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hugmekenobi · 6 months ago

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S3: The Bad Batch (1)

Chapter One: Confined

Gif by @ventresses

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Rating: 18+

Series Summary: Ever since Eriadu, Clone Force 99 had been a fractured squad. Months have passed but you're finally back with the Batch but Omega is still out there and you won't stop until you find her again.

Chapter Summary: Imprisoned on Tantiss, Omega finds herself needing to adjust to life there whilst the rest of you decide on your next mission to give you intel you desperately need.

Masterlist for S1 and S2

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Very mild canon-typical violence, one use of y/n, Hemlock, brief wound description, nightmares with emotional hurt/comfort, my interpretation of various people's headspaces, slight angst, me going off script/episode plot in the last part, and remember, italics represent silent Jedi communications

Word Count: 5K

Author's notes: And we're off! Happy Star Wars Day!! We are pretty much just following the plot of this episode, save for a bit at the end so it might feel like a bit of a slow start, but bear with me! Technically, this will also wind up being a 'fix-it' fic so just stick with me on that process too! Hope you enjoy! And I have already started working on the next chapter! Also, I am just going off my past taglist so anyone who wants added/removed, please let me know!

21 days since Eriadu

Water dripped from the faulty tap in the small cell as light crept through the bars on the window.

Omega stared out into the open space with a forlorn sigh as she envied the birds that sounded their freedom as they chirped their usual song. She stepped down from her bed and started pacing anxiously as she waited for Emerie to make her scheduled appearance.

Sure enough, a couple seconds later, the door opened, and Emerie stepped inside.

“Good morning, Omega. How are you feeling today?” Emerie asked.

“Like a prisoner.” Omega replied curtly. “I want to leave.”

“Prisoner?” Emerie repeated, surprised. “Omega, you are no such thing. It will take time to adjust, but you will acclimate. It is far safer in here than out there. Come. We have much to do.” With that Emerie turned to leave.

Omega reached under her bed and brought out her box before she followed Emerie out into the corridor. The grey colouring of her new clothes matched the other scientists and the non-descript design of the inside of the base.

They turned a corner to pass a squad of clone prisoners being escorted past and Omega let out a gasp as she recognised the figure at the front of the line but despite her effort to look at him, he only stared at the floor.

Omega entered the lab and watched in quiet upset as the clone was subjected to a blood sample being taken from the back of his hand. They all had similar expressions of pain and defeat written across their faces and she wished she knew how to stop it.

Emerie placed the test tube into one of the free slots in the tray that Omega was holding before she took the datapad out and created a record for Omega. “And now I need to take a blood sample from you.”

“From me?” Omega repeated. “Why?”

“The samples are used for various research projects. All of us serve a purpose here.” Emerie explained. “It won’t hurt.” She added as a means of reassurance before she readied the equipment to take the sample.

Omega sat up on the bench. “Can you at least tell me where my brothers are? Or my friend, (Y/N)?”

“I do not know.” Emerie replied simply.

Omega held her hand out and braced against the sting of the needle as her blood was drawn. “If you’re a clone like me, how come I never saw you on Kamino?”

“Because I was sent elsewhere until Dr. Hemlock took me under his wing. He saw potential in me, like Nala Se sees in you.”

“I never knew that I had a sister. It’s nice not being alone.” She offered Emerie a small smile, but it wasn’t quite returned.

“Head to the lab.” Emerie ordered as she took the device away and placed Omega’s sample in with the others. “Nala Se is expecting these.”

As the security scan was completed, Omega entered the lab and walked over to Nala Se who was busy placing more blood vials into a centrifuge.

“Thank you, Omega.” Nala Se said as she took the tray from her and started processing the data from the samples and it was through that that she saw the concerning sight that Omega was now a part of the system. “Omega, your sample was taken?”

“Mn-hmm. Emerie said it was routine.”

Nala Se deleted the record from the system before she destroyed the physical sample.

Omega watched this with curiosity. “Why are you discarding it?”

“Tell no one.” Nala Se replied before she took the other samples to the centrifuge. “It is safer this way.”

Omega knew the Kaminoian well enough to pick up on the worry in her voice. “This research, it’s not like what we did on Kamino, is it?”

“No, it is not.”

“I don’t understand. Why did they bring me here?” Omeag asked, hoping that if Emerie couldn’t give her the answers that she sought then Nala Se would have some idea.

“To ensure that I co-operate. The Empire seeks the reproduction of a genetic M-count, but the experiments on the specimens have yet to yield the desired result.”

The M-count was something she was aware of but nothing else Nala Se was saying made much sense to her. “What specimens? You mean the clones?”

“No. Not the clones.”

Any further elaboration was cut off as the lab doors opened and Omega turned to see who it was.

“How nice to see you reunited with your trusted assistant.” Hemlock commented to Nala Se. He massaged the palm of his gloved hand. “I’m sure Omega’s presence here will only strengthen your efforts. Shall we head to the vault?” He waved a hand in front of him towards the doors.

Omega went to leave but Nala Se’s hand on her shoulder stopped her from advancing.

“See to your remaining tasks.” Nala Se instructed before they left the lab.

Omega watched them from the window and wondered what was so special about this vault Hemlock had mentioned but she didn’t have the means to find that out yet. For now, she had little choice but to head to her next chore of the day.

She glared at the droid as he shocked one of the Lurca hounds and she irritably scooped some food up before sending it through the hatch into the bowl of the hound she was currently tending to. As the droid’s attention was focused on something else, she took the opportunity to gather more loose straw from the ground and hid it in the bottom compartment of her box.

She carried on to the last cage to see her favourite of the hounds. “Hi Batcher.” She whispered to the hound curled up at the far end of the cage but her only reply was a low growl. It was then she noticed the bowl was overflowing with uneaten food. “Hmm. Still won’t eat the food, huh? I don’t blame you.” She stole a quick glance back to the droid to see he was still paying her no attention and she took the chance to fish out her lunch from earlier. “Here, I saved you some of mine.”

Batcher got to her feet but snarled and pressed herself aggressively against the bars of the enclosure.

In the shock, Omega had dropped the nuggets inside the cage, but she watched as Batcher ate them and swiftly retreated to the back of the space. “Better? I’ll bring you more tomorrow.” She stood up and left to do what she had been wanting to do the entire day.

As she slowly walked down the corridor, she glanced between each of the cells, the sounds of teeth chattering and coughing made her concern grow as she saw the effects this place was having on all of the clones here.

She made her way to the cell she’d been searching for. “Crosshair.” She called quietly. “I tried to come earlier, but there were too many guards watching me.”

Crosshair sighed. “You shouldn’t be down here at all.”

“Well, how else are we gonna plan an escape?”

“There is no ‘we.’ And there is no escape.” Crosshair sat up. “I’ve already tried.”

“Every stronghold has a weak point.” Omega said. “Maybe I can convince Emerie to help. She’s one of us.”

She sounded just like them and that was the last thing he needed. “Not every clone is your ally. You trust too easily.”

“Maybe you don’t trust enough.” Omega countered but as she said that she noticed a tremor in his right hand which he tried to conceal with by holding it with his left. “Crosshair?”

“Just…” He sighed again. He didn’t need her pity or her concern. “Go, before you make things worse for both of us.”

Omega went to leave but she stopped herself. “There has to be a way out of here. I’ll find it.” She didn’t expect a reply, so she didn’t wait for one, instead she left now.

Crosshair watched her go. Even from that small interaction, he’d already seen so much of them in her and that would either make her or break her in this place and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be around to watch.

Darkness had fallen and it was that time again where she scratched the next tally into the wall. She brought the Lula hay doll out and held it close to her chest- it wasn’t much but it was the reminder of home she needed. If you truly weren’t here, then Omega knew you all would be looking for her, but she was going to do whatever it took to make that easier.

5 months later

The dripping water, the sunlight creeping in, the birds chirping, the concealing of her doll at the bottom of her box… the routine was all so familiar now. She was already standing at the ready for when Emerie opened the door and, like clockwork, it whirred open to reveal the older clone who had the same opening remark she always did.

“Good morning, Omega.”

“Good morning.”

“Let’s begin.” Emerie led the way out.

Yet again, they walked the same route to the testing centre and yet again she passed Crosshair in the corridor, but she had long since learned that trying for any sort of recognition from him in this environment was pointless, so she kept her gaze down too.

She let her blood be drawn, her hand was now numb to the sensation, and she took all the samples to the lab where Nala Se once again destroyed all traces of her sample. She hadn’t been able to learn anything more about the vault or the specimens but what she had gathered was that you, Hunter, and Wrecker definitely were not here and that made the thought of escape feel far more feasible and appealing.

The lurca hounds were the same as they always were but as she made her way to Batcher’s spot, she saw the hound tending to a nasty cut on her front right leg. “Batcher? K-9X1! Hurry!” She yelled to the droid.

“What is the issue?” The droid asked as he approached the girl.

“Batcher’s hurt.” Omega informed him.

“LH-201 sustained injures during the nightly patrol. If her wounds do not heal, the subject will be terminated.”

“Then do something to help her!” Omega demanded.

“I am not a medical droid. It is not part of my programming.”

Omega could only watch as the droid merely walked away, and she turned to the sound of Batcher’s whimpers of pain. She wouldn’t accept termination as Batcher’s fate, if the droid wouldn’t help Batcher, then she would.

She ran over to the medical kit on the wall and took the bacta out but when she reached into the kennel to try and tend to the wound, Batcher snapped at her. “Now look. I need to clean your wound for it to get better. It’ll only hurt for a second, so put those teeth away and behave.” She said sternly but it seemed to do the trick as Batcher let her do it. “See? That’s not so bad.”

Omega worked in silence for a few seconds before she spoke to the hound again, “You know, I have a friend that would’ve been able to help us get along a lot faster.” She said warmly as she continued to apply the bacta to the wound. “But I think we’re getting there now.” She smiled as Batcher gave her hand a tentative lick once she finished with the bacta.

“I dressed Batcher’s wounds as best as I could. At least she didn’t bite me. That’s progress, right?” she looked at Crosshair, but he gave her nothing, so she continued talking. “If she doesn’t get better soon…” She sighed. “Maybe I can steal a med kit from the lab and see if there’s anything I can use-”

“Stop.” Crosshair interrupted her with a frustrated sigh. Clearly the others hadn’t done a very good job of making her stay on course and now he needed to be the one to remind her. “What is your primary objective?”

“Escape.” Omega answered.

“Then stop wasting time on lost causes. Forget the hound, forget me, and complete the mission.”

“Not without you.”

“If I get the chance to escape, I wouldn’t think twice about leaving you behind.”

“You’re lying! You wouldn’t do that. You’re my brother.”

She had been insisting on that for months now, no matter how many times he tried to push her away and he didn’t know how much more of that he could tolerate hearing. “I’m not them.” Crosshair snapped.

Omega couldn’t accept that. “I’m not giving up, Crosshair. I won’t let you either.” She got up to leave.

Crosshair stood up with a heavy breath and called out to her retreating figure. “Omega.”

Omega stopped and turned back to face him.

“Don’t risk anything for me. I belong in here.” He said, meaning every word.

“None of us belong in here.” She replied before walking away.

Her door whirred open before the usual time, and she woke up with a gasp as two troopers entered her room. She got to her feet and concealed her doll behind her. “What’s going on?” She asked Emerie.

“Surprise inspection. Standard procedure.” Emerie informed her.

“Clear.” One of the commandos said.

However, the other noticed the doll hidden behind her back and he tore it from her grip and handed it to Emerie.

“We’ve been over this before, Omega. Personal items are forbidden.” Emerie chastised her. “I’ll dispose of it.”

“Don’t!” Omega protested. “Please, Emerie.”

“It is for your own good. Come, we have work to do.”

It was a welcome sight to see Batcher so happy to greet her this time around. “Hey, Batcher.” Omega said fondly and she saw the wound had nearly scarred over. “Look at you. You’re almost at a hundred percent.” She gave her a soft scratch on the jaw.

“Did you not read the standing order for the day?” The droid yanked her to her feet. “LH-201 has been slated for termination.”

“What? Why? She’s healed.” Omega argued.

“The creature’s recent domesticated disposition has been deemed a liability.”

“But that’s my fault, not hers.” Omega tried to resist being pulled away, with Batcher also barking in protest, but the droid’s grip was strong.

The droid groaned. “It is protocol.”

Omega finally managed to weasel her way out of his grasp and steal his datapad but the droid reacted swiftly and started to pull it away from her. She allowed herself to be tugged airborne and she braced her feet against the droid’s torso and leaned back, the momentum giving her the victory. She got away from the droid with the datapad in her hands and she quickly activated one of the large crates on the ceiling above and it fell on top of K-9X1. She grabbed his electro-staff and shocked him with it but not before he had the chance to call security so now, she had to act swiftly.

Omega used the datapad to open the exit hatch in Batcher’s kennel and deactivated her collar. “Batcher, come!” She ran over to the bars and reached in to take the collar off the hound. “Now you need to run away and not come back, okay?” It pained her to let her one close companion go but it needed to happen. She patted her snout. “And try not to bite anyone.”

Batcher hesitated and whined at her.

“I can’t go with you yet.” Omega explained. “I have to get Crosshair first. Batcher, go!” Omega watched her run down the tunnel with both relief and sadness, but she’d get out soon too, she knew she would.

“Breaking the rules, I see.”

Omega jumped and turned around to see Hemlock standing before her and Emerie standing behind him.

“And releasing a weak lurca hound into the wild? I didn’t know you were so cruel, Omega.”

“Me? You were gonna terminate her.” Omega said angrily.

“And you believe your actions changed that outcome?” When Omega faltered in her reply, he kept speaking, “Now some rotations ago, one of our shuttles crashed just beyond this mountain. But that is not what killed them. No, it was the creatures that roam the jungle. Even our strongest lurca hounds struggle against what’s beyond these walls. And your domestication of LH-201 only made her vulnerable.”

“You don’t know she won’t survive.” Omega disputed. “She deserves a chance.”

“Oh, the flawed logic of an idealistic child.” Hemlock’s tone fuelled with quiet mockery. “Emotion and sentiment have no place within these walls. You would do well to remember that.”

She wasn’t afraid of his threats anymore. “Or what?”

Seeing the way he turned to look at Omega again, Emerie hastily intervened. “Doctor, perhaps I should return Omega to her room.”

Hemlock held a hand up to stop her from going any further and kept his gaze on Omega. “You have more to say?”

“I know you brought me here to make Nala Se cooperate. You need her. She won’t work for you if you hurt me.” Omega said confidently.

Hemlock only laughed. “Of course I’m not gonna hurt you, Omega.” He inhaled deeply. “Your friend in the detention block, however, may not be as fortunate.”

“Don’t hurt Crosshair! He didn’t do anything.”

“I did have plans for CT-9904, despite his resistance to re-education, but I am willing to make a few sacrifices if your misbehaviour continues.” He bent from the waist and leaned down towards her. “Actions always have consequences. Sometimes not in the ways we imagine.”

Now that threat was one that she knew he would follow through on and she didn’t want to be responsible for Crosshair suffering even more than he was already.

“Take her back to her room and restrict her access.” Hemlock ordered Emerie as he exited.

Omega left with her a few seconds later.

Night had fallen and Omega sat huddled on the edge of her bed, but she heard the door open. “Go away.” She said with a sigh, not even bothering to look at Emerie this time.

“Omega…”

“Please… just go.” She requested, hoping the misery in her voice would be enough to convince Emerie to leave and she was grateful to hear her footsteps retreat and she angled herself towards the door to see that her hay Lula had been returned to her. She picked it up, but the sound of a lurca howling brought her back to the window.

She attempted in vain to peer through to bars to the outside for any sign of Batcher, but she couldn’t see anything. She then looked at the growing collection of tallies that represented the months that she’d been here. It may take more time, but now more than ever she knew she needed to get out and she needed to take Crosshair with her.

Hunter’s eyes snapped open, and his heart was pounding in his chest, but his surroundings told him it had been another dream. The ship was still steadily travelling through hyperspace towards Oba Diah, and the three of you had been using the long journey to catch up on some much-needed rest before the mission would begin.

Reaching out to Roland Durand of all people had felt like a long shot but when he said he could help if you only found the Pyke that had disgraced him and the Durand name, it had been an easy decision to accept but it had done nothing to quell the worry and fear that coursed through his veins. He sat up and began the usual routine of deep breathing.

Ever since you’d fully opened yourself up to him and the Force again, he didn’t need to wake you anymore when this happened, you would feel everything he felt and wake up a couple seconds after he did, and this time was no different. “Which one this time?” You whispered; your tone filled with tender understanding.

“I’m sorry.” Hunter rasped as he steadied his breathing. He hated that this was having a knock-on effect on you two, especially since your own sleep had only now started to get better. You were another person he was still finding a way to let down.

You shushed him softly as you sat up next to him. You have nothing to be sorry for. “Which one?” You prompted again. You knew his sleep had been haunted by more than just the reminders of what had happened in the recent months, it was these new nightmares that were plaguing him more and more.

Hunter released a heavy breath. “Same one as the nights before. I can see her, she’s right in front of me but no matter what I do, I can’t reach her and- and then she’s taken away.”

You pressed your lips to his shoulder, and you rubbed soothing circles on his back. “This mission for Durand is another step in the right direction. You’re doing all you can. We will find her, Hunter.”

Hunter shook his head and swung his legs out to the side of the bunk. “We took too long to find you, and you weren’t even really hiding.” Hunter countered without glancing back at you.

He didn’t need to look at you for you to feel his distress. You reached a hand out to his shoulder to try and get him to face you again. “Hunter-”

He gently but firmly pushed your hand away. “I’m going to go over what we’ve got again. Go back to sleep, I’ll be back soon.”

You sighed and watched him go to the cockpit. You’d seen the shift in him as had Wrecker. The relief of your reunion had long since passed and he, like the two of you, was getting more desperate to find Omega but it was affecting him far more than he was willing to talk about. His once calm and collected demeanour had vanished and he was taking on missions with little care for the risk or conditions they came with and this mission for Durand was no exception. Whilst you and Wrecker were happy to agree, there had been little discussion over the matter or the conditions of the deal. The two of you had done what you could, but you knew the only true thing that would bring him comfort would be finding Omega again.

Although a strong part of you wanted to follow him, you knew that right now, he needed the space, and you would give him that, but you couldn’t stand by and watch him drive himself into the ground for much longer.

You woke up again to find the space next to you ice cold and you knew that Hunter had not returned at all, and he wasn’t planning too. You tossed the blanket aside and silently walked towards the cockpit where you could hear the faint tapping of fingers against the keys of a datapad.

You leaned against the entryway to the cockpit and studied him for a moment as he kept his focus on Tech’s datapad. He looked utterly exhausted. His head drooped every few seconds, his shoulders were hunched, and weariness was written all across his face. It pained you to see him like this.

Aware that his brother was sleeping a few metres away, his words to you were quiet, “I said I’d be back soon.” He continued to tap through the intel that he’d been anxiously scanning for any detail he could’ve missed.

“You said that hours ago.” You matched his volume and straightened up. “You need to talk to me. Shutting down like this isn’t good for you.”

“I’m not shutting down. I’m doing what needs to be done to get Omega back.” He couldn’t stop. He’d let her down for long enough. The answer was there, and he kept missing it and he couldn’t stand it.

You fully came into the cockpit and kneeled in front of him. “You may be a leader, Hunter, but you’re not alone. This isn’t just the fear that we’re not going to get her back because you know we’re not going to stop until we do. There’s something else you’re afraid of.” You searched his face for a sign of what more it could be, but he wasn’t giving anything away. You kept your voice low but kind, “What is it?”

Hunter ignored you and kept his eyes fixed on the words on the screen in his possession, but he wasn’t reading them anymore.

“Hunter, put it down.” You attempted to take the datapad but his hold was too tight.

“I can’t stop. I can’t. She-” He cut himself off and swallowed thickly. “I can’t stop.” He repeated again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You’re no good to anyone if you’re too exhausted to think straight.” You said with concern. “Talk to me, please.”

Hunter silently shook his head. The responsibility of all of this was on him, you shouldn’t be worrying about him now.

You knew how hard this was and he rarely allowed himself those moments of vulnerability, but he’d been there for you countless times, it was now your turn to be the one he could lean on. “You’ve helped me through so much, Hunter.” You placed one hand on his tattooed cheek and stroked your thumb along his cheekbone and whether he meant it or not, you felt him relax into your touch. “Let me help you now.” You whispered as your other hand fanned across the datapad and started to push it out of his grasp. “Put it down.”

“I-”

“Put it down.” You repeated again, applying more pressure now as you felt his resistance fade and relief coursed through you as he let you take it from him.

Hunter finally let the datapad slip from his grasp and he let the tiredness take over and his body sagged against the chair.

“What else is it that’s bothering you?” You came back from putting the datapad away and crouched again and laid your hands on his knees.

Hunter hesitated for a moment but for this first time since he woke up, he caught your eyes and he saw nothing but love and concern behind them and he swallowed thickly. “All she wanted was to not end up an experiment and that’s exactly what I’ve let happen.”

“Hunter…”

The words just tumbled from him now. “I let down Crosshair, I let down T- I let down Tech. I was too late to save them, but I still had you, I still had Wrecker and I still had Omega. Then you and Omega were ripped away from us and that was another thing I couldn’t stop. I relied too much on Wrecker when we were looking for you, I wasn’t who he needed me to be, and I can feel that happening again. I can’t be too late again. I can’t let another person down… I can’t let Omega down.” He turned away from you once more.

Your heart broke for him. “You have done no such thing.” You brought your hand back to his face to keep his eyes on you. “Listen to me, you didn’t let them down and you weren’t too late for them. At that time, Crosshair had made his choice, and you wouldn’t have been able to change his mind. Tech, he-” You felt the emotions rise up in your throat, choking the next words you were going to say. After pausing for a second, you cleared your throat and started again, “Tech made his choice. That wasn’t you being too late for them. As for Wrecker, he won’t and doesn’t think that. You’re his brother first, Hunter, he would never think that.” You paused for a moment to let that sink in before you added, “And you weren’t too late for me either. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.”

Hunter’s jaw tightened as he listened to the words you said but he couldn’t quite bring himself to fully believe them.

Still seeing the reluctance behind his eyes, you took his hand and placed it over your heart. “Feel that? I’m not worried, I’m not doubting you. We’re getting her back, you have not failed her, Hunter and she’ll know we’re looking for her. She’ll know that.”

Hunter closed his eyes and let the comfort of your steady heartbeat flood his senses.

After some time had passed, you decided it was time for him to get some proper rest before you arrived on Oba Dia. “Come on.” You took his hands, and a gentle tug encouraged him enough to get to his feet.

Hunter was so tired he could barely register his movements; all he knew was somehow you were getting his feet moving and leading him back to your bunk.

“Lie down.” You instructed gently as you reached the bed.

Hunter did as you said, and he felt you slide in next to him, he willed his weary body to turn and hold you like he usually did.

You shook your head and nudged him, so his back was facing you. You wrapped your arm around him and put your hand in his and placed it over his chest. “Just close your eyes and breathe with me.”

“This mission’s gonna help us somehow, right?” Hunter murmured with a tired voice.

You planted a soft kiss to the hinge of his jaw. Yes, it will. Drug syndicates were not high on your list on the people you were looking to stay on an even keel for. The Pykes weren’t going to stop you from doing whatever it took to get to her.

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#the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch s3 #hunter x reader #hunter x femalejedi!reader #hunter x fem!reader #hunter x female!reader #sergeant hunter x reader #sergeant hunter #hunter tbb #hunter the bad batch #the bad batch hunter x you #hunter x y/n #tbb hunter x reader #the bad batch fanfiction #star wars #angst #hurt/comfort #friends to lovers

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arctrooper69 · 10 months ago

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What Hurts the Most

A piece I wrote as a gift to @staycalmandhugaclone featuring her OC Doc and my Jedi!OC Danika. Set sometime after the season 2 finale.

❤️ Thank you for giving me permission to post this ❤️

Doc x Danika

WARNINGS: PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING. Viewer discretion advised. This is a bit darker than my usual fics. Suicidal ideation, self harm, survivors guilt, blood, medical care. Major angst but there's a good amount of comfort.

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I couldn’t help myself.

The knife was in my hand, fingers curled tightly around the handle. It was almost surreal, but some part of me knew what I was doing. Some secret, sick, violent part of my mind urged me on, begging me to end things right here and now.

I don’t know why I did it. It just kind of happened. The knife seemed to slip as if it had taken on a life on its own and I was simply a passerby watching as the edge slid across my skin, drawing such a beautiful red.

It would make the pain go away. Of that I had fully convinced myself. The deeper the blade sunk, the more I found myself sinking along with it. Those heady crimson rivets fell like waterfalls and I wanted nothing more than to let them wash me away.

Let the Force take me like it took so many others before me.

It was only fair. Why did I have to be the one left behind again and again? I was nothing.

I was angry.

What did I do to deserve all of this? Why was I destined to fail each and every time I tried so hard to reach for success? What was the point of being a Jedi when there was no one left to save?

I had failed them. I had failed all of them. Master Plo. Lia. Echo. Hardcase. Fives. Kix. Comet. Sinker. Commander Wolffe. I couldn’t name them all and that broke me too. What good am I if I can't even remember the names of all the lives I could’ve saved?

All the Jedi? I remembered some.

Asher. Kylah. Willa. Torik. The younglings I pulled from the burning Temple. They were all gone now too - a testament to my weakness - only proving that I didn’t have what it took.

And Lia.

My precious Lia. Sacrificed herself in battle to save her men and I wasn’t there to save her. I felt her life flicker out like a candle and a part of me was gone as well. Maybe Master Plo knew, though he never said anything. I found myself wishing that he did - that maybe it would’ve been enough for the Council to throw me out - to spare me of all the pain to come.

Then Kix.

I’m so sorry, Kix.

Gone. Dragged away by Separatist droids as I lay bleeding in the street, unable to do anything but scream for them to stop - as if they’d listen to me. Powerless. Unable to help.

