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oceansssblue · 9 months ago

Note

*barges into your askbox, breaking down the door*

may i request a jedi fem!reader x tech where they are on a mission together after some time, and they get separated from the rest of the group. she fights very well against some opponents but ends up getting just a bit bloody and hurt, mostly due to an aggressive fighting style, that of a warrior. tech notices all the new scars n stuff on her face and forearms and is worried. she insists she's fine and tries to brush it off, even though she doesnt like them and makes her less of a jedi and more of a warrior. he comforts her telling her things like your a great general and you don't have to follow the code perfectly to still be a good jedi. so basically first kiss fluff and comfort, a bit of angst.

sorry it was so long! have a great day/night

I love Tech soo muchhhh 🥹 This was a cute idea, so here it is! Hope you like it.

Next request will feature Commander Mayday I think!

Stay tunned,

Xx,

Sky.

"JEDI WARRIOR"

TBB REQUESTS —TECH/F READER

WARNINGS: Blood, scars. A sprinkle of angst but mostly fluff and comfort 📩💔💖

"I'll distract them!" your voice shouts loud and clear through the batch's coms frequency.

Tech frowns, dodging a shot and quickly neutralising the droid responsible for it.

"General..." he begins, clearly not happy with the offer, but you cut him of quickly.

"That's an order" you almost bark back to him.

You don't mean to be mean or harsh. But you're in the middle of a battle, there's lifes on danger, and though you know Tech's worried about you, you can't let that distract you. You need to distract your enemies so the Batch can get to their base; so they can get the information needed. Information that will save hundreds of lifes and will be valuable to the Republic. You know Tech will probably have a list of the things that could go wrong with you getting separated from them in his mind; but it's your choice, ultimately. If you die, so be it. You'd do it honorably.

Tech clenches his jaw.

"Yes, General".

You run away, jumping over dozens of droids and never slowing down, your orange lightsaber dancing through their lines, a blur of light in the almost darkness of the arriving night. While you atract the majority of their troops and pull them far away, the Batch advances. You hope you can hold them off til they get what you need.

Time passes, and your enemies seem to close around you. Droids are not the main problem; the natives of Garsa are, riding big felines with sharp teeth that painfully closes around your arms and legs more than once. One of the predators catches your ankle and pulls, dragging you through the dirt; and you can't help the furious, painful scream that leaves your mouth, twisting around quickly and stabbing your lightsaber through his own open mouth. The animal screeches and dies.

When you hear Hunter's voice through your coms again, half an hour later, you're on the verge of falling unconscious. You can barely fight much longer; energy drained even with your extensive Jedi training. You feel blood all over you, mixing with the dirt of the ground you've been rolling in. It tingles painfully, all the open wounds on your body; specially the deep scratches on your face, that tugs with every facial expression and movement.

You must be quite the sight, because when the Batch comes near you, Tech suddenly halts upon seeing you. A second later, they're all standing around you, helping you to get rid of the last enemies and giving you cover while you start your hurried way back to the Marauder.

Once you're safely flying away on the ship, you collapse down onto the floor. Wrecker grabs you before you can really slam down onto it; lowering you gently. Your mind feels dizzy with exhaustion; and you've almost fallen asleep in place when Tech kneels besides you, route already established and on automatic pilot.

His fingers carefully brush your hair away; chocolate brown eyes studying you worriedly.

"Let's get you cleaned up and fixed, General" he whispers, putting your arm over his shoulders and tugging you up to a stand with him.

You grunt in pain and lean most of your weight against him.

"Don't know if I can stay up and conscious through a shower" you mumble tiredly.

Tech starts a slow, careful walk towards the bathroom. The rest of the Batch scatters throughout the ship, tending to their own wounds and exhaustion.

"That is okay" Tech answers, unbothered. "You could stay with your underware on and I could assist you with that, if you would be comfortable with such situation".

You glance at him and inevitably smile. His cheeks are slightly flushed, though he's trying to keep his voice and posture as professional as possible. You know it's a weird situation, and he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable.

Maybe you would be with Hunter or Wrecker or Cross. But you've always felt safe and at ease with Tech specially; and it would be just one soldier helping another. Of sorts.

" 'M okay with that" you give him your permission, and Tech nods quietly.

Once in the bathroom, you hold yourself with a hand against the wall and slowly pull your clothes of. Tech intently stares down at the floor; only risking a quick glance upwards when you let out a small whimper of pain. Your pant's are abandoned on the floor; but your bloody shirt is stuck to a wound on your stomach, and just touching the material of the shirt makes your wound burn.

"Let me" Tech asks, gently, and you push your hands over your head, staying as still as possible while he carefully separates the shirt from your skin and pulls it off of your body.

You sigh in relief and thank him before wobbling into the shower. Tech's hand stabilises you; and he makes sure to catch you whenever you stumble a bit too much for his comfort. You get rid of the dirt and blood, being specially carefull with your injuries; and then gently dry your skin with a towel.

Tech takes a step back –dropplets of water running down his still in place armour–, eyes glancing down at the floor again. You smile with his consideration of your privacy; though the smile dissapears from your face when you take a look at the small mirror in front of you.

The wounds are deep, and they will scar. One crosses over your nose, another cuts vertically through your left eyebrow, and two other big ones slashes your right cheek. Smaller ones go over your lip, though you think those will heal nicely. You open your towel and glance down, analysing. There's more across your body. You...

"Don't look like a jedi" you unconsciously mumble out loud. "More like a warrior".

Tech's eyes meet yours through the reflection of the mirror. He frowns, and you fake a smile while you pull yourself out of your thoughts. You hide under the towel.

"I'm fine".

It's obviously a lie; and Tech has always been intelligent.

His hands hesitantly land on your shoulders; thumbs caressing slowly.

"You're a great general" he tells you, gentle. "This was a suicide mission, and yet we all made it out fairly well, considering the circumstances. You don't have to follow the code perfectly to be a good Jedi. Jedi's use the Force to help people, to bring peace to the galaxy. Isn't that what you do everyday?"

His words make your heart ache. Your eyes fill with tears.

Yeah, you do. Maybe he's right. Maybe you don't have to follow the code literally step by step. Maybe what you're doing is enough. You're only human, after all.

Maybe...

You turn towards Tech. He's tall, and handsome, and polite and gentle, intelligent and caring. You've always liked him. Always felt something towards him, even if you've tried to burry it inside your soul.

Maybe... Your hands tremble as they make their way up to his face; carefully cupping his cheeks. Tech blushes, but he doesn't glance or move away. He's still, breathing heavier, eyes fixed on yours, waiting expectantly. His hands slowly travel down your back to your hips; his back curves down to close the distance between your lips.

You cling to his shoulders, stand on your tiptoes, and kiss him. Your eyes close with a relieved sigh, and you can feel him first tensing, then relaxing, into the kiss too. His lips are soft and his movements meassured and gentle; kissing you like you're the most important thing in the galaxy. You feel warm and safe. Excited and in peace at the same time.

When you separate in order to breathe, he caresses your cheek in wonder and presses his forehead against yours with a happy sigh.

Yeah. Maybe it is okay.

THE END.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Yoooo I'm on fire everybody! Writing nonestop requests for yall!

Still got a few to go (another Tech, Mayday, Wolffe, Hunter, some non romantic ones...). Be patient, I will get there.

Think this one turned out well.

Stay tunned!

Sky.

Back to my general masterlist here:

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idkjustlemmedrownlikerab · 4 months ago

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Evermore (Marauder's Version)

@marsmarauders and I welcome you back to our Taylor Swift x Marauders series. We got carried away again but what's new about that huh? Anyways here you have every single song from Evermore related to the Marauders characters :D (I totally didn't forget about this series at all due to midterms, what r y'all talking about? Nope not me)

willow

"Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark, Show me the places where the others gave you scars"

Both of us wholeheartedly agree that this is for sure a wolfstar song. This particular lyric could go either way with scars Sirius has from his mother or the scars Remus has because of Greyback and his furry little problem and "Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in, as if you were a mythical thing" bcoz obviously they shared a dorm for 7 yrs and mythical thing aka a werewolf!

champagne problems

"How evergreen, our group of friends, Don't think we'll say that word again"

WOLFSTAR. I feel like this isn't even an argument every single person in the fandom who listens to Taylor can agree on this, this song screams wolfstar from Sirius' pov. "She would've made such a lovely bride, what a shame she's fucked in the head," being said about Sirius ofc

And Tonks being the new real thing who will patch up the tapestry that Sirius shred

gold rush

"I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush, I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch"

Now this is about unrequited love and I was certain from the beginning is about jegulus specifically from Regulus' pov talking about James pining after Lily for years when he was right there

'tis the damn season

"We could call it even, You could call me babe for the weekend, 'Tis the damn season,"

Seeing as the song talks about a fleeting relationship we couldn't help but think of this as Remus and Grant

tolerate it

"While you were out building other worlds, where was I? Where's that man who'd throw blankets over my barbed wire?"

BLACK BROTHERS. Like no discussion required at all this song screams Black Brothers from Regulus' pov like try and tell me that isn't Regulus talking about Sirius building a separate life for himself with the Gryffindors leaving Reg behind when he always used to be his protector, and now he's all alone. "I made you my temple, my mural, my sky, Now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life" this is soo Regulus Black coded

no body, no crime

"I think he did it but I just can't prove it, No, no body, no crime, But I ain't letting up until the day I die"

Upon a lot of discussion and deliberation we have come to the conclusion that this song is Regulus Black about Peter coz he saw him at a meeting and knows he's the spy but by this time his relationship with his brother is basically non existent and he knows Sirius won't believe him so he needs proof

But at the ending the pov changes to Peter, convincing everyone that Sirius was the spy and the murderer

happiness

"Haunted by the look in my eyes, that would've loved you for a lifetime, Leave it all behind and there is happiness"

Now this song we think could go two ways either with jegulus or with nobleflower coz the lyrics "I hope she'll be a beautiful fool, Who takes my spot next to you" and the whole song overall has this tone of the singer wanting their ex lover to lead a happy life without them while also having a very spiteful undertone due to not being a part of it and that screams Black family to us

dorothea

"Hey Dorothea, Do you ever stop and think about me? When we were younger, down in the park honey, making a lark of the misery

Now we have two interpretations for this Marls was thinking more of Remus and Mary from Remus' pov since they are the only two members left of their friend group and Mary was the one who fled, I on the other hand could also see another version which could be Snape talking about Lily, "You got shiny friends since you left town, A tiny screen's the only place I see you now"

coney island

"I'm on a bench in Coney Island, Wondering, where did my baby go?"

