#us banking regs

[amaditalks]

If you live in the US every possible aspect of your everyday life is better and can continue to become better as a result of the actions and policy pursuits of this presidency. There is no argument about that.

Let me be very clear. The mere concept of the Government stepping in to curtail the wildly abusive fees of the banking industry has already lead to multiple banks trying to "get ahead of" it to cut their feed from $35 to $10 (Bank of America) or get rid of them entirely (Capital One) for active users of their account.

This regulation is already having the effect of saving US citizens billions of dollars every year before its even passed, even as Republicans want to fight it tooth-and-nail.

Every year there are $8bn in overdraft charges that explicitly and directly hit the poorest Americans by definition. Even just adopting this rule would save Americans 7.315 billion dollars every year.

And with banking institutions now moving to get rid of them entirely it can save even more.

Let this be, case-in-point, proof positive and a case study of several things.

The government can directly help you and help every single American

While Democrats definitely aren't saints, in any context, they are objectively doing more to help people than the side actively arguing against curtailing banking and corporate excess.

Biden is materially better than Trump would be.

Raegan and the right-wing "the government is objectively the worst thing" screed is the biggest, easiest, and stupidest way to ensure that rich and powerful people have no pushback against their shitty behaviors.

[fuck-customers]

A few weeks ago, a customer came in who’d apparently had trouble with her check and got double-charged, so she was coming in for a refund for the duplicate charge. I wasn’t there when it happened but I was when she came back for the refund.

Today she came back and made another purchase, paid with a check again, and the reader made me run her check thrice. She was asking me if it was gonna charge her multiple times again (I genuinely don’t think it will, apparently the first time the register froze so she had to get re-rung on another reg but this time it was all one transaction) and was muttering to her shopping companion on their way out about “never coming back here”. Maybe just stop using fucking checks??? Leave them in the 1900s where they belong????? Like you obviously have a checking account, just use a fucking debit card, it’s 2024 ffs.

I so wish we’d stop taking stupid fucking checks anyway. There’s literally no reason these people can’t use a debit card for the exact same bank account. Just get with the times!

Posted by admin Rodney

[samcurrentlywriting]

"It's just a scratch"

Summary: The Clone Wars is still raging, and the Bad Batch has a new member. Echo is adjusting to this new squad as much as they are adjusting to him. One day, on a mission, he gets injured and realizes how protective of him Crosshair has become.

Word count: 1096

Prompt: "It's just a scratch." (main prompt)

Notes: Just a very short story, mostly just brother fluff. I have this headcanon that Crosshair and Echo would be super close, but we just never really got to see it because Crosshair was separated from the rest of the Bad Batch so early in the series. Anyway, enjoy! (banners and dividers by @summer-of-bad-batch)

The smell of hot dust fills the air. From a distance, Crosshair can hear the sound of explosions and blaster fire. Tech, Hunter and Wrecker’s diversion is going well. Him and Echo are walking in utmost silence, approaching the separatist base from the back. 

They don’t talk, but again, they never really do. Crosshair isn’t really good at conversation, and Echo isn’t the kind of person to start and fuel a conversation. But, somehow, they do end up spending a lot of time together. Neither of them likes to be alone. Neither of them minds the silence. 

Hunter, ever so watchful, noticed, and had them working together on a few missions. They made a good team. The sniper and the ARC trooper. Echo liked that Crosshair didn’t pity him. He was compassionate, in his own silent way, but he never gave him empty words of reassurance. He never acted like nothing had happened either. 

They move in closer to the base, both of them counting the droids. Crosshair uses the scope attached to his helmet and analyzes the situation. 

“What do we have here?” He says with a smile. “A tactical droid, with no obstacle in the way.”

“Hit it in the neck, just below the head. I can extract the data from its memory banks.”

Crosshair nods and gets in position to shoot. Echo gets ready to run and attack the rest of the droids not dispatched in the front. The younger clone takes the shot, sending the droid head flying. 

“Good shot!” Echo compliments, giving him a kind pat on the back. 

They both run to the base. The few droids left to guard that side are quickly overwhelmed, and they make it inside in no time, ready to grab the tactical droid’s head, plant a few bombs and get out of here. Crosshair suddenly hears a noise he hates. 

“Commando droids.” He grunts to Echo. 

Four of them enter the corridor in front of them, and start blasting. Though Crosshair is a long-range shooter, he is never too out of his depth in close quarter combat. That is, against droids at least. The few times he has tried fist-fighting Hunter haven’t turned out too well for him. Echo, on the other hand, is in his element. 

Working with him has changed Crosshair’s view on the regs, though he would never admit to it. The way Echo fights, the way he moves during combat, Crosshair has to admit he’s a good fighter. 

“Get the head, I’ll hold them off.” Crosshair shouts. 

Echo nods and makes his way to the command room, followed only by one commando droid, leaving Crosshair to handle the three others. He finally manages to shoot one and plants a mirror on the wall. He waits for the droid to move, then takes the shot. The closest one is hit, but the other one manages to avoid the shot. Crosshair grunts. Just as he is about to try and shoot the droid again, it falls to the ground, hit in the back. Echo stands behind it, a smirk on his face. 

��I had him.” Crosshair snarls, as a matter of principle. 

From the corner of his sight, he sees movement, and shouts, too late:

“Echo, watch out!”

Not completely deactivated, the droid tried a last attack against the clone. Crosshair shoots the commando droid multiple times, before running to Echo. 

“Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a scratch.”

Crosshair frowns. Echo is bleeding, red liquid dripping from his arm, already forming a small pool on the floor. 

“Ah, look at me, I’ve had worse.” 

He’s still smiling, but he somehow is paler than usual. Crosshair activates his comm and contacts the other three:

“We have the droid head, but Echo is injured. You need to pick him up while I’ll plant the bombs to destroy that base.

None of them have time to respond before Echo interjects:

“I’m fine, no change of plans, we meet at the rendezvous point.”

And he stops the comm. With a sigh, he detaches the piece of fabric hanging from his waist, and asks Crosshair to use it as a bandage on the wound. 

“A scratch doesn’t need a bandage.” Crosshair whispers, tying the fabric tightly to quench the bleeding. 

“It’s a big scratch.” 

Echo shrugs, grabs a bomb, and throws it to the ceiling. It attaches and starts blinking. Crosshair grunts but says nothing. Quickly, they plant all the bombs they have, and make their escape via the front of the base, where the fight is still raging. 

“You are late.” Tech says in the comm channel. 

“Yeah well, you know, it’s not easy deciding where to put the bombs, you have to pick the right place for maximum effect…” Echo replies. 

Crosshair can almost see Hunter rolling his eyes under his helmet. 

“Ok, lads, we’re done here, now let’s blow this base.”

Crosshair, inexplicably in a good mood despite being worried about Echo, throws the detonator to Wrecker. He’s only half wearing his helmet, so Crosshair can see how his face lights up. They run in the direction of their ship and once they’re in the sky, Wrecker presses the button. The whole base blows up, flames rising towards the sky. 

“Yeah, haha !”

The Marauder jumps to hyperspace, and Crosshair turns to Echo. He hasn’t gained much color on his skin in his time with the Bad Batch, and it’s hard to say if he’s sick or not. They walk to the end of the ship, where Crosshair grabs a medkit. Slowly, he helps Echo remove the makeshift bandage. The wound is deep, but the bleeding has receded. 

“I told you it was just a scratch.”

“Mmh.”

Crosshair disinfects the zone before applying a fast-heal bandage. 

“Thanks.”

They sit in silence as Crosshair packs up the medkit. 

“You know you don’t need to protect me like that?” Echo eventually asks. 

Crosshair pouts briefly but doesn’t find anything to retort. The truth is, he does feel the need to protect Echo. Which is stupid, because Echo is older, and an ARC trooper. But he is also the newest member of the Bad Batch. For a long time, Crosshair was the youngest. Though they all felt the same age, he still was the youngest. But now, Echo was the new one and his addition to the team had triggered a protective instinct in Crosshair. 

Echo chuckles and pats him gently on the back.

“I’m glad I get to fight by your side, Crosshair.”

Crosshair smiles. He is glad to have Echo by his side too. 

[snarky-magpie]

(Here's the first chapter of Reg's POV of his first date with James. The rest is coming as soon as I edit it.) “Fine. I’ll admit you might have a point. Possibly. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, I suppose. He could still be pranking me, or. No idea. Taking the piss. Or something.”

“No offence, Reg, but why would somebody like Potter bother? Like, when we discount the ties to your family, and good riddance, you’re a nobody.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” Regulus bites out. 

Since Barty has no shame and no concept of social cues, he beams back at him. “You’re welcome, sweetums. Be happy because it’s a plus in this situation. Nobody’s gonna go through the hassle of conning you out of what, that fifty quid in your bank account? Nah, Potter’s the real deal. Certifiable if he enjoys talking to you. Complete nutter. Masochist, possibly, which could be fun, but you’re too prudish to take proper advantage—”

Regulus’ cheeks heat when he pictures the scenarios in which he could make use of James’ potential masochistic streak. “Please stop, I’m begging you.” 

“As you wish, my Orchid. Get it? Cause you’re so vanilla, which is—”

“An orchid. Genius.”

[resident-gay-bitch]

🐦‍🔥 Wizard Wednesdays 🐦‍🔥

Sirius + Regulus trying to one up eachother as godfather

In a happy AU I think Sirius and Reggie would constantly have competitions of who is the best godfather. Like, you know they’re both competitive in their own ways, and every ones competitive with their siblings. So whenever the lot of them were going places together, or if Sirius and Reggie both happened to be babysitting Harry and Luna on the same days, they would 100% try to out do each other on their godfatherly duties.

They’d be playing dress up with these poor kids like Barbie dolls to see who could make their godchild cooler looking, they’d overload them with snacks and sweets to be the ‘funner’ godfather, and spend all their money on gifts, toys, and experiences for these kids.

Harry and Luna would have no idea because they’re just little little kids at this point, and all they know is that their godfathers love them, and spoil the hell out of them, and if they want anything all they have to do is point at it and they will get it, no matter how many times Lily/James and Pandora/Xeno tell them off for turning their kids into spoiled brats.

Their only response to that is “Well I grew up without love, attention, or affection from my family so I’m just making sure my godchild knows love.”

Only when Harry and Luna get older do they realise whats going on, and then they just start to milk the hell out of the situation. “Uncle Pads, mum said I can’t get a VIP pass to the quidditch game this weekend because I didn’t do any of my homework but I really wanted to meet the quidditch captain” and then Sirius is buying him the tickets, getting them dressed up and sneaking Harry out to the game, sending Reggie a photo in the mail.

Or its, “Uncle Reg, my favorite musician is playing a concert next month, but the tickets are two hundred galleons and they’re only playing in France-” and before she can even finish asking he’s booked them tickets for a weekend holiday and getting her backstage passes.

It’s even worse when Luna and Harry team up and meddle to get whatever the hell they want.

Sirius and Regulus never end up with a winner or a loser because they’re constantly outdoing eachother, and Harry and Luna are smart enough to keep the competition never ending by saying “you know, Regulus did this for Luna last week.” Or, “But Sirius got that for Harry yesterday.”