More like unwilling.

I should’ve forced myself to move. I should have willed my body back together. The Force could’ve done such miraculous things. But not through me.

The cybernetics in my spine ached - a gift from Master Krell. I tallied Umbara as the highest price for my failures. Allowing my anger to save and defend the honor of lives that would ultimately be lost anyway. Brother against brother orchestrated by Krell’s own hand.

Another unforgivable act.

I should’ve been able to face him. I should’ve been able to subdue him - to protect my men - not be flung aside like some helpless child. Maybe Kix would’ve been able to save more of his brothers if he hadn’t had to come and save me.

The thoughts came faster and more chaotic as they came, swirling and spiraling ever downwards like the blood that fell from my wounds.

---

I could hear footsteps now, thundering up the stone pathway. Quick and deliberate.

The sky was so pretty tonight, sun sinking low over Pabu’s golden beaches. The way it fell reminded me of others I had failed to save in one way or another.

Crosshair. Tech. Omega.

“Doc, get up here! Hunter!” Wrecker’s voice was loud. I didn’t mind though. The way his footsteps made the sandy ground tremble could have rocked me to sleep. It would’ve been peaceful. Finally success in something I could control.

It was taken from me then, knocked violently from my hands. Some stranger’s voice cried out as Wrecker’s vice-like grip locked around my arm and wrist, desperately trying to keep that crimson from flowing smoothly into the dirt. It wasn’t fair. That strange voice crying out for him to stop couldn’t have been mine. The pleas for him to let me have some semblance of control couldn’t have come from my lips because that would mean I had failed once again.

“Dani, why?”

I didn’t know his voice could sound so broken.

The agony of my reality didn’t hit me until Doc’s medkit hit the ground with a thud ringing though my head like her voice barking out orders.

I’m sorry, Doc. I just couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt too much. Please understand.

“Cyar’ika, why?” The crack in her voice hurt worse than the screaming icy sharpness that coursed nearly unbearably up my arm as she did what she was meant to do.

I found it endearing how easily she’d picked up the Mando’a from her boys.

Her words may have been gentle but her hands were not. I hadn’t realized how deep that blade had gone until her fingers pinched together the pulsing artery beneath my skin, forcing such a gutteral cry from my chest at the white hot sharpness she inflicted so ruthlessly.

I tried to run - to jerk away and hide from the agony of Hunter’s willing hands which twisted and wound the tourniquet obediently under Doc’s command, but I found that Wrecker’s arms, though gentle, held me fast.

Her voice was gentle with an edge of disappointment now - all of it laced with a quiet heartbreak. I couldn’t help the tears that streamed down my cheeks, nor the whimper of pain that tumbled over lips that had begun to go numb.

“I’ve got you, Dani. Look at me.”

I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. I couldn’t bring myself to see how my actions had cut her just as deeply as the knife I’d used on myself.

“I need you to look at me.” Her fingers glided beneath my chin, caressing the same skin that she had kissed only hours before.

I wondered if she noticed how I watched her lips tremble as she brought my face up to look at hers. I wonder if the same shame that gripped me, now held her in its claws as well. I wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault. I wanted to tell her that I loved her and never meant to hurt her like this.

“I’m sorry...” The words that leaked breathlessly over my lips were all that came out. I didn’t know what else to say.

The determined look she’d set over eyes shielded the tears I knew lay beneath. They were the same tears she had shed so long ago when she told me about her past. It seemed so long ago now, almost in a different life. I’d fallen in love with her then, though I wasn’t sure I’d ever told her that.

Had I failed her too?

“I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

She made no sound to answer me.

I couldn’t stop the hissing moan as she folded my arm over my own chest and pulled me into her arms.

“I know, cyar’ika. I’m sorry.”

My head felt so heavy. With so much weighing me down, I couldn’t fight how my head rested against her shoulder.

“Doc… let me help. I got her.” Hunter’s voice sounded strained, like I’d added another thousand pounds onto his already heavy shoulders. I couldn’t help the tears that came again, burning hot with shame that choked me like a fist around my throat.

I wondered if she knew how I felt that spike of protective instinct shooting through her soul as she stood, cradling me against her chest, pulling me closer and ever so slightly away from the concern of the others. I wondered if she was aware of the regret that weighed so heavily on my chest. I hadn’t meant to hurt anyone.

Her feet moved quickly with practiced purpose down the stone steps and across the landing platform.

“How can we help, Doc?” Wrecker’s voice echoed through my ears and her reply sounded almost comical as it warped and blended in and out with everything else. All I wanted to do was stay here in her arms. She was warm and safe. Everything felt different with her.

I could’ve floated into a dream where everything was alright again. A dream in which the weight of our actions had no effect on the galaxy around us. It was just simply us. Doc and Danika. What a beautiful world that would be, and I wondered briefly if she ever felt the same.

The sudden cold hand of reality cruelly pulled me back once again beneath fluttering eyelids and that thin cot of the medbay I was suddenly placed upon.

“No, no, no. Danika, don’t you dare!” Her voice was sharp. Panicked fingers pulling desperately at the lids of my eyes, forcing me into a sudden, uncomfortable wakefulness. I couldn’t help the twinge of despair in realizing she’d once again pulled me back to her.

I would only fail her again, and even that thought flooded me with a tangible guilt I could feel in my mouth.

“Don’t do that again!” She nearly shouted in an angry relief. “I won’t lose you too!” Her voice quieted, “I can’t…”

I could only turn my head to regard her under lidded eyes that were aready threatening to close again. I found myself unable to keep from shivering as I watched her gather what she needed in frantic movements.

I nearly smiled. It took a certain kind of courage to efficiently do what needed to be done even when the life of someone you cared about was on the line.

“Here.” She layed a blanket over me. Her eyes were kind but oh, so tired. It was the kind of tired where even a thousand nights of sleep would not ever been enough.

Her hand felt cold as she brushed the hair from my neck with nimble fingers. She held the autoinjector in the other.

“Just a pinch,” she warned, smiling in a sad, but comforting expression as I met her eyes.

I barely noticed the slight burn of the sedative she’d given me as I felt it pull me into the grasp of unconciousness. A terror suddenly gripped me tighter than anything I’d ever felt before and I felt myself fight how that sedative pulled me down. I couldn’t let myself be taken away like this - not when she meant so much to me. I knew then, whatever it took, I had to fight to stay with her. She was my rock. I was hers. She would be my reason to keep living.

---

Gentle fingers weaving through my hair, woke me slowly.

The door to the medbay hissed open. “How is she, Doc?” Hunter’s voice held that same tired concern as it had before.

The fingers in my hair paused their movements. “I think she’s starting to wake up.”

“Do you think we should - “

“Yeah,” her curt reply cut him off. “She’ll stay here for awhile. Just so I can keep an eye on her.”

“Good. I’ll give you some privacy then.” The door hissed shut and she sank into the chair with a sigh.

“Hey…” I whispered. She stiffened, pulling her hand from my hair. She stood up suddenly, moving her hands as though she didn’t quite know what to say.

“Hey!?” She repeated incredulously. The sudden sharpness of her tone startled her as much as it did me. “That’s all you have to say to me!? Hey!?” The anger she’d tried so hard to convey, cracked at the last few words. She took a breath as if to calm herself. My chest felt heavy. I knew I’d hurt her, but I hadn’t realized just how much.

“I…” I began.

“Oh, no.” she interrupted me, a fire ablaze in her eyes. “You don’t get to talk just yet!”

I fell silent.

“H-how dare you do something like that! How dare you…” her voice cracked as she collapsed back into the chair beside me, placing her forehead on mine, pressing so hard I could taste the salt of her tears on my lips as they fell. Her hands gripped my face as though she was afraid if she let go, I’d slip away once again.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” The anger in her voice was gone now, replaced only by grief and sorrow.

“Am… am I allowed to speak again?” I asked timidly, hoping a small grin and some infantesimal amount of good humor would help lift that awful weight from her shoulders.

She chuckled with a broken sniff as she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand, “Yeah… I guess you can. Maker knows, I can’t stop you once you get started.”

It was my turn to chuckle.

“I… I’m so sorry,” My own words breaking over emotion I couldn’t hold back any longer. She wiped the tears with her thumbs as they flowed.

“I… Sometimes it’s just so easy to get all caught up in my own head,” I sobbed.

She moved, sitting on the cot beside me, lifting me so that my head rest against her chest. The beat of her heart was soothing. I could sit there forever and that sound would be all I needed to sustain my living.

“I know, she said, placing her lips on the top of my head. “That’s what I’m here for though, right?”

“Yeah,” I whispered, closing my eyes, leaning into her embrace as she wrapped herself around me.

“Promise?” She asked.

“I promise.”

--------------------------------------------------

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flyiingsly · 1 year ago

Text

Water Fight

Square : Blaster

Pairing : Wrecker x gn!jedi!reader

Warnings : Reader being a bit knocked out, but not too badly, fighting for fun, water fight (obviously), fluff

Wordcount : 4,3k

Summary : You’re experimenting a new training method with Omega, but as soon as Wrecker got involved, things derailed pretty quickly, but in the best possible way.

A/N : My fifth submission for the @clonexreaderbingo ! This one was so fun to write ! 😄 Wrecker always give me that gentle giant vibe when I see him, and I wanted to do something less serious but yet fluffy for him, so here it is Wrecker being a tease and a sweet cinnamon roll at the same time, enjoy ❤

Disclaimer : I'm still struggling to understand English grammar properly, English is not my native language and even if I have proofread my writtings several times, there is probably still typos in it. I'm very self conscious about it and I apologize for it in advance, but I'm doing my best to do better and I'm actively working at improving my writting skills !

So if you spot a typo, feel free to point it to me so I can correct it, it will be much appreciated :)

Omega was really motivated when it came to learn how to use weapons. She had found a nice laser bow on one of the Batch latest missions for Cid, and she was doing her best to become a good archer. She was making impressive progresses, and was now able to use it properly, missing less and less of her targets, thanks to her patience and dedication. Her training still needed some improvements, of course, but she was doing great, and you, as well as the other members of the squad, never ceased to encourage and compliment her about it.

The bow quickly became her signature weapon. But now that she was used to it, she wanted more. She wanted to learn to use blasters and explosives. When he heard that, Wrecker couldn’t have been prouder of his little sister. So, obviously, he immediately volunteered to teach her the explosives part. And since Echo had teach her how to use the bow and that Tech was giving her flying lessons, you volunteered for the blasters part.

Needless to say that she was more than happy to be taught how to use a gun by a former jedi, and you knew damn well that someday she’ll ask about learning how to use a lightsaber.

But for now, explosives and blasters were enough !

Wrecker was happy too, he was very fond of his sister, and was very pleased to be able to pass his knowledge on that subject that was very important and enjoyable in his opinion.

You were a bit worried at first, because you remembered that, at the very beginning of their trainings, the clones, as well as the jedis, used to learn how to manage their weapons through simulations at first. They were young, so everything was done to make sure that they didn’t hurt themselves nor someone else until they properly understand how it worked.

But here and now, there was no simulations available for Omega to train on before using a real blaster, and it was frightening you to know that she could get hurt in the process. You didn’t want her to know how painful a paralyzing shot can be, let alone a laser one.

Of course, she was a responsible girl, she already had to practice her bow without any simulations, she already had to fight and use it to protect herself and the Batch, but still … She was just a child, and you were worried about her. You cared deeply for her, and it was hard enough to know that she was robbed of her childhood and had to live that life … And to be honest, you jedi mind wanted the best for her, the more efficient and practical way to make her training as useful and complete as possible. So you had to adapt and improvise.

“Water guns ?“ Wrecker exclaims with a confused expression when you open your backpack to show him what you had just buy.

“Yes, water guns !” You answer proudly.

“What are you gonna do with these exactly ?” He asks, looking at you with a look saying that he clearly haven’t connected the dots.

“Use them as blasters simulators to teach Omega how to shoot, since it’s only water, she won’t hurt herself while training. And she’ll be able to use them on a moving target, AKA me ! It will be safer for now, it’s the best solution I’ve find, I want her to learn it properly, and it won’t be possible if she can’t practice on a living target. And, to be honest, I know that she’s more careful now, but I’ll never forgive myself if she gets hurt under my watch …”

Your answer caused Wrecker to smile. The way you were caring for Omega was adorable, just like the way the two of you were interacting in general, and how you were so protective about her. In fact, everything about you was adorable, and it made him want to constantly wrap his arms around you. He was very demonstrative and physical when it came to show affection. He never hesitated to hug someone to express how much he was happy to see them, as long as was close enough to them. His brothers and Rex could confirm it.

But when it came to you, he found himself shyer than he thought he could be. You knew him for a long time now, for you had worked with the Batch before during the war, alongside the 501st and the 212th mostly. You became especially close to each other when you joined them after the fall of the Republic and their escape from Kamino.

But what you didn’t know was that he instantly fell for you the first time he met you. When you took off your helmet on your first shared mission to salute him, he got struck by your beauty. The poor man wasn’t even able to give you his name during the presentations, for he was so taken aback that he was stuttering like hell.

And since that moment, he never stopped thinking about you. When you and the Batch met again, all that he wanted to do was to hug you as he always did when he had missed someone. But he found himself unable to. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t show someone affection. He didn’t really understand why at first, for he was sincerely glad and relieved to see you again. So all he could do was looking at you while Echo, on the opposite, had run toward you without hesitation to embrace you.

After that, he got plenty of opportunities to do it, but he never found the courage. He was too impressed by you, you were fascinating him, and he was afraid to do something that you could take the wrong way. So he never took any of these chances, for the moment …

“That’s the best solution you could have gotten, indeed !” he admits, looking at you fondly, doing his best not to succumb to his need to have you closer to him.

You, on the other side, clearly noticed that he was acting a bit different around you. You knew he never hesitated to cuddle with people he loves, and he never missed a chance to, but he had never hug you once in all the time you had spent with the Batch. You came to think that despite what you though, maybe you weren’t as close to him as you wished you were. It was making you sad, and as the time passed by, you realized that it was so frustrating that you nearly became jealous about being denied what he was offering to everyone around but you.

In the end, you were both craving for that closeness, for each other physical contact and for the feeling of each other arms around the other’s body. But neither of you were aware of what the other was struggling with, and you were both pretty awkward about expressing your feelings, so it wasn’t helping at all, and the situation relentlessly stayed the same.

***

The water blaster thing was, indeed, a very good idea, and Omega was more than happy about it. Even with the most serious intentions, the two of you had a lot of fun firing water at each other instead of properly training sometimes. And it felt good to not always have to stay serious at all costs, for both of you.

But despite the silly moments, Omega was still learning fast. She was very talented, and way more dedicated to it than to Tech’s lessons about the different ships categories and specificities, most to his deception. Of course, she was struggling a bit at first, but she was doing great nonetheless.

You and Wrecker often came to see each other during your respective classes, and Omega was always proud to show her progress to the one visiting the other. She even ended up water blasting him a couple of times, most to his delight, for it was the perfect excuse to start some sibling shenanigans.

One evening, as you were posted on a rocky planet waiting for Cid instructions about where to go next, Wrecker stay with you after one of your lessons. Omega had come back to the ship to help Echo with something. He asked for you at first, but the young girl insisted to replace you.

“That’s fine, take some time for yourself, I can handle that ! Plus, I think that you’re gonna need to dry before being allowed back on board again !” She declares proudly, a mischievous smile on her face. The remark made Wrecker laughs : you were, indeed, completely soaked.

“Of course”, you answer, “Go on fast then, before I decide to take my revenge !”

The young girl headed toward the ship, giggling, leaving the two of you alone.

“Hehe, she’s doing great ! Soon you’re gonna need a wetsuit for those lessons !” He teases you with the same mocking smile.

He loved to tease you just as he loved to tease his brothers, he loved to see that little falsely exasperated face you gave him every time in return for his remarks. He knew that you were always having a quick and sarcastic response to throw at him.

But this time you decided to have a little fun and to give him a taste of what you had just gone through.

You raised your head slowly, looking at it him straight in the eyes, completely serious. You stared at him like that until his smile had faded and that he finally understood that something was coming for him.

“What ?” he asks with a bit of worry in his voice.

But before he could get the chance to process what was happening, you get up on your feet and fire a water jet right in his face, before running as fast as you can to go hide yourself behind a bunch of bushes nearby.

It took him a few seconds, but he finally reacted.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that !” He says loudly to make sure you could hear him. You did, and you could recognize the growing smile on his lips as he talked.

Grabbing the other water blaster, he headed toward the spot where he saw you disappear, not even trying to be furtive at all.

“You really want to try me ? You’re only going to end even more soaked, Echo is really never gonna let you on board after that !”

His teasing tone made you giggle. You waited a bit for him to be as near as possible from you, then you jumped out of the bush, screaming and blasting at him again.

He screamed back before rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. You were absolutely thrilling, delighted by the silliness of the situation.

“Oh yeah ? Let’s see which one of us will not be allowed on board, I bet that I’ll had the time to dry until you’ll be able to blast me !”

You tried to run and hide again, but he was quicker than the first time. He aimed at you and you suddenly felt your back shivers violently at the contact of the cold water. You gasped loudly, your breath cut by the thermic shock. It was his time to laugh, but not for long.

You turned back and suddenly runed toward him, screaming and pushing frantically on the trigger of your water gun.

“Oh kriff !” he shouts, before riposting with hecticness.

You were now just some feet away from each other, emptying your water reserve at the face of the other, screaming and laughing at the same time. You were probably looking like two children bickering from afar, but you couldn’t care less at that moment, for you were having the time of your lives.

But soon, you came to the moment when your gun abruptly run out of water, and it appeared that Wrecker’s one was still loaded at almost half of his full capacity. You were screwed you thought.

You had to think fast. You were swifter and more flexible than him, for he was wearing his full set of armor and you were not. You let your blaster fall from your hand and throw yourself on the ground, sliding between his legs. You were now behind him, and he barely understood what had just happen until he felt the weight of your body landing on his back. It was the only efficient way for you to stay out of his reach.

“Hey ! That’s not fair !” he yells, still giggling.

“Not my problem !”

You tried to use the force to get his blaster slipping from his hand, but he saw it coming by the way his blaster started to feel heavier and less manageable between his fingers.

“That’s even more not fair !”

Youn usually weren’t using the force when fighting for fun with the batchers to keep things as fair as possible, but in Wrecker’s case, he had such an inhuman strength that it wasn’t that unfair, for he always was overpowering any of you. So you decided to give it a try.

And indeed, his strength was enough to keep his hold on his weapon. Without a warning, with his free hand, he grabbed you by the arm. His armor being wet and slippery, all he had to do was to stretch his arm a little vigorously for your legs to lose their grip around his waist. You were throwed away from him in a very inelegant fly, an even more inelegant noise escaping your mouth as you saw the ground getting nearer. You still managed to land on your feet, but the whole scene must had been very funny, because the man standing in front of you was laughing his ass off.

You couldn’t help but smile at his happiness. But then he aimed his blaster at you again and fired. You dodged several shots, switching to full battle mode.

With a surge of determination, you started to sprint in his direction, and with your eyes locked on his weapon, you leaped into the air with the help of the force, spinning into a precise barrel roll. When right above his head, you outstretched your hand with carefulness and grasped the blaster from his. The entire action unfolded in just a few seconds, leaving Wrecker completely dumbstruck.

Right after, you were camped on your feet and blasting at the back of his head. At this point, the fight was all about who was going to get the gun and unload it on the other.

“Ho no, absolutely not !” You hear him grumbles while turning to face you.

He was about to charge you, withstanding your shots point-blank without even blinking. But in the euphory of the moment, it took you way too long to react and try to escape. Now you really were screwed.

The gap between the two of you was closed instantly when he jumped in your direction, crashing into you with all of his weight. You were sent flying on several meters before falling hard on the ground, knocked out, his arms pinning your back against the ground. Now he had won, for sure.

“Gotcha !” He brags, smiling smugly, looking at you with a proud expression, mocking your vain attempt to outrank him.

Oh, that smile, that damn smile … You were absolutely unable to answer anything to that, you were completely frozen, still shocked and stunned by the impact. He got up on his feet, still grinning at you, and offered you his hand to help you stand up. It took you few seconds before being able to react, get yourself together and take it. You did your best to stay balanced, but you were feeling dizzy and stumbled over your own feet, nearly falling back, stars blurring your vision.

You were waiting for the second impact when a strong hand caught your arm, preventing you from meeting the ground again. You nearly fainted and your mind momentarily blacked out. But when your vision got restored, Wrecker was facing you, both his hand holding your shoulders gently, an expression of real concern on his face.

“Are you ok ?”, he asks, a glimpse of fear in his voice, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you …”

His body was just inches from yours, and he was shaking. You felt sorry for him, and you tried to reassure him with a smile, looking at him right in the eyes. You knew he wasn’t really aware of his strength, he was doing his best, but he just happened to forget he was able to crush a droid with bare hand sometimes.

“It’s ok”, you whisper, “don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine, just a bit wobbly, but I’ll be fine, I promise !”

His expression softened a bit as he lets out a sigh, but you could feel that he was still concerned.

Without even minding it, your hands had settled down on his, your fingers softly brushing his ungloved skin in a comforting gesture. When you realized what you were doing, your eyes widen, and you removed your hands immediately.

“I, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” you mutter, feeling your cheeks starting to blush and lowering your head to avoid his gaze.

But he didn’t moved at all, he stayed perfectly still, just staring at you, his hands still on your shoulders. Anxiety started to take over you, what if you had done something wrong ? You both stayed like that for a moment that seemed like eternity, before you decided to raise your head to look at him again. There was a lot of hesitation in his eyes, but also something that looked like a great desire, a great longing to do something, shaded by doubt and hesitation.

“Wrecker ? Are … Are you okay ?”

Your words acted like an electroshock pulling him out of him thought. He blinked several times, then something seemed to click in his mind, a spark of courage crossed his eyes, and without a warning, his arms were wrapped around you, pulling you close against his armored chest. He was way taller than you, and you fell him bend over to bury his face in the crook of your neck, sighing heavily, as if he was finally able to release a huge weight that was ponding on his heart.

You were so surprised that you couldn’t move at first, trying to process what was happening. Was it real ? Or were you still lying on the floor, unconscious or hallucinating ? When you regained your composure, you gently wrapped your own arms around him in return. The embrace was tight but comfortable, his heart was racing fast in his chest, and so was yours. Your wet clothes were sticking to your skin, and the feeling of his breath against your neck made you shiver, even though his warmth was surrounding you.

“Finally”, you hear him whispers in your hair, “I’ve been wanting to do that for so long …”

The confession made your heart skipped a beat, and the grip of your arms became tighter around him. You buried your face harder in his shoulder, smiling against the dripping metal.

“I’ve been waiting for that too.”

It felt like if you were in a dream, you had rarely felt that comfortable and safe in someone’s arms.

After a moment, he gently cupped your face in his big hands with all the carefulness he was capable of, a shy smile on his lips. Closing his eyes, he placed his forehead against yours, touching your nose with his. You closed your eyes too, focusing intensely on the feeling of his skin on yours.

“There’s something else I wanted to do …”, he whispers, “Can … Can I …”

His voice was trembling and his hands were shaking, you had never seen him that nervous before, it nearly seemed out of character for him. He was struggling so badly with his words, that you decided to help him, hoping that you had guessed what was on his mind right

“Yes. Yes, you can.” You breath out, a rush of adrenaline washing over you.

It didn’t take long before his trembling and hesitant lips met yours. The kiss was surprisingly gentle and you nearly melt at the contact. You feverishly answered it, unable to move, mesmerized by his softness.

When your lips parted, you couldn’t help but reach for another one, desperate to taste him again. Without minding it, your hand was wandering on his cheek, caressing it with the tip of your fingers. You felt him shiver under your touch, and what was at first a shy and chaste embrace became more intense and passionate. You opened your mouth, allowing his tongue to gently reach for yours, as his fingers found their way through your wet hair. His other hand let go of your face and reached for your hips, pulling your body even closer.

When you broke the kiss, searching for air, you were both panting, your hearts beating faster than ever. When you opened your eyes, he was looking at you with glowing eyes and the most enamored and devouring look you have ever felt on you.

Your cheeks were blushing, your face was hot from the excitation, and you were still disheveled from the previous fight, you thought to yourself that you were probably looking like a mess right now.

“Mesh’la, you are so beautiful …”, you hear him whisper to you with a proud smile growing on his lips, just like if he had read your mind. You blushed even more and smile back at him.

“I wanted to tell you that for a moment … But I was too afraid to do it … I was too afraid that you would hate me if I had …”

His brows furrowed and his forehead got tensed as he spoke, reflecting his fear of rejection. You cupped his face with both your hands, gently brushing his skin to make his face relax.

“I could never have hated you for that you now … I was wondering about why you were so distant to me while you were so physically close to the others, and … it was making me a bit sad to be honest.” You chuckle, feeling silly admitting it out loud.

“I’m sorry … I just … didn’t wanted to frighten you with all of this, I didn’t wanted to be too much or too intrusive, and it was making me sad too …” his expression had turned from worried to remorseful, but after a moment, a spark of hope flickered in his eyes, and his face lightened up again.

“But, if you are ok with that, maybe we could start to make up for lost time ? What do you think ?”

“That’s exactly what I was planning to do !”

At your words, his smile returned even wider, and he reached for your lips to plant another gentle kiss on them.

You were interrupted by the ringing of your commlink suddenly breaking the comfortable quietness. You loosen your embrace around Wrecker’s chest to look at your wrist : it was Echo. You briefly exchanged a surprise look before answering.

“(y/n) ? Where are you ? Are you ok ? Is Wrecker with you ?” a nervous Echo instantly speaks.

“Hey ! I’m fine, don’t worry, and yes, I’m with Wrecker, and he’s fine too ! We’re not that far, we just decided to take a break after Omega’s training. Sorry, we just … Lost track of time I guess ! Is there something wrong ?”

You heard a sigh of relief on the other side of the device.

