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in1-nutshell · 5 months ago

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I have a really dumb idea for Fearless. Getaway happens, again. The crew is trapped on the necroplanet with six hours before the djd comes knocking down the door. When Megatron goes off to talk to Tarn, Fearless follows because why the fuck not. Maybe they make their presence known the moment that Megatron offers to exchange himself for everyone elses safety with a loud objection. Maybe they wait until a fight starts and Megatron gets the shit beat outta him to try and (fail) stop Tarn. Either way I want the angst to the max. Tarn taunting Megs for his hypocrisy, from wiping out organic planets by the dozen to practically begging for Tarn not to hurt Fearless.

Side note, not sure how this would fit into the angst but I'm laughing at the idea of Tarn having an almost a one-sided rivalry with Fearless because he went from being Megatron’s favorite student to second to a tiny fleshling.

Instant Angst coming right up!

Hope you enjoy!

Fearless VS Tarn

SFW, Platonic, ANGST, Familial, mention of wounds and some injuries, nothing too graphic, Human reader

MTMTE

Fearless wanted to go on the planetary mission with the Rod Squad.

But Megatron simple said no.

So, they tried asking Magnus, with a report too!

Still no.

They even went to Rodimus to ask to go.

Even he said no!

Fearless already was processing a sick note for the Co-captain when they saw the squad leaving.

They quickly got into their battle suit (similar to Verity’s in Last Stand of the Wrecker’s) and hopped into one of the larger med kits.

Getaway transmission inside the Necrobot’s dome. Getaway: “And now Rodimus what are you going to do? The entire crew on this ship voted mutiny. All you bots will die like pathetic fools along side Megatron. I’ll make sure to say something to Fearless for you.” Rodimus: “I swear if you lay a digit on them—” CLICK! The call had declined. Rodimus looked stressed while Megatron looked like he was going to have a stroke. Everyone who heard suddenly got worried about their little human on the ship. It wasn’t any news about Getaway behaving certain ways around organics, especially after the incident. Megatron clenching his servos. TAP! TAP! One of the larger med kits Swerve had brought in suddenly moved. Swerve: “Oh great! The med kits are possessed now!” The tap opens and Fearless pops their head out. Fearless: “Who was carrying the medkits!? I swear I nearly lost my lunch—what’s everyone looking at? Did someone die?” Megatron looks like he is about to faint. Magnus sure did. Megatron: “WHY ARE YOU HERE!?” Fearless puts their hands up in surrender. Whirl: “Megs I think you need to get your priorities checked. This is great!” Megatron: “And pray tell why having one of the most vulnerable crew members on the ship, well what’s left of the original crew, here in the same place we are going to get slaughtered by the DJD is great!?” Fearless: “…what in the world did I miss…”

Fearless wordlessly as Megatron explained their situation.

By the end of it they swore they were going to kick Getaway’s tin can so far, he would be forever drifting in space.

The small human had never met the DJD in their life.

They heard stories about the group from other bots around the ship, but it was almost like they were too scared to even speak their names.

They tried one time talking to Megatron about them, it earned them a weeklong silent treatment.

To Fearless, they were more bad guys that had made their family miserable and deathly afraid of.

They didn’t truly know what DJD did.

Fearless decided to make themselves a bit useful and tried to help more panicy bots calm down.

Apparently, it helped the bots calm down when they held/petted/cuddled them close, and they were going to bare it for their sakes.

They noticed that some bots were going to need more durable things to hold and fidget with.

Thankfully they spotted a couple of loose bolts inside a bright pink scooter.

Too bad that the scooter started up knocking them out for a bit.

When Fearless eventually comes out of their ‘nap’ they immediately open up the compartment and sees a bunch of blue flowers.

They hop off and see Megatron standing in front of a statue… of himself?

Suddenly a new bot came out of nowhere and transformed in front of Megatron.

They glared at the mysterious mech.

Something was wrong.

Something was definitely wrong…

The human’s eyes nearly popped out of their skull when they heard Megatron address Tarn about surrendering to keep the crew safe.

What was this!?!?

They were still processing what Megatron had said when Tarn started beating him up.

Fearless was ready to see Megatron completely annihilate his metal behind.

They just stared in horror seeing their father figure not even attempting to defend himself.

The tiny human was FURIOUS!

Fearless runs, jumps on Megatron’s chassis, raises their blasters up at the purple Con with fire in their eyes. Fearless: “GET AWAY FROM HIM!” Megatron feels his spark stop seeing Fearless on his chassis YELLING at TARN! Tarn was surprised to see a human DEFENDING Megatron. Tarn: “What is this? Oh, I see. You truly have changed Megatron. From making every organic life form quake in your presence, to having to rely on them to fight your battles?” Tarn laughs as he takes a step forward. Fearless readies their blasters. Fearless: “I’m warning you! Stay away from us!” Tarn: “Ha! What is the little organic going to do? I am Tarn! Leader of the Decepticon Justice Division! Megatron’s chosen one!” Fearless: “You sure about that? Cause last time I checked my names on the adoption papers and not yours.” Tarn is in a slight stuttering mess, not expecting to hear that comment. Megatron tries to move his servo but can’t: “Fearless don’t provoke him!” Tarn: “You are a peculiar organic, aren’t you? Sadly, you won’t be remembered.” Fearless glares at Tarn. Fearless: “I’m not going to repeat myself Tarn, but I’ll do it for you so your tiny processor can comprehend. Stay away from us or I WILL—” Tarn: “What are you going to do? Blast me in the face?” Fearless with a determined smile: “Yes.” BLAST! Fearless had indeed blasted Tarn in the face, then proceeded to JUMP on his chassis and started punching and shooting. Tarn was too startled to properly think what was going on as the human started climbing and tearing parts of his armor. Fearless looks behind them and straight at Megatron. They had a desperate look on their face. Fearless: “GO!”

Megatron laid down on the floor for a couple of seconds stunned at what his organic child had just done.

He scrambled up and attempted to get Fearless.

Sadly, Tarn had gotten to his senses and grabbed Fearless harshly.

The leader of the DJD’s armor was dented and some holes sprinkled around.

Fearless had a scowl on their face and thrashed around in his clenched servo.

Tarn just flexed his digits and made Fearless stop and gasped hearing something snap.

That’s not good…

Megatron yelled at him to spar Fearless.

Tarn felt disgusted… and a bit jealous.

How come Megatron cared so much about his puny organic when he had him!?

Tarn sadistically laughed and threw Fearless into his subspace.

Megatron was about to demand Fearless back again when Overlord suddenly descended from the sky and demanded Tarn to hand Megatron over so he could terminate him.

Megatron slipped away with a heavy spark to the dome.

When he returned to the crew, Megatron told them what happened and who had taken Fearless.

Whirl was about to exit the dome at that same second if Cyclonus and Magnus hadn’t tackled him down.

Rodimus did his best to calm the crew, despite the sinking pit in his tank.

Everyone knew the chances Fearless had alone with Tarn.

They were slim to nonexistent.

Meanwhile, Tarn had just arrived with the rest of his group.

He opened his subspace and carelessly tossed the human aside.

Fearless yelped when they landed on one of their legs.

Another snap.

Oh, if Ratchet ever found out about this…

Well good news was that he wasn’t even here… yeah… good news…

Tarn just gave them a simple order to stay put.

He wanted to destroy them in front of Megatron.

No one else was to touch them under his orders.

A silver lining, now all they needed to do was figure out a way to get back to the crew and not die in the process.

Just two things.

While Fearless was starting to worry about the shortness of breath and hot/cold flashes they were feeling, they barely noticed much of the battle happening around them.

It wasn’t until Tarn and most of his group had gone to personally fight that Fearless realize that they had been left in the ‘care’ of the light blue minibot that had been giving them the stink eye since they snapped their leg.

Suddenly the minibot told them that she didn’t see them escape before head to Deathsaurus.

Fealess suddenly realized they had no one guarding them.

They yelped and grunted as they tried getting up.

Thankfully they didn’t need to stand up for too long thanks to a familiar looking felicon racing to them.

Ravage: “Fearless!” Ravage skid to a stop in front of the barely standing human. Fearless managed to give him a tight smile before leaning on him. He smelled them a bit. Ravage: “You’re bleeding.” Fearless: “That’s probably from the broken bone.” Ravage: “What is broken?!” Fearless: “Yeah and I think something in my chest snapped too…” Ravage kneels letting Fearless struggle to get on. He flinches hearing their labored breathing and yelps. Ravage: “This isn’t going to be a smooth ride Fearless. Hold on tight and don’t let go.” Fearless gripping part of his armor: “Wasn’t planning on it.”

Fearless didn’t know what was worse.

Focusing on the pain in their chest and leg or focusing on the battle around them.

They definitely needed to apologize to Ravage for how hard they were clenching his armor.

Most didn’t even take notice of the felicon being used to move the injured human.

Sadly, there was one mech on the battlefield that had taken notice.

Fearless sees the giant shadow dwarfing them and Ravage. All they see is Tarn’s large servo reach for them. Fearless raises one of their arms and starts blasting. Fearless: “GO BACK TO THE PITS WHERE YOU BELONG!” It only slows down Tarn a bit. It wasn’t enough. Tarn slaps hard at Fearless’s smaller body. To Ravage’s horror he sees the smaller body get plunged into the fray, swallowed by the fire and smoke of the battlefield. Ravage: “FEARLESS!” A pair of mechs had just seen the act from the screen. One of them immediately ran out.

Time skip after the battle…

The bots who were well enough to walk started rounded up around Terminus and Megatron.

Megatron was trying to recruit a search party for Fearless.

When Megatron had gone out, it was impossible to find their tiny body amongst the chaos around.

Even right after dealing with the DJD and Rodimus pulling him out of the place, there was still no sign of Fearless.

Hope was dwindling fast.

Megatron: “All right, in 5 minutes we depart.” Skids (yes, he lives): “Count me in.” Rung holds Skids back: “With the low energy you have, I don’t think that’s wise Skids.” Skids: “Fearless is out there, we need every bot on deck.” Whirl hobbling over: “He’s right Eyebrows. My Amica is out there and needs us.” Terminus looking at one of the monitors. Terminus: “Your human is small, correct?” Megatron not looking: “Yes.” Terminus: “And in some form of armor?” Megatron still not looking: “Yes.” Terminus: “They leak a lot of red fluids?” Megatron pauses before looking at the screen. Fearless was INSIDE the dome and staggering to the door. Megatron: “Sweet Solus Prime!” Megatron sprints to the door faster than he ever had in his life.

No one knows how Fearless got this far.

Ratchet tells them that it shouldn’t even be possible for them to move with the amount of blood loss and broken bones.

But he wasn’t complaining.

No one is.

Ratchet doesn’t leave Fearless’s side for a couple of hours.

Ratchet stands up with Fearless, bandaged up and limp. Ratchet: “I need someone to hold Fearless, very still, for a while.” Megatron: “I’ll do it.” Ratchet: “No offense Megatron, but you’re shaking like a new recruit. Any harsh movement is not what they need right now.” Whirl hobbles over and opens his cockpit. Carefully he reclines the seat and pulls out one of Fearless’s blankets from his subspace. Whirl: “I’ll take them Doc. I’ll even sit down in the corner.” Ratchet hesitates, but the determined look in Whirl’s optic finally made him gently lay Fearless inside. As soon as Ratchet finished putting Fearless down, Megatron came up and carefully tucked them in. Fearless slightly snuggles closer to the blanket. Terminus peaks over Megatron’s shoulder. Terminus: “They mean that much to you?” Megatron watches Whirl carefully hobble to a corner and sat down. He didn’t miss the Ex-Wrecker carefully adjust their blanket. Megatron: “Yes, yes they do.”

#transformers x reader #maccadam #transformers #human buddy #mtmte x platonic reader #mtmte x reader #fearless buddy

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seat-safety-switch · 4 months ago

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Once you've been a tourist to a place, you gain a sort of common language with other folks who have been there. If you want to make fast friends with someone, the best idea is to figure out if you've been to the same place and then start talking about it. For me, that place is junkyards, because that's the only place I go.

Visiting distant junkyards is often both pleasure and business for me. On long road trips, I like to unwind by surrounding myself with the rusty corpse of industrial automation. It's convenient, then, that I'm forced to visit nearly every junkyard I see on my travels, in order to get parts to keep the car I drove there going. In other words, I've seen a lot of junkyards.

All this means that when I meet another bad-car weirdo, we can instantly bond about their home junkyard.

"I loved how the forklift operator has that deft touch, didn't even collapse the frame rails on that mouldy '87 Bronco," I chirp.

"Oh, that thing has been there forever. You should have seen it, they put a hearse next to it once and the damn thing was stripped to the bone a day later," you remark, instantly warming to my bullshit and potentially letting me look at your hoard of parts and tools.

The only time this went wrong was in Ohio. In Ohio, it seems, the locals have their "favourite" junkyards. It's like a sports-team thing. They won't go to a rival yard, even if it has the exact part they need. I didn't know this before I piped off to a dude visiting my local junkyard, who it turns out was from Ohio. Once he realized that I had only been to Cuthbertson's AAA Auto Wreckers and never even set foot in his beloved Elmonston's AAAA Car Recyclers, he never spoke to me again, and I also didn't get a chance to ask him if he had seen any Honda CR-V picnic tables when he was down in that corner of the yard.

Outside of people from Ohio, though, I would say this is a good strategy to follow in life. Even if you don't get any parts out of the experience, you get to meet another strange gearhead, and enjoy a moment of kinship together, sitting in a junkyard full of other people's once-treasures, reflecting on how the passage of time corrodes everything beneath it. And also, sometimes they tell you where to get good tacos after you get that damn transmission out.

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huntershoe · 10 months ago

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THE BAD BATCH PROMPT EVENT

A/N: I would like to thank @arctrooper69 for making this prompt and giving me a great idea. I am a little late tho because I only saw the post yesterday evening. I chose the NSFW prompt since I am trying to improve my smut writing abilities ;)

Summary: After intense past months, the tension between you and Hunter finally snaps.

Warning: NSFW (18+) minors DNI.

Word count: 2439

Thank you for reading!

It has been months since you, Hunter and Wrecker had any break, the fast pacing time and events simply wouldn't let you rest, even a good night sleep was rare. And with that of course came another few things to complain about. You and Hunter used to be so much more physically active together, and not just the flaming hot crazy sex, but also just small kisses here and there when no one was looking, the fleeting touches, just to reassure each other's presence.

It's not that you don't love him anymore, or the other way around, it's just that the stress from loosing Tech and Omega was too great, it wouldn't let you relax even for a second, knowing that Omega is still out there, suffering maker knows what.

So yes, you actually couldn't remember the last time you and Hunter managed to let out some steam and fuck and the only time you would get to kiss him was if you both managed get into your bunk at the same time to sleep and Wrecker took the watch.

The last few months consisted of constant deadly missions, doing the dirty work just to get some information, which usually ended up being useless but that didn't stop you and you kept on risking your life every day, to find Omega.

So once you got a mysterious transmission, sounding like Omega and telling you to meet at some backwater location, you didn't know what to believe. It simply sounded too good to be true. You could still remember the moment Omega ran down the ramp and into Wrecker's arms, it really was a sight to see, just like Wrecker said.

You were the second one Omega ran to, and you knelt down in front of her, squeezing her into a tight hug, until Omega spotted Hunter on top of the ramp, looking down at his two favourite girls with a small smile.

From then on, everything changed once Crosshair walked down the ramp to everyone's surprise.

Crosshair's arrival made Hunter a bit on edge, he didn't trust his brother as much as he wanted to. Who could blame him, Crosshair was the one hunting them just a little more than six months ago.

On top of that, with Crosshair now being around again, Hunter seemed more...pissy, it greatly bothered him that the sniper acted like nothing happened, like he didn't need to explain his actions.

With that, tension was all time high, because Hunter being pissy and on edge, made you pissy and on edge so you were constantly bickering. That's exactly why you were in the middle of a fight that was gradually becoming bigger and bigger, making Crosshair roll his eyes and go down to the beach with Batcher and Wrecker taking Omega fishing.

Not even realizing you two were now alone in the Marauder, yelling at each other about the most silly things until the topic somehow ended up on your failing relationship, or how it seemed that it was slowly failing.

And when Hunter tried to come up with a dumb excuse as to why he was pulling away, because he himself didn't actually know why but he just felt like he had to explain himself and when you called him on his bulshit he groaned, holding his head as he rolled his eyes and tried to walk away.

You weren't about to let him go, especially when you heard him mutter a quiet "Just go fuck yourself."

He couldn't help himself, it just escaped his lips and he knew he screwed up when you let out a loud scoff, crossing your arms in front of you and glared at his back. "Fuck me yourself, you coward."

That made him stop in his tracks and his breath hitched, not knowing if he heard you right and trying to decide how to respond back if he did indeed heard you right. Hunter turned around, his head moving before his body as he looked at you with raised brows. "What?"

You knew Hunter didn't mean it, he wasn't the type of man to insult someone and you knew very well that these past months weren't just bad for you but also for him. You knew it wasn't his fault that you two grew apart but still, you were frustrated. Frustrated that you can't have him like you used to, that you can't show him how deeply you actually love him, that even when you do, he barely acknowledges it. Frustrated with yourself that you were still thinking so selfishly. "You heard me, Hunter."

You rolled your eyes, still a little angry and tapping your feet against the ground. "I mean it's been months since you've last kissed me properly," You tried to justify your comeback, the last of your frustration fading away and embarrassment and self consciousness taking its place as you averted your eyes down to your fiddling fingers.

The embarrassment only intensified when Hunter stayed silent, just looking at you with his head tilted making you nervous in front of him for the first time since you've entered the relationship with him. "I...I know we hadn't had the time for us in these past months but I just miss us...I miss you Hunter." You started rambling, your voice getting quieter until you just barely whispered the last part but Hunter only stayed still, silently watching, making it worse.

