#tbb tech x jedi oc

[purplefangirl42]

Plant Yourself in My Heart

Summary: While doing research at the Jedi Temple, Tech meets someone that makes him realize that he is not alone in his passion for knowledge.

Pairing: Tech/Jedi! OC (Anaj Rotz)

Warnings/Tags: First Meetings, Plant Related Adventures, Mentions of a Bar Fight

A/N: This is the Star Wars half of my follower celebration, which was voted to be the Tech/OC piece by my lovely followers. This takes place within the same fic verse as all the rest of my Star Wars fics, sometime after chapter 8 of Bad Timing. Thank you to @juniper-sunny for beta-reading! Divider by @djarrex.

AO3 Link

“You would think the holonet would have more information on things you should avoid,” Tech grumbled as he scrolled through the limited results his datapad had given him. “It is essential for people to know these things.”

“Most people probably just stay away from the jungle,” Hunter offered, twirling his knife in a circle.

“Can’t say I’m too fond of them myself,” Crosshair said, not looking up from his rifle cleaning project. “Hard to get a good vantage point with all the vines hanging in the way.”

“Especially when you’re hanging from them!” Wrecker shouted from the back of the Marauder.

Crosshair shot a glare towards his larger brother before focusing on his rifle again. Tech threw his datapad onto the co-pilot set in disgust before turning to the control panel in front of him. They were nearly to Coruscant after spending many hours in hyperspace. He needed to get access to a place that would have information on the plant life he was researching. Surely there would be somewhere on Coruscant that would hold the knowledge, or at least someone that could point him in the right direction.

Just as they exited hyperspace, the indicator light on the control panel lit up, telling them they had a message. Tech pressed the button to acknowledge it, starting a hologram of Commander Cody. Hunter sheathed his knife and walked to the front of the cockpit.

“What can we do for you, Commander?” he asked.

“I was calling to let you know that your mission details have been finalized and to see what your ETA was.”

“We have just arrived in the space above Coruscant,” Tech said. “We will begin our landing as soon as we are given clearance.”

“I guess I’ll see you when you arrive then,” Cody said. “See you soon boys.”

The transmission cut off and was replaced by the call for landing clearance from one of the towers near the military port. Tech entered the correct code and then followed the directions he was given to an open hangar. Once the landing cycle was complete, he shut everything down and gathered his datapad off the seat, placing it back in its correct location in his pack.

“Maybe Cody can tell you where to look for that information you need,” Hunter suggested. “We aren’t supposed to leave for our mission until tomorrow, so I’m sure you’ll have time to find it.”

Tech made a humming sound and adjusted his goggles.

“It’s not likely that Cody would know where to find it, but I’ll ask anyway.”

The four of them descended the ramp from the ship and made their way across the hangar. Cody would be waiting for them in the briefing room he had sent his transmission from. When they arrived, they found not only Cody waiting for them, but also General Kenobi.

“Gentlemen,” the Jedi said in greeting. “It’s been a while.

“General,” Hunter said, bowing his head respectfully. “Always a pleasure.”

“Speak for yourself,” Tech heard Crosshair mutter quietly behind him.

Tech glanced over his shoulder, giving Crosshair a warning look. Ever since their mission with General Orim and their chance encounter with her afterwards, Crosshair had been sour towards General Kenobi. He hadn’t offered any explanation other than “I don’t have a good feeling about him”. Tech had a feeling it had to do with how upset Lena had seemed in the hallway that day. She seemed to be the main thing on his brother’s mind as of late.

Crosshair being smitten was unexpected, and his bitterness towards Kenobi even more so.

Tech shook his head in annoyance and focused his attention back on Cody and Kenobi. They were talking to Hunter about the mission they had just completed.

“You won’t be leaving for your next mission until the day after tomorrow. I trust you got the mission brief I sent you?” Cody asked.

Teche grabbed his datapad and held it up, indicating that he had the information.

“There are a few things that will require some research before we depart,” he said. “I understand there is some flora that would be best to avoid, but I could not find sufficient information on it on the holonet.”

Kenobi rubbed his hand over his beard, as if he was thinking deeply about what Tech had said. “There is a rather extensive research division into plantlife at the Jedi temple that may have the information you require,” he said. “I can grant you access to the Temple so you can consult with them.”

Tech was surprised and excited by the General’s offer. Having access to the vast stores of knowledge within the Jedi temple was something that he longed for. There were things compiled there that not even the greatest academies in the galaxy had access to.

“I would greatly appreciate it, General.”

“I will give Cody the clearance codes and have him pass them along to you,” Kenobi said. “I will leave you gentlemen to the rest of your briefing.”

With a final goodbye to the Commander, General Kenobi left the briefing room. Cody turned his full attention to the men before him.

“Since Tech already has the mission brief, I’ll only summarize and add the things that have been added since it was issued. Then, you are free to go until your departure time. Hopefully, you’ll be able to have some fun while you’re here on Coruscant.”

Tech knew that he would enjoy himself at the Temple and he had no doubts his brothers would take the time to visit 79’s for some drinks. 

Later in the afternoon, Tech was ready to head for the Jedi temple. Cody had given him the necessary clearance codes and had made a list of things that he intended to research. As he exited the cockpit and headed for the ramp, Wrecker called out his name.

“Where you goin’? Aren’t you gonna come to 79’s with us?” he asked.

“First of all, it’s the middle of the afternoon. A bit early to be going to a bar. Secondly, as much as I’d love to spend time dragging you back home after you’ve had entirely too much to drink, I have more important things to do.”

“Like what?”

“He’s got research to do, remember?” Hunter cut in.

“Boring!” Wrecker shouted before returning to lifting their helpless GNK droid onto his arm.

Tech rolled his eyes and descended the ramp, Hunter following close behind. Crosshair stood outside, leaning against the side of the Marauder.

“Off on your plant mission?” he asked.

“Unless you would like to be digested by an unknown plant rather than just hanging from one like last time, it is vital that I know what we’re getting into.”

“It’s not my fault I fell into the vines,” Crosshair said, pointing his toothpick at Tech. “The tree branch already wasn’t stable before the herd of whatevers stampeded by.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Cross,” Hunter said before patting Tech on the shoulder. “Enjoy yourself, but don’t get buried too deep. We might need you later.”

“Do try to keep Wrecker from getting into another drinking match with any regs. I know he can drink a lot, but he can still get hungover.”

Hunter let out a soft laugh and shrugged.

“I’ll try my best, but you know what he’s like.”

Tech shook his head as he thought of the mess that he would likely have to deal with in the morning. He walked away from his brothers in the direction of the speeder bikes at the edge of the hangar, stopping when he heard Crosshair call his name. He looked up and saw him walking towards him, looking over his shoulder at Hunter as if to see if he could hear him or not.

“If you see Lena…” he started.

“If I happened to run into a specific Jedi in a giant building full of them, I will be sure to tell her you said hello. The chances of that happening are low, but I will keep it in mind.”

Crosshair scowled at him for a few seconds before turning around and heading back to the Marauder.

He could at least say thank you.

Tech climbed on the speeder bike and started in the direction of the temple, following the instructions he was given to the hangar when he arrived. He proved his clearance codes and flew into an empty spot. As he turned off the bike, his attention was grabbed by the presence of a person he knew across the room.

Apparently the cosmic forces of the universe are aiming to prove me wrong.

Despite only knowing her for a short time, he would recognize the long, orange, striped lekku of Lena’s padawan, Keebo, anywhere. He crossed the hangar in her direction, calling out her name as he approached. She turned at the sound of his voice and gave him a wide smile.

“Tech? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“General Kenobi gave me permission to come speak with the members of the research division about plant life from a planet we are heading to.”

“Oh! I can take you to where you need to go!” she said, gesturing for him to follow her.

Tech and Keebo walked together down the hall, passing many Jedi. Some of them gave him strange looks as he passed, while others simply smiled or bowed their heads in greeting. Keebo talked to him as they walked, asking after the well-being of his brothers and if they had been on any interesting missions lately. 

Tech was pleased that someone actually wanted to talk to him for longer than a minute and listened to him when he spoke. Keebo had been kind to him before, but it was still nice to experience. He could understand why the 394th valued their Jedi COs.

Eventually, they came to a door that consisted mostly of a frosted window. He could see quite a bit of light coming through, which led him to believe they had reached a greenhouse of sorts. Keebo turned to look at him, gesturing toward the door.

“This is where most of the plant study happens. I’m not sure who’s around right now, as things have been a little mixed up with the war, but I’m sure whoever is here would be happy to help you.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

Keebo gave him another wide smile and turned to walk away.

“It was good to see you, Tech!”

Tech turned to face the door, but suddenly remembered his other mission. He quickly turned around again and called out to Keebo. She paused, giving him a questioning head tilt.

“When you see your master, could you pass along a message?”

Keebo smirked at him in response.

“Let me guess, Crosshair says hello?”

Tech felt his eyes widen. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“How did you know what I was going to say?”

“Lucky guess. I’ll pass along the message,” she said. “I hope you find what you’re looking for in there!”

Tech watched as she walked away, her long lekku swaying behind her. He wondered if she had read his mind and known what he was going to say or if his brother’s infatuation with her master was just that obvious. It must be if Tech had noticed it himself. He shook his head and moved to swipe his hand across the entry pad.

As soon as the door opened, Tech was hit by a blast of warm air. He stepped into the room, allowing the door to slide closed behind him. He found himself in a small entry, which held a few desks with chairs placed haphazardly around them. Datapads and plant pots were scattered over the surfaces of the desks.

Would think Jedi scholars would be a bit more organized.

Tech walked further into the room, his eyes scanning the immediate area for any people that could offer him assistance. He saw another door, this one transparent as the windowed walls around it. The room beyond was a riot of colors and foliage. He crossed the space to open the door, wondering if there was someone in the main greenhouse. As soon as he entered, he heard someone shout.

“Close the door!”

Tech rushed to follow the instructions, stepping through and closing it. Just as he did, a small furry creature appeared in front of him. The top of its head was just below his knees, and it was covered in brown fur. Big black eyes stared up at him as the large ears above them twitched nervously. The creature squeaked at him and flicked its fluffy tail.

“Hello there little one,” Tech said, remaining very still so as to not spook the creature.

With the creature focused on him, it didn’t see the person sneaking up behind it with a net. A woman with dark skin and a head full of braids appeared from the nearby row of plants and scooped up the creature before it could escape again.

“Aha! Got you!” she exclaimed.

The creature squeaked loudly as it thrashed about in the net. The woman that had caught it smiled triumphantly and nodded at Tech.

“Thank you for distracting it so I could capture it.”

“My pleasure,” Tech replied.

“I caught the Bogling!” she yelled to someone else further down the row of plants.

“Oh, thank the Force,” a second feminine voice said. “I was afraid it would eat something it shouldn’t.”

A second woman appeared from behind the plants, a tall Nautolan with purple skin and yellow markings. Some of her long head tendrils were twisted together in front of her, held together with braided bands of red, green, and white that matched a larger one resting above her forehead. As Tech scanned her form with his eyes, his gaze drifted to her feet, which were bare.

“Hello,” she said, causing his gaze to lift back to her face. “I wasn’t aware I had another visitor.”

“I’ll leave you two to your business,” the other woman said. “Sorry about the Bogling. I’ll be sure to talk to Master Cordova about it.”

“See you later, Cere!” the Nautolan woman called after her departing companion.

Once the door closed behind the woman named Cere, she turned to look at him again. Her large dark blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him. She extended her hand to him for him to shake, but Tech didn’t return the gesture. She simply shrugged and lowered her hand.

“Welcome to my sanctuary,” she said. “I’m afraid you came in a rare moment of chaos. My name is Anaj. What can I help you with, trooper?”

“My name is Tech. I was given permission by General Kenobi to make use of your vast knowledge of plant life from different planets.”

“What were you hoping to learn about?” she asked.

Tech pulled out his datapad and tapped on the screen. He brought up his previous search results that hadn’t gotten him very far before handing it to Anaj. She took a quick look at the screen before handing it back to him.

“I know exactly what plant you are looking for. They can be quite dangerous and are known for eating unsuspecting victims if they get too close.”

“That is exactly what my squad hopes to avoid. I thought that if I was able to thoroughly research them and the surrounding flora, I could be more prepared.”

“Wise choice,” she said. “I’m afraid that I won’t have much more information for you on the plant itself as they are very difficult to study as they are so dangerous. But I can help you learn what to avoid.”

“That would be sufficient.”

Anaj gestured for him to leave the greenhouse and return to the office space. Once they were back in the cluttered room, she grabbed one of her multitude of datapads and began scrolling through its contents. Once she found what she was looking for, she handed it to him to look at.

“This is what the roots look like. They are usually exposed and rest on the surface of the ground. You would be wise to avoid touching them, as that would alert the plant to your presence.”

“Much like certain vines on Umbara and Felucia,” Tech said as he scanned the information she had shown him.

