#we love us a hangar queen

[thatsrightice]

F-14 FUN FACT OF THE DAY #68

On March 3, 2007, an F-14D(R) Super Tomcat was delivered to the Fort Worth Aviation Museum in a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy to the Fort Worth Aviation Museum. On loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) in Pensacola, Florida, this aircraft holds the title of being the longest serving F-14 Tomcat in the Navy having delivered on July 16, 1975.

While F-14 BuNo. 159600 was participating in the Tomcat’s final cruise a bulkhead would blow out during routine maintenance and the aircraft would spend most of the next few months in the hangar earning the nickname “Christine” after the Stephen King thriller.

Read more about Christine here!

[talesofadragon]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬

Synopsis: Receiving wind that Hydra has successfully managed to awaken another wave of winter soldiers, Captain America appoints his two best avengers, Bucky Barnes and Y/N Y/L/N, for the job. But aside from Bucky’s trepidation at reliving his worst memories, there’s something else rooting him in his place–the fear of inflicting harm on the woman he loves the most. Between her encouraging words and his violent past, what will happen when Y/N is forced to encounter her boyfriend’s alter ego?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced!Reader

Warnings: Angst | Fluff

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬  Masterlist | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐

“𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, whose brilliant idea was it to hitch a ride to Antarctica at four in the morning?” Sam groaned, shooting Steve a tired side-eye. The glare would've carried more weight if Sam's eyelashes weren't so heavy he looked on the verge of collapsing into sleep right then and there.

“It’s a twenty-hour flight,” Steve stated matter-of-factly, ignoring Sam’s blatant groans. 

Everyone was almost in the Quinjet, with Bruce and Clint slumped in a bunk each. By the sound of their rhythmic snores, the early mission hadn’t disturbed their sleeping schedules, and the Big Guy was too exhausted to comment about his new surroundings. Natasha was in there, too, plugging in the mission's coordinates. Needless to say, besides her and the two supersoldiers standing in the hangar, everyone else looked more than eager to go back to dreamland.

Y/N eyed Sam as he hugged his pillow tightly, using the walls to steady himself. Sam, who was this ball of infinite energy, was dozing off at the speed of light. And though he was used to waking up early and heading off for his morning lapses with Steve, the poor guy was stuck in a debrief with Nick Fury late last night and had barely managed to get some shut-eye. 

“I think what Sam means is why endure a twenty-hour hassle to get to Queen Maud Land when we could’ve figured out a faster means of transportation,” Y/N interjected.

Steve raised a skeptical brow. “Like what?”

“Portalling,” she shrugged, catching Sam’s attention. “What’s the point of having friends like Dr. Strange if we don’t ask for help when we need it?”

"Because, for one, Strange is not a friend," Tony asserted, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance. He looked pristine and smelled fresh, his gym bag slung casually over his shoulders. Figures the insomniac would be the least bit aggravated at the prospect of deploying to Antarctica before even the worms were up. "And second, what makes you think he’d help us?"

“Maybe because he’s also an Avenger.”

Tony gasped aloud, his hand shooting up to cover his arc reactor. His melodrama got even Steve to roll his eyes. “Firstly, take that back. There are only six Avengers and a handful of enhanced sidekicks.”

“Excuse me?” Bucky chimed from next to Y/N. 

“Seven Avengers,” Tony corrected, shooting Y/N a glance. Not even Bucky’s death glare or Sam’s scuff halted his monologue. “Anyway, back to the topic at hand. What’s bigger than Strange’s bibbidi-bobbidi arsenal is his ego—”

Natasha interceded, “Says the man who had his name plastered on a building.”

“I heard that, Jessica Rabbit.”

“As you should’ve. I’m sure,” Steve piped in. 

Tony’s lips twitched in their signature way. He pushed Steve aside and entered the Quinjet, throwing his bag on one of the biggest bunks available. For a man who’s not keen on sleeping, or being accused of egotism, his behavior is quite contradictory. 

“The point is, Stephen Strange’s medical license may scream, ‘I help people for a living,’ but doctors talk a big game until the hospital bill arrives.” He paused, turning his attention back to Sam and Y/N. “That’s when you realize their benevolence comes with a hefty price tag.”

"One that I'm sure you can afford because you're a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, as you oh-so-casually like to remind us all."

"Okay, weren't you sleeping?" Tony pointed an accusatory finger at Clint, who had rolled over and sassed him. Clint refrained from answering, his light snores filling the now silent area.

Sam took this as his cue to build on the previous point. "I’m with Clint on this one. Why don't you score three out of four on the Stark Personality Index and give Strange a call?"

"Why don't you channel your inner sorcerer and magically zip it? Because the less we debate, the quicker we might actually get something done," Tony rebutted. He waved his hands around, signaling for everyone to board the jet. Sam and Steve went further inside, both commenting on Tony's antics. Y/N and Bucky were the only ones who lingered in the back.

“James,” Y/N whispered, catching Bucky’s attention. His electric blue eyes held her gaze. He expected her to ask him about his well-being or point out his lack of commentary. But, to his surprise, Y/N gently took his metal hand and squeezed it. “It’s going to be just fine.”

Bucky laced their fingers together, bringing their interlocked hands to his lip and planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. Sometimes, he could’ve sworn Shuri had augmented the sensory feedback in his prosthetic. But when Y/N’s eyes twinkled as they did now, and a wave of undiluted love inundated his heart, he knew it had less to do with technology and more to do with her. 

“Stick by my side,” he reminded her firmly. 

Y/N’s lips twitched, the corners rising to form a smirk. “Till the end of all lines.”

Bucky broke into a chuckle, briefly shaking his head. He pulled on her hand, making her fall into step together. Though the nagging feeling in the back of his mind hadn’t dissipated, he gladly ignored it as he led Y/N to one of the bunk beds. She needed all the sleep she could get, and he needed the reminder that she was very much real and very much close. 

“Avengers Assemble.”

Y/N bet Tony’s entire fortune (obviously, because he was the billionaire, not her) that Steve, along with everybody else, expected anything—literally, anything—except for Bruce to burst out laughing at this exact moment. It wasn’t even a shortle or an innocent giggle. He was doubled over, gasping for breath, one hand gripping his stomach while the other clung to a chair for support.

It was only when the entire group turned to face him that his laughter began to gradually cease. “You said Ass,” Bruce clarified sheepishly, his weariness rising now that all eyes were on him. “You know, because you’re America’s ass, and you could’ve literally said anything else, but you chose that word. Right, Tony?”

“Right,” Tony replied wryly. 

It was evident that Bruce was growing increasingly uneasy. The team had reached Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, with only five minutes to spare before landing. FRIDAY was working to determine the safest landing spot, considering it was well past midnight and the relentless snowstorm showed no signs of abating.

A tingling sensation emanated from Bruce, creeping into Y/N's consciousness. Quickly, she skipped to his side, stretching out her hand. With a gentle smile and inviting eyes, she wordlessly sought Bruce's approval to make contact. As he extended his hands, Y/N eagerly accepted it. A radiant silver encircled her irises, the hue spreading through them. Likewise, her veins adopted a pale white, the color effortlessly transferring from her to Bruce. In a matter of seconds, she sensed his shoulders ease, a soothing wave of calmness enveloping him.

“Thank you,” Bruce said softly. 

“Don’t mention it,” Y/N replied as her eyes reverted to their original color. 

She swiftly made her way to Bucky, watching as Bruce stood taller, giving Steve his undivided attention. 

"Now that we've all... assembled, for lack of a better term," Y/N giggled at Steve's joke, earning a lopsided grin. "At face value, this Hydra facility appears to be a scientific research ground. However, we know from SHIELD intelligence that it's not—particularly the East Building. It's safe to assume that both the Observatory and the Experimentation Lab may not include the soldiers we're looking for, but that doesn't exclude any relevant intel we could possibly gather.

"Sam, we'll need you to conduct a quick aerial scan. Deploy Red Wing to ensure the main entrance points are accessible and check for heat signatures to quantify the number of Hydra operatives inside. Nat and Bruce, you'll be in the Observatory. It's the smallest of the three buildings, with only one floor to cover. Sam, once you're done with your report, land in the Experimentation Lab and wait for Clint and me. Tony, you're with Bucky and Y/N in the East Building. Any questions?"

“For the record, that itself was a trick question,” Natasha noted as she double-checked her hidden weapons. The latest NSFW suits (abbreviated for “Nano Secure Field Wear,” though Tony insisted on using the acronym) made it impossible to discern the locations of her weapons. “None of you better ask a single thing because even this Russian ass is freezing and is ready to kick some butt to get warmed up a little bit.”

“Hey, I’m not one to argue when asses are involved,” Tony commented. “Let’s go, Wilson. Time is money.” 

Sam rolled his eyes, lowering his night vision glasses. “Says the billionaire,” he huffed, wings at the ready.

“I heard that, Iago”

“As you should’ve. I’m sure,” Natasha sassed. Safe to say, Tony didn’t mirror everyone’s laughter.

“So, Lynx. On a scale of Africa to Antarctica, how are you two snowglobes enjoying this weather?” Tony quipped. 

He was supposed to fly to the East Building, but the storm was unrelenting. Steve had asked Sam and Tony to limit their aerial assessments, not wanting to risk damage to their gear. Unfortunately, that meant Tony had to walk to the building alongside Bucky and Y/N. While this wouldn’t normally be a problem, the loud groans coming from the side painted a clear picture of Bucky’s sullen behavior. And God knew how much Tony and Bucky just loved to push each other’s buttons. 

“Just because my moniker happens to be ‘Lynx’ doesn’t mean I am one, Tony,” Y/N shot back. Her eyes glinted with a hint of mischief as she gazed at him. “If we all carried the same traits as our pseudonyms, then you’d be as heavy as your ego.”

Bucky elected to laugh at this one, watching with glee as Tony made a face. Even with his suit hiding his features, it wasn’t hard to picture his reaction. “You should know better than to try and sass her.”

Tony shrugged, picking up his pace and walking just a bit ahead of the two. “Teasing your girl is my favorite pastime, Barnes. She’s a ray of sunshine when she wants to be. Too bad she’s stuck in the wrong season.”

“He can’t keep his mouth shut for thirty seconds, can he?”

Y/N giggled, shaking her head. “I’m afraid that might cause him an aneurysm, baby.”

The storm was fierce, with the wind battering them from various directions. For the most part, the trio easily navigated the road. Tony was leading them, using his altered nano blasters to inconspicuously clear the path when the snow was too thick. 

And yet, while the enhanced suits blocked out the cold, they didn't imbue any of those who wore them with warmth, maintaining the body temperature at a neutral level. So, when Bucky unexpectedly felt a fiery rush glistening across his gloved hand, he immediately looked down and broke into a dulcet smile at the sight of Y/N's smaller hand in his.

“You seem lighter,” she commented.

Bucky kept his eyes on his surroundings as he responded, “Is this an attempt at praising Stark’s new suits?”

“No, silly,” she chuckled. Of course, she’d find ways to lighten his mood in these frosty conditions. “I was talking about you, not your clothes.”

“Using your abilities on me, Lynx?”

“You’d know if I was.” 

It’s true, he would. Not that she had ever used them on him, anyway. It was only when he grappled with his nightmares that she did, and that was only when she had earned his explicit permission to do so. 

“I’m convinced that even without your enhanced abilities, you would still be the only person able to influence my emotions.”

Y/N furrowed her brows. “What do you mean by that?” She almost missed a step when Bucky briefly chanced a glance at her. His electric blue eyes were darker, given the lack of light, but there was something else there—an emotion she had trouble deciphering. "That’s not exclusive to me. I’m not the only person who influences your mood."

Bucky smirked, his thumb drawing circles along Y/N’s gloved hand. “You are the only one that counts.”

“Do you say that to every woman you come across, Sergeant?”

“Only the ones I’d like to keep around, angel.”

Y/N playfully jabbed him in the ribs, and to his surprise, he felt it even through the layers he was wearing. Taking the light-hearted punch in stride, Bucky mock-pretended to be hurt.

“I don’t know if Tony has rubbed off on you or if it’s the other way around," Y/N lamented, her pout visible, even cuter with the cold air escaping her mouth.

“Don’t involve me in your lover’s squabble.” Speak of the devil.

Bucky had to roll his eyes at the unwanted intervention. “Overly narcissistic of you to assume you are part of the conversation, Stark.”

“Overly irresponsible to shamelessly flirt with your girlfriend before shutting off the open communication channel of your earpiece, Barnes. Judging by the flush of your cheeks, it seems that even this playboy can influence your emotions.”