The nerves finally got the best of you and you closed your eyes. "please say something." You whispered as tears started forming in your eyes. You let out one final breath waiting for him, to give you a sign, something, anything, to show you he still wants you and your relationship.

And when even after a few moments, he didn't let out a single sound, you turned away to hide your tears that finally spilled. Thinking that this was the end of it, you began walking away, trying to hide but you only managed to make a few steps before you felt someone grabbing your arm, stopping and spinning you.

Your eyes opened in shock as the world suddenly began spinning around you until your body came to a sudden halt and your chest was pressed against a solid and all to familiar armour. You didn't even get to look up at Hunter properly before his lips connected to yours and your body froze.

One of Hunter's hands sneaked around your waist, pulling you closer and securing you against his chest while his other hand moved up from your forearm to your cheek as he pressed a long and loving kiss against your lips. Butterflies exploded in your stomach and a warm feeling spread across your whole body. You slowly relaxed into his arms and your eyes closed as your own hands began sneaking up his armor plates and behind his neck. Hunter gently bit down on your lower lip, making you gasp in surprise. He took the chance, deepening the kiss, he slowly sneaked his tongue against yours, playing with it while exploring your mouth, trying to map every corner just like he used to.

This kiss was everything you wanted, everything you needed, everything...you missed these past months.

Your tongue danced around his, like two snakes, wrapping around each other as your hands moved higher up into his hair and he let out a quiet groan once you gently pulled on a strand of his hair.

None of you were even considering on pulling away, until your lungs began burning with the need for oxygen. Gently pulling away from his lips, you opened your eyes slowly. Your eyes locked with his as both of your chests heavied up and down, gasping for air.

His mesmerizing golden brown eyes were looking at you softly. Holding so many emotions, so much love for you, it made you feel bad about your latter outburst.

"Mesh'la" Shivers ran down your back at the Mandalorian nickname Hunter murmured while moving his hand from your cheek to a rogue strand of hair and tucked it behind your ear. "I'm sorry." Your eyes flickered from his right to left eye, until he closed them for a long moment and reopened them, watching you intensely.

"I never wanted to make you feel this way." His voice was laced with regret and he slowly moved his hand behind your neck, slowly pushing your head closer until your foreheads touched in keldabe kiss.

"Let me...us start this again."

Hope filled your chest and it almost felt like a giant stone rolled of off your heart. A smile grew over your lips and you moved your right hand on his tattooed cheek. Following the pattern of the black ink, your finger danced in small circles, until it stopped on his lips.

"Let's try this again."

You watched how his pupils slowly dilated, watching you with pure adoration.

"Good." Hunter rasped and then attacked your lips. It was like a switch in him flipped, letting out a man starving for you as his both hands moved down to your hips, pushing you against him while his tongue battled for dominance.

You felt dizzy, your eyes rolling back as they fell shut.

A breathy moan escaped past your lips as Hunter moved his hands lower to your ass, squeezing it hungrily and one of your leg automatically went up and locked around his hip.

You felt him pull back for a second to breathe, his chest violently moving up and down, just like yours.

"Good thing they left us alone."

Hunter murmured and a smirk spread across his lips as he kneaded your ass. You couldn't hold yourself back anymore and you kissed him again, pulling yourself as close to him as possible until Hunter gently tapped your ass, signaling you to jump and you did.

He caught you and you wrapped your legs around his waist, locking your ankles behind him. With your legs out of the way, Hunter began walking towards your shared bunk bed all while still managing to take your breath away.

He moved to sit down on the edge of the bed and with this newfound position, you could feel just how aroused he was, his hard-on poking through the gasps of his armor.

Moving your hands down his armored chest, you began taking off any piece of his armor that you could get your hands on. Helping you, Hunter took off his main chest plate, throwing it away mindlessly. With that, your hands found his cod piece and you began tugging it away, freeing his achingly hard cock.

Hunter let out a loud groan, his hands once again moving to your ass and pulling you closer and over his hard-on.

Moaning at how perfectly this position allowed you to grind your clit directly over his cock you began rolling your hips over and over.

Letting out a string of curses, Hunter broke the kiss and began planting open mouthed kisses all over your neck, starting at your jaw.

"Fuck mesh'la." Hunter groaned deeply before he started nibbling on that perfect spot just under your jaw.

After all these months of no physical contact like this, it made you so much more desperate to reach that perfect peak of ecstasy. Hunter could tell you were already close, with all those moans and gasps you were letting out. It was enchanting to watch you, so beautiful, sexy, mesmerizing. He couldn't take his eyes off of you as you neared your orgasm.

You felt amazing, in the arms of your lover and nearing your peak. Your eyes were rolling back and your breath hitched, just as you thought your orgasm would roll over Hunter stood up in a split second and gently threw you on the bed.

Gasping in surprise and then whining as that perfect peak subsided you opened your eyes wide, only to see him kneel in front of you and take off his black gloves.

"I want you coming all over my face and fingers." A quiet mewl escaped you, his voice was low, almost growling as he threw his gloves somewhere behind him and then grabbed your waist band, pulling it down quickly. A loud groan left him as he spotted a big wet spot on the crotch of your pants.

Hunter pulled both your pants and panties off in one go, throwing them over his shoulder just like he did with his gloves. Another growl escaped him as he grabbed your legs and threw them over his shoulder and pulled you up, closer to his face.

You watched his face, how his eyes looked at you hungrily and he wetted his lips, you saw his nostrils dilate as he breathed in your sweet scent. He looked downright sinful as you saw him close his eyes and lick a long stripe up across your folds, making you moan. Another loud groan echoed through the ship as Hunter began feasting on you.

Wrapping his lips around your clit he began sucking on it as if his life depends on it. His mouth felt amazing on you and you couldn't help but to grab onto his hair as you felt yourself quickly approaching that wonderful high again. A loud gasp left you when you felt his fingers prodding on your entrance. "Please Hunter, more." Feeling desperate enough you begged, rolling your hips into his face.

Wanting to fulfill your every wish, Hunter entered two fingers in you, groaning when your pussy clenched around them immediately. He expertly hit that spongy spot, managing to pump his fingers in and out only a few times before your eyes rolled back and your lips opened in O shape, letting out a long moan as your orgasm hit you.

Your body shook and Hunter had to hold onto you to keep you from moving too much as he kept on sucking on your juices. After a few more moments of pure ecstasy you began feeling overstimulated and you had to actually pull Hunter off of you by his hair. He looked wild, licking his lips and his eyes black as night, he was panting when he finally pulled away a little more just to suck on his fingers full of your juices. "One of these days I'm gonna take my time with you and won't stop for hours." Hunter growled, looking down, directly at your pussy.

You looked at him, your face completely flushed and you grinned at him. "Come here soldier." And you pulled him closer, connecting your lips with him.

Maybe this will be even better than before.

#clone troopers #star wars #the bad batch #hunter tbb #tbb hunter smut #tbb hunter x reader

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magicandmundane · 10 months ago

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Currently rotating the reunion scene from ep4 around in my head like a rotisserie chicken (as one does), and there’s one thing that’s really standing out to me.

Hunter didn’t immediately step outside when that stolen freighter landed.

He and Wrecker have crossed the galaxy 5 times in almost 6 months, dead end after dead end, disappointment after disappointment. It’s got to be soul crushing, and then out of fucking nowhere they get a transmission telling them to go to that moon where they dropped supplies for Ryloth that one time, something Omega surely remembers, so it can’t be a coincidence, right? But it’s just too good to be true. No planning a prison break? No Hemlock? She just made her way back? What are the odds they’re being tricked?

So Hunter waited because he couldn’t stand to face the disappointment himself. (And Wrecker goes out there because he’s still hopeful and excited.)

Imagine the two of them on the Marauder as that ship lands and the stairs come down. Wrecker goes to the door and notices that Hunter is still sitting and typing something, and asks, “Are ya coming, Hunter?” And Hunter just looks at him and says, “Yeah, in a minute.” Wrecker gets it and doesn’t push (emotionally intelligent Wrecker ftw).

Then Hunter listens as Wrecker shouts, “Now there’s a sight!” And with those enhanced senses (who knows, that’s been dodgy at best this season) he probably hears Omega say, “Wrecker! I knew you’d show up.”

And then, he takes yet another moment to collect himself because holy shit it’s real this time, she’s really here.

Finally, Hunter goes out there, skips a bunch of stairs, and gives his kid the biggest hug.

And I just aaahhhhhhhh it’s so good! So intentional! I’m going to be thinking (translation: crying) about this for a long time.

#yes yes i’m late. this happened weeks ago #but i haven’t been able to get this out of my head so here it is now #i am so normal about hunter and omega’s relationship btw if you can’t tell #brb i’m gonna go chew the drywall #the bad batch #tbb season 3 #tbb spoilers #tbb season 3 spoilers #a different approach #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb omega #hunter and omega #the dad batch #my thoughts

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fanfoolishness · 7 months ago

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morning caf

For the @summer-of-bad-batch week 3 prompt, "Forget I asked." It's an early morning on Pabu, and Crosshair hasn't slept well. Neither has Wrecker. When Crosshair goes to check on him, he doesn't expect the question Wrecker asks:

"What was it like? When your chip… when it activated?”

(Crosshair and Wrecker finally talk about their chips. Angst, family feels, ~2400 words.)

---

Crosshair yawned, taking a long drink of caf as he watched the sun begin to edge over the horizon. He stood out on the patio, letting the morning wash over him. He’d slept poorly last night, tossing and turning despite Batcher’s solid weight against him on the bed. He wasn’t sure why. Nothing had happened out of the ordinary yesterday --

Except the transmission from Echo. His mouth quirked.

Maybe he’d go meditate. It had been hard starting up again after the destruction of Tantiss -- after his hand -- but he could tell it was helping, bit by bit. It was harder to see the progress now, no tremor fading to help delineate his improvement, but he could feel it in the fact that the sleepless nights were fewer than they used to be, in the way that phantom pain from his hand didn’t feel as sharp as it used to, in the way his chest felt lighter than it had in a long time.

But today he felt disquieted.

There was a noise behind him in the kitchen, a rummaging he could hear through the open window. He turned around, surprised to see Wrecker pouring himself some caf. Wrecker never got up this early in the morning except for missions -- well, they weren’t missions now so much as they were jobs or help for other islanders. His curiosity piqued, Crosshair went back inside.

“You’re up early,” said Crosshair, the door closing behind him. He took another drink of his own caf, watching as Wrecker loaded up his with cream and sugar. “Got somewhere to be?” He frowned, realizing how exhausted Wrecker looked, purplish shadows under his eyes, his face drawn.

“No, nowhere to be,” Wrecker said. He shrugged. “Just… couldn’t sleep.” His hand, hovering over his mug in the midst of adding sugar, curled reflexively into a fist.

“You don’t look so good,” Crosshair said, finishing his caf and reaching out with his left hand for the pot. He was getting better at using his left hand, though a lifetime of memory meant he still got it wrong sometimes. He used his stump to brace against his mug, holding it steady as he poured in more caf.

Wrecker smiled wanly. He looked like he was holding back tears.

Kriff. Crosshair glanced around, but it was just the two of them -- no Hunter, no Omega, not even Batcher. This was on him, no one else.

“What’s wrong, Wrecker?” he asked slowly.

“Just… Echo’s update,” said Wrecker. He stirred his cup of caf, and took a drink, grimacing. Still probably wasn’t sweet enough for him. “Sad stuff.”

“Yeah.”

They were both quiet for a moment. That was one update from Echo Crosshair was glad Omega had missed, off playing with Lyana.

“We had word of a clone trooper held captive in a transfer facility. He was originally slated for Tantiss but didn’t make the last transport. He’s been alone for months. We broke in, but --- solitary must have got to him.”

“What happened?” Hunter had asked, but Crosshair had already guessed.

“He’d killed himself. Left a note, too, asking his Jedi for forgiveness. Master Plo Koon. I guess he never got over following the Order.”

They’d bowed their heads, a moment of silence for another fallen brother, and with shame Crosshair remembered a boy in Jedi robes, his figure brown against the snow.

“Echo’s tough,” said Crosshair carefully. “But that’d get to anyone.”

Wrecker tried to smile at him, but it was like his mouth wasn’t working right. His expression just came off worried. Guilty.

“Cross,” he said, looking away and busying himself with his caf. He picked it up, took a gulp, choked when it was still hot.

“Wrecker.” He waited, knowing Wrecker was working himself up to ask something.

He still couldn’t look Crosshair in the eyes, and when he spoke, his words were halting. “What was it like? When your chip… when it activated?”

Crosshair took a step back, his heart rate jumping, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn’t been expecting that. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking away. “It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago.” His voice came out sharper than he meant it.

Wrecker paused, swallowing, then waved a hand. “Never mind. Forget I asked.” Crosshair risked a glance back at him, at the dejected set of his broad shoulders, at the guilty look in his eyes. Why was it bothering him so much? What did Wrecker have to feel guilty about?

Crosshair reached for his caf and took a drink, hoping it would steady him. Instead he remembered he’d forgotten to add cream and sugar, and he wrinkled his nose at its bitter acidity. An awkward silence filled the kitchen as Wrecker wordlessly padded back toward the hallway and the bedroom.

“Wrecker, wait.” Wrecker paused, looking back at him, and Crosshair forced himself to continue. “Come on. Let’s go sit outside.”

“I’m no good at meditating, if that’s what you mean. Omega tried showing me once and I fell asleep just watching her. It’s so boring,” Wrecker muttered.

“No, you don’t have to meditate,” he said, smiling faintly. “Let’s just… we can talk.”

A few moments later Wrecker had found a comfortable seat on the outdoor sofa beneath the canopy. Crosshair sat at the other end, still nursing his caf, now with the requisite cream and sugar added. The sunrise was well underway now, golds and amber-reds spilling across the sea.

Crosshair stared out at the water. If they were doing this, he didn’t think he’d be able to look at his brother. “Why do you want to know about the chip?” The last word was bitter in his mouth. If it hadn’t been for that… so many terrible things wouldn’t have happened. If he’d just been defective enough, he’d have been safe. They’d never have left him. He had gone round and round on it, during empty nights in their old quarters on Kamino, empty nights in his bunk on Coruscant, empty nights in his cell on Tantiss.

He didn’t want to think about it again, but Wrecker was asking. And for some reason it seemed like he needed to know.

Crosshair sighed. If it would help Wrecker…

“Had nightmares,” Wrecker said softly. “About Bracca. Couldn’t sleep.”

Crosshair winced. He’d nearly killed his brothers there; they’d nearly killed him. He rubbed his right temple reflexively, his stump grazing over the pitted flesh and tight scarring that still remained. “I don’t like thinking about Bracca.”

“Yeah, but Crosshair…” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “Mine activated, too.”

Crosshair choked down a gulp of caf, horror filling him. He risked a look at his brother. Wrecker had tears in his eyes.

“What?” he said sharply. “On Bracca?”

“Yeah,” Wrecker said, staring down at his large, calloused hands. “That’s why we went there. Rex told us about them, and there was an old medbay in that cruiser. That’s how we got ours out. But before we did -- it was too late for mine.” He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders rising and falling too quickly.

Crosshair reached out cautiously, resting his left hand on Wrecker’s shoulder. He seemed to settle, his breaths getting slower, easier, though he kept his face hidden.

“I didn’t know,” Crosshair breathed. “I thought it was only me. That I was the only one who wasn’t strong enough.” He watched a long stream of seabirds fly, one by one, in a neat orderly line over the spreading waves. Their dark silhouettes blurred and slid until he blinked away the water in his eyes.

“Nothing to do with being strong,” Wrecker said, voice muffled. “I couldn’t stop it. It was bigger than me. Like it shoved out everything that was me, and made me different. Made me try to hurt them.”

“It was… softer, at first. For me.” He let go of Wrecker’s shoulder, folding his arms over his chest, curling inward slightly. “Like a detuned comm. Made me go after that kid on Kaller. It told me to finish the mission. To be a good soldier. And I wanted to, more than anything. But -- I -- I wanted to follow Hunter, too. I didn’t know what was happening.”

“Never could figure it,” Wrecker said. “Why you didn’t try to kill us right away. When -- mine -- I came out swinging. Tried to kill all of ‘em. Even -- even Omega --” He couldn’t speak, and for a moment Crosshair’s mind threw out visions of Wrecker, huge fists swinging, looming overhead, a cold, sick determination on his face. It felt wrong even thinking about his brother like that.

“But you didn’t,” said Crosshair. He didn’t say, You don’t want to know what I’ve done. He thought back to memories he’d kept hidden, shame he couldn’t bear to revisit. But here in the morning light, with birds singing in the flowers and the waves down below, those things seemed far away. Like maybe they’d finally lost some of their power.

He thought about what Wrecker had said. “I don’t know why it was different for me,” said Crosshair. “But when they took me, Nala Se was there. She did -- something. Some kind of procedure. An experiment.” He closed his eyes, remembering the headaches crawling through his skull, the pressing insistence of the Order growing louder and louder, swallowing all sense of loyalty to his brothers. “Made it stronger. That’s when -- I started trying to fight you.”

“We shoulda never let them take you,” Wrecker said gruffly. “We shoulda known it wasn’t you.”

“None of us knew,” Crosshair said. “And I couldn’t tell you. You did what you had to, for Omega.”

They were quiet for a moment. A little saltbrush sparrow perched on their fence, singing its bright song, its plumage of bronze and cream and umber glowing in the golden hour light. Crosshair tilted his head as he watched it, some of the sick feeling in his gut fading as he did so.

“Cross,” said Wrecker. “I know it doesn’t really matter now. But when did…”

Crosshair sighed. Remembered Hunter’s gritted teeth, his own defensiveness, the snarled Does it matter?

It mattered. But he couldn’t see that, back then. He’d been too afraid of telling them the truth, too hurt that his brothers hadn’t tried to come back for him, too angry at them, himself, what he’d done, the chip, the Empire, all of it.