“Precisely. It is possible the plants could be related,” Anaj said. “From what we’ve gathered, it seems that the plant is not native to some of the planets it has been found on. We think that some spores had been transported from other planets and taken root.”

Tech looked up from the datapad and met her gaze. While her smile remained, he could hear an annoyed tone in her voice.

“I imagine that is not a good thing?”

“The invasion of non-native plant life is never a good thing, no matter the planet. It leads to so many local species dying out as they compete for resources with the invaders. Not to mention the effect it has on animals that come across it…”

Tech watched Anaj’s face as she animatedly talked about the dangers of invasive species, both flora and fauna. The way her nose scrunched up in annoyance as she spoke of the irresponsible actions of the ones that transported the invaders made the corner of his mouth tick up in a half smile. 

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling,” Anaj said, stopping mid tirade. 

“That’s quite alright. You seem to care a great deal for life of all forms.”

The smile she had before returned to her face and she nodded.

“Yes, I do. I have a strong connection to all kinds of life, sentient or not. The Force flows through it all.”

“I’m afraid my experience with the force is limited,” Tech said. Until very recently, the only Jedi I knew personally were General Kenobi and General Shaak Ti.”

Anaj placed her hand on her chest and sighed softly.

“Shaak Ti was my master,” she said. “I don’t get a chance to see her often with her placement on Kamino.”

“She is well respected by everyone on Kamino, I assure you,” Tech said. “She has always been kind to us. Something that you have in common, I see.”

Anaj looked down, a shy giggle escaping her. Tech could see her cheeks darken to a deep shade of purple as she blushed. He felt a light flutter in his stomach at the sight, which he didn’t understand. 

“Do you have any more information that could be useful?” he asked, trying to avoid thinking about the strange feeling.

“I can send you pictures of the plant life that can usually be found in the areas the dangerous ones grow. They like dark shady areas with a lot of tree cover, so those would be your first sign that you may come across them.”

“That would be appreciated.”

Anaj sent him the information, pointing at his screen to a small message that accompanied it.

“I included my comm frequency. If you have any questions about anything plant or animal related that you can’t find on the holonet, you can call me.”

“I will be sure to make use of that should the need arise.”

Tech stood from his seat and returned his datapad to its home in his pack. 

“Thank you for your assistance, Master Jedi.”

Anaj stuck out her hand again for him to shake. This time Tech reciprocated and gently shook her hand. 

“It was nice to meet you, Tech. I hope I see you again some time.”

Tech released her hand and left the room after bidding her farewell. He followed the path he had previously traveled with Keebo until he reached the hangar. Only once he arrived beside his speeder bike did he realize that he had been hoping to visit the library as well while he was in the temple.

Perhaps I can ask Cody to get me permission to use the library another time. It would make sense for me to have access to knowledge that could help us on our missions.

Tech filed that thought away, making a mental note to ask the Commander next time he saw him. He climbed on his bike and flew out of the hangar, heading back to where the Marauder was parked. The sky overhead had turned dark, the city around him full of bright lights. Tech had no doubt that his brothers would be gone when he returned, so he would have the ship to himself.

As he descended towards the hangar bay, he could see no lights coming from the Marauder and the ramp wasn’t extended, which confirmed his suspicions. Just as he landed, his wrist comm beeped, indicating that someone wanted to speak with him.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Can you swing by 79’s?” Hunter’s voice said from his wrist. “We need a pickup.”

Tech lowered the screen on his helmet to check the time. 

“It’s still early. What could have happened so soon?”

“Crosshair…”Hunter started.

Tech sighed, interrupting his brother before he could say anything else.

“Say no more. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Tech hung up on Hunter and climbed off the bike. He made his way over to a bigger speeder that could hold all of his brothers.

“Typical,” he muttered as he took off.

Leave it to Crosshair to start a fight less than an hour into the evening.

Soon enough, he arrived outside the bar to find his brothers waiting for him. Wrecker was holding Crosshair steady as the man in question held a wad of napkins to his bleeding nose.

“What did you do now?” Tech asked. 

Crosshair’s response was muffled by the napkins, prompting Tech to turn to Hunter for a clearer answer. 

“A reg said something rather crude about a short Jedi with a long braid. Crosshair felt it was his duty to get in said reg’s face. When he was told that ‘he had less chance than an ice cube on Mustafar’ when it came to having a shot with someone like her, Crosshair took it personally.”

Tech saw Hunter give Crosshair a look that was half disappointment and half pity. They all knew the reg was right, but no one wanted to say it. 

“Just take us back to the ship,” Hunter said tiredly.

Tech did as he was told, bringing them all home. As he flew he thought about the Jedi he had met. Before, he hadn’t truly understood why Crosshair had been so besotted with Lena, having never experienced something like that himself. As he pictured Anaj’s smile and the way she had talked so passionately about the thing she cared about, he felt like he could possibly understand. 

Even though he hadn’t been around to hear the reg speak the words that had riled Crosshair up so badly, Tech could still hear them in his head. They screamed at him loud and clear.

You would never have a shot with someone like her.

A/N: Give this a like, comment, and reblog and let me know what you think!

Tags: @monako-jinn-stories

[toastyrobos]

Long time no art post…so it’s been a while since I’ve posted any bad batch artwork😅

Art block when it comes to bad batch art has been kicking my butt unfortunately. Not to mention I’ve been busy with commissions and Patreon stuff and personal life stuff. I missed drawing Tech x Onyx (Star Wars OC) so I decided to do a quick sketch of them. Might color it at some point.

I do want to sketch more of these guys, cause the show is my favorite Star Wars show. I’ll try to make time for them.

Speaking of the boys, I’ve been for the last year trying to collect the bad batch black series figures. I got Tech right away for Christmas last year, then Hunter several months later. Echo I found for a decent price on Amazon whereas Crosshair was so hard to find at a decent price. Especially the one in his bad batch colors. Luckily I found one for a somewhat okay price. Wrecker and Omega I ordered off of Hasbro’s website for a good price. Next time if I want a full set, I’ll just buy them right away instead of having to track them down like looking for a needle in a haystack😅😅



[oceansssblue]

Hello, I hope that you are having an amazing day. If requests are still open, I have a funny Star Wars prompt/or/oneshot if you want. You know how in Top Gun, after Maverick flirts with a lady at a bar, only to find out the next day that she is his superior officer. What about a similar situation in the Clone Wars era, in which one of the members of the Bad Batch, or one of the 501st like Fives, flirts with a female Jedi reader (who's probably in her early twenties) at the 79s, not knowing that she is a Jedi General. Only to find out the next day that she is the Jedi General assigned to them for their next mission.

Her appearance in the bar makes her look nothing like a Jedi. She just looks like a civilian until she is in her jedi robes the next day. She doesn't deliberately deceive them or anything. She just wanted to unwind after an undercover mission. She just didn't think bringing up that she is a Jedi was important, she assumed they already knew. The only hint she gave on their "date" night was a happy and playful "see you tomorrow" as they part ways to get to their respective homes/barracks. She is happy to see them the next day.

Cool fun little oneshot! Decided to go with Crosshair, seems more like his thing.

Hope you like it!

Xx,

Sky.

"SEE YOU TOMORROW"

CROSSHAIR/F REDADER 📩💖

WARNINGS: ALCOHOL, FLIRTING&TEASING.

Your muscles still ache after a two year undercover mision in Alcaz. Spending long hours of running and hiding in the capital will do that to anyone; even a Jedi. Your first mision with the Order started years ago; even if you're still young right now. Everyone starts early these days; you went from youngling to padawan and Jedi Knight in just a blink of an eye. The war makes you feel older than what you really are.

It's weird being back in Coruscant. Back in a normal setting were you don't need to constantly be aware of your surroundings –even if it's instinctual, now–; where you're not constantly in danger. Entering 79's, your eyes quickly flickering over the crowd of tipsy clones and the dance floor, a tiny smile makes it up to your face. You feel inmediately relieved, somehow. You don't need to pretend here. You don't need to be a soldier, a Jedi Knight, a General. You don't have responsabilities and lifes dangling from your shoulders. Here, right now, you can just be you, a simple girl in her twenty-two's.

Happy smile still in your face, you make your way towards the bar. You order a sweet drink light on the alcohol side to start with; turning around and taking small sips while you scan the bar distractedly. There's a few eyes on you already. Not because you're necesarily pretty –though you believe yourself to look alright–; but simply necause you're one of the few natives around here, and more so a woman. Clones will always be ever the gentleman, it's ingrained in their discipline, their sense of honor; but they're still men, real humans, and they have urges like everyone else. Like Jedis do, too, no matter what many people think.

You're not really in the mood for sex, though. You're too tired for that; your plan is to spend a few hours drinking and chatting and then return to the Temple. You've got a meeting tomorrow, and you should make sure you get your well deserved, comfortable sleep. You're almost drooling thinking of a bed already, but you'd like to unwind a bit first; even though your body is tired, you feel your mind too active to surrender to dreamland yet. Plus, you need to disconect from your previous mision and adapt to your new situation; to the new changes.

A few troopers that you had the chance to meet before starting your jump around the galaxy to serve to the Jedi and the Republic recognises you, and you quickly find yourself chatting amicably in a booth with them. They're kind, and perfectly respectful; they speak to you as if you were a normal person, though –not a general, not a Jedi–, and you soon fall into a relaxed posture and a lazy smile. None of you speak about war, about their fears and worries; but of hopes and desires, jokes and secret lovers that await for them patiently all over Coruscant. Some look flustered after realising they've confessed such things in front of you; but you just shake your head and smile. You're glad they're finding some happiness wherever they can.

On your third drink in –and probably the last one, judging by your flushed cheeks and the low hum of carefree excitement & arousal spreading inside of you– you feel another stare on you. It's heavy, it's intent so clear it's almost screaming at you; and you listen to your Jedi instincts, eyes slowly flickering around the bar to find it's owner.

You come up with a pair of dark brown eyes. They're the exact same shade of most of the clones in the GAR; and yet, it's stare so much more intense. It could almost cut through you and hit someone on the other side.

You study him curiously in the same way he has been observing you before. Even sitting down in a booth with some other soldiers, you can tell he's taller than most; the shape of his body and muscles long and thin, agile, though still strong. It's impossible not to notice the tattoo around his right eye; it fits him well, really. What surprises you most about him –besides his stare– is his hair, though; a mix of greys so pretty it almost shines under the lights of the 79's.

He's still dressed up on armour, like a lot of other soldiers on the bar. His is black and grey with a few stripes of dark red; a white skull with a "99" underneath it on his right pauldron. It's right then and there when you understand who he is, who they are; and your eyes twinkle in amusement, your smile widening. This is Clone Force 99, the squad that will be under your command. The Council told you they were different, that they had special abilities very useful for battles; but they fail to mention you they were literally, physically different as well.

You understand... Crosshair's –he must be– cautious and curious study then; he might be wanting to find out who exactly their new General is, and how does she behave when she's not on duty like everyone else.

You shoot him a grin and Crosshair's neutral, almost uniterested face turns into a smirk. He arches an eyebrow, and makes a gesture with his head; a welcome for you to join them in their table. You nod and say your goodbyes to the troopers; smiling and shooting one or two more playful comments before making your way across the room, walking confidently to this squad of extraordinary men.

"Hey there, boys" you greet them, deciding for informality in order to not spoil their night of fun from the start. "Care if I join?"

There's various reactions around the table. Crosshair looks amused. Echo and Tech are purely surprised –the later one quickly scanning you almost as if trying to find information about you with just his eyes–; while Hunter looks hesitant. Wrecker is openly excited and happy.

"Yeah, take a sit!" He pushes his brothers to one side, making room for you in the circular booth their sitting in, ignoring the other's quiet, pained grunts.

They all look a little tipsy too.

You chuckle and take the offer, letting down your drink on top of the table and sitting besides Wrecker. Crosshair arches his eyebrow again, still finding amusing how you seem confident enough in a table –a bar– surrounded by men. He likes confidence in a woman, but such levels are a bit more rare.

"Comfortable?" He asks, his voice deep and smooth, almost a lazy drawl, and you grin back at him.

"Very" you answer, emphasising your answer by taking a long sip of your alcohol and laying lazily against the booths backrest.

After holding his stare for a few seconds, you turn your attention back to the rest of the group; scanning them curiously. They do de same with you.

"So, didn't have time to do a change of clothes?" You point out. "Did you come back from a mission today, or is this just an night outfit choice?"

Wrecker laughs, will Echo and Hunter show a tiny smile. Tech is completely serious still, lost in his thoughts without tearing his eyes from you. Crosshair also stares at you.

"We came back from a mission a pair of hours ago, yeah" Hunter finally answers, relaxing slowly. "Thought we should enjoy a bit of freedom before getting back to work tomorrow".

His voice is deep as well; a bit more soft yet raspy.