All their friends just have their heads in their hands because they are so competitive towards one another that they’re completely blindsided that Harry and Luna are just having the times of their lives, spending every cent their godfathers have in their bank accounts, doing whatever they want and getting whenever they want.

But it’s okay, because they’re taught to be grateful for everything they get and not to take it for granted. And as they hit their mid teens they calm down a little and primarily just use it to do more fun stuff with their friends like “can you take me and all of my friends to do this cool kinda expensive thing please” because it’s more fun to be taken by your uncle / godfather than your parents.

But I really love Sirius and Reggie getting very competitive, so competitive it transfers over onto their godfather-ly duties. They’re both such idiots (affectionate). 

[scotianostra]

On June 27th 1967 the first cash dispenser was opened by Barclay’s Bank in Enfield by actor Reg Varney.

The idea of an automatic money dispensing machine had been mooted and tried without success in the early 60's but it wasn't until Scotsmen John Shepherd-Barron and James Goodfellow successfully designed the "cash machine" and Personal Identification Number (PIN) technology which is still used over 50 years later.

Goodfellow lodged his patent in May 1966, more than a year before the first cash machine was ceremonially opened in a blaze of publicity. A machine was developed by John Shepherd-Barron, who was born in India, to Scottish parents, and lived much of his later life in Portmahomack in Ross-shire.

Shepherd-Barron's ATM beat Goodfellow's machines, which were installed at branches of Westminster Bank (later to become NatWest), by just a month.

So Shepherd-Barron became known as the "man who invented the cash machine" and not Goodfellow, the man who patented the system we use today.

Shepherd-Barron says he was inspired by chocolate vending machines, he stated "It struck me there must be a way I could get my own money, anywhere in the world or the UK. I hit upon the idea of a chocolate bar dispenser, but replacing chocolate with cash.

The two devices were very different.

Shepherd-Barron's did not use plastic cards, instead it used cheques that were impregnated with carbon 14, a mildly radioactive substance.

The machine detected it, then matched the cheque against a Pin number.

Shepherd-Barron worked for banknote manufacturer De La Rue, which never patented its machine.

Before he died in 2010, he told a documentary that he didn't patent the idea because he did not want fraudsters knowing how the system worked.

He also said that the chief executive of Barclays had been quick to say yes to the idea when they had discussed it after a couple of Martinis.

Shepherd-Barron then had to go back to his team and get them to develop his idea.

In recent years, his claim to have been the real inventor of the cash machine has been recognised more widely.

Mr Goodfellow now does not like to talk about the years in which Mr Shepherd-Barron got all the credit but in a 2009 BBC documentary he said it "really does raise my blood pressure".

The engineer, from Paisley, told BBC Scotland: "My patent was licensed by all the manufacturers. They thought that was the way to go.

"The race to get it on to the street was not as important.

"Getting it right was the answer, not getting it first."

Mr Goodfellow was working as development engineer for Glasgow firm Kelvin Hughes in the mid-1960s when he got involved in a project to design a machine that could dispense money to customers when banks were closed.

He said in an interview that the driving force for the move was unions putting pressure on banks to close on Saturday mornings.

He said most people worked during the week and could not get to the bank, which closed at 3pm on weekdays.

Many people went to the bank on Saturday mornings but the unions were pressing for staff to work a five-day week.

The banks wanted a way to give working people access to their money when they were closed. Goodfellow said "The problem with cash machines was access.

"How would a genuine customer, and only a genuine customer, get money out of it?"

They considered biometrics - fingerprints, voice prints or retinal scans.

"But in the 60s the technology to do this was not there, it was impossible,"

So the next approach was an "exotic token", a piece of paper or plastic with "uncommon characteristics" that a machine would recognise.

His "eureka moment" came when he hit upon the idea of the Personal Identification Number (PIN).

This was the vital security measure that would make the system work, the number would be known to the customer and the bank and could be related to the card but not read by anyone else.

Goodfellow's invention was patented in May 1966, more than a year before his rival unveiled the first ATM in London.

But he still had a battle to make his concept reality.

"We had to meet some of the banks demands which were pretty severe," he said.

"They had a million customers and they wanted 2,000 machines across the UK.

"They wanted any one of the one million customers to be able to access any one of the 2,000 machines.

"You've got to remember there was no IT network in those days. The banks had no IT equipment. The bank's branches had nothing.

"We spent a lot of time developing the code. We had to submit something like 1,000 of these cards to a consultant, who would try to decipher it."

The cards he used were one quarter of a "Hollerith" punch-card, which just happens to be the same size as today's credit card. It contains just 30 bytes of data.

His patent for the card and Pin ATM was licensed for millions but Mr Goodfellow, as a humble technician, did not own the rights and did not get rich from his invention.

He said he signed patents for 15 countries around the world and got a dollar for each - worth about £10.

Mr Goodfellow left the firm in 1967 when it moved its operations to England and he went to work for IBM.

There have been arguments for years over who should officially go down in history as "the inventor of the ATM".

In 2005, Mr Shepherd-Barron received an OBE in the New Year honours list for services to banking as the "inventor of the automatic cash dispenser".

However, since then Mr Goodfellow, the man who patented the invention, has regained his place.

In 2006 Mr Goodfellow received an OBE for services to banking as "patentor of the personal identification number".

He has also been placed in the Scottish engineering hall of fame alongside John Logie Baird, the inventor of the television.

According to the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA), as of 2015, there were close to 3.5 million ATMs installed worldwide. However, the use of ATMs is gradually declining with the increase in cashless payment systems.

[insanescriptist]

Im so scared because of this election and what it means for my loved ones and I.

If you're a global nonnie,

I'm sorry; you believed in the intelligence and humanity of the average American voter and were denied both.

Obviously Trump being elected is going to embolden the worst politics; either to use or abuse or both, the world and it's peoples. Not just in the current warring areas, but all over the world.

And remember, Trump is currently 78; he could easily die of natural causes within the next four years. Without Trump's star power, a lot of that momentum will die fast.

If you're in the US nonnie,

If you live in a Blue state, your state's likely to stay Blue, with all that being a Blue state entails

If you live in a Red state, your state is likely to stay Red, with all that being a Red state entails

If you live in a Purple state, it's likely going to swing one way or another and I wish you the best in surviving the politics and the political ads

Further US specifics under the cut

Like I'll be real and say I'm disappointed my state's not more purple, which is the best color anyway (side effect of living in the South; it's very Red Republican politics) but it is what it is; we just gotta live with it or deal with it so... most posts I've seen going around have focused on the importance of letting yourself grieve, choosing an issue to focus on and avoiding burnout. I think I'll focus on awareness somewhat. Just things to watch out for. Because there's going to be all sorts of obnoxious crowing and cawing about everything. I'll touch on things and if I had the time and energy, I'd link to various stories and sites but most of what I'll say here is easy enough to verify in broad strokes with a couple of internet searches.

If you're worried about the economy... yeah that's a valid worry and probably not the way you're thinking. You're thinking another trade war (Mexico would love it if there is btw, they benefited off of the last one and the Farmers who had soy in their fields as part of that rotation lost so much money) which would be ow for the US again, but mostly survivable as trade wars only focus either a trade good or trade partnership. The lesser issue but more concerning, Trump will slash anything he wants (regulations mostly) to ensure an economic boon because that's what people want and will notice by year 2 and 3 of his second term. What they'll celebrate. That and cheap gas. What they won't notice for a couple years is the further loosening of food regs (see all the recent food recalls and outbreaks) and what people won't notice for decades is the infrastructure issues (building regs for housing and ofc infrastructure in general.) There's also the various other safety regs and requirements built into the laws, no matter how shitty it is ie workman's comp. Regs are built in blood but business don't care if their money is bloody. But yeah, these reg slashes are going to crop up with after effects for absolute decades afterwards. Don't believe me? You should watch more housing renovation programs; there's various types of plumbing and electrical regulations that can absolutely date your house. And yes, the housing insurance companies can spot them and also not tell you about them, but certainly charge you for the increased risk. That's just for the housing regs btw. Industrials regs concern entire industries, like how much carbon your car can emit to be considered eco-friendly to what sort of pipes can be laid out where. No one wants to be the next Flint, Michigan but it could easily happen and probably with something else. There's buildings made less than 50 years ago that are made with materials considered unsafe by standards now. There's also banking shit to consider with businesses and housing. The oodles of various office and retail space unused which um. The banks care a lot about unused office space that can't even be refit into human housing. Empty retail space can eventually be filled with another business. Empty offices less so now that more businesses are less tied to the office as a place. (Reduces other business' overhead.) Banks hate having empty unprofitable buildings in their portfolio, but at least the interest rates are back to "normal" percentages. Like I won't get into the the money generation/shuffle game that's going on with the US debt, other than 2.4% is sustainable for political purposes and not humanitarian purposes, because boy would it be nice to slash the national debt. Really make the dollar worth something that way. Sure, I'll take getting paid more, but I'd sure like to be able to also buy more with my pay. Because foodstuff is still going high because of various supply issues due to climate issues, the newest banana plague, in addition to many, many recalls. Like does no one remember the arson going around various meat farms several years ago? The various poultry farms ended because of avian flu? Long story short, the food prices are still so high because supply is pretty fucked up. Stores have been jumping through so many hoops to get supplied, that the logistics people are probably Olympic level rhythm dancers by now. Which is an additional complication to the whole ongoing recall issues whenever there's a bad batch of anything. They're a bit too busy ensuring supply to always have all the documentation in order. Which obviously, recalls work best when stores know which products to pull. More economic news though, Trump is going to be so good for businesses. And so bad for the people.

If you're worried about your medical health, that's also a valid worry. Especially with his comments on various known vaccines. Like the standard ones we've had for ages. Might wanna get those touched up. Medical red tape is annoying to wade through at the best of times but he's not in office yet, so plan accordingly. Make the most use of your health benefits this year and next year (they're already set for the year), since the year after will be once he's in office and things will obviously shift to some degree with whatever health insurance you've got, if any. A little medical debt in prevention is more than worth the expense of cure later. Get the cavities seen to. Get that pap smear. Refresh your vaccinations. Do your tests, get your bloodwork ran and go through it bit by bit. Take your damn vitamins. (And your meds.) Because again, those regulations? Those are going to get more loosey-goosey. In some things. More tight on some things than others. It's going to vary by state politics. Like my state for example does allow for birth control but not for abortion. Would I like abortion to be an option, yes, because my state is terrible about supporting families after the birth of a child beyond WIC and SNAP benefits. Daycare waiting lists can be over a year and maternity/paternity leave is something of a joke depending on what/who you work for. About the only solid boon I can think of would be Trump's loosening of the health regs, that might entice some nurses back to nursing, easing that lack of human resources in the health care system. As a red state, there were so so so many nurses I've talked to that quit/retired rather than take a booster shot for Covid or even the original Covid shot. Which is a whole different story, but not for here.