Was he still angry now? After everything?

He let out a long breath. “After Bracca,” said Crosshair. He tapped the scar at his temple, giving Wrecker a rueful smile. “Got damaged by that engine blast. That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Guilty,” said Wrecker sheepishly. “But it was gonna fry us!”

“Oh, I know,” said Crosshair, chuckling slightly. “Figured as much. Tech could’ve rigged up something decent, but I knew it was you. It was too good.”

“Stop it, you’re makin’ me blush. Uh -- sorry about your head, though.”

Crosshair shrugged. “It did something to the chip. I guess it was breaking down. Frying my brain with it.” It was all a haze, but afterwards, he’d put together pieces; he’d been having seizures on the way back from Bracca, his chip misfiring drastically. “I told Nala Se to take it out. That I would be loyal without it.” His face twisted as if he’d bitten down on something bitter. I made so many mistakes.

“Nala Se listened to you?” Wrecker said, clearly impressed.

“I think she only did it because I was a ninety-nine,” Crosshair said. “You know how she treated us, her little pet project. I’d heard she decommissioned regs for less. Guess we’ll never know now.”

He hadn’t been sure what to think when he’d heard from Echo and Omega that Hemlock’s research had been destroyed, and presumably Nala Se with it. The most he’d settled on was that after everything, she’d stood up to the Empire when it counted.

Like he had, he supposed.

Wrecker scooted closer to him, raising one arm and settling it over his shoulders. Crosshair leaned back, resting his head on Wrecker’s arm.

“Thanks,” Wrecker said, turning to him with a shy smile. “The others -- they don’t know what it was like. Guess hearing about that trooper messed me up a little. Thinking about what could've happened.”

“I… I didn’t sleep so well either.”

“Thought so.” Wrecker yawned, covering his mouth with his free hand. “Maybe I should try to get back to sleep.”

Crosshair glanced at him. “Oh yeah? I’ve got an idea.”

Crosshair’s idea worked perfectly. He hadn’t been meditating on the patio floor for five minutes when he heard Wrecker’s snores starting up on the sofa behind him.

He looked back over his shoulder. Wrecker had already stretched out on the sofa, his large feet dangling over the side, a peaceful, calm look on his face.

Fair enough. Meditation wasn’t for everyone, he guessed.

He adjusted his position. Breathed in. Breathed out. He’d been so skeptical when Omega had first shown him… and so impressed when she’d insisted he try anyway. He smiled, thinking of the way she’d taken his hand so carefully. She’d been determined to help him.

He’d never understand why she loved him, but he’d never doubt it, either.

He kept breathing in. Breathing out.

The sun had begun to swing higher, the golden hour light shifting into the harsher light of mid-morning before he unfolded his long legs and got to his feet. Wrecker was still fast asleep, gently snoring, the sound mingling with the chattering call of the sparrows in the flowers.

Crosshair walked over to the wall of the home, where they had a small patio shade. They’d lowered it to enjoy the stars, last time they’d all sat out here together. He raised the shade to its full extent until it left Wrecker completely shaded, protected from the sun. The light and heat weren’t too fierce yet, but as Crosshair now knew from experience, sunburn on a shaved head was awful.

He gathered up their forgotten mugs of caf and headed inside, taking care to be quiet. Wrecker could use the sleep.

Hunter was sitting at the kitchen table, having breakfast with Omega. They both looked up at him as he came inside, Omega beaming, Hunter giving him a small, easy smile.

“Morning!” Omega said brightly. “How are you today, Crosshair?”

He considered. Hunter gave him a curious look, as if sensing something had changed.

Maybe something had.

Crosshair smiled back, reaching into his pocket for a toothpick. He settled it between his lips. “I’m all right,” he said, and he was surprised to realize that he meant it.

#the bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #crosshair bad batch #crosshair tbb #wrecker bad batch #wrecker tbb #bad batch fanfiction #my batcher fic #summer of bad batch 2024

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hugmekenobi · 8 months ago

Text

S3: The Bad Batch (11)

Chapter Eleven: Point of No Return

Gif by @moonstrider9904

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

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

Chapter Summary: The Empire closes in on you and the Batch

Masterlist for S1 and S2

<Previous Chapter

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

Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical violence, threats, food mentions, flash of PDA and fluff in the beginning, referenced character death, rip a certain ship :(, self-blame, brief injury mention, humour as a tool for deflection, overall angsty vibes

Word Count: 4.2K

Author's notes: Still sticking very close to the episode here but hope it's still enjoyable and episode 12 is in progress!!

Getting into the pirate’s ship had been all too easy. He wasn’t going to fail this time. CX-2 decrypted the coordinates before he put the transmission for Scorch through, “The Trandoshan’s intel paid off. I tracked the pirate and accessed her navicomputer. She tried to cover her tracks but I broke the encryption.”

“What did you find?”

“She frequented a planet in the Outer Rim. I’m headed there now to do recon.”

“Send the coordinates. I’ll have a full division on standby if you require a visual on the targets.” Scorch provided before he signed off.

CX-2 entered the coordinates for Pabu.

“That’s gotta be all of it, right?” Wrecker asked in disbelief as he saw the three of you approach and unload the next round of supplies.

“We still need to grab the rations.” Hunter told him. “Keep loading up the ship. We’ll be back.”

Wrecker groaned, “Fine. But at least bring me back an ice cone.”

“Just one?” You questioned with an enticing grin as you walked backwards away from him and the ship.

“No, no, no. You’re right! M-Make it two!” Wrecker corrected his error.

You gave a two-fingered salute in reply before you turned around and jogged to catch up with Hunter and Crosshair.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave.” Lyana said lowly as she led Omega through the Archium.

“Me too, but Hunter thinks it’s safer for everyone if we do.”

Lyana led her over to a gap in one of the ledges. “What do you think of this spot?”

“It’s perfect.” Omega said with a thankful smile.

“So, which treasures did you bring?” Lyana asked, her tone curious but respectful of what this moment meant to those that left things here and Omega would not be treated differently.

Omega tucked Lula under her arm and brought out Tech’s cracked goggles. She held them delicately in her hands as she let the memories that they brought wash over her.

“You sure you wanna leave these behind?” Lyana double checked gently.

“Pabu was the first place that felt like a home.” Omega placed both objects down with the utmost care. “This way, a piece of us is still here.”

Lyana laid a supportive hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Well, I’ll make sure these stay safe until you come back.” She looked at Omega with a new type of seriousness. “Because you will come back, right?”

“I hope so.” Omega replied, the harsh reality of the day quickly catching up to her as she realised this would be the last time she would see her for a while.

“And where are you going?” Hunter asked with a questioning smile and tilt of his head as you separated from them. “We’ve got rations to get.”

You feigned disgust at the very idea. “Hey, I have the very important ice-cone mission. I cannot be diverted with a mere ration run.” You said with a coy grin before you pressed a swift kiss to Hunter’s cheek and sauntered off with exaggerated determination.

“Get that lovesick smile of your face before I throw up.” Crosshair snickered with a roll of his eyes as he saw the way Hunter watched you go.

“Shut up.” Hunter shoved his brother’s shoulder before they carried on with their own search.

“I don’t even think there’s room on this ship for all this gear.” Wrecker complained to Gonky as he saw all that was still to be shifted and he knew there was still more to come. However, Gonky’s cheeky honks of reply were not the commiseration he was looking for. “Oh, yeah? Well, maybe I should leave you behind.” He retorted, smirking at the offended honks he got in response.

Wrecker brought more of the stuff on board, completely unaware that the proximity sensor had been flashing a half second before.

CX-2 landed the ship in the cavern and began his hunt.

Hunter paused as he heard the nervous squeaking on the island birds, their tone matching his own growing sense of unease.

“What is it?” Crosshair asked.

“Not sure, but I don’t like it.” Hunter brought out his comm. “Omega, time to go.”

Upon hearing that, you gave up your spot in line and joined up with Hunter and Crosshair. You’d make it up to Wrecker another time.

CX-2 scanned the bustling market stalls from above and that was when he caught sight of the two clones and the targets he’d been sent to acquire. He touched the control panel on his sleeve and got Scorch on his comm.

“Report.” Scorch demanded.

“I’ve got eyes on the targets.”

“Ground them and wait for the division. They must be recovered unharmed. No mistakes this time.”

“And the clones they’re with?” He asked as he saw the group of you leaving the area.

“If they get in your way, eliminate them.”

“We’re sorry to see you go, but you’re all welcome here anytime.” Shep said sincerely. “Those homes will be waiting for you when you get back.”

You bowed your head in gratitude.

“Thanks for everything, Shep.” Hunter said, shaking his hand.

Omega and Lyana shared in a hug.

“I’ll see you soon.” Lyana said as she parted from Omega.

The four of you and Batcher started to make your way back to Wrecker.

The sun had almost set by the time Wrecker finished getting the most recent batch of supplies onto the ship, but he just took relief in the fact that he wouldn’t be alone in shifting the next round of gear.

As he went to grab the last crate, he paused on the steps as he picked up on a faint but rapid series of beeps.

He recognised the sound.

He knew exactly what that meant.

He reacted quickly and with a shout, he abandoned the ship and grabbed Gonky just as the Marauder exploded, hurling both of them into the sea.

With the last of his strength, he managed to pull himself onto a piece of debris before his vision went dark.

Upon hearing the harsh echoing boom of an explosion, you all instantly ran to the edge of Upper Pabu and your heart thumped in a frantic panic as you saw the distant flames and charred remnants of what was once the Marauder.

Hunter brought out his binoculars and took in the scene. He saw Wrecker and Gonky floating in the water and felt his own panic set in at seeing his brother unconscious. He put on his helmet and started running for the docks.

You did the same with your coverings and Crosshair put on his helmet before the three of you followed close behind.

One of the locals had grabbed a boat and brought Wrecker and Gonky back to port.

You pushed your way through the crowd of people and stopped short as you saw Wrecker’s body.

Omega knelt down by Wrecker’s side. “Wrecker? Wrecker!” Omega gasped, desperately shaking his shoulders to try and rouse him but it did no good.

Your stomach dropped to your feet. It took all the training you had to not lose control upon seeing the lack of response from Wrecker. He was strong, he was always so strong. He had to be alright.

“Mox and Stak, take Wrecker to Shep’s. Deke, get Az-3 to patch him up, and fast.” Hunter ordered the regs. He needed his brother back on his feet. He needed him to be okay.

“Ships don’t just blow up. We’ve been compromised.” Crosshair realised.

Hunter turned his head from Wrecker to the sound of a deep rumbling from above and what he saw sent both a deep anger and dread through his veins. The Imperial Star Destroyer hovered above the Archium and a series of gunships swarmed down. “Everyone, get to cover!”

Amidst the crowds of panicked and screaming people, the four of you regrouped and found cover of your own.

Shep was helpless to stop the hordes stormtroopers from moving in. He could only watch in despair as his people ran in fear.

“Cut off all escape routes. Destroy any ships or sea skiffs in sight.” CX-2 ordered as he remained unphased by the chaos around him. It wouldn’t affect what he needed to achieve; it would only help.

You and Omega both paused as you saw the destruction the Empire was causing to the docks.

The only light in the night were the fires caused by the Imperial gunfire.

The only sounds the whirr of gunship and cried of fear that echoed around the island.

Kamino, the Marauder, Pabu… How many more homes was the Empire going to take from you?

From these innocent people?

And how much longer could you let it go on?

A glance down at Omega told you she was thinking similarly to you. You indicated your head back and you both joined the others in an alleyway.

“Is this our fault? Are they attacking because of us?” Omega whispered up at you as she kept Batcher calm.

You wished with every fibre of your being that you could tell her no. That they were the ones at fault but the own guilt residing in your heart made the words die before they left your lips. How could you reassure her when you couldn’t believe the words yourself? It was never meant to go this way. The very thing you had wanted to avoid had happened and now you knew there was only one real way out of it.

Hunter crouched down. “It’s the Empire’s fault. Not yours. You have to stay focused. Both of you.” He implored with a helmeted look in your direction too.

“They’re destroying all means of escape and jamming our comms.” Crosshair said as he tried his comm, but it was only static. “We have to steal one of their gunships. Once we’re out of range, we can contact Echo.”

“I’ll handle it.” Hunter said. “You three, get to Shep’s and wait with Wrecker until I signal you.”

You caught his vambrace and pulled him back to you. You pressed your forehead against his helmet.

Hunter had a distinct and sinking feeling that this was you saying goodbye, but he wasn’t going to let that be the case- this plan would work… it- it had to. “I’ll see you soon.” He said as he stepped away.

You couldn’t quite meet his helmeted gaze as you nodded before you, Omega and Batcher split from him to head to Shep’s.

Hunter gave Crosshair a last meaningful look before he went in the opposite direction.

Crosshair knew what that look meant- keep them safe. And he would do everything in his power to do that. He followed you and Omega.

“Lock down the town. Search every domicile until you find them.” CX-2 ordered the squadrons of troopers.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shep demanded as he approached the black-armoured soldier that seemed intent on ruining the lives of so many people.

“Who are you?” CX-2 replied with equal parts disdain and curiosity.

“The mayor of this town. You’ve opened fire on my village and its people without warning and without reason. Under what pretence are you attacking?” Shep seethed.

“We’re here to collect some fugitives you’ve been harbouring.” CX-2 brought out the puck and flashed the two images.

Shep made sure to keep his true reaction at bay- he wouldn’t give you and Omega away if he could help it. “You can’t just barge in here-”

“I’ve barely done anything yet.” CX-2 interrupted coldly.

“You destroyed our docks and fishing skiffs. Our livelihood.”

“I have simply cut off their means of escape. But I can do worse. I know they are here. Until they are turned over to me, your island will burn.” CX-2 threatened as he walked away.

The path to Shep’s had been fraught with troopers and each time like this where you had to hide from the next roaming patrol only slowed things down more.

You peered round the corner of your hiding spot to see one of the villagers being forced out of her home and you heard her distressed plea.

“You can’t do this! It’s our home!”

You were fighting the urge to go out and it seemed Batcher also shared in your current sentiment as Omega was doing her best to keep the dog quiet and calm.

And the cruel reply from the trooper that you heard next only confirmed what you already dreaded.

“We know they’re here! Where are the Jedi and the girl?”

“I don’t know! I swear-”

The familiar sound of a slap made your blood boil. You went to reveal yourself to stop them but Crosshair’s hand on your arm prevented you from doing so.

Omega couldn’t hold Batcher back though. The dog snarled and charged for the soldiers before they could do anymore harm.

“Batcher can handle herself. Let’s go.” Crosshair said to you both as he made sure Omega didn’t go to follow the dog either.

You had managed to scale the wall up to Shep’s and opened the door.

“Lyana!” Omega said with a relieved gasp.

“Omega! My-My dad, he said to hide here.” Lyana said fearfully. She ran up to her friend and hugged her tight, “I’m so scared.”

“I know. I’m so sorry.” Omega replied as she parted from her.

You and Crosshair took off your coverings as you saw AZ attending to Wrecker.

“How’s Wrecker, AZ?” You asked.

“He is still unconscious, but his vitals are stable.”

You allowed yourself to feel some semblance of relief at that, but you hastily pushed it to one side as you heard another gunships sound outside.

The three of you ran back out to take in what was happening and what you saw made your chest tighten and curl your fists in rage- stormtroopers were everywhere, removing people from their homes, tossing them to the ground, arresting them. It was unnecessarily cruel, and it was all because you were still here.

Getting onto the gunship had started out as a stealth mission but quickly became one where Hunter just had to get inside without getting shot.

He’d managed to do so but the pilot was making his life extremely difficult with erratic flying designed to fling him out. He had to take a tight grasp of the handles inside to remain upright.

Something else then caught your attention as you saw the unstable and irregular flying patterns of an Imperial gunship and a whole different kind of emotion swept through you. You knew the exact cause of that particular situation, but you were not reassured by the sight in the slightest.

“Is that, Hunter?” Omega asked both you and Crosshair as she noticed the ship in the air.

“Yes.” You said through clenched teeth.

“Uh huh.” Crosshair echoed nonchalantly.

But then, something shifted, there was a blaster shot and vessel nosedived down towards the sea in a way that showed that neither Hunter nor the pilot was in charge of the ship anymore.

A strained breath caught in your throat as you watched the ship plummet into the sea. “Where- where is he?” You choked out as you saw Crosshair grab his macrobinoculars.

Crosshair scanned the water anxiously but let out a relieved sigh as he saw his brother resurface and swim for the shore. “He’s fine.”

You bent forwards as you braced your hands on the wall and let out a slow calming breath before the distant sound of comm chatter reminded you of your current situation.

“He’s safer than we are at the moment.” Crosshair hissed as the three of you retreated back inside Shep’s.

“What do we do? Troopers will be here soon.” Omega asked anxiously.

“Hunter would want us to stick to the plan.” Crosshair replied, internally scrambling to think of a way out of this.

“There’s no hiding, Crosshair. The Empire knows we’re here. They won’t stop searching until they find us!”

Whilst they were talking, you were coming up with a plan of your own. If you handed yourself in and convinced them that you’d already shipped Omega off-world, then maybe they’d leave Pabu and the rest of them alive and in peace.

You glanced between Wrecker and Lyana and the door. You took a calming breath as you came to terms with what you had to do but a squeeze of your hand brought your eyes downwards. No. You said as you saw her nod at you.

“You promised.” Omega reminded you.

This is different, Omega. It’s not a choice you should need to make. It-

“You’re going, I know you are!” Omega interrupted. “But that won’t be enough, they’re here for me too! They won’t stop and you know it. It is my choice!”

Crosshair clued in and realised what the two of you were arguing about. “Absolutely not.”

“It’s our only option, Crosshair.” You said heavily.