It took too long for Tony to register the snowball Bucky had gathered and chucked at his face, even longer to notice Y/N’s outstretched leg before he fell face first in the snow—because the communication channel was certainly not open. Tony, as always, was just being a nosy little worm.

"Observatory sweep complete. Six targets eliminated. Uploading the recon data," Natasha informed, the audible huff in her voice coinciding with a forceful kick against a Hydra operative.

“Copy that,” Steve acknowledged. There was silence on the line, one that mirrored the noiselessness that greeted Y/N, Bucky, and Tony as soon as they entered the East Building. The three exchanged discreet glances, brandishing their weapons as they ventured deeper into the vicinity. “We’ve yet to face any resistance in the Lab. Clint found a hidden passageway on the far right, though. We’re making our way in now. Bucky, do you reckon we’ll find the soldiers there?” 

“Unlikely,” Bucky answered promptly. “All prisoners are kept at sub-level units under strict observation. Unless the passageway leads you to a lower floor, you’ll most likely encounter more agents.” 

“Speaking of agents. Any on your end so far?” 

“None.” 

“Well, looks like our luck ran out. Be careful.” 

The corners of Bucky’s lips twitched as a grin began to spread on his face. “When am I not?”

With Steve’s grunts receding and the conversation dying down, Bucky and Y/N left Stark to scour the upper floor while they inspected the sub-levels. Though there was an enormous likelihood that the soldiers were situated somewhere in this area, the lack of supervision made them question whether this entire mission was either a trap or a distraction. 

Bucky turned to Y/N as soon as he descended the staircase. He seemed disconcerted at the thought, while Y/N was unfazed. “They have an unknown number of active supersoldiers,” she said, graciously blending in with the shadows at the same time Bucky stuck closer to the walls. “Why would they need to have any guards surveying an area they've labeled as ‘barren’ for a reason?” 

“You have a point,” Bucky acknowledged. He scanned his surroundings, locating an intersection a few steps across. “Can you feel if the soldiers are anywhere close?” 

Y/N’s brows knit together in concentration. She huffed, the sound unregistered by her own ears. Bucky noticed it, though. Just like he registered her pout.

“I can’t detect any active emotions.”

“Maybe they've put them in cryo.” Bucky pondered aloud. 

Y/N hummed, “Your theory stands as the most logical.” She craned her neck, attention drawn to the left path ahead. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized it. “While this entire level is brimming with a negative aura, this side seems to be the nucleus. The energy is passive at this point, but there’s a lot of emotional turbulence emanating from there.”

With a swift swipe of his hand, Bucky uncovered the gun he had hidden in his suit. He extended his right arm, quickly drawing it to the side, in front of Y/N's body, as he followed the emotional trail she had picked up. 

Y/N stepped behind him. Her presence almost always went unnoticed, courtesy of her agility and capacity to blend in with her surroundings. On various missions with the Avengers, particularly with Steve and Natasha, she had been told numerous times that her sudden appearances had caught them off guard.

Knowing the same applied to Bucky, Y/N intentionally placed a heavier weight in her footsteps—not enough to alert the enemy to her presence inside the base, but enough to assure Bucky's ears that she was still behind him.

A faint static sensation tingled in Y/N and Bucky’s ears before Tony’s voice filtered in, "I won't claim it's a competition, but if it were, I'd say I've gathered the best intel in this super squad."

"Share it with us so we can award you for it, Stark," Bucky replied sarcastically.

“Six soldiers,” Tony's tone carried a certain smugness as he relayed the information. “Kept in cryostasis. They’re still being heavily monitored and undergoing extreme medical and physical examinations. Expected to be deployed into the field…”

“Watch out!” Bucky hissed, cutting Tony’s speech off. 

As soon as he and Y/N had stepped into a deeper part of the facility, laser beams deployed from all around them, entrapping them. 

“What’s going on?” It was Bruce who had asked, but Bucky and Y/N were too busy ducking out of the way of the lasers to answer. “Bucky? Y/N?”

Y/N surveyed her surroundings, attempting to pinpoint the source of the laser blasts. Unfortunately, the beams emerged from the walls, rendering it challenging to counteract them with bullets. Bucky rolled on the ground, the edge of his suit singed by the laser’s touch. He groaned, his eyes hastily searching for Y/N, who had pressed against one of the walls.

The only exit lay a few meters away, but there was no certainty about where that path would lead or if they could bypass the abundance of lasers to reach it. Y/N patiently waited until one of the beams prepared to shoot, analyzing its trajectory. In the split second it readied to fire, she lunged, curling her body into a ball mid-air before landing on the balls of her feet.

She repeated the process several times, closely monitoring Bucky as he fired a series of shots to dismantle the laser mechanisms. Whether it was a momentary distraction in her brain or a miscalculation on her part, an angry red beam struck her. Y/N took a deep breath, summoning all her energy to shift into her incorporeal form. To her utter disbelief, the lasers surrounding her diminished.

“James!” she shouted, earning a worried look from the super soldier. He immediately jumped to his feet and rushed to her. A forlorn shadow crossed his face when a laser beam severed his attempt. “I think these lasers are triggered by our movements.”

“So what are we supposed to do, Y/N? Stay still?” Bucky said the last part with a sneer, tired from the disadvantage.

He was surprised to see the corners of Y/N’s lips edging upward before the translucent edges around her form completely engulfed her whole. “Don’t be scared,” she had asked of him before she disappeared—the laser beams mirroring her motions.

He supposed that she was making her way toward him, if the receding beams were any indication. He felt a slight pressure on his arm before his body felt lighter as gentle silver strokes tingled across his body. When Y/N turned them both invisible, they moved together toward the end of the small hallway.

“Laser beams,” Bucky breathed out into his earpiece. He kept a firm hand on Y/N's waist as she dropped the veil that shrouded their movements. “We’re fine. Y/N got us out. Stark, what were you saying?”

“I said that the soldiers were scheduled for deployment on their first mission this month, but the specific date was not disclosed. It looks like Hydra hasn't centralized information regarding this project.”

“The information is scattered,” Bruce added. “On the servers here, Nat and I found a list of potential candidates for the 'Winter Program,' as they've named it. Clint is attempting to extract intel from the Experimentation Lab's servers.”

“How many soldiers did you mention?” Y/N asked.

Her gaze fixed on the sliding door ahead of her. Bucky followed her line of sight, peering at the seemingly deserted area. Cautiously, the two of them entered, guns drawn and ears sharp, attentive to any movement. The expansive space was filled with cryo pods, and the two rushed to inspect them.

“Six,” Tony replied.

Y/N shook her head, though only Bucky could witness the gesture. She raised her hand to her earpiece, speaking directly into the open channel, “There are seven pods. All of them are empty.”

A tense silence gripped them, not even a sigh audible through their earpieces. Bucky and Y/N instinctively positioned themselves back to back, keeping a vigilant watch for any potential threats.

Suddenly, a grunt echoed, followed by a loud crash. Without hesitation, Bucky pulled on Y/N's wrist, shielding her with his body. It wasn't until Steve's voice came through their earpieces that they realized the commotion wasn't originating from their location.

Steve sighed, "We've got a problem."

"Aside from the 'seek six, and get an extra super soldier killing machine for free'?" mocked Tony.

"Three of these Hydra operatives that ambushed us are the super soldiers," Steve explained.

Tony groaned, and the sounds of his blasters kicking off resonated in everyone's ears. It looked like he’s got company, too. "Well, that's just perfect. Not only is Hydra onto us, but winter is coming as an unwelcome bonus."

"You couldn't help it, could you?" asked Y/N.

A blast went off a second before Tony answered with a simple "No."

It appeared that Hydra had stationed their soldiers in every building. Three were already locked in a duel with Steve and the others—two now, since apparently, Clint caught one off guard with a tranquilizing arrow. Bruce and Nat were fighting two, and Tony was trapped upstairs with one.

Y/N left Bucky's side faster than he could hold her back. She heard him curse as she inspected the names on the pods. She didn't know what she was looking for, but something told her the answer would be etched on the pods. With six super soldiers combating her friends, the question remained: who was the seventh, and where were they?

The pods all bore identical markings on their plaques, each displaying a serial number designating a soldier. Y/N moved methodically down the line, disregarding Bucky's protests. As she reached the last pod on the far left, she tuned out Bucky's objections. Suddenly, she froze in a way that even Tony's cold-resistance suits hadn’t thought possible.

"James," her voice quivered as she called, the blood in her veins turning to ice. "It's a trap."

Barely having time to convey the name she saw on the seventh plaque—the moniker that Hydra had assigned him—she heard the click of a gun.

Bucky watched with horror-stricken eyes as the bullet shot at Y/N faster than he could intercept it… faster than she could dodge it.

I am so excited for the next part!! Are you ready for the winter soldier to come out and play? 🫣 Share your theories on what you think is coming next!

All-Works Taglist: @xxrougefangxx

Bucky Barnes Taglist: @ye0nvibezzn

: ̗̀➛ Read Chapter 3 - VIOLENCE - here!!

[cybertroniannugget]

Gift Giving Bumblebee x Reader

Dec 6

Look at that cute face

Fyi, I make sure to always use real lyrics for Bumblebee xD List at the end as proof.

Spotify is my best friend when writing Bumblebee.

As much as I love him, writing the bay version is tough. Always searching for lyrics that fit.

It's a little rushed, but better late than never right?

It's pure fluff

🎶Give it to me baby-Boots with the fur-tonight🎶1

“You want my boots?”

The yellow scout nods, pointing at your shoes.

“I mean sure, but why?”

🎶It's a wonderful surprise🎶2

“But that's no American tradition though.”

🎶Cuz I don't care🎶3

“So you wanna gift me something through St. Nicholas Day?”

🎶I love you, always forever🎶4

“Love you too, Bee. I'll give you my boots later, alright?”

He buzzes excitedly.

“Ey Bee, I need you on patrol with me.”, Jazz talks over the comm link.

Bumblebee’s antannae fold back and he whirrs a little annoyed.

You pat his cheek, smiling.

“I know, we rarely see each other, but this is important. I'll be here for a while.”

Another sad buzz echoes from his vocalizer, before he transforms and drives away.

Later in the evening you receive a message from Bee, asking you to put your boots outside your door.

“Okay, that's actually cute.”, you chuckle while walking outside.

Hearing someone round the corner you quickly walk back inside, leaving your shoes where Bee asked you to put them.

He has been busy lately with training under the new agreements between earth's government.

Daily exercises for the soldiers where they have to learn how to fight Deceptions.

And when he wasn't busy with that, he had to go on routine patrols.

When you wake up the next day, the first thing you do is checking outside to find your boots filled with Christmas chocolate and a note saying ‘I love you my honeybee’

Quick on your way back inside with the shoes in your hand, you put them down onto a chair, admiring what has been put in them.

“Oh, he even bought new headphones.”, you say, holding the packaging.

Taking your phone out of your pant's pocket, you dial the access code for his comm link, holding the device to your ear, waiting for him to respond.

“Bee, that's very cute, but you didn't have to do that..”, you say as he picks up with an excited buzz.

🎶I'm hopelessly devoted to you🎶5

“Where you at right now?”

🎶By the hangar🎶6

“Alright, wait for me there.”

A few minutes later, you walk into the wide open hangar where that yellow Bot you have grown to love stands waiting.

🎶Hello🎶7

“Hey there, Bee.”, you say smiling.

🎶How was it for you-Christmas present🎶8

“It was so sweet, thank you Bee.”, you say while walking up to him.

The scout crouches down to be more on your level and whirrs happily.

🎶Because I'm happy🎶9

You smile as you stand before him.

“So, gift giving?”

The scout buzzes confused.

“It's your love language.”

His optics widen, antannae standing up now as you said that.

“Don't worry, I love you too Bee. I figured something was up.”

Hugging him, as much as the size difference allowed, you couldn't stop smiling.

🎶You can be my safety zone-Nothing can come between You and I🎶10

You chuckle as you look at him, a hand on his cheek.

🎶You ready?🎶11

“Let's see how the others will react…”

Bee chuckles.