If you're worried about your public safety because you're part of a vulnerable/minority population? Yeah, be concerned. Trump's political leanings and what he says emboldens all kinds of impulses in the worst people. So they might actually go through with impulses they wouldn't otherwise act on. The KKK might try to recruit again. Which I wish was a joke, but they actually did try to have a public, local to Izzy, meet during Trump's previous term; they got scared off by the locals. So general advice Look at travel recommendations/warnings when going through parts of the US. Plan trips carefully. Consider moving to friendlier places if able, take precautions if unable or unwilling. Keep to a buddy system. Stay with friends in public. Make your plans for if the worst happens so you don't anxiety spiral. Know who to crash with in an emergency How to get copies of your important documents if they're all ash or being held by another party etc. I know no one really does this nowadays but know your emergency contact's phone number!!! Still very important information. Your phone can be dead, lost, stolen or confiscated and along with all the data on it and with it. (Those phone cases with the wallet attachment? How delightful, a lost phone that has a wallet attached, especially one with a photo ID of any kind is a golden goose for anyone looking to do a little identity theft. Because in order to call to put cancels/holds on all your cards, you've gotta have a phone.) Also as a reminder, your biggest and best shield is your confidence; the moment you act like prey, you'll be treated as such by those looking for targets. Do your murder strut and your main problem will be people asking you for directions and grannies trying to get you to go to church.

[lewisrises]

@ tumblr user lewisrises i would like to know how lewis and exo are the same pls and thanks

- both are old in their respective fields but are still the best talent their industry has

- both use their natural curated talent (exo singing live and actually having vocals, lewis being one of the cleanest drivers ever) where others simply do not compare (lipsyncing, going silent during encores, pole merchants and drivers who are simply not good under pressure and in the rain)

- both had consecutive dominant years where other fans hated them simply bc they were that good (exo 2013-2018 & lewis pre 2022)

- both were in intense title fights with someone being marketed as a dark horse with a fanbase called army (exo vs bts and army at mama 2016, lewis with max and orange army in 2021)

- both got robbed on live tv at the end of an incredibly stressful year (mama 2017 & abu dhabi 2021)

- both have suffered a decline awards-wise which has made way for verbal disrespect (no more exo daesang sweeps and music show wins & no lewis win or wdc in years…)

- both have proved their popularity still exists through influence of stocks (sm’s stock prices immediately increasing following the news of exo’s comeback in 2023, lewis’ transfer news generating ferrari 4 billion)

- both are considered old hags and yet they’re more talented than literally the entire industry combined (we literally have baekhyun. cmon now)

- both were so dominant and so hated for their dominance that rules and regs were literally changed to try and prevent this (mama, music bank & the fia)

- the cultural impact brazil 2021 had can only be compared to call me baby. everyone loves call me baby. every time a driver (max) has a good drive his fans try to compare it to brazil 2021. “the best lap ever” that never happened in saudi 2021? literally any kpop artist ever trying to recreate growl or call me baby

- both are the lomls (this whole thing, all of it, it’s all about me….)

[mcrdvcks]

Down Bad - Chapter 4

Chapter Summary: Rex contacts the group about helping a clone on Daro. But the mission takes a turn after Hunter and Amina are taken by the Empire.

Word Count: 10k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: alright, so this chapter covers season 1, episodes 14-16. next chapter will be a few short stories of things that happen in between season 1 and 2!

also, i know that this gif is overused, but it's the last time the group is together ;(

Series Masterlist - Chapter 3 → Chapter 5

AO3 Link For Chapter

Amina sat on the floor of the Marauder, levitating a ball with the force in her hand, as Omega was fiddling with Gonky, and Hunter sat in the hull, twirling a knife in his hand.

It was the simple metal ball she still held onto from Padme, moving it from hand to hand and up and down. Maybe Padme was right, it does calm her a bit.

She glanced over at Omega, who was fixing up Gonky’s wires and then at Hunter, who was twirling his knife in his hand, his gaze focused on his movements. His movements were fluid, almost mesmerizing, and Amina found herself watching him with a mixture of curiosity and admiration.

Omega also glanced over, trying to do the same thing with her screwdriver when Echo called out from the cockpit. “We’re being hailed. It’s… Rex.”

Hunter put his knife back into its spot on his wrist and Omega closed the patch on Gonky that she was working on as they walked into the cockpit.

Echo turned on the transmission, “hello, boys. Sorry to cut right to it, but I could use your help.”

“What do you need, Captain?” Hunter asked.

“I received a distress signal from a clone trooper, but I’m a bit tied up at the moment to retrieve him.”

“You want us to recover a reg?”

“He’s an old friend, and he’s in trouble. I need you to get him out.”

Omega looked up at Hunter, “out of what exactly?”

A beeping sounded out from Rex’s side, “can’t talk right now. Sending you his signal. I’ll be in touch.” Rex tapped the comm on his wrist as the transmission disappeared.

“What was that about?” Wrecker asked.

“The distress signal sent by CC-5576 is originating from Daro, a terrestrial planet in the Outer Rim with no known settlements or installations.” Tech said, turning to face Hunter.

“What’s he doing all the way out there?”

“Well does it matter?” Echo cut in.

“We’ve gone on missions before without much intel. But this would be stretching it.”

“Rex wouldn’t ask us for help if it wasn’t urgent.”

“Echo’s got a point.” Wrecker added on.

“May I remind you that we are in the middle of a job for Cid. If we deviate, we will not be compensated. No money means no food.”

“Oh, yeah. Tech’s got a point.” Wrecker spoke again.

“But Rex’s friend is in trouble. That’s more important than getting paid.” Omega said, looking up at Hunter.

“Well, the kid’s got a point.” Wrecker spoke.

Hunter sighed, glancing over at Echo. “Fine. We’ll check things out. But… I don’t like it.”

---

They flew out of hyperspace as Tech announced that they were approaching Daro’s atmosphere. “I’ll bring us in low to avoid any possible tracking scanners.”

“We’re banking a lot on a clone we don’t even know.” Hunter said.

“Rex trusts him. And I trust Rex.” Echo responded.

They landed the ship in part of the forest, surrounded by trees as they all got off the Marauder.

Tech looked down at his data pad, “the signal is coming from that direction.” They walked slightly ahead as Tech tapped his pad, “the beacon should be right ahead.”

Omega looked around before going to a fallen tree trunk and taking off the beacon. “Found it.” She handed it to Tech as the rest looked around the area.

“So, where’s this reg?” Wrecker asked, looking over at Hunter who took off his helmet.

Hunter kneeled down and grabbed a small twig, sniffing it for clues. “We’re already too late. The clone was being hunted. He was dragged. That way.” Hunter put his helmet back on and led the group through the forest.

They ran into a clearing, at the edge of the hill with a view of large mountains. Hunter stopped, “hang on.” He brushed his hand through the dirt, before looking up at the mountains, “there’s something here, inside that mountain.”

Tech stepped forward, tapping on his data pad, “I believe you are right. My scans are being jammed.”

“You said there was nothing on this planet.” Wrecker exclaimed.

“That data appears to be inaccurate.”

“Wrecker, you, Omega and Amina wait on the ship.” Hunter ordered.

“Wait, why can’t- ”

Hunter cut off Omega, “coming here was up for debate. This isn’t.” Hunter, Echo, and Tech started to climb the mountain, as Amina followed glancing back at Omega.

Hunter quickly turned around, “I told you to wait on the ship.”

Amina crossed her arms, “I’m a Jedi, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” Echo and Tech stopped walking, glancing back at Hunter and Amina before sharing a look with each other.

“I gave you an order.” Hunter replied.

“I’m a General, I outrank you.”

“This is my squad.” Amina glared at Hunter through his visor as he continued, “stay with Wrecker and Omega. You can fly the ship if we need a pickup.”

Amina clenched her jaw before relenting, “fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

Hunter nodded curtly, acknowledging her compliance before turning back to face the mountain ahead. He knew Amina wasn't pleased with being left behind, but he couldn't risk her safety on what could potentially be a dangerous mission.

---

Amina sat in the pilot’s chair, force levitating her ball as Wrecker and Omega played a game on Gonky’s head.

“It’s still your turn.” Omega said.

“I know. I’m thinking.” Wrecker tapped the side of his head.

Then a comm beeped, “Wrecker, do you copy?”

“Yeah, we hear ya. Did you find the reg?” Wrecker replied to Hunter before moving his piece.

“Not yet. But we did find an Imperial base built inside this mountain. We’re going in.”

“Wait for us! We’ll help.” Omega responded.

“Negative. Stay on the ship. You’re our backup. Comms will be jammed once we’re inside, so keep alert.”

---

Wrecker was now in the co-pilot’s chair with his feet on the dash as Omega walked around the cockpit holding her doll, Lula.

“How can you be so relaxed?” Omega asked Wrecker.

“Oh, I’m preparing. I’m chargin’ up before I charge in.”

“We should’ve heard from them by now. What if something went wrong?”

“I’m sure they got everything under control.”

---

The comm beeped, “Wrecker, Amina, Omega, come in.”

Omega ran into the cockpit as Amina pressed the button, “we read you.”

“We have the target, but we ran into some trouble. We need a pickup.”

“On our way!” Omega said, getting into the co-pilot seat as Wrecker entered the cockpit.

“On our way! Wrecker repeated, as Amina prepared the ship for takeoff.

Amina flew the ship towards the signal as Omega spoke through comms, “we are on approach!”

“We see you.” Tech said through comms.

Amina flew the ship parallel to the side of the mountain as Wrecker opened the doors and shot the troopers in the hall behind Hunter, Echo, Tech, and the other clone. “Little closer!” Wrecker yelled, as Amina flew the ship closer to the mountain.

“Incoming!” Amina called out, as Tech and the other clone got on the ship.

“I’ll take it from here.” Tech said, as Amina got out of the chair and into the co-pilot seat. “Wrecker, get on the tail gun.” Tech flew away as enemy ships shot at them, “shields are down. We’re losing power!”

“Gonky, we need you!” Omega exclaimed, getting out of her seat and plugging him into the ship.

“It’s working! Systems are back online.” Amina said.

Tech flew further away before flying straight down, and at the last minute, back up as he flew back to the mountain. “We’re coming back around. Be ready!”

Omega stood by the door, “jump!”

Amina got onto the stairs in front of Omega and helped Echo onto the ship. More TIE fighters came their way as Tech turned the ship sideways and Hunter jumped as Amina caught his hand.

She went to pull him up when one of the TIE fighters shot her in the shoulder, causing both her and Hunter to fall off the Marauder and through the trees.

Hunter took out his knife to try and stop the fall on the mountain, but it didn’t work, causing him to keep falling along with Amina, as she rolled down the mountain side he tried clinging to. As they fell, he grabbed Amina’s waist as they hit more branches, before finally hitting the ground.

Hunter tried to get up, as did Amina as she used the force to grab her lightsaber which came off her belt in the fall.

“Multiple system failures! We cannot take many more hits!” Tech sounded out through comms.

An Imperial shuttle landed next to them as they glanced over. Hunter slowly got up, shaking his head, “get the ship out of here. We’ll find another way back.”