“What? No, it’s not. We-”

“Look at what they’ve already done.” You said, a flash of anger coming through. “We can’t let the people here suffer any more because of us. That’s why we were leaving in the first place- to avoid this. We can’t let it carry on. We just can’t.” I’m not risking anyone else. Wrecker already got hurt, I’m not risking you and I’m not risking Hunter. If I could help it, Omega wouldn’t be coming but I can’t and it kills me that I can’t, but it’s how it has to be.

Crosshair went to respond to you, but Omega got in first, “If we let them take us, it stops.” She emphasised.

Crosshair focused on the young girl, distress in his voice. “You’ll be taken back to Tantiss.”

“Exactly. We’ve been trying to find those coordinates, and nothing’s worked. But if we keep our comms on us, and turn ourselves in, you can track us to Tantiss. This is our chance. Our chance to finally rescue the clones imprisoned there.”

“No. They’ll search you and find it. It won’t work.” Crosshair argued.

“Then shoot a secondary tracker onto the ship that they take us away on.” You suggested.

“Too many unknown variables. It’s not a viable plan.”

“It’s all we’ve got.” You countered.

“And it’s our choice.” Omega reminded him again.

Crosshair looked imploringly in your direction now. “Tantiss is different. This isn’t some random Imperial that’ll take you this time. It’ll be Hemlock. Who knows what he’ll do to you there.”

You also saw a genuine fear behind his eyes, and it unnerved you. It won’t be for long, I’ll be alright. “Focus on the bigger mission, Crosshair.” You said aloud and you came to stand behind Omega and rested your hands on her shoulders.

“Yeah, we’re just a small part of it.” Omega agreed.

Crosshair found himself in a position where he was forced to reflect on that, and he had to agree with you both.

The two of you got ready to depart but you noticed the reluctance that still graced Crosshair’s face and you approached him.

“He’s going to kill me.” Crosshair said to you quietly.

So, tell him he was right that Hemlock was after me too, that outta smooth things over.

“It’s not funny.” Crosshair snapped. He didn’t want to lose you both either. Not when he knew how important you both were to Hunter, to this squad… to this family. He’d finally made ground with you, you were one of them, you always had been, and he’d welcomed that feeling again. And Omega, well, Omega had seen and been through it all with him already, he owed her much more than a half-baked rescue plan.

Yeah sorry, it’s a bad habit. You went serious again and shook your head. “He’s not going to do that, Crosshair. Six months ago, maybe he would’ve, but not now. He’s not going to lose the progress he’s built with you either, not anymore. He’ll understand.” You glanced back to Omega who was standing by the door and regret stabbed your heart over the fact that this was to be her fate too, but you also knew that she wouldn’t have it any other way. “We’re very stubborn and determined individuals.” You said fondly before you looked back at him and placed a reassuring hand on his upper arm. “Just don’t miss.” You said with a light but resigned smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

With that, you and Omega exited the hut.

You caught Omega’s shoulder just before you rounded the corner to make yourselves known. You crouched down to her eye-level. “Omega… you know if there was any other option that I could think of that would get us- particularly you- out of this, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Omega nodded. “I know, but it’s what we have to do.” She said bravely.

Your heart broke a little bit more right then and there- this was something no kid should ever have to do, “You had to grow up far too fast.” You murmured, both with sadness and a hint of pride in your voice as you gave her a loving hug before the two of you stepped out of your hiding spot.

“Stop.”

CX-2 signalled the troopers with the flamethrowers to disengage as he heard the voice of a woman.

“We surrender.” Omega said as all eyes, both Imperial and Pabu civilians turned in your direction.

“Stay alert. I neutralised the other two clones with them, but not the third.” CX-2 advised as he approached you two.

“Take us and leave the island alone.” You said as you held your wrists out.

“The people here are innocent.” Omega did the same thing as you.

CX-2 first put the cuffs on the young girl, “Then you never should have come here in the first place.”

“I’m assuming these are the special cuffs made just for me?” You said dully as the operative attached a second pair to your wrists, and you noticed the slightly different design of them compared to Omega’s.

“Why don’t you try them and find out?”

The harsh modulated voice sent a cold shiver of fear down your spine, but you covered it up. “Nah, you seem like someone who is on top of things, so I’ll take your word for it.” You were determined to not flinch under the unwavering glare of his helmet.

“Scan them for tracking devices.” CX-2 ordered as he confiscated your knife and Jedi weapon.

As expected, the comm devices were picked up immediately.

“Give them to me.” CX-2 demanded.

You and Omega reluctantly handed them over before you were both shoved and made to walk between the squadron of troopers as they got ready to transport you off the planet.

Crosshair had watched the surrender take place and had been stealthily tracking and making his way to a vantage point where he could tag the ship that you were to be taken away on.

Hunter staggered to shore and collapsed to his hands and knees.

He felt the water seeping through the gaps in his armour, weighing him down, and it was choking him beneath his helmet.

He removed it and took a few recovering breaths before he became alert to the sound of rustling just ahead of him. He instantly got to his feet and guardedly drew his blaster as he waited for the threat to show.

But he was able to relax his stance as Batcher came into view and ran over to him with a happy bark. He bent down and rubbed her side with a slight grin before he glanced up at the Archium and the rest of the island, but he didn’t see as many ships anymore.

And the realisation at what was about to happen hit him harder than he had hit the water.

Hunter grabbed his helmet and started running back, Batcher close at his heels.

You swallowed thickly as you and Omega were marched to the docks and forced to walk past the wreckage of both the sea skiffs and the Marauder.

CX-2 tapped the band on his arm and his ship came flying to meet the three of you.

You and Omega paused before boarding but an insistent jab of the butt of the operative’s rifle prompted you both to step up.

Crosshair got into position and readied himself to take the shot when the flashlight hit him.

“Over there!”

He fired back at the small squad of troopers that had found him and dealt with them as quickly as he could, but the interruption had moved him out of the prime position.

He had to run for it.

His gait was rushed.

His aim unsteady.

But there was no more time.

The ship’s engines were powering up.

He had no choice but to fire.

The ship took off.

His tracker missed.

And he could only look on in complete and utter dismay and horror as the ship flew out of view.

“Targets acquired. Returning to base.” CX-2 transmitted before he put the ship into hyperspace.

You and Omega sat side by side on the metal floor.

Omega took off her hat and leaned against your shoulder. “We’ll have each other there.” She murmured, doing her best to keep her voice composed.

“Yeah, we’ll be okay.” You whispered back.

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @dominoeffectsworld, @andreaaxy, @notgonnaedit, @nightmonkeysstuff , @jellybeanstacey0519 @callsign-denmark @allthingsimagines, @superbookishhufflepuff

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

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not-so-mundane-after-all · 11 months ago

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The Band Batch 3x04 SPOILERS

To be honest, the only thing I wish they showed (though it's completely okay that they didn't because this way it hit even harder) is the moment Hunter and Wrecker received the coded transmission. The way Wrecker tells Omega "I wasn't even sure the message was real" - I, not we. Which means there had to be an argument about this. Hunter, with focus narrowed only to Omega, rushing into action because it's her, we have have to go get her, and Wrecker, the voice of reason we've seen him be in episode 2, holding him back and warning that this might not be real, that this is likely a trap. But they decide to go, they decide to check this because they'd be stupid not to. They're willing to risk it because what if it is Omega, waiting for them there?

So they go. And the risk pays off.

#the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch spoilers #hunter and omega #wrecker and omega #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb omega

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totallywizard07 · 1 month ago

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Wrapping paper banner by @blackseafoam, @galactic-gift-gathering gift for @tecker

Made you a quick doodle, and decided to try writing something for a change as well; it’s a day of experimenting! Hope you enjoy 😉

“I missed you”

The sun, descending rapidly towards the ocean-crested horizon, glowed ferociously, crowning Omega with its visible warmth.

Wrecker watched her as she gazed out upon the vast ocean beyond their perch- one of many grey-brick walls surrounding Upper Pabu- her expression unreadable. Following her gaze, he silently marvelled at the refracted reflection of the painted sky in the swell, the looming star just nearly breaking the surface of the water. Wrecker internally debated interrupting their peaceful silence, the need to understand his sister’s inner turmoil warring with his yearn to allow the companionable serenity to continue, but his decision was made for him when he heard a gentle murmur from the vod at his side.

“I’m sorry it’s been a while,” she spoke, gaze still fixed in the direction of the lapping waves.

“Me too,” Wrecker sighed. It had been months since he’d last seen his sister, her free time being few and far between ever since joining the Rebellion. She sent transmissions whenever she could, but it never felt often enough. He turned to face her; noted a glimmer of sadness in her illuminated eyes. He draped his arm over her shoulder. Being a Rebel pilot was a dangerous endeavour, and he couldn’t even pretend to know what the job entailed. Tech would be proud. He knew he was.

He could tell her he worried about her, that they all did, but she’d heard it all before. He, of anyone, knew that sometimes, all you could do was be there for someone.

“I missed you,” he readjusted his attention to align with hers, noticing that the sun had now breached the horizon, engulfing the atmosphere in an otherworldly orange glow. He felt more than heard ‘Mega breathe deeply beside him, a slight tremble in her intake. When she spoke, however, he heard no trace of the emotion she had unwillingly let slip.

“I know. I missed you too.”

She leaned into his embrace, and together they watched as the sun gradually fell below the horizon, the dusk fading into the night cycle.

How he’d missed this.

Writing this was really fun, might do a little more in the future…

#the great galactic gift gathering #great galactic gift gathering #wish fill #the bad batch #tbb omega #tbb wrecker

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emotionallyattachednerd · 1 year ago

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Imposter | TP Wheeljack/Makeshift x f!robot reader | NSFW 18+

Word count: 2400+

Warnings: Smut ( Touching, spike in valve, semi public, rough interfacing and slight choaking ), dominance, impersonating and perhaps a little dark ending . NSFW 18+.

Notes: This is an idea I had thought about. Unsure how the triggers might go as it is a little different but nothing was forced, simply tricking. The ending is a little creepy, but I like that. I might do a second part but unsure still, will think about it. Sorry for the delay. Let me know what you'll think. 🥰

Coffee ☕

The history behind you and Wheeljack was long, but nothing regretful. Your friendship has always been very flirty. You were both flirty to one another, it came naturally. It was fun, of course, and you grew to love the wrecker. But like all great things they do have their bumps. It had nothing to do with either of you at first, more like the war got in between, and then after joining the autobots, you simply went your separate ways.

Wheeljack could never stay in one place for too long, he liked to travel and move around which you prefer to stay put. So yeah, no regrets what you two had, nor was there any hate from either of you for each other. In fact, over time whenever you did bump into one another, you would always end up having a good interface. Just fooling around, releasing all that built up tension, before moving on again.

Now here you were, settled on Earth with team Prime. For the past decade you've all been hidden on earth, watching for any sort of decepticon activity. A lot has happened though. Humans suddenly arrive within the base, Megatron had returned, then he offlined, or so that's what everyone thought to believe.

Putting that aside, your focus is on today, and today that brings you and the autobots a new incoming transmission, someone you haven't heard from in a long time. Wheeljack.

Knowing he is coming here not only made Bulkhead excited but so you. Sure, you were all friends, but there was something more between you and Wheeljack, a lingering spark also seeking attention. Off and on again over time you would run into one another and make up for old times. In those old times, before the war, you were quite the playful couple.

War always got in the way and things just never progressed between you two, but you both always somehow managed to bump into one another as time went on, blowing off steam as you might put it.

Upon his arrival it was no surprise that the decepticons would get involved. This was Wheeljack though, he could handle it, but that doesn't stop the others from giving the new arrival a helping servo.

Once returning to base you can't help but stare at Wheeljack. He hasn't changed at all, just the same old Jackie you grew to love. Once Bulkhead finally gave him that little space he met your stare. There's a pause, optics drifting across your figure, before he gives that cute smug smile of his. You know he's checking you out and you can't help but return the same jester.

You want to be alone with Wheeljack, and so you offered to show him around the base before the party starts for his arrival.

Now it's just your two together strolling down the hall.

"It's good to see you again, Jackie." You tell him fondly.

"Yeah, you too, y/n." Wheeljack answers, his optics glancing over sideways on you. "You look good."

You go to answer but this was tossed away when he suddenly pins you against the wall and latches his scarred lips over your own, glossa pushing in and devouring your own in a dominant act. The action did surprise you, but you melted into the heated kiss eagerly, craving it. You missed him a lot.

He lets out a growl that sounds so beast-like making you quiver in delight. You try to remember when he used to make such sounds, finding it kind of new, but this doesn't last as he suddenly turns you around and pins your front into the wall, pressing himself behind and grinding his heated panel against your aft, his lips and dentas biting against your exposed neck cables.

The action sparks a new arousal that rushes through you directly to your valve. It's been far too long, and you can tell it's been a while for him as well. Though his behaviour was so much more needy, desperate even, not that you are going to argue about that. But you did feel a little anxious feeling his servo move down and rub between your legs against your heated panel.

"Right here? What if someone sees us?"

"Let them."

Being semi-public was something you've never done during interfacing. What if the humans saw you both? That would be a long and embarrassing conversation to have with the kids.

These thoughts are long gone as he continues his desperate touching against you, letting out heated vents into your audio making your frame shiver through a growing warmth. As if answering his silent demands, you retract your panel, and suddenly feel his digit push into your valve, pumping quickly inside you.

You have to cover your mouth with your servo to prevent any loud sounds from leaving you, not wanting anyone to hear down the hall. Feeling his digit you clench around him and lean into his chassis. This doesn't last as he removes his digit and you hear his own panel retract, right before he shoves you against the wall again and thrusts himself into you firmly.

The sudden stretch does cause you to gasp out feeling it hurt just a little, but it doesn't last as the pleasure blooms through you, and he doesn't hold back as he starts thrusting into you roughly, slamming his hips against your aft with your body trapped against the wall.

This was something different that you don't think you remember happening between you and Wheeljack before in the past. Sure, you both got in the moment sometimes, but this was a control kind of rough, but you don't hate it. His movements cause your frame to scrap against the wall making you hold onto anything possible to try to keep still under his rough thrusts. It's not that you weren't enjoying it, you were loving every second of it, it just surprises you mostly.

His chassis presses into your back with his servos gripping at your waist, digits digging into your armour, with his heated grunts filling your audio as he rutts into you at a quick pace, so fast, forcing small squeaked pants to leave you over again.

Suddenly, he stills, grunts, firmly pressing against your aft and you feel a sudden warm feeling in your depths. Oh, he overloaded?

It all happened so fast and as turned on as you were, you weren't close to your own overload. Wheeljack always made sure you both overloaded, at least this is what you remember.

You hear him venting heavily as he rests against your back, cable still buried deep in you as if he was savouring it. For a moment you keep still before turning your helm a little to try and look at him. "Jackie?" You got his attention but he seems to have no words for you, making you go on. "You overloaded pretty fast." You say through perhaps what might've sounded like a little amusement, teasing in your voice, which you regret.

Wheeljack stiffens and he looks away from you as if he's embarrassed. He lets out a murmur that you don't hear as he removes himself from you, and before he could put himself away you stop him.

"Hey, Jackie, it's alright." You assure as you turn around and tug him closer against you, servos running along his cheek plating with your digits tracing over his scars. "Don't worry. It must've been a long time for you, hey?"

"Yeah." He answered through a heavy vent. "Too long." You watch as he slowly leans into your touches making you smile softly.

"It happens. But...that was something different. I never thought you liked it rough, though I didn't mind it, pretty wild."

"Oh? Is that something you like?" He smiles a little, making you beam softly in return.

"Maybe." You can't help but giggle lightly before biting your lower lip a little. "Hey, think you've got a little more in you to help me overload? I bet I could make you overload a second time."

"Yeah, sure, though I....just might need a moment." He starts palming his semi soft cable but you place your servo over his cable then.

"Allow me."

He doesn't say as much as he lets you take control, pumping his cable slowly and giving a small squeeze here and there while keeping your optics on him. Slowly you start to sink down onto your knees and he watches you as if he were in a trance. Not something you should be doing in the hall, but honestly it's all giving a small added thrill to the experience.

Taking his cable you lean forward and run your glossa along the length, pressing into each ridge and swiping over his tip as you taste his fluids and your own juices. You can also feel some of his fluids running down your inner thigh. Letting out a hum you take him into your mouth, optics up and stuck on Wheeljack as you take him inch by inch. He doesn't take his optics off you, not for one second.

Wheeljack lets out a low moan before leaning his arm against the wall in front of him, watching as you take him whole before you start to bob your head over his cable, slowly growing semi-hard as you bring his arousal up again.

"Frag..." He can't help but curse as you already manage to build up his arousal again, feeling your warm mouth and glossa running along his length while his waist moves against your mouth.

Getting him hard again gave you such pride as you let out a lingering hum around his spike before moving back slowly, letting go with a wet pop between your lips and standing back up in front of him. Some of his fluid was smeared at the corner of your mouth, and using your digit you wipe it away before sucking it clean off. Wheeljack looks on as if something was about to burst in him causing you to smirk softly.

"Do you like that?" You decide to play a little with him, running your servo all along his throbbing cable, squeezing gently. "Do you like my touches?"

"Your servo feels much better than my own." He chuckles through a throaty moan.

Letting out a soft smirk you manage to climb yourself up onto him and wrap your legs around his waist, positioning him over your drenched valve before sinking down on him.

"I think my valve can do a better job."

"Frag yes." That cute smile of his is so childish that it causes you to lean in and kiss the wrecker as you rock your hips into him.

Again, he presses you into the wall and gains firm control, thrusting slowly but firmly, and you can tell he's holding back. His moans mix in through your own while keeping a tight hold on him, moving with him as he buries his face into your neck.

"A little bite never hurt anybody." You whisper between heated vents to him. "Go ahead."

He does that, latching his dentas onto your exposed neck cables while his moans vibrate against your frame. A boiling mewl leaves you as you node is now grinding up against him giving you the perfect stimulation you needed as he leaves marks against your neck.

