during the war.

What was it all for?

Freedom? For who? I’d never really felt true freedom–I don’t think any of us did save for maybe Cut. But even he had to hide from the Republic in order to live the life he wanted.

Trillions of credits were spent on the lives of every single brother I knew, but now suddenly repayment for our service was too high a cost.

Fighting in this war was the right thing to do, no question. The things the 501st and I achieved were among the greatest honors of my life. But now, after everything, the galaxy would always see me as more than a droid but less than a person. 

What’s the point of fighting anymore?

I tossed and turned in bed, throwing my forearm over my face and groaning uncomfortably. She didn’t even stir beside me, her exhaustion a by-product of her first pregnancy symptom finally showing. Nausea and intense vertigo had kept her up and made her woozy for nearly the entire rest of the night. At this point, it was best to just let her sleep even though I couldn’t.

I rolled over, slowly easing myself out of her arms wrapped around my torso, and sat up on the edge of the bunk. I sighed, resting my forehead in my hands and trying to take deep breaths. I had to talk to my brothers about this. The decision from the Alliance. The mission for Cham. Everything.

We had gotten in too late to discuss anything, and her not feeling well meant we headed straight to bed after I’d told Wolffe to get us to Ryloth. Now was as good a time as ever to talk to them, without worrying her or stressing her out any more than necessary. Besides, she’d done enough fighting for us already.

I hoisted myself up, grabbed my body glove, and slipped it on. The uniform felt oddly comforting and reminiscent of a time when things still made sense to me. Our bunk door slid open and I tiptoed away quietly, heading up the rungs of the ladder to the cockpit where I knew Wolffe and Gregor would be completely awake just like I was.

I tapped on the cockpit door and entered, the two of them perking up immediately, probably eager to hear the news. However, the sight of me exhausted and almost defeated snuffed out any hint of their excitement. I plopped down in the passenger seat behind Gregor, avoiding their eyes.

Wolffe stood up from his spot in the pilot’s chair and scowled, “What happened, Rex?”

“Yeah, everything alright? You don’t look so good.” Gregor scooted forward, resting his hand on my forehead. 

“The Alliance doesn’t want to help us. They think it's too much for them to tackle,” I sighed, watching the hope in Gregor’s face falter and the rage in Wolffe’s grow. “I don’t even want to tell you some of the things that were said.” I massaged my temples with the pads of my fingers as I tried to remove their words of disgust from my memory.

“Even with her and Bail speaking up for us?” Gregor inquired, sitting back and contemplating how things could’ve fallen off this quickly.

I thought about the fire in my beloved’s eyes as she had lambasted them with scolding words of moral righteousness, battling their every misguided fear with the soaring light of truth. She reminded me not of the senator she served under, but of my general–absolutely fearless in the face of certain death and loss. She stood unyielding where no one else dared. She spoke for me when others wouldn’t listen. She fought, kicked, and hit them where it hurt, just like he always did for me. “She gave it a hell of a fight. Wish you could’ve seen her up there. She was… incredible, but it didn’t matter.”

“So what? We don’t fucking need them. We’ll take care of our own, like we always have,” Wolffe spat, his disappointment usually presented as anger to hide his hurt. He had always been that way.

I glanced between my brothers, their own eyes now teaming with justified rage, and felt nothing but fear for both of them. They didn’t have to hear what even the galaxy’s best people thought of us, and I’d do everything in my power to make sure they wouldn’t for as long as I could. Because if good people couldn’t bring themselves to care, then what did we have left? 

Maybe the time was approaching when it didn’t make sense to fight anymore. Maybe I was the only one who saw it. I felt guilty even thinking about it. It went against every principle I ever knew to give up, but that had become a possibility for the first time in my life.

“And where has that ever gotten us, Wolffe? Hurt, kidnapped, missing, killed… what’s the point? Of all of this? Aren’t you tired of only being what they used us for?” I asked quietly, trying desperately to hold back the anxious tears that had been brimming in my eyes since the start of that meeting.

Wolffe stopped, his anger breaking immediately, and he crouched down to my eye level. “Yeah, Rex. Always. Every day. Since the day I was put in this armor. Since the day they crushed my entire battalion and stuck me back out there the very next day. But you know what keeps me going? What gets me back out there every time? My brothers. My flesh and blood. If there’s still a chance we can help them, I want to try. The two of you helped me remember that.”

From the way his jaw twitched, I could tell he was still thinking about Fox, and maybe Cody as well.

“You risked your life to take me in, Rex. I wouldn’t be here without you,” Gregor said, offering up his canteen of water and patting my shoulder. “We may not be ready to take on the Empire, and I understand being tired of fighting, but I’m not going to give up on my brothers. We can still fight to try and save them, even if we have to do it alone.” 

I sighed, closing my eyes and pressing the heels of my palms onto them. “I know, I know. You’re right. It’s just… hard not to let it get to you. Especially now after what I’ve heard. The whole galaxy thinks we were in on it. On all of it. It was… tough to just stand there and take.”

Wolffe grunted in annoyance, his disdain for politicians growing by the day. “And Bail? What did he say?”

“He was one of only three senators who voted to help us, along with Saw Gerrera and Cham Syndulla. Syndulla got us our next mission,” I mentioned, pointing to the navicomputer. It was blinking with the updated timing for our approach to Ryloth.

“Helping people who care is all we can do now. Let us make a difference where we can. We’ll find our own way,” Gregor reassured, reaching for the canteen in my hand and taking a few swigs of water for himself.

Wolffe resumed his seat, doing a quick systems check on the ship to keep his hands busy. “Ryloth, huh? Howzer was stationed there last I can recall. He picked up where Keeli left off.” 

“Yeah. Guess my whole batch had to visit this planet once,” I remarked, fondly remembering my brother and eldest batchmate, Keeli, who died long before the galaxy changed. Howzer and I were probably the only two left of our batch now. “I lost contact with him a long time ago. What do you know about the situation there?”

“Well, I know he and his men were still stationed there. Though for the Empire, not the Republic. Things were just starting to get testy when I… when I got away,” Wolffe explained, scratching the growing beard on his jaw as he thought.

“Howzer and his boys must’ve rebelled and held the Empire off for a little while. Cham needs us to eliminate the rest of the special forces. He wants to hit them while they’re still down. We’ve got a small window in the next few rotations,” I explained, relaying the information Cham had given us when he approached us on Fest.

“And what’s in it for us?” Gregor inquired, sitting back in the co-pilot's chair and sighing. He looked tired–there were dark circles under his eyes and the familiar, cheerful light in them was noticeably absent. I wonder if he ever sleeps much anymore.

“Cham promised us supplies and weapons. Anything we need to start preparing for an uprising,” I replied, trying to mentally count the munitions we had in the hold downstairs. There wasn’t much that the pirates who owned this scrap heap left behind for us and our DC-17s weren’t going to cut it for the entire company’s worth of clones we planned on freeing.

“So, he’s committing to our freedom, huh?” Wolffe thought aloud, snorting to himself. “Guess he does live up to his name. Howzer must’ve done quite a bit to earn his trust. Cham was one of the Republic’s biggest headaches at times.”

“Howzer saved the Syndulla’s lives. He and his men are with them leading the fight against Imperial occupation now. Guess the Bad Batch helped him see reason. Cham’s fought his way back to the planet, and he wants us to help him eliminate the remnants of the Empire’s forces before they breach the city walls again.”

Gregor laughed, “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am itching for a fight against those Imperial dogs.” He whipped the chair around and took over the controls just as the nav signaled our drop out of hyperspace. “Where we off to, Cap?”

“Head toward these coordinates. Cham’s palace is on the outskirts of the capital, Lessu. We’re supposed to meet him there.” I reached up to the console and tapped the coordinates in, giving my brothers a flight path.

“She agreed to this?” Wolffe asked gruffly, pointing casually at where she slept downstairs.

“Before he even had the chance to ask,” she interrupted, climbing up into the cockpit. I rose and pressed a kiss into her hair as she came to stand beside me. The same fire she had during her speech was still burning in her dark eyes. 

Wolffe smirked and shook his head. “She’s dangerous, Rex’ika. Be careful, darling, I might have to steal you from him.”

“Over my dead body, you grump,” she laughed, punching him in the bicep and resting her head on my shoulder. “We better get him some female attention soon. He’s not used to not being fawned over.”

Wolffe began to groan in protest, but the incoming holomessage from Cham interrupted him.

“Captain, I am glad you managed to persuade your men to join our cause. I must say your brothers here were relieved to hear of your collective survival,” Cham said, his serious stare hardened and cold enough to intimidate even through a hologram.

“Hey, we’re happy to be here, too,” I joked, though Cham didn’t crack. He apparently wasn’t known for his humor. “This here is Gregor, ex-commando. And this is Wolffe, formerly of the 104th attack battalion.”

He bowed his head graciously and turned to my cyar’ika. “And how are you? My men have heard your speech. They are interested in meeting you, to thank you for speaking up for them. It has meant a great deal. Many have joined my cause because of you.”

She smiled, the blaze of justice igniting in her eyes. “Doing well, General. Thank you. Tell your men we’re on our way.”

Syndulla gestured to a few people out of frame and nodded in understanding. “Our landing bay is an open-mouthed cave entrance on the left side of the palace. You will not be followed there. We’ll see you soon.” Wolffe guided the ship down through the tall plateaus and rocky terrain of this part of the planet just as the hologram disappeared.

“So speaking of female company…” Gregor smirked, “Ryloth is known for its performative, grand welcomes. Think you could put in a good word for me, gorgeous?” he turned over his shoulder to ask her.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s been that long for you, hmm?” I laughed at her obvious annoyance and kissed her forehead as her arms wrapped around me.

“Far too long,” Gregor replied, “and never with a Twi’lek.” He winked, glaring at the both of us. “Besides… I think you two owe me.”

Wolffe laughed for the first time in weeks, “Yeah, I second that.”

I could practically feel her blushing. “I’ll see what I can do,” she hummed softly. The normalcy of this request reminded me of all the times she wing-manned the Torrent boys back home at 79s. That was nothing more than fond memories now.

The ship flew through the shade cast by clouds of past explosions covering the surface, and I gulped at the craters left on the planet's surface by battles weeks old. It must’ve been a rough evac if this much debris had been left behind.

I could feel her wincing beside me and I seated us both down gently into the passenger's seat behind Gregor. She probably hadn’t seen battlefields to the extent we had throughout the war. It was hard to look at even for guys like us who had seen hundreds of worlds like this. From the looks of it, it was only getting worse under the Empire.

My soldier’s resolve was strengthening in my soul all over again. Seeing worlds like this, absolutely destroyed by evil, and knowing that people needed help was a reminder that I couldn’t give up. My other reminder rested under my palm as I rubbed slow strokes on her warm lower belly. Even if I wanted to, even if things were getting worse, even if the galaxy gave up on all of us clones, I didn’t have it in me to quit, because our ad’ika deserved to grow up in a safe galaxy.