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

“Go, Tech! That’s an order!”

Amina slowly got up, wincing at the pressure she was putting on her shoulder.

“Hunter, tell them to come back! Order them to come back!” Omega yelled through the comms.

“Sorry, kid. I can’t do that.” Hunter put his knife in its holster as Amina attached her lightsaber back on her belt as dozens of troopers surrounded them.

The troopers cuffed them and put them on the shuttle, flying away from Daro.

---

They were now on a different ship, with Hunter and Amina on the floor cuffed and without their weapons. She wishes she got lucky enough that they didn’t use force suppressing cuffs or take away her lightsaber.

Buzzing sounded out as Crosshair entered the room.

“Where are we going?” Hunter asked.

Crosshair kneeled down and grabbed Hunter’s comm, “you’ll find out soon enough. And so will your squad.”

“Using my comm won’t work. They’ll know it’s a trap.”

Crosshair stopped halfway to the door, turning around to face Hunter, “they’ll still come for you.” he said, before exiting the room, leaving two troopers guarding them.

Amina leaned back against the wall, holding back a hiss at her shoulder touching the wall.

She glanced over at Hunter, who was sitting next to her, his expression grim as he assessed their situation. Despite the cuffs restraining them and the uncertainty of their fate, there was a steely determination in his eyes that gave Amina hope.

"We need to find a way out of here," Hunter said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper to avoid alerting the guards. "Any ideas?"

“Not really. I can’t use the force.” she said, lifting her hands up without thinking as she grimaced at the pain in her shoulder.

Hunter glanced at her, his brow furrowing with concern. "Your shoulder," he said, his voice filled with empathy as he observed her discomfort. "We need to find a way to treat it."

Amina nodded, her jaw clenched in an effort to mask the pain. "I'll manage," she replied, her tone determined despite the agony pulsing through her injured shoulder.

Hunter leaned closer, his expression serious as he studied her. "We can't afford to overlook your injury," he said firmly. "If we're going to get out of here, we need to be at our best."

“I’ve survived worse.” She replied.

Hunter sighed at hearing the same argument come from her again. He knew Amina had a tendency to downplay her injuries, but he also knew that her resilience could sometimes border on stubbornness, making it difficult for her to accept help, even when she needed it most.

"Stubborn as ever," Hunter muttered under his breath, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips despite their dire situation.

Amina shot him a sideways glance, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "You say that like it's a bad thing," she retorted, her tone teasing yet affectionate.

Hunter shook his head with a fond chuckle, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "It's just frustrating sometimes, that's all," he replied, his voice gentle yet firm. "You don't always have to be the tough one, Amina. It's okay to let others take care of you."

Amina's expression softened at his words, her defenses momentarily dropping as she met his gaze, before looking straight ahead.

Soon, the shuttle landed on a planet as Crosshair walked in front with three troopers behind Hunter and Amina, pushing them along.

A man, who she thinks is Admiral Rampart, met them at the landing bay, followed by 5 troopers, 3 in white gear and two in grey gear, like Crosshair and the 3 troopers behind them.

“Where are the rest of them?” Rampart asked.

“They’ll be here.” Crosshair replied. “We’ll intercept upon arrival.”

Rampart looked at Crosshair before moving in front of Hunter, “so you’re the one they call ‘Hunter’. The destruction your squad caused on Ryloth got my attention.” Hunter stayed silent as Rampart turned his gaze to Amina, who stood next to Hunter. “And the infamous Amina Skywalker, or ‘The Sword’.”

Amina winced at the trooper who nudged her shoulder with their blaster, “I prefer ‘The Dazzler’ but I suppose that’s an inner circle thing.”

Admiral Rampart raised an eyebrow at Amina's remark, his expression unreadable. "The Dazzler, huh?" he mused, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Well, I must say, you've certainly made a name for yourself in certain circles. Governor Tarkin would love to speak to you.”

Amina’s eyes widened, that’s the last thing she needs. If Tarkin knows she’s alive, then Palpatine and Anakin will too.

“I leave this to you, Commander. Stay on schedule.” Rampart told Crosshair, before looking at a few troopers behind him, “bring Skywalker with me.”

The two grey-suited troopers nudged Amina in the back, prompting her to move forward with hesitant steps. She glanced over her shoulder at Hunter, her expression a mixture of concern and determination.

As Amina was led away by the troopers, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at her gut. She knew Admiral Rampart's reputation; knew the kind of danger they were walking into. But she also knew that she couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness, not now, not ever.

Hunter watched Amina being escorted away, his jaw clenched with frustration. He hated feeling helpless, hated being unable to protect his squad, especially Amina. He glanced over at Crosshair, “where are they taking her?”

Crosshair remained stoic, his expression unreadable as he replied, "To meet with Governor Tarkin, as ordered by Admiral Rampart."

Hunter's fists clenched at his sides as he fought to suppress his rising anger. He knew that facing Tarkin would only bring trouble, especially for someone like Amina who had already attracted unwanted attention.

“Are you showing care for a Jedi?” Crosshair hissed, “I didn’t realize you would go so low.”

Hunter’s jaw tightened at Crosshair, his gaze narrowing as he met his cold stare. “I’m not showing care for a Jedi,” he retorted evenly. “I’m showing concern for a member of my squad.”

Crosshair scoffed, his lip curling in disdain under his helmet, “a Jedi is a liability, Hunter,” he countered, “you should know that better than anyone.”

---

Amina was escorted into a small office within the Kamino facility, her heart pounding with apprehension as she glanced around the dimly lit room. Admiral Rampart stood beside her, his imposing presence casting a shadow over the proceedings. With a flick of his wrist, he activated the hologram projector, and Governor Tarkin's image materialized before them.

Governor Tarkin's stern visage filled the room, his steely gaze scrutinizing Amina with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. She stood tall despite the unease bubbling within her, steeling herself for whatever interrogation lay ahead.

"Ah, Amina Skywalker," Tarkin began, his voice cool and calculating.

"Tarkin, nice to see you again. Although, I must say, grey isn’t your color," Amina quipped, her tone laced with a hint of sarcasm as she regarded the holographic image of the stern governor.

Tarkin's expression remained impassive, his steely gaze fixed on Amina as he spoke. "Your wit is as sharp as ever, Miss Skywalker," he replied, his voice dripping with condescension. "But I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to attend to."

Amina raised an eyebrow at Tarkin's cryptic remark, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "And what pressing matters might those be?" she asked, her tone guarded yet intrigued.

Tarkin leaned forward slightly, his holographic image casting a menacing shadow over the room. "The Emperor has been wondering about your whereabouts, and now we’ve found you. Admiral Rampart will bring you to Coruscant for… a conversation with the Emperor.”

Amina's heart sank at Tarkin's words. The thought of facing Palpatine filled her with dread, knowing the danger that awaited her on Coruscant. She glanced at Admiral Rampart, her mind racing as she tried to formulate a plan to escape their grasp.

Admiral Rampart stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Amina with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "You're quite the elusive one, Miss Skywalker," he remarked, his tone tinged with admiration. "But rest assured, you won't be able to evade the Emperor's reach for much longer."

Amina bristled at Rampart's condescending tone, her jaw clenched with frustration. She knew she had to tread carefully, to buy herself time until she could find a way to escape. "And what makes you think I'll go willingly to Coruscant?" she asked defiantly, her voice laced with determination.

Rampart's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Amina with a calculating gaze. "Oh, I have no doubt that you'll come willingly," he replied, his tone dripping with malice. "Or perhaps you need a little... persuasion."

A cold chill ran down Amina's spine at Rampart's ominous threat, knowing all too well the kind of torture and interrogation tactics the Empire employed. She glanced around the room, searching for any means of escape, but finding none.

"Resistance is futile, Miss Skywalker," Tarkin interjected, his voice cold and authoritative. "The Emperor's reach is vast, and his power absolute. You would do well to remember that."

Amina gritted her teeth in frustration, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. She knew she was outnumbered and outmatched, but she refused to give in without a fight. She had to find a way to resist, to defy the Empire at every turn.

“Admiral, have your troopers escort Skywalker to your starship.”

The troopers nodded and brought Amina out of the room and down the barren halls of Kamino. She had to get away, before they brought her onto the starship. If the Emperor got hands on her, she shuddered, who knows what would happen.

Amina glanced at one of the troopers in front of her, spotting her lightsaber handing from their waist. If she could unlock her handcuffs with a piece of metal she kept on her waistband, she could get rid of the troopers and find Hunter.

As they reached a dimly lit corridor, Amina subtly reached for the small metal piece hidden in her waistband, her heart pounding with anticipation. She had to time this perfectly, to catch the troopers off guard and make her move before they could react.

With a swift and practiced motion, Amina slipped the metal piece into the lock of her handcuffs, her fingers deftly manipulating the mechanism as she worked to free herself. Her hands trembled with adrenaline, her senses heightened as she focused all her concentration on the task at hand.

Finally, with a soft click, the handcuffs sprang open, and Amina wasted no time in seizing her opportunity. With lightning speed, she reached for her lightsaber, igniting the blade in a flash of blue light as she whirled around to face the startled troopers.

Before they could react, Amina lunged forward, her lightsaber slashing through the air with deadly precision as she disarmed the troopers with expert skill. The corridor erupted into chaos as blaster fire erupted from all sides, but Amina remained focused, her movements fluid and graceful as she fought off her attackers.

With each swing of her lightsaber, Amina moved closer to her objective, her determination unwavering as she carved a path through the troopers standing between her and freedom.

As she rounded a corner, Amina came face to face with another group of troopers, their weapons trained on her with deadly intent. But she didn't hesitate, didn't falter in her resolve.

The troopers fought back fiercely, their blaster bolts raining down upon her with relentless force. But Amina was undeterred, her movements swift and precise as she deflected their attacks with ease, her Jedi training shining through in every move she made.

With a final flourish of her lightsaber, Amina dispatched the last of her adversaries, the corridor falling silent once more as the smoke cleared and the dust settled. She took a moment to catch her breath, her heart still pounding with adrenaline as she surveyed the aftermath of the skirmish.

But there was no time to waste. With a sense of urgency driving her forward, Amina sprinted down the corridor, her lightsaber held at the ready as she made her way down the halls. She had no idea where she was, or how to get out of here, but she didn’t have a choice other than to figure it out.

---

Hunter turned Crosshair’s head to the side, seeing a large mark on the left side of his head.

“Hunter, three Venators are descending on the city. We need to leave, now.” Tech said.

Hunter took off Crosshairs backpack and his sniper, “Wrecker, grab Crosshair. He’s coming with us.”

Omega looked up at Hunter, “what about Amina? Where is she?”

"I don't know where she is. They separated us when we got here," Hunter reiterated, his voice tight with concern as he glanced around at his team. Omega's worried expression mirrored his own, her brown eyes wide with apprehension.

Tech's fingers flew over his datapad as he processed the incoming information. "We need to regroup and get out of here before those Venators arrive," he urged, his tone urgent.