Here's the proof guys:

1 Pretty fly for a white guy-The Offspring

Low-Flo Rida

don't stop me now-Queen (obv)

2 Friday I'm in love-The Cure

3 I don't care- Ed Sheeran&Justin Bieber

4 I love you always forever- Donna Lewis

5 Hopelessly devoted to you- Olivia Newton John

6 Hangar- 8485

7 Hello-Adele

8 How was it for you-James, Christmas present- Doris Day

9 Happy- Pharrell Williams

10 The Ocean-Mike Perry & Shy Martin You and I- One Direction

11 Price Tag- Jessie J & B.o.B

[giddlygoat]

Launchdad? 🤨 🎤

LAUNCHDAD 💪

thanks for the ask! i had this sketch lying around so the timing is perfect.

launchpad and gos’ dynamic is so incredibly important to me. her rambunctious, rebellious spirit and endless energy paired with launchpad’s bottomless positivity and chill aura is so perfect. he’s the most supportive, sweetest father figure she could possibly have. i love how in the show she has no apprehensions about coming to him with anything, and always feels safe with him. it’s how things should be, and a nice change of pace next to drake’s short temper.

one of my favorite scenes in the whole show is in the alien queen one near the beginning when they’re all three on a road trip, and gosalyn turns her home camera to launchpad and says “show us your true self!” iirc and he takes his hands off the steering wheel to make a silly face at her LAWLLLL the dad humor with launchpad is strong. not to mention drake’s immediate chastising him to keep his eyes on the road. they are so married <3

i just love how playful launchpad is with her, yet he always takes her seriously and talks to her on her level. he not only cares for her more than anything but respects her and is always honest with her, which is earning some serious parenting points in my book.

he’s already cultivated such a healthy relationship with her and provided so much security for her before she even calls him “dad”, which i’m almost certain she’s never done in canon. but, i can easily see her doing so by mistake and quickly correcting herself, only to leave launchpad a sobbing heap of overwhelming pride and joy at the title <3

launchpad playing mediator between drake and gos is also so important to me. drake loves her to death, there’s not a doubt. and i know he wants to be the best parent he possibly can for her, but what he lacks in emotional presence he makes up for in over-protectiveness. and i LOVE that we see growth and change in the show, and he is learning more every day! but let’s face it, launchpad is infinitely more approachable.

i think drake sees so much of himself in gos that it’s sometimes hard for him to take a step back and analyze things cooly. like, he was bullied for being a geeky wimp. gos snarls at anyone who implies she isn’t at least as tough as nails. drake had to learn to make it on his own and defend himself when he had no support. gosalyn has had to say goodbye to everyone closest in her life. drake overcompensates for his fragile ego and seeks attention wherever he can find it because he NEEDS to prove he’s the best at everything all the time in order to be worthy. everything gosalyn does when she’s ‘acting out’ is either to earn some kind of respect from drake or to rebel in a search for some relief. drake had no support so he builds four walls and a roof around gosalyn so she never has to be alone, ever.

launchpad stands in the doorway of that box with a smile and a warm hug locked and loaded, because he also knows what it’s like to be alone. can we just. talk about how isolating it is to be so kind? just for a minute. can we talk about how launchpad isn’t capable of giving any less than his all. he pours everything he has into everyone he meets because he also knows how much it hurts to be left, and he doesn’t ever want to be the reason anyone feels that sting. he greets everyone with his signature 100 watt smile that only flickers at the threat of harm done to those he cares for, and provides an immovable rock of support at all times. do you ever wonder why he has exes all over the world yet lived alone in a hangar before meeting drake? do you ever wonder if it was his incessant positivity that pushed people away or his determination to not be a burden ultimately leading to an emotional divide unsurpassable by a well hidden vulnerable side, ironically buried beneath all of this sincerity? do you ever wonder how heavy that heart on his sleeve is?

hey. hey anon whyd you have to give me this prompt /silly

[that-basic-simp]

Ride

"Aye, Odessa," I said as I walked into the bunk we were sharing.

"Yeah?" she picked her head up.

"We're goin' out tonight."

"Who's all goin'?"

"Fareeha, Angela, Lena and her girlfriend, and Kiriko."

"Ah, normal crew," she said, slowly getting up from the bed.

"Yep. Normal crew."

"Where are we goin'?"

"A club not too far from 'ere."

"Another club?"

"It was Kiriko's idea and she actually looked into this one."

"It's not goin' to be like the last time where Fareeha 'accidentally' took us all to a gay bar?"

"No, it's not goin' to be like that. Besides, when she chose that place, she was already two drinks in and she's a light weight."

"What's different about this one?"

"Apparently there is a mechanical bull that you can ride."

"Mechanical bull?"

"Yeah," I said.

"People ride mechanical bulls?"

"Yes."

"For fun?"

"Yes."

"Might as well ride an actual one."

"That's dangerous because of the horns," I said.

"I'll enterain this idea of 'ers. And I'm not just sayin' that so I can ride the mechanical bull."

"Sure," I said, a shit eating grin appearing.

"Come off it, princess."

"And if I don't?" I asked cheekily as I nudged my elbow into her side.

Reaching down, she grabbed my waist and turned so fast I couldn't see what was going on. Seconds later I found myself pinned to the bed with Odessa a few inches away from me, her aura going dark. A sly smirk appeared on her face as her hand slipped underneath the back of my shirt, her fingers playing with the clasp to my bra.

"I'll give ya the ride of your life."

I smirked, wrapping my arms around her neck, my hands digging into her mohawk.

"I'll entertain that idea of yours."

"I'm sure ya would," she said, placing her lips against mine.

After a few seconds, she pulled away and placed little pecks to my lips before trailing down to my neck.

"D-Dez," I breathed out.

She pulled away and grinned, "Might as well work ya up durin' the night. Can ya be a good girl for your queen? If ya do, you'll get rewarded tonight when we get back."

I nodded my head, "Yes, my queen."

"Good girl," she smirked and kissed my forehead.

Pulling away, she helped me up from the bed and we got ready to head out. We met up with everyone out by the hangar. Once we got together in the small car we were going to be riding in, Lena drove out of the hangar and into town.

"Ya really couldn't have gotten a bigger car?" I asked.

"Sorry, Y/N. This was one of the only cars we had left," Lena said.

"Also don't pretend you don't love it," Kiriko joked.

The car held six and there were seven of us. So while everyone had a seat, I was sitting in Odessa's lap and her arms served as my seatbelt. Not to mention she was the tallest one here and she had to angle her head to where it was sort of tilting to the side, leaning against the side of the car. Since it was so small in length, her knees were practically going in between my legs.

"Yeah, i-it's a bit cramped in 'ere," Odessa chuckled.

"We'll be there soon, Odessa," Lena said. "Sorry about the space. I'll try to find a bigger car for all of us. And with more leg room."

"Ya better," Odessa sighed.

I chuckled and just kept her arms wrapped around me. Once we reached the venue, everyone got out and I had to help Odessa out since her legs took up half of the back of the car. Stepping out of the cramped car, the first thing she did was stretch and crack her back.

"Fuck," she sighed. "I might as well walk back to headquarters."

"It's a bit of a walk," Lena said.

"Better than that clown car," she said, taking my hand as we walked into the club.

Upon entering, the first thing Odessa saw was the mechanical bull. While I could see how eager she was, the others wanted to get something to drink first. I knew alcohol and a mechanical bull would spell disaster for Odessa, but since she could hold her liquor better than anyone I knew, maybe there wouldn't be a disaster. After a few drinks and everyone else was on the dance floor, Odessa, Kiriko, and I headed over to the mechanical bull.

"Hey there, ladies," the operator smiled.

"Evenin'," Odessa said.

"Who wants to go first?" he chuckled.

"That'll be me," Odessa said, stepping into the small inflatable ring.

Kiriko and I stood around the edge and watched as she hopped onto the bull with ease. She grabbed onto the little rope that was there and waited for the operator to get it started. The first few swings here and there were nothing, but as it started to twist and jerk, Odessa was flung off and landed where I was standing.

"Nice one," I chuckled.

"Alright, smartass," she stood up, walking out of the inflatable ring and towards me.

She grabbed underneath my arms and walked over to the entrance, setting me down.

"Your turn," she smirked.

"C'mon, Odessa. I'm not good with these things," I said, turning to face the mechanical bull.

"You think you're so smart, ride 'em, cowgirl!" she smacked my ass, laughing.

"Odessa!" I yelled, whipping around to face her.

"Come on, Y/N! You got this!" Kiriko smiled.

I let out a sigh and got onto the mechanical bull. Making sure I was sitting on it properly, I grabbed the rope and waited for the thing to start. I didn't even make it past the first few swings when I was thrown off. Landing on my back, I looked up and Odessa had her typical shit eating grin on her face.

"Nice one," she said with a smug face.

I raised my hand and flipped her off, "Fuck off."

I stood up and walked out of the inflatable ring, Kiriko coming towards me. We watched her as she stayed on there with ease before being flung off a minute later. Odessa rode on it a few more times until she stopped, wanting to drink some more. The others were dancing and Kiriko joined them, leaving me and Odessa at the hightop table drinking. She walked off to the bathroom while I found a chair to sit down at. Once she came back from the bathroom, she sauntered towards me, a dark look in her eyes as she made her way over, like a predator stalking its prey. As soon as we were face to face, she slammed her hands onto the arm rests and took in a deep breath, a wild and hungry look in her eyes. Leaning towards me, I heard a slight growl come from her as her head was right next to mine.

"Ya want to ditch this place?"

"Why?"

"So I can give my princess one hell of a ride."

[totally-not-here-for-the-smut]

Too late, too tired, too pointlessly caffeinated given the time it is here but nonetheless I have a dumbsmut idea and im gonna write it bc my blog my rules

SO HERE IS A PERSONAL 100% ACCURATE RANK OF [♤!!!dongs ahead!!!♤]

HOW good the M6 are at chugging juicy whole eggplant salads

Worst to best ofc

Nadia- she overthinks it. Surely spent lot of time educating herself from big books about vegetables, yet goes for too complex, too unnecessary recipes. 3/10 sorry queen

Muriel - Not too experienced, yet has a good big mouth for big spoonfuls of crunchy fresh carrots, great endurance also. 5/10

Lucio - takes it as a personal challenge to open wide his big hangar for this tasty healty snack. Not his favorite (I mean, who likes to snack on raw veggies? A lot of ppl apparently tbh god bless them), but really needs to be told he's a good big boy at finishinf his plate. 6.5/10. Good boy.

Portia - well, we all know that she has a garden she plants, care and -her favourite- harvest herself, and everyone knows that the more care it's put into getting something, the more it is appreciated when consumed. Lovely face too. 7.5/10

Asra - Clearly a vegetarian, they spends most of their time enjoying hard veggies. So very gluttonous. Has great care of presentation too, they always prepare the table, room, light, complimentary clothes and incense, everything. Dining at Asra's a fine experience, 8/10

Julian - you should really research what cabin boys used to do on pirate ships. Involves leecheless barrels. 10/10, greates slut of them all, we love him.

[section-69]

Okay Destination Trek notes! First here's what I really liked:

- Everything was SAG compliant and there was so much important strike talk. Obvs this made some questions impossible to answer, and it was slightly hard to predict what would be wrong to say just since different actors had different comfort levels (big range from "I support my comrades but I'm not gonna pretend I'm not in Star Trek" from David Ajala to J G Hertzler encouraging us to threaten media executives with [COPYRIGHTED SPACE WEAPON] to Terry Farrell not wanting to mention working on TV or film at all), but honestly it just made the whole thing really friendly

- on that note, multiple guests said it was the best convention they'd been to in years. I don't have a lot of personal experience with them, but I was talking to a lot of older fans and many of them said this felt a lot like the early days of conventions which were also set in hotels

- being in a hotel made it a) more accessible (and there were So Many fellow disabled Trekkies to prove it!!), b) easier to hang out between activities, and c) just super personable. The guests could hang out in the bar with the fans, there were lots of comfy seats everywhere, and it was very easy to step away if something wasn't your speed.

- not being in London helps the vibes too

- not being Paramount affiliated made the tickets a bit cheaper (much appreciated)

- most of the activities were teamwork focussed. Initially I was a little freaked by that but actually it gave the whole thing a friendly social club vibe

- science talks! Community talks! Asking the actors questions about their lives and work outside of what they're most famous for! Stories we haven't all heard a thousand times!

- I'll make another post about the specifics of accessibility and why I liked this infinitely more than the official ones in London aircraft hangars, but I just really have to stress how important I found that here

- being fan organised and fan led, the focus was on us and how much we love this shit. I didn't find the old format Bad in this respect, but this really did hit different

- J G Hertzler is seriously the coolest person I've met. He stole my craft group's batleth and we couldn't be happier about it.

- So Many Cool Cosplays!!! Shout out especially to the drag queens, the older man cosplaying Admiral Janeway, the Voyage Home Spock and inflatable whale, the power chair decked out to look like a shuttle, all the babies in uniform, the tribble queen in her tribble pelt dress, all the Klingons who didn't artificially darken their skin, the furry doctor from lower decks, all of the Borg, the Klingon pug with a plush batleth, and so so many others I'm forgetting ❤️🖖❤️

Notes for Future Cons

- If you don't already have access to it because of an expensive ticket, I wouldn't bother paying for the opening ceremony. It's not actually at the start of the event and also it's literally just the actors coming on stage, saying hi, then rushing back to the autograph tables. Do go to the closing ceremony though! There's way more of a point to those

- If you're not a huge extrovert, already drunk, or completely happy in awkward situations, I wouldn't recommend being the first in the door at the parties. Give it an hour or so - they sounded very lively later on, but when I tried to go in earlier the primary school disco vibes were off the charts. Plus the music's too loud to actually talk to anyone, and no one's dancing yet. I did see one guy run past with a portable charger for his friend in a wheelchair that lost power on the dance floor though, so clearly they got cooler later on lol. Addendum here that I'm an autistic non drinker so that might colour things.