"Ah" you answer, smiling guiltily. "Got it. Well, I'm not going to cut out your fun, no worries. Feel free to drink and chat as much as you like. Also... This is still a good fit. Beautiful armour, guys".

This time Tech blushes, Echo clears his throat in silence and Wrecker, Hunter, and Crosshair, all smile widely. Ah, yes, you forgot; armours are precious to all Mandalorians, including clones, and you could have very well call them...

"So you think we're hot? That it?" Crosshair drawls, eyes interested.

You laugh shrugging your shoulders. Yeah, well, you might be a little too tipsy. This is definitely your last drink if you want to keep things professional. Force knows if you weren't a Jedi and this weren't your men you'd have had already tried to take one of them home. Huh, it seems you're not as tired as you thought.

"Pretty" you correct him, if only to mock him a bit and play with him.

Crosshair's stare darkens and you can feel his arousal and want calling you through the Force.

You smile down playing with the rim of your glass distractedly, and feeling a sudden wave of shyness. Alcohol is a dangerous thing.

The thought makes you giggle a bit.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The night goes on, and you switch to a non-alcohol drink as promised to yourself. The conversation turns normal and more easy as the clock ticks by; all of them being very interesting, fun people to chat with. Crosshair and Echo are more reserved than the rest; different types of quiet observing and thoughtfullness. You suspect the second one isn't as comfortable with your presence as the rest –while you have no doubt that that wouldn't suppose a problem in battlefield, you know he's an excellent soldier–; while Crosshair... Crosshair's intentions are still quite clear.

He's bold, you have to say. Most troopers wouldn't want to risk being reported for misconduct even if they know most Jedis would just gently shut their intentions down if it were the case. Clones usually don't want to risk it; though it's evident that Crosshair doesn't think you will or plainly, doesn't care.

It doesn't bother you. He's attractive, and it feels good to be desired; you're a Jedi, but you're also just twenty-two, and you can't help it yourself. Still, you're nothing but polite to him, if only a bit of playfullness here and there. You're not going to go to bed with him, not before your oficial meeting; not while you can still resist.

You sigh with a smile.

"Well, boys, it has been a pleasure" you start, standing up and patting Wrecker's shoulder besides you. "But I think I'm gonna go and try to shut an eye. Have your fun without me, see you tomorrow!"

Tech eyes widen slightly, observing your retreating figure while Crosshair makes a move to follow you out of 79's.

Tech grabs his brother's shoulder and pulls him back down, ignoring Crosshair's almost snarl.

"She expressed her desire to go to sleep, Crosshair. Let her be" he opted to say, still not 100% sure of his theory before proving it with a quick search on his datapad.

Crosshair sighed and gulped down the remaining of his drink.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

No matter that the Batch had left 79's pretty late in the night, they were all rised and prepared to meet their new General at 0600 puntually. Their faces carried nag under their eyes and various degrees of tiredness; but they weren't being shipped anywhere, so there was no real problem with that. It was just a formal meeting so they could put a face to the name and greet each other; then they'll be left alone to enjoy the rest of their shore-leave day.

"I hope she's nice!" commented Wrecker while they waited up in a line in front of the Marauder.

Hunter hummed.

"I just hope she lets us do our thing" he muttered, clearly not very happy about the new placement.

None of them were particularly enthusiastic; they had never had a personal Jedi General before, and it would be a big change for everyone involved.

"I am confident she will" answered Tech, perhaps the only one holding positive thoughts about it. "I have thoroughly researched our General in the early hours of the morning and she has an impressive record on undercover missions and other side tasks. It seems she is usually sent on unusual requests as well, just like us. In adition, she is fairly easy going. I am positive we would all be able to adapt to each other well".

Right when Wrecker was going to ask with a deep frown etched on his face how did he know she was as "easy-going" as Tech affirmed, a female figure crossed the doors of the hangar walking towards them with wide confident steps.

Wrecker's, Echo's and Hunter's faces stared back in shock; while Tech nodded firmly as if he were explaining something to them, and Crosshair followed the young Jedi's movement full of intrigue and a masked surprise.

"Morning, troopers!" She greeted them, still a few meters away from them.

Her smile was radiant in the greyness of the hangar bay.

Crosshair leaned towards the smartest of his brothers, subtle.

"Punishment for fucking your Jedi General?" he asked in a distracted whispered, eyes never leaving the woman aproaching them.

Tech answered completely unbothered by his antics; posture firm.

"From an informal reprimand to proper decomissioning".

Crosshair smirked.

"I'll risk it".

He arched an eyebrow in amused defiance when she looked straight at him.

THE END.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Taraaa! Here it is love, hope you like it! It was a little fun cheeky thing to write :)

Not checked after finishing writing it cause I have exam tomorrow and still got a few finals left, but I hope I didn't make a lot of mistakes!

Only two more requests left before I jump onto another tbb Mermaid fic. Don't worry, yall, I will reopen requests the future, just let me survive my exams first ;)

Stay tunned!

Xx,

Sky.

Back to masterlist here:

[blxkstar]

POV: You're in Star Wars!

This is a playlist I created taking all my Star Wars playlists and combining them into one. (With some tweaks to make it better)

Please check it out!

If you like this playlist, check out the others I have made for more specific Star Wars characters and scenarios.

[baddest-batchers]

Not So Secret

Tag warnings: MDNI (younglings begone), slightly suggestive, small hint at intimacy, very passionate kissing, confident/soft Tech, overall fluffy sweetness

This is a little prequel ficlet to “More Than Life” I debated posting this because I just wasn’t happy with how it was unfolding so I’ve rewritten it a few times and am finally ready to share it!

Just for a little backstory, Jayla is my Jedi OC. She’s newly knighted and she’s been assigned to Clone Force 99 as their semi permanent Jedi general. Big surprise she is head over heels in love with Tech.

I hope y’all enjoy!

Taglist: @techwrecker

Needy, desperate, unabashed wanting.

Those four words were the only way to describe the hot, open mouth kisses Tech was placing down Jayla's neck. Her soft whimpering at his increasingly wanting touch was only fueling the fire that burned low in Tech's core.

The pair found themselves taking every chance to express their affection in increasingly heated ways whenever the rest of the Batch had vacated the Marauder. This precious time that they would get alone was always seemingly too short and they found themselves having to quickly disentangle themselves from each other before Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Echo would return.

"Tech!" Jayla's voice came out breathy and hot against his ear. "They're coming—Tech, my love, we have to—“

"Yes, I know. I can hear the unmistakable sound of Wrecker's footsteps." Tech said into the soft spot between her neck and shoulder.

He pulled back slightly to take a longing look into her face, still flushed from his kisses and eyes filled with desire.

“We will have tell them sooner rather than later, mesh’la.” Tech said in a lowered voice. The sound alerting whomever was occupying the cockpit that the main hatch had been opened sounded.

A disappointing sigh escaped Jayla’s lips as she glanced at the Marauder’s blinking console, “Sooner would probably be better, wouldn’t it?” She said while returning her gaze to Tech’s handsome face.

His goggles had become slightly askew amidst their passionate kisses. Jayla reached with both hands that had previously been resting on his chest plate to fix them back to their proper position on his face. Tech did not let her go as she did so and looked at her with a soft gaze through his now corrected goggles.

“Ah, thank you, cyare.” Tech said in a low voice. Before Jayla could fully retract her one hand, he gently brought her fingers to his lips, pressing featherlight kisses to them. The redness that had begun to dissipate from Jayla’s cheeks suddenly returned as Tech continued to trail tender kisses slowly down to her wrist.

“My love…” She began in gentle protest, knowing the rest of his squad would appear at any moment. Tech’s eyes remained locked with hers as he continued to trail kisses almost to the end of her forearm. His gaze wandered over her soft festures as he relinquished her arm from his grasp. Jayla wrapped both her arms around Tech’s middle and pulled him in a bit closer.

Both of them exchanged soft smiles as they stood enveloped in each other’s arms. After a moment Tech spoke again, “Sooner would most likely yield better reactions, especially from Hunter.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind Jaya’s ear before resting his hand on her waist again.

A beat of silence fell between them and nothing but the hum of the ship’s standby systems could be heard in the cockpit until Jayla sighed a bit heavily as her head came to rest against Tech’s chest plate.

“What is it, mesh’la?” Tech took notice of the slight tenseness that had settled in her shoulders as she tightened her arms around his middle.

“Do you think Hunter would report me to the Jedi Council if we tell him about us?” She said as she lifted her head to look up at him.

Tech considered her question for a moment, his amber brown eyes taking in the concern that had appeared between her brows.

“I do not believe Hunter would do such a thing, as it has become clear that other Jedi have conducted romantic relationships with regs and the like throughout out several battalions.” He placed a soft kiss between her brows to smooth the crease that had formed there.

Tech was not wrong, he seldom ever was, and he had discovered after some digging around on a few anonymous holonet forums that romantic relationships amongst Jedi generals and clones were becoming more common as the war dragged on.

In the end, Tech gathered that while romantic relationships between superiors and subordinates, let alone the Jedi and anyone for that matter, were expressly prohibited by the GAR regulations, following the rules had never been his nor his brothers’ forte. Besides, Tech thought to himself, when had they ever followed orders?

“If you would prefer it, I will talk to him about our, ehm,” He cleared his throat shyly while his face flushed ever so slightly, “relationship.” The unexpectedly pleasant situation Tech had found himself in with Jayla was still so new to him. He never expected to fall in love, being that he was born and bred to be a soldier and nothing more. But she had shown him that he could be more than just a soldier, more than a small part in the war they were all fighting. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Besides, Hunter is more than likely already aware of us, given his enhanced senses.”

A new blush crept up into Jayla’s cheeks as she laid her head down again on Tech’s chest plate. Falling in love was as foreign to her as it was to him and it was something that neither of them expected to happen. Jayla had tried to bury her feelings in the beginning, being that she was a Jedi and attachments are forbidden, blah, blah, blah. But she soon realized, much to her surprise, that what she felt for Tech was so much more than just a simple crush or attraction and denying her feelings was no longer possible.

“He definitely knows. Stars, it’s not like we’ve been trying terribly hard to hide ourselves from your brothers anyway.” She admitted softly against him.

“Yes, well, half heartedly sneaking around them is rather difficult within the confines of the Marauder.” Tech mused as he traced circles through the fabric of her tunic on her back.

Jayla lifted her head from his chest and smiled at him while bringing her arms to wrap around his neck. “I’ve never been good at sneaking around, anyway.”

Her eyes drifted down to his lips as he drew her up into another longing kiss. It took everything inside Tech not to continue kissing her, but his brother’s voices could now be heard on the other side of the cockpit doors.

A loud knock on the cockpit door pulled them from their perfect little bubble, accompanied by Wrecker’s booming voice.

“Hey, are you two done makin’ out in there?? It’s time for our next mission debrief!” Wrecker teased. Tech and Jayla could hear Crosshair snickering and Echo stifling a chuckle at their brother’s loud teasing.

“Oh, Tech, they all definitely know!” Jayla giggled while pulling back from him to cover the grin that had spread across her face.

“Indeed, it would appear that they do.” Tech chuckled. He snaked his arms tighter around Jayla’s waist, “Perhaps, being that my brothers are aware of us and what we are up to, and if you are amenable, we could stay in here until the last possible moment so that I may continue to kiss you.” Tech had lowered his voice so that his brothers, who were undoubtedly attempting to listen through the cockpit door, could not hear his bold suggestion.

“Tech!” Jayla half squealed his name, trying to keep her voice low. Her heart raced at his sudden suggestion and her cheeks flushed pink.

“Yes, cyare?” Tech’s eyes were half lidded behind his goggles now and his voice barely above a whisper.

Jayla half heartedly tried to say something to the effect that they shouldn’t keep the others waiting but she couldn’t seem to get the words out. She was too lost in his soft brown eyes to try and protest again. Her eyes drifted down to his lips then back up to his eyes as she lifted herself up to her tiptoes to meet him as he closed what little space remained between them.

Another loud knock resonated around the cockpit. “Yes, Wrecker, we are coming,” Tech broke their kiss just long enough to say.

“Alright, you two, you both can suck face later. We have a mission to get to.” Hunter’s voice caused Jayla to bring both her hands to cover her face in shy embarrassment while her eyes flitted back and forth between Tech’s.

“Kriff, there’s no hiding from them now, is there?” Jayla giggled as Tech reluctantly released her form from his grasp.

The corners of Tech’s mouth pulled into an amused smile, “I am inclined to agree with you.”

He took her hand into his own as they walked the few steps to the cockpit door.

“Shall we, cyare?” Tech asked, clear affection radiating in his tone while his other hand hovered over the door panel.

Jayla nodded up at him with a soft smile on her face before dropped her gaze down to their intertwined hands. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she brought herself up onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“There’s no turning back now.” She smiled up at him, his eyes reflecting back the confidence and kindness she had come to admire so much.