Wrecker hefted Crosshair's limp form over his broad shoulder, the sniper's unconscious body a stark reminder of their precarious situation. "Let's move, boys," he grunted, his voice gruff with determination.

Omega trailed after them, her small frame moving swiftly as she kept pace with the rest of the team. "But what about Amina?" she pressed, her voice tinged with worry.

Hunter clenched his jaw, his mind racing as he weighed their options. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease gnawing at him, the knowledge that Amina was out there alone, facing who knew what kind of danger. But they had a mission to complete, and they couldn't afford to risk everything for one person, no matter how much she meant to them.

"We'll find her, Omega. But right now, we need to focus on getting out of here," Hunter replied, his voice firm as he tried to reassure the young girl.

Omega nodded reluctantly, her shoulders slumping with disappointment. She trusted Hunter implicitly, knew that he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. But she couldn't shake the worry gnawing at her gut, the fear that something terrible would happen to Amina if they didn't find her soon.

---

As Amina ran through the empty corridors, blaster shots and explosions covered Tipoca City, causing destruction all around her.

What was happening? Tipoca City wouldn’t just collapse in a fiery, explosive manner.

As she rounded a corner, Amina stumbled upon a scene of utter devastation. The once pristine halls of Tipoca City were now littered with debris and smoke, the remnants of fierce battles between the clone troopers and their mysterious assailants. Blaster fire erupted from every direction, casting eerie shadows on the walls as explosions rocked the facility to its core.

The building tipped to its side as Amina slid down the floor as she pulled out her lightsaber and ignited it, puncturing the floor trying to stop her sliding. But it didn’t work.

She slid down until she fell through one part of the building to another, and narrowly avoided getting trapped underneath metal. Amina patted down her pockets suddenly realizing she didn’t have her comm. Well of course she didn’t, they took it from her.

Her feet started to feel cold as she looked down to see the room she was in slowly starting to fill with water. Kriff. She doesn’t know how to swim, and she’ll be damned if she dies by drowning.

Amina's heart raced as she looked around the rapidly flooding room, panic threatening to consume her. She clutched her lightsaber tightly, the familiar weight providing a small measure of comfort amidst the chaos. But she knew she couldn't rely on her weapon alone to save her from drowning.

Frantically, Amina scanned the room for any means of escape. Her eyes landed on a ventilation shaft near the ceiling, its metal grating barely visible through the murky water. With a surge of determination, she propelled herself upward, kicking against the rising tide as she reached for the shaft above.

Her fingers grazed the metal grate, slipping once before finally finding purchase. With a grunt of effort, she pulled herself up, her muscles straining against the weight of her soaked clothing. Inch by inch, she dragged herself closer to the opening, the water swirling around her legs as she fought to keep her head above the surface.

Finally, with one last burst of strength, Amina hoisted herself up and into the ventilation shaft, collapsing onto the cold metal floor with a gasp of relief. She lay there for a moment, catching her breath as she listened to the muffled sounds of chaos echoing from the corridors below.

But there was no time to rest. With a grim determination, Amina pushed herself to her feet, her sodden clothes clinging to her skin as she peered into the darkness of the shaft. She had to find a way out of here, had to reunite with the group before it was too late. If they were even still alive, that is.

---

They stood in the maintenance deck as AZI made a circle as he welded a hole to get into the tunnel.

Tech looked over at Wrecker, “my scans indicate the tunnel is directly below this maintenance deck. AZI says, with a precise weld to maintain an airtight seal- ”

A loud banging was heard as everyone looked up. “What was that?” Omega asked slowly.

Tech looked down at his datapad, “I am unable to tell. There shouldn’t be anyone else in the facility.”

Hunter walked to a ventilation shaft standing below it. He tilted his head to the side as the grate flew off as a figure jumped out and landed on Hunter, sending them both to the ground.

Hunter grunted as the figure landed on him, the impact knocking the wind out of him as they both tumbled to the ground. He struggled against their weight, instinctively reaching for his blaster as he tried to regain control of the situation.

Amina's heart raced as she collided with Hunter, her reflexes kicking in as she scrambled to disentangle herself from him. She pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, her eyes widening in surprise as she realized who she had landed on.

"Hunter?" she gasped, her voice tinged with disbelief as she looked down at him, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Hunter's eyes widened in recognition as he gazed up at Amina, his mind struggling to process the sight before him. He hadn't expected to see her here, hadn't even known if she was still alive after they had been separated in the chaos of Tipoca City.

"Amina?" he echoed, his voice rough with emotion as he reached out to touch her face, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against her cheek.

Amina's heart skipped a beat at the feel of Hunter's touch, a rush of warmth flooding through her as she met his gaze. Despite the danger they were in, despite the uncertainty of their situation, there was something undeniably comforting about being in his presence again.

She stood up hooking her lightsaber to her water-soaked belt, “thank the Force, I’m not gonna die by water. I want to at least die in a cool way.”

Omega bounded forward, her brown eyes bright with excitement as she threw her arms around Amina in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaimed.

Amina bent down and picked her up, “me too.”

"Are you hurt?" Hunter asked, concern evident in his voice as he pushed himself up from the floor, his gaze scanning Amina for any signs of injury.

Amina shook her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I'm fine. Just the blaster shot to the shoulder from before," she reassured him, her voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

AZI finished making a hole down into the tunnel, “the tunnel is clear!”

They all slowly made their way into the tunnel, slowly walking in the depths of the ocean.

“We need to go back. There must be another way.” Crosshair said.

“That would be unwise. I am afraid this is our best option.” AZI responded.

“You done complaining? You know, if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Something on your tiny mind, Wrecker?” Crosshair stepped closer to Wrecker.

“All that time, you didn’t even try to come back. We still would have taken ya.”

“Let it go, Wrecker.” Tech placed a hand on Wrecker’s shoulder, turning him to face himself. “Crosshair has always been severe and unyielding. It is his nature. You cannot change that. He cannot change that.”

Wrecker walked away to the rest of the group who stood a few steps ahead as Crosshair turned to Tech, “why are you defending me?”

“I am not. Understanding you does not mean that I agree with you.”

Amina followed Omega as she shined the flashlight at the cracked glass in the tunnel. Amina gulped, why did there have to be so much water?

“AZI, this doesn’t look very safe.” Omega said.

“Barring any further complications, this enclosure remains a viable means of transport.”                                                                                            

“Let’s keep moving.” Hunter said. They moved forward slightly before they heard roaring in the distance. “Uh, I think we got a problem.”

“AZI, these tunnels are protected, right?” Omega whispered.

“Only when the power is operational, which it is not.” AZI replied, and a few seconds later, the creature roared again.

“Run!” Hunter yelled.

“Restoring power should deter the creature. Try to stay alive!” AZI exclaimed as he flew down the tunnel.

They continued to run as the creature followed them outside the tunnel, biting down on the curve ahead of them, causing water to start to leak through.

The power slowly came on as the creature roared again, before swimming away. AZI closed the hatch, as they fell down on the floor, catching their breath.

“It appears I have caused this structure’s remaining power to short out. But you have survived the transit. This outcome is satisfactory.”

The group continued their journey, before climbing out of the tunnel and into a lab. Hunter took off his helmet, “what is this place?”

“Nala Se’s private lab.” Tech responded. “Omega says this is where our mutations were manipulated and enhanced.”

“How would she know?” Crosshair asked.

“Because she was there. Omega was created before us. Technically she is older than we are.”

They walked further into the lab before looking at the clear glass. “Uh oh. That’s gonna be a problem.” Wrecker said, looking at the broken tunnel outside of the lab.

“That tunnel was the only way to the Marauder.” Omega said slowly.

“It would seem that, once again, we are trapped.” AZI responded as Amina shook her head.

She was not going to die down here by water. Amina grabbed her japor snippet, holding her wrist. She didn’t want to die now, what about Luke and Leia? They may still be babies, and she may not have any contact with them, but selfishly she wanted to see them grow up, even if it was from a distance.

Hunter watched Amina from across the room, his brow furrowed with concern as he observed the turmoil etched upon her features. He knew that she was grappling with her own fears and doubts, just as he was.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, his voice a soothing presence amidst the chaos surrounding them.

Amina glanced up at him, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions. "I'll be fine," she replied with a forced smile, though Hunter could see the strain beneath the surface. "Just… I’ve never been around this much water. I don’t even know how to swim.”

"You've never been around this much water before?" Hunter asked gently, his voice soft with understanding as he moved closer to her, his presence a comforting anchor in the midst of their uncertainty.

Amina nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly as she met Hunter's gaze. "Yeah," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I grew up on Tatooine, you know? Sand, not water. Never really had the chance to learn how to swim. It wasn’t part of my training.”

Hunter's heart went out to her as he saw the apprehension written plainly on her face. He knew what it was like to be thrust into unfamiliar territory, to face situations that stretched the limits of one's comfort zone. But he also knew that Amina was strong, resilient, capable of overcoming whatever challenges came her way.

"Well, lucky for you, I happen to be a pretty good swimmer," Hunter said with a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood with a touch of humor. "I'll make sure you stay afloat."

Amina couldn't help but smile at his attempt to ease her worries, grateful for his unwavering support in the face of adversity. "Thanks, Hunter," she said sincerely, her voice tinged with warmth as she met his gaze. "I appreciate it."

Hunter returned her smile, his own worries momentarily forgotten as he focused on reassuring Amina. He knew they were facing an uphill battle, with danger lurking around every corner, but he also knew that they were stronger together, united in their determination to overcome whatever obstacles lay in their path.

Omega glanced at Amina, “can you use your Jedi tricks to get us out of here?”

Amina kneeled down, “not really. The force can only do so much.”

“What a waste,” Crosshair hissed.

Amina raised an eyebrow at Crosshair's remark, her expression a mixture of irritation and amusement. "I'm sorry, did you have a better suggestion?" she retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm as she glanced pointedly at the broken tunnel outside the lab. "Or are you just here to criticize?"

Crosshair bristled at her response, his jaw clenching with barely contained frustration. "I'm just stating the obvious," he shot back, his tone sharp with annoyance. "Seems like a waste of Jedi powers if you can't even get us out of here."

Amina resisted the urge to roll her eyes, choosing instead to maintain her composure in the face of Crosshair's provocation. She knew he had a tendency to be prickly, especially when tensions were running high, but she wasn't about to let his attitude get under her skin.

She almost wanted to say something about cutting off his head, but she reined it in. She couldn’t be like Anakin, couldn’t fall to the dark side no matter how easy it was to do so.

"Believe me, if I could use the Force to magically conjure up an escape route, I would," she replied evenly, her tone calm despite the underlying frustration simmering beneath the surface. "But unfortunately, I'm not exactly a miracle worker."

Amina stood up as Omega stood by her and Crosshair continued on, “I should’ve shot you when I first saw you.”

She walked towards him, “then do it. Kill me. I’m sure you’d love to snap my neck.” The rest of the group had slowly put their hands up, waiting to intervene if necessary. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. If you were to kill me, the Emperor you blindly follow wouldn’t be that happy with you.”