“No, everything is fine, Omega told us you were taking a break, it’s just that we were starting to worry, we thought you would be back sooner, that’s all.” He pauses, before going on in a more playful tone, “Plus, it’s nearly diner time, so we were a bit surprised to not see you food lovers around already !”

The remark made you laugh and realized how late it really was.

“Hey, you’re right ! Now that you say it, I’m kinda hungry, aren’t you ?” you ask Wrecker.

“Of course, I’m always hungry !”, his eyes were sparkling, he was always very enthusiastic when it came to food, it was a trait that you were both sharing.

“Great then, we’re waiting for you !”

“Don’t worry, we’re on your way !”

You hang out the call, smiling too, then turned to face him again.

“They know how to talk to us right ? I guess we’re gonna have to come back now.”

“Just a few more moments …” he whispers gently, pulling you in for another hug.

You savored every second of it, and when the embrace came to an end, he put a passionate kiss on your lips, before looking at you to admire your face.

His smile was soft and his eyes were still sparkling, not from the thought of the food waiting for him back on the ship this time, but because he was happy to have you by his side, and to have been able to show you his affection.

When you came back to the Marauder that evening, there was a few confused looks at Wrecker’s dripping blacks when he removed his armor, and a lot of teasing for both of you when you explained what you were at. You didn’t tell them everything, but once that you were all gathered in the cockpit that night after the dinner, when they saw him wrap his arm around your shoulder like if it was a usual gesture, they immediately understood that it wasn’t just about a water fight.

They didn’t say anything, not wanting to rush you into exposing your growing relationship, but they were all more than happy that their brother had finally found the courage to confess to you what was on his heart for so long.

#cfb2023 #vi writing #wrecker x reader #wrecker #tbb wrecker #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader

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mcrdvcks · 4 months ago

Text

Down Bad - Chapter 17

Chapter Summary: The squad adjusts to life on Pabu after Tantiss.

Word Count: 10.6k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: and the story after season 3 begins! this one has something new in it that i haven't done in this fic, so just a warning! speaking of...

TW: mentioned torture (not heavily described), smut, unprotected piv (please be safe!), slight inappropriate use of vibroblade

Series Masterlist - Chapter 16 → Chapter 18

AO3 Link For Chapter

The shocks stopped as one of the clone commandos turned off the chair momentarily. Amina lifted her head from her chest and looked around the room briefly.

She knew she was bleeding; she could feel the dry blood covering her arms, only to be replaced by more blood from the cutting they were doing with a vibroblade.

In a cruel way, she should be thanking Palpatine, since them cutting her skin open with a knife was not nearly as bad as the things he had done to her. She’s pretty sure that glowing serum Hemlock gave her was supposed to make her feel more pain, but she didn’t feel the difference.

The trooper put down the bloodied blade on the medical table beside her as one of the troopers positioned by the door opened it, letting an interrogation droid enter.

“Oh, fun. An interrogation droid.” Amina sarcastically commented, “what are you going to do? Inject me with chemicals? Peel my skin off? Torch me?”

Hemlock walked into the room, with Emerie walking behind the glass on the other side. “Your strength is admirable, Skywalker. But I am still wondering what will it take to break you? To make you scream?”

“There are a lot of things that can make me scream. You and torture are not one of them.”

The interrogation droid hummed to life, its metallic arms extending towards Amina with a menacing whir. Amina tensed as the droid drew closer, its cold, lifeless eyes boring into hers with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

Hemlock watched with a predatory gleam in his eyes as the droid hovered over Amina, its needle-like appendages poised to strike. "Let's see how long that bravado lasts," he muttered to himself, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.

---

Amina sat up straight in bed, the blanket falling to her waist as she looked around the dark room. Hunter laid beside her, soundly asleep.

Her breath was shaky as she slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Hunter or Omega, who slept in her own room.

Amina stepped outside, the cool air slightly calming her down. Out the corner of her eye she spotted Crosshair standing outside the other house, where he and Wrecker lived, and where Omega split her nights.

Crosshair noticed her gaze and nodded in acknowledgment before returning his attention to the night sky. She hadn’t known him for long, but at times it seemed like he didn’t like her. Or maybe she was just imagining it.

She thought their conversation before her, and Omega were taken to Tantiss meant something.

"Hey," she said softly as she neared him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Crosshair turned to face her, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice gruff.

Amina nodded, shivering slightly in the chilly air. "Nightmares," she admitted, unable to meet his gaze.

Crosshair studied her for a moment before gesturing for her to join him by the railing overlooking the sprawling landscape. "Tell me about them," he said, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Amina hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to share the details of her nightmare with Crosshair. But there was something about his presence, something about the way he stood there with a quiet understanding, that made her feel like she could trust him.

"It's... it's nothing," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just... memories, I guess."

Crosshair raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her attempt to brush off the subject. "Memories?" he prompted, his tone gentle yet insistent.

“Yeah, when I was on Tantiss.” She responded. Tantiss happened a month ago, and most of her wounds had healed; the electrowhip wounds, her knee, and the cutting on her arms.

But her mind went back to how before she was taken to Tantiss with Omega, and how she killed those 3 Inquisitors. Or how she Force choked those operatives when Hemlock made her fight them. Maybe the Emperor did more to her than she thought.

The door to the house opened as Hunter walked out, looking over at Amina and Crosshair, “you alright, cyar’ika?”

As Hunter stepped out of the house, his concern for Amina evident in his voice, she offered him a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I’m fine just couldn't sleep," she reassured him, her voice soft but firm.

Crosshair remained silent, observing the exchange between Amina and Hunter with a detached curiosity.

Hunter nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "Alright, just let me know if you need anything," he said, his tone gentle yet protective.

Amina nodded in response, grateful for Hunter's concern but also eager to change the subject. "So, what are you doing out here?" she asked, turning her attention back to Crosshair.

Crosshair shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze returning to the night sky. "Couldn't sleep either," he admitted, his voice low and gravelly.

There was a brief moment of silence as Amina and Crosshair stood side by side, each lost in their own thoughts. The cool night air wrapped around them like a comforting blanket, offering a moment of respite from the chaos of their lives.

Suddenly, Amina felt a surge of courage wash over her, emboldening her to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind since they first met. "Crosshair, can I ask you something?" she began, her voice hesitant but determined.

Crosshair glanced at her, his expression unreadable in the darkness. "Depends on the question," he replied, his tone guarded.

Amina took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "Why do you... why do you seem to dislike me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Crosshair's brow furrowed in confusion, clearly caught off guard by her question. "I don't dislike you," he replied after a moment, his tone defensive. "I just... I don't know you."

Amina nodded, understanding dawning on her face. "Fair enough," she said, her tone gentle. "I guess we haven't exactly had a chance to get to know each other."

Crosshair remained silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if searching for answers in the darkness. “Omega likes you, so does Wrecker, and Hunter. That’s good enough for me.”

"I understand that we haven't had the chance to get to know each other," she began, her tone gentle. "But I want you to know that I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to. You don't have to face your demons alone."

Crosshair's jaw tightened slightly, his gaze still fixed on the horizon. "I appreciate the offer," he replied, his voice gruff. "But I'm not one for talking about my feelings."

“Neither am I.” She shrugged before patting his shoulder gently, “but the offer stands.”

As Amina re-entered the house, she found Hunter sitting on the small couch, his expression a mix of concern and exhaustion. He looked up as she approached, his eyes softening at the sight of her.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice laced with worry as he stood up to greet her.

Amina managed a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, just couldn't sleep," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter frowned, his concern deepening. "Nightmares again?" he guessed, already knowing the answer.

Amina nodded, sinking onto the couch beside him. "Yeah," she admitted, her voice barely audible.

Hunter wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close in a comforting embrace. "You know you don't have to go through this alone, right?" he murmured, his voice gentle yet firm.

Amina leaned into his embrace, drawing strength from his presence. "I know," she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper.

There was a brief moment of silence as Hunter held her close, offering her the comfort and support she so desperately needed. In that moment, Amina felt a sense of peace wash over her, temporarily driving away the lingering shadows of her nightmares.

“I killed those Inquisitors.” She spoke quietly.

He rubbed her shoulder, “when the Empire came here?”

Amina nodded, “I didn’t just kill them, I… I- I slaughtered them.” Her gaze went downward, “it wasn’t even protecting myself, I- I didn’t have to go that far, but I did. I killed them just like the Emperor or Vader would.”

"Hey," he said softly, reaching out to tilt her chin up so their eyes met. "You did what you had to do to survive. It's not your fault."

Amina shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "But I enjoyed it, Hunter," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I enjoyed the feeling of power, of control. It scared me, how much I enjoyed it."

Hunter's heart clenched at the pain in her voice, his own emotions roiling beneath the surface. He knew what it was like to struggle with the darkness within, to grapple with the choices they were forced to make in a galaxy torn apart by war.

“I thought that by escaping Coruscant and Palpatine, that I would feel better. But I don’t. I somehow feel worse. It’s almost like he’s controlling me, dictating my every move. But he’s not, it’s all… me.”

He reached out, gently wiping away the tears that streaked her cheeks. "Amina," he said softly, his voice filled with compassion, "you're not alone in this. We'll figure it out together, I promise."

Amina looked up at him, her eyes searching his for reassurance. "But what if I can't control it, Hunter?" she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "What if I... what if I become like him?"

Hunter's heart clenched at the raw vulnerability in her words. He knew all too well the temptation to succumb to the darkness, to let it consume him until there was nothing left but a hollow shell. But he also knew that Amina was stronger than she gave herself credit for, that she had already faced more darkness than most could imagine and emerged from it with her humanity intact.

"You're not like your brother, Amina," he said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "You're stronger than you know, stronger than he could ever be. And no matter what happens, I'll be right here beside you, every step of the way."

Amina's heart swelled with gratitude as she looked into Hunter's eyes, seeing the sincerity and unwavering support reflected in them. Despite the darkness that threatened to consume her, she found solace in his presence, in the warmth of his embrace and the strength of his words.

"Thank you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Hunter brushed a gentle hand across her cheek, his touch grounding her in the moment. "You don't have to do anything alone," he assured her, his voice filled with conviction. "We'll face whatever comes our way together."

With a sense of determination burning in her chest, Amina leaned forward, pressing her lips against Hunter's in a tender kiss. In that moment, all the doubts and fears that had plagued her melted away, leaving only the reassuring warmth of Hunter's love.

As they pulled away, Amina rested her forehead against his, her eyes fluttering shut as she savored the feeling of being truly and utterly loved. "I love you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air, the words slipping from her lips for the first time.

Hunter's heart skipped a beat at her words, his chest swelling with a mixture of joy and relief. He had known for some time that his feelings for Amina ran deeper than mere friendship but hearing her say those three simple words filled him with a sense of warmth and contentment he had never known before.

"I love you too, Amina," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion as he pressed his lips against hers once more, savoring the taste of her sweetness. In that moment, surrounded by the quiet stillness of the night, everything else faded away, leaving only the two of them and the unspoken promise of a future together.

As they finally broke apart, Amina couldn't help but smile, her heart overflowing with happiness. She had never imagined that she could find love in the midst of such chaos and uncertainty, but here she was, wrapped in Hunter's arms and feeling more alive than ever before.

"Come on," Hunter said, his voice soft but determined as he took her hand in his. "Let's go back to bed.”

---

The sun had barely begun to rise over the horizon when Amina awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Stretching languidly, she glanced over at the sleeping form of Hunter beside her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

She had slept better that night than she had in weeks, the weight of her nightmares lifted by the comforting presence of Hunter by her side. And though she knew that the challenges they faced were far from over, she also knew that as long as they faced them together, they could overcome anything.

Quietly slipping out of bed so as not to disturb Hunter's slumber, Amina made her way to the kitchen to start breakfast. As she worked, the events of the previous night played over in her mind, filling her with a sense of warmth and contentment she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Good morning, cyar'ika," Hunter's voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to turn around with a smile.

"Good morning," she replied, her smile widening as she took in the sight of him standing in the doorway, his hair tousled from sleep and a lazy grin playing at his lips. She turned back to the stove and gasped, taking the pan off the stove.

He walked over, looking at something black in the pan, “what… were you trying to make?”

She put the pan down on the stove turning around to find herself chest to chest with him, “panna cakes.” Amina mumbled, “but, I guess I’m not a good cook.”

Hunter chuckled softly, reaching out to gently tilt her chin up so their eyes met. "Hey, it's the thought that counts," he reassured her, his voice warm and reassuring.

Amina couldn't help but smile at his words, feeling a sense of warmth spread through her chest at the sight of his genuine smile. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Besides," Hunter continued, his gaze softening as he looked at her, "I'm sure they still taste great."

Amina raised an eyebrow skeptically, but before she could protest, Hunter reached out and grabbed a fork, spearing one of the burnt panna cakes from the pan and taking a bite.

He chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and nodding in approval. "See? Not bad," he said with a grin.

Amina watched him with bated breath and skeptical eyes, watching his hand come up to his mouth, “you don’t have to eat it, Hunter. I know that it’s bad. But it’s not my fault! Cooking lessons weren’t a part of my Jedi training!”

“It’s- ” he coughed, “not that bad.”

“Baby, it’s practically like a burnt rock.”

Hunter chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he took another bite of the burnt pancake. "Come on, Amina, it's not that bad," he insisted between chews, though the grimace on his face betrayed his words.

Amina couldn't help but laugh at his exaggerated reaction, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "You're just saying that to spare my feelings," she teased, though there was a hint of genuine gratitude in her voice.

They heard Omega yawn as she walked into the small kitchen, “did Amina try making breakfast again?”

Amina glanced sheepishly at Hunter before turning to face Omega with a wry grin. "Yeah, I thought I'd give it another shot," she admitted, gesturing towards the pan of charred pancakes on the stove.

Omega chuckled softly, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "Well, at least you're trying," she said, a playful glint in her eyes. "Do you need any help?"

“Sure. Let’s try it again.” Amina said, grabbing the ingredients and putting them on the counter.

Hunter kissed her temple and walked out of the house and went next door, where Wrecker, Crosshair, and Echo were.

Wrecker stood up quickly, “is there breakfast? I’m starving!”

Echo rolled his eyes, “you already ate 2 pears.”

“Yeah… but that was an appetizer!”

“Well, Amina and Omega are cooking breakfast.” Hunter said.

“You mean, failing to?” Crosshair added.

“Probably. We should go check on them to make sure they didn’t burn the house down.” Hunter replied quickly, realizing he shouldn’t have left them cooking alone in the house with no supervision.

As Hunter and Crosshair rushed back to the house, they were met with the sight of smoke billowing out from the kitchen window. With a shared glance, they quickened their pace, concern etched on their faces as they approached the source of the commotion.

Pushing open the door, they were greeted by the sight of Amina and Omega frantically waving towels in a futile attempt to disperse the smoke that had filled the room. The smell of burnt panna cakes hung heavy in the air, mixing with the sharp tang of charred ingredients.

"What happened?" Hunter asked, his voice laced with concern as he hurried to open the windows to let in some fresh air.

Amina looked up sheepishly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Well, it turns out that cooking isn't exactly my strong suit," she admitted with a rueful smile.

Omega chuckled softly, shaking her head at her friend's culinary misadventures. "I tried to help," she offered, though her grin betrayed her amusement. "But it seems like we might need a little more practice."

Crosshair raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical as he surveyed the burnt remnants of their breakfast. "You call this breakfast?" he remarked dryly, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

“It wasn’t completely my fault,” Amina said, waving the towel around, “it was also Omega’s fault!”

Omega sheepishly chuckled, “yeah, I guess we’re both bad at cooking.”

Wrecker and Echo entered as Wrecker walked next to Hunter and Crosshair, “aw, man. No breakfast?”

“Unless you want burnt… panna cakes?” Echo responded, narrowing his eyes at the black object in the pan.

“We could always go to the market for breakfast again?” Omega suggested.

Omega’s suggestion hung in the air for a moment before Wrecker's face lit up. "The market it is!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement. "They have those fruit pastries I love!"

Hunter nodded, smiling at Amina. "Sounds like a plan. Let's clean up here and then head out."

As they quickly tidied up the kitchen, Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Cooking was clearly not her forte, but she was grateful for the support and understanding from the squad. Even Crosshair's dry humor couldn't dampen her spirits.

With the kitchen back in order, the group made their way out of the house and towards the market. The early morning sunbathed Pabu in a warm, golden light, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of the ocean. It was a perfect day for a trip to the market.

As they walked, Amina found herself falling into step beside Hunter. She glanced up at him, a small smile playing at her lips. "Thanks for the save back there," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter chuckled, shaking his head. "Anytime, sweetheart," he replied, his tone warm and affectionate. "Besides, I wouldn't want to miss out on those fruit pastries either."

Amina laughed, feeling a sense of lightness she hadn't felt in a long time. The nightmares and fears that had plagued her seemed to fade into the background, replaced by the simple joy of being surrounded by people who cared about her.

The market was bustling with activity by the time they arrived, stalls filled with colorful produce, handmade crafts, and a variety of delicious-smelling foods. Wrecker wasted no time in making a beeline for the pastry stand, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his favorite treats.

Omega tugged at Amina's sleeve, pointing towards a stall selling intricately woven jewelry. "Come on, Amina! Let's go look at those!" she said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Amina nodded, allowing herself to be pulled along by Omega. Hunter watched Amina and Omega from a distance, a soft smile on his lips. He could see the change in Amina, the way she seemed lighter, more at ease. It warmed his heart to see her beginning to heal, even if the road ahead was still long and uncertain.

"Looks like they're having fun," Crosshair remarked, his tone casual as he came to stand beside Hunter.

Hunter nodded, his gaze never leaving Amina. "Yeah, they are," he said quietly. "It's good to see them smile again."

As Amina and Omega browsed the jewelry, Omega picked up a delicate necklace with a small, intricate pendant. "This one's beautiful," she said, holding it up for Amina to see.

Amina nodded, her eyes sparkling with interest. "It is. Would you like it?" she asked, holding the necklace out to Omega.

Omega's face lit up with excitement. "Really? You'd get it for me?"

Amina smiled warmly. "Of course, Omega. Consider it a gift."

Omega's grin widened, and she threw her arms around Amina in a tight hug. "Thank you, Amina! It's beautiful!"

Amina chuckled, returning the hug. "You're welcome, Omega. Let's get it for you."

They approached the vendor, who smiled at the sight of Omega's enthusiasm. "Ah, you've got an eye for quality," the vendor said, nodding approvingly as Amina handed over a few credits in exchange for the necklace.

As they continued to browse the market, Hunter and Crosshair kept a watchful eye on them, making sure they stayed safe in the bustling crowd.

Omega was already wearing her new necklace, proudly showing it off to Amina. "It looks great on you," Amina said, her voice filled with genuine affection.

Omega beamed, her eyes shining with happiness. "Thanks, Amina. You're the best."

Amina ruffled Omega's hair playfully. "I'm just glad you like it."

As they continued to explore the market, Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of normalcy, a moment of peace amidst the chaos of their lives.

Hunter caught up to them, a warm smile on his face. "Find anything else interesting?" he asked, slipping an arm around Amina's waist.

Amina leaned into his embrace, feeling the comfort of his presence. "Just enjoying the sights," she replied, her voice soft.

“Look at those dresses.” Omega said, pointing to a vendor on the other side of the walkway, “can we look around?”

“Sure. But maybe after breakfast.” Amina responded, looking around, “where’s Wrecker and Echo?”

“Right here!” Wrecker called out, walking towards them carrying a large box. He opened the box to reveal an assortment of fruit pastries.

Hunter looked from the box up to Wrecker, “why are there so many? There’s got to be 30 in there.”

“28, actually.” Echo said, “he’s already ate 2.”

As Wrecker proudly displayed his box of pastries, Echo's deadpan remark elicited a round of laughter from the group. Amina couldn't help but chuckle at Wrecker's enthusiasm for food, shaking her head in amusement.

"Twenty-eight pastries, Wrecker? Are you planning on sharing with the entire market?" Hunter teased, a playful glint in his eye.

Wrecker shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Hey, you snooze, you lose," he replied with a wink before digging into another pastry.

Amina rolled her eyes good-naturedly, shaking her head at Wrecker's antics. "Well, at least save some for Omega and me," she said with a smile, reaching for one of the pastries.

Once they had finished their breakfast, Omega's excitement over the dresses proved contagious, and they found themselves making their way to the vendor to browse the colorful array of fabrics and designs. Amina watched with amusement as Omega flitted from dress to dress, her eyes wide with wonder.

"These are amazing," Omega exclaimed, holding up a vibrant red dress with intricate embroidery.

"They really are," she agreed, reaching out to run her fingers over the soft fabric.

Omega turned to her with a grin. "Do you think Hunter would like this one?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Amina chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I think he'd love it," she replied, imagining the smile that would light up Hunter's face at the sight of Omega in the dress.

Omega squinted her eyes and looked through the rack, pulling out the dress in a different size, “do you think it’ll fit?”

“Fit you? No, it’s way to big.” Amina responded.

Omega frowned, “no, not for me, for you.”

As Omega held up the dress in a different size, suggesting it might fit Amina, Amina couldn't help but feel a surge of uncertainty. The thought of trying on a dress, let alone wearing it, filled her with a sense of vulnerability she wasn't quite prepared to face. After all, she had spent the better part of her life as a Jedi, trained to be a warrior, not a fashion model.

But as she glanced at Omega's hopeful expression, her resolve softened. Omega looked up at her with wide eyes, waiting for her response. Amina took a deep breath, pushing aside her apprehension. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it on," she said with a hesitant smile, reaching for the dress.

Omega's face lit up with excitement as she handed Amina the dress, practically bouncing on her toes with anticipation. "Yay! I can't wait to see how it looks on you!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.

---

“Add 2 tablespoons of- ” Amina looked up from the datapad at the pan, hissing in dismay and taking the pan off the burner.

She had been trying to make some sort of rice dish that Shep makes, he had even given her the recipe, but it seems like not even having step-by-step instructions can help her.

Amina sighed, picking up the towel on the counter, wiping her hands off. The front door opened as Hunter walked in, “did you burn food again?”

“Yeah.” She pouted, “I was trying to make you dinner for our date night, but I guess I can’t even follow a recipe.” Amina’s arms crossed over her chest, trying to cover her arms as her legs crossed in front of her.

“What are you doing?” Hunter questioned.

“What do you mean? I was just telling you about how I burned the food.”

“No, not that. You’re… curling in on yourself. Trying to hide your skin.”

Hunter's observation struck a chord with Amina. She hadn't realized it, but he was right. Without even realizing it, she had instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and folded her legs, a subconscious attempt to shield herself from Hunter's scrutiny.

"I... I didn't even realize I was doing that," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I guess... I guess I just...” Hunter gently grabbed her shoulders and stood in front of her. Amina looked down, “when I put on this dress I felt pretty, but then I saw all the scars.” She mumbled, her eyes on the soft white fabric of the skirt.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance. "Look at me, Amina."

Reluctantly, Amina raised her eyes to meet his, her expression guarded. Hunter could see the vulnerability lurking behind the facade of strength she so often projected, and it tugged at his heartstrings.

"You are beautiful, scars and all," he said earnestly, his gaze unwavering as he searched her eyes for any sign of doubt.

Amina tilted her head to the side, seeing the jagged marks on her arm, covering her skin almost completely. "But they're... they're so ugly," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. “And they’re everywhere.”

Hunter's heart clenched at the pain in Amina's voice, his own emotions swirling with a mixture of sympathy and concern. He had seen the scars that crisscrossed her skin, reminders of the horrors she had endured at the hands of the Empire. But to hear her speak of them with such self-loathing broke his heart in a way he couldn't quite articulate.

Gently, he reached out and cupped her cheek, his touch tender and reassuring. "Amina," he murmured, his voice soft but firm, "those scars are a testament to your strength, not your weakness."

Amina's gaze flickered up to meet his, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "But they're... they're ugly," she whispered, her voice filled with pain. "I don't want you to see me like this, Hunter. I'm supposed to be strong, but I feel so... broken."

Hunter's heart ached at the raw vulnerability in her words, his chest tightening with the need to comfort her. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a tight embrace. "You are strong, Amina," he whispered against her hair, his voice thick with emotion. "You're the strongest person I know."

Amina buried her face against his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt as she clung to him desperately. In that moment, she felt safe, protected, loved. It was a feeling she hadn't allowed herself to experience in a long time, a feeling she had almost forgotten existed.

"You've been through hell and back, Amina," Hunter continued, his voice gentle but resolute. "But you've never let it break you. You've fought tooth and nail to survive, to protect those you care about. And that, my dear, is the true definition of strength."

Amina trembled in his arms, overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions. For so long, she had buried her pain beneath a facade of strength, unwilling to let anyone see the vulnerability lurking beneath the surface. But with Hunter, she felt like she could let her guard down, like she could be herself without fear of judgment or rejection.

"Thank you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. "Thank you for always being there for me, for seeing past the scars and loving me anyway."

Hunter pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, his heart swelling with love and gratitude. "Always, Amina," he murmured, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what." He pulled away, gently kissing her lips. “And, you want to know what else I think?”

Amina sniffed, “what?”

He put his hands on her waist, picking her up and setting her down on the counter, her legs wrapping around his waist. Their lips met in a tender kiss, filled with a mixture of love, longing, and desire. Amina's fingers tangled in Hunter's hair as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

Hunter's hands roamed over Amina's body, tracing the curve of her waist and the line of her spine, igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole. She melted into his touch, her heart racing with anticipation as she surrendered herself to the intensity of their connection.

Breaking away from the kiss, Hunter leaned his forehead against Amina's, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain control of his emotions. "I think you look incredible in that dress.”

Amina's cheeks flushed with warmth at his words, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You really think so?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Even though it had only been a short while since Tantiss, Hunter always seemed to compliment her any chance he got.

Whether it was saying that her hair looked nice, or her pants looked good on her, Hunter always found a way to make her feel special.

Hunter nodded, his eyes dark with longing as he gazed into hers. "Absolutely," he replied, his tone filled with sincerity. "You look... breathtaking."