For this song while Marls wasn't that sure but I could see Nobelflower all over since the song talks about this badly ended relationship bcoz one of them (Narcissa) had started distancing themselves and acting strange, so the other (Alice) starts questioning their own existence and wondering if they are all alone now that their partner no longer feels known. This being coz Cissa is bound to her house and her duties, one of them being getting married to a pure blood and Alice starts to resent her for it even tho she knows she doesn't have much of a choice

ivy

"My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand, Taking mine, but it's been promised to another"

Now ignoring the affair since we don't think any of them would do that, if we just look at the dying relationship and the beginning of a new one aspect of the song I can definitely see the end of bartylus and then Barty falling in love with Evan and thankfully Marls agrees with me on this

cowboy like me

"And the skeletons in both our closets, Plotted hard to fuck this up"

Both of us agree that is song is rosekiller all the way through bcoz it talks about two con artists who thought they never needed love but then they fall for each other?? Tell me that isn't sooo rosekiller coded

long story short

"And I fell from the pedestal, Right down the rabbit hole, Long story short, it was a bad time"

This is very obviously about Lily falling in love with James after Severus to the both of us, about how in hindsight that friendship wasn't really what she thought it was and now she is genuinely happy and it's all about James now

Tho Marls also suggested it about James and Lily getting together after he broke up with Regulus as well and while I do like it, I personally refuse to associate "Long story short, it was the wrong guy" with jegulus coz that just makes me sad :(

marjorie

"Should've kept every grocery store receipt, 'Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me"

This track again is Black Brothers coded but this time from Sirius' pov missing his brother after his death and regretting not mending their relationship bcoz there was still a part of him which hated his little brother for not running away with him

"What died didn't stay dead, You're alive, you're alive in my head"

closure

"It's been a long time, And seeing the shape of your name, Still spells out pain"

Evans sister. Yep that's it, it's Lily singing to Petunia about their broken relationship

evermore

"I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, Trying to find the one where I went wrong"

In the words of our lovely Marls herself "REGULUS RIGHT BEFORE HE DIES LIKE RIGHT AS HE'S GOING DOWN TO THE CAVE, I TAKE NO CRITICISM"

And no criticism she had to take bcoz those were exactly my thoughts no discussion needed at all

right where you left me

"Help, I'm still at the restaurant, still sitting in a corner I haunt"

Now Marls sees this as Remus post war bcoz everyone other than him died (or fled in Mary's case) and left him alone and he couldn't move on from the fact for the longest time

And while I do love this interpretation I can also see jegulus after the break up from Regulus' pov, seeing James falling in love with Lily again and having a family "I'm sure that you got a wife out there, Kids and Christmas, but I'm unaware" "If our love died young, I can't bear witness" while he's still stuck there reminiscing their time together bcoz that's genuinely the happiest he's ever been

it's time to go

"Sometimes, givin' up is the strong thing, Sometimes, to run is the brave thing, Sometimes, walkin' out is the one thing"

Sirius Black. That's it. We hear no criticism at all, try and fight us about it and we will strangle you in ur sleep :D I'm not kidding we hope yk that for ur own safety

AND THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY!! Thank you for sticking with us even tho I was very late for this post, the next post probably won't take this long coz Marls is the one who's gonna post that, not me, but I hope u liked our opinions and if not, we'd love to hear urs

Make sure to come back to see Folklore, coming soon! (To a theater near you)

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idontknowreallywhy · 3 months ago

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Resurface 36 - Resurface

Story to date in order (Tumblr / AO3)

Previous chapter

A kind of a build-up chapter for Virgil, because he’s decided to be brave and face something but that comes at a cost because I am incapable of letting them be fixed first time around. I also had to apply some very very minor whump to Scott just because it amuses me so to do and he was RIGHT THERE being a doofus and asking for it.

Hesitating to put this one out because there is so much good fic that’s appeared over the last week and I haven’t read it all yet but… I think if I don’t get this one out of draft mode I’m never going to properly focus on the finale chapter and I really need to get that done so I can finally post the art a fabulous someone did for me four months ago when I last thought I was nearly finished 🫣😬🙄

SO… here we go…

💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

Virgil’s studio was recessed into the cliff which meant it was protected from the elements. It was accessible only via his bedroom and a key coded door meant it was protected…ish from marauding younger brothers.

Although a huge picture window dominated one wall, very useful for those sky paintings, this could and often would be shuttered at the press of the button, transforming the room into a haven over which he had unfettered dominion.

Advanced atmospheric regulation meant he could ensure the air it wasn’t too arid for sculpting or too damp to allow a painting to dry. An objectively impressive array of light fixtures popped out at various levels, the angle and tone of each completely customisable at the flick of a slider (or twelve) on his tablet, meant he had absolute control of what bounced off his surroundings into his eyeballs. And the sound system…

Well.

What would be the point of a soundproof room if you couldn’t occasionally crank it up to symphony orchestra brass section volume. Virgil had played the French horn in high school and fully appreciated the sensation of his ribcage vibrating when the trombones sat behind him got into their groove.

He was safe here.

And yet, he couldn’t settle. Everything felt, off. Scratchy. As if sand had got into a sensitive mechanism and no amount of oil would flush it out again.

Virgil tucked the sketchbook under his arm and got up to adjust the brightness of the overhead spots down a little and nudged the temperature control up another increment. He’d been fiddling with it all morning but couldn’t quite find the precise balance he needed. Turning his back on the easel stool, he sat down heavily on the couch, removed a pencil from behind his ear and glared at the page.

He’d thought it might be a good idea to sketch out a few anatomical poses to build the detail on top of… to save Scott having to hang around while he got the basics done. Despite having shut himself in here all morning, he’d barely got beyond sketching a vaguely humanoid shape. Perhaps he’d got a little more fixated on the angle of an arm than strictly necessary… in fact he’d roughed it out in so many positions his graphite brother was giving off distinctly octopoid vibes.

The real one had been popping in and out all morning, providing coffee and snacks and unspoken reassurance but now was Here and Getting Ready and Virgil was also supposed to be Ready do some Healing. Find Some Closure. Desensitisation. All that healthy stuff. He tried to ignore the creeping doubt as to whether he was, or would ever, in fact, be ready to…

“Can I make a suggestion?”

He jumped a little and dropped his pencil as Scott called out from behind Virgil’s bedroom door. He put the book to one side and crawled under his chair to locate it.

“Virg?” The door opened and he could imagine Scott peering around it, with all the darkness creeping up his neck and around his throat… his heart raced and his breath escaped in a tiny squeak.

Uuuuh… he wasn’t ready. Not ready at all. Maybe he never would be. Maybe this was… maybe he was just…

“Virgil, are you alright?”

Realising he’d frozen with his upper body wedged under the couch and that Scott was inevitably now aiming the Concerned Eyebrows at his behind, Virgil forced out an airy “All good, I just dropped my… my… err…” he huffed a fake laugh to cover up the gap. Stifled the panicky breathing… the word had gone. Just gone. He spread his fingers out, feeling the grain of the wood beneath him, sanded almost-but-not-quite smooth, and focussed on drowning out the whistle in his ears with an inane little tune Gordon was humming earlier. This was transient…

“Pen. I mean pencil. Pencil!!”

The floorboards vibrated a little as knees slid into view just beside him. Navy blue knees. No, not navy. Shade 1620 “Airforce Blue” - he had a tube of it on the easel. He squeezed his eyes shut. Hex 00308F. Several paint tubes, just in case. And some inks. Zero zero three zero eight eff. Navy blue was 000080. The three and the F somehow changed everything.

A hand on his shoulder, unnaturally tentative as they all still were around him. Still. He scrunched his eyes still tighter and tried not to let it bother him, he wasn’t the type to be bitter about being ‘Poor Fragile Virgil best-not-surprise-him-lest-he-freak-out-and-see-things-again…’ ok, he was still a little bitter perhaps. And being not very kind to himself either. He’d tell Scott off for that.

Scott…

He pressed his fingertips into the floor just enough to stop them shaking, just enough to hurt. As his neck and shoulders tensed in sympathy he felt his brother’s arms curl around him, holding him steady, keeping him from bumping his head on the wooden frame. Holding him steady, keeping him from sinking through the floor into who knew where… he dragged in a breath, cursing his vocal chords for the little whine that caused.

“I’m here. What do you need?”

“Pencil.”

The harmonic skitter of light wood rolling over heavy before the pencil was nudged up close to his hand and he grasped it like a lifeline.

He couldn’t open his eyes, not yet. He was terrified he wouldn’t be able to trust what he saw if he did.

He could feel Scott breathe, the weight of his arm. He could hear the repeated “It’s ok, I’ve got you.”

Yet both those senses had betrayed him before too. Only one had not. It had never lied to him, but, quiet and unshowy, it was easier to ignore if the others told him a better story.

Right now, the impersonal fog of the dry cleaning spray Grandma had used almost overwhelmed him. It was a white noise.

A grey noise?

He reached past the grey for something familiar, something safe - something to prove this wasn’t hollow. There was the ever-present scent of coffee on his brother’s breath and the subtle hint of super-shiny gel… no, he corrected himself, he’d upgraded to the pricier ‘sublime shiny’ recently… which he swore was better despite Virgil pointing out the identical ingredients, smell and, even taste… alright he might have taken the debate a little too far but when Scott had poked his tongue out at him Virgil hadn’t been able to resist giving him a sample. For science’s sake.

The look on his brother’s face had been spectacular.

He chuckled and a little of the dread melted away.

He still needed to sneak some down to Brains’ lab to run a chemical analysis actually…

“Virg? You with me, short stu…OOOFFF”

Scott had clearly ducked his head under the couch to try to see what was going on and the resulting clunk demonstrating he’d immediately forgotten that he’d done so vibrated through Virgil’s teeth.

“Scott! Your head!”

“Is fine. Thick skull, remember?”

“The thickest.” Eyes still resolutely closed, Virgil assessed his tone. It was light, but not the too-light tone Scott adopted when trying to conceal an actual injury from a brother… There was more than a hint of worry, obviously, which Virgil needed to Do Something About because he was painfully aware it was him causing it.

“Virgil, are you ok? What do you need?”

“I’m ok. I… yeah. I’m good.” He was. He could do this.

“Alright.” The audible skepticism was perhaps justified but Scott had clearly decided to let him call the shots today.

“I’m not criticising your process here but would it be easier to do the arting somewhere other than under the couch.”

Virgil grunted, which was frankly all the response the question deserved. Then, eyes tight shut he shuffled backwards. The sensitive skin just below the edge of his little finger brushed against Scott’s leg and he shivered as he recognised the fabric. Polywool. Strong but soft. Permanent military creases. More capable of withstanding a worried brother knee-sliding across a wooden floor than the string of ludicrously expensive but patently unScott-proof suit pants that the CEO wore to TI meetings and managed to destroy on a regular basis. But not robust enough for any kind of action. This was dress uniform. Just for show. He’d never have got in a jet wearing it.

But without it he’d never have got in that jet…

The voice of dread in his heart hissed at him. Virgil tried to squash it, but the edges were sharp and tried to steal his breath. He could feel his pulse begin to race again, echoing back through the thumb-tips he had pressed so firmly into the floor. No, that wouldn’t work. He knew this. He knew how to deal with this now. The hand on his shoulder tightened infinitesimally, lending him strength. So, he forced himself to take a slower breath and let himself acknowledge the thought. It was a logical fallacy, he knew that, but as the counsellor had advised he resisted the temptation to be angry with himself for thinking it. He could see where it came from. It wasn’t unreasonable or stupid for his subconscious to reach for something, anything to blame. It just wasn’t helpful. It wasn’t true.

What was true?

He’d come back. Scott had come back. He was here right now, humming Mom’s song as he rested his head on top of Virgil’s and stroked his arm.

Virgil opened his eyes. Brown floor. Black pencil. 1620... Scott’s legs. He raised his head a little, braced for the darkness…

Light blue?