Crosshair's lips curled into a sneer as he stepped closer to Amina, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "Why would the Emperor care about you?" he challenged, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Amina met his gaze head-on, her expression steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. "Take a guess," she retorted, her voice cool and composed.

Crosshair's brow furrowed in frustration, his fingers twitching instinctively towards his blaster. But before he could make a move, Hunter stepped forward, his presence a calming influence amidst the rising tension.

"Enough," Hunter said firmly, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "We don't have time for this."

Amina nodded before moving off to another part of the lab, her hand rubbing her japor snippet. What if she was destined to fall the same way Anakin did? The Jedi order was as wary of her as they were of Anakin. They constantly told her she was to reckless, headstrong, and emotional.

What would happen if the Emperor got his hands on her? Would he try to turn her the same way he did to Anakin? Or would he use her to push him further down the path of the dark side?

The Jedi were right, she was emotional. She gets angry and upset quickly, something her Master tried to rectify but never could. In writing, she would make a perfect Sith, but in practice she would fail miserably.

She heard metal creaking as Wrecker lifted a medical capsule upright. Everyone gathered around as Echo spoke, “these medical capsules are our only way out of here.”

“If our mass is evenly distributed, the buoyancy of these watertight chambers will bring us to the surface.” Tech said.

AZI flew in front of Tech, “medical capsules have not been tested for such capabilities.”

“We won’t have directional control. How do we avoid the debris field out there?” Hunter asked.

“The droid.” Crosshair spoke up, walking towards the group, “he can do it.”

Hunter shined his flashlight towards AZI, “AZI, can you guide us to the surface?”

“Barring any extraneous complications, I should be able to complete the task.”

“Won’t that be dangerous?” Omega asked.

“Your safety and well-being is my primary mission objective.”

"Alright, let's get these capsules ready," Hunter said, his voice steady as he directed the group towards the medical chambers scattered around the lab. "We need to move quickly if we're going to make it out of here in one piece."

Omega started to place detonators on the windows of the lab as the rest of them grabbed the medical capsules, 4 in total.

Wrecker stood in his and groaned, “I barely fit in this thing!”

“Quit complaining. At least you’re not doubled up.” Echo replied.

Amina got in the tube she was sharing with Omega as she ran over to the tubes, “the explosives are set.” She got into the tube with Amina, holding the detonator.

“All right. Seal ‘em up.” Hunter said, as everyone closed the tubes with the keypad on the inside.

AZI flew around before giving a thumbs up to Hunter as he looked over to Omega at the other end and nodded.

Omega held the detonator and pressed the button as Amina closed her eyes as the window broke and water filled the lab, causing them to all float out in the water as AZI guided them through the debris.

“I can’t see anything.” Wrecker exclaimed.

Glass cracked on Tech and Echo’s tube, “that is a good thing.”

AZI came to Omega and Amina’s tube as Omega looked up at the droid who was now above them, “you’re doing great, AZI.”

A piece of metal hit the tube as Omega gasped and the glass cracked. The metal weighed them down, causing the tube to float downwards.

AZI came back and attempted to lift the piece of metal off the tube, before moving around it to try and cut the metal.

“Omega? Amina?” Hunter asked through comms. “Omega? What’s happening?”

Omega grabbed her comm, “we got caught on some debris. It’s okay. AZI’s got us.” Omega turned to face the droid who shook his head, his eyes flickering. “Don’t give up. We’re nearly there.”

AZI started to power down, “your path is clear.” His voice started to distort, “I have completed my objective.”

“No!” Omega yelled, her eyes wide as AZI started to fall down through the water. “I’m going after AZI!”

“Omega, don’t!”

Amina grabbed Omega’s hand before she could press the keypad as Amina reached out her hand in the small tube, closing her eyes and looking for AZI through the force.

She felt him, dragging him up with the force as he floated through the water and their tube surfaced. Amina used one last pull as she grabbed AZI’s powered down body, handing him to Omega.

"AZI!" Omega exclaimed, her voice filled with relief as she cradled the droid in her arms, her fingers trembling slightly as she checked him over for any signs of damage. "Are you okay?"

Amina squeezed Omega’s shoulder, “he’s just powered down. We can charge him when we get to the Marauder.”

“I have a visual on the Marauder.” Tech said. “I suggest we start paddling.”

---

When they made it to the platform the Marauder was at, the group stared at the distance where flames and smoke were the only things left of Tipoca City.

“It’s… all gone.” Omega said.

“We should leave before the Empire’s scouts show up.” Tech suggested.

Wrecker looked over at Crosshair, “you coming with us?”

“None of this changes anything.”

“You offered us a chance, Crosshair. This is yours.” Hunter said.

“I made my decision.”

“We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn’t mean that we have to be enemies.”

Crosshair took one last glance at Hunter before turning his gaze back to the water. Hunter walked forward, placing a hand on Omega’s shoulder before following the group onto the Marauder. Hunter stood in the doorway of the ship, waiting for Omega to come on board as she shared a few words with Crosshair.

Amina sat down in the small corner of the ship, sighing and making sure her shoulder didn’t touch the wall to induce any more pain.

The ship took off, leaving behind Kamino as Amina rubbed her japor snippet. She sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest looking at the crevices of the snippet.

Lost in her thoughts, Amina almost didn't notice Hunter's approach until he was standing before her, his presence a familiar warmth at her side. She glanced up at him, offering him a small smile as he settled down beside her, their shoulders brushing lightly as they sat in companionable silence.

"Hey," Hunter said softly, his voice a gentle murmur amidst the hum of the ship. "You okay?"

Amina nodded, her smile widening slightly at the concern evident in Hunter's eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her voice soft with gratitude. "Just… thinking."

Hunter nodded in understanding, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he spoke again. "It's been a rough day," he said quietly, his tone gentle as he reached out to touch her hand. "But we made it through."

Amina's heart skipped a beat at the warmth of Hunter's touch, a rush of emotion flooding through her at his words. Despite the hardships they had faced, despite the dangers that still lurked in the shadows, there was a sense of peace that settled over her in Hunter's presence, a feeling of safety and belonging that she cherished more than words could express.

"Yeah we did," she said sincerely, her voice barely above a whisper as she met his gaze.

"Now, how about I check out your shoulder?" Hunter suggested, his tone gentle as he looked at Amina with concern.

Amina nodded, grateful for his offer. "Yeah, that would be great," she replied, shifting slightly to give him better access to her injured shoulder. “Although, I think I just need a bandage.”

Hunter nodded, his expression serious as he examined Amina's shoulder. "Let's take a look," he said, gently easing aside the fabric of her clothing to assess the wound beneath. Amina winced slightly at the touch, but she remained still, trusting Hunter's expertise to see her through.

“It looks like more than a graze. It was a clean shot through your shoulder.”

Amina winced slightly at the touch, her jaw clenching against the pain as she forced herself to remain still. "Yeah, I kind of figured," she replied with a wry smile, though there was no mistaking the strain in her voice.

Hunter's expression softened at her attempt at humor, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sympathy and determination. "We'll need to clean and bandage it properly," he said, his tone matter-of-fact as he reached for the medical supplies nearby.

Amina nodded, grateful for his care. She held still as he gently cleaned the wound, his touch firm but gentle as he worked. Despite the pain, she found herself oddly comforted by his presence, his steady hands a reassuring anchor amidst the chaos of their surroundings.

Once the wound was cleaned, Hunter carefully applied a fresh bandage, his movements precise and methodical as he secured it in place. Amina winced slightly at the pressure, but she remained quiet, trusting Hunter to take care of her.

"There, all done," Hunter said, his voice soft as he finished dressing Amina's wound. He looked up at her, his eyes searching hers for any signs of discomfort. "How does that feel?"

Amina tested her shoulder gingerly, feeling the tightness of the bandage as she moved. "Better," she replied with a small smile, grateful for Hunter's skillful ministrations. "Thanks, Hunter."

Hunter returned her smile, his expression warm as he met her gaze. "Anytime," he said softly, his tone earnest as he reached out to touch her hand. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Amina felt a warmth spread through her at Hunter's words, a rush of gratitude welling up inside her as she squeezed his hand gently. "Me too," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned in closer to him.

“I’ll go check in with the others. You should get some rest.”

As Hunter disappeared into the main cabin of the ship, Amina closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the relative comfort of her surroundings. The gentle hum of the engines, the steady rhythm of the ship's movements—it was oddly soothing, like a lullaby coaxing her towards sleep.

---

She was kneeling in front of Palpatine’s throne, force restraining handcuffs binding her hands together behind her back.

“Ah, Lord Vader. I have a gift for you.” Palpatine said, a dark joy engrained in his voice.

Amina heard the mechanical footsteps and masked breathing as she looked up to find Anakin- Vader, in front of her, staring her down.

“Anakin.” She whispered, as Palpatine struck her with force lightning, causing her to cry out and fall down.

“Your brother is dead.” Palpatine hissed, as he stopped his attack. Two royal guards lifted her back up to a kneeling position.

She looked up through the black mask, “please, Ani.” She whispered, feeling tears fall down her face.

“Kill her.” Palpatine sneered at Vader, as Amina’s eyes widened.

"Ani," she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared up at the masked visage of her brother. Despite the darkness that surrounded him, she could still see glimpses of the man he once was, the boy she had grown up with on the sands of Tatooine.

But those glimpses were fleeting, overshadowed by the darkness that consumed him now. As Vader raised his lightsaber, the crimson blade igniting with a hiss of power, Amina's heart clenched with despair. She had failed him, failed to save him from the clutches of the dark side, and now she would pay the ultimate price.

The hum of the lightsaber filled the air, drowning out the sound of Amina's racing heartbeat as Vader raised the blade high above his head. In that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world holding its breath as the Sith Lord prepared to strike the final blow.

She could feel the heat of his red blade close to her neck as he lifted the saber and-

Amina gasped as she woke up, her heart racing as she looked around the empty Marauder. They weren't flying anymore, so she assumed they were back on Ord Mantell. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up slowly, her mind still reeling from the vivid nightmare that had plagued her sleep.

She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she quickly wiped it away. Kriff, she was angry. She was being tormented by her own brother who she hadn’t seen since he was burning on Mustafar.

What would happen if they saw each other again? Would he not hesitate to kill her like in her nightmares?

With a deep breath, Amina rose to her feet, her muscles protesting with fatigue as she moved towards the main cabin of the ship. She needed to check in with the others, to make sure they had all made it back safely from their harrowing journey.

The door to the ship was open, so she descended the ramp and saw the group fixing up the ship, with Omega sitting on top of Gonky eating Mantell mix.

Omega hopped down from Gonky, her eyes bright with excitement as she approached Amina. "Hey, Amina! Want some Mantell mix?" she offered, holding out a handful of the crunchy snack.

Amina smiled gratefully, taking a handful of the mix and popping it into her mouth. "Thanks, Omega," she said, her voice warm with affection.

Omega grinned back at her, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement. "No problem! Want to help me finish fixing up Gonky?" she asked, gesturing towards the droid as she reached for another handful of Mantell mix.