His head moved downwards, his hair brushing against her skin as he kissed a large burn mark on her chest. Amina sighed in response, her hands resting on his shoulders, “think you can prove that to me?”

Hunter looked up at Amina with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, I definitely think I can prove it to you," he said, his voice low and husky with desire.

Amina's heart raced at his words, her skin tingling with anticipation. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" she teased, her lips curling into a playful smile.

With a smirk, Hunter leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, his hands roaming over her body with a hunger that sent shivers down her spine. Amina melted into his touch, her fingers tangling in his hair as she kissed him back with equal fervor.

He put a hand on the small of her back, pushing her off the counter as his other arm held her from underneath, and walked to the bedroom. Amina's heart raced with excitement as Hunter guided her, her skin tingling with anticipation. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she kissed him deeply, her body craving his touch.

Hunter carried Amina effortlessly, his muscles tense with anticipation as he made his way to the bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind them, the soft click echoing in the room as they were enveloped in a cocoon of intimacy. Amina's breath caught in her throat as Hunter gently laid her down on the bed, his eyes burning with desire as he gazed down at her.

"Maker, you're beautiful," Hunter murmured, his voice husky with longing as he traced a finger along the curve of Amina's jaw. She shivered at his touch, her skin ablaze with desire as she met his gaze with equal fervor. Without a word, Hunter leaned in and captured her lips in another searing kiss, his hands roaming over her body with a hunger that left her breathless.

Amina moaned softly against his lips, her body arching into his touch as she surrendered herself to the intensity of their connection. Hunter's hands moved with purpose, trailing down her sides and slipping beneath the hem of her dress, his touch igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole.

He kissed the freckle on her jaw and moved down to the hollow of her throat, licking, and sucking at her skin. Amina shivered under his touch, her fingers tightening in his hair. He knew she loved it when he kissed that freckle, she never even had to say anything for him to know.

Hunter pulled back for a moment, looking into her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice filled with concern.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "More than okay."

Hunter smiled, kissing her gently on the lips before moving back to her neck. His hands traveled up her sides, pushing her dress up higher and higher until it bunched around her waist. He paused, looking at her with a question in his eyes. Amina nodded, giving him permission to continue.

His fingers trailed along the waistband of her underwear, teasing her skin as he kissed a scar on her shoulder. "You're so beautiful, Amina," he murmured against her skin, his breath hot and tantalizing.

Amina's breath hitched, her heart racing as his words washed over her. "Hunter..." she began, but he silenced her with a kiss, his lips soft and demanding against hers.

He moved down her body, his lips trailing over her collarbone and down to her chest. He kissed a large burn mark, his lips gentle and reverent. Amina's eyes fluttered shut, her hands clutching his hair.

"You're perfect," he whispered, kissing the edge of another scar, which spanned from her shoulder to her arm. He lifted himself up slightly, as he undid the buttons of her dress in the front.

Hunter moved down, licking the length of a scar next to her belly button as his fingers traced her over her underwear. Amina's breath hitched at the sensation, a shiver running down her spine as she felt his lips against her skin.

His fingers rubbed circles on her pussy through her underwear Amina arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively to his every move. "Hunter," she moaned, her voice barely more than a breath of air.

Hunter’s lips trailed over her belly, placing soft kisses on her skin as he moved downward. “You’re incredible, Amina,” he murmured against her skin, his breath hot and tantalizing. He kissed along the waistband of her underwear, his fingers still rubbing circles on her pussy, feeling her wetness seep through the fabric.

Amina’s breath hitched, her hands clutching at the sheets as she surrendered to his touch. “Please,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, her need evident in the way her body responded to him.

He moved up her body, kissing the middle of her stomach, “what do you want, sweetheart?”

Kriff, she loved it when he called her that. Hell, she just loved his voice.

Amina's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, her eyes dark with longing. "I want you," she whispered, her voice trembling with need.

Hunter's lips curved into a tender smile as he kissed a spot in the middle of her breasts. "I can do that," he murmured, his voice filled with promise.

With gentle hands, he slid her dress up and over her head, revealing her delicate curves and the intricate web of scars that crisscrossed her skin. Amina's cheeks flushed with warmth as she watched him, her heart racing with anticipation.

He leaned in to kiss her, slowly and gently as his hand slipped under her underwear and a finger entered her. Amina moaned into his mouth, cupping his jaw.

Hunter continued to kiss Amina, his lips moving with purpose and intent as he deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing hers in a dance of desire. As his finger slid further into her, Amina's body arched with pleasure, her moans muffled by his lips as she clung to him desperately.

“Can you do another one?” he asked, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

Amina's breath caught in her throat, her body buzzing with anticipation. "Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the sound of their ragged breaths.

Hunter slipped another finger inside her and swallowed her moan with his lips. She broke off the kiss, her head tilting slightly upwards as she caught her breath and he sucked on her jaw.

"Oh my-" Amina breathed out, her hands sliding from his jaw back into his hair. Hunter's fingers moved within her, his touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She arched into him, her back lifting off the bed as she sought more of his touch.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Hunter murmured against her skin, his voice husky with desire. He kissed her neck, his lips trailing down to her collarbone as his fingers continued their relentless rhythm.

Amina could only nod in response, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she surrendered herself to the sensations overwhelming her. Hunter's fingers moved with purpose, his touch igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole.

"You're so responsive," Hunter whispered, his breath hot against her ear as he continued to pleasure her. "I love how you react to me, Amina."

Amina moaned in response, her hips moving in time with his fingers as she chased the release she so desperately craved. Hunter's words only fueled her desire, sending her spiraling closer and closer to the edge.

"Hunter, I'm..." Amina's words trailed off into a soft gasp as Hunter's fingers hit a certain spot inside her, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She arched into his touch, her back lifting off the bed as she surrendered herself to the sensations overwhelming her.

"Mm, you're what, sweetheart?" Hunter murmured against her ear, his breath hot and tantalizing as he continued to pleasure her. His fingers moved with purpose, his touch igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole.

"I'm close," Amina managed to choke out, her voice strained with desire. Her hands still gripping his hair, her knuckles turning white as she fought to hold on to the rapidly fraying edges of her self-control.

"Good girl," Hunter whispered, his voice filled with praise as he increased the rhythm of his fingers, driving her closer and closer to the edge. He kissed her neck, his lips trailing up to her jaw, and then back down.

"You're doing so well, Amina," Hunter murmured, his voice filled with admiration as he felt her body respond to his touch. He leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue pushing it’s way into her mouth.

Amina moaned into his mouth, her hips rising to meet his as she sought more of his touch. Hunter's fingers moved with purpose, his touch driving her closer and closer to the edge until she could no longer hold back.

With a cry of release, Amina shattered into a million pieces, her body convulsing with pleasure as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over her.

Hunter held her, kissing her face and caressing her neck. Amina opened her eyes, blinking before looking down. “You’re overdressed,” she pouted, her hands going down to the hem of his shirt.

Hunter grinned, his eyes sparkling with desire as he leaned back slightly, allowing Amina to tug his shirt off over his head. He tossed it aside, his muscles rippling beneath the dim light of the bedroom as he returned his attention to her.

She gestured further down, pointing at his pants, “what about those?”

“Needy, aren’t we?” Hunter grinned, his eyes sparkling with desire as he leaned back slightly, allowing Amina to tug his pants and boxers off. He kicked them aside, his muscles rippling beneath the dim light of the bedroom as he returned his attention to her.

"Better?" he asked, his voice low and husky as he moved back towards her, his gaze never leaving hers.

Amina nodded eagerly, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she watched him. "Much better," she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper as she reached out to him.

He kissed her again, his hand brushing over the side of her neck before standing up and moving to the end of the bed. Amina pushed herself onto her elbows, “what are you doing?”

Hunter grabbed Amina by her legs and dragged her to the end of the bed, her legs spread out as he stood in between her. He gazed down at her with desire burning in his eyes, his chest rising and falling with anticipation. Amina looked up at him, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she met his gaze with equal fervor.

Without a word, Hunter leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue pushing its way into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. Amina melted into his touch, her hands reaching up to tangle in his hair as she kissed him back with equal passion.

Hunter's hands roamed over Amina's body, his touch gentle yet possessive as he traced the curve of her waist and the line of her spine. Amina arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively to his every move as she surrendered herself to the intensity of their connection.

Breaking away from the kiss, Hunter trailed kisses down Amina's neck, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake as he moved lower and lower. Amina's breath hitched with every touch, her skin tingling with anticipation as she felt his lips against her skin.

Hunter reached the edge of Amina's underwear, his fingers hooking into the waistband as he stood up and leaned over to their dresser, pulling out his vibroblade. He unsheathed it, using the sharp end and cutting her underwear down the center. She always loved when he had that blade in his hands.

Amina watched him with anticipation, her breath catching in her throat as she felt a rush of excitement course through her veins. She spread her legs wider, offering herself to him without reservation.

Hunter's eyes darkened with desire as he discarded the ruined underwear, his gaze locking with Amina's as he returned to the bed. He grabbed her thighs, bringing her closer to him, his cock teasingly brushing against her entrance.

Amina's breath hitched at the sensation, her body tingling with anticipation as she felt him pressing against her. "Hunter," she murmured, her voice thick with desire. "Please..."

Hunter's lips curved into a tender smile as he leaned in closer, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of love and lust. "I've got you, Amina," he whispered, his voice filled with reassurance. "Just relax and let me take care of you."

With a gentle yet firm motion, Hunter guided himself inside her, his cock sliding smoothly into her warmth. Amina gasped at the sensation, her back arching off the bed as she surrendered herself to the pleasure coursing through her veins.

Hunter groaned softly as he felt her pussy enveloping him, his hands gripping her thighs as he began to move with slow, deliberate thrusts. Amina moaned in response, her nails digging into his shoulders as she rocked her hips to meet his rhythm.

Their bodies moved together in perfect harmony, the sounds of their moans and the creaking of the bed filling the air as they lost themselves in the pleasure of each other's touch. Hunter's movements were gentle yet purposeful, his thrusts deepening with each passing moment as he drove them both closer and closer to the edge.

Amina's head spun with ecstasy as she felt herself teetering on the brink of release, her senses overwhelmed by the intensity of their connection. "Hunter," she gasped, her voice a breathless plea. "Don't stop..."

Hunter's lips curved into a knowing smile as he increased the pace of his thrusts, his movements becoming more urgent as he chased his own release. He leaned in closer, capturing her lips in a searing kiss as their bodies moved in perfect synchrony.

Their passion ignited like wildfire, consuming them both in a blazing inferno of desire as they surrendered themselves to the ecstasy of their union. Amina's nails dug into Hunter's back, her body trembling with pleasure as she felt herself hurtling towards the edge of oblivion.

With a cry of release, Amina shattered into a million pieces, her body convulsing with ecstasy as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. Hunter followed closely behind, his own release crashing over him in a tidal wave of sensation as he emptied himself inside her with a guttural groan.

They lay together in the aftermath, their bodies tangled in a mess of limbs as they basked in the warm glow of their shared passion. Hunter pressed gentle kisses to Amina's forehead, his arms wrapped protectively around her as they savored the intimacy of the moment.

"You're amazing, Amina," Hunter murmured against her skin, his voice filled with adoration. "I love you."

Amina smiled up at him, her heart overflowing with love for the man who had captured her heart. "I love you too, Hunter," she whispered, her voice filled with sincerity. "Thank you for loving me, scars and all."

---

Meditating overlooking the sunrise was still something she did, even if her enjoyment of it was far less than before.

She thought it would be easy to rid her mind and soul of what happened to her curtesy of the Emperor. Sure, Hemlock tortured her, but that was barely an appetizer compared to what Palpatine did.

Amina opened her eyes, looking over at Batcher who lay beside her on the rock. She petted Batcher, as she licked Amina’s face.

And she was bored. For most of her life she always had something to do. Work at Watto’s, train with the other younglings, fight in the war, go on missions, and now, there was nothing left to do. Which is what she wanted, but right now it seemed hard to even turn on her lightsaber.

Batcher put her head on Amina’s lap, as she stroked her mindlessly. “Amina, Rex is almost here!” Omega said through comms.

Amina picked up her comm, “okay, I’ll be there soon.” She stood up, with Batcher following her as she made her way to the top of the mountain. The large ship landed, as Rex walked out, shaking hands with Hunter, and then Echo.

Rex turned over to Amina, “General, Hunter told me you were having a bit of trouble, so I called in a favor.”

She raised an eyebrow, “a favor? From who?” Amina looked up at the ship as a tall figure walked out, her lekku longer than the last time she had seen her. “Ahsoka?”

Ahsoka offered her a warm smile, her blue eyes filled with understanding. "Rex called in a favor," she explained, stepping forward to embrace Amina in a hug. "He said you could use some help."

Amina returned the hug, feeling a sense of comfort and familiarity wash over her. Despite everything that had happened, Ahsoka's presence reminded her of a time when things were simpler, when she still believed in the ideals of the Jedi Order.

"I'm glad you're here," Amina said sincerely, pulling back from the hug to look at Ahsoka. "I could definitely use all the help I can get."

Ahsoka's gaze softened, her expression filled with empathy. "I heard about what happened," she said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Amina. No one should have to go through what you did."

Amina nodded, her throat tightening with emotion. She had tried to bury the memories of her time in captivity, to push past the pain and focus on rebuilding her life. But the wounds, both physical and emotional, ran deep, and sometimes it felt like they would never truly heal.

"Thank you, Ahsoka," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "For coming all this way to help me."

“Of course.” Ahsoka said, a small smile lining her face, one Amina recognized. It’s a tired smile, one she knows she’s worn many times throughout her life.

“Why don’t you come with me? We can sit down for a little bit?”

“I would like that.” Ahsoka said, as Amina led the way to her and Hunter’s house.

“It’s small, and we don’t have a lot yet.” Amina closed the door behind them.

Amina led Ahsoka through the modest living space she shared with Hunter on Pabu, offering her friend a seat at the small table in the corner. Batcher settled down at their feet, her tail thumping against the floor in a friendly rhythm.

"It's not much," Amina admitted, gesturing around the room. "But it's home."

Ahsoka smiled warmly, her eyes scanning the room with genuine interest. "It's perfect," she replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "You've done a great job making it feel cozy."

Amina returned the smile, a sense of pride swelling within her chest. Despite the challenges they had faced since escaping from the Empire, she had worked hard to create a sense of normalcy for herself and Hunter, to carve out a space where they could heal and rebuild their lives.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Amina offered, moving to the small kitchenette to retrieve a couple of glasses.

"A glass of water would be great, thanks," Ahsoka replied, settling into her seat with a contented sigh.

As Amina filled a glass with water from the dispenser, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over her. Having Ahsoka here, in their home, felt like a balm to her soul, a reminder that she wasn't alone in her struggles, that she had people who cared about her and were willing to stand by her side no matter what.

Returning to the table, Amina set the glass of water in front of Ahsoka before taking a seat opposite her. Batcher nudged her hand, and she absentmindedly scratched behind the droid's ears as she waited for Ahsoka to speak.

"So," Ahsoka began, her tone gentle but curious. "How have you been holding up?"

Amina sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she thought about the question. "Honestly?" she replied, her voice tinged with resignation. "Not great."

Ahsoka's expression softened with sympathy, her eyes filled with understanding. "I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through," she said softly. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you, Amina. Whatever you need, whatever you're feeling, I'm here to listen."

Amina swallowed past the lump in her throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “I mean… like I told Hunter, I thought that when I escaped from Palpatine that everything would be better. No more torture, no more mind games, but then, when I turned on my lightsaber, it was red. I wasn’t sure if it was me who did it, or Palpatine.”

"And then right after, I ended up killing three Inquisitors. Then, of course, Hemlock took me and Omega, and... I Force choked those operatives, then killed Hemlock," Amina continued, her voice trembling with emotion.

Ahsoka reached out and gently squeezed Amina's hand, offering her a reassuring smile. "I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for you," she said softly. "But you're here now, Amina. You're safe."

Amina nodded, her eyes brimming with tears as she struggled to contain her emotions. "I know," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. "But sometimes it feels like... like I'll never be free from the nightmares, from the memories."

Ahsoka's heart ached at the pain in Amina's voice, her own memories of trauma and loss resurfacing in the wake of her friend's confession. She knew all too well the burden of carrying the weight of past traumas, the constant struggle to move forward in the face of overwhelming darkness.

"You're stronger than you realize, Amina," Ahsoka said earnestly, her voice filled with conviction. "You've faced more than most people could ever imagine, and yet you still have the strength to keep fighting, to keep pushing forward. That's something to be proud of."

Amina looked up at Ahsoka, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "But what if I'm not strong enough?" she asked, her voice tinged with doubt. "What if... what if I can't do this anymore? He wrecked me, Ahsoka. More than I’d care to admit.”

Ahsoka reached across the table, gently taking Amina's hand in hers. "You are not alone in this, Amina," she said softly, her voice filled with empathy. "You have people who care about you, who want to help you heal. And together, we can face whatever challenges come our way."

Amina squeezed Ahsoka's hand, feeling a glimmer of hope flicker to life within her chest. Despite the darkness that threatened to engulf her, she knew that she wasn't alone, that she had friends who would stand by her side no matter what.

"Thank you, Ahsoka," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. "For being here for me, for understanding."

Ahsoka smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling with affection. "Always, Amina," she replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Amina gave her a half-smile, “when did you get so wise? I was always the one giving you advice.”

Ahsoka chuckled softly at Amina's teasing remark, a twinkle of amusement dancing in her eyes. "I guess you could say I've picked up a few things along the way," she replied with a playful grin. "But don't worry, I haven't forgotten all the wisdom you've shared with me over the years."

Amina smiled, a sense of warmth spreading through her chest at Ahsoka's words. Despite the hardships they had faced, she was grateful for the bond they shared, for the friendship that had sustained them through the darkest of times.

---

She stood in a grassy field two days later, her lightsaber in hand. She hadn’t turned it on or used it since Tantiss.

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, igniting her saber. As she slowly opened her eyes, she was met with a familiar bright blue light emanating from her lightsaber. Amina twirled the lightsaber, the familiar hum resonating in her ears. It felt right, it felt like hers again.

Sami, one of the young kids who Omega was imprisoned with on Tantiss, walked over to Amina. “Is that… a lightsaber?”

Amina nodded, turning it off, “it is.” She kneeled down in front of the young Pantoran.

Sami’s eyes were wide with awe. "Can I see it again?"

Amina smiled and ignited the lightsaber once more. The blue blade hummed softly, casting a gentle glow over Sami's face. "It's amazing," she whispered, reaching out a tentative hand toward the blade.

"Careful," Amina cautioned gently, moving the lightsaber slightly out of her reach. "It's very powerful."

Sami nodded, pulling her hand back. "Did you make it yourself?"

"I did," Amina said, deactivating the lightsaber and clipping it to her belt. “A long time ago.”

"Wow," Sami breathed, clearly impressed. "You're like a real Jedi."

Amina's smile faltered slightly at his words, memories of her past flooding her mind. "I used to be," she said softly, standing up. "But not anymore."

Sami looked up at her, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"

Amina sighed, ruffling her hair affectionately. "It's a long story, Sami. Maybe I'll tell you about it someday." When they tried to find the homes of all the kids taken, they were unable to find Sami’s parents, so she was still staying on Pabu. “Do you know why the Empire took you, honey?”

Sami hugged herself, “no.”

"You have the Force too. It's what makes me a Jedi. Hemlock was using you and the other kids for his experiments to help the Empire," Amina explained gently, watching Sami's expression closely.

Sami hugged herself tighter, her small body trembling slightly. "I don't want them to take me again," she whispered, her voice filled with fear.

Amina's heart ached at the sight of the young Pantoran's distress. She moved closer to Sami, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "They won't, Sami. I promise," she said firmly. "You're safe here on Pabu. We'll protect you."

Sami looked up at her, her eyes wide with hope and a glimmer of trust. "You promise?"

"I promise," Amina replied, her voice steady. "And you have Omega, the squad, and everyone on this island to protect you.”

Sami wrapped her arms around Amina’s neck as she quickly returned the gesture, hugging the young girl back. “Thank you,” Sami whispered.

“Of course, honey.” Amina pulled away, her hands on Sami’s shoulders, “but, there may come a day, far ahead in the future when you’ll have to protect yourself. How about I teach you some of the basic of the force, hmm?”

Sami's eyes lit up with excitement, her small hands clasped together in anticipation. "Really? You mean it?"

Amina nodded, a playful glint in her eyes. "Absolutely," she replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "But first, we need to find a quiet spot where we won't be disturbed."

Sami grinned from ear to ear, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I know just the place!" she exclaimed, grabbing Amina's hand and pulling her along.

Laughing, Amina allowed herself to be led by the eager young girl, her heart light with joy at the prospect of sharing her knowledge of the Force with someone so eager to learn.

They soon arrived at a secluded clearing nestled in the heart of the forest, the sunlight filtering through the dense canopy of trees above. Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over her as she took in the serene beauty of their surroundings.

"This looks perfect," she said with a smile, turning to Sami. "Now, let's get started."

Sami nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with anticipation. "What are we going to do first?"

Amina thought for a moment, considering the best approach to introduce Sami to the basics of the Force. "How about we start with something simple, like meditation?" she suggested.

Sami tilted her head to the side, a curious expression on her face. "Meditation? What's that?"

"It's a way of calming your mind and connecting with the Force," Amina explained patiently. "It can help you focus your thoughts and tap into your inner strength."

Sami nodded, her expression eager as she listened intently to Amina's words. "Okay, how do we do it?"

Amina smiled, gesturing for Sami to sit down on the soft grass beside her. "First, find a comfortable position," she instructed. "You can sit cross-legged or kneel, whatever feels best for you."

Sami followed Amina's instructions, settling into a comfortable position on the grass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of any distractions.

"Good," Amina said softly, her voice gentle and reassuring. "Now, focus on your breath. Inhale slowly through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. Feel the air filling your lungs, and then releasing back out into the world."

Sami nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration as she followed Amina's guidance. She took a deep breath in, filling her lungs with air, and then slowly exhaled, feeling a sense of calm wash over her.

"Keep breathing like that," Amina encouraged. "And as you do, imagine yourself surrounded by a warm, comforting light. Let it wrap around you like a blanket, filling you with peace and serenity."

Sami did as Amina instructed, picturing the soft glow of light surrounding her in her mind's eye. She focused on the warmth of the light, letting it soothe away any tension or anxiety she felt.

As they sat in the clearing together, Amina guided Sami through the meditation, helping her to find a sense of inner peace and tranquility. For the first time in a long time, Amina felt a glimmer of hope stir within her heart, a sense of purpose and meaning that had been missing since her escape from the Empire.

Omega and the squad were on their daily walk through the forest, something Hunter suggested a few weeks ago, when Wrecker spotted Amina and Sami sitting on the ground.

Omega looked over at what Wrecker was watching, noting how Sami, who was shy and soft-spoken, listened to Amina closely.

Hunter came over, standing behind the two, a small smile growing on his face watching Amina interact with Sami. After watching for a few moments, Hunter decided it was time for them to continue their walk, taking one last glance at Amina.

When they finally finished the meditation, Sami opened her eyes, a smile spreading across her face. "That was amazing," she exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder. "I feel so... calm."

Amina returned the smile, her heart swelling with pride at Sami's progress. "You did great," she said warmly. "Meditation is a powerful tool, and with practice, you'll only get better at it."

Sami nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "I can't wait to learn more," she said eagerly.

Amina chuckled softly, ruffling Sami's hair affectionately. "We'll take it one step at a time," she promised. "But for now, why don’t you go back to Shep’s? We’ll meet at the same spot you found me at tomorrow.”

Sami nodded eagerly, a smile still lingering on her lips. "Okay! Thanks, Amina!" With a wave, she scampered off, disappearing into the foliage of the forest.

As Sami disappeared from view, Amina let out a contented sigh, her heart full with the knowledge that she had made a difference in the young Pantoran's life. Turning her attention back to the task at hand, she reached out with the Force, sensing the familiar presence of her lightsaber at her side.

Perhaps things could get better. Perhaps they already were.

if you don't know, panna cake is just star wars terminology for pancake :)

tags: @callsign-denmark

#tbb hunter #tbb hunter x oc #tbb hunter x reader #tbb hunter x you #tbb hunter x fem!jedi #the bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #hunter tbb x oc #sergeant hunter x oc #sergeant hunter x reader #tbb hunter x amina skywalker #star wars fanfiction

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eriexplosion · 8 months ago

Text

These will probably get broken pretty much immediately but. Last minute double feature predictions:

Identity Crisis

Tech comes back, but he's not Clone X. He's just back. They had to go get him and he's maybe injured, but he's alive. Seems too simple? Well. Continuation of that.

Hunter knew that he was alive, gathering intel on Eriadu. And didn't tell anyone, least of all Omega.

The reasons for this theory: 1. Hunter is the only one to have never directly brought up Tech, in our one shot of him with the goggles he doesn't actually look at them, he looks past them at Lula. (Extra tinhat moment too but there is a light positioned behind the goggles that make them look like they're on, implying Tech is alive.) 2. Hunter also is established in season two as calling Tech every time he falls and receiving the confirmation 'we are alive' - but Omega is conveniently unconscious for an undetermined period of time. Long enough for Hunter to have commed Tech. (Also as a 2.5 - we could even wrap Plan 00 into this, if Tech told him 'I am alive, plan 00' or something of that nature.) 3. Hunter has a SIGNIFICANT track record of withholding information. The first thing he does in this show is lie to Crosshair about being sure that the jedi kid fell to his death (lol) and he doesn't tell Omega about trying to send her with Cut and he doesn't tell Omega about Echo planning to leave with Rex and it's implied he might not be planning to tell Omega about her being force sensitive. 4. Reflects War Mantle when Tech was the one to make the decision to leave Hunter like he was told to.