Light blue shirt? Airforce shirt, yes, but not what he was expecting.

Scott interpreted his frown of confusion before he realised he’d formed it.

“I was going to suggest maybe I don’t wear the jacket just yet? I could, I dunno, just hold it or something. Till you’re used to it?”

Virgil realised he wasn’t blinking enough and pressed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets for a moment.

“Right. I… yes. I’m sorry I…” he huffed irritably “This is so ridiculous.”

“No it isn’t.” Scott squeezed his shoulder again. “And you told me not to say things like that.”

Virgil swallowed the impulse to point out that for Scott it was different. Maybe, after all, it wasn’t so different. In the absence of anything constructive to say he removed his hands from his face and made an attempt at a reassuring smile. It was going quite well until his eye was caught by a rush of movement as the hastily slung jacket slithered off the back of a chair and curled into a pile of darkness on the floor. He averted his eyes and returned his attention to his brother’s face.

“So, what do you want to do?”

Here, Virgil drew a blank. Beyond his request to paint Scott wearing the dreaded dress uniform, he was surprisingly unsure about what he wanted to do. He hadn’t got much past the idea to get himself, Scott and The Uniform in the same room and not go mad.

As the heap of fabric continued to noisily suck all the light from the room, he wasn’t sure the latter part was going as planned.

“I don’t… I don’t actually err…” he tailed off but the point had been conveyed.

Scott hummed again, but not in a musical way this time. That was the ‘IR-Commander-is-formulating-a-plan’ hmmmmm.

“We have all day... no need to rush anything. Do you want to go outside for a bit? It’s really nice out there?”

Outside was Scott’s go-to fix. If things were difficult, he did better in the open air… or at least somewhere with a clear view of the sky. Virgil suspected he knew why and tried not to think about that too much. What he did know was that it was when his brother tucked himself away - when he found a hidey hole, enclosed and dark - well that was when little brother’s alarm bell needed to ring. Outside was good.

Yet, Virgil knew Scott hadn’t suggested it for his own benefit this time. It wasn’t for the air but for the sun.

Virgil’s comfort instinct was more towards warmth. The flannel wasn’t purely a fashion choice after all. It didn’t matter where he was - snuggled in bed, melting his face off in the sauna, taking an excessively long hot shower, hibernating on a sun lounger - it was all good as long as the goosebumps were kept at bay. Gordon had long ago given up trying to persuade him to lower the cabin temperature of Two. If Virgil’s skin was warm and relaxed he had at least a chance of thinking clearly about everything else.

Outside in the sunshine sounded good. It had a decent chance of being better than here anyway, in the bowels of the earth where the darkness was closing in and an icy draft scraped across his face.

So Virgil nodded and allowed his big brother to steer him towards the doorway. Where he stood helplessly for a few moments as he realised the hand with which he’d reached for the handle was a white knuckled fist clutching a pencil for dear life… and he didn’t quite seem to know how to put it down. He shivered again.

Scott rushed around behind him, chattering away and collecting whoknewwhat, then took charge of the door-opening and, taking a firm grip on Virgil’s pencil-free hand, towed him up the stairs and out into the daylight.

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#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #scott tracy #virgil tracy #idontknowreallywhy fanfic #resurface fic #pretty sure nobody noticed you cheated with the chapter title there #nice work #*self-high-fives*

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mcrdvcks · 7 months ago

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Down Bad - Chapter 10

Chapter Summary: The squad decides to go on a mission to Eriadu in order to find out more about Dr. Hemlock, and to get closer to finding Crosshair.

Word Count: 5.8k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: i only have one thing to say about this chapter, and it's i'm so sorry.

Series Masterlist - Chapter 9 → Chapter 11

AO3 Link For Chapter

“Echo and I have scoured through Imperial and Republic files, but intel about the Advanced Science Division is limited.” Tech said.

“Do we know where they’re detaining Crosshair and the other clones?” Hunter asked.

“Negative. Their base of operations is unknown.”

“Well, what about their chief scientist?”

“There is even less on Dr. Hemlock, and I was very thorough. He is a ghost.”

“Not quite.” Echo added, coming from the cockpit of the ship. “According to a contact of mine, Hemlock’s set to attend a high-level Imperial summit in two rotations.” He sat down at one of the other consoles in the hallway.

“Where?” Hunter questioned.

“Tarkin’s compound on Eriadu.” Echo said, as Amina grimaced at the reminder of Tarkin, “if we do a covert infiltration, we can plant a homing beacon on Hemlock’s ship and track him to his base.”

“And to Crosshair.” Omega stated.

“Hmm, it won’t be that simple.” Omega turned around to face Hunter as he continued, “we’d be at a tactical disadvantage, and I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.”

“I understand your hesitation.” Tech replied, “we have not always agreed with Crosshair, but he is still our brother. We do not leave our own behind.”

“If there’s a chance to get him back, we have to take it.” Omega chimed in.

“Definitely.” Wrecker agreed.

“What about reinforcements?” Hunter inquired.

Echo stood up from the seat at the console, “well, Rex is on a separate mission, so it’s just us. A small enough team to get in and out without alerting them. But we’ll need to move quickly.”

Hunter looked over to Amina who looked over at him and gave a small nod. “Well then, let’s get started.”

---

“I have identified a suitable location to land outside their sensor range.” Tech stated, as they prepared to jump out of hyperspace.

“How are we bypassing those cruisers?” Hunter asked.

“Using a clearance code Rex and I acquired from one of our contacts.” Echo answered.

“Good to have you back, Echo.” Wrecker chimed in. “Just like old times.”

The Marauder jumped out of hyperspace as Hunter looked over to Wrecker, “Wrecker, man the tail gun. Just in case.”

“You got it.”

“Transmitting clearance codes.” Echo pressed a few buttons on the ship’s dashboard.

“If this doesn’t work, be ready to fly out of here.” Hunter announced, as they waited for the confirmation that they were in the clear.

After a few seconds of silence, the ship’s commlink beeped, “Vessel 1143, you are clear for approach.”

Tech landed the ship on the side of a mountain, with Echo getting off first, “let’s make this quick, before they realize we didn’t land at the base.”

They started to make their way through the trees by the mountain as Omega spoke up, “what kind of approach are we making? A side-wind breach?”

“It worked on Raxus.” Tech replied to Omega.

“It won’t work here.” Echo said in response. “The Empire’s protocols have changed since then.”

Wrecker scoffed, “thanks to us.”

“No tanks and no explosions this time, Wrecker.” Echo scolded.

Wrecker let out a disappointed groan, his shoulders falling forward, “fine.”

Once to the edge of the perimeter, Amina looked up to see the sky rail system that hung over the tops of the mountains.

Hunter brought up his binoculars and looked at the building on top of one of the mountain peaks, “hmm. The compound is heavily fortified.”

“But there’s a weak point in the rail line that we can exploit. We’ll sneak past the sensor and hitch a ride under one of the cars.” Echo said, as he looked at the back of the group.

“You mean hang? Over that?” Omega asked nervously.

“Well, it’s the only way to access the compound unnoticed.” Echo responded.

“Tech, disable the sensor.” Hunter ordered.

“That would trigger an alert. I can temporarily disrupt the feed, but I estimate only 30 seconds for us to clear the zone before it reactivates. We must be precise.” Tech spoke, before everyone turned to look at Wrecker.

“What? I can handle it!”

Echo passed Tech a cable attachment for his blaster, as Hunter used his binoculars to monitor the sensor.

Hunter signaled for Tech to go as he shot the cable and moved up to the top of the sensor. “Stand by.” Tech said through comms.

A rail car was heard as it slowly approached, almost close to their area, “another railcar is approaching.” Hunter said. “Are we set?”

“Not yet.” After a few moments Tech spoke, “the sensor is down. Move in!”

Everyone ran to the edge of the cliff and fired their cables to the side of the car, before grabbing onto some part of the car to hold onto.

“Halfway there.” Echo said.

Wrecker chuckled, “this isn’t so bad.” He looked down before groaning, “never mind.”

When the railcar arrived at the terminal, everyone jumped off on the outside platform. Hunter took out the first trooper and tossed him over the edge. Another trooper shot at him as he dodged the blast, with Echo shooting him down.

He stood by the door and held up a hand, stopping Omega and the rest from moving as another trooper walked out. Hunter shot the stormtrooper as he fell over the edge.

They made their way into the landing and took cover behind one of the storage containers. Hunter pulled out his binoculars and looked at the various ships.

“Which ship is Hemlock’s?” Omega whispered.

“We need to access the hangar manifest from the control room.” Echo spoke quietly.

“Tech, Echo, with me. You three, plant the homing beacon.” Hunter ordered, as him Tech and Echo made their way away from the storage containers.

Amina made a motion with her head, “come on, let’s move to the top of the storage containers.” She said, as Wrecker nodded.

Amina, Omega, and Wrecker poked their heads out from on top, looking out at the floor.

“Found it. Hemlock’s shuttle is at docking lane four.” Tech told them through comms.

“Copy that.” Omega whispered into her comm.

Wrecker pulled out his binoculars and looked out over the docking bay, before handing them to Omega. “That’s Hemlock’s ship. It’s too exposed. How are we supposed to get to it?”

“There’s not enough cover for me, but there is for you.” Wrecker looked over at Omega, “you think you can handle it?”

“Not a problem.” She responded confidently.

“Hmm, good. Here, take the beacon. We’ll keep an eye out.” He handed the beacon to Omega.

Amina put a hand on Omega’s shoulder, “be careful, alright?”

Omega nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "I will. Don't worry, Amina," she replied, her voice steady. "I've got this."

Amina smiled, her heart swelling with pride at Omega's confidence. "I know you do," she said, her tone filled with warmth. "We'll be right here if you need us."

With a reassuring nod, Omega slipped away, jumping down the supply crates as she used a cargo sled for cover, as the trooper walked to put the sled in a different place before walking away.

Omega placed the homing beacon on the shuttle’s landing struts, “okay, the homing beacon is secure.”

“Wait. There’s more troopers heading your way.” Amina told Omega through comms.

Omega moved away from Hemlock’s ship, only to find herself pinned. “I’m pinned down.”

“Stay in position. I’ll divert them.” Echo said through comms to Omega.

Suddenly, a magnetic crane lifted a parked V-wing as it slammed against multiple cargo boxes. The troopers in the cargo bay ran to the crane as Omega moved away, only to be found by a mouse droid.

Amina and Wrecker came over, as he stepped on the mouse droid, destroying it. “Oops.” He said, before shaking his left foot to get the droid off as it hit one of the cargo crates.

---

Amina, Wrecker, and Omega went by the command room to get Echo as they followed the troopers blasting, with Omega shooting one with her energy crossbow and Wrecker throwing a trooper onto two other troopers, knocking them out.

The door behind Hunter and Echo opened as they ran to the rail line and climbed down, avoiding fire from more troopers.

The group got onto the railcar, but it wouldn’t move, “we need an access code.” Tech said.

“I’ll override it.” Echo replied.

Omega stood in the front of the railcar as she shot one of the troopers climbing down the ladder. More troopers made their way into the railcar, but soon, Echo was able to power the car on.