Tech’s eyes roved over her soft features once more, spending a lingering moment on her delicate lips. An almost mischievous smile tugged at his mouth as he leaned down to meet her.

Before Jayla knew it, Tech was mere inches from her face, the look in his eyes was as suggestive as it had been before they were interrupted by his brothers.

“One last kiss, since it will be several rotations before we are alone again.” Tech whispered before bringing his free hand to cup her cheek, pulling her into a deep, wanting kiss.

•••

[sazzujazzu]

Needed to draw Tech to feel better. Forced myself to do a quick something 😆

Then decided to add my lil oc jedi Nem. Then a blanket.

(perhaps one day, I'll even start adding backgrounds! 😱)

I love seeing people's canon x oc stuff. So, after about an hour of battling with nervousness to add my canon x oc to the bunch, here we go 🫣 (please be gentle, Nem is a sensitive baby. And so is their creator.)

I could seriously use emotional support Tech after the last week or so, he'd fix my stress, my anxiety, and at least one cause of stress 😂

[jedi-princess-kestis]

"You have been keeping secrets from them, and I think it's time your sister finally found out what you really are."

Thank you so so so much to @dystopicjumpsuit for this AMAZING datafile of Shadow Kline from "Shadows of the Force"! This datafile will be very important to the storyline so be on the lookout for it!

[dragonrider9905]

Also find me on Ao3--DragonRider9905

Everything is separated by series

Canon

One Shots/Stand Alones

Hunter's Stress Journal

Clonetober 2022

Lessons from the Past Offer Hope for a Golden Future

AUs

To Be a Jedi (Hunter Force-Sensitive AU)

The Clone's Incomplete Guide for Navigating the Afterlife (We're Learning as We Go)

Technically, We’re in Love (Tech/OC)—Same AU as Broken, Not Shattered

Broken, Not Shattered (Crosshair/OC)(Hunter/OC)—Same AU as Technically

With You From Dusk till Dawn (Hunter/OC)

The World Where You Live (Hunter/OC) (Tech/OC)

Reader Inserts

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Feel free to comment and/or reblog. Would be much appreciated!

[apocalyp-tech-a]

[snitchcrimsonwrites]

Drawn Together: Chapter 3

Paring: Eventual Tech× Jedi! Female Reader

The Bad Batch are on the run after the events on Pantora when they run into a mysterious stranger who offers them assistance. Who is this stranger, and how come it seems like they know, Echo? The story will roughly follow the events of the series.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Outside the cabin, the forest is silent, and the Empire is seemingly far away. Inside, the mood is lighter than it has been in days. The Batch sits around the crude wooden table, plates of food in front of them. Echo is resting on a makeshift cot in the corner, still unconscious but breathing steadily. His vitals, according to Tech, are stable.

Wrecker leans back in his chair, his plate wiped clean, and he has a huge grin on his face.

“This is so good! You’ve gotta tell me what’s in this stew!” He beams. 

You stand by the fire, amused with a small smile, and pour more stew into a bowl. “Family secret,” you claim with a laugh. It's been a while since you’ve been in the company of so many others. 

Wrecker’s grin widens. “Well, whatever it is, it’s the best thing I’ve eaten in months. I could eat like this every day!”

Hunter sits nearby, watching the room carefully but more relaxed than before. His initial wariness has diminished, though his sharp instincts remain alert. He’s noticing Omega's ease with you, the mysterious vibe around you having captivated her attention.

Sitting beside Tech, Omega listens to you with wide eyes, hanging on every word. Her curiosity brims over as she points to a large, ancient-looking book on a shelf behind you.

“What’s that book about? The one with those symbols—what do they mean?”

You gesture to the shelf, immediately aware of the book she pointed out. Of course, she noticed that one. “That’s the history of an ancient civilization that existed long before the Empire or even the Galactic Republic. The symbols you see are their language, most of it lost to time.” 

Omega’s interest is piqued, and now she wants to know more about these ancient legends. “Can you read it? Do you know what all of it means?” she asks, her voice laced with eagerness. 

You smile slightly, shifting from the stove to the table, answering with the same calm patience as before.

“I’ve studied the symbols, yes. I’ve learned much from their writings and about those who lived here long before us. But there are some things that remain… mysterious.” You close, waving your hands in the air in front of you to add to the theatric effect. 

Tech, who has been listening intently, cuts in. His curiosity is not easily sated, and he continues the bombardment of questions. You shift answering Tech’s scientific inquiry, all while keeping Omega engaged.

Hunter watches, quietly taking it all in. His gaze moves from Omega, so engrossed in your words, to Tech, who’s asking question after question with relentless focus. Despite his reservations, Hunter finds himself beginning to trust you a little more. If nothing else, you’ve proven helpful—and the way you handle Tech’s and Omega’s constant stream of questions with grace has lessened his wariness.

Hunter cuts in, smiling slightly.  “Omega, let her breathe. She’s answering enough questions for both you and Tech.” She giggles in response. “I’m just curious!”

Tech, however, isn’t finished.

—-------------

The rest of the Batch is resting now—Wrecker is slouched in a chair, snoring softly, and Omega lies curled up by Echo’s side, her hand resting gently on his arm. Tech sits by the window, his goggles reflecting the low light as he works on his datapad, occasionally glancing over at Echo to monitor his progress.

Hunter stands by the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame, his eyes still scanning the room out of habit. His soldier’s instinct keeps him on alert, even in this moment of calm.

You approach him, your presence as subtle as ever. Standing beside him, looking out into the dark forest beyond the cabin. After a beat, you speak, your voice low so as not to disturb the others.

“Hunter… I’ve been meaning to ask about your ship. Where exactly did you leave it?" Hunter turns slightly, studying your face for a moment. He sees only genuine curiosity in your question. He hesitates, then responds, his voice matching your volume. “It’s on the other side of the forest. In a cave up a ridge. We left it there to stay hidden.”

You frown slightly, your brow furrowing as you process the information. There’s a brief silence before you speak again, your tone more serious now.

“If that’s where you need to go, there’s something you should know.”

Hunter’s gaze sharpens. He crosses his arms, waiting for you to continue.  “The path through the forest to reach the other side… It won’t be as simple as just walking back the way you came. The quickest way is through the crystal caverns beneath the forest. It’s a winding labyrinth of tunnels; you’d get lost without a guide. The only way to make it through safely is underground.”

Hunter’s expression hardens, and the idea of trekking through unknown tunnels does not sit well with him. He frowns, “Caverns? Why didn’t we come across them on the way in?”

You shake your head. “They’re hidden—deep. Most travelers don’t even know they’re there. The forest has a way of keeping its secrets. But if you try to go back through the surface paths, especially with the Empire still out there… I don't know if you'd make it.” 

Hunter is quiet for a moment, processing the new information. It sounds like a complicated detour, one they hadn’t prepared for. But you’re not finished. 

“I’d be willing to escort you all through, but there’s something else. If Echo isn’t able to move on his own, I won’t be able to take you through the caverns. They’re treacherous—tight spaces, steep climbs. He needs time to heal, or you’ll be putting him and all of us at serious risk.”

Hunter’s jaw tightens. They’re already running out of time, and the longer they stay hidden, the more likely the Empire will tighten its search grid. But your words sink in—Echo is still too weak to make such a journey, especially one that sounds this dangerous.

“How much time?” He sighs. 

You look back to Echo as you respond. “If he continues to improve at this rate, a day or two should give him the strength to move on his own. But pushing him too soon… you could make things worse.”

Hunter closes his eyes for a moment, frustration simmering beneath the surface. They can’t afford to wait, but they can’t afford to lose Echo either. He turns back, meeting your gaze.

“Thanks for the information. I’ll let you know what we decide.”

You watch him carefully, sensing the weight of his decision. “Hunter… the forest has many paths. Some are hidden. You may need help to see them.”

Hunter doesn’t respond, but he gives you a small acknowledgment nod before returning to the group. He can’t help but think that’s something one of the Jedi masters would say. As you slip away, Hunter’s mind races with the implications of their next move.

—---------------

The cabin is quiet, save for the occasional crackle of the fire and the steady breathing of the Batch as they rest. Hunter leans against the table, still deep in thought from your conversation earlier, while Tech, Wrecker, and Omega have settled nearby, keeping an eye on Echo’s unconscious form.

You quietly slip out the back door, stepping into the cool night air. The door creaks shut behind you, leaving the Batch inside. Moments later, Echo begins to stir.

His fingers twitch, and his eyes flutter open, the fog of unconsciousness slowly lifting. Omega is the first to notice, her face lighting up as she rushes to his side.  “Echo! Echo, you’re awake!”

The others quickly gather around him, a wave of relief washing over them. Wrecker grins broadly while Tech scans Echo with his datapad, ensuring his vitals are stable.

Hunter kneels beside him, helping Echo sit up slowly, supporting him with a firm grip on his shoulder. “Easy there. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Echo blinks, disoriented, but as his mind sharpens, he looks around at his brothers and Omega, taking in their relieved faces. “What happened…?” He asks, offering a weak smile. 

Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech quickly fill him in on the last two days: the ambush, the injury, your intervention, and how you saved him. As they talk, Echo listens carefully, still piecing everything together. Just as he’s absorbing the information, the front door opens, and you step back into the cabin, your eyes flickering over the group before landing on Echo.

In that instant, Echo’s expression changes. His eyes widen in surprise, and he straightens up as much as his condition allows. His scomp hand moves reflexively to his temple in a salute, his face lighting up with recognition.

“General…!”

The rest of the Batch freezes, their eyes widening in stunned silence. Omega looks up at Echo, confused, while Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker exchange incredulous glances. You blink, momentarily caught off guard by the formality of Echo’s reaction. 

“Good to see you too, soldier,” you say, returning the salute weakly. 

The room falls utterly silent as the Batch stares between you and Echo, trying to make sense of the unexpected familiarity. Tech raises an eyebrow, clearly calculating the odds of this scenario. Wrecker scratches his head, his usual carefree demeanor replaced with utter confusion.

Omega is the first to break the piercing silence.  “You know her?”

Echo lowers his hand from the salute, still looking at you as if he’s seeing a ghost. His voice is raspy but filled with certainty.

“This is one of our Jedi Generals… she’s led multiple recon and rescue battalions. The most recent was a specialized unit… they provided medical care and extraction to me after I was rescued on Skako Minor.”

This revelation hits the Batch like a thunderclap. Tech straightens in his seat, his mind racing as puzzle pieces begin to click into place. He’s figured it out. “Jedi Master ______. Known for her abilities in healing and using the Force in unconventional ways on the battlefield. A General commanding a specialized clone force that worked on recon and extraction missions, she was part of the squad that came in after Echo’s rescue on Skako Minor and the one who treated his medical injuries before he left with us.” 

You nod, your face shadowed with memories of a life long past.

“Yes. Our unit specialized in medical extractions, recon missions, and strikes behind enemy lines. I worked closely with those clones… until everything changed.”

Hunter’s expression tightens as the reality of her words sinks in. “You escaped Order 66.”

Your eyes darkened, that day clearly still weighed heavily in your mind. “I did. I was one of the lucky ones. The clones in my unit… they turned, just like the others. But I managed to slip away, disappearing into the chaos. I’ve been hiding on this planet ever since.”

The Batch listens in silence, absorbing the weight of her confession. Wrecker scratches his head, clearly still processing the idea that this healer in the middle of the woods was once a Jedi General. “Wait… so you’ve been out here this whole time? Why didn't you try to reach out to anyone." 

“I'm not sure if you saw General Kenobi's message after the order fell but it’s safer here. The Empire doesn’t bother with the forests, especially those on the outer planets. The locals come to me for healing but don’t ask questions. It’s a simple life, but it’s kept me alive.” You confirm with a nod. 

Tech is still running the calculations in his mind, piecing together the significance of your abilities. “I have heard General ____  had rather unique Force abilities tied to healing, but to see them in action… that’s remarkable. You recognized us when we were fleeing, didn’t you?”

You turn to Tech, your face softening. Your eyes show no hint of hostility, only a quiet resolve. “Yes. When I saw you being hunted by the Empire, I felt you might not be the same as the ones who turned on me. I didn’t know why, but I thought… if you’re still fighting the Empire, then maybe I could help. Even if it meant risking my life. Then I recognized Echo and the rest of you from our comms on Skako and knew it was worth the risk if I could help you.”

Hunter finally speaks up, his voice low and thoughtful. “You took a big risk coming for us. The clones turned on the Jedi. We did things...”

“You all risked your lives every day for us and the people of the Republic, it was the least I could do.” 

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

 The Batch are now comfortably scattered around the main living space of your cabin. The mood has shifted to something lighter—a rare moment of peace. Wrecker grins as he recounts a tale from one of their missions during the Clone Wars, his booming laughter filling the cabin. Omega is hanging on his every word, her eyes wide with fascination.

She exclaims loudly in disbelief, “You really lifted the entire transport by yourself?!”