Anyway Omega is Pissed. Hunter told her Tech didn't make it (technically true) and let her grieve, alone, in a cell for months. No he couldn't have predicted she would be taken, but that's what the results were.

The identity crisis is Omega wondering if she's even a real batcher if she's not being treated like one of the team that deserves to be told things? Something as important as WHETHER HER BROTHER WAS ALIVE?

Also Omega deserves to be mad okay she's been building up her Upset for seasons let her explode please.

They do at least manage to make it back to Pabu but she's still Pissed

Point of No Return

Of course they make it back in time for the Empire to invade Pabu because HEY REMEMBER THE THING VENTRESS TOLD Y'ALL VERY CLEARLY TO YOUR FACES?

Things Are Very Bad, Pabu's residents are being rounded up/several are killed

Shep and possibly Lyana are captured and arrested (I still think that shot in Juggernaut is of Wrecker carrying Shep)

Omega gives herself up hoping that it will mean saving Pabu and because APPARENTLY self sacrifice is what you DO in this FUCKING FAMILY

They do take Omega but they continue wrecking the place including blowing up the Marauder

They escape via an imperial ship after Hunter yeets several stormtroopers off of it.

Everything Is Very Bad.

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb speculation #I am going to be so normal for the next two hours you don't even KNOW

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jedi-hawkins · 8 months ago

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Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 9 Watch Thoughts

spoilers (duh)

Ahh Crosshair helping and getting thanked, I'm so soft.

They're brothers being brothers again, I'm going to cry.

Batcher I stg why are you letting her go in there??

VENTRESS!!!!

I noticed when the batch are standing together, there's still a space between Crosshair and Hunter. maybe symbolic of the space still between them (?) but I think this is somewhat resolved, even ouchier is I'm pretty sure that's where Tech usually stood. (apologies for bad quality)

Ahh! so that was Fennec's contact (why'd they frame it so spoopy last ep?)

Way to go Omega, good job keeping the front up 😂

Mother is confirming my personal theory! M-count gives you potential but you still need to be trained to be a Jedi (high m-count + no training = not necessarily Jedi, lower m-count + training = Jedi)

Ah! she said the line from the trailer!

Although I believe Ventress is genuinely testing Omega, I think she came up with this "test" just to troll a little

Wrecker I swear, thanks for the encouragement but babes 😂

Ventress is so hot

That jaw grab got me a lil 🥵

Tech mention I'm crying. And Crosshair holding Tech's datapad

Separatist Assassin, wouldn't it be in the files that she was a Sith or is that still a secret?

Oh this second test is just to get rid of her, she had to be trolling a little with the first.

That space between Hunter and Crosshair is still there (?)

"There's a Weeping Myre Tree." Jen, you did us so dirty with that tweet.... you had me sweating. She's just having fun watching up burn at this point. 😡

Stern Wrecker has me 😫

Oop- the way she snatched their weapons

Ahhh watching the boys fight as a cohesive team just makes me soft

Damn the way she just slapped Wrecker, poor baby

Crosshair's yell I'm dead

Her legs around his neck me too girl (and her little heel stomp was just like "stay")

I love our boys and they are very capable fighters, but it's so obvious Ventress was pulling her punches

Gah damn, the way she copied Hunter's 'grip the blade and throw' technique

Cross with his rifle, but is his hand any better?

Ohh the little foot flip and toss 🥵

"We're not big on following orders" He said it!!

YELLOW BLADE!!! And it's the same hilt as her red sabers! (a- did she lose a saber? b- did she get a new kyber crystal?)

Ayoo miss why you choking Wrecker?? (for the dramatic scene when Omega reenters?)

Crosshair just laying ragdolled on the ground... sweetheart I'm so sorry 😂

"We were pawned in the same war, and we all lost." MOTHER 👏🏼 IS 👏🏼 SPITTING👏🏼 FACTS 👏🏼

Why is she being so vague? Does Ventress not know that Palpatine is Sidious? I feel like she would know especially now since Emperor Palpatine looks and sounds exactly like the weird guy in the robe that used to boss Dooku around.

Damn she laid our boys out

"We do" So why not just drop the "S" word and call her a Sith? I know squad 99 didn't work with Jedi regularly, but they were under Cody's jurisdiction, and they had to have heard the word before (whether from Obi-wan himself, or in debriefings, or even war stories passed through the barracks)

"We were just getting warmed up" Wrecker, I love you but PLEASE, she got y'all good 😂

Omega's little hand wave at "people can change" I don't think it was in Crosshair's direction, but it was framed like it was

Op- she gagged Crosshair with that. 🫢

Isit just me or does Ventress' shoulder plate look like the slillouette of a B1 battle droid?

Ventress being Omega's teacher would be oh so good (and Obi-wan would tease the shit out of her for it)

Omega automatically did the hand thing and I don't think she's ever seen a force-sensitive doing that. Natural instinct?

Oop- spotted. Ventress' little glare at Wrecker through the scopes I'm dead 😂

"This is different than being a soldier." YES MA'AM

I know Omega is frustrated here and people may bash her for being 'whiny' but I honestly appreciate the writers letting us see her in a more child-like frustration.

I honestly love that Ventress has seen both the light and dark side of the force and now has come into her own. She's almost looked relieved that she was able to call the creatures to her, kind of like an "I'm still worthy moment."

"Did you summon that?" "Not intentionally."

Ventress with her hair wet and slicked back oml

Crosshair co-piloting!!

Omega with wet hair! (NOW GIVE US HUNTER)

Okay my theory about the kraken, Ventress called it's food source, so it followed, but then it got curious about their boat. It wasn't trying to attack them, it was bumping their boat because it was trying to figure out what they were. Then Ventress cut off a tentacle (yes to rescue Omega, but I think the creature was just exploring) That spooked it, then the Marauder swings in and starts shooting at it. When the Marauder flies off, a tentacle kind of flicks in a 'yeah get out of here' kind of way. It doesn't immediately eat Ventress when it has her (does it even eat humans?), it brings her close to it's face to investigate and she takes her time channeling the Force. The animators specifically focus on the creature's eyes and the changes in it (pupils dilating). To me, it seemed like Ventress was communicating with it like "I'm sorry we startled you, we mean you no harm." Then the creature sets Ventress down so gently (it doesn't drop her) and goes on it's merry way.

Crosshair is the one on the ramp to get Omega!!!

Ahh! he reaches out to help Ventress too. He offered her his hand and she took it!! 🥰

I'm surprised we didn't get a comment from Ventress about Batcher.

Wrecker being the big brother we all need and taking Omega off to eat after a long day just makes my heart so warm.

The way Hunter and Crosshair are both standing with a hip popped is killing me. (again, sorry for bad quality) 😂

"You're lying" So perceptive, Crosshair.

Ventress is so smart and she sees how much the Batch cares about Omega, hence why she lied. AND Hunter and Crosshair know Ventress is right that if they acknowledge Omega is Force-sensitive, that means she goes away and they're not ready for that.

Her warning is so foreboding... (A Harbringer?) Next week is a double feature and I think that's when we'll get the Empire over Pabu.

Crosshair is so attentive to Ventress, I'm already shipping them (don't get me wrong, I'd fight Ventress for Crosshair, but they seem like they'd be a good match in-universe)

"I've got a few lives left." She's so cat. Just like Crosshair.

Hunter x Fennec // Crosshair x Ventress (I'm already thinking about my two batch husbands and their grumpy in-cannon girlfriends that want nothing to do with them)

"I've got a few lives left." Ugh she's so cat, just like Crosshair.

AHHH!!! This episode was so good. We got to see our boys fighting again as a unit. We got to see Ventress (which, during clone wars she was always just a 'mech' character for me. Didn't love her, didn't hate her, but this episode solidified her on my favs list. Her line of "We were pawned in the same war and we all lost." Just DAMN she hit the nail on the head and I don't even know she knows she did. If you made it through this entire post, scrolling back I didn't realize how insanely long it is, thank you!! 💕

#TBBspoilers #tbb s3 spoilers #tbb season 3 spoilers #tbb season three spoilers #the bad batch s3 spoilers #the bad batch season 3 spoilers #the bad batch season three spoilers #bad batch s3 spoilers #bad batch season 3 spoilers #bad batch season three spoilers #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #bad batch spoilers #tbb season 3 #tbb season three #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch season three #bad batch season 3 #bad batch season three

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echos-girlfriend · 2 years ago

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100 celebration

🥳🎉🎊🪅🥳

Ok so I got some shit planned cuz I put my big boy brain on! I think I have some pretty interesting and fun things to do with you guys! Thank you all for being awesome!

Requests closed

Post listed on my master list under 100 celebration where I will put all the submissions!

~_~_~_~

I figured we could have 3 basic thing. You can choose one or two or all three! No need to choose. And you don’t have to do all of them in one ask. You do separate ones!

1- fanfic requests

2- the ultimate truth & show and tell

3- doodles and projects

~_~_~_~

Details under the cut 👇

1- FANFIC REQUEST

~_~_~_~

You can request until I turn them off! But I will leave my ask box open if you want to have a chat! I’ll reblog this every couple days. Also request as many times as you like!

~_~_~_~

Prompts (you can pick 1 to 2)

1- “I love you too much to let you go”

2- “don’t cry”

3 - “I love you.. goodbye!”

4- “will you marry me?”

5- “I can’t choose between you..”

6- “come with me!”

7- “I can’t loose you”

8- “I’m in love with my enemy”

9- “you rescued me”

10- “I trust you”

Types of ships and AU

(just say what kind of ship you want in your request) examples below

- clone x senator

- clone x civvy

- clone x civilian soldier/medic

- clone x separatist

- Clone x inquisitor

- Clone x Jedi

- Clone x Padawan (PLATONIC ONLY)

- etc.

AUs

- modern

- Medieval

- Werewolf

- etc.

One Other thingy- I can do Multiple characters. Whether it be Poly or a platonic relationship with reader.

please state if you want it romantic or platonic, please and thank you

Characters

1- Echo / 2- Tech / 3- Hunter

4- wrecker / 5 - Crosshair / 6 - omega

7- howzer / 8 - kix / 9 - Rex / 10- Jesse

11 - Cody / 12- Gregor / 13- fives

14- dogma / 15 - tup / 16 - Fox

(This is my first 100 fanfic list so cut me some slack 😭😅 also omega is platonic only.. don’t even)

2 - THE ULTIMATE TRUTH &

SHOW AND TELL

~_~_~_~

Ask me something about myself. Within reason I will answer.. ask me something controversial and inappropriate you’ll get deleted fast.

~_~_~_~

I’ll show you something cool or interesting I own. Just write ‘show me something cool!’ in your ask!

~_~_~_~

3- DOODLES AND PROJECTS

~_~_~_~

Show me your art and I’ll make you something in return!

I can do a quick pencil sketch page of any character you want! It doesn’t have to be Star Wars! I can do real people but keep in mind it won’t be realistic. I have a cartoonish art style.

(No political leaders. Don’t think it’ll happen but have to throw it out there)

~_~_~_~

Show me something you’ve made and I’ll show you something I’ve made!!

I sew and craft. Like a lot. And I’ve made costumes and all kinds of stuff so if you want to see something i made just say If you ask. And I wanna see your creativity and talent!!

Don’t be shy!! Everything you guys draw and create is amazing and deserves to shared and seen by everyone!

~_~_~_~

#echos-girlfriend 100 celebration #100 followers #the bad batch #tbb echo #clone force 99 #tbb hunter #tbb tech #tbb crosshair #tbb wrecker #clones #star wars #i love you guys

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sergeant-sweetheart · 1 year ago

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Sergeant Hunter has had his fair share of rough missions. Maybe not rough for him, because his tact and skill keep him out of any serious danger for the most part.

But this one? This one is a different sort of rough. Not anything physical. But this is mentally rough. The Jedi Council sent him into a group of gangster, street-fighting, murderous alphas who don't have a care in the galaxy except to do what pleases them.

He's been here for about a month now, and, somehow, he fit in pretty well. Which is the struggle. Because he's not like any of these guys- not at all. He's gentle. Kind. And he knows how to fight because he was trained by Mandalorians. Jafan Hardri himself, if he had to brag. These people fight because they learned from the lifestyle they were born into- which he realizes they can't help, but they damn sure had the opportunity to change their lives around when they were old enough.

It's during this deep reflection that one of the men from the group comes over, jolting Hunter out of his focus with a tap on his shoulder.

"What." Hunter growls as he whirls around.

"Easy there, tiger," the man laughs. Hunter wants to say that he's a wolf. Not a tiger. "We're goin' out- c'mon."

Hunter nods a little. "Be there in a sec. Meet you out front." He ducks into his room and starts to change, hitting a button to activate the tracker for the Council before focusing on getting dressed.

He manages to hide several daggers aside from the ones that he allows others to see, attaching a blaster to his hip as well as he heads out the door to meet up with them.

And then, an hour later, his worst worries are confirmed. They've gone to an Omega house.

The one. thing. that could possibly make him lose focus is a fucking omega. Just one by itself. And now a whole house of them?! Especially considering his scent is going to be strongest and most attractive to any one of them in there, more so than the men in the group.

So now he'll also have to worry about jealous alphas, with whom he happens to live.

With a deep breath, he slowly makes his way inside with the men, finding it just a little suspicious that the woman up front doesn't ask for ID or anything. She just... lets them all walk right past.

"Alright boys," the man in front smirks over his shoulder, "Have fun. We can be here all night, don't have anything t'go do 'til the morning."

Quickly, a few of the boys disperse, already knowing exactly which omega they're going for. The same one they've visited every single time.

Hunter makes eye contact with the leader and gives him a small nod before heading into a room, not wanting to seem suspicious. Maybe... if he puts that breath control training to use, he might be able to maintain his focus here.

He slowly walks around this first room, his eyes roaming over the people within it. Already, omegas are looking his way. Fuck.

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phoenixyfriend · 3 years ago

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I've played with transmasc Anakin and "cis dude but genuinely into the idea of getting pregnant" Anakin and omega male Anakin...

But how do we feel about transfemme Anakin?

Notes on my mind:

Obi-Wan probably dithers over it because Tradition, but lets Ani grow her hair out from the padawan cut for gender affirmation reasons. (Komari apparently wore her hair long as a padawan, so precedent!)

Obi-Wan sees Anakin sighing over holos of Padme's public speaking engagements and chooses to assume it's gender envy and not a crush, proceeds to learn how to do braids and increasingly complex hairstyles for Anakin's sake. Anakin does not know Obi-Wan is doing this until Obi-Wan is already skilled with it. I'm going to say that he asked Siri Tachi to let him practice on her since he only has so many human friends with long hair, and Quinlan's is in dreads.

Jedi Temple obviously subsidizes most elements of transition (HRT, surgeries, essential parts of the wardrobe, possibly some cosmetics?)

Obi-Wan accidentally cementing Anakin's loyalty to him over Palpatine because Palps never considered he had to learn how to be polite about gender stuff, while Obi-Wan is putting in a lot of effort.

Please understand how much I love the idea of Ani trying on makeup and the first time she gets it mostly right and is happy with the results, Obi-Wan just has a Dad Moment and comes up behind her and hugs her around the shoulders and meets her eyes in the mirror and tells her "you look beautiful, padawan" because he can't let himself call her 'sweetheart' or 'my dear' because Attachment but his voice kinda just cracks and she knows he's having a 'my little girl' thing going on 'cause his shields are down and probably she starts crying.

Whether or not Ani and Padme fall in love is irrelevant because I need Padme putting Ani in ALL the dresses. Sure, Ani's too tall for most of them but.

I feel like this would pave the way for a Girl's Night Out episode in TCW feat. Ani, Ahsoka, and Padme for sure, probably running into Ventress, maybe cameos by Barriss and Aayla. Yes, I am thinking about Leverage.

Ahsoka is overall really stoked that she gets a female master. It's all the canon Snips and Skyguygal but now there's nights designated as Girl Talk.

We'll say Anakin got to Shmi early enough to save her because reasons*, and Shmi has a lot of feelings about Ani transitioning and Coming Into Her Own. (It does take a bit to convince Owen that Anakin is, in fact, Shmi's child. Demonstrating the Jedi Magic helps.) * IDK maybe Palpatine was so caught up in trying to figure out how to balance his desire to gaslight and control Anakin with Palpatine's own original-trilogy-implied lack of respect for women and presumably trans people that he didn't time the Tuskens thing right.

Help I want to make this Rexwalker in the vein of 'boy walks into walls because his crush took her hair down after a hard fight and sure she's covered in blood but that just makes her more attractive' and IDK the clone group chat is now just Rex and Bly being bullied to hell and back by all their brothers.

Obi-Wan ends up having a network of friends that are specifically trans Jedi because they all noticed him panicking and looking up books in the archives on how to support your transitioning child and went "aw, he's trying! He... wow, he's crying, somebody help him."

Anakin's fairly public about being a trans woman? Most of the GAR knows specifically because non-cis clones all got really excited and spread the word and she keeps getting approached by queer and questioning clones for advice.

"Somehow" this aspect of her identity doesn't make it into the propaganda about the war and about The Team. (Palpatine assures her the marketing team probably thought it was necessary to keep arguments about the war from being derailed, and to protect Anakin from people who'd try to use her identity against her. The marketing team didn't care, really, but Palpatine sure told them to keep it quiet.)

Oh my god please imagine Rex trying to figure out how to put together a bouquet for a pretty girl while they're on a planet that's decent for that sort of thing oh my god I'm going to make myself cry thinking about Rex being head over heels for his general and incidentally putting in All The Effort to make sure he doesn't fuck up the gender stuff

Listen between the mental image of Obi-Wan grabbing a particularly rude senator's arm and telling them "you are aware that Knight Skywalker is something of a daughter to me, yes?" as a threat and the overall idea of Rex getting flustered by Ani, I am... I'm gonna cry, guys.

As @the-lunar-system put it:

Rex: Girls like flowers, right? Rex: But it's Anakin, she likes, like, mechanic parts, and swordplay Rex: But also I don't want her to think I'm assuming she prefers more ""masc"" hobbies Rex: But also those ARE her hobbies

(he ends up getting her a vibroblade engraved with flowers)

#Anakin Skywalker #Obi Wan Kenobi #Captain Rex #Rexwalker #trans anakin skywalker #Sheev Palpatine #Padme Amidala #Ahsoka Tano #star wars #the clone wars #trans female character #Phoenix Posts #trans headcanons #listen the face I was making whenever I imagined Rex trying to flirt #or Obi-Wan trying his best to be a supportive dad #like I was this close to crying you guys #In my defense I wrote this up at 1 AM #transfemme anakin

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treesnutsandleaveswrites · 3 years ago

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Crossing Paths

Pairing: The Bad Batch x Reader (Polyam)

Summary: You make the weapons drop with the Batch, then Omega’s new friend try to rope you all into the a new problem

Warning: none really, some angst, some fluff, TBB spoilers

Word Count: 1812

pt xv pt xvii

XXXXXXX

You and Omega were examining the multiple weapons the Batch was assigned to give Gobi Glie.

“Why does Gobi Glie need all this again?”

“Many people aren’t very welcoming towards the Empire.”

“But you said he was famous as a freedom fighter and the Empire hasn’t been around for that long… does that mean he was still fighting before that?”

You nodded, placing a blaster down and looking at her, “A lot of twi’leks were taken from their homes and put into slavery.”

“But didn’t the Republic enforce that liberation act all those years ago?”

“Yes, but only in the systems in the Republic, there are those in the outer rim and the Confederacy of Independent Planets that it didn’t apply to.”

“Oh,” Omega sat back in one of the seats, “Like Caetum?”

You nodded, picking up another blaster and examining it. Of course it still bothered you that the Empire had taken over Caetum and treated your people poorly.

“Y’know… the rest of the batch never really talked about you. I’ve only heard them murmur in their sleep… I asked once, but they all went silent. You… you were a slave once, weren’t you?”

You hesitated before nodding with a small hum.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Lodestar.”

You looked at her with a smile before closing the weapons case and standing up. You then walked into the cockpit as Tech steered the ship, approaching the moon’s surface. There was a ship waiting already and you went to get your helmet.

“We’re reaching Ryloth, Omega.” You announced before you put your helmet on, so she nodded and went to the gunner’s mount to grab something. The ship then landed, so you opened the hatch to make it easier for the boys to move the weapons cases off the Marauder. You watched as they approached the awaiting twi’leks and eyed a much younger one with them. Omega must’ve seen her too because her head cocked up slightly as the young twi’lek approached the ship, admiring it.

“What kind of ship is this?” The young twi’lek wondered.

“It’s a modified Omicron Class Attack Shuttle.” Omega replied.

“Can I have a look inside?”

Omega looked at you, so you looked over to Hunter, who nodded gently. You looked down at her with a small nod so she got up and went in the ship with the girl at her tail. You stayed at the threshold of the hatch while the Batch talked with Gobi Glie. After a bit of conversation, Hunter turned to you and flicked his head to call you over. You stepped down from the ship and went to the small group, bowing your head shortly in greeting.

“This is our colleague: Lodestar.” Hunter introduced.

The twi’leks’ eyes widened slightly as they looked at you.

“You are Lodestar? The one who freed slaves in the Western Reaches?”

You nodded gently, “Sadly, my time of freeing has come to a delay.” You stated, your voice filtered by the modulator in your helmet.

“We understand. That is why we are here. The Empire has a… corrupt vision. Many on Ryloth do not want to be a part of it.”

You nodded, turning to see Omega and the young twi’lek exiting the ship. They rushed over and Omega stood by your side.

“Alright, we must get going. Thank you for making this drop. It was an honor meeting you all. Especially you, Lodestar.” Gobi Glie held out his hand and you grasped his forearm as he grasped yours in mutual respect. You urged Omega to follow her brothers and she waved.

“Bye, Hera.”

“Goodbye, Omega.”

You took a moment, watching as their ship made its way back to Ryloth before heading into the Marauder. You closed the hatch, then took off your helmet and took a deep breath. Your head dipped back slightly as you released it while closing your eyes.

“What is it?” Echo’s hushed voice came from beside you, which caused you to look at him.

“I’m alright…”

“Don’t think I didn’t hear you in the ‘fresher last night, mesh’la. There is something on your mind…”

You gave him a weak smile before cupping his face, “Always so caring…”

He reached his hand up to caress your arm, “You can tell me, my love.”

You took a moment before speaking, “I… I’m seen as this beacon of hope now… like how you all first saw me when I was just your communications officer…”

“Yes?”

“I hate to be the one to give people high expectations I cannot meet. To be the bringer of false hope…”

“There are some things we can and cannot do, mesh’la. You are just one person, you can’t change the course of one major thing like galactic liberation in one cycle… it takes time.”

You nodded, moving into his arms so he could embrace you, “I missed you, Eck.”

He chuckled, “I missed you too, mesh’la.”

You sighed gently, trying to make the hug last but not too long to delay him from any tasks. You finally let him go after another moment before he headed to the cockpit. Then you sat down as the ship left the moon’s orbit, setting course for Ord Mantell. Once it was safe to move around the cabin, you went towards the gunner’s mount to see what Omega was up to. You climbed the ladder carefully so as not to make too much noise. You popped your head up into the compartment and saw her close to the window, knees to her chest, pushing D-5 away from her as he rolled back as if it were a game of tag. You laughed gently as you made your way fully into the mount which caught her attention.

“That used to be my spot.”

“S-s-s-star!” D-5 bonked your arm and you pushed him back towards Omega, who smiled weakly before looking away, brows knitting together. You cocked your head in worry, moved closer to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong?”

“I dunno… I just…”

You caressed her hair gently, “Feelin’ a bit lonely?”

“Yeah.” Omega sighed.

“Never really around anyone your age... must’ve been nice meeting Hera.”

“Yeah. It was.”

You smiled and wrapped your arm around her, “I understand. I lived on Kamino for nearly 10 years and I was only surrounded by Kaminoans and clones. There was barely anyone like me unless the Jedi or any senators were visiting..” You chuckled, “This past year was odd because everyone didn’t look the same.”

Omega laughed gently with a nod, leaning into you. You smiled before leaving a gentle kiss on her head.

“Don’t worry, Omega. There’s a whole Galaxy to explore… more people will cross our path.”

She nodded with a hum before speaking, “For now… this is good.”

“Yeah.” You whispered.

The two of you stayed there, talking with each other. You were telling her a story about one of the first foodfights you witnessed as their communications officer.

“I can’t believe Tech was the one who started it!” Omega giggled and you nodded.

“Trust me, I was just as shocked. But then Wrecker took the lead and the others followed after him.”

She laughed gently, but then Hunter called to the both of you from the cockpit. You looked at her in confusion, but she shrugged before heading out of the gunner’s mount with you. You entered the cockpit with her and saw a hologram of the young twi’lek, Hera. Omega approached, trying to listen to the transmission.

“Omega, it’s Hera! The Empire has taken my parents, and they are after me now too. I’m sending coordinates. Please, hurry. I need your help.”

Hunter paused the transmission and looked to Omega, “You gave her our comm channel?”

“For emergencies--and that sounded pretty urgent. We have to go!”

“Perhaps the situation isn’t as dire. Children often overreact.”

“No we don’t! You heard her, she needs us!”

Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder, “Omega… it’s a big galaxy. We can’t put ourselves on the line every time someone’s in trouble.”

“Why not?” Omega questioned, “Isn’t that what soldiers do?”

You looked at Hunter with a small smile as he looked at her in slight shock. You then looked back at Omega and urged her to come to you before crouching down as she stood in front of you.

“Omega, you know I understand your concern more than anyone… we’ll go to Ryloth, but if something happens and we can’t help, then you know what we have to do.”

She looked at you for a moment before determination filled her eyes, “We’ll be able to help. I know it.”

*******

The Havoc Marauder landed in a secluded part of the valley, which was filled with cargo. You all filed out of the ship and looked around.

“What is this place?” Wrecker wondered.

“I think it’s a base… probably something Gobi Glie established.” You explained.

There was then a sudden commotion and you looked to see a C1 astromech droid approaching, waving it’s extensions around frantically.

“What’s his problem?” Wrecker asked as it approached Omega.