Everyone continued to shoot at the troopers who were on the second car as the lights began to flicker. “We’re losing power!” Echo yelled out.

Amina quickly put her blaster in its holster as she unhooked her lightsaber from her belt.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asked, glancing over at her then back at the few troopers in the other car.

“Taking care of our problem.” She responded. Before Hunter could respond, she turned on her lightsaber, the blue light casting a glow on the car’s walls as she moved through the connecting tunnel, deflecting blaster bolts from the 4 troopers.

She kicked one of the troopers’ chest, before cutting one of the troopers chest plates, before using the force to bring the remaining two troopers together, hitting each other as they collapsed to the floor of the car. Amina quickly turned off her lightsaber and walked to the car the rest of the group was in.

Tech walked to the front of the car, seeing another railcar on the opposite line in front of them. “This is going to be a problem.” They all walked to look out the grated window, looking at the railcar in front of them.

Hunter and Wrecker opened the railcar’s door, looking at the freefall that was below, with nothing to grab onto or stop the fall into oblivion.

“This is not ideal.” Tech observed.

“At least we’re not hanging under the car.” Wrecker added, trying to make the best of their not-so-great situation.

“This isn’t much better.” Omega replied, before a series of blaster shots headed in their direction.

“Echo, get this car moving.” Hunter ordered, as the rest shot back at the troopers on the opposing car.

“The explosions must’ve knocked out power to the rail line.” Echo responded with aggravation.

“I can try to reboot the system, but I will need to plug directly into one of the terminals on the track.” Tech offered.

Hunter looked over at Tech, taking cover behind the wall, “you four, give us cover. Tech, up top with me.”

Tech and Hunter moved to the upper level of the railcar as Hunter gave Tech a boost up to the roof so he could climb onto the track. Hunter opened the door to continue to provide cover fire.

“I am plugged in. Stand by.” Tech said through comms.

Everyone continued to shoot, but very few of the troopers were actually going down, meaning that the group was still outnumbered.

“We’ve got three ships inbound.” Hunter said.

“Where? I can’t see them.” Omega asked, looking out into the cloudy sky.

Soon, the sound of the ships slowly made its way to Amina’s ears. V-wings she believes.

“Tech, we need power.” Hunter exclaimed through comms.

The ships fired a round of shots as the car became unbalanced.

“Echo, now!” Tech said.

“We’re online.” Echo affirmed, as the lights came back on.

Hunter fired a shot on one of the V-wings, causing it to collide into one of the other ships, when the third one flew through the smoke, firing on Tech as he ran across the rail line.

One of the blasts from the ship hit the railcar, causing it to shake as the second car broke off from the rail line as Tech grabbed onto the bottom of the car with his grappling hook.

“Come on, Tech! Hurry!” Wrecker yelled through comms.

“I am climbing as fast as I can.” He replied, grunting from the effort.

One of the troopers fired a shot at the car again, causing it to dip further. “Tech!” Omega cried out.

“Why aren’t we moving?” Hunter asked urgently.

“The car’s being ripped from the track.” Echo responded.

“Wrecker, get him on board.” Hunter ordered.

Amina went to shoot when her blaster did nothing. She smacked it against her hand realizing that somehow it was jammed. Hunter gestured to her with his head, “go help Wrecker.”

Amina nodded, going over to where Wrecker and Omega stood, taking note that the hinges connecting the two carts was almost completely broken.

She reached out with the force, holding her hands in front of her trying to bring the car back up slowly and safely. More shots from incoming V-wings shot the car, causing it to dip again.

“You must sever the connection hinge. Now!” Tech commanded.

“Not until you’re up here.” Wrecker countered.

“There is no time, Wrecker.” Tech grabbed his gun from his holster, “Plan 99.”

She wasn’t familiar with all of the plans, but something about the way Tech said it, and the way Wrecker silently reacted to it told her it wasn’t a safe, or good, plan.

The car dipped again as Wrecker grabbed the cart by two pieces of metal. Amina tried to pull the cart up quicker, but it was hard when everything kept moving, and shots were being fired all around.

She also felt conflict in Tech, before it was replaced with an unwavering sense of decisiveness.

“Don’t you do it, Tech!” Wrecker said, as he tried to pull the car up.

Tech sighed, “when have we ever followed orders?” He fired a shot through the window of the railcar, breaking the hinge.

Wrecker lost his grip as the railcar fell, “no!” He cried out, as Amina fell to the floor as her connection broke.

“Tech!” Omega yelled out, watching as the railcar fell through the sky.

As Amina lay on her stomach, she watched as he fell. The railcar reconnected to the track and sped away. She shakily stood up and wiped a tear in the corner of her eye before it fell down her cheek.

“Omega!” Hunter grabbed her wrist.

“Go back! Go back!” She cried as the car continued to move.

“The car’s going too fast.” Hunter said, moving to Echo.

Echo looked over at him, “the system’s fried. I can’t stop it.”

Everyone looked at the front of the cart as the wall moved closer and closer to them at fast speed. Hunter lunged for Omega as the cart collided and smashed through the wall of the terminal.

---

Amina blinked her eyes, taking in the greyness and the dirt surrounding her. She tried to sit up but found herself too weak.

Mechanical breathing came closer as she looked at black boots next to her head. “A- Anakin.” She whispered, her eyes slowly closing.

A gloved hand traced her cheek, “soon, sister.”

Amina blinked once more, her eyes barely open as she stared into the red tinted lenses and closed her eyes.

---

“Omega!” Hunter yelled, “we have to get her out of here.”

Wrecker picked Omega up, “I got you, kid.”

Hunter looked around, “where’s Amina?”

Blaster shots fired at them, “Incoming! Get to the Marauder.” Echo instructed.

Wrecker walked to the ship carrying Omega as he spotted her form. "I found her!"

Relief washed over Hunter as he ran to where her body was. She was unconscious, her face pale and bruised, but alive.

Hunter rushed to her side, his hands trembling as he gently cradled her in his arms. "Amina," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Wake up."

Amina stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering open as she groaned in pain. She blinked up at Hunter, her gaze filled with confusion. "Hunter?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, it's me," Hunter said softly, a flood of relief washing over him. "You're safe now."

Amina's eyes widened as the events of the past few minutes came rushing back to her. "The railcar," she whispered, her voice filled with dread. "We fell..." She turned her head slightly before placing her hand on his helmeted cheek, “Anakin was here.” She whispered.

Hunter picked her up, wincing at the pain he felt in his ribs. Her hand fell from his helmet, “he said he was coming for me.” She mumbled, before her head lolled to the side.

---

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

The first thing she felt was a coldness surround her, invading her body from underneath her skin at a slow, but steady, pace.

Amina tried to sit up, but nearly cried out from the pain as she fell back down onto the small table she was on.

Hunter walked over to her as Omega followed along. He brushed a hand on her cheek, “are you alright?”

She tried to sit up again but didn’t get very far. “I’ve been better.” Amina rubbed her forehead, looking at the bandages around Hunter’s waist.

Before she could ask her question, Hunter answered for her, “AZI said that you had internal bleeding and a cracked hipbone.”

Amina sighed, “cool, I’ve never had internal bleeding before. Most of the time my blood ends up outside my body.”

Omega hovered nearby, her eyes wide with concern, and her cheeks still wet from tears just moments ago. "Do you need anything?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine worry.

“Maybe some water?” She said, as Omega nodded and slowly walked over to the bedside table she was at to grab the container of water.

Hunter traced Amina’s cheek as she sighed into his touch, a soft smile playing on her lips despite the pain etched across her features. The gentle warmth of his hand against her skin was a comforting anchor amidst the chaos and uncertainty surrounding them.

“I’m here, Amina,” Hunter whispered, his voice soft yet filled with a reassuring strength. “We’re all here for you.”

Amina’s eyes met his, gratitude and affection shining in their depths. “I know,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m just glad we made it out alive.”

Hunter’s gaze softened, his thumb caressing her cheek tenderly. “Me too,” he admitted, his voice tinged with relief. “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”

A faint blush dusted Amina’s cheeks as she reached up to cover his hand with her own. “You won’t lose me,” she promised, her voice steady despite the lingering pain. “I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss before pulling away.

Omega returned with a container of water, her expression a mix of concern and relief as she handed it to Amina. “Here,” she said, her voice gentle. “Drink slo- ”

Wrecker shouting and blaster fire cut Omega off, as Hunter helped Amina stand up. Two troopers came to stand in front of the door as Hunter shot the door control panel to keep it shut.

“What’s happening?” Omega asked.

“It’s the Empire.” Hunter pulled away a crate from the floor, “take the mining tunnels to the spaceport and find Echo.” He grabbed Omega’s energy crossbow and pushed her to the trapdoor, “we’ll get Wrecker.”

“But you’re both injured. You can’t fight them alone.”

Hunter opened the trapdoor, “Omega, you and AZI need to go. That’s an order!” He handed Omega her crossbow as she put it on her back.

Omega looked over at Amina, who kneeled down and kissed the top of her head, “go, Omega.” Amina said, as Omega started to slowly climb down, the trapdoor closing behind her.

They walked to the door as Hunter blasted it open, knocking out the two troopers as they walked into the main part of Cid’s parlor, with Hunter holding his pistol, and Amina holding her lightsaber in front of her, the blue light glowing brightly.

Wrecker was tied up and in a kneeled position surrounded by troopers as Dr. Hemlock moved in front of him.

Hunter and Amina walked a few steps further as the trooper’s blasters clicked.

“That’s not very strategic, Hunter. You don’t need to use your enhanced senses to know you’re outnumbered.” Hemlock said, quietly but confidently. He turned to his left, holding a small box, “the Empire thanks you for your assistance.”

And once again, this is why Amina has never trusted a Trandoshan.

Cid walked out and grabbed the box, looking over at Hunter and Amina with a guilt-ridden expression. “Our business is done. Leave.” Hemlock stated to Cid, as she slowly walked away. “Please, consider your next move very carefully. I would hate for this to end poorly for the three of you. Here is how this is going to go. You will lower your weapons and hand over Omega. And I will allow you to keep breathing.”

“Omega’s not going anywhere with you.” Hunter growled.

“Oh. Well, who knew clones are so paternal? Fascinating. I was saddened to learn of your friend’s demise. What was his name? Oh, yes. Tech.” One of the troopers handed Hemlock something as he held it in his hands.

Tech’s goggles.

No. He can’t be dead. He can’t be.

She could’ve done more, could’ve tried pulling him up using the force instead of focusing on the hinge connecting the carts.

She should’ve been the one to reboot the system, to run across the top of the tracks instead of him.

She could’ve hijacked one of the V-wings and shot down the other two.

She could’ve done more.

Amina took a shaky deep breath in, as Hemlock continued, “I’m afraid this was all I could salvage. Consider it a gift.” He threw the goggles to the floor in front of Hunter’s feet. Hunter and Amina stayed quiet.

“To lose one of your own, it must weigh heavily on you as their leader.” Two troopers nudged Wrecker in his back, “and if you don’t lower the blaster now, you will lose yet another.”

Hunter looked over at Wrecker who shook his head slightly, before holding his hands up and slowly lowering his blaster, picking up Tech’s goggles.