 “Not the whole thing… but enough to make a difference! Ha! You should’ve seen the looks on those droids’ faces!” Wrecker boasts. 

Hunter, sitting back against a chair, chuckles softly. Tech taps a few notes on his datapad, though even he allows himself to be drawn into the conversation, adding in details about the logistics of Wrecker’s feat. Echo, still recovering, smiles faintly from where he sits, though his energy remains limited. The room is filled with camaraderie, starkly contrasting the tension they felt earlier. It feels strange, almost surreal, to share stories of the war, a time that now feels like a different lifetime.

After a while, the stories begin to slow, replaced by comfortable silence. The group starts to settle into sleep, their bodies and minds exhausted from the long day. One by one, Wrecker, Omega, and Hunter drift off, leaving only you and Tech awake. Tech remains seated, his focus fully on his datapad, typing quietly.

“Tech, I owe you an apology,” you say breaking his concentration. 

Tech looks up, his brow furrowing slightly in curiosity. “Apology?” 

“For my “omission” when healing Echo. The salve I used on him… it helped, but it wasn’t what primarily saved him. My Force healing did most of the work. Though I suspect you had a suspicion. I couldn’t risk revealing anything.  After everything that’s happened with the clones, with the Jedi… I didn’t know if I could trust any of you with that information. Even though I helped you, I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

Tech nods, understanding the logic behind your caution, though he remains quiet momentarily, his sharp mind processing your words carefully. “We’re not exactly standard clones anymore. You’ve seen that. We’re unlike those who followed Order 66, but thank you… for saving him.”

You offer him a small, genuine smile, grateful for his understanding.

“I wasn’t completely lying about the herbs, though. They do have incredible properties—more than I’ve ever seen on any other planet. If you’re interested, I could teach you about them. They might prove useful in the future.”

Tech’s eyes brighten with interest at the mention of the local flora. His scientific curiosity quickly resurfaces, and the tension eases. “I’d like that. Learning about local medicine could expand our capabilities. I’ve always found planetary ecosystems to be fascinating.”

You chuckle softly at his enthusiasm. “Well then, I’ll give you a crash course. The plants in this forest… they’re something special.”

[purplefangirl42]

Line of Destiny Series (ongoing across all Star Wars canon)

Lena's Story - Forces of Love

To Be a Leader - Gen Fic (congruent with Fazed and Bad Timing) in progress

Fazed - Captain Rex/Original Character (Lena Orim) in progress

Bad Timing - Crosshair/Original Character (Lena Orim) in progress

Other Characters

Rise of the Dragons - Gen Fic (Clone Trooper OCs) in progress

Plant Yourself in My Heart - Tech/Original Character (Anaj Rotz)

Growing Worries - Gen Fic for Jedi June

Misc Star Wars

Port in the Storm - Brasso/Reader gift fic for @sherwood-forests

Keep You In Sight - Brasso/Fem!Reader (pt 2 of Port in the Storm)

Fireworks - Cody/Fem!Reader gift fic for @monako-jinn-stories

Crossing Worlds - gift fic for @photogirl894

Wreck My Plans - Fives/Fem!Reader gift fic for @baba-fett

Requests

Angsty Confessions - Hunter/Fem!Reader

Cowboy Sheriff - Hunter/Fem!Reader Part 2

Getting Even - Hunter/Fem!Reader

Can I Help You? - Tech/M!Reader

Not Alone - Cal Kestis & Kanan Jarrus/Caleb Dume

Nothing Can Hurt You - Howzer/Fem!Reader

Clonetober 2023

Extras

Original Characters Masterlist

Forces of Love Timeline COMING SOON

Masterlist image by saradika

[stars-n-spice]

Meet the Baddies Batch!

I had this super dumb idea to give all the Batchers significant others (aside from Tech, since he already has Phee) and the lovely @urlocaldust gave me the idea to call them the 'Baddies Batch' after telling me that she dubbed the 'Bad Batch' the 'Bad Baddies.' And they're a bunch of baddies, so why not?

I want to make art and maybe even fics with them and their adventures because I think they could get into a lot of trouble with and without their partners.

I mean, you've got a bounty hunter, a pirate, a mercenary, a Jedi, and a medic. What could possibly go wrong?

Also, of course, Phee doesn't belong to me but the other four characters do!

Anyways, introductions!

Starting off, we've got Jung-Myn Yun! Hunter's selectively mute Jedi whom he's in a queerplatonic relationship with (Hunter's an oriented aroace in this AU). If anyone has a brain cell in the group, it's going to be him and he's desperately in need of a break. No amount of Jedi training could've prepared them for dealing with this crew and the Batch's shenanigans but he makes do! Of course, they've got loads of trauma from Order 66 and the sub-sequential aftermath, but you'll never catch them opening up about it.

Still working out how the two would come to meet, but I'm thinking it's really a chance meeting where they just happen to cross paths. Call it the Force or what you will. Or maybe Omega got lost in a marketplace and stumbled upon Jung. Who knows? All that matters is they make a good team and take care of each other's luscious hair.

Stats: Name: Jung-Myn Yun Species: Jedi Human (?) Age: 27 Pronouns: He/They Sexuality: MLM Ace Height: 6'1 Enneagram Number: 9W1 Occupation: None (lmao)

Second up, we've got Viram Cossa! Echo's lovely aspiring Mikkian medic who keeps the squad together but won't hesitate to kill a bitch. The other individual with the brain cell, Viram is the voice of reason and makes sure to keep everyone safe and healthy because the Force knows the kind of trouble they all get up to. She keeps everyone in check physically and mentally, making sure everyone gets the rest they seem to forget they need (her included).

Viram meets Echo through Chuchi! She and the Senator are friends and when Chuchi starts helping out the clones after the fall of the Republic, Viram helps alongside her as a medic. They have somewhat of a slow burn, as they want to focus more so on their efforts and jobs than a relationship but every now and then that composure slips. Nothing is going to stop them from judging people though. Absolutely nothing.

Stats: Name: Viram Cossa Species: Mikkian Age: 25 Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Demisexual Height: 5'2 Enneagram Number: 2W1 Occupation: Medic

Third up is Khea Nultez! Wrecker's fiery Mandalorian who is somehow even more reckless than all of the Batch combined. The designated demolitions expert of the squad, Khea's stubborn personality keeps them on their toes and surprisingly gets them out of trouble as much as it gets them into trouble. Her charm and sharp wit are as effective as her WESTARs and she is not exempt from the Mandalorian gene of adopting anything and everything that is in need of a home.

Khea ran a repair shop on Ord Mantell and one day Wrecker was sent to get supplies and ended up falling in love instead. Something about short brunettes with moles on their faces really got him. However, Khea is super stubborn, self-destructive, and way too wary, so it takes a while for her to open up to Wrecker. But it's so over for her once she finally admits to her feelings and realizes Wrecker doesn't have any underlying intentions with her. It's so over.

Stats: Name: Khea Nultez Species: Chandarlian + Mandalorian Age: 25 Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Pansexual Height: 5'4 Enneagram Number: 6W7 Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Mechanic

Next up, is, of course, the amazing and wonderful Phee Genoa, who I think doesn't need an introduction. The pilot of the group with a ship big enough for all of them, she gets the squad into trouble more often times than not, but always manages to get them out of it in the process. She's usually the one to start up shit (and Khea follows) but she's always there to save her squad or the Bad Batch when things turn for the worst.

We all know how they meet :) I will never not get over her introduction scene.

Stats: Name: Phee Genoa Species: Human Age: N/A Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Bisexual Height: N/A Enneagram Number: 8W7 Occupation: Pirate Liberator of Ancient Wonders

Last but not least is Tay'kaa Marr! Crosshair's snarky Chagrian mercenary boyfriend who is a saint for putting up with Crosshair's shit. He's as happy to join in on shit as much as he is to stir shit up, and boy does he love to stir the pot. He's a snarky, competitive son of a bitch who loves to tease, but the moment you say anything remotely bad about Crosshair, you better watch yourself. While not as good as a marksman as his boyfriend, he still has great aim and is the team's designated sharpshooter.

Working out the details on their initial meeting, but I'm leaning towards the classic 'meeting at the bar/club' trope. Tay probably challenges Crosshair to darts or something, thinking he can beat him and when Crosshair completely mercies Tay, Tay is both incredibly frustrated at the fact of someone being better than him while also being incredibly interested. Things just go from there and you'll never be able to tell if they actually like each other or not (they do, they just got a weird way of showing it).

Stats: Name: Tay'kaa Marr Species: Chagrian Age: 28 Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual Height: 6'5 (not counting lethorns) Enneagram Number: 3W2 Occupation: Mercenary

And that wraps it up!

And when you put the Bad Batch and the Baddies Batch together you get:

It's really stupid, I know, but they are my sillies and I love them so much.

I'll be tagging stuff with just the significant others as: baddies batch

And things that include the Bad Batch as: silly squad

Is this ridiculous? Yes, perhaps, but it's fun :D

[mythical-illustrator]

An OC created by @anxiouspineapple99

Meet Avery, survivor of Order 66, and hiding in this dark new Empire by taking jobs from former Jedi contact Cid. On one such job, she gets saved by the ratag crew this is Clone Force 99.

Tech x former Jedi OC .

I loved drawing her Tooka cat on her shoulder 💜. And all of her pouches. Tech would be proud. Thank you for the ask 😌 and the faith.

Master list

Tag list:

@clonemedickix @anxiouspineapple99

[toastyrobos]

Sharing this sketches of Onyx x Tech from last month cause I wanted to share something wholesome, after getting sideswiped by a semi truck on the highway last night, that was going too fast in blizzard like conditions. So that was fun✌🏻

All of us are safe. Car is okay. Just shaken up quite a bit😅

[dezgate]

Haven’t posted in a while but enjoy some Tetsu

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 17

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: I HAVE FINALLY RETURNED WITH A NEW INSTALLMENT OF THIS VERY NEGLECTED FIC (sorry). As always, thank you to the outstanding @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading for me!

Chapter Rating: E (18+ MINORS SKEEDADDLE)

Warnings: canon-typical violence, language, explicit sexual content (fingering, cum eating)

Word Count: 8.8k words

It was not an easy night. 

Rex awoke with Lothal’s twin moons high in the sky, casting wild, flickering reflections across the walls from the small water deposit inside the cave. He tried to will the ache in his chest away, hoping he could just doze back off and ignore it, but it eventually blossomed into a searing pain that felt as though it was tearing his upper torso apart. He wasn’t sure how long he tried to ignore it, and he didn’t realize he was groaning quietly until he felt a hand press against his cheek. His eyes flew open to find Senna hovering over him, her features etched with concern. 

“I’m giving you another dose. Hang on.” 

He might have protested if he was more alert, but before he could even think of an argument, there was a slight pinch in the muscles of his neck. The painkiller did its job almost instantly, flooding his body with relief, but it was nothing compared to the warmth he felt at the sight of seeing Senna still there, still with him. 

After all this time and everything I’ve been through, I’ve at least got that going for me.

He let his head rest back against the bag heavily as she wiped sweat from his face with a cool, damp cloth. She offered him more water, and that was when he realized desperately needed to relieve himself. 

Kriff. 

He tried to roll over and stand on his own, but even with the painkiller winding its way through his system, his knee buckled almost immediately when he tried to put weight on it. 

“Rex, stop. What do you need? I can get it.”

He grimaced at her. “Not something you can get, love.” 

Senna was clearly confused until understanding dawned across her face. “Ah. Ok, well I’ll help you stand and get outside.” 

“Sen, I can’t ask-”

“You’re not asking. I’m telling you. I’d have done this even if we weren’t madly in love with one another.” She winked at him teasingly as she quickly pulled her clothes on, but the words she’d said made him almost giddy.

He gave her a pained smile. “I’d somewhat hoped to not ruin the magic just yet.” 

She grinned back at him and shrugged. “Who says it’s ruined?” 

Gently, she helped pull him to his feet, taking all of the weight off of his injured leg, and the two of them carefully started moving towards the mouth of the cave. Rex had always hated depending on people for seemingly routine tasks when he was injured or incapacitated, but somehow, having Senna hold him up and help him was far less humiliating than he’d anticipated. In fact, there was something oddly intimate about it. 

Madly in love with one another.

He was certain he’d never get tired of hearing those words. They sounded so good falling from her lips, he’d almost wondered if he’d dreamt them in the moment. Luckily, he had a massive wound in his chest to ensure he knew he was, in fact, quite awake. 

Rex managed to lean himself against the cliff’s face, bracing one shoulder against the rock, and was relieved that Senna turned away, absently kicking at a clod of dirt to give him a semblance of privacy. He managed to relieve himself with only minimal awkwardness and grunting, finally managing to fasten his pants closed again. 

Feeling triumphant and perhaps overly confident, Rex tried again to stand on his own once more, pressing his palms against the rocky wall, and again, he failed as his leg crumpled beneath him. Senna’s hands caught him immediately as his knee buckled, and she managed to haul him back to his feet.