She looked up at me, her hand coming to rest over mine, nodding once like she could read my thoughts. That was why she agreed to the mission. She knew I needed to be reminded of how much I could help people. No matter what the Alliance said, I was more than a human weapon. We all were. We were finally free to choose to help the people who needed it. And damn it, that’s what we’re going to do.

The Syndulla’s landing bay looked miraculously untouched for a planet occupied by the Empire. Located on the far side of the palace, the cave entrance was hidden by the large craggy rock face of the mountain range–too well disguised for the class of Imperial officers who were unfamiliar with the planet to recognize.

As Wolffe prepared the ship for landing, we noted the massive number of likely stolen ships that took up most of the space in the hangar. They all seemed to be in various states of disrepair, but nothing a few well-trained clones like ourselves couldn’t fix.

“Wonder why they don’t just use these to fight the Empire off,” she said aloud, counting the number of ships from her place on my lap.

“They don’t have the men, I’d suspect,” Gregor responded as he began shutting the ship’s engines down. “None of these are single-man fighters. Even if Howzer managed to recruit a small group of his old battalion members, that’s still not enough to go head-to-head with Imperial fighter squadrons.”

“Yeah, they wouldn’t stand a chance unless they had about six troopers manning some of these guns,” Wolffe explained, settling the ship into the hangar and stretching as he stood up. “Though the Wolfpack probably could’ve done it with less.”

I snorted, my brother’s overconfidence clouding his judgment. “I think all those craters in the surface say otherwise. They were probably lucky to escape with their lives,” I remarked, remembering the numerous times we had caused similar damage in pursuit of victory against the Separatists. The similarities made me more uncomfortable the longer I thought about it.

She narrowed her eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip as the wheels spun in her head. “It’s a good thing Twi’leks largely live underground here. That’s a huge advantage. The Empire would have to rely solely on ground assaults to make any headway,” she declared, fishing through her bag on the floor for her datapad to make notes for future briefings.

Wolffe and Gregor whipped around, their brows raised in surprise at her suggestion. They exchanged glances, and she huffed softly. She folded her arms in annoyance, her shirt pulling and exposing the tiny bulge of her belly just beginning to show signs of the life within. She was cute when she was mad, and nothing irked her more than being underestimated. “What? I pay attention in strategy meetings. I know things.” 

“Alright, Commander,” Wolffe teased, gathering his pack and slinging it over his shoulder. “We’ll talk to Syndulla and see what we’re working with. You might be onto something.” Instead of countering him with another playful insult, she smiled and nodded, probably equally surprised at his acceptance of her idea.

Gregor clapped his hands together and stepped out from behind his seat, “Well, let’s go! I’m in the mood to see what kind of welcome is in store for us. Think they’ve got any nuna here?”

“I think you’ll be lucky if you get more than a few ration sticks, Gregor,” I remarked, slinging my arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple as we followed them out of the cockpit. “You feeling better, mesh’la?”

She leaned into my side more than normal and gripped at the fabric of my blacks with need. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was trying to pull me aside for something else. “I’m ok, baby. Still a little woozy. I just need some water and, honestly, anything warm to eat. Why’d you get up before me?” she whispered, pawing at my chest and blinking up at me. I could never hide a thing from that face.

“I couldn’t sleep. That business with the Alliance…” She hummed in regret as I trailed off, looking away from me as if it was her fault they said all those things. “Just needed a talk with the boys. The kind of thing only they’d understand.”

She stopped, fiddling with the hem of her shirt and running her palm along her bump. “I’m sorry you had to listen to that. I shouldn’t have made you come with me. That was too much.” I didn’t have to see her face to know she was upset by it, too. She sniffled, trying to wipe the tears off her cheeks before I saw.

Stepping in front of her, I grabbed both her hands and brought them to rest between us before tipping her chin up. “Hey… hey… none of that now. It’s alright. I know you don’t think like they do. That’s what matters.” The hurt in her eyes perfectly reflected how I felt inside–like she could feel the pain for me. 

She balled her hands into fists then let them relax to curl her fingers into my sides, and I hugged her tight as she held onto me. “They’re wrong. You all deserved better than this. And I won’t stop reminding them of that. There’s always more I can do.”

I shook my head, shushing her quietly as I twirled a few strands of her hair around my finger. “You’re doing just fine, mesh’la. It means more to us than it ever will to anyone else. You heard what Cham said, you inspired other troopers to fight back. We may not have been able to reach the Alliance, but we are getting through to the ones who matter. Maybe now is the time we clones fight for ourselves.” I rested my chin on the top of her head, more to convince myself than her.

She pulled away, spreading her fingers on my chest and looking up at me fondly. “You know… if you keep giving speeches like that, you’re not going to need me to inspire them.” She leaned in and kissed me softly, one hand sliding up to rest on my flushed cheek. Her tongue slipped along my bottom lip and brushed delicately against mine. Though she tried to keep it brief, I could tell she wanted more as she broke away.

“If you’re looking for a reason why you survived when so many of your brothers did not… I think you’ve found it. You’re their leader. They’ll follow you anywhere. I know I will, too.” She gasped suddenly and her hands flew to her belly. “And someone else agrees,” she beamed, my hands reaching down to join hers to feel the tiny flutters of his kicks.

I knelt down in front of her, glancing up at her quickly for permission before pulling the bottom of her shirt up to speak directly to him. “Hey little bug, you think I can do it too, huh?”

I tried to imagine what it must be like to be so small but to experience life alongside both of your parents as you grow; to be along for the ride with them instead of growing alone and in silence in a sterile tube like my brothers and I had. While we would never know a bond like that, we had each other. Just like I would do anything for her and our little one, someone had to feel the same about my brothers and the birth of a new life they could have if we all just fought for it.

The little kicks under my palm solidified it. I would be the one who cared enough to free them. No matter the odds, no matter what it took. “Thanks for believing in your dad, Ad’ika. We got our family to save and we won’t let them down.” I smiled up at her, the real smile I only reserved for her, and rose again. “C’mon. We’ve gotta go, my love.”

After I’d changed into some civvies, we followed where Gregor and Wolffe had made their way down to the hold, her fingers laced reassuringly in mine. Syndulla would be out to greet us any second and hopefully reunite us with more of our renegade brothers. 

I could only imagine what Howzer would say about meeting my pregnant girlfriend for the first time in the middle of a warzone. Though she’d be quick to point out that nothing would stop her from fighting alongside us.

Gregor and Wolffe waited by the open docking ramp, watching for signs of anyone coming to greet us. We pushed past them and made our way down into the hangar platform just as the blast doors opened up to reveal not Syndulla himself, but my little brother.

“Well if it ain't the quacta calling the stifling slimy…” Howzer folded his arms as his gaze bounced between us, halting just a few feet away.

Howzer’s armor needed a fresh coat of teal green paint, the chest plate and shoulder pauldrons more faded and cracked than he would ever allow under normal circumstances, but his signature hair was still perfect. While the rest of our batch and I had always shaved our hair down to nothing, Howzer had grown his out–somehow still managing to look the most put-together. He had always been the most creative of us, and even when we’d given him shit for it, he’d never allowed his armor to look dull or his hair to fall flat.

“Aren’t you supposed to be an Imperial now?” I joked darkly, mirroring his stance and narrowing my eyes.

Howzer scowled dramatically, pointing his finger at me and grumbling, “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” He carefully studied my face now, taking in the state of me alive and well after all reports had me as good as dead. Before I could reply, he leapt forward and embraced me tightly, the relief melting the tension away. He had always been my most sensitive kih’vod and never liked to feel alone, even before we left the blank white halls of Kamino.

I wrapped my arms around him and held tight, communicating all the unspoken pain of trauma and loss during this war in one embrace. “I’m happy to see you too, Vod. Wish it was under better circumstances.” I pulled back, resting my hand on his shoulder and shaking him loose.

“I didn’t want to believe the reports. They couldn’t have gotten you. I’m glad my gut feeling was right, but why all the secrecy?” he asked, turning to look over my shoulder at the crew just behind me. “And how’d you manage to spring Commander Grouch from the Citadel?”

Wolffe growled, “I freed myself, thank you very much. Those bucket-head new troopers were no match for me. I never even made it to my cell.”

Gregor giggled, amused by Wolffe’s constant insults of the men he’d been forced to train. “Bucket-heads… that’s a good one, Wolffe. To be clear, he saved us and decided to tag along. I’m Gregor, by the way. Special Ops.”

Howzer shrugged, impressed at what we had managed to accomplish while still making it out in one piece. “So you snagged yourself a Commando, too. It’s just like you, blondie, to bring people together like this. Guess that’s why the general felt you were the man for the job.”

“Guess so. That and I’ve got a hell of a motivator here.” I cocked my head in her direction, Howzer’s eyes noticeably widening as he sized her up. “She’s the one whose message your men heard.” I beckoned for her to join me and she stepped beside us, holding her hand out to Howzer.

“I just told the truth, no need to thank me for advocating for all clones the way the galaxy should’ve done a long time ago. It also helps when you’ve been in love with one for nearly 4 years.” Her smile widened, eyes softening with the gentle fondness I’d come to know from her all this time. 

I tucked her into me and felt her grip tighten on my side again. Needy. Just as I thought, but no one else would have noticed. She stood tall and confident, the same way she did when she spoke to the Alliance. I couldn’t have been more proud to have her lead beside me and hoped all my brothers loved her the way I did. 

Howzer studied her and the way she held me more intently, “Wait–so you’re his…?” He connected the dots in his head, his eyes wild with realization. “Damn, Rex. No wonder it’s been so long. You’ve been busy.” 

“You have no idea,” Gregor and Wolffe chortled in unison as she turned around to argue with them playfully.

“Well, I can’t say I blame him. You’re stunning,” Howzer complimented bluntly, arching a brow at me and smirking. “Probably too good-looking for him, cyar’ika,” he added, taking her free hand again and pressing a polite kiss to her knuckles.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes and looking over his shoulder at the door he’d come out of. “Alright, alright. Let’s get inside and you can all take turns clowning me later.”

“Erm… right. Well, the General’s probably just finishing his strategy meeting with his resistance leaders. Normally the Twi’leks like to throw banquets for guests, but there aren’t enough rations for anything extravagant right now. They are still planning to have you all meet everyone. The boys and I managed to scrounge up some leftover ration biscuits, the little green ones,” Howzer explained as he started toward the door, the rest of us falling into step behind him.

Gregor groaned loudly, the sound of his grumbling belly was loud enough to keep us all up at night. “I could crush about 20 of them right now. I’m starving.” We’d been running low enough on supplies that snacking mid-day was no longer an option, especially since she had to eat for two.