In the burning bliss that rocks through your entire frame you became lost but you didn't want to find a way out. You are taken out of this trance for a moment when you feel his servo suddenly wrap around the front of your neck to replace his lips. You meet his lustful dark gaze but you're not afraid, and he gets the silent approval as he adds a little pressure and drives forward into you more firmly against the wall.

The dominance is new. Wheeljack never use to do things like this, but bots can change, and you weren't complaining. Much to your surprise the change was rather thrilling as your body reacts quite positively under his rough treatment of you, but not enough to cause harm.

"Jackie...Jackie." You managed to chant his name under the tight servo wrapped across your neck, letting out thrilling mewls as the the back of your pedes dig into his rocking aft. You can feel yourself about to overload, and you don't hold back.

Your valve clenches around the throbbing cable rutting into you, feeling every ridge rub along your inner walls, right before your overload hits and sparks through your entire frame and letting out a muffled cry out moan you tried to bury under your servo in an attempt to tone it out from the echoing hall.

Wheeljack was close, so close, as you feel him hump himself against you at a rapid pace before he overloads a second time right there. He bits into your shoulder as his servo tightens a little more at your neck, only for a short moment before he loosens his hold and sags himself against you.

Eventually you both move off the wall, fixing yourselfs up and you lean forward to kiss him. He flinches, as if surprised, before quickly leaning into your kiss that turns into a hunger. You don't know why he's so flinchy, like he wasn't used to being kissed. All you do is remind yourself that it's been a long time for you both, you don't think on it too much. You missed him. Breaking the kiss you caress his cheek plating while looking up at him lovingly.

"Later, you will definitely need to show me more what I've missed out on." You whisper close to his lips. Wheeljack smirks rather proudly.

"You can count on that."

You take his servo on your own and drag him back down the hall.

While you hold his servo leading him back to where everyone was waiting, Wheeljack stares at you with a lingering hunger that you don't see. You also don't see his optics flashing white, or his sinister grin that is foreign to the Wheeljack you knew.

What you don't know is that it's not Wheeljack.

Makeshift was on a very important mission for Lord Starscream. Invade the autobot base and open a ground bridge up for the decepticons to wipe the autobots out once and for good. You weren't part of the mission, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to blow off steam with a beautiful femme like you. He didn't mean to overload so fast before, it's just he hasn't had a good interface in a long time. But that second round was something else, very special you were indeed. Afterwards, when he succeeds in his mission, Lord Starscream will reward him, and he'll ask for you. He'll want you to be kept online all for himself.

Not the evening you might have planned, but he surely did have plans for you.

#transformers #prime #valveplug #wheeljack #makeshift #reader insert #wheeljack x reader #smut #fanfiction #writing #creepy ending probably #sugarrusheag

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lightwise · 11 months ago

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Be There - Parts 1 & 2

Note: As I like to do (aka my brain holds me hostage until it is satisfied), I had to fill in a couple of moments that we didn’t get in S3 E4 - A Different Approach. I am approaching Tech and Echo’s absence as each character is aware of it so far—so whether he is dead or simply gone, mentions of Tech are not meant to imply that he is physically present in these scenes.

Enjoy.

Read both parts together here on AO3.

SPOILERS for season 3 of TBB ahead.

Part 1: Our mission isn’t over yet.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Wrecker stared unblinking at the yellow transmission light as it lit up for the third time. Hunter had stepped away from the console for a brief minute to rest his eyes. This wasn’t standard procedure. When Echo or Rex or Phee needed to reach them, they usually used their wrist comms or the portable holo. The inbuilt console had been…Tech’s domain.

“Uh, Hunter…you might wanna see this.”

A gruff sigh came from the pilot’s seat. “See what, Wreck?”

The last beep finally entered Hunter’s consciousness as he tried to brush off the weariness that threatened to overtake him. So far they were only a third of the way around the sector found in the data from Setron. More time had been lost taking the cadets all the way out to Pabu too (not that he regretted the stop). His mind couldn’t shut off, wouldn’t stop thinking through the next place they could look every time a planet turned up empty, but he could feel his ligaments starting to fray at the edges in protest.

Wrecker would have pointed out that he had been falling apart at more than the edges for awhile now. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered until they brought her home. He just needed to keep it together until then.

“I…I don’t remember what the codes mean but…isn’t that…does this…”

Hunter rubbed his eyes wearily, trying to get them to focus enough to read the sharp white letters that had appeared on the dashboard. Two innocuous lines, in an old coding sequence that Tech had set up before…he blinked that thought away.

OM.P53.NMR.2SR. BT.

Plan 53 (all comms silent for a stealth rendezvous). Nearest moon of Ryloth. 2 standard rotations. Be there.

But it was the first letters in the sequence that caused his heart to stop in his chest.

“I shall make it so that the first two letters of each of our names signify who is sending the message. They should always be the first letters in the sequence.” A tilt of the head and a push of the goggles up his nose had accompanied Tech giving a very pointed look in Wrecker’s direction. “That should be easier to remember than full code names, I hope.”

OM. Omega. It couldn’t be. It had to be. Nobody outside of the Batch knew this frequency—or code.

“It’s HER.”

He gripped the edge of the console in a daze. How?? She had escaped? She had somehow found a way to contact them. She…she was alive.

“But…how do we know for sure?” Wrecker’s eyebrows pinched together in concern. “After all the luck we’ve been having…what if this is a trap, Hunter?”

The words Hunter had said before their failed mission to Eriadu haunted him now, thrown back in his face like a taunt. He knew Wrecker didn’t mean it that way, though.

“I don’t think it’s a trap. I really don’t think so. But either way…we have to try it.” He glanced at the chronometer on the dash and pulled up the coordinates to Ryloth. “Especially this location…only Omega would have picked here, where she met Hera for the first time. She knows it will be off the radar but easy to get to. We can just make it if we get going now.” He had barely swung the pilot’s seat back around before furiously punching in the coordinates.

The Marauder’s engines picked up from their lull as they launched forward into hyperspace. Wrecker slumped into the seat beside him, staring out the flickering blue around them for a long moment. He had picked up Lula from her perch on Omega’s blanket at some point, and was passing her tenderly back and forth in his hands.

“I really hope you’re right.”

They cautiously exchanged glances as the shock and adrenaline of the last few minutes wore off. For the first time in a very, very, long time, Hunter felt the faintest flicker of something he could call hope. But he didn’t dare let it burst into full flame. Not yet.

Wrecker suddenly chuckled and clapped his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “Ya know, we’re a mess. We really should clean up before we get there.” His voice lowered a bit as he added, “no reason making her worry any more than she probably already is at how rough we look.”

Hunter scowled and pinched his brow. His brother was right. The lack of sleep and hygiene had caught up with them at this point, and they smelled worse than they looked. Omega would be able to see the wear and tear on their armor eventually, but at least they could be presentable to welcome her home.

“Fine, I’ll go shower,” he huffed, giving Wrecker a strained grin that turned into a groan as he tore his limbs out of the seat.

The view in the mirror only confirmed his disheveled state, and he groaned again as he tugged the bandana off his forehead and slumped against the fresher wall.

Please, please let this be real. I don’t know if I can bear another false lead.

They had crossed the galaxy five times at this point. He would a hundred more if that’s what it took. They didn’t leave their own behind.

Most of the time.

His ears began ringing. The unbidden thought that had been slowly poking its way through his subconscious finally breached the surface. What if…what if Omega had been taken to the same facility as Crosshair. What if they had found each other? What if…she wasn’t alone?

Deke’s words had been painfully etching their way deeper and deeper into his heart since the boy had carelessly uttered them.

“At least you’re loyal.”

If only he knew. Once Hunter had claimed those words proudly. It was the ethos he had lived by. Still wanted to live by. But…he wasn’t sure he deserved that label anymore. Too many mistakes had been made. He had failed too many times.

Echo had told him once that their unbeatable streak on missions during the war wasn’t necessarily a good thing. And every time Hunter thought he was making the right decision, he ended up proving him right. He wasn’t prepared for the weight of failure. For the ways everything kept slipping through his clenched fists. For watching his brother point a rifle in his face and walk away. For not having the right words to bring him back. For all the ways he had to choose when there was no good choice to be had. For watching his entire world fall away. For picking shattered goggles up off the ground. For the dark and empty gunners mount that had been staring him in the face for five and a half months.

Silver hair and a toothpick between thin lips suddenly floated in front of his eyes, sneering at him. Every choice you’ve made has been wrong. We’re all lost because of you. And then it shifted, the silver hair morphing into a scarred head and terrified, wide eyes that glistened with tears. Begging, pleading. Why weren’t you weren’t loyal to me?

No, no, no, NO. Hunter dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying desperately to stop the vortex spinning out of control inside his head. A sob escaped his lips as he collapsed onto the floor. He could never repair any of this. He didn’t know how.

He sucked in a breath as he felt the faint pressure of a hand on his shoulder that couldn’t possibly be there. A clipped voice suddenly echoed through his mind. I have found that repairs, while daunting at first, simply take repeated effort and inclination in order to achieve them. It’s like a puzzle. The pieces are there, you just have to pay attention and take the time to put them back together. Steady hands. No Hunter, try moving it this way. See? I knew you could do it.

If only he was here. Hunter wiped the traces of tears from his eyes as his hitched breathing slowly evened out. Whatever—whoever was waiting for them on that moon—he would have to face them. Whether it was a waking dream or another nightmare. He had crossed the galaxy five times in as many months. But he still hadn’t been able to outrun the pain. Hadn’t been able to outrun himself.

It was time to try a different approach.

Maybe not everything had to be lost.

-----------

Part 2: You don’t know if they’re still alive.

“They’ll be there.”

She had cut him off adamantly. The full force of her hope (her naïveté, he had called it just a few hours prior), pushing firmly against his gentle attempt at reason.

Crosshair knew he wasn’t just trying to prepare Omega for the possibility that Hunter and Wrecker might not be waiting for them. For them? No, they would only be waiting for her. They had stopped waiting for him a long time ago.

No, his words were more an attempt at quelling his own twisted anxiety at the prospect of facing his brothers again. It had been…a year? More? Since he had stayed behind on that blasted platform. It felt like ten lifetimes ago now. So much had changed. He had changed. Or had he?

A staccato thud flung them out of hyperspace, the stolen freighter now drifting quietly past the two giant orange moons that guarded Omega’s choice of rendezvous.

Still standing behind the copilot chair, his trained eye spotted the tiny speck of light coming from the open ramp of the Marauder. So they were alive. Of course. The tiniest twitch spasmed in Crosshair’s chest at the sight.

That open door was for her, he reminded himself again. Not him.

The girl stood unmoving as they touched down. Her spine straight, shoulders pulling down and back, and he could see the faintest reflection in the viewport of tears welling up in her eyes.

The ramp began to lower and she suddenly came to life, arms and legs almost flailing in her haste to reach the ground. Though he could no longer see her face, as she paused at the last step Crosshair could tell that a weight had lifted from her shoulders. The weight of taking care of herself, taking care of him, getting them both to safety.

She had accomplished her mission.

He had to admit, he was impressed by her. Maybe he was starting to understand a little of how quickly Hunter’s loyalty had transferred to her, how she must have driven them all crazy at first with her bright-eyed optimism and inability to take no for an answer.

She really was the best of them.

He sighed as her words echoed in his mind—“I’m not giving up, Crosshair! I won’t let you either.” Her stubbornness was certainly the family trait, and perhaps surpassed his own.

Those words had somehow burrowed into his chest and wouldn’t leave. But they hadn’t shocked him. He expected her to say them to anyone. They fit perfectly within the love and loyalty she showed everyone around her.

What had shocked him were the ones she said later, after he had tried every tactic he could think of to get her focus off of him and onto her own safety. He had long since accepted what the rest of his accelerated lifespan might be—serving as a test tube and punching bag for the Empire he had once sought glory from. How fitting, really. It was his penance, for everything he had done. Everything he had failed to do.

Why should he have a chance to live when...he sighed again and pushed away the memories threatening to engulf him. Long brown hair and a beard blurred white with snow. Round, yellow-tinted lenses blinking pointedly in his direction. The remnants of a skull chalked onto the back wall of a bunk—just enough dust left to stain his fingers.

“None of us belong here.”

The Empire changed people. For the worse. But after all those months of isolation, all his attempts to drive her away, to keep his distance so she would stay safe—he never expected for those wide eyes to practically beam sunlight at him in that force-forsaken, grey haze of a prison. She had seen him, then. Truly seen him for who he was—and still believed in him. In all of them.

She had tried to give him the same outstretched hand many times before—during their desperate attempts to flee the sinking facilities of Kamino; on the sun-soaked platform after. In that makeshift holding cell after Kaller, where all of this had started.

He wasn’t sure what surprised him more—that she had offered it one more time, or that he was finally willing to try and accept it.

Batcher whined from her corner of the cockpit, tilting her head hesitantly at Crosshair as he remained fixated, unable to move from the viewport. His musings faded as he saw a shift in the light; Wrecker’s large form had suddenly darkened the doorway of the Marauder.

Crosshair dug his spine into the door frame behind him, waiting.

He didn’t have Hunter’s hearing, but he didn’t need it. He could imagine just how loud the shout of joy was that Wrecker let out as he ran to meet his little—their little sister. A faint smirk threatened to tilt his lips as the giant of a man lifted Omega high above his head and spun her around, wiping tears unashamedly from his eyes. Crosshair expected nothing less. He was sure there were matching tears streaming down Omega’s face as she clung desperately to her—their brother.

But where was…Crosshair’s eyes narrowed as they caught movement inside the Marauder. Was he truly prepared to see the etched face of his former leader, brother—friend—once again? A now familiar yet terrifyingly unwelcome spasm in his hand told him he was not.

Hunter emerged from the shadows, stopping before the overhead light could illuminate his face.

He must have said something, before practically leaping down the Marauder’s ramp as Omega catapulted herself forward again. Crosshair’s eyes softened as he watched his stoic, touch-averse brother cradle the girl in his arms, his eyes closed, his hands shifting over her back as though he would never let her go.

Could he blame him?

But the atmosphere shifted abruptly as Hunter pulled back, his warm smile and affectionate gaze at Omega turning into a wide-eyed, disbelieving gape as he lifted his eyes toward the freighter behind her. There was no way he could see him through the tint of the cockpit, but his other senses were more than adequate at that distance. Hunter had finally realized that Omega had not escaped alone.

Crosshair felt panic wash over him. His gaze shifted to the pilot’s controls. It would be so easy to take the wheel and disappear, leave them all behind once again. Omega was safe. That was all that mattered, right? He could ditch the ship and find work on some backwater planet, do his best to keep off the Empire’s radar.

Batcher slowly shook herself and stood up from where she had been napping the last few hours, her eyes never leaving his. His lips tightened into a thin line as they stared each other down.

He finally let out a disgruntled sigh, shaking his head and crouching down until he could rest his hand on the curve of her head.

“I know, I know.”

She growled a little and then licked his hand, pointedly ignoring the scowl he gave in return.

“I’m done running. Promise.”

He achingly stood back to his full height and turned toward the back of the ship. He could almost feel Hunter’s shocked gaze still on him. Whatever message Omega had sent them, they clearly hadn’t been expecting him to walk down that ramp after her. After all the wrong choices—how could this one possibly go any better?

The tremor took over his hand again. But he suddenly, faintly, felt the pressure of a familiar, slender hand on his shoulder. And another, firmer grip cradling his trembling fingers, easing the shattered nerves. A pulse he thought he would never hear again thrummed next to his own for the briefest of seconds.

He had nothing left to lose.

It was time to try living again.

Divider by the lovely @dystopicjumpsuit ✨

#the bad batch #tbb #star wars #crosshair #crosshair bad batch #tbb crosshair #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch fanfiction #fanfiction #tbb fanfic #tbb fanfiction #tbb season 3 #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch season 3 spoilers #tbb season 3 spoilers #a different approach #some light ramblings #somelightramblings

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notgonnaedit · 22 days ago

Text

Healer's Love

Paths Unknown

Summary: Six months after Eriadu, the remainder of the squad struggles to be whole as they fight for their right to be a family.

Pairing: Bad Batch x Teen!OFC (clones being good brothers/dads)

Chapter summary: In an attempt to get information, what remains of the Batch find themselves needing the help of abandoned cadets.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, jungle survival, Half-Life headcrabs, the freaking Flood from Halo (If I miss a tag LMK)

Masterlist

Tags: @hugmekenobi @nottwonerdy777

@dreamsight73 @delicioustacocollector

@covert1ntrovert @clonethirstingisreal

Althea sat in the cockpit, her legs kicked up on the controls and her torso leaning forward. "You sure you can't come sooner?"

The ARC on the other end sighed. "I'm sorry, kid. Me and Rex are about to head out."

A ghost of a smile passed on the medic's lips. "Lemme guess: top secret?"

Talking to Echo every so often was the only thing she had to look forward to.

Echo chuckled. "Yeah." A beat of silence passed before his gaze met hers again. "How are you holding up?"

Althea glanced away. "Some days are harder than others," she admitted, allowing her walls to come down for a moment. She scowled and furrowed her brows. "Hunter's a pain in the ass."

"He does that sometimes."

" Hunter still treats me like I'm a kid. I turned eighteen a few months ago. They left me on Pabu for a week!" The ebony haired girl snapped quietly. "I thought something happened."

Echo hummed. "Back during the war, the Republic would send out grief counselors when volunteer troopers were KIA."

"I wouldn't need one," Althea huffed.

A muffled voice said something behind Echo. The ARC sighed before turning back to the teen. "I have to go now. Take it easy on Hunter, Thea. He's just a stressed as you are. You might be ‘legally’ an adult, but your still a kid to us."

Althea smirked barely. "I'm older than you."

Echo smiled. A real, genuine smile. "Yeah. Alright, be safe, kid."

With that, he ended the transmission and left Althea on her own. The girl stared at where his hologram was just moments ago, stalling before standing up to go to the cockpit.