“Stop being so stubborn and let me help you,” she muttered, pulling his arm back over her shoulders as she dug her fingers under his belt to hold him up. There was only a little heat in her words, but as he looked at her, he could see she was smiling. Everything about them felt natural to him: leaning on her for support, allowing her to help him, allowing her to love him fully and loving her just as much in return. Being with her was easy, the easiest thing he’d seemingly ever done. Of course, Rex understood there would be hard times still. It was inevitable, but at least for now, he relished this moment with her and the newness of it all. He smiled to himself as they limped back to the bedroll. 

Senna managed to ease him down with only minimal grunting and shuffling, offering him a sanitation wipe for his hands from the medpack before lying down next to him and pulling the blankets back up over them. Rex shifted onto his side to face her, propping himself up on one elbow. Her eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled at him, reaching out to gently touch his chest. 

“How are you feeling?”

“The best I’ve ever felt,” he rasped, feeling his cheeks beginning to ache from his smile. 

She rolled her eyes at that. “I’m serious, Rex.”

He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips and brushing a kiss against her knuckles. “So am I.” 

Senna ducked her head slightly, dipping her nose beneath the covers, and even though the dim lighting made it impossible to tell, he was certain she was blushing. After a few moments, she scooted closer to him, close enough that their noses brushed in the dark, and Rex slipped a hand into her hair, cradling the back of her head as he pulled her lips against his. 

Maker, he was certain he’d never get tired of kissing her either now that he’d been given permission to. And the best part was how eagerly she kissed him back, as if she too was basking in the newness of it all, of the fact that she no longer had to keep that part of herself locked away. 

“Careful,” she whispered, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Or else I may have to take you for another ride.” 

He chuckled against her lips. “As if I’d deny you that.” His hands were already moving, slipping underneath the blankets to her waistband, her skin flushed and warm under his fingertips. She groaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped past her lips, teasing her gently. 

“You need to sleep,” she mumbled, her scolding tone half-hearted at best. 

“I’ll sleep when we get picked up tomorrow,” he murmured, slipping his hand into her trousers. Despite her protests, Senna’s legs fell apart to grant him access, and he found the warm wetness of her arousal waiting for him underneath her undergarments. He huffed in satisfaction as he felt her breath stutter when his fingers grazed her soaked core.

“Besides,” he whispered against her ear. “I don’t think I could go back to sleep knowing how wet you are right now.” His fingers gathered her slick, circling her clit, and her hips bucked against his hand. Her fingers dug into his forearm, and she pressed herself closer to him, making it easier for him to slide two fingers into her cunt. 

“Rex,” she whined. 

“I’m right here, love. Tell me what you want.” 

The wound in his chest protested slightly as he worked his arm, plunging his fingers further into her and searching for the spongy place deep inside of her, but the pain certainly wasn’t enough to deter him, not with the way Senna looked right now. Her chest heaved with each high-pitched moan and gasp, and her cunt clenched around his digits. He felt her hips rise to meet his hand, pressing her clit against the heel of his palm, and he applied pressure, watching as the tendons in her throat became more pronounced. She gasped when he found that sensitive place inside her, pressing against it with the pads of his fingers as he pushed a third finger into her. 

The cave’s quiet was punctured by Senna’s whimpers and the obscene wet sounds coming from between her legs as Rex worked to bring her to orgasm. His cock was straining in his pants, but at the moment, he was completely focused on Senna, his own pleasure distant in his mind as she came undone for him. He’d pleasured other partners before, but there was something so very different about watching Senna come undone for him. 

He wanted to see her orgasm so badly, and he needed to be the one to give it to her. 

Her brows pinched together as she stared into his eyes, and he felt her body shudder once more, her cunt clenching around his fingers. He’d dreamt of giving her this pleasure for months, of what it would feel like and how she’d look, but nothing he’d ever imagined compared to this, and he was certain he’d never get enough of it, of her. 

The times they’d been intimate prior to tonight had been laced with apprehension, the looming question of what everything meant hanging in both of their minds. But now, he knew where he stood with her, no more secrets keeping them from fully indulging and letting go. 

And he certainly wasn’t going to be held back any longer.

“Don’t stop,” Senna whispered. 

Her eyes were pleading, begging for release, for pleasure that only he could give her, and he wanted nothing more than to watch her fall apart on his fingertips. He wanted to learn how to perfectly strum every inch of her, to map every place that made her orgasm, to memorize every sound so that he could know exactly how close she was to the precipice. The knowledge that he’d get to do just that, spend as long as he wanted touching and kissing every inch of her unhindered sent excitement coursing through his veins. 

She’s mine, and I’m hers. And I get to touch her like this. I get to sleep with her, sleep next to her, wake up with her in my arms. All of it. 

She was clutching his forearm so tightly, he was certain her fingernails were leaving crescent-shaped indentations in his skin, but when her spine arched and his name fell from her lips, he knew there would be no stopping himself from pulling her over the edge, no matter how much his body protested. His hips jerked reflexively, and pain shot through his leg. He buried his face in Senna’s neck, grunting against her skin. 

“Rex, we can-” she tried, noting his clenched teeth and labored breathing.  

“Shhh,” he whispered. “Let me take care of you. Tell me what you want.” 

“Kiss my n-neck,” she whimpered, relenting to him. “I… I like it when you do that.” 

Rex tilted his head so that he could press his lips against the sensitive place on her throat that he’d made a note of the first night they’d been intimate. Senna’s response was immediate, and Rex’s pulse thrummed with pride as she clenched around his fingers. 

“Rex… fuck, right there. Fuck. I’m close.” Senna was frantically grinding against his palm now. “L-let me touch you. F-fuck let me-”

“No, Sen. This is about you,” he replied huskily, gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest and leg. He wanted to see her come undone again for him, needed it, and that trumped all of the pain he felt. He sucked the skin of her throat, and felt her pulse leap under his tongue. He loved that he could feel her approaching her orgasm, that the signs were already so apparent to him, but he’d always been able to read Senna. 

Now, he was just allowed even more. 

“Cum for me, Senna.”

Her back arched, and he pulled back to take it all in. Sweat beaded along her hairline as her mouth fell open. The tendons in her throat were taut under her skin as she unleashed a stuttering moan. He felt her cunt spasm around his fingers as she suddenly rocked forward, curling over herself and whimpering as she rode through her orgasm. 

“Rex, I-I…”

“I know, love. Let me have it all.” 

She shuddered a few more times, her cunt clenching in tandem with the waves of her climax before she finally slumped against the cave floor, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. When she finally opened her eyes, she grinned dopily at him, reaching towards his belt, but he stopped her. 

“But you-”

“I’m fine,” he reassured her. “That was what I wanted.” He leaned back, sucking her release from his fingers, and Senna playfully growled. 

“See? The magic’s still very much intact. Especially if you keep doing that to me.” 

Rex grinned, leaning down to kiss her. “I look forward to doing that more often. To doing everything more often.” 

He felt her mouth curl into a smile against his lips. “I’m open to trying anything if that’s the sort of orgasm I’ll get.” 

Rex stroked her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. “I’d give you anything you asked for, Senna Aven.” 

She bumped her nose against his before settling back onto her bedroll, her eyes still sparkling as she watched him readjust. Her hand gently grazed the bandage on his chest, smoothing over the edges that were starting to peel up slightly. 

“Maybe we wait for the more physically demanding asks until you get better.” Her voice was soft, and he could tell she was thinking about how he’d almost died. He hadn’t needed to be awake to know how strenuous that time had been on her. The minute he’d opened his eyes, he had been able to see the strain she’d been under, the fear and the desperation that came with him being on the brink of death. He’d felt a certain amount of guilt that she’d felt that way on his account, a guilt which had grown when he’d realized she’d sacrificed some of her own life force to save him. 

But now I carry a piece of her with me. Forever. 

He rested his hand on top of hers, meeting her eyes. “I love you,” he said quietly, hoping the words brought her peace and reassurance that he was still here, that he was hers.

“And I love you,” she whispered back. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come around. I just… I wasn’t sure I could be with you and keep you safe. But maybe I can do both.” 

“We keep each other safe,” he said quietly. “That’s what we’ve done from the start.”

“That’s right,” she agreed with a small smile. “There… there’s something I haven’t told you about me, Rex.” 

He couldn’t keep his eyebrow from rocketing up, and he could see it immediately made her nervous. “It-it’s nothing major. I just…it doesn’t feel right that you don’t know.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “Just before…well, before the war ended, I was granted the rank of Master. I’m a Jedi Master.” 

Rex stared at her for a moment as he turned the new piece of information over in his mind. He was far from an expert in Jedi traditions, but he knew it was no small feat to be granted the rank of Jedi Master. That honor came with multitudes of privileges and responsibilities, none of which the Senna he knew seemed that interested in, so it did surprise him slightly. She was still watching him nervously, as if that piece of knowledge was something she’d long kept secret. 

She has, he thought. It’s the last bit of herself she’s kept hidden from me.

“Did you think that would change how I see you?” he asked, trying to probe for the source of her nerves. 

“Not necessarily. It’s… it’s something that was so new, and then when the Order fell, it didn’t feel right to even mentally acknowledge that. I felt like I’d failed and let the entire Order down, but it is a piece of me. Who I was… am. I’m… I’m a Jedi Master. And I wanted you to know that.” 

He squeezed her hand. “Well, since we’re sharing, I was technically a commander for a short while. I was promoted before Ahsoka and I left for Mandalore, but when I didn’t carry out Order 66, I was verbally demoted to captain again. Not sure how official that became since the ship we were on went down. But-” His mind stuttered as the image of the young Togruta he’d escaped with came to mind. 

Ahsoka. I haven’t told her.

“Rex?” Senna had lifted her head to look at him, clearly concerned something in the memory had wounded him. He smiled reassuringly. 

“There’s something else I meant to tell you. Never found the right time. But Ahoksa commed me.” 

Senna’s eyes widened, and she propped herself up. “When?”

He cringed slightly, embarrassed now at how much space he’d put between them.

I thought it was for the best.

And deep down, in the moment, he’d wanted that conversation with Ahsoka for himself. But now, it felt only right to share that with Senna, someone who cared just as much about the young Togruta’s wellbeing. 

“I had a message waiting when we got back from the capital.” 

She nodded, her teeth digging into her lip as she watched him for a few moments. “How is she?” she finally asked. 

“Safe. On Raada.”

“Yes, that’s good, but how is she, Rex?” 

He sighed, letting his gaze drift up to the ceiling. “Still hurting. Still finding her way.” 

Senna snuggled closer to him, pressing her forehead against his bicep as she ran her fingers along his arm until they interlaced with his own, gently squeezing his hand. 

“Do you think she’ll come back to the fight?” 

His eyes burned slightly, and he cleared his throat hard to keep the sudden rush of emotions at bay. “I hope so. I really do. But I’d understand if she didn’t.” 

Senna appeared to note the change in his tone, and she kissed his shoulder. “She’ll come back, Rex. Like I did. It might take longer, but I do think she’ll come around eventually. And I’m glad she called you.” 

He smiled, turning his head to meet her eyes. “I told her I was with you.” 

Senna raised an eyebrow. “And what did she say about that?”

Rex chuckled. “She liked the idea. I obviously told her things weren’t romantic at that point.”

Senna rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

“But she knew anyway. And I… I think she liked the thought that I wasn’t alone. That I had someone with me, someone she knew, in whatever capacity that was.”

He felt Senna hum against his skin. “Well, next time you talk to her, you can tell her things worked out. And that I was an idiot. She always did tease me about overlooking the obvious things in favor of making everything more complicated.” 

Rex smiled, managing to place a kiss to her forehead. “I think I can take some of the blame as well. I’d been trying to find the right place and time to talk to you for weeks, and just could never find the right way to start.” 

So instead everything came rushing out all at once. Every draft I’d thought through, unfiltered and anxious. The same thing happened last night. 

But it worked.

“You came around in your own time, and that’s all that matters,” he whispered. 

They drifted off intertwined with one another, both smiling as sleep took them. 

—

The sun filtered in through the cave entrance, bouncing off the surface of the small pool of water and the various rock formations, warming Senna’s cheeks and the parts of her that were poking out from under her blanket. Gently, she shifted, turning her face to look at the sleeping form lying next to her. Rex’s face was peaceful as his chest rose and fell in rhythm with his deep breathing. He had an arm draped over her, and when she shifted, she felt his grip on her waist tighten, a smile playing across his lips as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

“Morning,” he rumbled.

“How do you feel?” she asked, searching his expression for any indications of him being in pain.

He smirked. “All things considered, not bad.” His eyes were playful, but she could see he still was a little uncomfortable. Leaning over, she dug through the medkit for another pain killer dose, but when she rolled back over, he stilled her hand. 

“I’m alright.”

“You’re hurting, Rex.”

“It’s not that bad.” 