“How about fresh nerf stew and we save the rations for when we really need them?” a pleasant, accented voice called out from just down the hall. As we stepped past the blast door frame, a tall, elegant, green Twi’lek woman revealed herself, peeking out of a large room several doors away. She glanced at each of us briefly, likely taking stock of how much she could spare for each of us. “Howzer, dear, bring our guests into the hall with Cham and the others. We will bring everything out to you.”

“Yes, Eleni. Right away.” Howzer saluted her formally. Clearly, he respected her as equal to the general, so she must’ve been his wife. “The squad’s probably anxious to see you, too.” He herded us to the door just ahead of the one she’d peeked out of, and we disappeared into another hallway just as we heard her calling out in Twi’leki.

“How have your men been holding up since everything happened, Brother?” I asked, letting the other three take the lead down the long stone hallway.

“Not well, I’m afraid. There were no Jedi stationed on Ryloth, luckily, but we heard the chatter all over every comm channel. At first, we followed the Empire without question. What was the difference, you know?” He sighed deeply and mournfully as he recalled the time before the Free Ryloth movement had been able to gather enough force to push the Empire back. “Then things changed. Things stopped making sense. The chain of command stopped listening to us clones, started demanding we do things…” Howzer closed his eyes, shuddering and taking a deep breath.

“Things you knew weren’t right,” I finished, following his story to the same conclusion as all the rest now. “You had to make a decision for your men and the people you protected all these years.” I slung my arm over his shoulder, reassuring him the best way I could.

“Yeah, Rex. I did what I had to. I laid my weapons down and disobeyed orders because they went against the people I swore to protect. The Bad Batchers were here, too, and they helped us figure out what to do. Especially one of your old boys, Echo.” Howzer smiled, stopping in his tracks and looking up through a skylight in the cave ceiling. “A lot of my men defected that day and we’ve never looked back.”

I watched my little brother feeling the light hit him, maybe for the very first time. Though he’d been aged and weathered by the brewing storm of the constant battle for justice, he’d made the right choice. He saved his men, he saved his people, and he saved himself. We were all good men deep down and no mandated order would ever change that.

“I’m proud of you, Howzer. You did what many of our brothers could not. You saw a better way. That’s why we’re here now. We can do the same thing again for so many of our brothers who just need to see the way out. The chips forced us to act, but they cannot change who we are. My squad is planning on rescuing more clones if we can, but we’re going to need as much help as we can get. After this mission, are you in?” I asked gently, knowing that pulling him away from his duty to his people was a tall ask.

Howzer closed his eyes and bowed his head, running his fingers through his dark hair. When he opened them again the fire of determination that I saw in myself had sparked for him too. “I thought you’d never ask.” He reached out his hand and clasped it with mine tightly to signal a deal well struck. “I’m beside you always. My men will be on board, too.”

“We have to talk about removing their chips. It might be a little difficult here since things are so remote,” I thought aloud, moving to scratch at the healed scar along my hairline. “It’s the safest thing to do to make sure we can never be compromised like that again.”

Howzer moved to flank me, inspecting where the chip had been removed from me and wincing as he imagined having to cut through his hair to do it. “Yeah, I expected that. I’ll talk to the general and see what we can do. He’s got to know of a medical station somewhere around here. Twi’leks are a little more holistic than the Republic–they use healing herbs and careful doses of spice at times.”

We picked up our pace toward the banquet room, Howzer explaining more about what his men had been experiencing since the order happened. Nasty, brutal things. Some of his men reacted the usual way with blind fits of anger and lashing out at anyone not loyal to the Empire. Others experienced debilitating migraines or seizures from fighting so hard against the inhibitor chip to keep their consciousness. A few had even died, their brains having huge aneurysms from the overload of information the chip was programming into their minds.

I remembered not liking how it felt to have my mind taken over, but Ahsoka knocking me out and intervening likely saved me from enduring any of the after-effects that lots of clones seemed to be experiencing. Microdoses of spice and proper rest in a hangar locked away from Twi’leks or other brothers had allowed the more severe cases to run their course until the worst of it had died down. 

Howzer didn’t know exactly why he had never suffered quite as intensely as the rest of his men, but the best he could figure is that older clones seemed to have stronger willpower to resist their chip’s effects. However, full removal remained the only surefire guarantee that the nightmare would end.

Upon our entry to the banquet hall, we found the entirety of Cham’s protected population sitting in a large circle along the walls of a massive vaulted cavern held up by stone pillars. Some of Howzer’s men mingled among the Twi’leks while others huddled in sequestered groups, but I could feel their curious eyes on us. 

In the middle of the crowd, a group of Twi’lek men and women of every skin color imaginable performed an elaborate, lithe dance set to the thrumming rhythm of echoing steel drums. Not far from us, Cham sat with two of his advisors and a green Twi’lek child in a small alcove adorned with knit patterned tapestries and hand-painted drawings in bright pigments.

“Captain, welcome!” Cham called from his seat, beckoning our group forward. He raised his hands as he stood, and the dancing and drumming ceased. “My people! Tonight we welcome our new guests. They have come to help us retake our planet with their brothers. With their assistance, Ryloth will be free once again!”

The crowd erupted into cheers for a moment before the drums and dancing started up again, and somewhere in the chaos, my beloved was stolen away by Cham’s wife. Normally, I’d have been anxious to be parted from her, but the smile she tossed at me over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd put me at ease. Howzer and I took two of the remaining seat cushions beside Cham, while Gregor and Wolffe sat just behind us, cross-legged on plushy floor cushions. 

No sooner had we sat down than we were served the nerf stew we had been promised. Gregor sipped his portion down as if he hadn’t eaten in a week, but Wolffe’s mismatched eyes were fixed on the twists and turns of the women performing. If I followed his gaze, I could guess that the lovely red-skinned Twi’lek woman making eyes in his direction had caught his attention. Their behavior felt more normal than either of them had been in a long time, and I smiled to myself as they both seemed to enjoy the celebration.

“This was more welcome than we needed, General. You didn’t have to do all this,” I explained humbly, taking a cup of some kind of juice from a blue Twi’lek woman adorned in knit fabric far too revealing to be practical.

“Nonsense. You are guests, and it is customary for us to greet you in this way. It brings my people joy to celebrate what makes us special during times of strife.” Cham closed his eyes solemnly and massaged his temple with his right hand.

I glanced around the hall at the tired faces somehow able to find happiness to lend to others, even if only briefly. It was inspiring that their resolve hadn’t been broken, even through insurmountable odds. They truly were proud, determined people, and fighting alongside them would be incredibly rewarding if we managed to make any headway. I could see why Howzer was so hellbent on refusing to hurt the culture that had so graciously accepted him as one of their own.

Still, it was hard for me to relax knowing what we needed to accomplish. I was used to diligent planning and hours-long strategy meetings to prepare for missions of this magnitude. I could feel my mind racing with battle maneuvers and military strategy as the rest of the crowd enjoyed themselves.

Gregor and Wolffe were talking amongst themselves, glancing every so often at a group of women who were making eye contact and giggling whenever the two clones looked their way. That same red Twi’lek that had been dancing was among them now, and she kept shooting cheeky grins at them. They had been surrounded by clones for years, but recent bias must’ve made the two brothers look irresistible. I rolled my eyes playfully, knowing where that was probably going, and trying to distract myself from thinking about what I wanted to do to my mesh’la if I was ever able to locate her.

I shook the enticing image of her wearing some of the clothes the performers had on from my mind and turned toward Cham again. “General, when will we meet to strategize with your leaders? I have some ideas and–”

“Rex… relax. We have arranged a strategy meeting for tomorrow morning. We can talk about battle then. For now, enjoy a moment’s respite. Your partner understands…” he laughed, motioning at the same group of women who had been drooling over my brothers and suddenly finding her at the center of them.

I didn’t know if it was the aura from the cavern's skylights or the reflection of candlelight glittering off jewels hanging from the walls, but I was overcome by the sight of her glowing and laughing among them. Seeing her enjoying herself as the party wore on made my battle-anxious mind relax. To me, she was the most beautiful person here, and I smiled softly to myself as she finally made eye contact with me.

Her smile was soft and reverent, making her look every bit as stoic, classy, and put-together as she always carried herself among colleagues. Yet, I recognized the fire and lust simmering in the depth of her gaze.

She’d been overly needy all day, pawing and pulling at me at every chance she got, and something about the way she looked at me signaled that she was feeling a deep, magnetic desire. Her libido had always been powerful since the very first day I met her, but this look was something entirely different–maddeningly desperate and practically begging for me to whisk her away to have my way with her. It was all but confirmed as her eyes darkened and her tongue slipped out to wet her lips.

My own lust prickled down my spine and settled in my core, exacerbated by the floating aroma of incense and spice hanging thickly in the air. It took everything in me not to leap from my position and drag her to a quiet, dark corner of the palace. Before I could move an inch, she got lost in the circle of Twi’lek girls again, and I choked down my fantasies until I could get her alone.

I turned to the little girl seated beside Cham and asked for a small bowl of stew to be passed my way. She smiled earnestly and brought it over to me quickly, including another cup of the tart juice they all seemed to enjoy. 

“If you’re a Captain… does that mean you used to fly in big starships?” she asked eagerly, her little green head-tails twirling together in excitement. 

She reminded me of another bright-eyed, inquisitive young girl who never stopped asking me questions. Though the memories of a small, orange Jedi padawan bursting with excitement and eagerness for battle experience seemed so long ago.

“Yeah, kid. I flew on Venators and Acclamators lots of times. They’re not as fun as personal starships, though. I was never really that great of a pilot,” I shrugged, laughing to myself as I remembered all the times General Skywalker pointed out ways I could improve my starfighter piloting skills. I had gently reminded him that some of us had spent a lot less time being ten years old than he had.

“Well, I’m going to be one someday. Howzer says I’m already pretty good, but I’ll be the best in the galaxy,” she rambled excitedly, pulling a pair of haphazardly constructed flight goggles from the pocket of her leather jacket.

“Hera, come. Leave the men in peace, your mother wants you in bed soon,” Cham ordered, apologizing silently as he whisked her away behind him. “Apologies. She’s still learning.”

“That’s alright. I’ve got a lot to learn too,” I replied, the second part muttered more to myself than anyone else. Cham stared at me quizzically as he tried to figure out what I meant when we were interrupted by a group of women approaching our alcove. Slowly, they parted and my bold cyar’ika guided three of them toward where Gregor and Wolffe sat, eyes glued to the girls instead of the performance.

“Boys, this is Noola, Ryloo, and Zeeta. Ladies, this is Wolffe and Gregor. You won’t find better men to keep you company. You can take my word for it.” She turned and winked at me suggestively, Cham looking at me and chuckling to himself. I felt my face get hot with embarrassment and I took a sip of my drink to calm my nerves.