“Thank you for coming.” Hera approached you all, “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“You said you were in trouble.” Omega responded.

“Care to tell us why the Empire is after you?” Hunter butt in.

“Because my father is Cham Syndulla.”

Tech looked up from his datapad and pushed his goggles up, “The freedom fighter?”

“Yes… this was his old command outpost. It’s where I’ve been hiding. The Empire’s begun targeting anyone loyal to him.”

“What do you want us to do?” Echo finally spoke up.

“Free my parents from the capital. That’s where they’re being held.”

Everyone looked to each other concerned, which caused Hera to become more desperate.

“They can pay you if you get them out! Please? I don’t have anyone else to ask…” She then turned to you, “You are the famous Lodestar. My father and Gobi were talking about you. Many of the twi’leks know of you because you have helped many of our kin… they would be forever grateful.”

You turned your head slightly to Hunter, who looked at you. You still had your helmet on, but you knew he could tell what you were considering. Then Omega went to Hera’s side and gave her a nod.

Hunter let out a small sigh before speaking, “Let’s see what we’re up against first, but no guarantees.”

Omega and Hera smiled, but you took off your helmet then looked at Omega. You approached the two girls and smiled sadly.

“Omega… remember what I said on the ship.”

She nodded, “I know.”

You looked to Hera, “As I told Gobi… I am not that liberator anymore. The Empire knows about me also, so it isn’t as safe for me to do things like that anymore.”

Hera nodded. You all then headed towards the Capitol.

XXXXXXX

Masterlist

Taglist: @darkangel4121 @lightning-wolffe @alucas528 @rintheemolion @shadowfoxey @butch-medusae @gabile18 @incandescentlywarm

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padawansuggest · 3 years ago

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Modern AU where Obi-Wan is a medium that gets sent on ghost hunts to deal with specific spirits and then his dad, long time single parent Qui-Gon, get’s married to Shmi, and Obi-Wan suddenly has a baby brother that can sense darker spirits and they eventually end up making some sort of YouTube show about actual ghost dealings (Obi-Wan has been threatened by the Catholic Church to fucking stop that of all the goddamn people which is credit enough to prove he’s legit and has any cease and desist letters framed) and eventually end up recruiting Anakin’s childhood buddy Aayla, her big bro Quinlan (who keeps trying to hit on Obi-Wan, and is a highly sensitive empath) and eventually end up with a kiddo from Qui-Gon’s old single-fathers support group, Ahsoka (who was adopted by Plo when she was 4) and they all mostly live together. Mostly cause Ahsoka is still underage and only gets to have sleepovers, and Anakin still swaps between home and their terrible little frat house.

It fits cause Obi-Wan get’s visions of the ghosts themselves as well as how they lived, Quinlan get’s visions of how they died and what type of character they were, and Anakin gets a sense of When They Need To Get The Fuck Out Now and has been responsible for finding and removing not one, but THREE witches totems over the course of about ten years. Which is fucking terrifying. Those things have to be transported very carefully and it’s always what gets the Catholic Church to back the fuck off because they just let them deal with their containment (cause Anakin ain’t got no time for that shit lmaooooo) and that calms them down. Ahsoka and Aayla are there because they have spiked baseball bats and aren’t afraid of shit. Admittedly, Anakin and Quinlan are also in that category, but Obi-Wan actually has a healthy understanding of what he can and cannot touch, especially after that one time Bail (a guy he later went on to date lmao) who had just met him, went with him on a hunt, and they both got possessed a bit and tried to kill each other. It was a wild ride. They still go on dates with Bail’s wife sometimes 😙

When Anakin actually moved in with Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan had just started posting about this stuff online (basically giving a comprehensive guide to people like him and how to safely get started, or how to ditch the life all together despite the visions) and he sorta gained a stalker, one who thought sending him MEGA cursed items was like a fucked up courting ritual (the guy didnt actually believe in them just thought Obi-Wan was pretty) and one of them almost killed Obi-Wan but Anakin was able to pick it up because his energy matched the cursed objects. It doesn’t mean he’s evil, his energy just runs on a different wavelength than Obi-Wan’s.

After that he convinced their parents to let him move in with Obi-Wan while the stalker was still around and brought a spiked bat with him. Suffice to say, he managed to drive the guy off. After that he spent years flopping between houses as he pleased like a stray cat.

So Anakin and Quinlan are impulsive and have had to have their dumb little grabby raccoon fingers smacked from reaching for things they shouldn’t, while Aayla and Ahsoka are ready to smack a guy’s face in for just about any reason.

Funny thought: the Fett family (with Jango as the head of house, and Grandpa Jaster either lives with them as a second adult to take care of kids, or he’s either living with Arla or Alpha, one of his other kids and their little broods) recently moved into a haunted house and after a week of absolute chaos with several sets of twins being horrible and Cody coming home from his last year of college to help take care of the kids during the move, the dumb little frat crew (also known as The Jedi Knights lmao) end up paying them a visit to get rid of a particularly annoying spirit of an old man that didn’t want no goddam babies in his house (poor Boba and Omega, it’s a good thing they’re too little to remember this cause that guy kept showing up over their cribs when Jango went to check on them nearly gave this man a heart attack) and after that the Fett children keep periodically showing up in the backgrounds of most of their videos. Especially Obi-Wan and Anakin’s joint tiktok account.

Ahsoka doesn’t have a tiktok cause Plo thinks she’s too young to be putting up videos, especially after Obi-Wan’s stalker got so violent like that, but he let’s her have an Instagram account. It’s set to private but when she’s legal she can post whatever she wants. she doesn’t need permission, she just needs to keep her profile private for now.

She mostly wants a tiktok cause she likes doing those dance videos with Aayla and Anakin.

#star wars #obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #aayla secura #quinlan vos #modern au #ghost hunting au #if you want a BASIC idea of what I mean by different medium types #you should watch Inner Ghosts #that movie owns my heart and soul and it’s beautiful #but the idea of a trained medium teaching multiple other types of mediums #absolutely delightful #ani can see darker spirits and demons #he got grabbed by one one time and nearly lost his right arm it burned him so bad

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candlestickbud · 3 years ago

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Worthy of Betrayal Pt.1

Howzer x Jedi!GN:Reader [Ep.11 Spoilers]

Description: After the bad batch drop off the weapons to a client of Cid’s, she calls them in for a favor and asks them to help some royal Twi’leks on Ryloth.

Warnings/Notes: I'm predicting that this fic will have 5 parts. Possible smut in the future. Mentions of guns and child kidnapping, minor cussing. Sorry if the story is a little off, I was in a rush to finish. Hope you still like it though!

“What do you mean we have to go back!”

Hunter rose his voice at Cid from the comms on the ship. We were on our way back to Ord Mantel after dropping off weapons to some Twi’leks, a client of Cids. As they were already halfway to the destination, Cid called up the batch to inform us that we had to go back, but this time the location was on Ryloth.

“Hey, you still owe me, remember? Now tell goggles over there to get to Ryloth. I need you to rescue this kid named Hera Syndula, the twi’leks, her parents run Ryloth so we’ll be getting some big bucks, so I suggest you get moving, got that?”

Hunter sighed, “Mind telling us what we have to do to get out of dept?”

“Tell you what, let's say you don't mess this up, and you'll be out of debt. Just fell the big guy to ease up on the mantel mix, wouldya, ” Cid said before hanging up.

Hunter rubbed his face trying to shake off his tiredness.

“What's the word, Sargent, ” Wrecker asked.

“Tell Tech to relocate the route to Ryloth. We have another mission, but this is a mission we can't mess up. We need to save some senators kid.”

“Another senator? They aren't a separatist, are they? There's no way-”

“I didn't ask, and either way we have to take this job to get us out of that debt, ” Hunter cut off Echo, “and besides it's not a senator, just their kid.”

Echo glared at Hunter, “Well you should understand why I plan to not work with separatists, ” he said pointing his cybernetic socket arm at Hunter.

“Wait so who are we saving, ” Omega asked from her room.

Hunter pushed his way past Echo to talk to Omega, hearing Echo scoff as he walked away.

“That kid from earlier,” Hunter said softly.

“Hera? I knew she was in trouble! How can I help,” Onega exclaimed excitedly?

“I’ll let up know once we land. The empire will be there based on what that client said earlier. That's what they needed those weapons for.”

“That could mean that Crosshair would be there, ” Tech yelled from the piloting seat.

“Good! We need to talk some sense into him, get him home, ” Wrecker said.

“I don't think he wants to come home, ” Hunter said coldly.

“Doesn't matter, we need to get him back and remove his chip or whatever.”

Hunter opener his mouth to say something back, but instead walked away to the pilot's seat.

“We should at least try to save him, ” you said sternly.

“Cant save someone that doesn't want to be saved, ” Hunter barked back.

“In case to haven't noticed, we don't know what he wants. That chip is controlling him!”

“I agree with Y/N, ” Wrecker barged in.

“That's not the mission.”

•••

Howzer took off his helmet to ruffle his hair. It was a humid night on the planet of Ryloth, and he's been running around trying to capture a child named Hera with a squad of clone troopers.

“Hey boss, do we stun her or shoot.”

“Stun! She's a child, has some empathy. Besides, I'm sure they want her alive, otherwise, we have no leverage over Cham.”

“You got it, captain.”

There was silence as the squad walked through the place, flashlight in hands and visors on night vision mode as they searched for the child. This seemed very wrong to Howzer. What would the empire want with a child if they already have Cham? Leverage, but for what? They don't plan on hurting the kid, do they?

“What do you think they'll do with the kid, ” Howzer asked his squad.

“Who cared, she's a traitor to the empire. She's lucky she isn't dead yet. Speaking of traitors, don't we have orders to kill whoever betrays the empire?”

“What? That's ridiculous, we should just imprison them, and still, she's a child, soldier. We aren't killing her, ” Howzer scoffed.

The squad quietly whispered to each other. Suddenly a ship hovered over them, landing a few feet behind where they were.

“Stay cautious, that could be their backup.”

“Shoot to kill or stun, ” a trooper asked.

“Stun. I won't tell you again, ” Howser said through gritted teeth.

“Whatever you say, Captain, ” the trooper said with an annoyed tone.

Howzer placed his helmet back onto his head, getting his gun ready and placing it in stun mode.

“I have eyes on them!”

The troopers began shooting blindly at a group of troopers, a Jedi standing in front of then reflecting the shots with a child behind them.

“Hold your fire, ” Howzer exclaimed.

The troopers ignore him.

“I said, hold your fire!”

The troopers looked at each other in confusion and disgust.

“They're wanted by the empire! We need to kill them, they're traitors.”

The troopers began shooting live rounds at the squad.

“But they have a child with them! Stop!”

Howzer put his gun in the gun holder that held itself on his waist, pushing a trooper back. One by one, the trooper squad of 5 became the squad of 2.

“You're not fit enough to be Captain! You're a trait of to the empire! We have to kill them, now!”

“No! This is wrong and you know it! Snap out of it how can you not see that this is wrong, ” Howzer said before being pushed to the ground by Hunter.

“See what you did! You're a traitor, ” the trooper said trying to shake out of Wrecker's grasp.

“You, be quiet, ” you yelled at the trooper.

You walked up to Howzer, cocking your head to the side slightly.

“Hunter, there's something wrong with his chip.”

Hunter looked up at you, scrunching his eyebrows together, “How can you be so sure?”

“He seems...different I can feel it.”

Hunter looked at you and then back ah Howzer, grabbed him by the shoulders, and pushed him up to his feet. You walked towards Howzer and removed his helmet, eyes widening, surprised with how attractive the clone was. You looked at him, placing your hands on his face, inspecting him. Howzer attempted to back off, but Hunter held him in place. He flinched as you placed a hand near the left side of his head, closing your eyes as you felt his chip through the force. You opened your eyes, staring into his eyes, only for him to nervously look away.

“He has his chip, but it's damaged, ” you looked at Hunter as if you were asked for permission.

“Fine. You deal with him. We cat have him running back to the empire to inform them of our arrival. We can't have any attention, this is a stealth mission. We need to focus on saving the kid, ” Hunter said, shoving Howzer towards you.

You caught Howzer and placed your lightsaber close to his face, only for him to flinch against it, his head laying on your shoulder, “Try anything stupid and I'll kill you on sight, got that?”

“I thought that wasn't the Jedi way, ” he said with caution.

You retracted your saber and placed it back on your holders, “There is no Jedi way, ” you scoffed, putting his helmet back on. You knew it would possibly be a distraction to you.

“What do I do with him, ” Wrecker asked, picking up the trooper he held captive.

“Woah, ” the trooper yelped.

Hunter looked at Howzer and then the trooper.

“His chip is active,” you said.

Hunter paused for a second in thought, “Stun him. Look, we’ll look over here, you and Omega look over there, that way we’ll have a better chance of finding the kid.”

“You got it. Cmon, Omega, let's get ahead of them. I think Hera will be pleased to see that you're the one rescuing her, ” you said as you pushed Howzer forward, grabbing Omega’s hand as you led her away, Hunter stunning the clone from behind.

You and Omega stared at Howzer as you walked through the gravel trail.

“Uhm...Why do you two keep starring at me,” he asked.

“To make sure you don't try anything funny, ” you lied.

“Your chip isn't working. That's pretty rare for a clone, ” Omega explained.

“What is this chip that you guys keep talking about?”

You sighed, ” Well, the clones, you included, have these chips that were implanted in you when you were, I think a stage 1 embryo?”

“Stage 2,” Omega corrected.

You chuckled, “A stage 2 embryo, and these chips were implanted in you by the Emperor to have you murder the Jedi. Nearly all of them were killed during order 66. I survived it by chance.”

“Oh…so that’s what that was. I’m sorry.”

You looked at Howzer in confusion, “W-What?”

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been hard to go through I had no idea. When I was out on a mission, we were working with a Jedi and just out of no where, everyone aimed their blasters at the General. They had told us they were traitors to the republic, betrayed the Chancellor.”

“Yeah, that’s because we found out he betrayed us. He was working with Count Dooku.”

Howzer shook his head in disappointment, “You must hate us then, clones.”

You looked at Howzer, sighing as you let go of his shoulder, “No, I don’t. The clones, it’s not their fault, what they did. They’re all being controlled by these chips, being controlled by the empire. I made my peace with the clones once I got informed of this by the batch.”

Howzer walked by your side, “So those troops back there, their chips are also defected?”

“They were, but we got help with removing them. Having the chips mean that’s you’re still a threat. They could activate at any time.”

“Why not stun me? Like him back there.”

You thought for a moment, “Just because your chip isn’t activated doesn’t mean your not with the empire. For all we know you could still be loyal to them. We didn’t wanna risk the possibility of activating your chip, and we couldn't have you go off to the empire.”

“Oh. What do you uh plan on doing with me once you find the kid?”

“If I’m being completely honest with you, I’m not sure.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” he chuckled nervously.

He scratched the back of his neck, looking at you as if hesitant to ask a question.

“I can feel you looking at me. What is it?”

Howzer looked away, “U-Uhm I was just uh…” he stuttered, “Uhm, where were you? During order 66.”

You smiled at his struggle, a smile still placed on your face when he asked the question.

“I uh I was actually in my ship. It was on a mission I was in with my droid to Ord Mantel, I was supposed to get intel on this bounty Hunter I’ve been hunting down. My droid saved me from the clones.”

“Lucky you weren’t assigned with a squad.”

You chuckled, “Yeah really.”

You and Howzer heard rustling from a bush that was up ahead. Howzer got in front of you, trying to take a closer look.

“Come out! We know you're there,” Howzer yelled.

You grabbed Howzer’s shoulder, “Maybe you should keep it down. If it’s Hera, she could be scared since you are supposed to be hunting her down,” you rolled your eyes in his idiocy.

“Oh, uh, right, ” he backed up.

Howzer removed his helmet. He's very well aware that citizens are often scared of the armor rather than what's underneath it. You glanced and him in admiration until you heard the bush rustle again.

“Hera? It's me and Omega, remember? We were selling those weapons to your uncle, ” you said calmly.

Slowly peaking out from the bush, you saw Hera’s head, “Omega?”

Omega waved at her, “Hello,” she smiled.

Hera got out from the bush, “What are you doing here?”

“We’re here to rescue you.”

Hera looked at Howzer with wide eyes, “H-He’s”

“Not with the empire,” Howzer said confidently, “Not anymore that is.”

“They’ll kill you,” Hera said walking towards Howzer.

“Not unless they catch me,” He smiled, patting her head.

You smiled at his kind act, “Hunter, we found Hera. We’re on our way back,” you looked at Howzer, “What are we going to do with...,” you whispered into your commlink.

“Hey! I never got your name, ” you said nervously.

“Oh! Uh, the name’s Howzer, ” he smiled, “What about you?”

You chuckled, “In your dreams, pal.”

“What are we going to do with Howzer, the clone.”

You heard Hunter sigh into his commlink, “We’ll stun him when we leave. Take him back with you in case we get spotted.”

“Hunter, we can't just leave him here. Hera knows him, he could be useful to us.”

There was no reply.

“Hunter?”

“Yeah, ” he sighed, “I'm here. Look just get over here we’ll talk when you get back.”

You walked over to Howzer with a smirk on your face, “Lucky you, Hunter doesn't want to kill you, ” you swung your arm over his shoulders, “Now you're really fucked.”

Howzer looked at you like a confused dog, “What do you mean? What you think I can’t handle a couple of clones and a Jedi?”

You laughed, “We ain’t your typical squad,” you smirked.

He got in your face, “Try me. I’ve been with many squads. What’s so different about you guys?”

You inched closer to his face, “I guess you’ll have to find out.”

There was a pause until the both of you burst out laughing.

“Cmon, we gotta get back to them.”

“You got it, General.”

You stopped in your tracks, looking back at Howzer. You were going to say something but decided to let it go.

“Cmon girls. We have to get back to the ship.”

“Coming, ” they said laughing.

•••

“I never noticed how nice your hair is, ” you said ruffling Howzer’s hair.

He kindly swatted your hand away, “Thanks, ” he said while rolling his eyes.

You looked at his face, eyes scanning over his scars. You choose not to ask him about them. Not yet anyway. The girls whispered and giggles to each other throughout the walk to the marauder.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing, ” they chuckled devilishly.

Both you and Howzer looked at them questionably, the at each other.

You shook your head, “Kids, huh?”

“Reminds me of my younger days, making fun of brothers for having a crush. Of course, that was before order 66. Good memories.”

The four of you continued to walk and began to see the ship, with Hunter sitting at the entrance of the ship.

“Took you long enough, ” he said as he got up, “We need to talk.”

You nodded, “Ladies, ” you smiled down at Omega and Hera, “into the ship. Omega show Hera our little secret since she’ll be with us for a bit.”

“Ooh! Good idea. Hera, follow me.”

The two children ran their way into the marauder, Howzer squatting down on the floor, patiently waiting for an invitation inside. Hunter grabbed you and pulled you off to the side, away from Howzer.

“Look I don't want to take him with us. He seems sketchy.”

You sighed and nodded in agreement, “Yes, I know but I'm sure he means well. I'll look after him but Hunter, something tells me that we can trust him. Howzer seems like a good guy. Hera seems to trust him and she knew him when he was working with her dad.”

Hunter looked at Howzer to see him awkwardly wave at him.

Hunter cursed, “Fine, but if anything and I mean anything, happens, he's off the ship.”

You nodded, giddily walking over to Howzer, then clapping your hand on his shoulder.

“What’re you doing just standing here like an idiot? C’mon,” you snickered.

“Well, excuse me for trying to be polite, ” he smiled, Hunter glaring him down as you all entered the ship.

#thebadbatch #howzer #captainhowzer #star wars clones are hot #star wars clones #captain howzer #Howzer x reader #star wars fanfiction #star wars #tbb omega

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silverwings22 · 2 years ago

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Caught in the Crosshairs: Chapter 26: Taking Over Me: Evanescence

Series warnings: Smut, mind control, canon typical violence, childhood trauma, language, chronic illness

Chapter warnings: grief, dragons, a little kid with a gun, medical procedure, chronic illness

Translations: cyare: beloved

gar darasuum: for eternity

Previous chapter:

Next chapter:

"She doesn't even have a place to sleep." Hunter was sitting with Miria in the bunkroom, keeping an eye on the general as Tech's little treatment machine worked busily. She had her eyes closed, laying on her back in her bed. They were trying their best to accommodate taking care of their littlest member.

"I know. I've been thinking about it." She admitted. "Wrecker suggested converting the gunner's nest."

"You okay with that?" He gave her a hard look. That had been her preferred place to slip away when she needed a moment, or when she and Crosshair wanted to talk alone. She'd spent hours looking out the window with her fingers curled in his.

"Yes." Miria nodded. "I've got a bunk. I'll be okay."

He sighed. "Alright. I'm just… concerned about you."

The lights flickered above them. "I'm more concerned about that." She murmured mildly. "How much damage did we take on Salucemi?"

"Just a few blaster shots. Nothing that should cause this." His eyes sharpened.

Miria stood and wrapped her blanket over her half- bare torso. "Let's go talk to Tech and Echo." She couldn't exactly wear her shirt with this thing stuck to her chest and down her arm, and she didn't quite feel like she'd given up on modesty entirely to walk about in her bra.

They headed for the cockpit. Wrecker and Omega were sitting in the hold together, the big man letting her use him as a bed and cuddle with Lula. He looked content with her tucked under his arm… it wasn't just Hunter that was falling in the parenthood pit here.

"What's broken, dear?" Miria murmured as she sank into her seat in the cockpit. Force, she was out of breath with this thing on…

"You really should lay still while that is in use, it constricts-" Tech started.

"The ship, Tech. I'm the least of my own concerns right now."

He sighed. Stubborn Jedi… "It appears we took more damage than I originally thought. Our capacitor is likely damaged. We have one spare on board, but we'll need to land to make the repairs."

She nodded as the lights pulsed again. "Where's nearest?"

"Ordo Moon. The environment isn't hospitable, we will require respirators…" Tech mused. "I recommend you remain inside the ship, General, during your remaining session."

Miria made a disgruntled sound but finally nodded. "Please be careful then. I worry…"

Echo chuckled. "We worry about you too."

She smiled tiredly. "Thank you, dear. But I'll be okay."

"You'd better." He patted her arm. "We're not prepared to be a bunch of single dads."

Miria looked at Hunter. "He said you were the mom."

Tech snorted, Echo sputtered, and Hunter couldn't help but laugh at the indignation rolling off his brother. Miria just leaned her head back against the wall.

It felt like family… but something was missing and she couldn't ignore the ache.

Cyare,

I never should have let you shoot my rifle. Not because you're not getting pretty good at it (because you are) or that you don't look damn good doing it (because you do.) No, I'm regretting this because now you've got this sudden idea that you're gonna teach me how to dance.

I don't dance.

I'm sure you're gonna say that's stupid, but I have such a hard time with this emotional shit that I can't even explain it to your face. I'm writing in the cockpit because you're not up here with me. Because I said something stupid about you wanting to dance, and you went to the bunk by yourself.

I'm sorry, Cyare. I'll say that to your face after my shift, at least. But shit, I don't know anything about dancing and I don't want to look like an idiot in front of anyone. Especially you.

That's the whole issue, isn't it? You keep telling me I can undo the shit that happened when I was a cadet, but it hangs on like blaster residue. If you drew any attention to yourself, the regs and the longnecks found ways to make you regret being different. Even if you were better than them. It got better when I was reassigned… I belong with this unit. With my brothers. I don't think I appreciated them until you pointed it out.

But the point is, I don't like eyes on me. Especially if I'm not going to be good at something. There's got to be a way to make it up to you without everyone laughing at me.

Crosshair

They touched down on Ordo Moon with Miria back in her bunk. Tech and Echo headed out to make the capacitor swap, Hunter and Wrecker working on something else, so Omega laid down next to the General as she read through another letter. She'd finally had her machine taken off, bacta patches over the injection points, and had put her shirt back on.

"What are you reading, General?" She peeked up.

Miria smiled, exhaustion in her eyes. "A letter from Crosshair… he left several of them for me. It's like… hearing his voice in the dark " She put her arm around Omega's shoulders. "This is who he really is. Not whatever that chip's making him do."

Omega nodded. "You worried about the capacitor swap?"

"Not particularly. Tech and Echo can handle it." The lights went out completely as they removed the damaged part outside, then came back on as the new part was put in place. "See?"

Omega nodded and cuddled a little closer. "Can I hear one of the letters?"

"I don't think he'd mind. " Miria said softly. "Here's the next one."

Miria

The guys have started calling you Miri when it's too formal to call you General Halcyon. I heard you say once only your closest friends call you that…

But I can't.

When I met you, you asked for our names. You didn't even want to hear our CT numbers. You didn't care about them. You cared about us, and you didn't even know us.

Names have meaning. Value. You're a person when you have a name. We named ourselves, for what we wanted or felt like we were. I picked mine because sniping was all I thought I was good for. I wanted everyone who heard it to know who I was.

But your name? Miria sounds like a bell in your temple chiming. Calling people. I have to say all of it, so you know I see all of you. You saw me from the beginning. The guys, my brothers, can be your friends. But I want everything else. I want all of you. I love all of you.

Gar darasuum.

Crosshair

Omega looked up at Miria, eyes wide. "So that's who he really is?"

Miria nodded. "That's my Cross."

The lights went out again, and she heard Hunter curse from the cargo hold. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Miria murmured, getting up. "Hold my hand, dear. Let's go find out."

Omega's fingers threaded into hers and Miria led her out into the belly of the ship. "Why's it gone dark again?" The jedi frowned, feeling along the wall.

"Tech and Echo are still outs-" he started when they came running in.

"We have a problem."

"Clearly." Miria sighed. "What happened?"

"It's.. a dragon." Echo murmured.

"An Ordo Moon dragon, to be precise." Tech sighed. "They feed on energy, and it's stolen the only replacement capacitor we have."

"Then we go after it." Miria nodded. "Hunter, can you track it?"

"You know I can." He smirked.

"I'll get the respirators."