Hemlock's smirk sent a chill down Amina's spine, his smug demeanor a stark contrast to the gravity of their situation. She clenched her jaw, her gaze unwavering as she met his cold stare head-on. “That goes for you too, Skywalker. The Emperor will be pleased to know you are in my custody.”

She thought back to what Yoda told her, “powerful, you are, Amina Skywalker. Strong in the Force, like your brother before you."

Amina shook her head, “I’d rather die than let the Emperor get his hands on me.” She spoke quietly.

“Perhaps.” Hemlock said, signaling his troopers to move over to Hunter and Amina, as they cuffed him. “But you do not have a choice. Hand over your lightsaber and stand down.”

Amina looked at Wrecker in front of her and then at Hunter beside her. She closed her eyes and turned off her lightsaber, as one of the troopers grabbed it and cuffed her using force suppressing cuffs.

A trooper ran into the room, “sir, the girl’s not in the office.”

“She’s long gone.” Hunter spoke as him and Amina now stood by Wrecker in the front of the room. “Like I said, Omega’s not going anywhere with you.”

Hemlock hummed, “we’ll see.” The three of them were escorted out of the parlor and outside into the streets of Ord Mantell.

As they walked down the streets of Ord Mantell, where people were running around, and AT-AT walkers roamed around.

A series of shots halted Hemlock and the troopers from moving, as they turned in the direction of the blaster fire. It was Omega.

“Lower your weapons.” Hemlock ordered, “hello, Omega. We were just talking about you.”

“Let them go!”

“Omega, run!” Hunter yelled, as a trooper wrapped an arm around his neck, keeping him from moving away.

“I won’t let them take you.”

“How about an exchange?” Hemlock said, as Omega looked at Wrecker, Hunter, and Amina, as Hunter shook his head ‘no’. “If you come with me, your friends will live.”

“I don’t believe you.” Omega replied.

“I did not come here for them, Omega. I came to return you to Nala Se. She needs your help.”

“He’s lying. They killed the Kaminoans.” Hunter opposed.

“Incorrect. Nala Se is alive and well cared for. As you will be.”

“I’m not going with you.” Omega said, as Hemlock raised an eyebrow.

Amina saw the trooper coming behind Omega, “Omega, look out!” She shouted, but the trooper stun blasted her before Omega could fight back.

Troopers pressed a blaster to Hunter’s face and Amina and Wrecker’s body, “scour the city. When you find the third clone, send them back to Eriadu. Governor Tarkin wishes to question you personally.” Hemlock turned his gaze to Amina, “and as for you… someone will come soon to take you to Coruscant. The Emperor wishes to speak to you.”

Amina’s heart sank as the troopers led the three of them to a shuttle; she felt as though there was more to his words than he was letting on. And the coldness around her only has been getting stronger and more persistent.

Blaster fire and explosions sounded out as a walker came rounding the corner, its aim directed to the Imperials.

“Echo?” Wrecker questioned.

“Gotta be Echo.” Hunter said.

Wrecker broke his cuffs on the top of his knee as Hunter kicked a clone behind him. Wrecker quickly undid Hunter’s handcuffs as Amina walked to the trooper Hunter kicked down, grabbing her lightsaber from his belt and cutting her handcuffs, the force coming back to her in hurried waves.

Amina ran to the troopers who were shooting at the walker and cut them down, as another walker came up behind Echo’s and shot it down. Echo jumped out followed by AZI.

“Where’s Omega?” Echo asked.

“That Imperial took her.” Wrecker answered.

“It was Hemlock. We’ve gotta stop his shuttle from leaving.” Amina walked around the building as her heart dropped even further.

Amina ran on the ground, stopping at the top of the small hill as she watched Obi-Wan cut off Anakin’s legs and one of his arms.

She just stood there, her mouth open but unable to form any words or sounds as her brother lay close to the lava’s shore.

Anakin screamed in pain as Obi-Wan turned off his lightsaber. She watched as Anakin’s vibrant blue eyes turned yellow. He glanced up at her before turning his gaze to Obi-Wan as he shouted.

“You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!” Obi-Wan yelled, his voice hoarse, desperate, and full of despair.

Obi-Wan picked up Anakin’s lightsaber and walked up the small hill. “I hate you!” Anakin yelled, pure rage coating his voice.

“You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.” Obi-Wan’s voice broke as he watched Anakin slip further down the hill, until one of his legs caught on fire, causing his entire body to burn. Anakin screamed in pain as Obi-Wan watched before finally tearing his gaze away and walked over to Amina.

Her brother was burning, screaming in pain. How could she just stand by and watch?

Amina took a few steps down the hill, her heart wrenching as tears streamed down her face. Obi-Wan's arms encircled her waist, holding her back from the horrific sight of her brother burning in agony. She struggled against his grip, her voice choked with grief and despair. "Anakin!" she cried out, her entire being filled with anguish.

"No, Amina," he murmured, his voice choked with sorrow. "You can't go down there."

Tears continued to blur Amina's vision as she struggled against Obi-Wan's hold, her body trembling with a mix of fear and anguish. "Let me go," she pleaded, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I have to help him."

Obi-Wan's grip tightened, his voice firm yet filled with empathy. "It's too late, Amina. There's nothing we can do."

Amina watched as Anakin reached out a hand at the bottom of the hill as she continued to struggle against Obi-Wan’s hold, "Ani!" she cried out again, desperation thick in her voice. The sight of her brother burning, consumed by flames and darkness, tore at her soul. Every fiber of her being screamed to rush down that hill, to reach out and save him, but Obi-Wan's grip was firm, unyielding.

Obi-Wan's voice was pained yet resolute. "Amina, you can't go down there. It's too late."

"No!" she sobbed, her anguish echoing through the desolate landscape. "I have to help him!"

“Amina, we have to go.” Obi-Wan said firmly.

Amina stopped fighting his grip as he let her turn around to face him. She hit his chest, “we have to do something- there h- has to be something we can do Obi-Wan!”

Obi-Wan gathered her in his arms, pulling her into a hug as she sobbed into his tattered tunic, “there’s nothing we can do, Amina. Anakin is gone. We need to go before it’s too late.”

He knew how difficult this was for her, she had known Anakin all her life. The only other person who shared that honor was Shmi and she was dead as well.

He couldn’t help but feel more pain as he remembered a hidden truth, knowing that he was keeping a secret from her that Master Yoda told him to.

It was never supposed to be him that fought Anakin, it was supposed to be her.

She was only nineteen, he thought, and she’d lost everything.

There he was, her brother, in all his glory, followed by a group of stormtroopers. The coldness. Of course. He had finally come for her.

Hunter heard Amina’s heart rate pick up and her breathing become hurried as he, Wrecker, and Echo turned to face what Amina was looking at, their blasters pointing at Vader.

Amina took a step forward, her gaze locked with Vader's imposing figure. Despite the mask that obscured his face, she could feel his intense stare piercing through her, a silent reminder of the bond they shared as siblings.

"Anakin," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, laced with a mixture of anguish and longing. In that moment, she couldn't help but yearn for the brother she had once known, the kind-hearted young Jedi who had been her closest confidant and ally.

Vader pointed at her, “grab her.” He ordered, as he used the Force to grab her lightsaber from her grasp.

Hunter raised his blaster at Vader as Amina shook her head, “no, please. I don’t want to go.” She cried out in a hushed tone.

Troopers grabbed her by her arms, cuffing her once again in force suppressing cuffs, dragging her to Vader. Before Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo could shoot, Amina turned her head towards them, shaking her head no.

“Go!” She yelled. Hunter shook his head back at her as she continued, “go! Get Omega! Go, Hunter!”

Amina's plea echoed in his ears, urging him to go, to prioritize Omega's safety over her own. Hunter's grip tightened on his blaster, his jaw clenched in determination. He knew he couldn't leave Amina in Vader's clutches, but he also couldn't abandon Omega to the mercy of the Empire.

“Go!” Amina yelled again, as the troopers dragged her away, Vader leading the way.

Wrecker and Echo exchanged a glance, their expressions mirroring Hunter's internal struggle. They understood the gravity of the situation, the impossible choice that lay before them. But they were soldiers, bred for battle, trained to follow orders even in the face of overwhelming odds.

"We can't just leave her," Wrecker grumbled, his voice tinged with frustration as he glanced back at Amina, her form surrounded by stormtroopers.

Echo nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on Vader's imposing figure. "We need to find a way to get them both out of there," he said, his tone resolute.

Hunter took a deep breath, his mind racing as he surveyed their surroundings. They were outnumbered and outgunned, facing off against one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. But they were also soldiers, brothers-in-arms bound by loyalty and friendship.

"We stick to the plan," Hunter said, his voice firm as he met Wrecker and Echo's gaze. "We get Omega back, and then we come back for Amina."

Wrecker nodded, his expression grim but determined. "Copy that, boss," he said, his hand tightening around his blaster.

Echo glanced at Hunter, his eyes betraying a hint of worry. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Hunter met Echo's gaze, his jaw set in determination. "We don't leave anyone behind," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging within him. "Not on my watch."

---

Amina was shoved onto the shuttle and put into a seat, with the harness locking her in.

As the shuttle's engines hummed to life, Amina's heart pounded with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. She stole a glance out the viewport, watching as the familiar streets of Ord Mantell faded into the distance, replaced by the vast expanse of space stretching out before her.

Vader dismissed the troopers as he moved to stand in front of Amina, his gloved hand tracing her cheek.

Amina flinched at his touch, it felt vastly different from when Anakin would do it to her to calm her down or comfort her.

"You have grown," Vader rumbled, his voice deep and resonant, tinged with a hint of something that sounded almost like regret. "But you still possess that Skywalker stubbornness."

Amina clenched her jaw, refusing to let fear show on her face. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging within her.

Vader's gaze bore into her, his eyes hidden behind the red-tinted lenses of his mask. "You," he replied simply, his voice devoid of emotion. "The Emperor wishes to speak with you."

Amina's heart sank at his words, the weight of their implications pressing down on her like a suffocating weight. She knew what awaited her on Coruscant, knew the fate that awaited her at the hands of the Emperor. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to give in to despair.

"I won't go willingly," she said defiantly, her voice tinged with a steely resolve. "You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming if you want to take me to him."

Vader regarded her with a silent intensity, his masked gaze unwavering. "So be it," he said finally, his voice carrying a note of finality.

She felt tears well up in her eyes. How could her brother willingly hand her over to the Emperor, a man who will probably abuse her and use her for whatever he wants.

A tear rolled down her face as the blue and white lights of hyperspace lit up the black shuttle.

---

“There was no way to track Hemlock’s or Vader’s ship.” Echo spoke sadly from the cockpit, while Hunter and Wrecker sat in the hallway by the consoles. “They could’ve taken them anywhere.”

Hunter looked at the gun turret, Omega’s doll sitting in front. He sighed, “we are going to get them back. And we don’t stop searching until we do.”

tags: @callsign-denmark

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

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blitheringmcgonagall · 1 year ago

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9 people I’d like to get to know better

@sorenphelps @brandileigh2003 thanks for the tag 🥰🥰🥰

Favourite colour(s): mostly blues - cornflower blue, icy blue, airforce blue, teal or petrol blue, but also greens - slate green, mint green

Last song: Pet Shop Boys “Always on My Mind”

Last movie/TV show: absolutely excellent film called The Holdovers. If you haven’t seen it, you should - it’s one of the best films I’ve seen in ages! Feels a bit marauders coded too if you wanted to imagine an AU…

Sweet/savoury/spicy: how do I choose??? I love all of them - a great sticky toffee pudding, a great Italian pasta dish, a great thai curry??