The three women parted from the group and approached my brothers. Zeeta, the red Twi’lek whose bright green eyes had been on us all night, made her way over to Wolffe. She began running her fingers along his shoulder pauldron and whispering something in his ear that made his brows raise instantly. His hand shot out to grab her by the waist and pull her down on his thigh. They took turns exchanging words, and his hand settled at the exposed small of her back.

At the same time, the other two women–Noola, who was bright purple, and Ryloo, a soft green–joined Gregor on either side, kneeling beside him and curling their arms around his biceps. Gregor lit up like a supernova, his irresistible charm instantly pulling the girls into him like a magnet. They listened to him talk and giggled in unison at all his jokes, genuinely finding him as delightful as he claimed women always did.

My attention was turned toward my partner who had reached her hand down to pull me up to my feet. “See? I told them I’d work something out. They should be well taken care of until morning.” 

Pulling her close, I ran my palm up her back, pressing her into me to both feel her and to possessively let the whole group know who I was with. I leaned down to whisper teasingly in her ear, “Does that mine I get you all to myself tonight?” Had we not been in such a public setting, I would’ve laved my tongue and lips along her neck, but that would have to be for later. “Can I take you away now?”

She moaned more than sighed, the lust overwhelming her and making her tremble in my grasp. “Please.” She rested both hands on my chest and stole a glance at my lips like she wanted to be consumed by the need building between us. “Please, Rex. I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

—

The guest quarters in Cham Syndulla’s family palace were nicer than anything I’d ever stayed in. The old sandstone structure was built to blend with a large network of massive caverns on Ryloth’s naturally rocky terrain. Cham was kind enough to give Rex and me the larger of the three rooms, while both Gregor and Wolffe seemed more than content with whatever room could accommodate their new company for tonight.

It was like a private villa. Our own living space with jewel-toned chaise lounges and a carved marble table that was etched with a retelling of Ryloth’s thousand-year history. Normally a large banquet-style feast would be held on a table like this, but given the circumstances, there wasn’t nearly enough food to constitute a feast. Nonetheless, Cham’s wife, Eleni, had been kind enough to bake fresh bread and leave a few pieces of fruit beside it on the center of the table. 

It was customary for Twi’leks from Ryloth to give to their visitors as a friendly extension of their hospitality, but Eleni seemed to be offering this out of more than just custom. She had watched my movements the entire night, taking notice of the way I avoided any of the alcoholic refreshments at the celebration, and kept a firm, almost needy hold on Rex as we were welcomed into a strange place.

When Rex and I entered the bathroom off of the guest bedroom, I knew that Eleni had figured it out. On the shelves and counters of the natural hot spring bathroom were dozens of soothing oils, medicinal herbs, and healing serums specifically for expectant mothers. I turned to Rex in shock, in enough disbelief that he thought I may have been accusing him of spilling our secret.

He shook his head and chuckled, “I promise, I haven’t said a thing to her. Seems like she just knows. Mother’s intuition maybe. You know she and Cham have little ones,” he reassured me, his warm hand on my lower back instantly soothing a particular spot that had been bothering me now for a few days. I closed my eyes and sighed at the contact, Rex moving to massage the spot a little more. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make my already burning arousal ignite even more.

The last few days had seen the hormone levels in my body skyrocket out of control, which I knew would hit me eventually. Sometimes this resulted in anger or irritability that I had to do my best to tamp down around the guys. Other times it resulted in what I felt now–pure, unfiltered, and unbearable lust. Even just watching Rex’s broad shoulders rise and fall as he breathed would set me off now. The pool of heat that collected at my center would pound and throb until something was done to quell the desire; a side effect that Rex was more than enjoying. 

In this moment, the muggy steam of the hot spring combined with Rex’s touch on my body made my toes curl. I felt my nipples bud and the space between my thighs dampen with an overwhelming need for him. I took in a deep breath, opening my eyes to let out a slow sigh, one with enough allure to get his attention. “Rex.” I whispered, turning my face to look up at him desperately. What started as an innocent reassuring of his presence had suddenly become so much more than that.

Rex perked up, his sly smirk curling his pretty, plush lips at the corners and his brow arching with intrigue. “Did I do something, mesh’la?” He asked, pretending he was blissfully unaware of my body’s reaction to him. “Because I know that sound… and I know what usually comes with it,” he teased, his arm slowly circling my side to pull him into me.

“You...” I gulped, his body heat beginning to join the long list of sensations I was feeling taking over me. “You did and are doing something to me. Did you seal the door to our bedroom?” I asked with shaky breaths as his familiar musky, woodsy, lived-in scent began to flood around me.

He chuckled deeply, and I felt the vibration heavily in my chest that was just painfully aching for touch. “Yes, I did. Not that, that was going to stop us, right?” he muttered, flicking off the lights and letting the skylight in the cavern ceiling illuminate the space now. 

“Nothing is going to stop me right now,” I admitted through gritted teeth. I rested my hands on the counter and looked up at my reflection in the mirror, a dark shade of lust overtaking me as I watched Rex butt himself up behind me. He slotted his chin into the space just below my jaw, both his arms now wrapping around my waist.

He peppered small, intimate kisses on my skin, now coated in a sheen of humidity and sweat, and emitted a determined, raspy groan, “Sounds like a challenge, pretty girl. Think I can help?” 

Suddenly, he licked a long stripe up the corded vein in my neck and I gasped, my blood pulsing faster as my heart raced with anticipation, overheating me with desire. 

“Talk to me, cyar’ika. Need me to make you feel good?” Rex asked against the shell of my ear, beginning to work at the clothes keeping my bare skin from his.

“Please, gods yes, Rex. It’s unbearable… I feel like I’m on fire. Everywhere,” I whimpered, meeting his nimble fingers at the hem and helping him pull off my top in one gesture. My chest erupted from it, swollen breasts and pebbled nipples reacting dramatically to the change in temperature.

Rex let out a satisfied grunt, making eye contact with me in the mirror as his calloused hands moved to cup them. He kneaded them carefully, kissing my jaw and pressing them together to make me writhe at the contact.

“There… that a little better? You are fucking perfect… tits getting so big. You’re spoiling me. Just look at how pretty you are. Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more fucking beautiful… you just had to go and take hold of some of me,” he whimpered playfully, watching my eyes hood closed as he rolled one nipple between his fingers and spread his other hand over the growing swell of my bump.

“Yes… that’s good–oh fuck, Rex…” I mewled, melting into his touch as he caressed any part of my torso he could get his hands on. “Everything about you right now is driving me crazy.” I moved my hands to grip his arm, trying to spur him into going a little lower where the unrelenting pounding was taking root.

“Tell you what… how about I get all this off, we both get in that hot spring tub and I touch wherever you need me to. Sound good, my love?” he offered, his hands slipping past the waistband of my bottoms to begin tugging them down my thighs. He paused as he leaned down to help me step out of my pants and turned me to take one of my breasts in his calloused hand, his tongue flicking over the nipple and making me whine at the contact.

“Rex! Strip and get me in that spring before I faint. I’m–ah!–so sensitive right now… everything you’re doing feels so good it hurts,” I explained, my hand flying up to support the back of his head and tugging at his blonde curls gently. I smiled happily at the rush of pleasure racing to my core. With my pants and underwear around my ankles, he released my breast with a lewd pop and used this momentary break to step back and glance over me.

“Fuck–bend over,” he ordered, pulling his shirt off his back and tossing it into the pile of clothes on the floor.

I obliged, leaning onto the counter and pressing my enlarged breasts into the cool stone.. I shivered as his hands softly traced down the dips in my back, pulling both sides of my ass apart to get a good look at my center. He chuffed softly, running a fingertip up my inner thigh. 

“You’re so wet it’s dripping down your thighs, mesh’la.” He collected it on his digits and popped a finger into his mouth, groaning in delight as he stepped out of his pants. “Get in there before I take you right fucking here,” he instructed with a playful slap to my right cheek.

I spun around to give him a once over and bit my lip at the sight of his growing length. “You know that’s why I’m like this… you’re sexy,” I giggled, my gaze flicking down to the part of him I knew better than anyone and smirking teasingly. 

Rex shook his head and stepped forward, resting his hands on my hip bones as he walked us both over to the steaming hot pool. “And that mouth of yours is why I’m like this.” He laughed, lifting me up and helping me step in. The water wasn’t much of a relief, the simmering warmth wrapping around my already overheated body as I settled down in it.

Steam plumed upwards off the glimmering pool's surface, now broken as it swirled around my every curve. I sat back, dunking my shoulders under the warmth and relishing in the sensation of water rippling around me.

Rex followed behind, his large biceps caging me in as he dragged my body back into his broad chest. I tipped my head back to rest on his shoulder, grabbing his forearm curling around me protectively. His body brushing against mine in any facet was making me tremble with an excitement I hadn’t felt since the first time we slept together.

He reached up to hold my chin in his fingers, leaning over to press our lips together and roll his tongue along mine slowly. Every gasping inhale was like breathing in pure arousal, making me moan in his mouth as it dissolved into pleasure spreading throughout my body. I broke the kiss, my jaw slack and my chest heaving as more heat rolled down to drip into my core. He buried his face in the space behind my ear, brushing my hair aside and speaking filth in deep whispers. “Where do you need me, ner mesh’la? I’m here for you.”

“Everywhere. Anywhere. Just want to feel you on me. Know you’re there,” I gasped, feeling his laugh behind my back as he relished in my desperation for him. He ghosted his knuckles over my cheekbone affectionately to remind me what this was all for before he eased his palms down my shoulders.

“Always here. For both of you. I promise,” he muttered, his hands coming to rest on my belly. “You’re so fucking strong,” he breathed, bumping my jaw with his nose, kissing along my pulse point, and letting his touch travel back up to my breasts. “So resilient, bold, smart… carrying my little one and looking so beautiful. I am the luckiest man alive, and I am proud to call you mine.” He paused between words to suck at the soft skin on my neck, hard enough to break blood vessels and distract me from the tension in my core.

He wasn’t doing anything to break the tension, but his words were slowing the rhythm, allowing me to focus on something else besides the overwhelming need tearing my body apart. I blushed as if his words were more intimate and exposing than being laid bare before him. “Is this supposed to make me want to fuck you less? Because you’re not accomplishing that very well with flattery.”

“If you’re feeling sane enough to be bratty, then I’d say it’s working.” He nipped my collarbone softly, making me jump and slap his arm playfully. “Smart mouth. Let me catch up to you and then we’ll see how much you feel like talking.” His cock twitched against my back, his love of being in charge was always the fastest way to turn him on. I moved to rest my head on his shoulder, letting him look into my eyes as he touched me.

His firm grip on my breasts made my breath hitch in my chest, his devilish smirk and fire igniting in his doting gaze signaled that he knew exactly what he was doing trying to light me up again, but slowly this time. “I want to fuck these so bad… you’re a dream for a boobs guy like me, you know? Gonna let me do that someday soon, pretty girl?” He flicked my nipple with his index finger, the bud pebbling up and making static erupt beneath his touch.