The doors slid open for her, revealing Hunter and Wrecker talking about something. Althea didn't care.

"Echo said he and Rex need two rotations before they can meet us at the coordinates," she told them.

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose and stood. "That's not good enough. We're going now."

He moved to go to the cockpit, but Wrecker grabbed his shoulder. "Hunter," he started solemnly, "the last time we stormed an Imperial base without backup, not all of us made it out."

Hunter continued to the cockpit, walking past Althea.

"Omega's been waiting for us a long time, Wrecker." Hunter sat in the pilot's seat and brought the ship out of hyperspace. "I'm not making her wait another day." Althea hated that she agreed with him.

•°•°•°•°•°•°• "It smells like rancid Jotaz out here," Wrecker stated as they stepped out of the ship.

The jungle planet they had landed on had the smell and heat of a swamp. Golden sunlight filtered in through the dense trees. Althea missed her old mask, but her hood would have to do for now.

Hunter clutched the datapad in his hands. "There's nothing on the scanners."

"The Empire could be jamming our sensors," Althea reminded him.

They began to move through the jungle. Althea's feet slid under the wet moss that coated the forest floor. She slipped at one point, catching herself just in time.

"Careful, Thea," Hunter said.

An annoyed huffed left her as she stood. "I got it."

The tracker worked nimbly through the jungle, Althea and Wrecker following his movements. They came to a cliff that overlooked a base. But the facility was destroyed and overrun with foliage.

"Oh, no," Hunter breathed.

Althea's heart dropped into her stomach. "That's Hemlock's lab?"

"They destroyed it," Hunter said. "Another orbital bombardment."

Wrecker spoke up, his next words heightening Althea's mounting dread.

"But Omega. I-I-If she was here–"

"We don't know if she was." Hunter smacked his binocs into his brother's chest. "The Durands' intel could be wrong. Let's get down there and check it out."

They made their way back down the hill, dodging roots and vines to avoid tripping. Then, Hunter stopped suddenly and held up his arm. "We're not alone."

Two kids dropped from the trees, one on each side of them.

"Freeze!" One ordered with a spear.

The other, holding some spear-like weapon said, "Drop your weapons."

Wrecker barked a laugh. "Blaster beats stick, kid."

These boys, they had dirt on their faces and were wearing torn clothes. They looked younger than Althea, and had deep earthen eyes.

"Wrecker, they're regs," Hunter said.

"And who are you?" The boy with the strange weapon asked.

Hunter and Wrecker pulled of their helmets, and Althea flipped down her hood.

"We're clones. Same as you," Hunter assured.

The first boy – the one with the strange spear – frowned. "You don't look like clones."

"They must be 99s," the second boy deduced. "Defectives."

"Defective and effective," Wrecker chuckled.

Althea glanced between the two, a question forming on her tongue. "What are you two doing out here?"

"What's it look like? Surviving," Boy 1 said. "Or trying to. No thanks to the Empire."

Boy 2 narrowed his eyes. "They send you to finish us off?"

"Do we look like we're with the Empire?" Wrecker gestured to their battered and custom armor.

Boy 2 glanced at his companion before asking, "What do you want?"

"We're looking for a young girl," Hunter answered. "She's a clone. We think she was sent to the lab here."

Boy 1 hummed. "Never saw anyone like that, but Mox might know about her."

"He won't talk to them," Boy 2 interjected.

"Please," Hunter said, the crease in his brow deepening, "we have to find her. She's part of our squad."

Boy 2 glanced at Boy 1. "Stick to the trail. Follow our steps. And don't touch the vines."

Hunter and Wrecker slipped their helmets back on, and Althea her hood, as they followed the boys.

"When the Empire transferred us off Kamino, we thought we were getting more training," Boy 2 told them. "Instead, they made us prisoners. Took samples of our blood."

"Why?" Hunter asked. "What was the Empire doing here?"

"Whatever they wanted."

"At least we escaped before they destroyed the facility," Boy 1 added.

"And you survived alone out here ever since?" Hunter questioned.

"We're soldiers," Boy 2 reasoned. "Or we were supposed to be."

Althea's blood boiled. She wouldn't put it past the Empire to abandon kids, but what did that mean for Omega?

"Stop," Boy 1 ordered to Wrecker.

"What?" The demo man asked.

Althrs turned to see a large vine. It was chittering and moving on it's own! "Wrecker, behind you."

"Run!" Boy 2 cried.

Wrecker turned and fired at the plant, elicting a screech from it.

"Don't fire!" Boy 1 said. "It gets hostile when you shoot."

"You mean it's not already hostile??" Wrecker asked.

He fired.

"No!" The boys cried.

The squad back up against a tree as the vines grew closer. Wrecker yelped as one grabbed him from behind, tying him to a tree.

Althea turned toward him. She grabbed her knife from her thigh and rushed forward, running up the tree and slicing the vine before gravity over took her.

After getting cut, the vines shrieked and pulled away.

"Come on!" Boy 1 ordered. They all ran a long time before stopping to catch their breath.

"What was that stuff?" Wrecker asked.

"Slither vines," Boy 1 panted. "The Empire made it. It's some kind of experimental weapon, until they lost control of it."

Boy 2 huffed. "Probably why they ordered a Base Delta Zero on their own facility."

Boy 1 stood up straight. "We'll be safe on the crag. The slither vines haven't spread there."

Boy 2 rolled his eyes. "Yet." He pointed his spear at Wrecker. "And this time, don't touch anything."

The demo man's eye roll was audible. "Yeah, yeah."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The boys lead them to a small overhang filled with their meager belongings. An older boy sat there, poking at a small fire.

"Mox," Boy 1 said.

Mox stood, narrowing his eyes at the new faces "Who are they?"

"Clones. And a volunteer. We found them by the overlook."

"It's quite a place you got here," Wrecker said as they took off their helmets.

"What do you want?" Mox asked, his tone more curious than hostile.

"We're looking for a young girl," Hunter answered. "She was taken by an Imperial named Hemlock. Her name's Omega."

Mox hummed as he took a seat. "Never saw a girl around the lab. But I know Hemlock. He was in charge until things changed. One day, the Imperials started packing up and shipped out. So we made our move and escaped."

"We were the only ones who made it out before the orbital bombardment," Boy 1 said softly.

Boy 2's gaz let was hard. "Even the clone troopers left us to die. Said they were following orders."

Althea found herself becoming empathetic towards these boys. "We get it. We've lost people too."

"We can take you to someplace safe," Hunter added, "but we need to find out if Omega was here or where Hemlock took her. There has to be some intel in that base."

"One of the control room panels was still intact during our last scout." Boy 1 stood. "I tried to use it to send a signal, but there was no power."

"Can you take us there?" Hunter asked.

"No way," Boy 2 interjected. "That area is covered in slither vines. It's toxic."

"Stak's right," Mox agreed as he stood. "Going near those ruins is a suicide mission. You're on your own."

Boy 1 – Althea was starting to feel bad for calling him that internally – turned to the older boy. "They need help, Mox. I'll go with them."

He grabbed two masks from a crate and moved to leave.

"You know the risks of going down there," Stak said as he stood.

Boy 1 paused for a single moment before moving on, the squad on his tail.

•°•°•°•°•°•

After grabbing Gonky from the ship to power control panel, the cadet – who had introduced himself as Deke – showed them the entrance to the base. He had given Althea a mask to filter out the toxins in the air.

Vines and trees covered it. The way in was dark and deep, like an open mouth waiting to swallow them up.

"There's slither vines everywhere in there," Deke warned. "Be careful where you step."

On cue, Wrecker stumbled. His balance was off due to carrying Gonky on his back. "Whoa!"

As Deke led them through, Althea's senses were put on high alert. The drips of water, creaking of the facility, and the warbles of the slither vines did nothing to help her jumpiness. "How much further is the console?" She asked.

"Hard to tell," Deke answered. "More vines have spread down here. We had to stop scavenging the site because of it."

"What other experiments were going on in this place?" Hunter inquired.

"Nothing good. They didn't exactly tell us what was going on."

Althea furrowed her brow. Even if Omega wasn't here, she could be enduring the same treatment that these boys had. The thought made her pick up her pace.

Suddenly, Hunter whirled around. He shone his light on the ground, glancing around. He was tense. He sensed something.

A scream came from Deke's direction. Althea turned to see slither vines pulling him away like a spider does a fly.

Hunter jumped up and cut the vines, kicking their severed limbs away as Wrecker caught Deke.

Althea shone her light on the remains. It moved. "Hunter..."

The tracker followed her gaze to the twitching plant. It jumped up, now a creature with three little legs. More appeared behind it.

"Go!" Hunter yelled. Althea didn't need to be told twice.

The party took off running, blasting at the little creatures. "Keep moving!" Someone yelled. Althea didn't know, just that she wanted to get away.

Eventually, they came to an area where the floor broke off and there was an open roof. Below was a bubbling, green bog that reeked like rot.

"I didn't think it could smell any worse," said Wrecker, "but I was wrong."

"We're in agreement on that," Hunter stated.

Deke shone his light around until it landed on a piece of metal that looked somewhat decent. "There's the console. Come on."

They made sure to follow Deke's movements perfectly. None of them wanted to fall into the bog.

When they reached the console, they worked together to shove a sheet of metal out of the way. It sank into the murk.

"Alright. Do your thing, little guy." Wrecker plugged Gonky in and the panel whirred to life.

Hunter connected the datapad to the console. He paused, glancing behind them. "Something's coming. We need to make this quick."

"Is it more of those things?" Althea asked.

"No. Something else."

Deke looked up at Hunter. "I'm familiar with the system. Give me some time. I'll see what data I can pull up."

After giving the boy the datapad, Hunter and Wrecker moved out a few steps to intercept the creature that was coming. Althea remained by Deke's side, but was on guard.

The bog gurgled and the metal creaked. It was as if the base was alive and angry at them.

Then suddenly, out of the bog, a giant slither vines erupted. Blasters were Immediately firing at it. More appeared, roaring and screeching.

Deke grabbed his comm and yelled for help from his brothers.

"Time's up!" Althea told the boy. "Get the datapad!"

Deke grabbed the device as Wrecker grabbed Gonky. They jumped across the metal, avoiding the goop as the slither vines attacked.

They managed to make it outside, but a river of muck stopped them. The vines were closing in. Althea looked behind her and saw a piece of metal floating down. They jumped on it.

Giant vines shot out from the bog. They blasted at them the best they could, but they just kept coming.

"It's everywhere!" Deke cried.

Then, like light from heaven, the Marauder shone down on them. Althea looked up.

Those little wamp rats tried to steal our ship!

Mox stood on the ramp, lowering the cables. "Grab the cables!"

Wrecker and Deke were up first, shooting as they were pulled up.

The piece of metal began to sink. Althea kept shooting at the vines.

"Althea!" She heard Hunter yell.

The medic turned to see the tracker grabbing onto the cable with one hand, already a few feet up.

Althea ran for it, jumping and catching his wrist. She kept blasting at the vines, but they just wouldn't stop. They wrapped around the ship, threatening to pull it down.

From the bog, a mouth lined with sharp teeth appeared. A plant sarlaac that was going to eat them.

"We need more firepower!" Hunter yelled.

Wreckee dropped a thermal detonater into the creatures mouth, but the explosion was miniscule and did nothing.

"That's not enough!" Althea yelled.

"Grab the case of explosives," Wrecker ordered the boys.

Mox and Deke came out with a large crate and shoved it off. The contents poured into the creature's mouth. Deke took a thermal detonater and dropped it in. Once it exploded, the creature shrieked in pain and let go of the ship.

The squad clambered inside as fast as they could. Stak was in the pilot's seat.

"Go, go, go!" Hunter ordered.

Stak flew off into the atmosphere, jumping them into hyperspace.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Hunter looked at the datapad, reviewing the data solemnly. His gaze shifted to the cockpit, where Wrecker, Althea, and the boys were recounting their adventure. The ebony haired girl stood with her arms folded, smirking lightly.

She had trusted Hunter during their mission, yet she was still angry with him. She was a soldier who knew when to put feelings aside, and Hunter hated it.

The tracker looked back down at the datapad. He couldn't delay any longer. He stood and walked to the cockpit.

"I've been going over the data," he said. "Looks like Hemlock transferred his entire base of operations to another location. His experiments too."

"Did the intel say where he went?" Mox asked.

"There was a mention of a sector but nothing more," Hunter sighed. "It's a lead, but we've got a lot of space to cover."

Wrecker hummed. "Well, if that's where Omega is, then that's where we're going."

The tracker nodded, glancing back at the boys. "We'll drop you three off someplace safe."

"Where?" Mox asked.

"An island," Althea answered. "There are good people there. They'll take care of you."

Mox furrowed his brow. "We're cadets without an army. I don't know where we fit anymore."

Hunter took a step forward. "You have time to figure it out. Make your own path. Be something other than a soldier."

"What about you?"

"Our mission is not over yet." Hunter felt Wrecker's hand on his shoulder. He glanced at Althea. Her golden eyes were dull, but they still held a firey determination.

Mox raised his arm halfway, holding it out to grip. Hunter did the same, squeezing his hand. It was a clone's way of expressing solidarity, of saying, "Best of luck. I have your back."

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#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #bad batch #oc #fanfiction #healer's family series

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like-a-bantha · 1 year ago

Text

Lost/Loss

Summary: Everything changed after Eriadu. Hunter becomes withdrawn, and you can't help but worry about him. You do what you can to show him you're there for him.

Pairing: Hunter/GN Reader (No Y/N, no descriptions of reader's appearance)

Rating: T

Warnings: Angst, mentions of major character death

Word Count: 1.7k

AO3 | Masterlist

One week of radio silence. Our contact was supposed to get back to us five days ago with intel on Hemlock and his captives. Instead, we’ve sat around on Pabu tensely awaiting a holocall that we’re beginning to lose hope in receiving.

Phee was kind enough to offer us room in her home, and free reign of her holotable, to act as a sort of base. It’s been quieter since we were last gathered around this table. The usual boisterous laughter and interrupted rants replaced with worried silence broken every so often by a sea breeze that no longer carries the joyous sound of Omega and Lyana playing just outside. That mission, Hemlock, the Empire, took so much from us; it’s taken an incredible amount of effort from Hunter, Wrecker, and I to not allow these forces working against us to take our hope on top of it all.

Echo and Rex referred us to this contact not long ago, someone who they’d worked closely with during the war, someone they trust. I commed Echo. Hunter advised against it, said it wasn’t worth it, that all we could do now was wait. I snuck out to the Marauder to use the long distance com anyways. Of course, the conversation was brief, and he has as much information as we do. Sit tight. Waiting game. All that.

“How’re they holding up?” His voice low, even with the volume adjusted to its highest setting. He’d mentioned returning to Coruscant last time we spoke, it must be the middle of the night there. We always did have terrible sleeping schedules.

“Not well, but I mean…” I trail off, we both know the reason, we both hold some foolish hope that not saying it will make it less true, “They miss you.”

“But you don’t?” There’s that sass, that glint of normalcy I’ve both craved and feared these past two months.

A laugh escapes me as if on instinct, it sounds foreign, “Nah, thought I’d never shake you. So clingy.”

“You’re one to talk, you do realize it’s 0100 here?”

This, our shared brand of humor and sarcasm, too, feels so distant to me now. Slowly, it comes back to me, “Oh, I’m so sorry, did I wake you up? Were you sleeping?”

“Like a baby.” His warm chuckle crackles through the com speaker, and mine through his. The silence that follows is warm, easing his way into broaching the question, “I take it he’s distancing himself again?”

I sigh, a deep sigh only brought about by reality, “I get it, I really do — and, honestly as bad as it sounds, I wish I didn’t because this kriffing hurts — but withdrawing like this, I don’t know why he can’t see it’s only making the feeling worse.”

“Have you told him that?”

“‘Course. He just says something about how we can’t give up and stares at the holotable. I don’t want to give up, I can’t give up, I just hate seeing him like this.”

Echo hums, but just as he begins to respond, static and unintelligible voices play loudly through the speaker. “I’m sorry, I’ve gotta go. Good luck.”

I nod, wiping at my misty eyes as I reach for the switch to end the transmission, “Be safe. Talk soon.”

Silence. Mournful, somber silence echoes through the lonely hull of the once lively ship. Everywhere my gaze falls sits a piece of their history, our history; one of Tech’s unfinished projects, a drawing of the ship Omega had called extra credit, Echo’s favorite brand of instant caf. Unable to withstand the weight of these memories, I decide to take my leave and the silence follows me back to the cottage.

I return to a rare sight: an empty house. No Wrecker sitting at the kitchen counter disassembling and reassembling explosives. No Phee asking him to take it outside. No Hunter hovering over the holotable awaiting a call. No com to tell me to hurry back, mustn’t have been an emergency.

I make my way over to the holotable, fingertips gliding across its rounded edge as I approach Hunter’s usual seat. When I pull out the chair, I’m met with a sight that would normally make me laugh. His shredded scarf that he’s grown so attached to, destroyed on our last mission to gather intel, along with his prized bandana that appears to have shrunken in the wash. The best I can muster is a bemused huff, taking the bundle of abused fabric into my arms as I sit. Suddenly, I’m struck with an idea. It could be a very stupid idea, of course, but a very good idea doesn’t always equate to a very smart idea. It’s a perspective thing and seeing as the only perspective available at the moment is my own, I figure I may as well get to it before more perspectives show up.

After careful work, I neatly fold remaining fabric and stash it in my pack with my tools; as the designated mender of the group, I know firsthand there is no such thing as too many fabric patches. Returning to the table, finished product tucked delicately in my vest pocket, approaching voices grow louder and louder.

“I’m telling you, it looks good! Stop fussing, leave it… yeah, like that,” Phee’s voice nears the door, and I’m sure I hear Hunter grumbling about something. The door whooshes open and my eyes widen with surprise. When I meet Phee’s gaze, she seems to silently plead for backup, “You’re back! What do you think?”