- to the white folks darkening their skin for generic Klingon cosplays, reconsider that one next year

- to the white guy wearing brown face paint to cosplay Worf specifically, what the fuck, man??

- to the person who boo'd the mention of Julian/Garak at the LGBTQ+ panel, fight me but also maybe skip whatever the equivalent is next year cause Andy Robinson's booked to come

- host mocked Scottish accents a couple times :(

- here's hoping the unions will have their demands met and we'll be able to talk about Star Trek publicly with actors who can access healthcare and pay their rent. But if not, at least we know the con will still be fun.

- maybe see you in Blackpool next July 💙

[razberrypuck]

JRWI EP 100 LIVEBLOG UNDER THE CUT FOR EXTRA SPOILER PROTECTION

"the journey begins, for the 100th time" "you bet your tiddies it does" JWJFJEJTJH

ohh they're having a good time something's gonna go horribly wrong

earl bbeg real

wetma gills

"words hard. me tired. me drunk." jay I love you jsjfjejf

enza gonna help jay make a new body for alphonze 👀

drey disconnected w/the group?

"the longer you're down there, the more it twists you" ohh that's not good. instantly worried about arlin.

"if arlin's still down there, it's because it couldn't." "that man had a big ol' heart, even that giant body couldn't fit it." DREYYYYYY

"Sometimes I think I should dive in there alone. But I know I'm not strong enough without them" CHIP. CHIP YOURE GONNA KILL ME.

chip and drey are gonna KILL me augh

"we're gonna go down there, and we're gonna bust him out. whatever happens happens. we'll survive. we always do." RRGHHDHHDG

AW GILLION JSHFJJEJGJFJF

"sometimes its good to be bad jay give me the word" LMAOOOOO

GILLION SOUNDS LIKE HES GONNA START CRYING BRO JSHFJDJ

QUEEN KSHFJDJDUW

WOOO DOWNTIME❗️❗️❗️

HES MAILING CASPIAN'S PRESENTS!!!!!!!!

"happy birdday! you can nae nae, but now you can... ;)" JSJFJDJG GILL

" 'Well, for you...' he gets lost in your eyes for a second" JWJFJSJGJEJJTJ

NAT 20 ON RIZZING RIZZ RIZZ

"EVERYONE now has cannons and healing potions except for ME!!!!!!!!" gill in his spoiled brat arc

NEW TITLE GILLION TIDESTRIDER RIZZ REVEREND

"We are so, so unbelievably wanted" "they WANT us"

TWO CANNONS AND ONE BALLISTA HELL YES????

ohh I love enza

forgot abt cliff hangar

IS HE RIZZING UP CLIFF???????

"To know the books, you need to have read the books, where the FUCK are the books, Jay???????"

GILL TRYING TO RIZZ UP CLIFF NOW

HES PLAYING ALONG??? JAY TRIED TO GIVE HIM THE GOLD AND HE STOPPED HER??????????

"A world that's turned it's back / it's seas be turned to black / the black sea is all that's left / history be put to rest / the survivors will rewrite it / fight on, fight on until united / hope our wrongs be righted / flee the black sea at last / free from it at last

why are gill and chip so down to flirt with people today jsjfjsjd

CAPTAIN FIVE O' CLOCK SHADOW JSIFJDJJF

CAPTAIN HENDRIX. TIEFLING. REGAL BUT RELAXED. IF THIS MFER ISNT NIKLAUS HES GOTTA BE RELATED TO HIM RIGHT

FINN TIDESTRIDER FINN TIDESTRIDER FINN TIDESTRIDER

the island of frozen roses ooh

ohhhh he just wrote about their journeys. ik its like obvious but that means so much to be actually.

OHHHHHHH OLLIES ROOM OH MY GODDDDDDD

OH FUCK OFF HES GIVING HIM ARLIN'S COIN OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

BIZLY YOURE GOING TO KILL ME IM GOING TO DIE BIZLY THIS IS SO NICE

"even when you are old and decrepit, you will always be our small boy, who we keep on the ship, and in our hearts" thank you gill

chip don't grill her about this now godddd.

CAPTAIN SHADOWBEARD IS OLLIES DAD

bellamy. oh bellamy. im so sorry.

captain shadowbeard was the last pirate lord that went missing ohhh my god. it was a year ago. and when ollie went missing months later. oh my god this poor woman.

"You guys are gonna get attacked tonight" grizz ik you're joking but I don't fucking trust you at all

ALPHOZE ALPHONZE ALPHONZE

DANGER INCOMING???

THEY JUST LEFT THE ISLAND

KIRA I LOVE YOU BUT NO

JAY YOURE GONNA BOARD THEIR SHIP????

THERE HE IS. FUCK OFF JAYSON GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY

Gillion what are you planning 👀

"jay who did you see" "oh just my father and kira you know" "oh"

THE SWORD IS IN HIS FUCKING CHEST STILL LMAOOOOOOOOOOO

DREY PANICKING LMAO

FUCK OFF JAYSON FUCK OFF JAYSON FUCK OFF JAYSON FUCK OFF JAYSON FUCK OFF JAYSON

YOOOOOOOOOO GILLION CLUTCH??????

GILLION CLUTCH GILLION CLUTCH

JAYSON YOU CHEATING BASTARD

HELLO PIXEL ART THIS IS SO COOL?????????

CHIP DONT LEAVE THEM????

DONT FUCKING LAUGH LIKE THAT GRIZZ

gillion less clutch than expected.........

alphonze is gonna die again bro they JUST got him back! AND the boat!

Gillion absorb elements pog

QUEEN JSHFJDJFJFH LOVE YOU

thank you alphonze we love you alphonze <3

USING THE WHALEBONE SWORD TO CAST SPELLS ON JAYSON????

jayson I hate you smile

TRAP HIM IN THE FUCKING MIRROR JAY GET HIS ASS

GET HIS ASS JAY GET HIS ASS

"You could be found innocent, by the way" "not for what I'm about to do :)"

MOTHER MOON JSJFJDJ

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT GILL ISNT SCARED OF JAYSON ANYMORE❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️

GILLION CLUTCH ONCE AGAIN

MOTHEFUCKER HAS LEGENDARY ACTIONS I FORGOT

HE STOLE JAY'S BRAND BRO

"DAMN looks like you're as good a shot as you are a PARENT" "your quips only seal your fate" "damn, were you already burning?" gillion tidestrider I love you

"Your fighting is meaningless, for your gods have fallen" HELLO JAYSON WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???? IM NOT MOVING ON FROM THIS DID THE ARTIFICIAL LEVIATHAN PLAN WORK??????? ARE YOU JUST PSYCHING GILL OUT?????????????

YOOOOO GRYFFON MVP FOURTH CAPTAIN

"If they miss, I will roll to hit gillion"

CANNON #1 HITS JAYSON FUCK YES QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!

EARL FUCKING WHIFS IT

gets harpooned in the ass and stabbed further in the chest sjfjeh

gill is so fucking funny engaging w/jayson lmao

"she's a BIRD are you PROUD OF HER YET? she has WINGS and they're COOLER THAN YOURS and they generate more LIFT" gill hyping up jay to her dad my beloved

makes eye contact with a fucking wizard. drops disguise and said "aight you handle these monkeys I got shit to do"

isn't the whole crew on the ship? or does grizz just mean on top deck

gryffon I love you

RETURN OF 5 FT GILL

HOLY SHIT?????? 10 FT TALL THUNDER GOD GILLION

YOU MOTHEFUCKER???????

NAT 20 DEX SAVE FROM GILLION HOLY SHIT HE DESERVES THIS❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️ GILLION ON THAT KING SHIT TODAY

ANOTHER SHIP????

MARSHALL JOHN THE GRANDBERRY PIRATES MY FUCKING BELOVED

"IF YOU KILLED MY GODS HOW IS MARSHALL JOHN RIGHT HERE?!"

PROPHETIC SCREW UP STRIKES ONCE AGAIN

CASPIAAAAAAN

"YO IS THIS GUY FUCKING BOTHERING YOU?!" LOVE YOU LIZZIE

"I can deal with that later. But right now, you're attacking my friends. And I can tell you have no intention to spare them. So I'll give you the same treatment back. So you're gonna attack me, or...I'm gonna take you down." JAY JAY JAY JAY JAY JAYYYYYY

APPLY HUNTERS MARK BY PUNCHING HIM IN HIS UGLY ASS FUCKING FACE GET HIS ASS GET HIS ASS GET HIS ASS

"I thought you said next time you saw me, I wouldn't be your daughter anymore." "Now that I've seen how much you've changed, I mean it" go fuck yourself jayson <3

GRYFFON WAIT GRYFFON ARE YOU OKAY GRYFFON IF YOU DIE I WILL LOSE MY MIND

GILLION HEAL YOURSELF FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

GRIZZ IF YOU FUCKING KILL GILL AGAIN ISTG

GILLION HEAL YOURSELF

"if Jay's still fighting, I am too."

"Nice try, but Ollie's mom was way more pissed 😎"

lizzie??? did you??? did you actually kill ava or are you surprised???

GILL GOING CRAZY WITH THE NAT 20s

"It's okay I can dodge it!" the mentality of the episode

JSJFJSJF HE ABANDONS SHIP WITH THE WIZARD HES TAKING THE WIZARD HES A FRIEND

I fully believe lizzie didn't kill ava actually. don't believe jayson at all fuck this guy

If Gryffon is dead. If Gryffon is dead.

GILLION. GILLION ASKING JAY IF SHE CAN DO THIS. GILLION SUPPORTING JAY THIS WHOLE EP. RRRRIVHFGR IM GONNA DIE

gillion: just let me know where you need me. And I'll be there.

jay: right now you're right where you need to be. thank you.

gillion: aye aye, captain.

MARSHALL JOHN SOLOS

john and gill immediately going bro mode jsjfjsj

don't make me feel bad for jayson. I won't do it. piece of shit.

GILLION. IF YOU DIE.

GOES DOWN PROTECTING JAY GILLION YOURE GONNA KILL ME.

THE NAVY HAS GRYFFON

THANK YOU JAY THANK YOU JAY THANK YOU JAY

"You keep saying that people took me away from you. No one took me away from you, dad. You haven't had me for a long time. You lost me. You lost me in the lies, the training, your obsession with your work, it was all you cared about. Things change, dad. After ava died, you weren't there. You weren't there for me or for mom. And when I tell you we hurt, we struggled, I say we hurt and struggled so goddamn much. And I'm sure you did too, but you made it so goddamn clear where your priorities lied with the family. And in my grieving, you were the only one who wasn't there. Jayson Ferin, you are someone I've known my entire life. You've known me longer than I can remember, and maybe I've made decisions that you don't agree with, but they are my decisions, and I would've hoped that in the years you've known me, that you would give me even a modicum of trust, a modicum of what I saw in you my entire goddamn childhood. And now, you stand here in front of me again, you're making the same mistakes... You don't get to just take me back, you need to earn it. And the way it stands, you're on a fast track to lose both me, and your wife. You are the strongest man I've ever known but you are a fucking pathetic father. So come on. Go ahead, finish it, do your fucking job, if that's where your priorities still lay, as they always have."

persuasion with advantage and dm inspiration. so deserved holy shit jay. i am. speechless.

"For the first time in my life, since I became a pirate, I was able to feel free."

get the fuck OUT of here jayson go AWAY

jayson I'd ask why you don't fucking ask may yourself but I don't want you anywhere near her :)

thank fucking god hes gone.

"that's my boy right there, that's my BOY, I'm on your ass, I'm like glue on something that glues on" "this is the beginning of something, this is the beginning of a whirlwind of whoopass on kira I'm telling you now" bizly has the right idea get the panda man back

gill still didn't get the whalebone sword back ✌️😔

[imjustheretoseetheprivateblogs]

Sailor Moon Rare Pair Week Day 5: Real/Fake

@sailormoonrarepairweek

“And this will be your room.”

The bedroom wasn’t as big as Ikuko assumed it would be. Just about the size of the main floor of her house. She was expecting it to be more in the range of an airplane hangar.

“Is everything alright?”