I swallowed hard, my hips bucking in response and my backside rubbing against his cock gently. “Fuck–mmmmm… mhmm. Can do whatever you want to me. You know that,” I groaned in frustration, wishing he would sink himself as deep inside me as I craved. The water encircling us both rippled and swirled around with our every movement, the blistering heat adding just another layer of pleasure to my already overwhelmed body. 

“I do,” He muttered softly. “I’ve got a whole list of things I know you like. Using binders, riding my cock, being edged… oh, you love that, don't you?” His listing every profane memory we had together was making the pressure in my core throb even more, and he knew it. The longer he worked me up, the better and more satisfying the result would be later on. Rex was more than a pro at this by now.

“Aren’t those all things you like?” I shot back, reaching to grip his muscular sides and dig my nails into his flesh. I could feel his heart beating into my back, racing to keep up with the desire rushing through his veins. 

He dipped down, his lips pressed to my collarbone softly trailing along the length of it carefully while his fingers pulled and tugged at both nipples. “‘Course. Especially with you,” he smirked against my skin. “Now are you going to tell me what you need? What feels good?” he whispered, his stubble tickling me as his jaw worked to place kisses following his every word.

I huffed impatiently, whimpering as he slid out from behind me, warm water swirling in to take his place. “Rex… you know what I want. You know where I need you.” I inhaled sharply as he interrupted my complaints with his lips wrapped around my nipple, his tongue swirling across the node. He hummed in a mix of pleasure and amusement, his expertise when it came to me enough to make him a little bit cocky.

“I know, mesh’la. But now you’ve got me all riled up, too, and you look far too pretty like this for me to give in this easily.” He looked up, guiding himself back up my body and tipping my chin up between his fingers. “I want to run my fingers through you, taste you, and fuck that pretty pussy until that ache goes away. I’ll do anything for my perfect girl.”

I couldn’t contain the wide smile that spread across my face. “I love you.” I leaned in to capture his lips with mine, passionately entwining us as the pressure became too much for me not to act on. I rocked into him and he sat back again, spreading my legs as I eased onto the width of his thigh.

His gaze trailed up my body, watching the delight on my face as I began chasing my pleasure by grinding against him. He huffed softly, his palm resting on the small of my back to maneuver me gently. “Feels good, huh?” His opposite hand smoothed up the curve of my side and messaged my breast. “You look so beautiful. Even when you’re being such a fucking tease.”

I smiled, both as a playfully bold response to his words and because the slowly building friction on my clit was finally starting to slightly soothe the ache. I glanced down at where his cock throbbed against my thigh, and I wrapped my hand lightly around him. “Oh please, you clearly love being teased, Captain.”

He hissed softly, his fingertips tracing up my spine as he tucked me further into his torso. “Then tease, mesh’la. Overwhelm me,” he whispered seductively, following it with a throaty moan that made my head spin. 

The sticky skin-to-skin contact had us both entranced in the simmering tension. When I moved my hips against his thigh, I brushed his cock gently. Every movement from one affected the other until we were so wound tight with pleasure teetering on the edge between us that we couldn’t take it anymore.

Rex’s kisses slid hot and wet against my steam-covered skin and every buck of my hips sent him slipping over to some untouched part of me. Pleasure pricked every exposed inch of my skin, and his soft moans and words of encouragement spurred things faster. All we did was rub, touch, and writhe until both of us were whipped into a tantalizing frenzy. His weighted palms traveled up my back, into my hair, down my sides, and on top of my thighs, and I gripped his biceps to hold myself steady against him.

I was far too impatient to keep up this pace with the powerful rush of imbalanced hormones fueling me, so I dug into his shoulder and relaxed into his lap, easing over to center myself on top of him. “Take me, Rex. Now… right now,” I begged, resting my hands on either side of his face and forcing his eyes up to meet mine.

A filthy, devilish smirk split his lips and we were in the air in one swift motion. He supported me in one hand and splashed us out of the hot spring. Making his way over to a tall mirrored wall, he reached over to the counter and grabbed one of the natural oils that had been left for us to use. He set me on my feet in front of my reflection and laid a few towels below to cushion us before sitting down. “C’mere mesh’la.” 

I followed, seating myself between his thighs and tipping my head back to watch his beautiful eyes. With one hand he screwed the top off the slightly spicy-scented oil and tipped it into his palm. He guided his other hand to gently wrap around my neck and swallowed my whispered moan of his name in a kiss.

My reflection in the mirror was a sight; my hair was a tousled mess from where he’d gripped it earlier, my eyes blown out with maddening lust so powerful it made my vision blurry, and my lips swollen from passionate kisses. His deep, mesmerizing brown gaze was fixed on me in the mirror, and my naked, dripping body was now shining in oil and covered in slight purple bruises–ones he always smoothed over with a roll of his tongue. 

“Look at me. I want you to watch what I do to you.” One of his oil-covered hands turned my face to look into the mirror while the other traveled down my belly, over my hip, and turned inward as he grazed my thigh. “Do you like being so filthy for me?” he groaned softly in my ear as I writhed in his slippery grip, cocking an eyebrow and prompting me for an answer.

I dipped my head down and suckled his thumb into my mouth, not caring about the slick sensation of the tasteless oil on my tongue. I felt him shudder behind me as he watched the plush of my lips encircle his thick digit, but before I had a chance to tease him with my tongue, he pried my mouth open and held me there. 

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”

“Mhmm. I love to watch you work me up, to feel your hands on me and your cock ready for me, Captain. You can’t resist me when I’m bold,” I giggled, and he rewarded my response with another laving warm pass of his tongue in the space beneath my ear. “I want your fingers,” I whined as his hands pushed my thighs apart painfully slowly.

“I know you do. I can feel how much you want me, mesh’la. You impatient little minx… you want my fingers in the heat of your gorgeous pussy,” he muttered, his index finger tracing the most deliberate and agonizingly slow circle on my clit. I tipped my head back as a moan ripped through me, my breasts rising and falling as I tried to catch my breath to keep up with his pace. “Fuuuck… you’re wet.” A wry, suggestive smirk reached his eyes, smoldering with passion while he watched my hypersensitive body react.

“It’s torture. B-but it feels… feels so good. More, baby. More. Want you inside. Rex, I want–” A truly indecent thought came to mind as my hormone-fueled lust overtook my sanity. I brought my knees higher, angling my center for a perfect view in the mirror and watching myself unfold illicitly. Rex’s cock throbbed into my back at the sight of me presenting myself so willingly and obscenely for his taking. He whimpered quietly, his mind probably running three steps ahead in his fantasy, knowing he’d be the only one to ever see me this way.

“What do you want, my pretty girl? Hmm? What can I do to make you mine all over again?” he asked with renewed desperation. Even he was beginning to lose self-control in this compromised position.

“Hold me open. Make me watch myself come on your fingers, Rex, please,” I begged, my hole contracting involuntarily as my arousal took on a life of its own. I watched his eyes roll back in delight, his circling touch on my clit inching ever closer to my aching core. “Now. Please!” I begged again, curling my fingers around his wrist settled between my legs.

“Oh, fuck–mesh’la… like this?” His lips latched onto my neck, his eyes glued to where he let his thumb and middle finger hold my slick folds open. 

My breathing stuttered as a rush of cool air blew chills through my heat and made my entrance flex. More slick dripped down to glisten in my slit, making Rex let out an audible and sinful moan.

 “Look at you… look how much your pretty pussy needs it. You need my cock so fucking bad.”

I could do nothing but hold onto his wrist with one hand and hold myself upright in position with the other. Rex’s fingertips rubbed through the wetness coating me from his drawn-out torture, and the two thickest digits on his opposite hand slipped through my soaked opening with ease. I cried out, a high-pitched, melodic whine filling the cavernous refresher room, and it made Rex emit a low grunt to harmonize with mine beautifully. “Rex, oh yes… that’s it.”

“Yeah? Does that help, ner mesh’la? You’re wound tight, but you’re doing so well for me.” He gently pressed his fingers within me to the knuckle and flexed them against my wet, collapsing walls. With his chest pressed against my back and biceps wrapped around me, he trapped me in the perfect comfort of his grasp. Slowly, he hooked his ankles over mine, holding my legs in place to prevent me from squirming while he worked my insides into a frenzy.

I could barely form words as the molten heat inside me boiled over into his hands. Each curl of his fingertips into the plush of my core made desire sear hotter in my lower belly, and the recoil was so strong it made me arch my back and buck my hips into him for more. I bit my lip to hold back screams that would only carry the sound of his name into the echoing cavern. “Rex, yes. Yes, that helps. F-fuck it's so good, baby. Deeper. Mmmf, you’re so… so good with your hands.”

A cocky smirk drew against my jaw as he padded up against the front of my walls, and I let out a strangled yelp. “I know,” he cooed, nuzzling my cheek with the bridge of his nose to urge me to keep my eyes on the mirror. “Watch, mesh’la. Gonna make you cum just like this. Then I’ll let you lick it off my fingers while I take you apart with my cock. How’s that sound?” 

He slid his fingers out painfully slowly, the wet shlicking sound making him groan. A thin trail of my wetness connected me to the space between his fingers. His hot exhales fanned my cheek as he rested his temple against mine, leaning in every so often to dot sloppy kisses along my sweat-slick skin.

“Yes, Rex. That’s p-perfect. Exactly what I need. You always know. Know me so well, my love.”

I reached behind to dig my fingers into his lengthening blonde curls, leaning him into a weighted, desperate kiss. Saliva slid sticky and sweet between our twisting tongues, and I moaned into his mouth as he curled two fingers back inside me. He relentlessly pressed up on that delightfully sensitive spongy spot at the shallow front of my walls and flicked at my clit with the pad of his thumb. I broke the kiss to inhale sharply, gazing back at my reflection in the mirror while the squelching sounds of him finger fucking me got louder and more obscene. 

He sucked at the juncture of my neck and jaw and swore incoherently as I began to spasm around him. “You’re so close. Can feel it, almost there. Little more. You can do it. Cum for me… all over me. C’mon, ner mesh’la,” he encouraged, maneuvering his wrist faster and increasing the unbearable pressure to a level I could no longer take. 

“Rex! I’m gonna–REX!” Heat drained down my body and released at my core, the ensnaring warmth having nowhere to go but out as my walls collapsed around his thick fingers. 

“There you go… oh, yes, fuck–look at that. That’s my good girl,” he rasped, his palm, wrist, and forearm drenched in my release. I trembled as the pleasure burst through me, desperate high-pitched moans swallowed by his all-consuming kisses. The pleasure was like an endless wave rolling through me, taking its time ripping through the agonizing carnal desire that had been plaguing me all day. 