Last thing I googled: did policemen sleep in police stations in the 1930s (don’t even ask 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️!)

Current obsession: still the marauders - Jily and Wolfstar (or Wolfstar and Jily if you prefer)

Last book: currently reading a really important book that I cannot recommend enough called Not The End Of The World. PLEASE READ IT!!!!!!!! (It’s really hopeful and useful!)

Fanfic wise: All At Once by dykesiriusblack and The Road Back to You by @mppmaraudergirl

Things I’m looking forward to: a weekend away with Mr Blithering in Lis Ard and seeing the sky garden

Tagging but only if you want to (and anyone else who wants to - join in!) @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world @midnightelite @stonecoldhedwig (are you all having a fabulous time?!!) @nymphaea-auri @alrightevanns @elder-millennial-trash @enigmaticemperor @hi-my-name-is-dotdotdot @cafe-y-marauders 💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓

#tag games #I love colours #I went overboard #but that book and that film are incredible!#👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌#still obsessed with the marauders #of course I am #loveliest tumblr friends

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ellecdc · 9 months ago

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FIRST CONGRATS ON FINISHING EXAMS🎉 SECOND TTPD is literally THE album for the marauders... Like "I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope, a greater woman wouldn't beg. But I looked at the sky and said, please change the prophecy" LILY EVANS!!!

And the whole 'peter' track is soooo black brothers coded "said you were gonna grow up and then you were gonna come find me" so Regulus talking to Sirius....

I have a lot of thoughts about this album ngl

STOP STOP STOP IT'S TOO MUCH I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH

it's hard being a soft bitch in this hard canon world 😞

#ask elle #ttpd #marauders #old habits die screaming

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you-need-not-apply · 1 year ago

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hiiiii, i found you through your marauders blog yesterday!! then I saw you're aro and acespec OMG ME TOO!!!

im just getting in the maraudees fandoms nd this probably isn't the right place to talk about this BUT HIIII

I'm really excited to meet you, hope we can be friends!!!

OMG Hiiiiiii!!!

I love your blog so much!!! its so nice??? just very chill!!

YESS another aro / ace spec marauders fan!! there needs to be more of us!! I love all the ships in the marauders fandom, but sometimes i wanna rant about how aro coded a character is okay?

Nah this is a greta place to talk about it but if you following me for my marauders content feel free to ask this on that blog @theres-an-endless-starry-sky or ask it on my aroace spec blog @aroacesafeplaceforall :D

really amazing to talk to you and i hope so to! we mutuals now!!

#mutuals #lixie #< ur mutuals tag #/name

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unseenphil · 1 year ago

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Prompt #8: Shed

If it had happened in any of the other city-states, someone would probably have realized what had happened. An Ala-Mhigan would have cleared it up right away in Ul'dah or Ala-Mhigo itself, and the Gridanians had been Ala-Mhigo's neighbors long enough to be aware of such things.

Unfortunately for High Pockets, a Hellsguard sailor with the most accurate name on record for any Roegadyn, it happened in Limsa Lominsa, where they could only rely on the visible facts, and the facts were that he'd been found in an alley holding up what appeared to be the skin of a hyur woman's upper torso, as though it had been peeled away while still alive and left intact. There was no body to be found, and no blood, but they had the skin and there was a skinning knife at the scene, so as far as the Yellowjackets were concerned, it was an open and shut case.

The Dutiful Sisters of Edelweiss were rather less convinced, feeling that mysteries and unanswered questions like "Where was the rest of the body" were important questions that needed answering.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a case that called for the Upright thieves to investigate- no one seemed to know who the victim was, but she wasn't a member of a pirate crew or one of the captains would have declared a mate of theirs missing, so there'd not been a violation of the code.

"I ain't met High Pockets, but I've seen the man, and there's no way he's got fambles dab enough to remove a dove's whole skin with a stabber. He'd have to pinch it delicate-like twixt his fingers." Jacke declared. "There's something odd at the bottom of this no mistake. But our own fambles are tied."

And that's when he smiled at occasional member, Ray Marlowe. "But there's nothing stopping us as concerned coves from hiring a private detective to look into things."

Ray sighed. "I know the score. Let me go check with a couple of folks and I'll see what turns up."

Jacke gave him a thumbs up and a sly wink, both of which Ray could have done without.

His first stop was to the Marauder's guild, connected as it was to the Yellowjackets, to get a look at the skin in question. Then he spoke to two women handing out pamphlets and offering guide services near the elevator to the admiral's office.

Then he left town, and stayed gone as High Pocket's trial approached. The rogues grew nervous, and Jacke yelled at the sky about docking Ray's pay.

On the day of the trial, just as everything was being called to order, the doors burst open, and Ray walked in, accompanied by a woman who entered not on her own two feet, but on a snake's tail.

"Sorry I'm late. Unfortunately our special guest didn't actually attune to the aetheryte on her prior visit, so we had to take the long way. May I present to all...present, our special surprise witness for the defense, the alleged victim of the skinner. He stepped back, and the purple-veiled Ananta woman slithered forward, then clapped her hands together and bowed towards High Pockets.

"I'm so sorry!"

The Ananta woman, Gitika, explained that she had visited the city at the time of the supposed skinning, which the gatewatcher pair had confirmed.

Unfortunately, she hadn't realized that her molting period was so close, and had ad to shed her skin in an alley and dispose of it there...which is where High Pockets had stumbled across it. The bin with the tail skin had been disposed of as not related by someone who didn't make the connection between the two, either physically or mentally.

The charges against High Pockets were dismissed out of hand.

Ray, for his part, went over to where Jacke was sitting to collect his pay, and instead got elbowed in the ribs. "Is it my imaginin' or do those two look like they're hittin' it off?"

High Pockets was blushing, while Gitika was clasping her hands behind her back and swaying slightly back and forth while making eyes up at him.

Ray squinted, then shrugged. "It's a big old star, Jacke, and, between love and money, you still owe me gil."

#ffxivwrite #ffxivwrite2023 #I always try to torture myself at least once with writing rogue cant for one of these #I guess that's a rule now

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ervsfm · 1 month ago

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𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐆𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒, luna lovegood, marlene mckinnon, alice longbottom, genevieve armstrong, itzel amaya, polina dolohov !!!

welcome, ali, a, mariam ! please look up our checklist and send your account within 24 hours. and remember to send in your character's clubs can be sent through ims or ask ( golden trio only ).

adeline rudolph, jenna ortega, kaylee kaneshiro, zaria simone, cierra ramirez, jessica alexander faceclaims are now taken.

ϟ — { adeline rudolph / demi woman / she/they } ♫ rabbithole by emei —— isn’t that LUNA LOVEGOOD walking down the corridor ? aren’t they TWENTY-ONE in FOURTH YEAR from RAVENCLAW ? they’re INFP which makes sense as they’re notoriously known for being DREAMY & PERCEPTIVE but also ALOOF & ECCENTRIC. though when i see them i can’t help but think of THE WARMTH OF THE SUN ON YOUR SKIN, HOLDING YOUR KNEAZLE A LITTLE TIGHTER AFTER A NIGHTMARE, WISHING ON EVERY STAR IN THE NIGHT SKY, A LOOK THAT CLAIMS TO KNOW MORE THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM, A HEART TO BIG TO ONLY WEAR ON YOUR SHOULDER, PEOPLE CALL YOU FICKLE & YOU LAUGH IN THEIR FACE ( WHO WOULD EVER WANT TO BE KNOWN AS PREDICTABLE? ). with war looming they have chosen LIGHT. ( ali, 32, she/they, est )

ϟ — { jenna ortega / cis woman / she/her } ♫ song by artist —— isn’t that MARLENE MCKINNON walking down the corridor ? aren’t they TWENTY-TWO in MARAUDERS ERA from GRYFFINDOR ? they’re ESFP which makes sense as they’re notoriously known for being CHARISMATIC & ADVENTUROUS but also OBSTINATE & BRASH. though when i see them i can’t help but think of HAVING A HEART FULL OF FIRE OFFERING WARMTH TO THOSE CLOSE & SCORCHING REMARKS TO THOSE IN THE WRONG, THE WAR IS TRYING TO DOUSE YOUR FIRE BUT YOU REFUSE TO LOSE YOUR SPARK, THE GRIM DAYS SLOWLY BEGINNING TO OVERSHADOW THE GOOD ONES, LONGING FOR THE IRRESPONSIBILITY OF CHILDHOOD WHILE THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD IS ON YOUR SHOULDERS, GLITTER IN YOUR HAIR FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE. with war looming they have chosen LIGHT. ( ali, 32, she/they, est )

ϟ — { kaylee kaneshirol / cis-female / she / her } ♫ right where you left me by taylor swift —— isn’t that alice longbottom (nee fortescue) walking down the corridor ? aren’t they 24 in marauders era from gryffindor ? they’re ENFP which makes sense as they’re notoriously known for being personable, intrepid but also ingenous, self-righteous. though when i see them i can’t help but think of pristine plaid skirts, covered by oversized sweaters, messy dark locks obstructing her view, bright yellow daisies and that stubborn ray of sunshine that sneaks in uninvited coating everything it touches in unwanted optimism, vintage cameras, spilled glitter and ice-cream stained hands, often accompanied by unwrapped chocolate wrappers and hidden vegetables under napkins, self imploding girl determined to be unextinguished light, but with new found cynicism, hidden through a thin veil of waining innocence and positivity. . with war looming they have chosen LIGHT. ( a, 29, she / her, cst )

ϟ — { zaria simone / cis-woman / she/her } ♫ cheat code by rico nasty —— isn’t that GENEVIEVE ARMSTRONG walking down the corridor ? aren’t they 24 in SEVENTH YEAR from GRYFFINDOR ? they’re INTJ which makes sense as they’re notoriously known for being CAPTIVATING AND MAVERICK but also VINDICTIVE AND OPINIONATED. though when i see them i can’t help but think of BALLET SHOES, COQUETTE ANTIQUES, LATE NIGHT SWIMMING, THE SOUND OF WATER BOILING, AND VANILLA SCENTS. with war looming they have chosen NEUTRAL .

ϟ — { cierra ramirez / cis-woman / she/her } ♫ lovesick girls by blackpink —— isn’t that ITZEL AMAYA walking down the corridor ? aren’t they 22 in FIFTH YEAR from HUFFLEPUFF ? they’re ENFP which makes sense as they’re notoriously known for being GREGARIOUS AND VEHEMENT but also PERFECTIONIST AND SENSITIVE. though when i see them i can’t help but think of TRYING TO CONTAIN LATE NIGHT LAUGHTER, KNITTED ITEMS, THE COMFORT SMELL OF CINNAMON ROLLS, SCRAPBOOKS, AND FALLING SLEEPING ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME. with war looming they have chosen LIGHT .