She gestures to an unamused Hunter, visibly fighting the urge to fidget with the hat he’s wearing. It doesn’t look bad on him, very few things would, but he doesn’t exactly look comfortable. Unwilling to hold the spotlight any longer, he grabs the floppy brim and removes it from his head, tossing the garment onto the table as he takes the seat next to me. Unable to help myself, I lean forward with a smile and run a hand through his slightly disheveled hair.

“That bad, huh?” Phee sighs, Wrecker following closely behind as she heads for the kitchen.

“I liked it,” The glee still empty from his voice, even at something that would’ve garnered one of his trademark laughs a few months ago.

“Me, too, big guy.” Phee sets a crate of groceries on the countertop. Wrecker’s taken to cooking. Though he’s been much quieter these days, Wrecker seems like himself again when he’s preparing a meal.

Hunter’s gaze is locked on the table, silences between us were never tense like this. When he speaks, he doesn’t look at me. “How’s Echo.”

It isn’t a question, more of a remark, maybe even an I told you so if I really read into it. I answer it like a question anyway, “Good, but no word from the contact.”

He hums. The silence that follows deems the told you so unnecessary.

I reach into my vest pocket. Now’s as good a time as any. “I made you something.”

He hums again, gaze flicking away from the table for half a second in question. Right now, that’s probably the best I’ll get. I place an open palm on the table before him. After a moment's hesitation he rests his hand atop mine, palm up, and I look to his eyes as I delicately drape a band of maroon fabric with thin gold stripes across his fingers.

Hunter’s expression is unreadable, regarding the gift silently. I bite my tongue, attempting to hold in any preemptive apologies in fear that I may have overstepped. My flat expression shifts only when I see his eyes begin to well up, before the first sorry can push past the floodgates he turns to me with the faintest smile. A smile I haven’t seen in too long. His grip tightens around the bandana as he rushes to pull me into a tight hug. Instantly, my arms wrap around him, tears forming in my own eyes. “I love it,” his voice low, he places a kiss on my temple, “thank you.”

“I’m sorry I can’t do more.” My voice comes out a whisper, all of the words I hold back seem louder. “We’re going to get them back, Hunter.”

“Not without a fight.” He says grimly, holding me tighter, as if he’ll lose me the second he lets go.

“I know,” I pull back to look into his eyes, my hand coming up to cup his tattooed cheek, “but we fight as a team. We can’t keep bottling all of this up, we need to take care of each other, ourselves.”

Hunter rests his forehead against mine as he sighs, “You’re right.”

“I know. How’re you feeling?” He shuts his eyes as my thumb gently ghosts back and forth over his cheekbone.

He thinks for a moment before releasing me, opening his palm to look at the bandana in his hand. “Lost,” he turns the garment over, examining the back, “Loss. I couldn’t protect them. You, Wrecker, Phee, you’re all I’ve got now and I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you either.”

“Tech protected us. Omega, too. I think it’s cruel to put that duty solely on yourself, Hunter. It’s an impossible weight to carry on your own,” A tear falls from my eye, quickly sliding down my cheek before landing on my pant leg, “please, let me carry some.”

“Giving it away doesn’t sound easy, either.” His own tears threaten to spill over, I hope I never get used to the subtle, somber shake in his voice, “But I’d like to try.”

When he looks up with a sad, weary smile, I can’t help but lean forward and place a small kiss to his lips. I begin to withdraw, but Hunter’s palm cups my cheek and pulls me back in for a longer, gentler and tearful kiss. This time, the silence that follows is peaceful as he rests his forehead against mine once more.

His loose hair falls around his face and I accidentally pull a few strands into my mouth as I inhale. He chuckles a bit as I pull away, a sound I’ve missed dearly. I can’t help but let out a small laugh of my own, reaching up to once again run a hand through his curls, “It’s gotten so long.”

Hunter smiles, turning the bandana over once more before presenting it to me, “Do the honors?”

With a smile and a nod, I take the cloth from his grasp, delicately wrapping the fabric around his head and tying a single knot.

“It’s perfect,” He places a soft kiss to my knuckles, taking my hand in his, “thank you.”

The holotable chirps. Incoming transmission.

A/N: Someone pointed out Hunter's hair looks longer, plus the new bandana, I just had to get this out of my system. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think, comments mean the world to me! <3

#the bad batch x reader #hunter tbb x reader #star wars x reader #hunter tbb #echo tbb #wrecker tbb #phee genoa #reader insert

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legacygirlingreen · 5 months ago

Text

Peace || Captain Rex x OFC (Mae Killough)

Pairing: Captain Rex X Original Female Character (Mae Killough); mentions @leenabb104104 's AU verse including Aiko x Echo, Tech x Leena, Wrecker x Chori

Word Count: 6.5k

Warnings: mentions of former injury, mentions of former clone death, brief mentions of order 66 (but only if you squint), mentions of unnamed character in labor, brief allusions to abusive childhood -- all that said its mostly VERY sweet/wholesome vibes in the midst of some introspection

Edited: 10/24/24

AN: Hi friends! So some of you may know, but I've been doing some collaborating with my friend @leenabb104104 ! This is a short oneshot for her Pabu AU introducing Mae, the doctor on the island! It can be read independently or separately! Overall it's just a sweet, wholesome meet cute for her and a particular captain whom we all know and love... If you wish to see Mae's intro on her account you can find it HERE and if you'd like to read about her being the MOH during her OFC Aiko and Echo's wedding that is HERE! Anyways, hope you like it. Don't be afraid to comment, and if you prefer the AO3 link that's here...

MASTERLIST || Part 2 || Part 3 (coming soon)

Rex always made a point to avoid eavesdropping on Echo’s conversations with Aiko whenever he could. Although he had introduced the two, he respected their privacy. Still, it was difficult not to overhear snippets of their dialogue while they shared the bridge of the small transport ship.

“We're headed back; it shouldn't be more than a few hours before Rex drops me off,” Echo reassured Aiko as a loud swoosh and bang suddenly broke the ambient sounds of the transmission. Rex glanced over, noticing the pale blue image of Aiko’s face turn toward the source of the commotion on her end.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently, sensing the tension radiating from her roommate.

“Labor. Can’t leave. Medical supplies—” came the fragmented response.

“She sounds flustered,” Echo remarked with a chuckle, prompting Rex to lean in slightly, intrigued by the plight of Aiko’s friend. Although he had met the Empath before Echo, he had yet to formally meet Mae, the resident doctor on Pabu. In fact, he had made it a point to avoid lingering on the island, always ensuring he dropped Echo off quickly before returning to one of the facilities he had helped establish for the clones they had rescued.

Rex watched as Aiko opened her arms, and the outline of a woman suddenly collapsed into her lap over the blurry imagery. “I need to head back; I just ran home to grab some clothes to change into later,” she groaned, her voice muffled as her mouth pressed into Aiko’s neck.

“What if I knew someone off-world who could pick up the supplies for you? Would that ease some of the stress?” Aiko suggested, her doctor nodding as she reached for the large clip securing her hair at the back of her head.

Rex observed, fascinated, as the blurry image of curls sprang free, almost cartoonishly, the moment they were released. “Depends on how trustworthy this person is,” she replied skeptically, her hands combing through her hair as she swiftly twisted it back into a tidy bun. Despite her back being turned to the transmission, he couldn’t help but be amazed at how long her hair was and how much space it seemed to occupy. He had never given hair much thought before; to him, it was just a nuisance, something to keep short and practical from all his years in combat. Yet now, he found himself wondering what color the doctor’s hair might be in real life.

“Echo can handle it. You can take care of it, right, darlin’?” Aiko prompted, shifting her attention back to the holopad as the woman whipped around abruptly.

The transmission distorted her features, making it hard to discern the exact shape of her nose or the nuances of her complexion beyond her pale skin. Details like the length of her eyelashes or the presence of freckles were lost in the blur. What stood out, however, were her large, expressive eyes, partially hidden behind comically oversized frames. Her lips were pulled into a shocked expression, full and plush, lending her a sharp yet fair appearance.

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt. I really need to head back anyway—patient in labor!” Mae exclaimed, abruptly standing and moving just out of the recording device's view.

“Mae, slow down—”

“Yes?” She spun around as Aiko pointed at the transmitter, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t you need to tell Echo—”

“The supplies! Right! I’ll have AZI send the coordinates since he usually goes with me to pick them up. Thank you, Echo! Please tell your Captain I’m so sorry for any inconvenience the extra pitstop might cause!” She smiled brightly and dashed off before either of them could respond.

Rex doubted she even caught a proper glimpse of the image on the transmitter. If she had, she might have noticed him barely visible in the corner alongside Echo, and wouldn’t have felt the need to apologize to him. Hearing that concern sparked a light fluttering sensation in his stomach, creeping up his sternum and settling along his neck. It made Rex wonder how much Mae actually knew about him. After all, she had invited Aiko into her home, and she must be familiar with Echo’s frequent departures to assist him and the other clones. That implied she had some awareness of their situation. Yet here he was, knowing little about her aside from the fact that the empath lived with and befriended this intriguing woman.

Silence settled in the wake of the doctor's hasty departure. Eventually, Rex cleared his throat, the lack of conversation throughout the flight leaving it feeling coarse. He meant to ask Echo something, but instead, he found himself asking, “Is she, uh, always like that?”

In unison, Echo and Rex confirmed that yes, the resident doctor was indeed chaotic most of the time. Rex gave a light nod before turning back to the distance transmitter, knowing information about the drop would come soon. He opted to tune out the rest of their conversation, allowing a moment of privacy for the couple.

He couldn’t quite understand why the sight of the frazzled woman with oversized glasses, rivaling Tech’s goggles in diameter, was so perplexing. Perhaps it was his mental image of a doctor who would open her home to Aiko—a figure he’d expected to be more mature, perhaps even older. Instead, here was someone who looked close to his own age. Was it the loneliness he had tried to bury, but which now resurfaced more frequently since Echo’s transmission?

He couldn’t deny that the longing had always lingered, perhaps embedded in his very DNA from Jango. It was a desire that felt intrinsic, something the longnecks seemed unable to resolve. It might have been ignited by his injury on Saleucami, the encounters with Cut and Suu and their children. Rex often reassured himself that he didn’t need what they had, nor what the 99 boys had discovered on the island. He had his brothers and a mission, and that should have been enough… right? Yet he couldn’t shake the realization that it had been a long time since he’d genuinely spent time with a woman.

Recently, the only women Rex encountered were those already involved with his brothers, contacts for assignments, or friends like the Martell sisters and Senator Chuci. All of them felt unattainable, and none turned his head quite the same way.

“You sure it’s not a bother to make an additional pit stop?” Echo asked, pulling Rex from his thoughts. He turned to see that Aiko had ended the transmission.

“No, not at all?” Rex replied, his tone more of a question than a statement, prompting Echo to raise an eyebrow and hum in response. Rex noticed how Echo subtly observed him, taking in the way he straightened his posture and adjusted his collar, then fixed his gaze on the hyperspace lane ahead as if it had suddenly become the most captivating sight in the galaxy.

“Remind me again, what are your plans while I’m back on Pabu for a few days?” Echo inquired.

“Waiting to hear back from my contact about that prison in the Outer Rim, catching up on manuals, keeping the others in line. The usual,” Rex shrugged. He often felt that spending time on Pabu was an imposition on the relaxed life Clone Force 99 had built for themselves, with each of the boys finding their own personal distractions. Given the nature of his work and the responsibilities he felt toward his brothers still trapped under the Empire’s thumb, those distractions felt like a risk. It was why he had erected a mental barrier around such relationships.

“You know, you’re always welcome to spend your downtime on Pabu—”

“No, no, that’s your home,” Rex interrupted.

“You need to recharge sometime,” Echo insisted.

“I can recharge at our satellite facility,” Rex countered.

“By the time you get there and back, it’ll be a waste of fuel.”

“Still, I don’t want to impose—”

“Rex, we go way back,” Echo said with a sigh, his new hand attachment gripping his brows as he massaged his temples, searching for the right words.

“Pabu is your home, Echo. I don’t mind making an extra pit stop to help someone who does so much for the community where you boys hang up your armor, but that doesn’t mean I need to stay and see it through.” Deep down, Rex understood that lingering and getting close to a pretty doctor wasn’t wise. If she was as busy as Echo often described, she likely felt the same way. As stunning as she was, she probably had her pick of the clones residing there. What if she was already involved with someone?

“Are you even listening to me?” Echo huffed.

Rex knew there was no point in lying, so he simply shook his head.

“One or two days won’t kill you. Besides, we both know the chances of anyone getting us solid information on that prison are slim to none. It’s a waste of fuel. Plus, the others keep pestering me about how you’re doing, especially Aiko. I think she’s worried about you,” Echo said with a playful smirk.

“Why on earth would she be worried about me?” Rex quirked a dark eyebrow, feeling the tension ease as the conversation took on a more lighthearted tone.

“She’s concerned that you’re lonely and overworking yourself. And just in case you’ve forgotten, I can’t lie to her,” Echo reminded him.

“You really had to fall for an empath,” Rex replied, shaking his head. He knew fuel was expensive, and leaving on principle wasn’t exactly a rational decision. Still, he felt himself being swayed; a few days to rest and step away from his worries would be good for his health. He had been waking up exhausted every day, and the moment he slid back onto his bunk, that fatigue wrapped around him like a heavy blanket. Time was wearing him down in ways he didn’t want to acknowledge, from the crick in his back to the persistent tightness in his neck and shoulders.

“Hey now, need I remind you that you’re the one who introduced that empath to me?” Echo interjected, pulling Rex from his thoughts. A slight beep indicated coordinates had been set, and Rex glanced down to see they were already on their way, with minimal delay to their anticipated arrival.

“Fine, it’s my fault. I accept full responsibility. Two days as punishment. That’s all you get.” Rex threw up his palms in mock surrender, while Echo simply rolled his eyes. Sarcasm—something he could definitely blame on the Jedi for teaching him. The thought twisted in his stomach for a moment as he realized that General Skywalker was likely gone, like the others. Just thinking about it made him feel nauseous, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.

“Some sun might do you good, brother. Got the coordinates?”

With a nod, Rex set the navigation system, and they were off for a quick pickup. In his mind, he could justify the stop; after all, it was to help a woman who dedicated herself to serving others—a sentiment he understood all too well.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

In a galaxy rife with war, disease, famine, and every imaginable atrocity, being a doctor meant confronting countless unpleasant sights, sounds, and sometimes even smells. So when the rare opportunity to bring new life into the universe arose, Mae found it to be a beautiful kind of labor—a brief moment of light and hope that reaffirmed her decision to leave home and carve out a path in this challenging role.

Running away from home at such a young and vulnerable age to escape the organized crime that plagued her past was no easy feat. Funding her education amid the rising tensions across the galaxy meant taking a transport ship to the heart of the Republic and joining a civilian-based program dedicated to providing aid relief. Through various deployments dealing with natural disasters and minor conflicts, she gained valuable medical training. However, when war broke out and her deployments shifted to accompany clone troopers into combat, the nature of her work turned grim.

Many of her friends and colleagues, who had enlisted during a time of peace, chose to forgo their duties in the face of an intergalactic civil war. This left Mae as one of the few willing to enter dangerous situations to assist the unfortunate souls whose homeworlds were under attack. It also afforded her a level of seniority, as she became one of the longest-serving members of her organization.

That seniority ultimately led her to Ryloth, a battleground marked by one of the war’s most brutal conflicts and the regrettable reason why the Senate-funded relief organization was disbanded. The staggering civilian casualties in combat did not bode well for the politicians. Nor did it reflect positively on the Jedi, who had sent her off-world following a surprise attack that rattled their camp. After months of deployment in Ryloth's canyons alongside clones and rebels, Mae boarded the last shuttle off-world after things took a turn for the worse—a bullet wound to her chest.

Looking back, Mae carried the weight of guilt for being one of the last to see Master Di and his brave clone commander alive. The news of their tragic fate, yet remarkably valiant stand against the droid army, was what accompanied the discharge notice she received the moment she woke up after surgery aboard the Jedi Cruiser.

With nowhere to go upon her arrival at the Republic Capital—barely recovered from her ordeal—she drifted through the galaxy until fate brought her to the tranquil island of Pabu. As the sole doctor there, she finally found the peaceful life she had longed for since childhood, growing up among violent criminals.

The war had never reached Pabu, not until the deserters from Clone Force 99 arrived, seeking solitude just as she had. Even then, it wasn’t their fault that the newly formed Empire was after their familial unit. Once the situation was resolved—by means she never fully questioned—life returned to normal.

A steady stream of clones came through her clinic, rescued from captivity, seeking her help for their aching bodies and lingering injuries from the war. She aided in their recovery, sending them off to new lives. Yet, throughout it all, she never had the opportunity to meet the clone responsible for their rescue, at least not the one orchestrating it.

Aiko had arrived on the island with Echo after nearly a year of the Bad Batch settling in with the locals. Mae had only spoken to Echo a few times, as he was rarely around, often lost among the stars with his former captain. But as her friendship with the kind empath he called “love” deepened, it was only a matter of time before she got to know him better through her connection to Aiko.

They shared stories of their journeys during the war, Mae offering brief glimpses of her own temporary involvement before finding solace in her role as a caregiver. All of this unfolded over evening drinks, yet still, the elusive Captain did not make an appearance. Not that it truly mattered—he was a busy man, after all. From what Echo had shared, he was one of the kindest and bravest people he knew. Still, it would be nice to meet the man responsible for continually dropping new patients at her door.

After finally delivering a child following a grueling forty-three hours of labor, Mae returned to her office, ready to clean up and seek some much-needed rest. Yet, a gnawing feeling crept in—she hated the thought of inconveniencing Echo and his Captain. She would likely never be able to thank him properly, beyond expressing her gratitude indirectly through Echo. Knowing the importance of the work they did only amplified her guilt.