Ikuko turned to look at the young lady who had been giving her a tour, dressed in a traditional French maid’s outfit, offset by her bright pink hair.

It was hard to believe that this woman worked for her daughter, who’s work ethic was one of her least exercised qualities.

“Oh, everything’s fine, uh…”

The maid curtsied.

“Stella, your ladyship.”

Ikuko frowned.

“You can just call me Ikuko-san if you like.”

“I see, Ikuko-san your ladyship.”

“Just Ikuko-san. Please.”

Stella frowned at her, clearly confused by what Ikuko had thought was a clear and innocuous request.

“But, aren’t you her majesty’s mother?” she asked.

“Yes,” Ikuko said, I” am her mother. But… I’d rather not have people stand on ceremony for me.”

Before Stella could respond, Ikuko’s fist hit her palm as she remembered something that she had been meaning to ask since she’d first met Stella to be taken on a tour of the palace (and her now royal daughter had left groaning about paperwork in a very familiar fashion).

“Would you mind checking on my husband? I thought he’d be here by now.”

Stella nodded.

“Of course, your l—Ikuko-san.”

Stella left the room, and as soon as the ornate doors had closed, Ikuko collapsed onto the bed.

Her daughter had a maid. Scratch that, she had enough maids to assign one to give Ikuko a tour. It was like falling into an alternate reality! Like that one movie…

A knock on her door stirred her from her thoughts. Ikuko sat up as one of her bedroom doors (it still felt odd calling it that) opened demurely and a familiar head poked inside, as if suspicious of what could lay within.

“Dear?”

“Thank God!”

Kenji staggered into and across the room, collapsing onto the bed beside his wife.

“I’ve been looking for you for hours!” he said, “this place is massive!”

“I know,” Ikuko said, laying down so her gaze met his, “what happened to your guide?”

“I think I lost him somewhere around the kitchen,” Kenji replied.

Ikuko had to chuckle at that.

“I just sent mine to go check up on you,” she said.

Kenji smiled at her words and his hand found hers to clasp.

“It’s all so strange.”

“I know,” Ikuko said, “It doesn’t feel real, does it?”

“One minute, we’re just like everyone else. And the next…”

“Our daughter is a queen,”

“Just yesterday, it seems like she was struggling to get her homework done.”

Ikuko leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“She’s still our little girl,” she said.

Kenji smiled, something warm and sweet that Ikuko recognized as something their daughter inherited and that she loved so much before he looked up at the ceiling.

“Think we’ll ever get used to living here?”

“Well,” Ikuko said, “you once asked me ‘think we’ll ever get used to being parents’ after Usagi turned one. And I think we did pretty well.”

Her husband shuffled to embrace her and the two of them lay on the enormous bed, just enjoying being an island together on its sheets.

“Stella must be worried that she can’t find you by now,” Ikuko said.

“Who’s Stella?”

“My… lady’s maid.”

“Well, if she needs me she can find me right here.”

“You’re such a sweet talker.”

“Actually, I don’t think I could find my way back to my room.”

Ikuko leaned up and kissed her husband’s cheek.

“Well, maybe Usagi will let us make this our room?”

[pilvimarja]

Hello! I'm not a writer but I can think of an idea or two lol. I suddenly thought of a Roosmav story. It's near the future 2044. And Iceman is right. The Navy needs Maverick. (Rooster needs Maverick) So the government or higher ups decide to clone Pete Mitchell. That way, in the future the Navy are able to develop flight simulations and analyze the best of the best. And they still need the best pilots of fly in more advanced aircrafts in case there's technical errors. They take Maverick's DNA without his notice. He passes away and Rooster who is now the same age as Maverick in TGM takes the role as a TG instructor (and still maintains his youthful look lol) hears and sees the cloned Maverick in Top Gun along with the other Dagger members. It's like looking at the Polaroids from Mav's hangar. They're shocked. He's young, confident and pretty. (Let's make him in his 30s) It throws Rooster off and his mind and heart goes into a cobra dive of how he felt for Maverick (He's conflicted because his Mav is dead but seeing the clone makes him battle between the parental bond he had and the romantic feelings he developed as a teen/young adult that were buried away due to the Naval Academy pull back. (It's still a little rough draft... since young Mav is a clone.. does he still have his early memories or older Mav memories or no memories at all? 🤔 and he's a whole new person. But he's still Mav personality wise.. I don't know how science works lol 😅 Does he still get his callsign since original Mav is gone and will he be confined in Top Gun? Cloning in the future can be a sensitive topic. I might have went a little far with this idea lol) but let me know what you think! 😉

I just hope that the Navy doesn't use any Xenomorph queen DNA on the Maverick clone when they bring him back 🤣😅👽We don't want Maverick 💦 acid into Rooster when they finally bone 💀(this was an Alien Resurrection reference for those who haven't seen it lol)

I love clones in horror and scifi stories and old man Rooster with a younger Maverick is an interesting concept, especially if Maverick struggles with his memories and the classic "are clones real people" conundrum, but I think I'll always love the long history that can only exist between Bradley and the real Maverick who's been part of his life since he was a kid 🥲

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

The Reunion - Part 31 - Season Three Premiere

Summary: Time to get to work for the Bad Batch and their family.

A/N: Hello lovelies,

I’m sorry this was delayed by a week. Things came up and I wasn’t able to finish in time. However, I hope you like the Season Premiere it gives a bit of a layout as to what to expect for the upcoming season. 

Thank you all for sticking around and reading this story. I can’t believe we are in Season Three, I know the Bad Batch will be coming out with a new season soon, when it does come out some of that story line will be connected with my. Possibly. I’m not a 100% sure of it, as the stories may differ.

Anyway I wanted to give a huge thank you to all of you. 

LOVE OO.

Italics - flashback

Warnings: Flirting, anger, teasing, past trauma, grief, fluff, threatening someone, blaster being taken away, veiled threats, mentions of clone troopers becoming obsolete, mentions of prisoner, destruction of Kamino, I think that’s it, if I miss any warnings please let me know.

AO3 Link |   Words: 5,596  |   Previous -> Next

Main Master List   |   The Reunion Master List

FIVES POV

“Fives please tell me you didn’t” Tala’s holo image just shook her head at me, while her thumb and forefinger pinched her nose.

“Hey, how was I suppose to know Jaz’s contact was someone related to the Queen and Senator.”

“Okay, fine. Even if you didn’t know, did the first thing out of your mouth have to be a cheesy pick up line?”

“Is it my fault, when I see a pretty lady I can’t hold back?”

“You’re hopeless you know that?”

“Why are you surprised, you and Echo know me better than anyone”

“True. Okay” she let out a long sigh, “start from the beginning, in order to completely appreciate this entire situation I need to be able to picture this in my head” she motioned with her hands beside her head.

I couldn’t help chuckle at my vod’ika, “You just enjoy it when I spill the tea.”

“Like you don’t”

“That’s neither here nor there, do you want me to tell you what happened or not?”

“Fine, fine, I’ll sit here quietly and then tell Echo all about it later”

“Where is Echo?”

“Checking on some things”

“Meaning?”

“Checking on some things”

“Fine, keep your secrets”

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened?”

“Fine, and here I thought I was having a lovely conversation with my sister.”

“Gods, you’re annoying”

“Love you too, alright so we arrived on Alderaan..

The Epistemology landed without any issues in the remote hangar of Lady Cora’s large estate, guards stationed at the hangar were quick to stand ready as the woman in question appeared before us, followed by her attendants.

“Lady Cora” Jaz bowed towards the woman whose beauty was immeasurable, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her, I found myself at a loss for words as I stood on the ramp of the Epistemology, “Allow me to introduce my husband, Tech, and his family, Wolffe and Fives” she turned motioning to each one of us.

“What happened to introducing me as your archivist assistant?” Tech whispered.

“You’re that too” she winked back.

“Your husband?” Lady Cora looked from Jaz to the man she barely knew, once the apparent shock wore off, a smile graced her lips as she stretched out her hand towards Tech, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Tech, I have no doubt you’ll treat my dear friend, Jaz, with every ounce of respect and admiration she deserves. She is always putting herself on the line for others, she deserves someone who is willing to do the same” 

“I agree completely, Lady Cora” Tech nodded towards her, appreciating that his riduur had someone so fiercely protective of her, “You have my word. I will make sure she is treated with the utmost dignity she has earned and deserves.”

“I have a good feeling about you Tech, and please you can all stop with the Lady Cora nonsense, just Cora is fine. Hopefully, you will listen to my suggestion, as Jaz refuses to call me anything but Lady Cora.”

Before I even realized it, my feet took over moving me from standing on the ramp beside Wolffe, till I was kneeling before her, taking her hand in mine, “My Lady, my name is Fives, as you can see I’m new in town, could you please provide me with the directions to your heart?”

An expression of pure shock graced her face, either she never had someone approach her so boldly it left her speechless or she really thought I was an idiot, I couldn’t tell by her expression alone. It took her a minute for my words to sink in and for her to understand what had been uttered. Just as her expression began to soften, heavy footsteps came up behind, I glanced over to see Wolffe reach out, his hand roughly grabing me by the collar and dragging me all the way back to the rest of the group, “Cora, I apologize for him. He’s an idiot” Wolffe mumbled.

Cora chuckled as she looked at the two of us, “Thank you … Wolffe, right?”

“Yes, ma’am”

“Well thank you, Wolffe. Fives, I’m not sure about the directions, but you seem capable enough to find your way easily enough if that is your desire. Now,” she cleared her throat as she looked to her friend, “why don’t you all follow me, and we’ll get you set up for the evening. Tomorrow we can meet for dinner and discuss the plans we have for the fair.”

“Thank you Lady Cora for your generous hospitality” Jaz bowed, and we all followed her example bowing in turn. 

She smiled at all of us, smirking as she shook her head, she turned heading back towards the structure, “My Lady” her head guard leaned in and lowered his voice, “can we really trust them? They’re …”

“I trust Jaz. She trusts them. Make sure no one speaks about this.”

“Of course, my Lady”

“You really needed Wolffe to pull you back? Did you stop to think that maybe, just maybe it wasn’t a good idea to - oh, I don’t know - not tick off the person who has armed guards around her?”

“For your information, I did not piss her off.”

“Meaning?”

“Well …

Jaz sat with Tech on the balcony of their room taking in the view of Alderaan, “I thought we agreed not to tell her I was your husband” Tech’s hand squeezed her waist as he pulled her in closer. 

“I know, I’m sorry; but she’s my oldest friend, and I just …” Jaz turned to look at Tech, “I just couldn’t help myself, I wanted to tell someone you were my husband. I’m sorry.”

“You should be” Wolffe’s voice echoed over to where they were seated as we leaned on the door to the balcony.

“Wolffe, what are you doing?” I propped my arm on his shoulder, as I leaned out the door, trying to pull him back, “Let’s give them some privacy”

“She knows” his answer was straight to the point and his tone indicated he was on alert, “didn’t you hear what she told the guard? She clearly knows we’re clones”

“In fairness Wolffe, anyone who even remotely observed both you and Fives, would’ve come to the same conclusion” Tech clarified, “that has nothing to do with Jaz stating that I’m her husband. Rather, Lady Cora’s experience with clones”

“Also let us not forget, I trust her with my life and yours. Have you noticed there are no stormtroopers on her grounds?” We all watched Wolffe’s face, the anger present was evident and lasting longer than necessary, “I have known Lady Cora Organa for years, Wolffe. She has been there for me more times than I can count. Do you really believe I would have agreed to bring anyone I deeply cared about here, if I didn’t trust her? Wolffe, please do not stress yourself out. I’m not asking you to trust her, I’m asking you to trust me, I know it will take some time for you to feel comfortable with her. I simply ask that you keep an open mind when it comes to her.”

“It’s not her that concerns me, it’s those that work for her, you can’t trust them.”

“Wolffe” I put my hand on the man’s shoulder, squeezing it, hoping to get him to calm down a little, “let’s just wait and see what happens okay. She doesn’t seem that bad, she seems like she has command over her people.”

Wolffe glare shifted from Jaz and Tech towards me, shifting his shoulder causing my hand to drop off his shoulder, “I’m not asking the opinion of your brain that clearly lies south of your navel. I’m stating a fact” he turned to look at Jaz, “people changed since the Empire came into power, you can’t trust anyone, simply because they’ve helped you in the past.”

“Wolffe” Tech stood from his seat, his hand staying on his riduur, “you need to breathe vod, just because people have betrayed you…”

“I betrayed people! I’m not talking about others, I’m talking about me!”