ϟ — { jessica alexander / cis-woman / she/her } ♫ all-american bitch by olivia rodrigo —— isn’t that POLINA DOLOHOV walking down the corridor ? aren’t they 22 in MARAUDERS ERA from SLYTHERIN ? they’re ESTP which makes sense as they’re notoriously known for being DAUNTLESS AND ELOQUENT but also MATERIALISTIC AND DISPUTATIOUS. though when i see them i can’t help but think of SPRAYING FLAMES AWAY, CONFIDENT STRIDES, AUTUMN LEAVES FALLING OFF TREES, THE HEAD ON MIDDLE CHILD, AND LIPSTICK STAINS . with war looming they have chosen LIGHT. ( mariam, 23, she/her, est ) WANTED CONNECTION : antonin dolohov's younger sibling.

#ervs.accepted #marauders era rp #hp rp #magic rp #marauders au rp #harry potter rp #dark rp #new rp #mature rp #appless rp #mumu rp

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ashes-2-ashes57cba · 2 months ago

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The Bad Batch: Valkyrie

Episode 9: Retreival

warnings: child labor, I hate this episode

Specter leaned back, shaking her hands and letting her eyes readjust. All but Omega worked tirelessly on the skiff, trying to get it in functional condition; Specter took the tedious task of cleaning out each connection port, straightening each wire, and reorganizing the internal computer matrix. Wrecker groaned.

“I’m bored, I’m hot, and I’m starving!” he complained.

“I told you to preserve your rations,” said Hunter.

“Well…” Wrecker sighed, “...I got hungry.” Specter, rubbing the soreness and dust from her eyes, laughed.

“I’m laughing because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry,” she explained through giggles. Her exhaustion had brought her to tears. Hunter reached over and rested a hand on her knee in sympathy.

“Call it ‘battle brain’, starlight,” he muttered.

“We’re wasting our time. This skiff’s a heap of junk,” Wrecker whined, throwing up his hands.

“Yes, but with a few repairs, it’ll be a slightly operational heap of junk,” Tech corrected. “The energy cells have just enough power to get us to the town on the other half of the hemisphere.”

“Power?” Omega said from where she was sitting, perking up from her data pad. “We forgot about Gonky! He’s still on the Marauder!”

“I’m afraid since the thief disabled the ship’s transponder, we will not be able to locate him,” said Tech.

“Not the ship. I mean we can track Gonky,” the girl explained. Specter laughed even harder.

“Oh. Ingenious idea,” Tech said, genuinely.

“Why didn’t we think of that before?” Specter said, out of breath, nearing delirium.

“Try doing a trace on his binary reference code,” suggested Tech.

“On it.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, kid,” Wrecker warned as Omega went to plug into the relay tower.

Specter kept working, almost losing feeling in her fingertips before she finished her task. She sighed, laying back on the ground, forcing herself to stay awake; the barest of clouds dusted the sky, fortunately indicating there was no storm on the rise.

“You alright, Spec?” Hunter asked, still working. She only raised her arm and gave a thumbs up. “Stay awake for me, love,” he said with a chuckle, to which Specter only groaned.

“Ooh, how cute! You called her ‘love’,” Omega teased, still working on the data pad.

“Wait, what does that mean?” Wrecker questioned before he finally caught on. “Ohh, I see; you two are finally together!”

“Now wait a minute-”

“It took longer than I expected,” Tech interrupted Hunter, “but I figured this was bound to happen. Especially now that you know for certain that you don't share DNA.” Hunter sighed in defeat, knowing he couldn't dissuade them from their prodding.

“Hey, Tech?” Specter spoke up, still lying on the ground. He hummed in response. “How about I stuff your goggles with sand?” Wrecker burst out laughing while Tech only grumbled. She lifted her head, sending Hunter a smirk.

“I’m getting a reading,” Omega said slowly, “I think I found Gonky!”

“You… what?” Wrecker questioned, still chuckling until he processed what he said. Specter sat up. “You found him?”

“His signal is 100 kilometers east,” Omega handed the datapad to Tech. “If Gonky’s still on the planet, the Marauder must be too.”

“Let’s get this thing running and find out,” Hunter nodded.

Specter made herself as small as she could, but it was no use as everyone crammed onto the dingy skiff. She clenched her teeth with every bump and rattle, watching as clouds gathered and darkened as the sun sank lower and lower, turning the sky green by the time they reached their destination.

The settlement surrounded a large mine; activity was minimal, but present nonetheless. Specter peered through her rifle scope for any sort of defenses or suspicious characters but pulled away a brief moment to massage her shoulder.

“Gonky’s signal is pinging from down there. I’m reading minimal life forms in his proximity, but an unknown number in the subterranean level,” Tech assessed.

“This place looks worse than the abandoned spaceport,” Wrecker complained.

“We’ll do a split approach,” Hunter instructed, “Stay alert.”

Gonky honked, unable to stop the boy’s prodding. Since sending Omega his signal, the little droid counted down the moments until his rescue.

“Guess I’ll have to sell you for parts,” the boy sighed. Gonky honked in confusion. “Because you’re useless to me. What am I gonna do with a defective power droid?”

Gonky honked again, this time in delight at seeing the figures looming behind the boy.

“That’s our defective power droid,” Hunter growled, Tech next to him. “Now, where’s our ship?”

“Oh…” the boy crumpled. “You see, the thing is…” he broke out into a run, hopping on his speeder to escape-

Wrecker stuck his fist out, knocking the boy off the speeder bike. He scrambled to his feet but was met with the purple glow of Omega’s energy bow. Specter loomed behind her, holding up her axe. The boy whimpered as they all surrounded him, Gonky drawing near from behind.

“Hey, Gonky, you okay?” Specter asked the droid, who chattered with a positive response.

“What do you care how that thing’s doing?” the boy questioned. “It’s just a beat-up old battery!”

“Not to us,” Omega insisted, drawing her bow back even further.

“Let’s try that again,” said Hunter, taking off his helmet. “Where’s… our… ship?”

“Can you be more specific?” Specter placed the axe blade by the boy’s head, he yelped.

“The one you stole yesterday,” she hissed.

“Oh, right. That ship,” he suddenly remembered, chuckling awkwardly. “Well, Mokko has it. He gave me the droid as a gift.”

“And who is this Mokko?” Tech questioned.

“Who’s Mokko?” the boy repeated, incredulously, standing up and carefully avoiding the axe blade. “He runs this whole town! He’s the boss. Your ship’s his now.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Wrecker growled.

“Take us to it,” ordered Hunter.

“No way! I can’t help you go against Mokko,” the boy protested. “You don’t know what he’s done for me.”

“Like give you a defective power droid?” said Specter, grabbing her weapon. The boy sighed, seeing that they wouldn’t give up.

“Alright, alright. I can show you where your ship is. But if you get caught, you don’t know me.”

“Techno Union ran this mine during the war,” the kid—Benni—led them to the edge of the mine, “but Mokko took over when they were forced out. He’s kept this operation running ever since.” Specter lay on her stomach, tracking activity through her scope.

“So, you’re an ipsium miner and a ship thief?” Omega questioned.

“Mokko says they’re useful skills.”

“Stealing’s not a skill,” Omega refuted.

“It is when you’re good at it,” Benni pointed out.

“The central portal is ray-shielded,” Tech said, pulling up a hologram of the schematics. Benni reached for the datapad before Wrecker swatted his hand, “and all subterranean entrances appear to be guarded in shifts.”

“Ah, we’ve stormed tougher strongholds than that,” said Wrecker, crossing his arms.

“You can’t use blasters inside an ipsium mine. You’ll destroy everything and everyone in there! Cut your losses now,” protested Benni. Specter was starting to find him truly annoying; she hoisted herself up, hissing a little from the soreness in her arm. She didn’t notice Hunter sparing her a concerned glance.

“There is one covert infiltration point. From there.” Tech pointed to the smoke stack across the mine, releasing a burst of steam. “The stack has a lower access hatch inside. If timed correctly, we can rappel down between exhaust cycles.”

“How big of a window is there?” asked Hunter, peering through his binoculars.

“Sixty seconds,” answered Tech.

“Plenty of time,” nodded Omega.

“We could probably make it in a single run,” scoffed Specter.

“Glad you’re all so confident, but getting cooked alive wasn’t on my agenda. Good luck! I’m rooting for you,” Benni turned to go before Hunter gripped the boy's arm.

“You can go once we have our ship back,” he growled.

Specter tightly tied the rope to the grappling hook while Wrecker and the kids finished climbing up the tower. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, Wrecker wobble upon realizing how high up they were. Benni took the chance to try and slip away, but Wrecker still caught him and pushed the kid toward the group, shaking his head.

“Here, you’re all good to go,” she handed Hunter the rope. The team had decided to let Hunter rappel down first and secure the area rather than Specter, whose arm was still recovering.

“Thanks.”

“You have a good anchor point?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he pointed to a spot at the edge of the platform.

“How about your grip?”

“It’s good.”

“And you’ll remember to keep your weight distribution in mind? Because if your angle is wrong, you’ll-”

“Specter,” Hunter stopped her, taking her hand. “I’ve trained for this too, and most importantly, I’ve watched you. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’m not that fragile.”

“Hey, that’s what I said.”

“I know,” he said. She knew he winked under his helmet; he knew she rolled her eyes at him. “Set,” Hunter nodded to Tech.

“On my mark,” he replied.

“This is a very bad idea,” Benni muttered before ducking at the sound of another blast of steam.

“Now,” Tech started the timer. Specter watched as Hunter tossed down the rope and—in her opinion—perfectly leaned forward and ran down the inside of the tower, holding onto the rope. He made good time, nearing the bottom before the inner access door opened and a droid exited. Hunter stopped himself, just out of view; Omega turned off her flashlight.

“You said it was unguarded,” Specter hissed.

“It was at the time,” replied Tech. They all waited with bated breath, but time was ticking too fast. “Thirty seconds.”

“He’s not gonna make it,” said Benni, “I’m telling you. You gotta bail before it’s too late.” Selfishly, Specter wanted to agree.

“We don’t do that,” Omega argued, rolling her eyes.

“This is not good. This is not good,” Benni repeated, inadvertently knocking the flashlight out of Omega’s hands. Specter gasped as it fell, but Hunter reached out and caught it before it alerted the droid.

“Hunter, you have to move,” Tech muttered into the comm. Specter rapidly tapped her foot, anxious to see if he would make it in time.

Hunter lowered himself down from the rope, jumping onto the droid and kicking it away, but it quickly recovered.

“Five seconds,” Omega warned. The droid charged at Hunter, he blocked its punches and grabbed hold of it, throwing it to the other side of the chamber before opening the access doors and leaping inside before a burst of hot steam shot up. Specter and the others jumped back before it hit their faces.

“All clear,” Hunter confirmed over the comm, temporarily shutting down the stack.

“You definitely aren’t ipsium miners,” Benni mumbled.

“What gave you that idea?” Specter scoffed, grabbing onto the rope and sliding down.

“You stole the wrong ship,” said Omega, pointing a finger in Benni’s face. One by one, the team slid down the smoke stack and joined Hunter inside the facility, letting Benni lead, with close guard of course.

They came to the main shaft—Benni mouthed for them to keep quiet—connected to a central operations column by a series of bridges held together with nothing but rope and wishful thinking. Children traversed those bridges with ease under the red glow of the ray shield, filling Specter with bitterness and sorrow that they were forced to adapt to such conditions.