Fortunately, the clinic was close to the shared home she had with Aiko. If she hadn’t been so utterly exhausted, Mae might have recognized the sound of laughter before even reaching the door. Slipping inside, she tossed her glasses onto the table next to the entrance and quietly removed her shoes. The murmurs from the kitchen faded momentarily at her arrival.

“Mae, when was the last time you slept, hon?” Aiko's soft voice called from the kitchen, her gasp filled with concern. Not glancing in that direction, Mae probed at her temple with clammy fingers, finally releasing the clip from her hair and relishing the sensation of her locks flowing free once more. The tight bun had left her with a tension headache, and Aiko didn’t need to ask who had arrived; she could feel Mae's exhaustion rolling off her in waves.

“Fifty-four hours, I believe. Unless you count a lothcat nap in my office between contractions, then it’s twenty-one,” Mae replied, rounding the wall into the kitchen, her fingers shaking loose the remnants of her bun as she realized she had an audience.

“She’s alive after all... You can cancel the search party,” Crosshair smirked, leaning against the counter as he teasingly nudged Mae into the center of their small circle, a toothpick perched between his lips.

“Crosshair is merely attempting humor; there was no actual search party,” Tech interjected, adjusting his glasses. “However, I would recommend some rest, as staying awake for extended periods is unhealthy—”

Mae shook her head at him. “Thank you for the medical advice, Tech. I plan to do just that. I wasn’t aware we were hosting tonight,” she said quietly to Aiko, who looked up sheepishly.

“Something came up that I hadn’t anticipated, so the others decided to gather here. But we’ll keep the noise down if you need to sleep,” Aiko offered, realizing that disrupting her already overworked housemate might not have been the best idea. She silenced that thought when Mae shook her head again.

“It’s fine, really. What’s a few more hours, anyway?” Mae paused before turning toward Tech, cutting off his impending lecture. “Unhealthy, I know. But I promise I’ll be okay. I just can’t guarantee I’ll be my usual lively self.” She yawned, prompting Crosshair to mutter something along the lines of “thank the maker,” only to be playfully slapped on the shoulder by Kay, Leena’s twin sister. The pair launched into a lighthearted banter as Mae walked over to Aiko and Echo.

Surveying the room, she noted that most of their group was present, with only Hunter and Omega missing. Perhaps it was a bit late for the girl. Wrecker and Chori had left Pabu to visit her family, leaving her pup, Muffin, under Leena’s proud care as she chatted with the others. Tech maintained a safe distance from Muffin, referring to the mischievous creature as “a missing finger waiting to happen,” all while holding onto his wife protectively.

“Do I have time to clean up before this... something that came up, or—” Mae began, only to be interrupted by the door slamming open and Hunter’s shout for Omega to slow down.

“Come on, you have to meet Mae too!” the girl’s voice rang out as everyone turned to see a blur of movement, Omega enthusiastically pulling a man through the living room. At the sound of her name, Mae turned, only to find her cheek pressed against a firm chest—plastoid armor, no less. As one might imagine, that wasn’t the most pleasant contact after hours of delivering a baby.

“Oops—” Omega exclaimed, attempting to back away from the collision she had inadvertently caused by misjudging the distance.

“Oh wow—”

“Are you alright—” Mae and the former Captain spoke in unison. In the background, Hunter's reprimand of Omega faded away as Mae and the stranger locked eyes. She pressed her hand to her cheek, feeling the dull throb beneath it, then slowly lowered it as she craned her neck to take in his features.

He was tall, with a face reminiscent of the other clones, yet distinctly different. Mae was accustomed to the standard clone features, but his eyes seemed somehow brighter. The crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were slightly deeper, and his light blond hair was cut very short, forming a halo that contrasted strikingly with his tanned skin.

If anyone had asked, she would have attributed her lingering gaze to a lack of sleep. Yet, staring at the poor man hadn’t been her intent. Mae was all too familiar with the remarkable genetics of Jango Fett, which were indeed impressive, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint why he seemed so much more handsome than the others.

Rex finally had the chance to see the doctor in person, rather than through the grainy image of their ship's transmitter. Her hair was a striking shade of red—not the unnatural hues he often encountered on women planetside or even among his brothers, but a warm, natural tint. Despite her pale complexion, her cheeks held a lovely pink hue. The details that had been lost in the poor transmission blended seamlessly in real life, and he was hit with the realization that she was even more beautiful than he had imagined.

“That looks like it’s going to leave a mark,” Echo joked, drawing their attention as he stood nearby with Aiko. Rex glanced down, and sure enough, a small bruise was already forming just above her cheekbone. “Kriff, I’m so sorry,” he said, his honey-colored eyes meeting hers, noting the unreadable expression in her pale gaze.

“It’s definitely not the worst blow I’ve ever taken. No need to apologize, soldier,” she replied, trying to laugh it off. She looked at Aiko and Echo, clearly expecting an introduction. Assuming he was just another rescued soldier passing through, she was surprised when Echo placed a hand on Rex’s shoulder and turned to her with an explanation.

“Mae, this is my old captain from my 501st days. Rex, this is Mae—” As Echo introduced them, Mae felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. Not only had she just collided with a man’s chest, but this man was Echo’s close friend—the one who worked tirelessly to rescue clones, who had saved Echo’s life from the Separatists, and the very person she had inconvenienced earlier that day.

“Pleasure to finally meet you, ma’am,” Rex said, extending his hand. She froze, staring at his outstretched fingers, encased in black gloves. A gentle nudge from Aiko prompted her to respond, and she offered her own hand, which was quickly engulfed in his firm grip.

“You as well. Thank you again for making a pit stop on the way here. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble—” she began, only to have him slip his hand from hers with a chuckle.

“Not at all. Happy to help,” he replied with a polite nod.

“We were thinking of heading to the square for some drinks, if you’re up for it,” Aiko offered. Mae considered it for a moment; as appealing as that sounded, the idea of finally washing up felt even more inviting.

“I might go clean up. I can’t imagine I look fantastic right now. If I’m still standing by some miracle, I can meet you all there,” she suggested, glancing at Rex to gauge his reaction. If she didn’t know any better, he almost seemed disappointed.

“I might do the same back on the ship,” Rex said, only to have Echo shake his head.

“You can use ours. No need to trek all the way down the island for a fresher,” Echo pointed toward Aiko’s room, which had a separate shower stall. He hadn’t had a chance to use it, as Hunter and Omega had dragged him around the island to catch up with everyone else.

“Alright, I guess we’ll both join you in a bit,” Rex said, glancing between Aiko and Echo before turning back to Mae. In the background, the group was gradually settling down, with Omega calling out a cheerful apology after Hunter's grumbled reprimand. Soon, the room filled with laughter and chatter grew silent, leaving Rex and Mae in a quiet, uncertain bubble. The sound of the front door sliding shut prompted them both to speak at once.

“Do you—”

“I am real—”

They both blinked, wide-eyed, momentarily unsure who would continue. Taking a breath, Mae let out a light laugh. “You first.”

Rex shook his head. “No, I insist,” he said, gesturing for her to go ahead, as if his encouragement could coax the words from her.

“I was just going to ask if you needed anything. I was planning to grab some towels from the linen closet, but I wasn’t sure if you needed anything else. We keep quite a bit of spare clothing here since Echo brings troopers through my home,” she explained, stepping toward a slight alcove in the wall. She swung the door open and stepped aside for him to take a look inside.

Rex peered into the small supply closet, surprised by its contents. It wasn’t anything fancy—just spare clothes, toiletries, and assorted items—but the knowledge that these were all set aside for his brothers filled him with warmth. It was comforting to know this kind doctor was caring for them as they transitioned to new lives.

“Oh, that’s uh—” he started, feeling a flush of warmth rise to his cheeks as he took in the sight.

“Take your time. I’ll grab a towel,” Mae said with a slight nod before quietly stepping down the hall. Rex couldn’t help but admire the ease with which she moved through her space. There was a natural grace to her, a combination of swaying hips and light footfalls that lingered in his mind long after she disappeared from view.

Shaking his head, Rex grabbed a bar of soap and a change of clothes while he waited for Mae to return. He figured it was best to leave more supplies for others. When she came back, she wore a warm smile and handed him a simple white towel, pointing him toward Echo and Aiko’s shared room. He hadn’t meant to zone out as she explained how to use the refresher, but the exhaustion in her voice sparked a hint of concern.

“Holler if you need anything, hon,” Mae said, turning to head back to what he assumed was her own space.

Trudging toward the room, he closed the door behind him and began to shed the armor he’d worn for years. With practiced ease, he undid the latches and set the pieces on the floor, then reached for the top of his black body glove, wincing slightly as he pulled it off over his head.

For a moment, panic set in as he tried to remember how to turn on the water. After a few moments of fumbling, he finally figured it out. The cool air brushed against his bare skin, raising goosebumps, but once the warm water cascaded over him, it felt like pure bliss. Rex couldn’t remember the last time he’d had hot water; lukewarm had become his new normal. The soothing stream worked wonders on his aching joints and tense shoulders, washing away the fatigue as he let out a contented sigh.

Still, he felt a twinge of guilt for indulging in such a luxury. The relief quickly turned into a sense of urgency—how fast could he wrap this up? Before long, he was drying off and getting dressed. That’s when he noticed an unfamiliar sensation. It had been ages since he’d worn civilian clothing, especially anything not designed for protection. Sliding a simple cotton shirt over his body felt oddly liberating, yet strangely foreign.

Returning to the living space, Rex felt a sense of relief without the weight of his armor. The room was empty, but he could hear the water running in the other room, accompanied by Mae's occasional hum echoing through the walls. He hesitated, unsure whether to wait for her or assume she had collapsed into bed. Given the exhausting work of delivering a baby, he wouldn’t blame her at all.

As he padded around the space, he took in the various artifacts that filled it. Houseplants thrived in corners, and paintings adorned the walls—likely created by a local artist. He noticed elements of Echo’s minimal presence among the decor: a few meager belongings from his time as an ARC Trooper, alongside mementos from Aiko’s homeworld. But what caught his eye was a worn white and maroon shoulder pad on a small shelf.

Drawing closer, he recognized the markings. It belonged to the 303rd, who had been stationed on Ryloth during the blockade, following the initial forces' tragic fate. Rex recalled Howser’s vague references to the legion that had come before them, and he felt a familiar pang of sorrow for the 303 and their Jedi leader.

Next to the shoulder pad lay a small photo frame. Curiosity piqued, he tapped the on button and was surprised to see Mae's smiling face among a group of troopers, wearing the standard uniform of the Republic Aid Relief. Though she looked a bit worn and underfed, her beauty shone through.

It had been so long since he’d crossed paths with any of them, particularly after the Senate disbanded the organization early in the war. He recalled Wolffe’s complaints about taking over their responsibilities after a natural disaster on a planet occupied by strange alien reptiles. If his memory served him, it was Ryloth’s failed first invasion that had led to the dissolution of the RAR contracts. Realization dawned on him—if the 303 had originally been assigned to Ryloth, that would mean...

“I like to think it’s important to remember those who have fallen, even if the war is over,” came Mae's soft voice from behind him. Startled, Rex dropped the photo display, guilt flooding through him for having been caught snooping.

“I shouldn’t have—” he began to apologize, but paused at the wave of her hand.

“If I wanted it to remain private, I would have kept it in my quarters or tucked it away somewhere. I don’t treat my past like a well-guarded secret,” Mae replied, bending down to retrieve the tablet and placing it back on the shelf, allowing the image of her among the clones and Twi’lek rebels to be visible once more.

“You were in the RAR,” he stated, more as an observation than a question, his gaze drifting back to her features. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and the mark on her cheek had deepened into a bruise. She looked utterly worn out after the exhausting days she’d faced, yet there was a spark in her eyes that seemed almost out of place for someone who had weathered one of the harshest battles of the Clone Wars.

“I was,” she replied simply, finally tearing her gaze from the memorial to meet his. He, too, looked fatigued.

“I had no idea,” he said, his voice quiet. In truth, there was no reason for him to know about her past. They weren’t friends; they had merely crossed paths. Their connection was tenuous, built on mutual acquaintances. He felt no entitlement to the personal history of a doctor he barely knew. Yet the knowledge that she had chosen to be in the thick of it all spoke volumes. It revealed an unexpected courage and strength he wouldn’t have associated with someone so small and seemingly unassuming.

“I would’ve stayed too, but the moment I woke up from surgery, they handed me discharge papers and said we were no longer needed,” she said, her tone laced with a hint of guilt.

“Surgery?” he asked, aware that Ryloth lacked the sterile environments necessary for such intensive care.

“I got the last shuttle off-world before the blockade went up. It was a surprise attack, and I took a shot to the chest,” Mae explained, her fingers gently pulling down the simple shirt she wore to reveal a pale scar at the top of the valley between her breasts. The sudden flash of skin caught him off guard, and he quickly averted his gaze, a blush creeping across his tanned cheeks. He instinctively rubbed the back of his neck, stealing a moment as she adjusted her shirt back into place.

“Want to know the worst part?” she said, her tone tinged with sadness as his golden eyes returned to her face, curiosity evident. “They just threw us into that situation. We made the best of it, but in the early days, we had no choice. When enough people complained about enlisting during peace, they eventually allowed anyone who wanted out to leave. Yet only a handful of us stayed to see it through. When things got bad, they tossed us aside, saying we weren’t needed anymore. I would’ve stayed. I wanted to stay. I—” She paused, noticing the shock in his expression at her sudden outburst. “I’m sorry. It was so long ago; being angry about it now doesn’t help.”

“No, I understand. More than most would, actually,” he reassured her, though he knew doing so would require confronting the memories he kept locked away— the sorrow of lost brothers, the guilt of surviving, the nagging feeling that he wasn’t doing enough.

“Survivor’s guilt is a relentless burden. As a doctor, I see how debilitating it can be. Almost every trooper who comes through my clinic struggles with it, and I feel like a hypocrite telling them to channel that pain into something productive when I carry my own,” she said, turning away to sit on the sofa. Exhaustion washed over her, and she clasped her hands in her lap, avoiding eye contact.

Rex felt a surge of responsibility—not for the root of her pain, but for bringing it back to the surface. He approached her cautiously, lowering himself to one knee in front of the sofa, careful not to startle her or invade her space. He had experience helping soldiers through shell shock, piecing them back together after battles. But he wasn’t sure how to navigate the vulnerabilities of a civilian, especially when he himself kept his walls up, just as she seemed to. So, he chose a different approach.

“Thank you,” he said simply, placing his hand over hers for a reassuring squeeze.

Expecting yet another one of those clichéd phrases—“You did all you could” or “You aren’t alone”—her eyes widened in surprise. “For what?” she asked, almost timidly.

“For putting up with all of us. I can’t speak for everyone, but to be cared for by someone who doesn’t have to be kind, who doesn’t have to be gentle, and who actually sees us as individuals means a lot. All I ever wanted was for my brothers to find their freedom and live the lives they dreamed of. I didn’t realize how much Echo was allowing our burden to fall on you,” he explained.

“It’s not really a burden, per se,” she replied, and he let out a reassuring chuckle.

“I know my brothers better than anyone. Trust me, it’s a challenge to keep them in line,” Rex said, grinning as he watched her snicker.

“Then might I inquire…” She leaned in conspiratorially, as if about to share a deep secret. Rex tilted his head to the side, inviting her to whisper. “Does that mean the stubbornness is genetically wired into you all, or is it taught?”

As Rex pulled back, he couldn’t help but notice the grin on her lips and the mischief dancing in her wide eyes. Up close, they looked more blue than the grayish hue he’d perceived from a distance. The recognition of her eye color didn’t diminish the warmth spreading in his chest from her joke—or from the way she was looking at him.

He couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh at her jest as he rose from the floor to take a seat on the couch beside her. Though he knew the others were likely waiting for him, he wasn’t quite ready to leave, especially since she seemed to be running out of energy. Leaning back, he rested his head against the sofa and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

Silence often made him uneasy; it usually heralded enemy strikes, the calm before the storm. Yet, he found the comfortable stillness in the room surprising but welcome. It was a relief to just exist for a moment, free from the burden of what came next.

He felt a shift beside him and opened his eyes to see Mae had mirrored his position, her head just inches from his. Her eyes were closed, and soft breaths escaped her lips, the tension in her brow finally easing after their earlier conversation. In that moment, he realized that connection didn’t always require words. Sometimes, you met people who simply understood the unexplainable parts of you. It was a beautiful revelation, and with that thought, he closed his eyes once more, surrendering to the tranquil stillness of Pabu.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

“I highly doubt Rex would slip away without saying goodbye, especially since he agreed to stay a few days, Love,” Aiko remarked as she and Echo walked back toward the house. It hadn’t taken long for the others to notice that Rex and Mae were missing, prompting the pair to seek out the absent soldier and doctor.

“I’d like to agree, but Rex can be... quite driven by his sense of duty, often to the point of overlooking simple courtesies,” Echo replied as they stepped onto the front porch. He opened the door to find the lights dimmed but not completely off, just as they had left them. His gaze quickly landed on the illuminated screen of Mae’s Ryloth memorial, and Aiko gasped, pointing toward the sofa. When Echo followed her finger, he couldn't suppress a quiet chuckle.

There, side by side and fast asleep, were Rex and Mae. Rex leaned against the back of the couch, his legs stretched out before him, soft snores escaping his lips—clearly, Echo and Aiko’s entrance hadn’t disturbed him. Mae had slumped over, her head resting on Rex’s shoulder, blissfully unaware of her position or the fact that they now had an audience.

“Well, that’s... unexpected,” Echo murmured, gesturing to the door. Aiko followed him, stealing one last glance at the sleeping pair, her smile conveying everything that needed to be said. If there was one thing the empath understood, it was that finding peace amid chaos was truly a blessing.

Part 2 HERE

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