Silence landed amongst us, it was heavy, stifling almost. Wolffe looked weighed down, all the progress he made since being on Armandine, seemed to have vanished in that split second. In some way or form we all wished we could have refuted his statement, “That wasn’t your fault, vod” I offered the only consolation I could, “that was the chip, the old prune as Oly likes to call him, and the Empire’s. Not yours.”

“Wolffe, don’t let your fear negate the progress you made” 

“Let’s just all agree to be vigilant. I know I can trust Lady Cora, and I understand your apprehension, Wolffe. However, you know me, trust me. Okay?” Jaz offered as she stood walking over to Wolffe, and resting her hand on his chest. “You’re my brother, Wolffe. I won’t let anything happen to you, let’s all be wary of those who are in her circles, agreed?”

We all nodded as Wolffe held on to Jaz’s hand, his mouth moved to say something, however his response was cut short as a chime came from the door to our unit. 

“I’ll get it” I offered, despite the fact Wolffe was getting better, there were still moments he suffered. I may not have gone through the same thing as him, but I definitely understood the feeling of not being able to fully move on.

“Poor Wolffe, that must have been tough, but he does have a point. What happened, next?”

“Well Lady Cora invited us for supper, rich people certainly eat differently than us regular folk”

Tala chuckled, “What do you mean?”

Wolffe and I sat at the table, glancing at each other before looking at all the different utensils on the table, “Why are there so many forks?” I asked in bated breath.

“To give you different options to kill yourself with” Wolffe offered matching my tone of voice, his annoyance seeping through. 

“I always have trouble knowing which utensils to use as well” Cora stated to the two of us, not surprising seeing as we were the ones who looked the most lost at the table, “good rule of thumb start from the outside and work your way in.”

“Oh good lord! Fives we went over place settings and which fork to use, ages ago.”

“It’s one thing to talk about it, it’s another to see it. It was overwhelming.”

“I don’t know who I feel more sorry for, Wolffe, you or Lady Cora.”

“Um… obviously me!”

“Yeah, I don’t think so. Alright, so you had dinner, and things were going smoothly it seems like”

“More or less, at dinner Lady Cora revealed that she knew who we were, which of course we already knew, but we did let her tell us rather than showing we had assumed as such. However, at some point during the dinner she brought out an interesting point, which of course set Wolffe on edge. She informed us Senator Organa was on Coruscant during Order 66 and saw first hand the destruction unleashed on the Jedi temple. It haunted him, unable to do anything to stop it, she told us the fact we were there at her estate, having a meal with her as her quests and not acting as purge troopers or stormtroopers, indicated we were not serving the Empire. She then began asking questions about us, wondering what made us so different”

Tala smacked her forehead, almost as though she was hiding from the events I was telling her, “Please tell me Wolffe didn’t try to kill her?” Her hand slid down her face as she asked her question.

“Um…

Wolffe pushed his chair back, pulling out his blaster in one move and aimed for her head, “What did you just say?”

Lady Cora raised her hands to her guards, motioning for them to stay where they were, “Do you really believe a scar and a goatee would blind people to the truth of who you are?” she motioned between the two of us, smirking as she looked at Wolffe. 

“Wolffe” Tech’s voice was strict, he stood from his seat slowly, “Wolffe put the blaster away. We are guests here. I’m sure she doesn’t mean anything sinister by stating she knows we’re clones.”

“Tech is correct, I hold no ill will to those who were unable to control their actions. It’s unfortunate the truth of the matter hasn’t truly come out, I believe if it did it would alleviate many people’s concerns. Although, seeing as clones are becoming less and less common, it will seem no one will care even if the truth does come out.”

“What do you mean?” Jaz leaned forward, hoping to calm down Wolffe and distract him enough for either myself or Tech to move the gun away.

“I received a report recently, clones are now obsolete. They are no longer being used as stormtroopers.”

Wolffe’s hand slowly lowered, “What do you mean?”

“Please sit down” she motioned towards his chair, I took the opportunity to take the blaster away from him, and stuck it in the back of my waistband “Have you heard the term ‘War Mantle’  in your travels?”

“We have” Tech nodded, “I believe it’s a program to bring in regular citizens to work for the Empire.”

“Correct. The program was such a success there was no need to continue making clones. All clone factories have been discontinued.”

“We heard about Kamino” Jaz’s voice was low, somehow making her statement more powerful than she probably intended, “and the destruction that occurred on that planet, but to imagine all the other facilities …” Jaz hand covered her mouth as shock overtook her.

“I don’t understand how you know this?” Wolffe’s hand clenched against his thigh, under the table. I kept glancing over his way to make sure he wasn’t going to do something stupid. 

Cora looked around the room motioning for her guards and attendants to leave, it took less than a minute for everyone to exit so we were the only ones left in the room, “We have set up a network to help those who need to hide. There was a prisoner on Kamino at the time of it’s destruction, we helped that prisoner escape.”

“Who was the prisoner?” Tech leaned further, making sure his voice was low.

“Someone who had learned the truth behind the Emperor’s plans long before they came into effect, unfortunately he was unable to get away or find help.” We all looked at each other not quite sure who it was, “Do not worry, you will meet them soon enough.”

“Have you met them?”

“Not yet. However, she said we would meet them when we are ready to leave.”

“Well at least Wolffe didn’t kill her”

“Agreed. Tala, sorry I have to go, Cora and Jaz are wrapping up their meeting about the fair, Wolffe and I are busy trying to determine exactly what this network is and how we can use it to our advantage.”

“Do you all feel safe?”

“Pretty much. Tech’s keeping track of comms. Wolffe’s keeping track of those around us. Don’t worry Tala, if anything seems off, we’ll bug out.”

“Just be careful, comm me when you get another chance.”

“Will do, send our love to the fam, we miss you guys. See you soon.”

I stood as soon as the comm finished, moving towards the refresher, “Going somewhere?” I glanced over to Wolffe who was polishing his blaster. 

“Just for a walk”

“With Cora?”

“What?” My hand finding the back of my neck as I scratched it a little, “What… what makes you think that?” I nervously chuckled out.

“Mmhmm. Have fun. Be safe.”

“I’m just going for a walk, vod, of course I’ll be safe”

“You know what I mean” Wolffe raised his eyebrow at me, causing my face to heat up as I moved towards the refresher to freshen up ignoring his persistent gaze.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

CODY POV

“We checked and rechecked the hull, there are no transmitters” Rex stated into the comm.

“Alright, I’ll see you guys soon. Please tell my pet, I look forward to seeing him.”

“Ha! Will do Cid. See you soon.”

Rex ended the comm call, leaning back in his seat, “Exhausted?” I glanced over to him.

“She always has a way of making every conversation seem exhausting.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Why did she call Gregor her pet?”

“Because she loves me” Gregor’s voice inched closer to the cockpit, as he leaned against the durasteel, “when I was rescued from Daro, I stayed with Cid for a bit helping her around the bar and running errands for her. She’s not what you expect, but she’s kind even when it seems like she isn’t.”

“It’s true” Rex confirmed, “what she says doesn’t sound kind but her actions say differently.”

“How long are we going to stay on Ord Mantell?”

“Until the Epistemology meet up, then we can take Fives and Wolffe home.”

“Anyone else getting a feeling that we shouldn’t leave Tech and Jaz here on their own?” Gregor looked from Rex to me, as his shoulders shrugged.

“Why not, Tech’s a genius, he can take care of himself and Jaz, and this is Jaz’s home. She’s been dealing with Ord Mantell long before the boys ever got here” Rex offered, although he and Jaz barely spoke, there was a weird mutual respect between the two.

“Let’s discuss what we’re going to do on Ord Mantell until they show up” my statement seemed to throw both of the guys off, which made me chuckle, “you telling me, we came all this way and we have no idea on how to pass the time?”

“There is something - only problem is I’m not sure what we’re looking for” Gregor chuckled as he moved towards the map display. “Hunter said if we had time, we should check out this sector” he pulled up the map of Ord Mantell, in the rural mountainous region. “It’s an area similar to where we held Phoenix’s pryer, however, I believe” he punched in some numbers, “it’s further away and in a even further remote area.”

“Why would Hunter send us there?” Rex looked at the map carefully.

“I don’t know” Gregor shrugged as he stood from his position, “all I know is he asked us to check out the site if we had time.”

“Well it’s on our way to Cid’s or … I don’t know maybe we should go there when we’re ready to leave Ord Mantell.”

“I vote for the later” Rex mumbled

“Me too”

“Alright, Cid’s place it is” I chuckled glancing over to Gregor, “No doubt she’s wondering how her pet is doing”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

“Here take this” Cid thrusted a broom into Rex’s hand, he looked shocked, and thrown off for a moment, there wasn’t even any sort of salutation once she saw us.

“Uh… excuse me, ma’am…”

“You think you can just stay here without working, I don’t think so, you blondie are gonna do the sweeping. Pet, you do the pouring. You scarface, wipe down the tables.” Her commands were strict and without remorse, I looked from my brothers to the elderly Trandoshian.

“Tala told us …”

“I’m sorry is this Tala’s parlour? Nope. It’s mine. Therefore, do what I say.”

“Couldn’t we just do some bounty hunting and call it even” Gregor mumbled as he shifted behind the bar.

“Stop complaining and get to work.”

Cid promptly headed back to her office, leaving the three of us standing there somewhat surprised, I looked over to Gregor, “What was that about her actions showing she’s kinder than she appears.”

“Trust me, she’s doing this for a reason.”

“Doubt it!” Rex shifted as he began sweeping through the bar, I looked to the rag that had seen better days in my hand, moving over to the sink, wetting it thoroughly before moving to the table. 

“How much longer till the guys meet up with us again?”

“According to Tech, another two weeks I think” Rex called over his shoulder. 

“Well we can put up with this for two weeks.”

The door to Cid’s back office slid open, she stood there eyeing the three of us, shaking her head, “All of you come with me” she shifted towards the back stairs that led up to another floor. We passed a corridor of doors before she stopped at the second last one, opening it, it was small space, but big enough for four people. “This can be your room in the meantime, there’s a refresher over there” she pointed, “two bunks in each of the rooms, small kitchenette here” she motioned to the rest of the room, pointing out different features. I’d never thought I’d miss my room on Armandine but at that moment I really did. “Hasn’t been used in a while” that much was evident from the layer of dust on everything, “I suggest you put those cleaning skills to work up here first.” She turned to leave, but something didn’t sit right with me, something about her manner.

“Cid, wait” she stopped turned back to look at us, “what’s going on?”

“What makes you think anything is going on?” Gregor stepped forward a silent pleading with his eyes as he looked at her, she let out a long sigh, before she pulled out a datapad from her pocket, “Read this”

I took it in my hand, reading allowed the notice on the datapad, “Attention Ord Mantell citizens. The Empire has paid the ruling families of Ord Mantell a visit a few days ago, demanding we join their Imperialistic ways. After several hours of negotiations and consideration, we have come to an understanding with the Empire…”

“In other words a bunch of people died and now they have no choice but to comply” Rex stated over my shoulder. 

“More or less” Cid offered taking the datapad back, “the notice indicates that although there won’t be a garrison or any sort of troopers stationed on Ord Mantell, everything will be reported back to the Empire. Which means your pretty faces are now going to become more popular. Especially, since there’s nothing but unscrupulous people here, they’ll be looking for ways to bring credits to their pockets.”

“Is it safe for any of us to come back here?” Gregor leaned against the counter.

“The word on the street is very simple, we may report to the Empire, but no one works for the Empire. Not to mention, as much as the Empire wants to try and control the outer rims they can’t. Too many gangsters and factions willing to unite against a common enemy. If there’s anywhere that’s safe, for now it’s Ord Mantell, at least until things change.”

“How sure are we no stormtroopers will appear here?” I offered as my hand clenched by my side.

“As sure as the possibility that another one of your lost brothers might end up walking through the door. Truth is, no one knows. All we do know is we have to be cautious. That being said, make sure to keep your faces hidden when going outside. Now clean up this mess of a room, and get back to work.”

She didn’t say much as she headed back downstairs to the bar, we all let out a breath, I turned to the other two, “What do you guys think?”

“We need to keep our eyes and ears open in case something happens” Rex stated, Gregor and I both nodded in agreement, it was one thing to know about the notice, it’s another to be vigilant of those in and around here. 

“Two weeks, right?” Gregor chuckled, “Just gotta put up with it for two weeks”

“True. Alright, let’s get to work”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

THRAWN’S POV

“Such a shame that we still were not able to succeed in having several key outer rim planets swearing allegiances with the Empire” my voice carrying over to the man whose position I replaced, I turned away from the transparisteel window to look at Rampart his annoyance and anger towards me was clearly evident, “I had imagined Rear Admiral, you would have had better negotiation skills then what I saw on Ord Mantell.”