Rex’s powerful legs against mine held me open as I watched my opening ripple obscenely. He whispered tender words of adoration as the tension wracking my frame finally started to recede. “My girl… so gorgeous when she cums for me. Let it all out just for me. I know how to make you feel so good, don’t I? Is that what my love does to you? Made this pretty little pussy all mine already.”

I panted and muttered soft agreements, letting my body collapse back into his and feeling his arms wrap protectively around me. “How… did you do… that?” I gasped, giggling as he kissed tears of ecstasy off my cheeks. My fingers laced with his on my belly, and I rubbed up against his cock, wet precum definitely smearing along the small of my back.

“I’m good with my hands, remember?” he teased, walking his fingers up my torso until they were enticingly dangling in front of my lips. 

I tipped my head back on his shoulder and laughed as I tried to catch my breath. My eyes followed his gaze in the mirror, seductively admiring the sight of me naked, sweaty, and writhing against him. 

“Now clean up this mess you made before I split you apart this time.” He offered his fingers, brushing them against my lower lip and coating it with my own slick.

I swirled my tongue around his middle digit and suckled it inside the wet cavern of my mouth. I swallowed the sweet tang of my release and wrapped my lips around him tightly, mimicking what I’d do to his cock if it wasn’t inconveniently positioned behind me. He was way too far gone already to last that kind of torture by now anyways. I could feel him slotted between my cheeks, pounding and anxiously waiting for his turn to feel bliss. 

Slowly, I sat forward, lifting my hips and teasing him with either side of my ass. He grunted, tipping his head down to watch himself slide slickly between me. I popped off his fingers lewdly and his hand immediately captured my hip bone, starting to maneuver my center to his liking. “Want me to ride you, Captain? Just like this? Now that I’m all soaked and ready for your cock?” I teased devilishly, dragging my nails up his thighs and grinning wickedly at him in the mirror.

“Oh yeah, I do. Mesh’la, I want to fuck you so bad and watch you bounce on me… so fucking hot,” Rex rasped, his gravelly tone dropping harshly as his lust overtook him. Deep moans spread through his chest as his hands explored what he could only see through our reflections. He pressed my tits together roughly, kneading them in both his strong hands as I twisted my bottom half against his rock-hard cock.

“You want this pussy, Captain?” I mocked, lifting my hips up just enough to slide his cock between my drenched lips explicitly. He moaned my name in confirmation and his hands gripped at the plush of my hips to move me faster. “Then come and take what’s already yours, Rex,” I offered, slowing my rolling hips as his tip neared my entrance. “Show me why you own me.”

In seconds, Rex thrust himself inside, pushing my swollen walls apart again with a loud shout. I threw my head back and my jaw dropped, the width of his throbbing cock beating against the aching knot in my core with deliciously painful satisfaction. He could reach exactly where the burning desire took root every single time, without fail. I flailed wildly for something to hold onto and found purchase again on the tops of his muscular thighs. We sat pressed together for what felt like forever, neither one of us strong enough to begin any semblance of a rhythm when being sealed together so tightly already felt this good.

Rex rolled his hips up first, his cock bottoming out easily inside the space that was quickly becoming too small to contain him. Every bump of his tip against my deepest spot made me squeal in pleasure. He snickered tauntingly, knowing full well how easy it was for him to bring me to another high just by pressing himself into me this deeply. “That’s the spot, mesh’la, I know it is. Just fucked you apart once and you’re still so fucking tight. You needed my cock. Is that it? I can reach where no one else can. That’s why you’re all mine.” 

“Yes, Rex. You’re right there, right where I want you. Where it hurts. Where I need you to fuck until it feels better. Please,” I begged, lifting my hips and rotating them as I started grinding down on him desperately. “Your cock… it's all I ever want. Rex!” I could feel his fingers starting to circle my clit again, still sensitive from being played with so mercilessly once already. Pressure mounted in between my thighs and heat swelled through every part of my body all over again.

Rex helped guide my hips on him at the speed he liked, and he watched himself disappear inside me in the mirror with every bounce on his cock. “I could fuck you like this forever. Till the end of my fucking days. I want to watch you drain my fucking cock, mesh’la. Look so good taking all of me… feel s-so good. I want to fill you full of me. Bouncing this perfect ass on me while you take every inch of me…” He leaned back and rested on his forearms to get a better look, slapping my right cheek roughly every time I slid up to the tip.

“Whenever you want, Captain. You can have all of me. Always. Fuck… Rex… fuck me. I want to cum again on your cock,” I pleaded, tossing my hair behind me and feeling him twirl it into the grip of his left hand. I rode him faster, the length of him spearing into my spot in a blinding hot mix of pleasure and pain. I moaned loudly, the echoes of his name filling the cavern and rippling the calm surface of the hot spring. Skin slapping skin lewdly filled my ears and Rex’s low moans of pleasure spurred me on faster. 

His breathing became harsher and harsher, his sworn words of pleasure hitching in his throat as higher-pitched whines took their place. I didn’t relent, feeling his circles on my clit speed up as the tingling of my nerves blended with the tightly wound knot simmering in my belly. 

His cock jumped and he sat up on instinct, clutching me to him and seating me firmly into his lap as he felt white hot pleasure bubbling up within him. “Oh fuck–mesh’la… I’m gonna cum. I want to fill you so deep and watch it spill out… leak out that pretty pussy. Make a mess of my perfect dirty girl. Fuck... fuck cum on my cock… cum with me, my love… fuuuck–” he rambled, kissing up my neck and groaning deeply in my ear, the reflection of his dark eyes meeting mine.

His twisting circles on my clit sped up tenfold to catch me up, and I gasped feeling the pleasure ignite inside my core. I reached behind me to grip him by the hair and pulled tightly as he rocketed my nerves over the edge into overstimulation. I could do nothing but bite my lip to hold back the scream as my second orgasm exploded into stardust that radiated through my body. My walls pulsed around him at the same time he sent ropes of wet heat erupting into the deepest depths of my belly. I gripped his throbbing cock in the vice of my walls and held on tight as we both writhed in unison.

“Rex… Rex… Rex… Reeex–” I sputtered as pleasure seemed to take turns making its way through both of our bodies. His cock throbbed over and over, pass after pass filling up the emptiness inside more than there could ever be space to contain. My grip on him wouldn’t lessen as the fantastic high swirled through the blood in my veins, finally extinguishing the torturous hormone-crazed lust in my core.

He panted in my ear, doing his best to keep it going as we both toppled down from an overwhelming high. “I’m here, mesh’la. Fuck… I’ve got you.” He relaxed and dropped his thighs open, releasing the bind they had on mine and letting me fall open in front of him. I groaned as his cock slid out and the swirling streams of his release spilled out like a slow leak from my still-spasming hole. It dripped to the floor below and made his eyes roll back in his head as he watched it continue to coat the inside of my folds.

“See? That’s… all yours… baby. Always yours to fill like this whenever you want,” I whimpered through my blissed-out haze, feeling it spill onto my inner thighs. 

“You’re so fucking… filthy. Gods, I fucking love you. I love you,” he said incredulously, kissing up my neck, along my jaw, and across my cheeks until he reached my lips. “You’ve gotta feel better now, darling, because… clearly… I’m spent… you milked me dry, gorgeous.”

I hummed happily, melting into his grasp and holding his hands now wrapping around my waist. “I’m better now. So much better.” I tipped my head back to rest on his shoulder and nuzzled my face into his neck. He tenderly spread his fingers on the swell of my little bump, perhaps trying to feel for any more flutters. “Maybe now I can finally sleep.”

Before I knew it, I was being cleaned with a washcloth and scooped into his arms while I faded on the edge of consciousness. For the first time in ages, my body felt calm and boneless, my every nerve ending satisfied. He relaxed me the best way he knew how, and I was so at ease I could finally close my eyes and settle beside him in bed.

The sheets were soft and cool compared to the muggy spa room, and the smell of Rex’s clean, woodsy scent flooded my nose. He curled me into his side, both his arms hugging me into him protectively. 

It felt like all of us could finally rest for the first time in weeks, knowing we were in a safe place surrounded by more free brothers than Rex and I had seen in a long time. We were all on the same side–all of us committing to fighting for something better for the clones, for Ryloth, and for family.

I spent the next few minutes relishing in the sweet, peaceful sounds of nature of Ryloth’s night. Plants rustled in the breeze just outside a window-shaped opening in the cavern walls and nocturnal creatures sang to each other as they thrived when the rest of the planet slept. Rex’s breathing soon steadied beneath my cheek, and I drifted off shortly after, falling impossibly deeper in love with him to the sound of his breathing.

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Notes: hi there :) it's been awhile. the last few chapters have been tough and emotional, even on me to write. so i figured what better way to give us all a break than to let our faves get some. ps that includes some bonus works coming soon for both wolffe and gregor's sexcapades during this chapter ;) a big massive wonderful special thank you to erin for being the best beta reader and friend ever

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[leavingkamino]

dark red; chapter nine - above and below

Chapter Preview: "Crosshair pressed himself behind another pillar close by, trigger finger at the ready. The morning light had just started to shine through as he twisted around the pillar, counting about twelve TK troopers.

The Empire had found them."

Pairing: Crosshair/Reader (GN), Crosshair/You

Rating: T

Warnings: Depictions of Violence

Word Count: 4.5k

A/N: …Hello?? (Hello??)…Is anybody here?? (Is anybody here??)…It has been-*checks date*…ough…I'll save an explanation for the end notes so for now please enjoy four and a half thousand words of mostly chaos. (a recap is under the cut as well as the tag list)

Masterlist

Previous Chapter

Read on ao3 (if you’d prefer)

Tag List: (tag list form) @lackofhonor @leia-saveourskins @that-one-beannnn @sammercxx @why-not-movies @lightning-wolffe @dwarfnip @imalovernotahater @salaminus (if you don't want to be tagged anymore you can let me know i understand and it won't bother me)

RECAP: At the beginning of this arc Crosshair and you/reader were sent to deliver a weapons shipment to a group of rebel Togrutas colonists on an Empire-occupied Kiros and much to Crosshair's own discomfort they end up staying longer than intended. They fixed a ship and in return were offered a meal and a place to stay the night. The last chapter ended in an argument between Crosshair and you because, for one, Crosshair is an emotionally repressed bastard. His past has been haunting him and he's had trouble compartmentalizing it. It doesn't help that you keep acting so friendly with him when he doesn't like to think of you as anything other than a business partner. He said something he ought to have not said to you in attempt to get you to back off and it worked, but all he felt afterwards was guilt. Uh-oh. And now after a night of little sleep, he, you, and the rest of the colonists are in for a very rude awakening.

+++

Blaster fire sounded off from outside the cave and everyone immediately jolted awake from it. Crosshair's eyes shot open and his hands automatically reached for the rifle on his lap. He looked over to your bedroll to see you already reaching for your blaster and waking Plink up from standby mode. He debated on getting your attention, but the echoing blasts and shouting had him up and moving. Crosshair pressed himself behind another pillar close by, trigger finger at the ready. The morning light had just started to shine through as he twisted around the pillar, counting about twelve TK troopers.