Omega tugged her sleeve. "Let me come with you. I'm a Bad Batcher too, and I want to learn."

She looked at Hunter, who sighed deeply. "Get three respirators."

"What's he doing?" Whispered Omega as she and Miria followed Hunter through the dusty and dark terrain of the moon. He was kneeling, crouching to examine the earth and run his fingers through the dirt.

"He's tracking, dear girl." Miria explained. "Every movement leaves a disturbance, and he's perceptive enough to notice every one."

Hunter nodded and got up. "This way. It's moving quickly."

"Can I learn to track like you do?" Omega asked curiously as they hurried through the crater strewn landscape.

"It's an enhanced skill. We all have them. Wrecker, Tech …"

"And Crosshair." The girl murmured.

Miria looked away. Hunter gritted his teeth. "Yeah."

"You're angry." Omega murmured quietly. "You shouldn't be angry at him. It's the inhibitor chip, it's not his fault…" The girl put a hand on his back.

"I'm angry at myself. I left him there… I should have found a way to bring him back. We could have helped him."

"You did what you could, Hunter. I know you did." Miria murmured softly. She didn't blame him… she didn't blame anyone but the Emperor, the leader of this bloody Empire she didn't understand. But she'd sworn to herself she'd find answers. Just like she'd find Crosshair.

He sighed, looking at her face in the flashlight glow. Her face, half covered with the respirator, with the big sad eyes and hopeful smile, that kept them all alive time and time again. He wasn't even the man in love with her, but he couldn't imagine leaving her alone. How could anyone hurt her so much when all she ever wanted to do was help?

"General…" he started, but never finished the sentence because something big slithered by rapidly. A scaled tail knocked him ass over teakettle, sending his respirator flying off.

"Hunter!" Miria yanked Omega behind her, reaching for the saber on her hip. The girl dove for the fallen respirator as Hunter choked.

The dragon darted into a burrow, carrying their capacitor in its mouth, and the two dispensed with the fight to save their friend. Omega fitted his mask back on, but he'd already blacked out. Miria knelt beside him, checking him over with a hand held an inch over his chest. "Hunter! Hunter!" Omega was teary eyed.

"He's alright, little one. But we'll have to do this on our own." The Jedi murmured.

"Shouldn't we call the others?"

"This storm has cut our comms." Miria shook her head. "Stay with him, I'll go-"

"I'm coming with you!" Omega insisted, grabbing the blaster off Hunter's hip.

Miria smiled fondly. "Let's hope you don't need to use that, then. It went this way."

With no other options, they left Hunter as comfortable as they could make him and headed towards the burrow. "I'll go first, but stay close."

The burrow had slick sides, and she went rocketing into the tunnel with the girl right behind her. They shot out into a low cavern, Omega having to crouch and Miria on her hands and knees. "Which way?" The girl whispered.

"The scratches on the floor are fresh going this way." Miria murmured. "Hold that flashlight steady, sweet girl."

They inched down the tunnel slowly, spotting discarded technology drained of power. Finally, another cavern opened up. The dragon was curled around their capacitor in the middle, glowing faintly green. When Omega fixed it in her light, it snarled.

Experimentally, she moved the beam away and it settled, watching them with black eyes. When the light came back, it growled again.

Miria reached for her saber again, coming to terms with the idea she'd have to kill it. She didn't want to, it was just surviving here, but her family was in danger. They'd be stranded on this desolate moon until they died if she didn't get that part. Force, forgive me for what I must do…

"Wait!" Omega's whisper-scream held her back. "I've got an idea."

"I'm trusting you, little one."

Omega flipped the flashlight off and threw it. The dragon perked up like a massiff puppy and darted after it. Miria blinked, boggled, and grabbed the abandoned capacitor. "Clever girl. Hurry, let's go." They backed out of the cavern and Miria lit her saber to light their path back out.

They climbed up the tunnel exit slowly, Miria using the Force to propel them up the slick walls.

"Omega?! Miri?!" Hunter's voice sounded frantic when they reached the surface. He'd come to, alone and missing his gun.

"We're here and alright!" Miria called back. "We got it!"

The sergeant came running, checking Omega over first. "Good job…" he finally murmured. "Is that my blaster?"

Omega sheepishly returned it. "I didn't even have to use it…"

Hunter looked at Miria, who looked bone tired. "Nice work, General."

"Don't look at me. This was her victory, dear." She put a hand on Omega's shoulder.

Omega smiled bright as a sun. "Let's get out of here."

They'd given him command because he was willing to do what needed to be done. No matter what it took.

Crosshair's elite squad was leaving Onderon, after correcting his previous team's failure with Saw Guerra's dissenters. He was stronger than Hunter, he could make the calls his brother could never, he didn't mind a little-

She doesn't do collateral damage.

The thought hit him nauseatingly hard in the chest. Miria Halcyon couldn't stand collateral damage. Civilians, innocents were her priority, and she'd sacrifice herself for the mission but never anyone else.

What am I doing?

He had just shot civilians. He'd shot his own man for insubordination. There was a blood trail leading right to him, and something in him wasn't letting him stop even though he wanted to.

He wanted to be on the Havoc Marauder, in his bunk, with the Jedi laying next to him. Her hand splayed soft and warm on his stomach while she slept, and he wrote another flimsi letter to stick in his footlocker, trying to explain how his head worked to her.

Only, right now he didn't know how it worked. The only thing he could really focus on was the next order and the longing. Duty and order, loyalty and Empire… and loss. His brothers had left him behind. The Empire was all he had. They'd betrayed him, lied to him…

If Hunter lied, she must still be alive. They had to go back for her. She's got to be with them… Miria.

A faint flicker of something like hope ran through him. If she was alive… they'd protect her. She'd be okay, even if he couldn't be there. Maybe, one day, he'd be able to clear out whatever cobwebs were hanging in his head. Maybe he could even convince someone in high places she was worth keeping. He could have her, and his brothers back. He could be whole again.

The thought felt good. Better than successful missions, better than being called Commander. The idea of having his brothers back at his side, and the Jedi under his arm where she belonged was fuel for his next steps. His head had been so jumbled when he'd first joined the Empire, but now the pieces were falling into place.

He'd have everything he needed soon. He'd have his family back, and the might of the Empire. Everything was coming back together.

"Close your eyes, Omega." Wrecker grinned. They were back up in hyperspace, the ship functional if still a little glitchy. But they were okay.

Omega tucked her hands over her eyes and Wrecker scooped her up. Miria smiled tiredly, sitting on a box in the hold and watching the big clone carry the girl to the gunner's nest. While she'd been out chasing dragons, Wrecker had fixed it up into a bedroom for her. He'd even rigged up string lights and curtains to make it cute. "You can look now. What do you think?" He sounded anxious.

Omega looked amazed. "For me?" She looked back down at the rest of the group, who were smiling up at her from the bottom of the ladder.

Miria chuckled. "Your own room. We figured you deserved some privacy and your own bed." Omega had been snuggled up in her bunk with her since they'd picked Miria up from Kaller. As soothing as the Jedi found it, the girl deserved better. She was, after all, a growing girl.

Omega squealed with delight and plopped down to spin around in the gunners chair and see her room from all angles.

Hunter was invited up to sit with her while she recounted the dragon adventure to the other three guys as they stood at the foot of the ladder. Miria left them be, going up to the cockpit and sitting down in the pilot's seat to stare out the front transparisteel quietly. She just needed a minute…

This was so domestic, taking care of Omega. So close to everything she and Crosshair had wanted… but he wasn't here. I'll find you, love. Don't give up on me yet...

#crosshair #eventual smut #explict #original character #crosshair smut #clone force 99 #caught in the crosshairs

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crab-instruments · 3 years ago

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Dust in the Wind Part 3 (tbb)

Master <Part 2 Part 4>

Pairing: Hunter x Secret Jedi! Reader (GN)

Rating and Warning: General audience, not much happens (yet)

Words: 1K

a/n: some notes at the end. I didn't think this would get any attention really and I did not know how good it would feel, so please give that little heart like to the fics you read (not just mine lol). I really liked Fallen Order so if you haven't played it and can, I would recommend it, but I'll be incorporating pieces of that game into my fic. I've been using italics for thoughts, if it's in quotes it just means it's being said at not a normal volume (like through a door or spoken really fast). If that doesn't make sense in the fic, it's something I can work on.

Image Credit

The reflection that stared back at you in the mirror looked like someone else. Your hands gripped the sink hard, in an attempt to focus. In your head, you chanted loudly your new identity. My name is Maxis, I’m a freelance mechanic, and I’m now… temporarily… a part of a crew I’ve never met. Kriff, am I insane? That question was rhetorical, the answer was an resounding yes, although this may not be the most outlandish situation you’ve gotten yourself in.

The necklace under your top felt heavy. You pulled it out, staring at the parts. Carrying your deconstructed lightsaber wasn’t the smartest idea but it was something you couldn’t let go of, even before The Purge happened. Most of the pieces were on a long wire that you wrapped loosely around your neck and it hid fairly nicely, looking like just random junk on a wire. The parts that didn’t fit on the necklace well sat on your wrists as bracelets. You tucked it back in and moved your welding goggles from your head to your neck, hiding it further down.

“That’s fine Hunter, but where are they going to sleep? We barely have space as it is,” a muffled voice came from outside the door, drawing your attention back to reality.

Hunter had stepped out leaving you in the small room alone, thinking that explaining the situation to the squad would better. It had been a few minutes since he had left and by the sounds of it, was still trying to sell the idea of you being here was a good idea.

Moving quietly towards the door, your curiosity got the best of you. You pressed your ear to the cold metal, attempting to listen in on the conversation.

“They can sleep in the gunner’s mount with me!” a small, cheerful voice piped up.

“That’s very kind of you, Omega, but we’ll figure it out later,” Hunter’s voice had a hint of favor to it, he obviously adored the child he who had offered space for you. He was probably giving her a small smile, the thought was contagious enough to bring a small smile to your own face.

“I would like to go back to the fact that we know nothing about this ‘Maxis’ or their past. They could very well be a dangerous criminal on the run, based on the story they gave you,” the very pragmatic voice cut through the rest.

At that accusation, you crossed your arms and pouted. “Dangerous? I’m about as dangerous as a bogling.”

Suddenly, the door you were leaning against had opened, sending you dropping to the ground. You shot your arms out, attempting to grab something to stop your introduction to the ground. Luckily, strong arms grabbed yours, steading you. Your eyes met Hunter’s, and stars, did you wish you could stay there. However, five other pair of eyes were on you. Quickly, you attempted to gain your composure and stand up straight.

“What was that about a bogling?” There was a hint of humor in Hunter’s voice. I barely said that above a whisper, how did he hear that?

You cleared your throat and adjusted your tunic. “Uh, I just meant that… I’m not dangerous to you. I’m just a mechanic and got caught up with... I just…” you tried to swallow the nothing in your dry mouth. “IsabotagedanImperialSoldier’sspeederbecausehewasactinglikealaserbrain.” It was a risk to insult the Empire in front of this crew without knowledge of their current standing but more than likely by their hasty escape, they weren’t friendly with the newer overlords.

Everyone’s eyes went wide at your confession, except for the silver haired man who’s grip on the toothpick in his mouth got tighter.

The little girl, Omega, stepped closer. “You sabotaged an Imperial Soldier’s speeder? He caught you and that’s why you were running?” Her eyes may or may not have held something like admiration.

You nodded. “Yeah… It was… worth it to see the bike fall a part under him while trying to catch up.”

The largest one laughed loudly, probably didn’t have any other setting other than ‘loud and explosive’, but it wasn’t threatening. It seemed he also enjoyed the thought along with Omega. “I think Maxis does belong with us if that’s why they’re running.” The others were also holding back laughs.

“If you know how to put machines together, you know how to take them apart,” a slight smile crossed your face. “Of course, when I’m working on your ship, I’ll only put in quality work. I’ll treat the ship like it was my own. That is… if you’ll have me.” The others gave looks to each other and eventually nodded, looking back at Hunter for direction.

“Of course. We aren’t exactly… on great terms with the Empire either. Well, since that’s settled…” He gestured to the paler man to his left, starting the introductions. “This is Echo, part machine, all tactics. Crosshair is our sniper, doesn’t say much. Tech, on the hand, will talk about everything in the universe. Wrecker does explosives and takes down anything in his path. Lastly, this is Omeg—”

“I’m Omega! It’s so nice to meet you!” She was obviously very excited to meet new people. She grabbed your hand, shaking it. “Hunter, can I show Maxis around the ship?” Her eyes sparkled.

Hunter met your eyes and you gave a slight nod. “Of course.” Omega dragged you past the boys, starting the tour of your new home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a few standard hours, you found yourself sitting in the cockpit watching hyperspace fly by, Omega in your lap slowly falling asleep but doing her best to stay awake. How she could become fast friends with you was something you’d never understand, but it felt like you’d known her for much longer than you did.

Most of the others went to sleep for the rest of the ride, Tech seemed to be tinkering with something just beyond the cockpit. Hunter had been with you but stepped back a bit, possibly figuring out space issues.

“Omega, you’ve been a great hostess but you can go to sleep.”

She rubbed her eyes before laying her head back on your shoulder. “I’m not sleepy”.

“Ha, okay.” You brought your hand to her head to stroke it, running your fingers through her hair. She seemed to melt closer to you. Your eyes were also heavy, and this would fix the shortage of beds problem, if you just… slept here. Almost absentmindedly, you started to hum to Omega, lulling her to sleep.

“♪ I close my eyes

Only for a moment, and the moment's gone

All my dreams

Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind

All they are is dust in the wind ♪”

Unbeknownst to you, Hunter had returned and leaned against the doorframe. In his hand, he had a blanket. He waited until both of your breaths became even to make sure you were asleep before putting the blanket over both of you and took a seat.

Part 4

_______________________________________________________

Notes:

Bogling: basically a racoon sized squirrel. Could be dangerous if they get into the vents of your ship, but otherwise, pretty cute. First Fallen Order "reference".

Dust in the Wind - Kansas: This is where the name of the fic comes from. Roll credits. It'll come up a few times like a connection. There's a reason, not necessarily a good one but it's not like a "aha! gotcha" sorta thing. I hope that it's not too cheesy.

#dust in the wind #tbb x reader #tbb x you #the bad batch x reader #bad batch x reader #hunter x reader #hunter x you #crab fics

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starilicious · 3 years ago

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der lagi lekin (hunter x force-user!gn! reader + ep. 8 fix-it)

》 summary: tbb episode 8 fix-it featuring a force-user reader who used to be a jedi. reader is a part of tbb and in a relationship with hunter, but the squad–nor hunter–knows that reader is a force-user. (disclaimer: all of this was written before episode 9 was released! see a/n for an explanation ^_^) (another disclaimer: if you want just the hunter x reader comfort, please let me know and i'll finish it up and post it!)

》 word count: ~8k (yeah, it's a lot LOL)

click here to read on AO3

》 warnings: in-universe swearing, mental breakdown, some slight sensory overloads, pretty mild panic attack, light canon-typical violence, angst + some comfort, survivor's guilt from surviving order 66, no use of y/n, slightly plot heavy because i got way too carried away in writing (whoops?) [if i should add more warnings, please let me know!]

》 spoilers: major ones for tbb episode 8 "reunion"

》 a/n: okay look, i gotta confess: this wasn’t supposed to be an episode 8 fix-it. really. i’m actually glad cad bane won because we get to see that the clones don’t always win every fight... i think it makes for a better and more complex story. anyway, i started out writing just reader and hunter comfort after episode 8 ended. but i’m weak for omega because she reminds me so much of my younger siblings and i ended up writing a wholeass fix-it to save her (even tho cad bane is a downright badass). i kind of liked what i did with building up the plot so much that i might continue this story of force-user!reader with tbb. but that’s a tangent we can deal with later. if you would like a part two with the hunter x reader comfort this was originally intended to be, let me know!

as i said in the summary, i wrote all of this before episode 9 came out–just be aware of that. because it’s so long, it took me a while to edit, which is why i’m posting after ep. 9 was released. but without further ado, i hope you like it! <33

》 misc. notes:

• title of the fic is from the hindi song "der lagi lekin" from the film zindagi na milegi dobara. i linked the song in blue and linked the english translations in green in case you're curious! it's not necessary to listen or understand the song, but i thought it went well with the fic :)

“Everybody get down!” Wrecker yells. You and the squad immediately do as he instructs, diving towards the ground and covering your head. Stars, I hope this works.

The charges the six of you placed around the gigantic cone that surrounds the core cylinder explodes in a deafening blast. You curl into the tightest ball you can manage, breathing so hard that the HUD inside your helmet temporarily fogs up. Metal shards of the explosion rain down on you hard.

For a moment, it seems like nothing happened. But then you hear the telltale, ear-grinding creak of the durasteel and the squad is roughly catapulted forward from the force of the cone beginning to fall down.

You struggle to stand up as you lurch this way and that, trying to regain your balance and stabilize as Tech calls out, “Hold on!”

You quickly glance at the rest of the Bad Batch, trying to see if any of them were hurt. Other than the absolutely terrified look on Omega’s face, all is well considering the circumstances. The metal groans and begins its descent, taking your feeling of being grounded with it. The weightlessness is uncomfortably familiar to say the least, but you ignore it as the six of you scramble to hold on to the side of the cone. You certainly did your fair share of acrobatics back in the war, but feeling it hum around you...it’s too much. It’s too much. You elect to push it back into the depths of your brain. But it doesn’t leave.

It never really does.

Omega’s anxious whimpers come in faintly through your thick helmet and you whip around, frantically trying to find where she is. But before you can find her, the cone lands vertically on its head and the force is so violent that your stable hold on the durasteel is broken. Panicked, you quickly fire a grappling hook towards the ledge where you were previously hanging on. The hook catches and you stop abruptly, the jerky movement almost wrenching your arm out of its socket.

You look down to see Omega falling from someone’s grip and into Hunter’s arms. You can barely tell where anyone is thanks to the lack of light and the incessant motion.

The cone begins to topple onto its side and suddenly, your wire snaps from the tension. You let out a scream of surprise as you plummet downwards, wind rushing past your helmet. ForceIdon’twanttodieohmyMakerohno–

But you never hit the ground, instead being flung sideways as the cone tears into two. On trained instinct, you tuck yourself into a ball to try and roll in order to break your fall instead of using it. That time is long gone.

You land with a sickening thud and hiss in pain as your back hits the metal hard. You hear something crack, but whether it is your armor or something internal, you have absolutely no idea, and don’t have time to check before you black out.

✧✦✧

You jolt awake, a sound making its way into your consciousness. Finally, the damn place stopped moving. You take a few minutes to try and relieve the painful pressure in your chest, reaching up to rip your helmet off because you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe.

You tilt your head back as you struggle to take in air and let the adrenaline subside. You hear voices in the distance and you strain your ears to pick up on the sound as you quickly check yourself over. As far as you can tell, nothing major is broken, and at this point, that is all that matters. Though, your head is pounding, and for more reasons than one

“–nter.. port side... what… status?”

You can’t tell who is speaking, the message too far away for you to hear. But the bits and pieces are enough for you to know that it’s someone from the Bad Batch and that you weren’t unconscious for long. You stand up and dust yourself off before slowly walking to where you believe the origin of the sound is.

“–engine… got company.” A blaster sound and then an explosion rings through the quiet.

Your eyes widen and you quickly pick up the pace, getting your blaster ready as you pick your way through the sharp metal that is jutting out from the ground.

You click on your wrist comm. “Echo, you there?” A faint crackle before his voice comes through, but the signal is scratchy. You frown in frustration.

“–are you? Hunter is... port side,” Echo says and you smack your commlink to try and get the electronics to work, but it’s no use. The device is broken, most likely from the fall, you deduce.

“Meet… Marauder.”

You don’t bother to answer, knowing Echo would probably not even be able to hear what you had to say anyway. Without a signal booster or repeater, there’s no way you can get your transmission across the channel frequency.

It takes a few minutes, but you eventually find the night sky of Bracca blinking down at you at the end of the ripped off cone. You run out to find that you’re in the middle of where the cone broke in half. Okay, new plan. I need to find Hunter. Hunter will know what to do.

You scan your surroundings. The HUD isn’t picking up on any lifeforms near you, and you realize with sinking dread that you have no more options. Whichever piece you climbed through to get to your squadmates, it would take too long for you to search for them since you don’t know their coordinates and your comm isn’t working. Frankly, the Empire–Crosshair–would find you first. You have to use it.

You have to use the Force.

A wave of nausea overcomes you at the mere thought of it and you sway. In an attempt to ground yourself, you tear off your helmet to breathe some fresh air and end up keeling over as the bile rises in your throat. Nothing comes out. You can’t tell if that’s a positive or not.

You could have saved them. Someone. Anyone.

It itches at you in the back of your head, wishing to be let out of its cage. But you can’t. You can’t do it. What’s the use anyway? All you would be doing is saving yourself. The choice of surviving it all has haunted you ever since. Your head pounds in agony.

You saw it happen. You could have helped them. And you ran like a coward. Only ever concerned about yourself.

You inhale sharply as the scene flashes before your eyes, clones shooting at you and the other Jedi. The blaster fire. The confusion. The screams.

How pathetic.

The last statement, an echo of Crosshair’s words, bounces around in your brain. You clutch your head as you let out a heartbroken sob, knee deep in the dirt and metal and grief. Tears create clean tracks down your face as you finally break down, the flood of emotions bursting the dam open. At this point, you don’t know if the emotions are yours or the ones you previously felt through the Force, all of them swirling and blending into one. The bottled up anguish merged together when you attempted to cut yourself off from the Force after the clones–your friends–attacked.

The pain of their death is perhaps the worst of all. Horror courses through you as you finally process your friends and mentors dying around the galaxy, their deaths, their distress, their fear reverberating heavily throughout the Force. Each one cripples you further as you once again struggle to breathe.

It feels like light years pass when you finally calm down to a practically numb state of being. The scenes stop replaying behind your closed eyelids and the echoing shrieks die down to a faint, hollow whisper. You’re suddenly exhausted, limbs heavy and energy sapped. It was almost relieving to finally let the Force once again flow through your body, your nerves lightly tingling with potential despite how tired you feel. You collapse onto the ground and try to recenter yourself.

But despite finally acknowledging the loss, it doesn’t feel right. You didn’t get to say goodbye. You hadn’t been able to even think about them, much less honor them, too focused on going on the run to concentrate on anything beyond the next day’s survival. Even once you joined the Bad Batch, you were paranoid about their chips, about your friends turning on you at any moment. You were always extremely reluctant to engage in the Force, even at the worst of times.

With a start, you realize that you don’t need to worry about your squadmates. Their inhibitor chips are now gone. You… you are safe.

You let out a shocked laugh as it sinks in. A glimmer of hope, of peace. I’m safe.

You sit up then, criss-crossing your legs as you survey the broken landscape of Bracca. Despite the planet being a graveyard, you feel lucidly alive. Perhaps something died in you, that wretched day. But something else, slowly but surely, began growing in its place. It’s meek, but it’s there.

You let out a breath and close your eyes, reaching for the Force like it’s an old friend. It accepts your invitation with hesitation, joining hands with you as if you did not try beating it to death for days on end. You sink into the gentle lapping waves of the Force, extending into it and widening your scope.

There’s something that lurks beneath the surface, in the deep. Dark and sinister and so utterly painful. It calls to you, quiet and low. Enticing. Tempting. And something in you knows that it’s the reason for your previous life’s demise.

But you can feel Hunter’s–and Omega’s, you realize–presence near you in the Force. Even with your relatively damaged connection to the Force after Order 66, the Bad Batch’s Force auras were something you could always hone in on. You let yourself direct your focus to the duo, letting their emotions be your beacon to the acceptance of the Light side of the Force.

In a split second, you decide to not dive deeper into the Force. This isn’t the place nor the time to discover what is prowling in the endless yawning of the Force, to discover why everything happened. So you direct your concentration to the beings on the planet, feeling and breathing your way through the Life Force.

You freeze. There’s something here. No… someone. Your eyebrows furrow as you divert your attention away from your friends and other organisms to the peculiar source. Something about this person strikes you as familiar.

Your eyes snap open and you gasp. I’m not alone. A Force-sensitive. Someone survived. Giddy beyond belief, you snatch up your helmet and begin trekking your way across the wreckage in the opposite direction of Hunter and Omega before pausing. Whoever this person is doesn’t know about your presence on the planet.

And despite the fear you felt emanating off of them in the Force, you somehow knew they were safe, at least for now. And they would remain so if you have anything to say about it. Maker forbid anything that jeopardizes this person’s fragile safety. After all, you know best what it’s like to constantly flee scene after scene.

Staying away is the best thing to do. I’ll come back for you, whoever you are.

You double back and make quick work of getting across the debris as you focus your concentration on Hunter’s and Omega’s Force signatures. As you get closer to the port side, you hear Omega’s high voice. Through your HUD, you can see her small form. You grin. She disappears then, and on closer inspection, you figure she jumped through some broken cargo doors.

The entrance she and Hunter took is too high for you to jump up to, even with the aid of the Force. Combined with your wariness of probe droids, you decide to take a different route from the right side, climbing up the broken ship. The slick oil mixed with the water still present on the metal makes for a difficult trek, and you slip more times than you would like to admit.

Hunter’s gruff voice floats up towards you and you scramble the last few meters to the edge of a hole in the ceiling before pausing. The Force is itching at the back of your head. Something’s wrong.

You peek over the edge of the giant slab of durasteel that created the hole to see bodies in white armor littered everywhere–clones, you realize. Your heart pangs in sadness at the sight.

Slightly to your right, a blue figure and a techno-service droid stand in front of a ship and a frightened Omega stands behind a defensive Hunter. Your mouth drops open. Kriff.

Cad Bane.

A memory from near the beginning of the war hits you in full force. You and Anakin had taken some time on Coruscant to catch up with each other after you passed your trials and were promoted to Jedi Knight. He told you about a mission where he had to stop a bounty hunter who successfully stole a Jedi holocron. You remember how surprised you were when you heard the bitter disgust in Anakin’s voice. The ruthlessly cunning bounty hunter not only threatened to kill Ahsoka, but he murdered Master Ropal.