He lowered his head asking for forgiveness by his gesture, “Ord Mantell is rife with gangsters, smugglers, bounty hunters, they are difficult to deal with at the best of times. However, though they may not have sworn an allegiance, they did in fact agree to be our allies. For now, I suggest we allow them to operate as best they can until we decide differently. If they fail to meet our expectations, we can easily overpower them.”

“If you were so confident in that estimation you would’ve have secured their allegiance. Why simply stop at killing only the heads of the families? Would it not have been better to eliminate all the families and set up our own people?”

“The people of Ord Mantell have a high degree of respect for the ruling families. Only way order is maintained on that planet is due to the power of the ruling families. If we were to have eliminated all of them, the citizens would have revolted. In time, they will see we are the better option.”

I hummed at his theory, “Very well, we shall proceed with your assessment, if however they fail us, it will fall on you. Please remember insurgents are always looking for ways to infiltrate the Empire; would be a shame that your failure led to one of those insurgents to the Chimera, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Indeed”

Our conversation ended sooner than I would have expected as the door to my office chimed, the door swished open to reveal the Grand Inquisitor, “Grand Inquisitor, to what do we owe the pleasure”

“I understand there was a report of a force sensitive individual in the area”

“You are correct. Commodore Enva has already investigated the claim”

“And?”

“It appears a group of con artists were trying to earn some credits leading people to believe they were force sensitive. She has dealt with them.”

“Please inform Commodore Enva in future, I would prefer an inquisitor handle the investigation.”

“I will inform her as such.”

“Excellent” he turned to walk out of the office stopping as he reached the door turning towards me and Rampart, “however, please express my gratitude in her quick and efficient manner of handling the matter. No doubt, you have trained her quite well.” Rampart let out a huff of arrogance, something I’d address later.

“Thank you, Grand Inquisitor. I’ll be sure to inform her of such.”

“I will be departing from the Chimera and heading to Ord Mantell, along with a squad of your troopers. There are rumours of your Jedi there” he motioned towards the man in front of me, “of course, how accurate those rumours are, we shall let the force determine.”

I admired the rank of Inquisitors, they always seemed very capable of handling any sort of deceit and rooting out those who would oppose the Empire. I turned my attention back to Rampart, our discussion was far from over.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

FIVES POV

“I didn’t think you’d meet me” I looked at Cora as her beauty radiated under the night sky of Alderaan, “I thought for sure you would have rejected my invitation”

“Well truthfully” her hands fidgeted by her side, “I was thinking of sending someone out here to tell you I changed my mind”

“Why didn’t you?”

Her eyes locked with mine, a smile gracing her lips, “Couldn’t nib the curiosity in the butt.”

“I understand, a man this beautiful” I motioned to myself, “must certainly get your mind racing.”

She hummed at my speech, a contemplative smirk appearing on her lips, “Do you actually believe any of the things you spew?”

“Of course, otherwise why say them”

She came and stood beside me on the balcony which overlooked the forests of Alderaan, Appenza Peak in front of us, looming in the distance, “I believe you say these things and act this way to hide your pain.”

“What pain?” I chuckled

“The pain of losing someone you love” her eyes focused on the Peak in front of us, “sometimes moving on from that person is one of the hardest things to do. It’s easier to drown yourself in passion that will not last, in arms that will only hold you for a single night, simply because it will spare you the reminder of what you lost and the pain of losing again.”

The expression on her face, the contour of her lips, the pain that settled in her eyes, in that moment, I knew she understood me in a way many couldn’t. Tala understood to a degree, but she got the love of her life back. Mine was dead and gone forever. “Sounds like you know what you’re talking about”

“Unfortunately” she answered as she let out a deep seated sigh, one filled with emotion and resignation.

“What happened?”

She turned to look at me, a smile full of sadness gracing her lips, “I’ll tell you if you tell me”

I chuckled a little, nodding in agreement, “I see your negotiating skills coming through very clearly”

She giggled as she shrugged her shoulders, “Got to put those skills to use somehow”

“True”

“So…” she motioned for me to begin, I simply nodded and began telling her about Shaak, how we met, when we realized we had feelings for each other, how I tried to save her, and how I ended up finding her. She listened quite attentively, asking a question here or there. When I finished she simply smiled, before leaning in and giving me a hug, which surprised me greatly. “I am so sorry Fives” I reciprocated her hug, shocked by the warmth of comfort I was feeling in my heart “There’s nothing I can say that will make it any better.”

“Thankfully” I tilted my head till my cheek rested on her head looking over to the Appenza Peak, “I had my family there for me.”

“They seem wonderful”

“They are, what about you?”

Her arms tightened as she pulled me in closer, “He was my guard. Had been by my side since we were teenagers, he became a good friend, and it naturally developed into something more. Several months before the end of the war, I was kidnapped by Red Dawn. He along with several Alderaan guards and Republic troops went in to get me out. He didn’t make it. We had been married all of a month, before I lost him. There are times when I’ll be in a market or a crowd of people, and I swear I’ll hear his laugh or I’ll see his face in the crowd…”

“But when you look to find him, he’s not there. Then you try to convince yourself you imagined things, while trying not to fall apart knowing there’s no possible way he could be there.”

She nodded against my chest, she moved her hand to wipe her cheek. I could feel my throat tighten as I tried to push the pain away. “I’m not sure what’s worse, thinking I see him in the crowd” she mumbled into my chest, “or dreaming he’s still alive and there with me, only to wake up alone or to see someone else’s face there.”

“I never stay the night for that reason. In fact, I’ve only ever stayed once after Shaak, when I woke and saw another woman in my arms, I … I couldn’t take the guilt I felt. I slipped out as fast as I could not looking back.”

“Do you think we’re normal?”

I couldn’t help chuckle a little, “You know that’s an odd question to ask a clone, right?”

“You know what I mean” I could feel her lips smirk against my chest, “do you think this is how people normally grieve, do you think they hold on to the memory of their loved ones to the point they can’t find happiness again?”

“I’m not sure. I heard once that grief is just love enduring, but there are moments when I hate her. I hate her because she left me, because she let me love her so deeply and so completely, to the point where I don’t think I could ever feel that way again.”

“I feel the same for Tamoc. There are days when I wished I never met him, I wished he was never my friend, and all the memories I have of him would evaporate from my mind. Then this unsettling, nauseous feeling settles in my stomach, when I realize there will be a time when I will forget everything about him, and that scares me more than knowing I still love him as deeply as I do.”

“What do we do then? If we can’t let them go, if we can’t move on”

She pulled back to look at me, a smile gracing her lips, “I guess we help each other to move on, to let them go. They wouldn’t want us to stop living, simply because they’re not here.”

My hand shifted from her back, as it reached up caressing her cheek, “How do we help each other?”

Her hands shifted further up my chest, till it wrapped around my neck, she pulled me closer till my lips grazed hers, “Like this” she mumbled before pressing her lips against mine, kissing me with more passion then I’d been kissed in a long time.

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[theroyalsims]

PRINCESS INGRID SPOTTED IN AL-SIMHARA

A day after Eleanore’s engagement was officially called off, her younger sister, Princess Ingrid, was photographed arriving at a private hangar in Al-Simhara.

The Princess arrived via private plane, and was ushered into a black town car - believed to be one of the Crown Prince’s private vehicles. Although Eleanore was not there for her sister’s arrival, The Princess was welcomed by The Crown Prince’s chief of security and his personal aide. 

Eleanore has reportedly been evicted from her Al-Simhara residence, Putri Villa. It can be recalled that King Phillip “gifted” the lavish home to then-Princess Eleanore to serve as her official residence until the wedding; but since the tides have turned against the fallen Brindleton Princess, it seems as thought the King is feeling less generous to his once future daughter-in-law. Royal insiders, however, claim that the King has offered Eleanore one last act of kindness - that no criminal action shall be taken against her by The King or any member of the Al-Simharan Royal Family, for as long as she packs up all her belongings and leaves the country at the soonest possible time. In doing so, The King reportedly remarked that by showing Eleanore “mercy,” all his shortcomings against Queen Emilia have been repaid. One commentator suggests:

“Eleanore lied, cheated, and disrespected The King and our entire country. Here in Al-Simhara, people have been punished for less. Believe me when I say that His Majesty is showing her kindness - one she does not at all deserve. I think, a lot of it has to do with His Majesty’s history with her mum. But now, they’re even. Eleanore simply isn’t welcome in Al-Simhara anymore. It’s such a shame because we were so ready to have her and love her as our future Queen, but she has disappointed and insulted us in so many ways. “

(Above: A very casually-dressed Princess Ingrid was welcomed by familiar faces: The Crown Prince’s chief of security, and his personal aide. The two staff members are among His Royal Highness’s most trusted.)

Eleanore has yet to be seen publicly since earlier this week before yesterday’s bombshell revelation, where The King made public his decision to withdraw his consent. However, aerial footage of the Palace Complex show moving trucks outside Putri Villa, presumably to assist with Eleanore’s move. It remains unclear where she will be staying afterwards. It is also still unsure when she is set to leave the country. 

Ingrid’s arrival was reportedly “very last minute.” Insiders close to the Brindleton Palace suggest that Anya was first tasked by The Queen and Prince Jacques to “fetch” Eleanore, but The Crown Princess declined:

“Anya has moved on from all the drama and negativity Eleanore brings, so she flat out said ‘no’ when her mum and dad asked. Who can blame her? The last time she helped, she was blamed, cancelled, and vilified.  To make matters worse, her sister took ‘revenge’ on her by ‘exposing’ her boyfriend, who, by the way, was minding his own business, taking care of sick animals. So, no. It looks like Anya has finally put her foot down and has permanently distanced herself from her problematic sister. I have it on good authority that she has completely frozen out Eleanore after finding out that she was the mastermind behind Gregg’s 'exposé.’ She really just doesn’t care about Eleanore anymore and I think, to some degree, it’s totally understandable. Eleanore made her bed, now she has to lie in it.” 

(Above: Despite the unpleasant circumstances of her arrival, Princess Ingrid was photographed giving everyone cordial smiles.)

Sadly, that meant it would be poor Ingrid who’s left to fend for Eleanore. The Princess is reportedly in the middle of preparations for her thesis defence, but she had to drop everything to come to Eleanore’s aid.

Why leave it to Ingrid? Why didn’t The Queen and/or Prince Jacques fly in to help? The source further reveals that, basically, everyone in the family has had it with Eleanore:

“Obviously, The Queen can’t just willy-nilly drop everything, she’s The Queen, for goodness’ sake! She’s a very busy woman, and let’s face it, Eleanore brought this upon herself. Now that her scheming has once again blown up in her face, she can’t possibly expect everyone to just drop everything and rush to help her. Prince Jacques and The Queen took Eleanore’s leaving really hard. They’re very hurt by all her actions, and I think this is also their way of teaching her a lesson - one on repercussions and responsibility. Even the most easy-going of the young royals, Prince Nicky, has had it with Eleanore. He blames her for causing everyone grief. And of course, Alistair isn’t all too close with Eleanore either, after she dragged Al’s ex, Princess Katrine, into controversy during the now-infamous nightclub drama.”

(Above: An exhausted-looking Princess Ingrid was seen taking a nap in the back seat of a black town car, believed to be The Crown Prince’s.)

Thankfully, however, Eleanore has one loyal sibling on her side, one who IS willing to drop everything to come and be with her. We just hope that in these trying times, Eleanore is holding on and standing brave. Despite everything, we’re still rooting for you, E! 

[jessepinwheel]

what's bail up to in asynch. verse? how's breha and the clones? does obi-wan and bail ever go visit aldreean to spend time with each other and the clones? does ahsoka ever go with them to see the 501st? just thoughts, hope you're having a great day!

wow obi-wan how come you get to smooch senator and queen organa

It's a crisp beautiful morning when Bail's personal transport arrives in the palace hangar. Breha is there as the ramp lowers and Bail makes his way out, half-supporting Obi-Wan's weight against his side. They're dressed casually, Bail in simple tunics and Obi-Wan in that coat he always wears, but they're the most beautiful men Breha has ever known.

"Bail," Breha says, smiling. "Obi-Wan."

Bail leans in to kiss Breha. "It's wonderful to see you again, love," he says. "It's been too long."

Breha pats him on the cheek. "You always say that."

Bail gives her another kiss. "And it's always true." He glances over to Obi-Wan and says, "Are you feeling okay, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan nods. He looks a little paler than usual, which is normal anytime he goes off planet. Something about space not agreeing with him very much. With some difficulty, he smiles at Breha and says, "You look wonderful today, darling. I'm glad everything has been well since the last time I visited."

"It's been an eventful two years," Breha agrees. "Thank you so much for coming, Obi-Wan. It means a lot."