The Empire had found them.

In the steadily increasing chaos, he lifted the rifle and took one out before a colonist was hit. He then noticed Lahna in the thick of it with two more troopers whose attentions were solely on her. She dodged their shots with determination and they began to back up as she advanced forward. Crosshair aimed at the one on the left and the trooper went down. The one on the right was immediately caught off guard in response. Lahna seized her advantage and ran forward, aiming a kick at the trooper's chest. The blow had them landing flat on their back. She didn't wait for the trooper to get up before she aimed at their chestplate and pulled the trigger. Behind him, Crosshair heard a familiar beep, but he didn't have the chance to turn around before he saw you fly right past him into the fray.

You shot one in the knee and then directed another to the chest. A close shot missed the side of a nearby Togruta's head by an inch causing your attention to shift. A dangerous look passed over your face and then you were lunging at the trooper. The new issued armor clearly wasn't as durable as the Phase II clone trooper armor, clearly. With a smack from the butt of your blaster, there was a crack in the helmet and the trooper was incapacitated. A roundhouse kick sent them crashing into the side of the pillar next to them. Hard. Crosshair heard a crack, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the impact of plastoid against the pillar or the trooper's spine.

You took off to join another colonist and Crosshair turned his attention to the last remnants still within the cave. Six troopers. He took a shot. Five troopers. He aimed at another sneaking up on you. Four troopers. You and two other colonists overtook another. Three troopers. One was behind a pillar and managed to shoot a Togruta man in the chest, sending him down onto the cave floor with a shout of pain. Lahna shot her blaster at the trooper twice, with a look of fury. Two troopers. Crosshair aimed and pulled the trigger again. One trooper. He was aware that he couldn’t hear Plink’s beeping behind him anymore when he spotted her clinking her way across the cave at the last trooper.

“Damn droid.” he muttered under his breath and readied himself in case she caused problems.

To his surprise, Plink—despite being the noisiest right now—snuck up on the last trooper and jammed her clamp right in the back of the knee where the plastoid didn’t quite cover. With a pained grunt the trooper lost their balance and pitched forward. Before they even hit the ground a blaster shot found its mark in the middle of their chestplate. They toppled over with a resounding clack on the cave floor. Plink beeped victoriously and kicked the trooper in the side for good measure. Crosshair let out an annoyed sound and stood up from his position, walking over to you and Lahna.

Suddenly there was the sound of a comm ringing before it abruptly cut off and then a choked off wheeze was heard from the trooper that just went down. Crosshair narrowed his eyes and was about to take care of it himself when Lahna stomped over, blaster in hand.

“How did you find this place?” she glared down at the trooper.

The trooper didn’t answer, only wheezed louder and coughed wetly.

“Tell me or I’ll let you lie here until the end finally comes for you.” she threatened with cold, barely-contained anger.

The trooper gurgled a bit and moaned in pain before finally mustering up the strength to speak, “For…the…Empire.”

Lahna’s expression hardened and the trooper wheezed and choked again before letting out one last shallow breath and stilling completely. The Togruta woman slowly backed away from the body and her tense posture loosened very little as she sighed in frustration.

“They’ll be sending more now that they’ve missed their check-in.” Crosshair stated.

Lahna looked around at the cluster of colonists still hidden behind pillars and along the back walls, “We’ll need to evacuate now.”

“Take the injured, elderly and children out through the tunnel, the rest of the able-bodied and willing will stay and buy us some time. Hopefully it will be enough to get everyone out.” she addressed a colonist standing to the side and the Togruta nodded in acknowledgement before going to relay the message to the others in the cave.

“How did they even find this location?” you asked in disbelief from beside him.

“And you’re the one who was insistent that everything would be fine.” he gritted out.

“I was trying to give the situation the benefit of the doubt!” you shot back at him angrily.

“Well, we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place if we had just left at the time you had said we would.” he growled out and you glared at him, opening your mouth to retort.

“Please, we can’t afford to fight amongst each other right now.” Lahna pleaded and the growing animosity between him and you dwindled immediately as he was pulled back to the present.

Plink suddenly beeped something at you urgently.

“What do you mean you think you saw something in the forest yesterday?” you asked her.

Crosshair clenched his jaw as he recalled how flighty Plink had acted. That damn droid had seen something. Why hadn’t he? How could he have missed something as crucial as a probe droid or a scout for that matter. And then he recalled the Kiros bird he’d spotted in the tree. Clever, he thought bitterly.

“The birds.” he said.

You looked at him with a confused expression, as did Lahna before the realization seemed to set in for her.

“How is that possible?" she asked in disbelief.

“The Empire is willing to do whatever they deem necessary for a secure galaxy.” he replied.

“Would that mean they’ve been spying on us this entire time? Waiting?” she worried the bottom of her lip at the thought.

“Possibly, but it doesn’t matter much now,” he noticed the look of guilt pass over her face, “How long does it take to make it through the tunnel you’ve mentioned?”

“Not long. The way is narrow but not narrow enough to hinder a group such as this. It’s not a long walk to the exit either, but I do worry about the few who physically can’t make the trek at the moment.”

“I’ll help.” you offered and Plink let out a beep that could be easily interpreted as agreement.

“Thank you.” Lahna said with sincerity. You laid a hand on her arm in reassurance and gave Crosshair one last look before walking off with Plink in the direction of the makeshift medbay.

Lahna turned to him again and smiled lightly, “I’d say you have a lot more experience in battle than the rest of us have ever had, judging from your demonstrated skills.”

When Crosshair didn't respond Lahna’s expression turned somber, “I don’t exactly know if we would have made it through that, were the both of you not here. We already lost some to it.”

Her gaze shifted to the bodies lying near the entrance of the cave and then to the one who'd fallen mid-skirmish.

“We can’t even give them a proper burial,” her voice had gone rough and her eyes glistened slightly.

Lahna shook herself and blinked, her face set with determination as she turned to him, “But as you've said, they will send more. When they come, will you stand with us?”

Her question triggered some sort of resolve in him and he inclined his head in agreement. She thanked him and then looked at him as if she were seeing someone else instead. Crosshair raised an eyebrow at her slightly in question.

“You remind me of my brother,” she explained, “He was just like you. Stoic and stern on the outside, but on the inside…he cared about a great many things."

"You know nothing about me." he countered defensively.

Lahna's smile slowly melted into a more serious expression, "That may be so, but you defended us and I noticed your interactions with Hara last night…you remind me of him all the same."

I remember it always being hard for him to work through his feelings. He opposed living his life the way he’d always been taught to live it, but our parents wanted him to grow up the way I did,” she continued wistfully, “He found himself in the end, at least.”

“How did he die?” Crosshair asked bluntly, no sense in beating around the bush.

She laughed light and short and smiled before straightening up her posture, “I'd like to think he's not dead. He was older than I by a good few years and left when I was still a young girl. He wanted to experience the rest of the galaxy for himself instead of staying here like our parents expected. All I have of him are the memories up until that day.”

He told me before he left that I was capable of doing anything I wanted, being anything I wanted. No matter what anyone else says. And that I shouldn’t let my own fears and doubts—and other people’s—control me. I still live by his advice to this day.”

A colonist ran up to Lahna right as she finished and began speaking hurriedly in Togruti. Lahna frowned and spoke urgently back to him while he nodded and ran in the direction of the clearing entrance.

“We’re out of time. Kyneth is moving the ship before they get here, but he says our scouts spotted more troopers not too far away.” she said to him and he followed her as she made her way to the front entrance of the cave.

“How far?” he asked.

“Four, maybe five, clicks.” she answered

"We need to keep them busy at the front when they come." Lahna then let out a call to attention and every Togruta willing to fight and defend fell into step behind them.

"When I say, we’ll fall back inside and make our way out through the tunnels. I don’t want to lose any more of you." she spoke to them as they exited the cave and the group branched off to the cover of greenery on either side of the path to the entrance.

“Ryshlen and Crosshair, you two are our eyes. Once you have a visual, pick the ones on the rear off. Ryshlen can signal me once they get close to our position."

Ryshlen, a Togruta with pale purple skin and yellow striped head tails, nodded and shared a look with Crosshair before gesturing to the wall next to the cave. As precarious as it looked, it seemed to be the only way up. She climbed it with surprising ease and he cautiously followed after her. Once they reached a sturdy protruding edge of rock, they pulled themselves up and Crosshair followed the Togruta as she took up position on a raised boulder.

"We should be more spread out,” he looked around him and then up above, that would work better.

Ryshlen gave him a curious look, but didn’t protest as he climbed up to a ledge perpendicular to hers. He rested the rifle atop the branch of a tree that had grown up against the rocky wall and looked out into the forest below. He didn’t need to focus much to see a whole platoon of white armor through the trees. He could take a shot right now if he wanted to. His enhanced eyesight would make buying time a little easier…it would also bring unwanted attention onto him. Crosshair sighed and stayed his trigger finger.

The wait was silent, save for the waterfall rushing on. Not even a Kiros bird’s cry could be heard nearby. But as each minute passed, the sound of plastoid boots on dirt gradually grew louder. Involuntarily, he felt his stomach drop and he tensed up, but before he could reprimand himself for it, his vision blurred slightly. Panic he’d only felt a handful of times in his life overtook him and his grip on the rifle faltered slightly. Not even a second later his sight was back to normal and the panic subsided. He breathed out in relief. He didn’t know what had just happened, but there was no time to dwell on it. He could see the troopers now marching on the path towards them. It was time.

Ryshlen got Crosshair’s attention and he nodded to her and readied himself. Ryshlen then signaled Lahna below and their ambush commenced.Taking aim, Crosshair pulled the trigger and a shot burst from the rifle. A trooper toppled backwards onto the ground from a headshot while another was dealt with by Ryshlen. How none of the others seemed to even acknowledge what was happening to their fellow soldiers concerned him. They just kept marching. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t begin to guess what.

As soon as they reached Lahna and the other colonists' positions, the Togruta let out a short, sharp sound. Within seconds they had all sprung out and attacked. Crosshair and Ryshlen continued taking some out from their positions above, but a few shifted their attention over to them. He ducked his head out of the way of a shot and retaliated with one of his own. It hit with deadly accuracy and the trooper fell. Ryshlen was less lucky in her current spot and more than a few shots grazed her cheeks and shoulders. She grunted and exclaimed a phrase in Togruti that sounded a lot like a curse to him. Crosshair finished off one trooper that had hit her which gave Ryshlen an opening to get at another.

“You have very good aim.” she called without looking at him.

“You want to see who's better?” she asked over the sound of another blaster shot and Crosshair could hear the mischief in her accented voice.