Amina nodded, swallowing the crunchy snack before following Omega over to where Gonky was parked. "Sure thing," she replied, her spirits lifting at the prospect of spending some time with Omega. Despite the lingering effects of her nightmare, being around the energetic young girl never failed to brighten her mood.

As they worked together to make some adjustments to Gonky's systems, Amina found herself relaxing in Omega's company. The rhythmic clanking of tools, the occasional burst of laughter— it all served as a welcome distraction from the weight of her worries.

“Amina.” A voice infiltrated her mind as she dropped the screwdriver and looked around.

Amina's heart skipped a beat as she heard the voice in her mind, her senses going on high alert as she glanced around, searching for the source of the mysterious communication. There was no one nearby, no one who could have spoken to her in such a way. She frowned, her brow furrowing with confusion as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"Did you hear that?" she asked Omega quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as she cast a wary glance around the hangar. Omega shook her head, her expression puzzled as she looked up at Amina.

"Hear what?" she asked, her brow furrowing with concern. Amina hesitated, unsure of how to explain the strange sensation that had washed over her just moments before. It felt like someone had spoken directly into her mind, a voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"Nothing," Amina replied, forcing a smile as she tried to shake off the unease that had settled over her. "Must have been my imagination."

She bent down and grabbed the screwdriver when the voice spoke again in a eerily familiar sound, “Amina.”

Amina turned around, “Anakin?” She whispered.

She heard the breathing that haunted her nightmares as she turned around once more and found herself in a pod, staring at the back of a black helmet. She felt a chill run down her spine as she took a step back, her hand instinctively reaching for the lightsaber at her belt.

"Anakin?" she whispered, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper as she stared at the figure in front of her. She knew it was him, knew it with a certainty that sent shivers down her spine.

The figure turned slowly, the sound of servos whirring as the helmet faced her, the dark visor hiding any trace of the man she once knew. Amina's breath caught in her throat as she stared into the abyss of that mask, searching for any sign of the brother she had lost.

“You left me for dead.” Vader said, as Amina took a small step back.

“I didn’t leave you!”

Vader took a step forward as she took a step back, “you let me burn on Mustafar.”

“I had no choice.” She replied, her voice breaking and eyes welling up with tears, “I didn’t want t- to leave you, Ani.”

Vader's mechanical breathing seemed to echo through the pod, a haunting reminder of the man he once was. Amina's heart clenched with anguish as she looked into the abyss of his mask, searching desperately for any hint of the brother she had lost.

Vader's mask remained impassive, his presence imposing as he loomed over her. "You abandoned me," he accused, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down Amina's spine.

"No, Ani, I swear," Amina pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. "I thought you were dead. I would never have left you willingly."

Vader's grip tightened on his lightsaber, the crimson blade casting a sinister glow in the dim confines of the pod. "It matters not," he declared, his voice cold and unforgiving. "You will pay for your betrayal."

“No, Anakin! I didn’t betray you! I swear I didn’t.” She cried, “you’re my brother, Anakin! I know you’re still in there.”

Vader raised his hand, pushing her with the force as she found herself flying through the hanger on Ord Mantell. She flew into the wall and onto the ground as the Bad Batch watched.

As Amina collided with the hard surface of the hangar wall, pain shot through her body like lightning. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, leaving her gasping for air as she struggled to push herself upright. She could hear the concerned voices of the Bad Batch echoing in her ears, their footsteps approaching her prone form.

"General! Are you alright?" Hunter's voice cut through the haze of pain, his tone laced with worry as he knelt beside her.

Amina blinked away tears of pain, forcing herself to focus on his concerned face. "I'm... I'm fine," she managed to choke out, her voice strained as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

Hunter's brow furrowed with concern as he reached out to gently touch her shoulder. "That looked like quite a fall," he remarked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

She heard mechanical breathing as she whipped her head behind her, only to find the cement wall.

Wrecker came forward and helped her up, “woah, how did that even happen?”

Amina winced slightly as she brushed herself off, trying to shake off the lingering effects of her encounter with Vader. "I'm not sure," she replied, her voice strained with pain. "I must have lost my footing."

Hunter raised an eyebrow, “and flew across the hanger?”

“I- ” She cut herself off. If Anakin- Vader, knew she was alive, that means the Emperor does too. And if they both know she’s alive, she can only assume that they’re going to be searching for her to use in their dark, twisted schemes. She started to slowly walk back onto the ship, brushing off the group’s concerns, and grabbed the few things she had as Hunter followed.

She was a threat, a risk, how can she stay with them any longer if she was putting them and Omega in danger? Maker, was she really that stupid and naïve to think she can stay in one place for a long period of time?

Hunter followed closely behind her, his brow furrowed with concern as he watched her movements. "Amina, what's going on?" he asked, his voice gentle yet tinged with worry. He could sense her distress, her turmoil, and it pained him to see her in such a state.

Amina paused in her packing, her heart heavy with guilt as she turned to face him. "Hunter, I... I can't stay," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's too dangerous for all of you to have me around."

She put the things in her backpack and pulled out her blaster from her bag, checking it over before putting it in her holster.

“Stop.” Hunter said, grabbing her upper arm, stopping her from moving. Amina stopped, her back to him as she gripped her backpack.

"The Emperor knows I'm alive now, and he’ll stop at nothing to capture me. Ana- ” She cut herself off, she couldn’t let anyone know that Anakin was alive.

She scoffed, Master Yoda was right, she’s too emotional. What if Anakin and Palpatine did get their hands on her? Would she turn that easily to be reunited with her brother? Or should she listen to Obi-Wan’s advice? Maybe attachments weren’t such a bad thing, after all, she has a group of people surrounding her who all takes care of each other.

Amina turned around in his grip, as she now faced him, a few tears streaming down her face. “I… I’m so confused right now. It’s like everything I knew is crumbling around me and I don’t know how to stay afloat.” She looked down, “everyone I knew is gone, dead or… buried within themselves.”

"I know it's hard, Amina," Hunter said softly, his voice filled with empathy. "But you're not alone. We're all here for you, no matter what. Whatever you're going through, we'll face it together."

Amina swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion as she met Hunter's gaze. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, the genuine care and concern he held for her, and it touched something deep within her soul. Despite her doubts and fears, there was a part of her that longed to trust him, to believe in the bond they shared.

"I want to believe that, Hunter," she whispered, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper as she looked down again. "But I can't shake this feeling that I'm putting all of you in danger just by being here."

Hunter reached out and gently brushed a stray tear from her cheek, his touch warm and comforting against her skin. "We knew the risks when we decided to take you in," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "But that doesn't mean we're going to abandon you now. We're a team, Amina, and we stick together, no matter what."

Amina nodded, her heart heavy with gratitude as she leaned into Hunter's touch, seeking solace in his presence. In a quick, almost impulsive moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Hunter stiffened slightly at the unexpected embrace, his breath catching in his throat as he hesitated for a moment before tentatively returning the gesture. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her close as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, “Master Yoda and Master Windu always said I was emotional and impulsive. I guess I have a think later attitude.”

"You don't have to apologize, Amina," Hunter murmured, his voice soft as he gently stroked her hair. "We all have our moments of doubt, of uncertainty. It's what makes us human."

Amina pulled back slightly, meeting Hunter's gaze with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability in her eyes. "Thank you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "For everything."

Hunter smiled warmly at her, his heart swelling with a sense of affection for the young Jedi. "Anytime, Amina," he replied, his voice tender. "We're in this together, remember?"

Amina nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah," she said softly. "Together."

tags: @callsign-denmark

[innb33tween]

Homeless. Disconnected. Broke. Hungry. Cold. Tired. Alone(except the pooch). Lost. Confused. Suicidal. Angry. Dirty. In Pain - jaw(need medical care. ER discharged me BC there's no one to watch the pup {SD(NES), but lately IDK what to call her because she's had to stop people from trying to sneak up on me(I've had stalkers), in the dark, or try to get into my "tent" at night), foot, neck, sternum(fractured in July), upper back, legs, chest, head. I'm always in pain. I'm on meds that are slowly dwindling. 10 yrs on a narcotic for my pain, and I have a few days left. Oh well. I'll figure it out. I've heard withdrawal sucks. I'm just scared of the pain. I carry the essentials around everywhere I go. I leave my sleeping gear where I'm staying the night, but in constant fear of it being stolen. I mean, I'll "survive" without it, but it'll be hell. The nights are cold. But I can't carry everything all day. I'm not strong enough, and it hurts. We're both hungry. We've been surviving off a 24-hr food cupboard at the church where I can sometimes get a shower. I got one today after a week. Then, there were crackers and PB&J, so I ate. And I felt SO much better. We've both lost weight. The skin on my belly is saggy. Is that what getting old is, or will it go away with time? I've heard it's from dropping weight too quickly. Whoops. We average 10 miles a day, sometimes with only a can of veggies to eat. Even when we have more, it's not enough. I'm always hungry. But there's a big difference between being so hungry that you're not sure if you're legs will make it any further, and you're going to drop or just being grumpy because you want a chinese buffet, taco bell, a triple berry frosty from Wendy's, a reg chicken sandwich from BK, a vanilla and a strawberry shake from Mcd's(both large) and an ice cream cone, PLUS - to dine in a NICE restaurant with melt-in-your-mouth steak, home fries, free refills and frozen margarita, and dessert(S)! Before getting a shower and food, I wanted to stab my pocket knife into my wrist and stain the ground red with anger. Now, I'm still hungry, but not suicidal. The night before, I walked around praying someone would look at me and just offer me food. I wish people saw what I needed when they looked at me. I'm just "that homeless girl with the "vicious" dog." Also, I was sweaty, and I smelled. That's what I hated. I felt like everyone who looked at me could see how filthy I felt. I hate that my self-worth depends on these things. That's probably because most of the constant adults in my life never wanted me to have any. It makes it easier to control, manipulate, and abuse you. You don't fight back as much. You don't tell because you think that no one else cares. But I told. And told and told and told and told and told and told and told.... And now, I'm "missing". I left. I packed up what I could carry and started walking. I made it a little ways south, to another town I'm sort of familiar with and learning quickly. A map and a heavy bag teach quickly. I cannot access my FB, Gmail, I have no phone, no money, no bank account, no resources, no one to lean on. I have a pair of jeans, leggings, capris, shorts, a shirt, a tank top, an under shirt, 3 pairs of socks, 3 bras, flip-flops, and shoes that have a hole(and stink). The blister sucks. I have 3 hoodies. And all of it is filthy. I have a blanket, a tarp, and a shower curtain to try to keep warm. I use a poncho, too. I have a towel and wash cloth and soap, conditioner, tooth paste, tooth brush, and some misc hygiene products. I have a small propane tank, can opener, spoon, fork, knife, cup, and aluminum can. I have a bat. I have a few other things, too. I still have a working Fitbit. That's life. I have a power bank. Headphones for music at the library because music is life for me, and I miss it so much. But, I've dropped a lot. Carry your shit around for a while, and you'll learn what's important or essential. But I'm on a mission.....