Judging by the looks of it, Hunter doesn’t know who he is. If the Anakin Skywalker had a difficult time with Cad Bane, there is no way in sithhell Hunter can take him on, even with his enhanced senses. Frankly, you seriously doubt you can either, especially with how rusty your Force skills are now. And that means this isn’t going to end well.

You watch carefully as you tune into the conversation.

“Ain’t you smart?” Bane smirks. “The kid’s got it all figured it out.”

“You’re in trouble now!” the droid exclaims, pointing at Hunter and Omega. You grit your teeth in annoyance.

“Who hired you?” Hunter asks. Stalling. Not a bad move, Hunter.

“Son,” Bane sighs, already done with the brief conversation. “That’s confidential information. Now hand her over.”

Omega stays behind Hunter, taking a knee as Hunter walks forward protectively. You bristle. How am I supposed to help from up here?

“She’s not going anywhere.”

Your eyes drift over the scene in a panic and you take in the fallen clones again. An idea pops into your head. It is desperate, but at this point, you don’t have much of a choice.

Bane mimics Hunter’s movement, walking forward and putting a hand near his belt. The tension is as thick as duracrete.

“That’s unfortunate… for you.”

You grab the long barrel piece from your belt, fitting it over your blaster hurriedly as the showdown begins. Out of the corner of your eye, you see them staring each other down and you can’t help but roll your eyes. Men.

During the war, Crosshair helped you re-engineer your weapon so you could put together various pieces in the field to make a blaster gun that loosely resembled his own sniper. Seeing the clones reminded you of him. A wave of sadness washes over you, but you shake your head. Now is not the time.

You screw on the telescopic sight and set up your makeshift sniper. You peer through the viewfinder and find Bane’s chest. Your finger tenses over the trigger.

You let yourself sink deep into the Force, let it guide your actions. Inhale. Exhale. I can do this. As you relax, the mellow warmth you missed so dearly washes over you, gently eroding the torment in your mind and heart, guiding your focus to the here and now. Trust in the Force.

Wait.

Now.

You fire two bolts straight into your target the same exact moment Bane and Hunter shoot each other. Hunter’s shot hits the droid, breaking off its leg. Bane’s shot hits directly in Hunter’s chest, as yours did Bane. Both men immediately fall backwards and slam into the ground.

“My booster!” Oh. So not a leg. Got it.

“Hunter!”

Kriff kriff kriff. You jump down nimbly from your hiding spot in the ceiling and immediately sprint towards the duo. Is he dead? You would unapologetically release sithhell on Bane if he killed the man you love.

Omega panics as she tries to wake Hunter up, continuously calling his name before taking a glimpse of her surroundings. Before you can react, she grabs her bow and pulls it taut, aiming at you. She looks petrified.

“Whoa! Omega, it’s me!” you exclaim, holding your hands up in surrender. She takes a moment to actually look at you before sagging in relief. Suddenly, the droid comes speeding out of nowhere and Omega shoots, the energy bolt whizzing past your waist and straight into the droid before it can attack you from behind.

The shot rings true and the grumpy robot falls. You turn around to grab at its exposed parts under its head and yank them out to make sure it can’t power on again.

“Thanks, Omega. I owe you one,” you say and Omega gives you a proud smile.

You place a comforting hand on her shoulder before kneeling down to shake Hunter awake, but it doesn’t work. You take a moment to analyse Hunter’s Life Force. It’s a bit dimmer, but it’s constant, meaning he’s out cold and doesn’t have the life draining out of him. You let out a sigh of relief. He’s alive. You glance back to see Bane still not moving. Good.

“What’re we gonna do?” Omega whispers as you both peer down at Hunter. His armor is smoking from Bane’s blaster shot and you exhale through your teeth, trying to come up with a plan. You slip off a glove to check Hunter’s pulse–it’s strong. You don’t want to leave Omega alone, even if Bane is unconscious, but you aren’t sure you have a choice.

“Well we can’t carry him to safety, neither of us are strong enough for that,” you think aloud, gears churning in your head. You would have to wait for help, even if you were sitting ducks.

Briefly, you entertain the thought of taking Bane’s ship. The only problem is you don’t know what trackers or other gadgets are in there–it’s too costly of a risk and a price you weren’t willing to pay. You sigh, resigned.

“Omega, you try to comm the others and see if you can wake Hunter up. I’m going to go inside this guy’s ship and see if I can find something that can help us. We have to get out of here before the bounty hunter wakes up,” you instruct and Omega nods, youthful determination flooding back into her eyes.

You leave her to it, walking cautiously towards Bane’s ship. You look down at him. His armor is smoking in two places from the shots you fired. Based on what you see, he’s still unconscious, and his Life Force reflects the same conclusion. How long that would remain, you don’t know. Which means you need to work fast.

You board the ship while you remove the sniper attachments from your blaster and clip them back onto your belt. You keep your guard up as you look around. No droids. Guess that techno-service droid is his one and only.

In an effort to slowly re-familiarize yourself with the Force, you send out a quick pulse through it to see if there are any lifeforms aboard the ship, relaxing when you find none. You rummage through all the cabinets that you discover, looking high and low as you try to locate something of use. The secret compartment in the cockpit proves to be the fruitful reward to your search. With a wave of your hand, you unlock it with ease. Bingo.

Credits. Bags of them. And they’re unmarked creds, which make your score even better. Hopefully, it would be enough to pay off your debt to Cid and give the Havoc Marauder some much-needed upgrades.

Usually, you would feel bad about stealing from someone, but considering this was a bounty hunter – Cad Bane, no less – you figure you can risk treading the grey area of your moral code.

You grab as many bags as you’re able, stuffing them inside your backpack and clipping the rest onto your belt. At this moment, you’re incredibly grateful to Tech and Echo for designing a sturdy utility belt that fits you well. The standard ones were for clones and you definitely were not a clone.

You exit the cockpit and head to the second level of the ship to see if there’s anything else you can find. A stack of crates sits in the corner across from what you assume to be a prison. You scrunch your nose in disgust as you open one to find medical supplies. Bacta patches and gel, vitapaste, rations, water, gloves, sanitary napkins–it was all there. Delighted, you close the crate and click the repulsor to make it levitate. Oh how you love technology.

You turn around and walk back up the stairs to leave the ship. You freeze at the exit ramp. You have got to be karking kidding me.

“Sorry lil’ lady.”

Cad Bane stuns Omega in front of your eyes before rounding on you and immediately fires. In a desperate attempt to save yourself, you throw your hands up and the honeyed power of the Force rushes through every fibre of your being. The blaster bolts slow down to a snail-like crawl and your eyes widen. How did I…?

Never mind how you argue with yourself. Time to get out of here!

You tiptoe around each bolt, the effort of keeping them in stasis becoming more difficult with each passing moment. You grit your teeth as your arms shake, but you keep going until you are finally off the ramp. You lower your arms and the energy hits the inside of the ship, spazzing out the blinking controls inside.

Bane turns to you in surprise, astonished at how you’re suddenly in front of him. You don’t give him the luxury of processing the event and immediately punch him in the face with as much strength as you can muster. Bane pitches backwards and collapses onto the ground, just as he did the first time. You grab your stun blaster and shoot him as extra assurance. You really did not want this to repeat again. Hopefully he never wakes up with a memory of what I just did...

“Now stay down,” you mutter to a knocked out Bane, cradling your now injured hand. You have no idea how Wrecker ever does this because wow your hand is killing you.

You have to say, you’re pretty proud of yourself for being able to render him unconscious not once, but two times. You wish you could tell Anakin–the thought saddens you. He’s probably dead too.

With that vividly cheery thought, you stagger back from the ramp in exhaustion, weary from the sudden surge of the Force still ebbing and coursing through your body.

None of the Bad Batch knew you used to be a Jedi–not even Hunter. It was something only a few of your closest Jedi friends and the Jedi Council knew about.

But after what happened today, with Rex helping your squadmates get their inhibitor chips out, with you finally letting the Force in… maybe it is time to tell them. The secrecy wouldn’t be needed anymore now that you were sure you were safe around your friends. But clearly, the universe wanted to throw a nasty vibroblade in your plans by knocking Hunter and Omega unconscious and having the best kriffing bounty hunter in the galaxy be hot on your heels.

You take a few seconds to get your breath back and regain your mental energy. You aren’t out of the woods yet. You run inside Bane’s ship to grab the crate of medical supplies before sprinting back out towards Hunter and Omega.

You lean down and pat Omega’s cheek gently, trying to wake her up, but she’s out cold. Why is everyone around me unconscious? Frankly, you’re equally amused and terrified by the situation laid out in front of you.

You sigh, looking around to see if you can find some cover. There’s a giant sheet of durasteel to your left, big enough to act as a barrier in case trouble comes knocking. You bend down and pick Omega up before placing her down cautiously, leaning her small body against the metal. You repeat the action with the crate you found.

The third time proves to be much more difficult. Hunter certainly isn’t as muscular as Wrecker, but he sure as sithhell isn’t as light as Omega. You tap your foot nervously, trying to figure out a way for you to lift him. Yes, you could use the Force, but you don’t want to alert the other Force-sensitive on the planet. If they knew about your existence, it could put them in danger, and that was the last thing you wanted.

Giving up, you place your hands underneath Hunter’s armpits and effectively drag him all the way over, propping him up as you did Omega. You cringe at the sound of his armor grating the floor. There are sure to be dirty scuff marks on it now. Sorry Hunter.

Just as you’re about to sit down next to him, heaving deep breaths from the exertion, you pause. A warning is practically blaring in the Force and you tense, urgently trying to figure out the cause.

“Not again,” you mumble under your breath. You can’t handle any more action today. With Hunter and Omega both down, and your extreme fatigue from engaging in the Force, you don’t know how much of a fight you can put up. Not to mention you never trained as a soldier. There was a reason why you left the military planning strategies to the Bad Batch.

You hold your blaster close to your chest as you scan the environment. Bane is immobile and so is the dismantled techno-service droid. So what’s wrong?

Ten nerve-wracking seconds pass before you get your answer. Clone voices waft up to your hiding spot and you bite your cheek in frustration as your head continues to pound. Your headache still hasn’t stopped.

There is no way you can fight them all off, especially if Crosshair is with them. They are too far away for you to get a read on how many there are, and frankly, you’re much too scared to even peek around the durasteel to count.

One of Tech’s previous statements floats through your mind. About three attack shuttles worth.

You can feel your heart thumping wildly in your chest, blood rushing through your ears as anxiety ties your stomach into knots. I can’t do this, I can’t do this, Ican’tdothis.

You take deep breaths, doing your best to clear your mind and focus. You had to do this. There is no other option other than surrendering or dying. No, damnit, you would go down fighting until the Life Force left you.

You peer just past the edge of the metal to see at least twenty clones heading your way. Certainly not ideal, but you bide your time. If you started shooting now, you couldn’t use the element of surprise to your advantage and they would easily overwhelm you. But once they’re close enough, you hope you can at least take a couple out before having to resort to using the Force. It isn’t ideal, but it’s all you have.

Honestly, you don’t know if you could get out of this one alive, much less protect Hunter and Omega too. Maker help me.

It throws you off when they finally come into sight–you see how plain the clones’ armor looked without paint. You never really noticed it before since you were always running for your life in those circumstances. But now that you think about it, you are so used to seeing bright blue or green or yellow that the alabaster white just seems so… odd.

“Looks like a big fight happened here.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. All these men are dead.”

Now.

You whip your body around the metal and immediately begin shooting as fast as you can pull the trigger, trying to make every shot count. The troopers hesitate for just a moment, most likely due to their surprise of you being there. But that second is all you need.

You take out the three men closest to you before jumping back behind the metal as their barrage of fire rains down on you. You do your best to shoot back and manage to take out one more clone, but they’re beginning to gain too much ground too fast. I can do this. I have to do this.

As far as you can tell, Crosshair isn’t with the clones attacking you, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t set up shop somewhere nearby, waiting to shoot you.

You shudder. It’s a chilling thought.

You grab one of your last detonators from your belt and hurl it as far as you can. The rapid beeping rises quickly in pitch before the charge explodes. Anguished cries reverberate throughout the area, and you briefly feel sorry for having to take such drastic measures as you feel their Force signatures dim swiftly. But you don’t have a choice.

Peeking around the corner, you count around eight to ten clones down. Not bad considering the circumstances.

You continue shooting as much as you can but now the troopers are much too close for comfort and you’re feeling overwhelmed. The durasteel you are using for cover isn’t meant to take this kind of damage, and the integrity of your shield is quickly waning as told by the constant creaks and groans. You don’t know what to do. Will we make it?

In your haste of shooting first and panicking later, you don’t notice Hunter groaning, finally waking up. And before you have time to even glance at him, the familiar hum of the Havoc Marauder and its lights shine down on you. Your sag in relief. Looks like Omega was able to comm them after all. Never before have you been so glad to see the beat-up hunk of junk. (You would never say that to Tech though–the Marauder is his baby, his pride and joy.)

Echo, Wrecker, and Tech all race off the ship, guns ablazing. Wrecker and Tech stand guard, serving as cover fire while Echo bends down to help you out.

“Hunter, wake up!” Echo hisses and smacks his helmet lightly. Hunter mumbles in pain as he starts to move, trying to look around as his HUD boots back up. Seriously? Now you wake up? you think sarcastically. But you’re much more relieved at the fact that he has actually woken up.

“What happened? Where’s Omega?” Wrecker bellows, worried.

“She’s right here, I’ve got her!” you shout back at the same time Echo says, “He was shot in the chest plate.”

You pocket your blaster and gather the young girl in your arms with every last bit of strength you have left. You aren’t strong enough to hold her in one arm and shoot with the other. That is much more up Wrecker’s alley.

“We have to get him on board!” Tech exclaims as he helps Echo support Hunter. You pick Omega up in both arms and bolt for the ship as fast as you can while yelling at Tech to grab the crate of supplies.

“Incoming!” Wrecker calls out as a fresh wave of troopers advance towards the six of you. You grunt as you deposit Omega in a chair near the controls before pulling out your blaster and helping Wrecker shoot down the men racing towards you.

“Got him. Tech, fly us out of here!” Echo commands while Wrecker makes a gesture for them to get on the ship faster. Hunter stumbles as he does his best to upright himself.

“Go go go!” Wrecker exclaims. Tech shoves the crate next to Omega’s seat and makes a beeline for the cockpit as you continue shooting, moving to the side to make space for Echo and Hunter to come on board. Wrecker quickly climbs in right after them and the ramp closes shut.

Tech immediately pilots the Havoc Marauder up and away from the scene. You vaguely hear the sound of blaster fire hitting the bottom of the ship while you drop your blaster on the ground and wrench Hunter’s helmet off in a panic. You take his face in your hands as you scan him quickly, trying to figure out if he’s hurt or not.

Hunter bats your hands away. “He... he took Omega,” he says and you shake your head. Wrecker pipes up from behind you to respond.

“Who? Crosshair?”

“The bounty hunter,” Hunter mutters as he rubs a hand over his face. Before Wrecker can answer again, you step in.

“No, he didn’t. I took him down. And no, he’s not dead,” you tack on quickly when you see Echo open his mouth. Echo shakes his head fondly and you just grin at him.

“She’s right here,” Echo says instead, pointing to Omega’s sleeping figure. Hunter turns in surprise to see that his brother is indeed telling the truth.

“How...?” Hunter’s voice trails off. Echo and Wrecker look at you expectantly, and Hunter follows suit. You sigh and take off your helmet, setting it down on the ledge next to the controls. You don’t look at them.

“It’s a long story.”

You don’t have a chance to elaborate any further because Tech walks in, interrupting the conversation.

“I’ve made the jump to hyperspace. There was a cruiser in the atmosphere, but I was able to quietly go past them by disguising our ship as a bounty hunter’s. They didn’t interfere. I put in the coordinates for Ord Mantell. I estimate our time of arrival to be five hours and thirty two minutes,” Tech reports and Hunter nods while you voice your thanks.

“Looks like we got time!” Wrecker says cheerily, pulling out an extra chair. Tech looks to you in confusion.

“Did I miss something significant?” Tech asks, concerned about the information he did not receive as he adjusts his goggles. You shake your head but now, all eyes are back on you.

“She was just about to tell us how she saved Omega,” Hunter supplies helpfully and Tech nods in understanding. He grabs a chair as well and sits down, interested in hearing what you have to say.

You look around the room, realizing you can’t get out of it. You are exhausted and just want to sleep but based on the looks you are getting from the boys, there is no way you can leave without giving a sufficient answer.

You sit down on a chair in between Omega and Echo and begin explaining.

“When the cone fell, it separated. I got knocked out when I hit the ground, but I don’t think I broke anything,” you quickly reassure as Tech grabs a datapad to scan your vitals.

“After I came to, I tried comming Echo, but my commlink was broken – I could only hear bits and pieces of what he said. There were some voices near me so I just followed them and–” you pause, not sure if you should tell them what happened. What you experienced, what you found out. “–I saw Hunter and Omega. The ledge I found was way too high for me to jump to, so I climbed up the side of the wreckage to see them and the bounty hunter facing off,” you say, choosing to leave the detail out. It was too personal. You still needed time.

All of them are listening intently, hanging on to every word you’re saying. Hunter’s gaze on you is heavy and loaded with questions. Tech is still tapping away on the datapad, but you know you have his full attention. Multitasking may not be possible for regular humans, but it definitely was for Tech.

“When I saw the bounty hunter, I knew Hunter wasn’t going to win,” you mumble sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. Hunter winces at your statement and you rush to explain why.

“Hunter, you have to trust that I genuinely don’t doubt your abilities. You are much more of a soldier than I will ever be. But this bounty hunter is one of the best, if not the best in the entire galaxy. He’s gone against the Jedi, and won. Based on what Anakin told me at the beginning of the war, Cad Bane is ruthless. He tortured Master Ropal and killed him. Believe it or not, I think he tried to abduct Chancellor Palpatine. Even Anakin had a difficult time fighting him.”

A tense quiet settles over you all as you mentally revisit your conversation with Anakin, and later with Ahsoka. She told you how it was one of the first times she was genuinely afraid that she was going to die, or at least get hurt very severely.

Echo’s rough voice shakes you out of your reverie. “How do–did you know General Skywalker?” he asks, clearly confused at how you referred to him on a first-name basis. You mentally facepalm yourself. How did I forget he served as part of the 501st? You feel incredibly stupid.

You could make up a lie, of course, but it wouldn’t be worth it. Hunter’s enhanced senses and Tech’s vitals scan could probably pick up on your biological signs, not to mention you would feel terribly guilty about not being honest. I promised myself I would tell them…

You blow out a nervous breath, deciding to at least give them something. They deserved that much.

“I’m–well, I was a Jedi,” you admit, staring down at your feet. You can’t bring yourself to look at them, feeling almost… ashamed.

The boys are shocked into silence and you cringe. There was probably a much better way for you to say that, but now it was out there. Yet the pressure that had been weighing down on you since you let the Force back in didn’t lessen.

“What?” Wrecker questions, thrown completely for a loop. “You’re a Jedi?”

Before you can answer, Tech pipes up. “When I reviewed your medical data, there was no note about an elevated midi-chlorian count or any sort of connection to the Force. Additionally, there is no documentation of you serving as a General or a Commander during the war in the Republic military records. How were you a Jedi? And why aren’t you one now? You used past tense in your sentence,” Tech adjusts his goggles as he attempts to register this new information that conflicted with his previous knowledge.

You sigh, drumming your fingers on your thigh. “I left the Jedi Order before the war ended. I promise I’ll explain everything in detail later, but for now, you have to understand that I’m just a Force-user. I trained as a Jedi, but I’m not a Jedi, not anymore,” you clarify, lifting your head up to make eye contact with each of them.

“Aw man, that’s so cool. You have to show us your cool mind tricks sometime!” Wrecker smiles and you agree to his request. It warms your heart to see him so excited.

“It makes sense. You must have seen the regs turn on the Jedi but didn’t know why. When you started traveling with us, you didn’t know if we would turn on you too, even though we’re not regs,” Hunter realizes, and you nod in affirmation. You’re secretly relieved by the fact that he doesn’t seem angry, just… just thoughtful.

“And then when I saw what happened to Crosshair, I knew I couldn’t risk ever telling any of you. But when Rex told us about the chips…” you trail off.

Echo picks up your sentence quickly. “You figured out you would be safe with us if we got our chips removed. No wonder you were so insistent on following what Rex said.”

You smile at the last part, a bit embarrassed. He wasn’t wrong. You were probably even more insistent than Rex was on telling them to get their inhibitor chips out. Better to be safe than sorry you told them. Though at the time, you hadn’t even thought about how removing their chips would impact you and your abilities. You were too focused on keeping the Force out of your body to entertain that thought.

Wrecker suddenly gets up and gathers you in a bone-crushing hug. “Well you don’t have to worry now! We got those stupid chips out of our heads, which means I promise we won’t kill you!” he says cheerfully and you can’t help but laugh as you hug him back, the knot in your chest beginning to unravel. You could always count on Wrecker’s wonderfully big heart to raise your spirits.

“You’re right, big guy. It’s honestly a relief. One less thing I have to worry about.”

Wrecker lets go of you and you pick up where you left off. “As I was saying, Cad Bane isn’t a bounty hunter we can take lightly. Crosshair helped me re-engineer my blaster to turn it into a pseudo sniper with attachable parts during the war. Because I was so high up, I could get a clear shot of Bane. From that vantage point, I shot him at the same time Hunter and Bane shot each other.”

Echo’s mouth drops open. “Damn.”

“What I didn’t expect was for Hunter to be rendered completely unconscious. So I told Omega to try to comm you guys while I went on Bane’s ship to see if I could find anything. And I did.” You pull off your backpack and dump out the contents. Bags of credits come tumbling out. You unhook the few bags on your belt and toss them into the pile.

“Bane had a secret compartment with a lot of credits. So I took them and that crate I yelled at Tech to get,” you explain as you reach into the bag to show off the Imperial credits.

Tech’s eyes widen as he lifts up a bag to inspect it. “I will have to calculate how much you took and mark it in the inventory, but based on my initial deduction, this may be enough for us to upgrade the Marauder and provide sustenance for at least a few months.”

“Nice one!” Wrecker compliments and you grin in response. “What’s in the crate?” he asks, walking over to lift up the top.

“Medical supplies. We barely had any left so I figured I might as well take that too,” you shrug as Hunter gets up to join Wrecker to peer at the contents.

“What happened after that? You said you told Omega to comm the others, which means she was awake. Did she get hurt while I was out? Is that why you look so exhausted?” Hunter inquires, astute as ever.

You bite your lower lip. “When I was getting off his ship with the goods, he had woken up again. Before I could do anything, he stunned Omega and then immediately shot at me,” you pause, wondering if you should elaborate on how you got out of the situation. You decide to come clean on this part.

“I… I don’t know how, but I was able to stop the blaster bolts and keep them – and Bane – in stasis with the Force. The problem was that it took a lot out of me. After not really using the Force for so long, my energy reserves were pretty much gone,” you sigh, absentmindedly rubbing your arms. Your muscles are still sore from the event.

“After that, I punched him and knocked him out again. I dragged you and Omega away from the ship so that I could protect you, and I ended up using that giant piece of durasteel as cover to fight off those clones. Then you guys came and rescued us and that’s that,” you finish, suddenly fatigued from the conversation. You slump back into your chair, perfect posture be damned.

“Wow,” is all Echo says, surprised by your strength. It took some serious stamina to be able to withstand so much for so long. Echo remembered seeing Commander Tano and General Skywalker be exhausted after some especially intense missions where they constantly had to use the Force.

“Yeah,” you mutter, massaging your dominant hand. It is still throbbing from the mean hook you threw at Bane. You don’t have any regrets. You glance at Omega’s sleeping figure and soften. The things I would do for this girl.

“Looks like I taught you well!” Wrecker laughs and you smile. When you first met the Bad Batch, Wrecker took it upon himself to teach you basic self-defense and how to overtake an opponent intelligently. Even though you already learned how to fight as part of your Jedi and military training, you couldn’t say no to him when he looked so excited. But it paid off because he’s right. Wrecker did teach you well.

“You did. You basically saved my ass out there with your amazing teaching skills,” you chuckle, glancing down at your hand. You think you’ll probably have to cover it in bacta gel to speed up the healing process before having yet another realization. (You seem to be having a lot of those today.)

I can just Force-heal. Before, you couldn’t Force-heal because it would look suspicious if something healed too fast. But now that they know, you don’t have to solely depend on medical supplies anymore.

Tech, as always, is right on cue. “Is your hand alright? For you to render Bane unconscious must have been no easy feat. Not to mention that according to the medscan I just took, you have a mild concussion, most likely due to your fall. I can run a medical diagnostic test to start and then run more specific tests to combat your pain...” Tech mutters the last part to himself, brain running light years faster than his mouth as his fingers fly over the datapad.

You debate it for a moment before nodding. “That would be great, Tech–thanks. But right now, I’m exhausted, so I’m going to go and crash in my bunk. Wake me up if I need to punch someone again,” you joke before shuffling away from your squadmates. You ruffle Omega’s hair affectionately as you pass by her and pick up your blaster from the ground before climbing down the ladder. You don’t notice Hunter’s troubled gaze or how his Force signature sours a bit as you leave.

You quickly clean up and throw on some bacta patches on a few nasty bruises. You sit down on your bed and pull the privacy curtain before deciding to open up your secret compartment next to your mattress. You stare down at the objects, the only things you have left as a reminder of the past. You reach down for one of them, about to touch it when you stop.

You shake your head and shut the drawer. Deciding to finally, finally hit the hay, you’re out like a light as soon as your head hits the pillow. Dealing with the Force and healing yourself could be done later. Not even your constant pain and crippling worry about your family friends could keep you up any longer.

please consider reblogging! it really helps me and is super encouraging ^_^

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