He almost snorted, but saw an opportunity present itself. He wondered if he could get the same reaction out of her as he had gotten out of you those few weeks ago.

“I’m already at six.” he responded with a slight uptick of the corner of his mouth.

Ryshlen chuckled, “Right behind you with five.”

Their little competition commenced. Both of them called out numbers as they continued taking down troopers. He was still leading, of course, but that didn’t mean it was boringly easy. What Ryshlen lacked in comparison to his enhanced skills, she made up for with determination and speed. For a moment, Crosshair felt a terrifying amount of nostalgia creep up inside him, but he didn’t let it deter him. He took out another and smirked and called out his current score. Then in the next second, everything went wrong.

He almost didn’t hear the faint roaring sound over the waterfall. It was only when he noticed the wind had picked up that he jumped into action. Competition forgotten, he checked the sky through his scope. Two TIE fighters were rapidly advancing. Crosshair didn’t care about the attention he would possibly draw now, he fired at the left wing of one of the fighters. It didn’t have the desired effect he wanted that would’ve sent it careening into the other one. Damn it all, he thought.

“They sent TIE Fighters!” he shouted over to Ryshlen.

Mid-shot she looked at him with wide eyes before relaying his words down to Lahna and the others below. Their plan to hold them off was backfiring and Crosshair could hear Lahna telling everyone to fall back. Already there were bodies of troopers and colonists alike laying in the dirt, unmoving, but the troopers seemed to still be putting up a fight. It looked like they wouldn’t stop until the colonists were dead.

Suddenly, the TIE fighter swerved off its course and out of sight and sound. With no visual on it, Crosshair couldn’t do anything but curse again and frustratedly shoot at another trooper below. Lahna was still urging a retreat as she and the others were quickly almost boxed in on the path. And as if their predicament couldn’t have gotten any worse, Crosshair heard the TIE fighter again. Still with no visual he realized it was coming at them from behind now. It had flown back around into their blind spot. Crosshair scrambled up from his position and began climbing down the wall to Ryshlen.

“It’s coming back, we have to move, now.” he said urgently, but it was already too late.

The sound of the TIE fighter speeding over was louder than the blaster fire that shot out of its guns. The wall shook from the impact and Crosshair almost lost his grip for a second before he steadied himself. They didn’t have time to prepare for the second burst of shots either and part of the wall cracked and sent Ryshlen careening over her ledge. Quickly reaching out, Crosshair managed to grab hold of her arm before she fell completely. He heard her grunt in pain and curse as her own rifle slipped from her hand, down to the ground below. He exhaled slowly and felt her let go after she found her own grip on the wall.

He could hear Lahna shout something at them, but he couldn’t make it out. He focused on making it to the ground first before the fighter circled back and fired off more shots. Thankfully he and Ryshlen made it down without any slips. The Togruta sniper spotted her rifle on the ground a few feet away from them, though it looked beaten to all hell now. He was met with a ‘thank you’ from her as she turned back around to him. Crosshair inclined his head in acknowledgement as Lahna shouted again.

“Fall back into the cave, now!” she called as her and an unfortunately dwindling number of colonists ran up the path, stopping frequently to shoot at the still advancing troops.

Crosshair shot down one that had almost hit Lahna and then reached for the blaster he still had holstered, giving it to Ryshlen.

“I want that back.” he said to her and she nodded in understanding before rushing in to fight up close and personal. 

Crosshair covered them as they all ran back into the cave up behind them, but as soon as he made it inside with the rest of them another colonist was taken down by a shot to the chest. He heard cries of distress behind him in the back of the cave and cursed inwardly. Not all of them had made it into the tunnel yet. There wasn’t time to block the entrance and the rest of the troopers now rushed into the cave. He kicked one in the chest as they attacked and sent them bowling over a few behind them. He shot the one he kicked and then stumbled as the cave suddenly rumbled and quaked, rock and dust falling from the ceiling. The TIE fighter was back and he could already tell what the end goal was here. They were going to collapse the cave. Lahna and the others figured this out immediately as well.

“Get to the tunnel!” Lahna commanded as she disarmed a trooper and shot them in the groin.

Time didn’t allow Crosshair to linger on that moment, but the image was ingrained into his mind forever now. He dodged blaster shots and sprinted in the direction of the tunnel, but another set of blasts shook the cave. There were simultaneous thunks sounding off behind him and he stopped and turned to see the entrance to the cave collapse. There was really only one way out now.

He absentmindedly noted the remaining colonists running past him while trying to keep the remaining troops off of Lahna and the others. The chaos increased tenfold when the cave shook again, but this time with so much force that the ceiling started cracking and the pillars at the front began collapsing. They’d be buried here if they didn’t leave now. A few pillars suddenly fell in front of the rest of the troopers, barring them from the rest of the cave. Lahna and the others took the opening and ran. He sprinted after them just as another set of blasts breached the right side of the wall and Crosshair shielded his face as bits of rock flew at him.

He lept over a fallen rock in front of him and was almost to the tunnel entrance when he heard the cry of a child. He stopped abruptly and looked to his left. On the other side of the cave near the wall stood a trooper, their blaster aimed directly at Hara. Kuli was unconscious on the ground next to her, a gash on his temple. Tears were streaming down her face and Crosshair advanced over to them quickly, rifle lifted to take the shot. But at the last second Hara noticed him, causing the trooper to turn around too early, spotting him. A blaster shot missed him by a hair and he quickly raised his rifle to aim again, but this trooper seemed to have quick reflexes and an attitude—if the heavy punch Crosshair found himself dodging was anything to go by. He was trained in hand-to-hand himself, but he never considered it one of his better skills.

He blocked three punches, one-armed, with the rifle still gripped in his other. The trooper let out a growl and directed another to his sternum, catching him off-guard and sending him backwards into a pillar behind him. Before he could regain his footing though, a searing pain tore its way through his left shoulder. He clenched his teeth and let out a pained grunt as he fell onto the floor. The rifle slipped from his grip and he landed on his side, watching as the trooper turned back around to Hara and Kuli. Time seemed to slow in that very second and suddenly it wasn’t the trooper standing over them, ready to pull the trigger. It was himself. Hara’s eyes were wide with unadulterated fear as she clung to her father’s unconscious form. Flashes of Onderon played in his mind as he heard the hum of the blaster warming up to fire and he was suddenly hit by an onslaught of guilt.

Crosshair forced himself to move fast, grimacing in pain. He grabbed the rifle that laid only inches from his gloved fingers and fired at the trooper’s back. They toppled over in front of Hara and she yelped, but immediately began shaking her father by the shoulder. Kuli groaned in pain and Crosshair couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief that he was still alive. Hara’s lip trembled at the sight of her father regaining consciousness and the Togruta looked around frantically, eyes passing over the dead trooper before his gaze settled on his daughter.

“You’re alright. You’re okay, Hara.” he sat up and embraced her as she cried before noticing Crosshair half-lying on the ground. He looked at the trooper again and then at him in realization

“You saved her,” he said breathlessly, “Thank you.”

“You need to get out here, quickly.” he told him and Kuli released Hara so he could get up.

Hara looked like she wanted to run over to him, but the cave rumbled again and another pile of rocks fell from the ceiling behind them.

“Go! ” he urged with a wince as he began pushing himself up from the ground.

Kuli sent him a look of concern, but didn’t say anything else as he scooped Hara up in his arms again and took off to the tunnel as fast as he could. Crosshair grunted at the pain in his shoulder as he righted himself and then started jogging towards the back tunnel. All the while the imminent collapse of the cave grew closer and closer. The TIE fighter was long gone and at best, maybe the Empire now assumed the rebel Togrutas had been dealt with. He was almost there; he could finally leave, the tunnel was just up ahead. There was a loud rumble and the cave crumbled around him even more. An avalanche of rocks fell onto the ground in front of him and he weaved around to try and escape it, but one fell on his injured shoulder and he staggered and shouted in pain.

“Crosshair!” he heard a voice shout from the tunnel entrance.

“What are you doing here?” he asked angrily as he saw you run towards him.

“You weren't with Lahna and the others.” you bristled at his tone.

“Leave. Now. I'll get out on my own.” he said stubbornly.

“Absolutely not, you idiot.” you said as you reached for his arm, but he shrugged you off.

“The cave is collapsing and with my injury I’ll only slow you down. Get out of here!” he shouted at you.

“You may be an emotionally constipated asshole,” you glared at him, “But I’m not leaving here without you! Just accept my karking help and—”

You cut off and your eyes widened. A giant slab of rock fell from above and Crosshair didn’t have time to feel anything but surprise as you quickly pushed him out of the way. He hit the ground and the wind was momentarily knocked out of him. He coughed and sucked in a breath a few seconds later as he sat up. His shoulder throbbed and ached, but he ignored it as his own eyes widened at the sight before him. The rock had landed on you instead. The lower half of your body was stuck underneath it and you were passed out from the looks of it. Your head might’ve hit the ground when you fell.

Crosshair felt something rush through him and he scrambled up from the ground for the umpteenth time in the last few minutes and ran to you. The rock was fortunately not too heavy for him to lift off of you, but his shoulder wasn't going to thank him for it later. Crosshair set the rifle on the ground next to him and lifted you onto his back. Grabbing the rifle he stood up and ignored his own pain again before walking the last few feet to the tunnel entrance. The ceiling collapsed completely behind him right after he made it through. He shifted you on his back to keep you from falling and then started the trek further down the faintly lit tunnel.

+++

End Note: Uhh,, hi *waves*

So I was planning on getting back to this in December, but it was such a difficult time and things were happening again and it was so much to handle emotionally. But anyway, allow me to backtrack. Basically I was many hyperfixations deep throughout the months last year it effectively made my Bad Batch one go dormant. Oops. It only came back once that new teaser was released in, what, July?? so I messed around with this chapter again.

Then August hit and at the very beginning of it I lost my grandpa so the next few months were some of the worst I've had in my life so far. I had no motivation to write really. It didn't get easier to cope either as my cousin lost him and then both on her dad's side too, it was rough. The holidays were difficult, my younger sister also decided to get married in December, I finally got a job that I start really soon this month and by the time New Years rolled around I didn't think I'd be able to get back to this. A couple days before the new season premiered though, I got a sudden burst of motivation so I ran with it and this is the end result. I finally got to include a scene I've been wanting to write since I thought it up last year so yay to that. Also, another new OC who is very quickly becoming dear to me. Anyway, this might be the longest end note I've written, but I promise it's almost done.

Just wanted to say again that I'm not giving up on this fic until it's finished. Doesn't matter how longer I take or that this is truly an AU now, I'm sticking with it because I really want to tell this story. And if you came back to this after almost a year of me not updating, thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're still interested in seeing the story progress. If you are a newer reader, welcome, I'm happy to have you along. Until next chapter, y'all.

As always, feedback is much appreciated if you feel inclined to give any c:

Thank you for reading ❤️