[captain-grammar]

Best Moments from The Rising pt. 1:

How it's made clear from the get that Major John Sheppard drinks his Respect Women juice on the reg

Dr Beckett's relieved/constipation/comedy orgasm face when he stops the drone...

...and the fact that the dramatic helicoper chase scene ends with some prop guy just off camera sliding a huge, alien rubber tampon towards RDA

"He's Canadian." "I'm sorry."

Joe Flanigan sliding down that bank and that being the take they used, thus canonising the fact that Jshep is a fucking dork

[zoekrystall]

Anyways now for a quick important completely different thing that I saw on twt and I hope at least one post I didn't see is circulating on here but this search function sucks so quick own post plus extra stuff 🇵🇸

For today this monday (december 11) did people in gaza (motaz and bisan for example) ask for a global strike that includes no spending whatsoever and no going to school/work. No streaming for those that do that afaik. If you don't go to work say it's bc of the strike. Don't use your bank acc etc nothing that benefits the economy. Please do if you can. I heard some say to deactivate instagram and facebook for the day? Which imo not sure since ig gets used a lot to share news but if the people in gaza ask for that then I'm not one to question it. I quick searched rn and what I read was that anything meta gets deactivated for the day bc they supress palestine voices. Idk if any palestinians ask for it but some also say to give 1 star reviews to them w that in the review.

Idk if it really only got announced yesterday (I don't use ig, I am on twt daily) and if so it can be argued abt how these things should get announced way more in advance and not literally a day prior (a twt mutual got attacked purely bc they said the black friday boycott hasn't been organized well enough and talking abt strike organization in general bc it wasn't able to gain enough tractions which is completely fair and if you think saying that is somehow being against strikes like people over there please block me. this also doesn't mean ppl that don't see it somehow don't follow the right ppl or whatever) so if you only see news after you went to work or spend money or whatever then I don't blame you or if you can't bc tight money situation. Like I only saw the black friday posts quite late and while sure fandom stuff too is my timeline for the majority about palestine.

+ BDS wants you to pressure the international criminal court to issue arrest warrants for israeli leaders next to other points you can read here

+ you can email the UN at dpa-scsb3[at]un[dot]org (security council) to invoke UN article 377 to push them to circumvent the U.S. veto. You can also submit forms to both the UN website and the USA UN branch website (info from this tweet, if you don't know what to write the qrted tweet got people sharing what they wrote, this one has alt text). UN form, USA UN form.

Also idk how much here an issue of such people gaining an audience but if on twt please check who you rt reg palestine! There are many fascists posting pro palestine stuff to gain followers. If you use twt here is one thread with some of these accs with added reasons. Also the neturei karta is a far right jewish cult don't share anything from them.

[koney-scanlines]

sTATion64, THe LivE PLayer SoLuTiON. REAL HaRDwaRE syNTh coNtRoLLED By midi.

Main features:

3 voice polyphony or unison for fat sounds or 3 separated midi channels route to 3 sid oscillators

full 3 osc control via midi

fine tune for each osc

2 lfo/env (4 stage) with apply to pitch/pulsewidth/filter cut

total monitoring all midi activity (decoded or raw view)

advanced glide and pitchwheel control

fast on-screen help

zero latency (on real Commodore)

tested on C64 / C128(in c64 mode)

works with 8580/6581 on PAL/NTSC (auto detection) machines

support KERBEROS/DATEL/SEQUENTAL/PASSPORT/HERMIDI/VESSEL midi interfaces with autodetection

manual set HARDRESTART delay (SIDBUG)

screen-off for more clean sound from SID

works with 154x/SD2IEC disk drive (+some additional features for SD2IEC users) to load/save created programs/arpeggios banks

16 programs (can change from external midi too)

8 looped or single-shot arps (32 step each)

easy programming arp with total SID registers control

play notes/arpeggios from commodore keyboard (without MIDI)

mapping arpeggios as you like on your midi keys or computer keyboard

simple interface with great possibilities

100% original code, without any KERNAL use

software reset to machines without reset button

suppoprt ASID protocol from Elektron SIDstation_TM_ hardware synth (play *.SID from pc on real C64 via midi) (except HerMIDI)

SID activity monitor (all SID regs in real-time)

nice intro with cute gradients :-)

[birlwrites]

regulus/evan (rosewater???) thoughts: the other slytherins opening a betting pool, heather and barty are in tight competition. barty wins because he knows reg better. they operate out of a single locked notebook. evan and reg find out when they tell everyone, and everyone pays two galleons to barty. heather is especially upset about giving up her two galleons. one time they almost got busted by sirius and james. luckily they hid it quickly enough. reg and evan can't even be upset they bet on it

FJSLGJSLSLDFHSHGJLSHDFJHSGJHSDJF

the betting pool is simultaneously the best and worst kept secret in slytherin. it's the worst kept secret because a solid 60% of slytherin knows about it somehow and it's the best kept secret because regulus and evan have *no idea*

the locked notebook is guarded by priam's cat because heather very nicely asked her to

barty is the only person who truly knows to what lengths regulus will go to avoid admitting to any sort of squishy feeling, as well as understanding the likelihood of a snap decision based on evan's increasingly blatant flirting. he has made BANK and he is very pleased with himself

and heather was off by like a week in her prediction of when they would get together so she is NOT happy

they considered starting a second pool for 'when will they tell us' but abandoned that idea pretty quickly because, as barty pointed out, 'when will they tell us' is a question with a LOT of different answers depending on who 'us' is

also i like rosewater as a ship name, it's easy to say in a way that some other possibilities are Not lmao

[snarky-magpie]

(That feeling when you want to both post snippets and avoid spoilers :D But... here's a sneak peek from the epilogue—which I decided to completely rewrite since I didn't like the first version—because I'm a weak person and can't resist.) “What are we talking about?” Reg asks, stepping up beside James with Sirius in tow, but before James gets a chance to answer, he draws himself up and gives him a kiss unsuited for an audience. All of their friends are suddenly busy coughing and engaging in awkward small talk, but James can’t spare them any thought when Regulus’ tongue strokes over his, the steel of his tongue piercing contrasting deliciously with the warm flesh. “We’re talking about your inability to behave,” Remus deadpans when the kiss has been going on for several minutes with no end in sight.

“They started a snogging jar for us, Reggie. Can you believe that?” James mutters, pulling back only enough to be able to talk.

“Actually, yeah. I can. Here,” he turns to Remus, takes out his wallet, pulls an ATM card out and thrusts it into his friend's unprotesting hands. “Add this to the bank. Consider it an advance. Should about cover the honeymoon period.” 

[yesyourstalker]

Warabi: Hi, welcome to rock shock. We have a sale If you buy one shirt you can get one free or a premium shirt 25% off....... I- op..... Wow!!!. I thought you were my dad for a second! I didn't even recognize you

Mhai: why do you look like that!! Where are your piercings?!? your tattoos!!...... Your tentacles!!! Your face!!!

Neta: I have to go to the bank today. To do some very important business. I have to present "professionally" so no piercings, No body mods, no tattoos visible. I had to use some makeup to cover my neck and hands. Face clean shaven, tentacles cut to an "appropriate" length.............*sigh*. it'll all grow back in 2 months.

Mahi: is it true when you cut your tentacles they turn into little guys or Is that like propaganda or something?

Neta: yeah they do that It's not as common you assume. The method to prevent that from happening is the twist and pinch method they take the base where you want to cut it. You pinch and twist and then cut the tentacle off that prevents it from actually growing and becoming a little octarians. Mine's been cut off so much it doesn't even do it anymore.

Warabi: I used to keep them as friends when I was little. I had one named Steve. He used to dance and stuff. My grandpa sent him to the military............... He's probably dead.

Taka: hey you twerps anyone know where my man is? I'm planning a surprise date for a third month anniversary

Neta: taka, I'm right here.

Taka: Neta!!! ...............…Your hair!?! You look......... different.

Neta: yeah..... I actually look like a normal everyday man....... Honestly I kind of like it. I like my tattoos and piercings it makes me feel like me. But sometimes I want to blend in..... No big clunky boots. Tons of rings, jewelry and battle vests. It's nice sometimes I just want to wear khakis..........I think I might keep it short for a while maybe grow it to mid length..............Yoooou liiiiike?......do you like normal Neta..... Come on the button down has to be doing something for you right?......... What about my clean face? If you told me you actually like the soul patch I'd assume you're lying to me.

Taka: uhhhhhhhh............. you look............uh...............very..............plain...... Your hair.......... is...........single toned. Hummmm

Neta: what's wrong taka? I thought you loved me for my extroverted nature, boldness and my outgoing personality. That didn't go away you didn't just fall in "love" with me cuz of my loooooooks. You like me for me not just the aesthetic. I think I might keep this look for a while. Let you get used to it. Why don't you come over tonight maybe watch a movie we can work on your album together. I know I said that I'll only play on one song. Maybe if you pushed the right buttons....... I might give in to anything really........... Anything you want. What do you say?................. Why don't you take suburban Dad Neta for a test drive? Huh? Huh?............(POP)..... That was my knee It's been doing that for a while need to get that checked

Taka:ehhhhh......uhh......hummmm..................no..... Not tonight . Ummm I got to discuss things with the band first yeah I need their input first Oh and I also need to talk to you know my producers and my recording studio everything......... But we can maybe do something later....................in the month when your hair grows out ...ok .........................bye..................ugh........ your loose earlobes.................ok bye.......[Kiss].......... I love you babe.................I really do.......... truly...... It's me not you

Neta:. Okay............ Jackass............... I shouldn't be surprised but am. Am I ugly? Without all my body mods?

Warabi: No, you're still hot for someone in their 30s

Neta: 30s is not that old.... But thank you

Mahi: can I kick his ass?

Neta: No mahi. You can't........but I don't control what you do outside of work.

(Epilogue)

Mahi: hey babe, if I suddenly stop dying my fins and start wearing regular clothes. Would you still like me?. ........... awww I knew you would...... Oh fuck no I'm not going to do it. I'll just asking. Bye

(Second, epilogue because why not?)

Neta: hey babe!

Ikkan: hey. Did you something with your tentacles? You look different.

Neta: do you like it?

Ikkan:ehhh I don't know I don't really have a preference for that. It's whatever you like honey. If that's what you want to look like, it doesn't change how I feel about you?.

Neta: thanks inkky I really need to hear that today.

Ikkan: though I do prefer you put in your gauges, It looks gross without them....

Neta: You're right....

Ikkan: I'm thinking of cutting off my tentacle or growing it out and kind of sick of the side shave.

Neta: not your iconic doo I say you grow it out

Ikkan: I was thinking of getting a buzz cut Maybe a mustache combo.

Neta: oooooo that sounds nice! Whatever you want babe.

Ikkan: I have to go to bed Love you bye

Neta: Love you too

Ikkan: seriously put your piercing back in. You look weird with holes in your face.

Text

Taka : sorry I was so weird back there babe I just wasn't used to the new look. I like it now it suits you. Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow night? ;)

Neta:...................... (Typing)

Neta:.... ................ (Typing)

Neta:.............. (Typing)

Neta: k

Mahi belongs to @fish-at-fish-fish-resort