“The conditions of this mine are less than ideal,” observed Tech.

“It’s because the ipsium’s become degraded. Mokko had to lower wages just to keep this mine up and running. But at least we’re still working,” Benni explained with a grim smile.

“You know despite all this, I’m impressed you can still find the positives,” she explained, genuinely impressed at the boy’s tenacity. He shrugged and turned back to the shaft.

“Okay… well your ship’s in the upper garage bay across from the central tower,” he pointed upwards. “Come on. I know a shortcut.”

“No tricks,” Hunter warned before the boy led them away.

“Hey, I’m not trying to get caught either,” Benni said, shrugging Hunter’s hand off his arm.

“Well, there’s your ship,” Benni brought them to the garage where the Marauder looked to be in rough shape. Specter took off her helmet and gaped, half in distress at the state of their ship, half in disbelief that the kids had to resort to such measures. “I held up my end of the bargain, so I’ll be off.”

“Hang on,” Tech stopped him, drawing closer to inspect the damage. “The hyperdrive has been removed!”

“You didn’t ask me what condition it’d be in. How’s that my fault?” Benni asked incredulously. Wrecker only growled at him, making the boy cower, but still defend himself. “Relax. It’s not a complicated fix.”

“It better not be,” Wrecker and Specter threatened simultaneously, walking with Hunter to help Tech repair the ship.

“Grab the hyperdrive. Let’s make this quick,” said Hunter.

“What about the ray shield? We still need to shut it down,” Omega reminded.

“You can only do that from the central tower,” added Benni.

“Well, let’s go,” Hunter nodded towards the door. The boy scoffed.

“No way. You stick out too much,” he protested.

“He’s got a point, love,” Specter agreed, giving Hunter a once-over.

“If you don’t trust me to go alone, she’ll blend in easily enough,” Benni nodded towards Omega. Hunter and Specter glanced at each other, considering their options, silently communicating.

I don’t trust him, he expressed with a grimace towards the boy.

But I trust her, Specter countered with a slight incline of her head. He hummed and faced the kids.

“Well, don’t let him out of your sight,” Hunter instructed.

“Transfer the data onto this, and I can access the shield remotely,” Tech added, coming by and handing Omega a data pad.

“Let’s go,” the girl nodded, taking the pad and eagerly starting to head off before Benni stopped her.

“Not looking like that.” The boy shrugged off his coat and handed it toward Omega; it fit awkwardly on her, but it was enough to hide her energy bow. “Eh, it’ll do. Come on,” he motioned for her to follow him. The Batch watched her go until Specter stepped forward and called-

“Omega!” The girl turned toward her. [If anything happens, know that I’ll come running], Specter signed.

[Thank you. I’ll be careful, I promise], Omega signed back before running to catch up with Benni. Specter didn’t move until the girl was out of sight, letting out a sigh. Hunter came up to her and took her hand.

“She’ll be alright,” he assured.

“I know… it’s just,” Specter paused to find the words, Hunter squeezing her hand, “I’m worried about her mental state. How she’s going to be once we’re out of this.”

“Whatever happens,” Hunter lifted her hand and brushed his lips against her knuckles, “we’re all going to be here for each other. We’ll all be okay.” Specter smiled, comforted.

“If you two are quite finished, perhaps we can start making progress on repairs,” Tech called them over, standing in the Marauder’s doorway. Hunter chuckled and let go of Specter’s hand, letting her look back to where Omega had disappeared one more time before joining the others in repairs.

“Wrecker, I said the blue-handled socket wrench,” said Specter, sticking her hand out, waiting for the right tool.

“That was blue!” Wrecker protested.

“No, this is green,” Specter ducked out of the hyperdrive cradle, holding out the wrong wrench and using it to point toward the one she needed. “Please don’t tell me you’re blue-green colorblind,” she deadpanned.

“Uh…” Wrecker didn’t answer, rubbing the back of his neck and handing Specter the proper blue-handled wrench.

“You know, that would actually explain a lot,” Specter mumbled, ducking back inside the cradle, finishing her work on getting it primed. “Alright, your turn.” She ducked out again, making way for Wrecker to install the hyperdrive.

“How’s it looking?” Hunter came in over the comm, keeping guard at the edge of the garage.

“I can get most of the systems back online easily enough,” Tech reported from inside the ship, “but we are not going anywhere until we get the hyperdrive connected.”

“I’m working on it!” said Wrecker, housing up the hyperdrive.

“Give him a break, he can’t tell the difference between blue and green,” teased Specter. Wrecker groaned in response.

“The motivator is installed,” Tech announced, “but I still have to connect the primaries to the guidance system and adjust the navicomputer.”

“Wait, I already primed the navicom’, stick to the primaries,” Specter stuck her head out of the ship.

“The weapons system’s online,” said Wrecker, hanging from the ship’s underbelly.

“We’re not engaging,” ordered Hunter from the top of the Marauder. “The situation for these kids is bad enough.”

“Mokko’s using his power and wealth as leverage over these children. If we engage, he’ll take it out on them,” said Specter, leaning against the doorway.

“It is a similar tactic used by the Empire. Although, this operation is on a smaller scale,” Tech added. Specter shook her head.

Obviously she had never met Mokko, but she knew right off that he was a small and insecure man. Holding power over the people of the galaxy was one thing, as bad as it was, but exploiting children for one’s personal greed was just plain low.

“Hey, who are you?” a young voice shouted, snapping Specter out of her daze. It was another kid like Benni with his accomplice standing near the access ladder.

“Uh, Mokko sent us,” Wrecker fumbled for an answer. Specter shifted her stance, ready to spring into action.

“Easy,” Hunter jumped down from the top of the ship, his hands out in an effort to ease the tension. “We’re just here for our ship.” The kids took off, Hunter and Specter were not too far behind.

“Get the engines online!” Specter shouted.

The mining facility was an unfamiliar maze, the kids took advantage of it and got the pair turned around.

“I’ll go left, you go right,” said Hunter. They split up, looking for any sign of the spies, though Specter knew it was a moot point. By now they could have disappeared and told Mokko everything they saw.

“The hyperdrive is nearly online,” Tech came in over comms. Specter caught up with Hunter on an outer platform, shaking her head.

“We lost our spies,” he sighed.

“Oh great,” Specter mumbled, spotting movement on the bridge connecting to the garage. “They called in backup.”

Who they assumed was Mokko was flanked by guard droids, with a small group of miners ahead of him, ready to defend their boss. Specter reconfigured her rifle to it’s sniper form, taking aim at the big man.

“It appears we have uninvited guests. Care to show yourselves?” his big voice rang out over the noise. Tech and Wrecker emerged from the doorway, aiming their blasters. “So you think you can come here and steal from me?” Mokko accused.

“Technically, this ship belongs to us,” said Tech.

“Not anymore! And I’d rethink the blasters. One stray shot, and we’re all done for,” the man said with a dark chuckle.

“We don’t miss,” Wrecker threatened. Mokko chuckled again.

“I believe you, but I think you’ll reconsider.” He looked up toward a broken bridge where one of his droids was dragging Omega toward the edge. Specter gasped, watching as the girl protested and fought back, but to no avail.

“I don’t have a clear shot,” Specter frantically mumbled, trying and failing to get the droid in her scope. Any split second that she did, however, only put Omega in more danger.

“Lower your weapons, or she goes over,” Mokko threatened. The Batch lowered their blasters; Specter and Hunter tried to think of some other plan.

“What about your grappling line?” she whispered.

“That could work. Focus on Mokko and those droids,” he whispered back. Specter nodded, stowing her rifle and discretely climbing up to another platform, one with a better vantage point.

“Trespassing and attempted theft. Ten years in the mines seems like a reasonable punishment,” the man continued, grinning at Tech and Wrecker, “if you survive that long. Take them below.”

“Stop!” someone cried. It was Benni, emerging from the tower and stepping foot on the bridge.

“Not now, kid. I’m busy,” Mokko brushed him aside.

“You lied to us, Mokko. The ipsium’s not degrading! You’ve been cutting us out and keeping the profits for yourself!” Benni accused.

“That’s a lie. Don’t listen to him!” “You never cared about us at all. And I have the proof right here,” Benni held up a data pad. Another kid looked at the data, finding that Benni was telling the truth.

“What’s going on, Mokko? We toil down in the mines while you enjoy the spoils?” he questioned.

“I was taking my share! None of you would’ve survived without me! Don’t forget that!” Mokko was frantic now, red from the glow of molten ipsium and his rage. “Throw her over!” he shouted to the droid holding Omega. Hunter shot his grappling line; Omega saw it and smiled, knowing Hunter would have her back. She wrestled with the droid, leaning back until they both fell, but Omega reached out and caught onto Hunter’s arm as he brought her back to safety.

“No one’s going to take what belongs to me! Take care of all of them!” Mokko ordered his droids. They were shot down before they could even take a step; the boys looked to the shadow where the shots had come from, knowing Specter was there to watch their backs.

“I’ll deal with you myself!” cried Mokko, squaring up as the enraged children began to close in on him. They charged, Mokko wildly swung his staff, only to trip over his own feet and fall over the rail, hanging on for dear life over molten ipsium. Specter had the perfect shot, one blast would have done the trick, but Benni dashed forward and reached for him.

“Grab my hand!” he cried. Specter pulled back, hoping the man would take the opportunity to redeem himself. But as she predicted, Mokko grabbed Benni’s hand but started to pull the kid down with him. Specter took aim again, but Mokko’s foolish grip had slipped. The man fell to his doom, leaving the kids to slouch in defeat from their attempt to redeem him.

Specter gave the Marauder a once over, glad to find it untouched after the entire ordeal. Wrecker gave Gonky a hug, happy their resident power droid was safely returned. Specter gave Hunter and Omega the all-clear with a wave.

“Here’s your stuff,” said Benni as he came around with their gear.

“All of it?” Hunter questioned, raising a brow and crossing his arms.

“Yeah, don’t you trust me?” Hunter and Omega mirrored each other’s scowl. “Okay, that’s fair. But it’s all there,” Benni assured, taking a bite of fruit while Hunter handled their gear. Specter watched as Omega talked to Benni; the boy had more resolve now. He stood up straighter, filled with hope. She was sure he and the other kids would end up fine.

“You know there’s a story I read back on Kamino” Specter shoved it inside. “It was about something similar to this whole situation. I’ll have to see if I can find a copy, maybe we could read it to Omega.”

“If I remember correctly, Specter, it’s a depressing tale, are you sure Omega can handle–” Tech began, but Omega interrupted him.

“After all this? I’m sure it’s nothing,” she waved her hand, sitting on the steps of the ship while the crew gathered around. “So, what’s our next move? Are we going back to Ord Mantell?” she asked. Specter glanced down at Hunter, curious for his answer.

“I… don’t know. Let’s get out of here first and decide on the way,” he said. The team nodded, entering the ship and preparing to take off; Specter hesitated, pausing outside with Hunter.

“On the way to where?” she questioned. He smiled a little, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“As long as it’s with you all… anywhere.”

#f!oc #star wars #star wars oc #tbb hunter #tbb hunter x oc #the bad batch #sw tbb #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #tbb oc #tbb wrecker #tbb omega

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