She didn’t buy it, and she knew he could see her skepticism. 

“I want to wait in case the pain gets bad,” he said quietly. “Just in case our ride gets held up or we need to move. We’ve only got, what, one more in there?”

Senna sighed. “Yeah. Just one more after this.” She met his eyes. “I just hate seeing you hurt.” 

Rex huffed a laugh, wincing slightly as he reached to cradle her cheek with one hand. Senna leaned into his touch, sighing as she felt the warmth of his palm against her skin. She closed her eyes, placing her hand over his. 

“I promise I’m better than I’ve been in months, even though it might not look like it,” he replied, brushing some hair out of her face. 

She chuckled quietly, turning to kiss his palm. “You’re cheesy, you know that?” 

He shrugged. “I’ve heard that, although never in this sort of situation.” He played with one errant curl that framed her face. “I’d tried for so long to plan this big speech out to tell you how I feel, and you sort of got every draft of that last night. Everything just came pouring out at once.”

She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm. “I’m glad it did.” Her fingers brushed his brow, smoothing over the bandage on his forehead. 

“Maker, you’re beautiful,” he whispered. 

“I’m yours,” she replied, leaning down to kiss him deeply. 

“You sure?” he asked, his hand trailing along her back.

“Yes, for the first time in a long time, I am finally sure about something,” she said, resting her forehead against his. They sat like that for a few moments, basking in the peace. 

While part of her still whirled with worry of what was to come, the most overwhelming thing Senna felt was relief: relief that they were alive, relief that she’d been honest with Rex and herself, relief that he still felt the same, even after everything. 

We’ll make it work. We’ll figure it out. Together.

Senna had the silliest thought for just a moment of the two of them just staying there, in this cave, hiding away from the galaxy and just being with one another. She immediately discarded it, knowing there was no universe in which that was a realistic option, but it was a nice thought, to just be with Rex.

“I should get up and get us ready to move out when Echo gets here,” she sighed after a few minutes. “I expect they’ll be here sometime before this evening.”

Rex tightened his grip on her. “Just a little while longer? I’ve been wanting this for a long time.”

She thought about it and then slipped back under the blankets with him, wrapping her arms carefully over his chest. “Me too, even if I was too stubborn to admit it,” she sighed, tucking her head into the soft spot near his shoulder. “What are we going to tell the others?” 

She felt his fingers run through her hair, twirling her curls over his fingertips. “Whatever we want. We don’t even have to tell them anything if you don’t want to.”

Senna turned to look at him, resting her chin on his chest. “I don’t really care if you don’t. I just don’t want people to think that we…we’re compromised and unable to do our jobs. This work, this rebellion… it’s everything to me, Rex. I want to keep fighting.”

He grunted a little, brows furrowing. “Yeah, well those in charge don’t seem to feel the same.”

“Is this about the Ilum information?” she asked, stiffening slightly. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had the same thoughts, felt the same frustration. Even still, she felt the need to defend the rebellion and its leaders, as if admitting the movement that had given her life meaning at her lowest was flawed would destabilize the ground beneath her feet. She met Rex’s eyes. “They’ve got to make the best decisions they can based on very small pieces of intelligence. If they don’t think it’s feasible, then I have to respect it, whether or not I agree with it.”

He looked at her. “Do we? We risked a lot for that information, and to have it just shrugged away is…I don’t even know. Infuriating. It fits with everything else we’ve provided, so why would they just toss it away?”

Senna wasn’t used to seeing Rex insubordinate, and it shook her slightly. 

We all have our limits, and he’s been through a lot. Especially in the last few rotations. He has a right to be frustrated. 

She sighed, turning to press her cheek against him again. “I know. Trust me, I know.”

Rex stared at the ceiling of the cave for a few moments, and she could tell he was trying to carefully word his next question. 

“All of that, the not having our intelligence valued by leadership who aren’t out in the field with us, doesn’t that…bother you? And make you think that maybe this isn’t all worth it?”

Senna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady herself as some of the fears she’d dismissed threatened to come creeping back in. “Of course it bothers me, but what other choice do we have? It’s do this or do nothing.”

“Would nothing be so bad?”

“I don’t think I could live with myself.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“You could just walk away from this that easily?” she asked quietly.

“No, no it wouldn’t be easy. This is a fight I actually get to choose to believe in, not like the war. There, I was just lucky my personal loyalties aligned with what I was created for. But…in the same breath, if Organa and the others aren’t going to listen to what I have to say, then I don’t see the point in continuing to risk it all. Last time I was ignored, I wound up shooting my own brothers.”

Senna flinched at the mention of Umbara. Rex had confided in her about that campaign over one of their dinners, about how Pong Krell had lied and manipulated and misled him and his men. She knew it still haunted Rex, so it was understandable that he’d be cautious when he felt like he was being shrugged off or manipulated. 

But this was different. Very different. The rebellion leaders had good intentions and weren’t purposefully sending people to their deaths like Krell. They wanted to make the galaxy better, not purposefully cause harm. 

But if the results are the same, needless risk and deaths, then does their intent really matter?

She dug her teeth into her lip, trying to still her racing mind. Rex was right; doing nothing wouldn’t be terrible for them. In fact, it would damn near be bliss, just the two of them off on some remote planet. They could survive on their own, disappear and never be heard from again, and that thought did have a certain appeal. But it also conflicted with how she’d been raised, and she knew that deep down, Rex felt the same, even if he was saying otherwise right now. Still, it was nice to fantasize about how their lives might look if they abandoned the rebellion and let the galaxy do as it would.

But she loved Rex for his tenacity, for his selflessness, for how much he cared. Those qualities mirrored her own values and intentions in so many ways, and she knew those were what kept them both in the fight, even on bad days.

Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced up and met his gaze.

“I don’t disagree with your frustrations and your reasoning,” she said carefully, “but I have to believe I can drive change by being part of the rebellion. I can’t give up on it yet.”

Rex brushed some hair away from her face, sighing deeply. “I respect that. And that’s one of the many reasons I love you. You’ve got a lot of faith for someone that’s been through so much.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“It’s in my programming,” he joked dryly.

“No, it’s because you’re a good person, Rex,” she replied, squeezing him gently. 

He smiled, and she was almost certain there was a slight flush in his cheeks at the compliment. It was incredibly endearing, and somehow, she felt herself falling even more in love with him. Taking her hand in his, he kissed the top of her head. 

“I’d never give up the fight while you’re still here, Senna. And I won’t ask you to either.” 

Relief flooded through her, and she buried her nose in his chest, sighing deeply. 

“Thank you for understanding,” she said softly. 

“Of course,” he replied. “I meant it when I said I love you.” 

“Good. Because I’m not letting you take that back ever.” 

—

Senna managed to get everything repacked and Rex’s bandages changed one more time before the emergency beacon comm buzzed, alerting them to an incoming call. She felt her shoulders sag slightly with relief as Rex answered and Echo’s voice piped up on the channel. 

“Rex, we’re approaching your location now. You should see us in a moment.” 

Rex handed Senna the beacon as he pulled his shirt back down. The wound in his chest was looking significantly better even with just a day’s worth of healing, and Senna knew it concerned Rex. He’d been watching her carefully all morning, as if he was waiting on her to collapse from the strain. Fortunately, aside from some lingering exhaustion, she really didn’t feel terribly different. She was almost certain that the act of channeling her life force into him had taken a larger toll than the loss of the force itself, but it wasn’t a point she wanted to debate with Rex. She could see he felt guilty, but she hoped it would fade with time, time that they’d have together because of what she’d done. 

No regrets on my end. 

Unfortunately, his leg was still greatly limiting his mobility, so he could do nothing other than sit and watch as Senna grabbed her macrobinoculars and moved to the mouth of the cave, carrying the beacon with her. She scanned the horizon until she finally picked up the approaching ship. It was an Omicron-class attack shuttle that looked like it had been to hell and back. 

Certainly traveling in style, she thought grimly, her mouth pulling into a tight line.

The shuttle landed carefully about a hundred meters from the cave entrance, folding its wings up as it touched the ground gently.

“They’re here,” Senna announced. “I’ll be right back.”

“Not like I’m going anywhere,” Rex huffed from where he sat.

Senna grinned, tossing a wink over her shoulder at him as she made her way towards their rescuers.

The shuttle door opened and a set of stairs dropped to the ground as a group of clone troopers in armor unlike any Senna had ever seen stepped out, walking to meet her. Echo was the first one to her, his scomp arm giving him away even before he removed his helmet. Senna gave him a big hug that seemed to momentarily catch him off guard, but he chuckled, returning her embrace. 

“I’m so glad you’re here. We were in a pretty bad jam,” she told him, patting him on the back congenially.

“You’ll have to tell us all about it once we get you loaded up. There were some Imperial scout patrols we spotted on the way in, and I don’t want to wait around too long. I doubt they’ll give us as warm of a welcome.”

Senna managed to suppress the shudder that threatened to tear through her. 

A few more hours and we might have been up to our necks in Imps. 

“Seems your timing is impeccable,” she joked dryly. “Care to quickly introduce me to your brothers?”

The second clone was lean with armor that most closely resembled the armor that Senna was used to from the troopers she’d worked alongside, although it had clearly been repainted, as they all had. His helmet gave off a particularly menacing impression despite its teal coloring that wasn’t alleviated when he removed it to reveal a face that was tattooed in the pattern of a skull on one side. He wore a red headband that also had a skull depiction that somewhat matched the scarf around his neck. The clone’s voice was surprisingly gentle as he extended a hand to her. “Hunter ma’am…er, General,” he corrected, glancing down at her lightsaber.

Senna’s eyes widened as her hands flew to cover her weapon from view instinctively. Echo gently grabbed her arm. “I didn’t know,” he said quietly. “But it’s alright. We’re friends. I promise.” 

“No one was supposed to know,” she muttered. 

“But Rex does?”

She nodded. 

“Well, your secret’s safe with us,” the largest clone rumbled from beneath his helmet. Pulling it off, he revealed an incredibly scarred face and one milky white eye, but the warmth he exuded almost negated his size and physical appearance. “We’re good at keeping secrets.”

“That’s Wrecker, and that’s Tech,” Echo said, gesturing at the last clone in white armor accented with orange and black. The clone was busy typing something on his datapad and halfheartedly waved hello before pushing his visor back up a little further on his helmet, his goggles reflecting the glow of the datapad’s screen.

“Well, it’s great to meet you. Also, for the record, not a general,” she said turning to Hunter. 

He nodded. “Commander, then?”

“Nope, just a normal technical specialist that also happened to be a Jedi,” she grinned. That statement finally grabbed Tech’s attention as he looked up from his datapad, readjusting his goggles to survey her more carefully with bright, attentive eyes.

Echo let out a chuckle at Tech’s reaction. “I figured you two might get along.”

“As much as I’m enjoying all this chit-chat, we really should get you two loaded up on the Marauder,” Hunter interrupted. “The patrols weren’t too large, but I’d still rather not risk it.” 

“You’re right,” Senna agreed. “You guys are going to have to help move Rex. He’s not in much of a state to be doing anything right now. Also, if you’ve got better first aid on that ship, he could probably use a second look. I’m not well-versed in medicine, but I did what I could.”

“I’ll get him,” Wrecker grunted, stepping into the cave. The massive clone squatted down next to Rex, and the captain reached up to grasp his arm in greeting.

“Good to see you again Wrecker. If you’re gonna pick me up, maybe do it a little gentler this time.”

Wrecker cackled at that. “If you insist, Cap.” Slipping his arms under Rex, Wrecker lifted him bridal style as if he was weightless, carrying him back out towards the ship.

“I probably could have walked on my own, you know,” Senna heard Rex mutter as he was carried past her.

“Yeah, well better safe than sorry,” she called after him, biting back a giggle.

Suddenly, Hunter stiffened next to her, whirling to look out over the plains behind them. Senna followed his line of sight, noting nothing at first aside from the breeze whistling through the grass. It was quiet. Too quiet. 

Taking notice of his brother’s reaction, Tech stepped forward, bringing up his macrobinoculars to look in the direction Hunter was staring.

“It seems we’ve been spotted. One patrol inbound, about a klick out and closing fast. It would appear they have a troop transport and an AT-DP.”

“Great. Better hustle,” Hunter grunted. 

Senna nodded, sprinting back into the cave to grab her bag while the clones crouched down behind a rock formation to huddle up. As she sprinted back to them, she could hear Tech speaking quickly to Hunter.

“I still need time to complete the pre-flight sequence since the hyperdrive’s been misbehaving. Otherwise, I feel our chances of getting out of here will be significantly lower.”

“Then do it,” Hunter sighed. “We’ll keep them busy until she’s primed for takeoff.”

“I think I can help with that,” Senna said. “Tech, can you get my bag aboard?”

The goggled clone nodded, taking her sack and sprinting off towards the ship without another word. Senna unclipped her lightsaber from her belt, and that seemed to serve as the cue for Hunter and Echo, who both slid their helmets back on. Senna’s eyes widened as she noticed that Echo’s helmet snapped into place under the equipment wrapped around his head.

“Ok, I have a lot of questions about that helmet later,” she said with a grin.

“Thought you’d like that,” he chuckled, his voice now modulated through the vocoder.

Hunter drew his weapons. “Alright, take cover behind the rocks. Echo and I will draw them in, you slice and dice. Also, if you’ve got any ideas about how to take down that walker, I would love to hear them.”

Senna’s teeth dug into her lip as she considered it. “Let me think on it a bit and I’ll get back to you,” she said, ducking down behind the rocks.

Adrenaline thrummed through Senna’s body as she felt the rumble of the approaching transport grow louder until it felt like it was rattling her chest, and the ground shook slightly with each of the walker’s heavy steps. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she felt sweat begin to bead along her brow. Hunter and Echo crouched down beside her, training their blasters on the transport and starting to pepper it with fire. Senna drew hers as well from its place at her hip, firing at the oncoming transport. A few return blaster bolts hit the rocks in front of them, and they ducked lower, covering their heads as pebbles and dust rained down around them.

“You got any explosives or disruptor cannons on that ship?” Senna yelled over the noise.

“Nothing big. We were due for a restock when you commed. Just got a few detonators on me,” Hunter replied, continuing to fire at the transport as it began to slow. The walker was now within range as well, and its weapons shrieked as it unleashed a barrage on their cover. Senna covered her face as much as she could as a cloud of dust inundated them, coating her tongue with dirt and stinging her eyes. She coughed and spluttered loudly as the two clones next to her continued to fire. 

“That walker is gonna be a problem,” Hunter shouted over the din.

“Alright, since we’re out of luck with anti-tank explosives, we’re going to have to get that thing close enough for me to do something about it. Our blasters will be useless against its armor,” Senna yelled back, blinking hard to clear the grime from her eyes. 

“I’m assuming that’s when you’re going to get that fancy saber out?”

She smirked. “That’s the plan.” 

Hunter nodded, and she was pretty sure he was grinning under his helmet. “You got it.”

The troop transport skidded to a stop a few hundred meters from their position, and stormtroopers began pouring out of it, their armor glinting in the sunlight. The walker moved into position behind them, steadily bombarding the rocks Senna and the clones were hunkered down behind. Senna tried to cover her head and make herself smaller, and Echo grunted next to her as a large chunk of rock cracked against his helmet. 

“Are you alright?” he yelled over the commotion.

“Yeah, but we’ve gotta scatter these guys a little. We’re sitting mynocks with that walker!” She chewed her lip for a moment. “Hunter, how many of those detonators do you have?”

The sergeant reached into a hip pouch, pulling two out and waving them at her. “These and a few more. Should be enough to be a problem.”

Senna nodded. “Great. Toss these into the middle of the pack when I give the signal. Echo, give him cover fire.”

“What about you?”

She unclipped her lightsaber from her belt, grinning. “Like you said. Time for the fancy saber.” 

Hunter and Echo nodded in acknowledgement. Senna moved to a low crouch and focused on the environment around here. She could feel the troopers across from her, the pilots of the walker, and something else. It felt cold, strange, threatening, but distant. 

No time to examine anything. Worry about what’s in front of you. Focus.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. 

“NOW, HUNTER!”

Hunter stood, flinging the explosives right into the middle of the pack of approaching stormtroopers. Senna leapt over the rocks as the explosives went off with a roar, immediately downing half a dozen of the troopers. Several more were flung in various directions from the blasts while the remaining ones still on their feet scattered for cover. Echo picked off a few that were on the ground while Senna advanced on the soldiers that were still standing on their right flank. In two bounds, she was on them, her lightsaber humming as it sliced through metal, plastoid, and flesh.

She didn’t relish killing, but she did love the feeling of the warmth racing through her, the presence she’d cut herself off from for over a year. It felt right, smooth, as if she was a fish in a current, made to swim through the flow around her. She felt everything, but most of all, she felt like herself, really and truly, for the first time in a long time. 

Turning, Senna reached out with the Force to fling a line of advancing troopers coming from the other direction back against the rocks. Hunter was on them in an instant, pulling a vibroblade from a sheath on his wrist and slicing through any blasters within his reach as he fired with the DC-17 in his other hand. 

“BEHIND YOU!” she heard Echo yell, and she felt one of the troopers behind her raising his blaster and taking aim at her. She dropped the blade of her lightsaber behind her back just as the weapon fired, deflecting the shot back into the stormtrooper’s helmet.

“Not bad for a technical specialist,” she heard Hunter laugh. 

“We’re not done yet!” she shouted back.

“Heads up!” Hunter tossed her two more detonators. “For the walker!” 

Senna nodded, taking off towards the lumbering machine at a sprint. She zig-zagged as she raced forward, leaping between the rocks as the walker fired at her, sending dirt and rocks flying from her footprints, but she managed to stay a step ahead. When she was within ten meters of it, she reached out and focused, channeling the Force around her into a jump. She leapt through the air, landing crouched on top of the walker. The metal hummed underneath her fingertips, but she was already moving again, reaching for the hatch and ripping it open. Two startled Imperials yelled as she dropped the detonators in before slamming the hatch shut and sprinting towards the front of the walker. She dropped into a slide, slicing off the cannon on the front panel with her lightsaber as she skidded by it, wincing as the edge of the viewport scraped her back and shoulders. 

The ground rushed up at her as she slid off the front of the walker, and she managed to roll as she slammed into the dirt, scrambling forward as the mechanical beast exploded, teetering forward and falling. Hunter and Echo grabbed her just as the walker fell, diving out of the way and obscuring them in a huge dust cloud. The durasteel groaned and smoldered, and the ground shuddered beneath them as what remained of the crew compartment crashed down a few meters from them.

Senna could smell smoke and burning electronics as she lay in the dirt between Hunter and Echo, trying to catch her breath and listening for any signs of life from their attackers. There were none, and she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. 

Not bad for being rusty. 

She heard approaching footsteps and opened her eyes to find Wrecker’s massive boot centimeters from her face. 

“Awwww come on!” Wrecker moaned. “I wanted to blow it up!”

“Better luck next time, big guy,” she joked as he pulled her to her feet with ease.

Wrecker helped Hunter off the ground next, and Senna yanked Echo up, dusting off his kama as he straightened. Hunter’s hand flew to the comm button on his helmet. 

“Talk to me Tech. Are we ready to go?” Senna saw the clone’s spine straighten as he dropped his hand. “We’ve got to go. Tech says there’s another speeder inbound, and it’s going to be here in a few seconds. Ship’s ready and I think I’ve had enough fun for one day.” 

Senna nodded, but the chill she’d sensed still lingered. Reaching out, she felt it surge suddenly, curling through her veins. She didn’t know who or what was on that speeder, but a sharp spike of fear tore through her. 

Whatever was coming wasn’t good. 

Echo seemed to notice her discomfort, tilting his helmet at her, but she just gave him a tight smile. “He’s right. We should go.” 

Dipping his head, Echo started sprinting towards the ship. Hunter glanced at her, but followed Echo, seemingly understanding there’d be time for questions later. Senna let Wrecker go ahead, lingering slightly to scan the horizon before turning and running. The cold was piercing now, growing stronger with every passing second, and Senna tried to keep her alarm in check. She’d never felt anything like this, but she’d heard Anakin describe it enough to recognize the sensation: it was the presence of a Dark Force user, and they were strong. 

Senna could now hear the speeder approaching above the sound of the walker burning and the whine of the shuttle’s engines. The Marauder was close, but tossing a glance over her shoulder, she confirmed the speeder would overtake them.

I’d rather meet them in the open, away from the ship. 

And in spite of herself, she was curious. She slowed, reigniting her lightsaber.

Echo and Hunter had paused, noting her hesitation. 

“GO!” she shouted over her shoulder. “I’ll buy you some time, just leave the stairs down for me when you take off.”

Hunter started to argue, but Senna was having none of it, raising her hand. 

“That’s an order, Hunter.” 

“Let’s go,” Echo urged, seemingly understanding something was wrong. Hunter glanced at the approaching speeder, clearly weighing his options before he appeared to concede with a nod. Without further argument, the clones sprinted for the ship just as the speeder disappeared into the dust cloud the walker had created.

Senna turned to face the new enemy, squaring her feet in the dirt as she reached out again.

The speeder was mostly obscured from view by the lingering dust cloud, but she could just make out the silhouette of a tall, armored figure as the engine quieted to an idle. The newest assailant appeared unrushed, observing her for a moment with a strange interest before walking towards her with a slow, deliberate pace. Senna narrowed her eyes, reaching further to try and glean anything, but without warning, her chest tightened, and her breath caught in her throat. She felt darkness reaching back, squeezing her lungs, and she fell to her knees, gasping. The darkness felt overwhelming, consuming, and for a moment, she wondered how Anakin had stood against this feeling so many times and come back seemingly unphased. A chilling voice slithered through her mind. 

Well hello, Master Aven.

“Who are you?” she shouted, trying to keep her voice from shaking. 

Get it the fuck together, she internally chided herself.

The voice intruded into her head once more. 

I am the one who will correct the wrongs of those who came before me. I am the Grand Inquisitor.

The figure extended his arm, igniting a dual bladed lightsaber that glowed red in the dust. Senna’s breath caught in her throat as her fears were confirmed. 

A Sith.

She scrambled backwards in the dust as the Inquisitor slowly began to advance on her. Senna could see his face clearly now; he was a Pau’an, tall and thin with the trademark pale skin and red markings. He wore black armor emblazoned with the Imperial symbol that appeared spotless even with the surrounding dust swirling in his wake. His eyes glowed yellow, and his lip was curling into a grin that revealed sharp teeth. 

“Now now, little one. There is no need to run. It will only prolong things,” he said, finally speaking aloud. His voice was soft and yet threatening in its tone, and it sent another shudder rippling through Senna. Behind her, she heard the engines of the Marauder fire up as it lifted off the ground. The Inquisitor’s yellow eyes flicked to the ship, and he huffed a laugh.

“It appears your friends are leaving you to die. No matter, they will be dealt with in due time.” 

Senna pushed herself to her feet, trying to hide the way her legs were shaking underneath her. Her anger fought for control with her fear. 

“You will not harm them,” she snarled. “I won’t let you.”

The Pau’an raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Oh? I don’t know that you’ll have much say in the matter.”

Rage flared within Senna, winning the battle with her apprehension, and she charged him. The Inquisitor’s grin widened as he deftly blocked her first blow with no more effort than if he were swatting an annoying insect. Senna continued to swing her blade wildly, and he continued to parry her at every turn. As she sidestepped him in an attempt to flank, he thrust out his hand, lifting her off of her feet and flinging her into the rock face with a flick of his wrist. Her shoulder blades slammed into the stone knocking the wind out of her, and she knew she was going to bruise as she fought to refill her lungs with air. 

The bruises are the least of my problems at the moment. 

The Inquisitor was already coming towards her again, glowing red blade at his side, prepared to attack again. Senna huffed frantically, scrambling to get back on her feet. 

GET UP. GET UP. GET UP.

Suddenly, the ground between her and the Inquisitor exploded with blaster fire, and a new cloud of dust was kicked up as the Marauder hovered above them. Whoever was flying had maneuvered the ship to allow Wrecker to shoot at the Inquisitor with the ship’s gun, and Senna could hear him cackling gleefully through the ship’s open door. The Pau’an leapt backwards away from her, deflecting the blasts back towards the ship. Some of the bolts peppered the outside, scarring the hull, but mercifully not hitting anything critical. 

They won’t be that lucky forever.

Senna saw her chance and took it, hooking her lightsaber back on her belt, sprinting towards the open door on the side of the ship as hard as she could. She could see Hunter hanging out of the door, peppering the Inquisitor with fire and dodging the deflected bolts that were slamming back into the side of the ship. 

“COME ON, SENNA!” Hunter shouted. “TIME TO GO!”

Channeling the Force once more, Senna leapt, stretching her arms out towards the dangling stairs. Her fingertips slammed into the bottom step and she held tightly as her legs swung wildly underneath her. Her knuckles creaked from the strain, and she ground her teeth, clinging hard as the ship shuddered and jerked.

“ECHO, COVER ME. I’M GONNA GRAB HER. TECH GET US OUT OF HERE!” Senna looked up in time to see Hunter hook a cable to his belt and carefully make his way down the steps towards her as the ship quickly began gaining altitude. He reached out, grabbing Senna’s wrist and helping her pull herself back up. The ship rocked violently again, and Hunter swore as he gripped the cable holding them and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Senna fumbled to find a handhold on his armor and wound up just clinging to him clumsily as he yanked her up the stairs with him. With one final lurch, they flew through the hatch together and collapsed on the inside of the Marauder just as Echo slammed the door closed behind them.

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