"Well, it's the least I can do for one of my favorite people," Obi-Wan says, reaching down to press a kiss to the back of Breha's hand. "But if you don't mind...I'm exhausted. It was night when we left Coruscant. I think I need to sleep a while before I can properly appreciate you and your lovely planet."

"Of course," Breha says. "Get some rest, Obi-Wan."

"I'll bring him in to our room," Bail says. "He wasn't looking well on the way in."

"I'm not asleep yet," Obi-Wan cuts in, his eyes half-lidded. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here, darling."

Bail squeezes him around the shoulder. "I wouldn't dream of it. Come on, let's get you into a bed."

"Your beds are too soft," Obi-Wan grouses as the two of them head into the palace.

From experience, she knows Obi-Wan can sleep just about anywhere, but most likely in about an hour she'll find Obi-Wan sleeping on Bail like a spoiled tooka. Breha lets them figure things out. She has a few things to prepare in the meantime.

It's festival season--one of the main reasons she had invited Obi-Wan to Alderaan in the first place. The seasons are changing and harvest festivals are right around the corner, right along with food and dance and some time to relax, which she knows Obi-Wan doesn't get enough of. As queen, Breha doesn't personally arrange all the festivities--she has people for that--but she tries to stay involved. It's festival time for her, too, after all.

It's especially exciting since this is the first year the clones will get to experience Alderaan's harvest festival. They've taken to it with aplomb, seemingly redecorating their entire town and thousands of clones who were living out in the country working on agricultural co-ops or in other towns have come in to the capital to reunite with their friends and family just in time for the parties--Breha happens to know the 501st boys have been using their still to make exciting new varieties of hard liquor.

Breha looks over the latest reports from her aides. After the clones' medcenter had finished construction, the next project they'd proposed was a dedicated performance venue for theater and music and who knows what else. Unfortunately, it's still under construction and won't be ready in time for the harvest festival, but work is moving steadily--having thousands of clones willing to pitch in to help with construction has certainly helped move things along. At this rate, it'll be completed by the winter holidays.

Besides that, there's imports and exports and the important, if tedious, matter of the planet's financial standing. Accepting the clones had not been a popular choice within the context of the greater Republic--she's had to hear plenty of accusations of attempting to build a standing army and the semi-public secret of the clones' biochips had caused considerable suspicion--and Alderaan had suffered setbacks like breaking of trade agreements and no small amount of unrest. It had been rocky for a while, though nothing Alderaan couldn’t handle. It was a self-sufficient planet, after all, and Breha could hardly be more open about her support of the clones. Affairs have improved slowly since then, but it will still take time until everyone accepts the clones’ new place in the galaxy.

It’s a few hours of arranging planetary affairs and making comms until there’s a knock at the door.

Without waiting for a response, Obi-Wan comes in, carrying a tray of sliced fruit. He looks better now--more rested, at the very least, and he’s wearing a set of plain tunics under a pale green dressing gown which Breha recognizes as one of hers. Presumably, one of Bail’s would be too long. His hair has been redone--braided and coiled at the back of his head in the Alderaan style, the one Bail favors most.

“Is this where you’ve been?” Obi-Wan asks, setting the fruit down next to Breha. “Working alone while your husband lazes away?”

“Sometimes my husband can do with a little lazing,” Breha says. “It’s good to see you, Obi-Wan. The holocomm never does your face justice.”

“I should be the one saying that--every time I see you I’m astounded by your beauty, dear,” Obi-Wan replies. He pulls a chair from a side table and sits down. “How is everything? Rex tells me things are doing well with Alderaan, and if the view from your room is any indication, it’s just as beautiful as I remember, but he never can tell me how you are. Are you well, Breha? The last time I visited Alderaan, you were quite sick, but you look much healthier now.”

“Yes,” Breha says. The last time Obi-Wan had visited Alderaan, she had been all but bedridden. “My lung procedure a few months ago was successful. I’ve been feeling much better these days--it’s easier to walk around and travel. I’ll never be as hardy as I was when I was younger, but that’s simply how things are, sometimes. I’m with an aide when I leave the palace, so if I need help, I’m not alone.” She helps herself to the fruit tray, which is loaded with many of her favorites--she wonders if Bail helped select them or if Obi-Wan simply knew, somehow. That seemed like something Obi-Wan could do.

“Good,” Obi-Wan says. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“And how about you?” Breha asks. “Every time Bail talks about you, you’re on some new adventure getting possessed by ghosts or tracking down ancient conspiracies. I don’t know when you find time to rest in between all of that.”

“Bail needs to stop exaggerating. The ghost thing was months ago,” Obi-Wan says, reaching over for some fruit of his own. “It’s been quiet lately. Not too many cases--I had a missing persons case a few weeks ago, and someone else who was getting threatening messages and wanted to know where they were coming from, and not much else. So naturally I’ve been spending most of my time in the Hall of Records pulling files for people in my network. Besides that...I don’t know. Feral and Savage are well. Feral is working on his Healer’s certification, and Savage is trying out different Service Corps to see what appeals to him. Boba...” Obi-Wan looks out into the distance for a moment, thinking. “Boba is okay. He still has nightmares, though not as many as he used to when I first met him. He likes me better now, but sometimes I get the impression that he’s walking on eggshells around me. I think I scare him, sometimes. He tries not to show it, but I can tell he’s still on edge. He’s waiting for something and I don’t know what.”

Breha hums. “He saw his father’s death, didn’t he? Maybe he’s scared to lose you.”

“I think that’s true. But it’s more than that, too,” Obi-Wan says, clasping his hands. His right hand is naked, the brassy plating clearly visible as he delicately threads mechanical and flesh fingers together. “There’s just something about him that’s very...prideful, I suppose. He never wants to ask for help. He’s secretive and he lashes out. I feel like he’s trying to get a rise out of me, sometimes, and I...I wonder how Jango treated him.”

“Could Jango have abused Boba?” Breha asks.

Obi-Wan takes a deep breath. “I won’t say it’s impossible. We know what he did to all his other clones--he didn’t really even see them as human. I’m sure he cared very much about Boba as his son, but I don’t know how much he cared about Boba as a person.”

Breha stays silent. There’s something very unkind about speculating on the crimes of the dead, especially for something so personal as this.

Obi-Wan continues, “I don’t really think it matters anymore how Jango felt. Maybe he never meant to hurt Boba, but he did. He hurt Boba very deeply, and I don’t know how to help him. I worry that I’m not the right person who can help him.”

“Why not?” Breha asks. “You love him, don’t you? And you’re doing everything you can to help. That’s what a parent should do.”

Obi-Wan is quiet for a long moment, then says, “The happiest times in my life were growing up in the Jedi Temple. I felt safe. I felt loved. I had friends who I thought I would be with for the rest of my life. There were people who always seemed to know what I needed and who could hold me tight and wipe my tears when I cried, and who taught me philosophy and religion and culture that was important to them, because they wanted me to have that gift of knowledge. I had so much support as a youngling. I never realized how much it was until I left the Order, and even now, it’s only because of their lessons and their care that I’m still alive today.”

Obi-Wan leans back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling, then continues, “I’ll never be able to offer that. I’m a survivor and a heretic with no plans for the future. I don’t want Boba to end up like me--I want him to be happy and to be able to choose where he takes his life. I don’t know how to do that--I can’t even do it for myself.”

“...I think you’re holding yourself to an impossible standard,” Breha says, “if you expect to offer Boba what the Temple did for you.”

Obi-Wan laughs softly. “Bail said something very similar. He says I worry too much and that Boba’s lucky to have someone like me.”

“Bail says some very smart things from time to time,” Breha replies. “Obi-Wan, you’re one of the kindest people I know. Anyone would be lucky to have someone like you.”

Obi-Wan frowns.

“I mean it, love,” Breha says. “Search your feelings and you’ll know it to be true.”

“That’s not how the Force works,” Obi-Wan says.

“I think you’ll have to keep being patient with Boba,” Breha says. “Trust can take a long time, especially if you’ve been hurt before--you know that. In the meantime, it sounds like you’ve been reaching out to give him support in places you can’t. Savage and Feral, his education, the Jedi Temple...maybe Boba’s early upbringing on Kamino was harsh, but there’s no reason the rest of it has to be.”

Obi-Wan closes his eyes. “I know. I’m just worried.”

“I think most parents are worried about their children,” Breha replies.

“Maybe.”

The two of them lapse into silence for a while, Obi-Wan clearly deep in thought. Breha makes her way through their tray of fruit, mulling over her own thoughts. She can easily admit she never really saw Obi-Wan as someone who could be a parent--there was nothing wrong with his temperament for it, but he was simply...transient. There had always been something about Obi-Wan that seemed like he would be there one day and disappear the next without a word, ever since she first met Obi-Wan in a medcenter after he’d gotten shot protecting Bail from an assassin. He was bright like a burst of fireworks, enough to light up the sky then vanish into darkness. Even after all of Bail’s stories and of all the times Obi-Wan has come back to share time and space, Breha is still surprised to find that Obi-Wan is a real physical person and not a trick of lights and smoke.

She doesn’t wonder what Bail sees in him--it’s obvious enough when she speaks to Obi-Wan. She’s glad that Bail is there for him, and loves Obi-Wan enough to reach out and keep him close when it would be so easy to simply let him drift away.

“Breha, darling, your thoughts are very loud. If you have a question about me, you can just ask,” Obi-Wan says.

“I didn’t have any questions,” Breha replies. “I was just thinking how lucky I was that Bail met you.”

Obi-Wan’s cheeks go pink. “I’m lucky to have him, too.”

“He’s a catch, isn’t he?” Breha muses. “Where is he? I would have expected him to come with you.”

“Don’t tell him I told you, but I think he’s off preparing a surprise for you,” Obi-Wan says. “He suggested I talk to you in the meantime, actually. Not that I needed the excuse.”

Breha raises a brow. Chances are, this ‘surprise’ will be as much for Obi-Wan as it is for her. “I see. Well, we should let him have his fun. It’s been a long time since he’s been home, after all.”

Obi-Wan nods. “Of course.”

“Bail tells me you’ll be on Alderaan for a few weeks,” Breha says. “Do you have plans?”

“Well, there’s the festivals, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“Savage is bringing Boba to Alderaan when it’s closer to the actual festivals--I know you’ve been excited to meet him and, no doubt, spoil him rotten.”

“I would never do that. From what I hear, Bail has that well in hand.” Breha smiles. “But naturally I’ll want to give him a few gifts. I wouldn’t be a very good aunt if I didn’t.”

Obi-Wan sighs. “Gifts are well and good, but please exercise some restraint. It’s hard enough keeping Bail from completely redecorating the apartment. And my wardrobe.”

Breha has many sets of clothes she would like to see Obi-Wan wear now that he’s here in the flesh, but that is a revelation that can wait until slightly later. “He just wants you to be comfortable, love.”

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and takes another slice of fruit. “Yes, and I’m sure it’s my comfort that he finds so enjoyable to look at.”

“I’m glad you’re so understanding,” Breha says. “What else are you planning?”

“Well, I wanted to visit the city. Things have changed since the last time I visited, and there’s a restaurant I remember that was very good. Maybe after that, I’ll go into the mountains for a few days,” Obi-Wan says. “I don’t get many opportunities to go hiking. It would be nice to see a little more nature while I have the chance. Other than that, I’ll make it up as I go. It’s a vacation, after all.”

“It sounds like you have a good time ahead of you, then. Just so long as you don’t get into trouble,” Breha says.

Obi-Wan laughs. “I’ll be fine. I never get into trouble.”

[willowcrowned]

Phantom of the Past AU - Two Anakins and a Ship

The ship hums underneath Anakin’s hands, and he leaves the hangar, soaring up into the atmosphere and away from the blue-green sphere of Naboo. Anakin lets out a breath, most of the tension melting from his body. He might be in trouble for this— hells, there’s no way he’s not going to be in trouble for this, what with abandoning the Sith to the Obi-Wans and Master Qui-Gon— but flying has always relaxed him.

He makes the jump to hyperspace, slumping back in his seat once the blue-white tunnel appears in front of the viewport. He’s exhausted, true, but also antsy. He hasn’t been back to Tatooine since— since the mission with Ahsoka right after Chriphstophsis.

“So,” says a small voice from behind him, “we’re going back to Tatooine, right?”

Anakin jumps back in surprise, stopping himself from swearing at the last moment. It is a child, after all. Then he realizes that it’s him as a child, so he may as well swear as much as he wants. It’s not like baby Anakin doesn’t know all the words already.

“Fuck,” Anakin says, staring at the tiny blond gremlin in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

“Coming to get my mom,” Ani says, plopping himself down in the copilots seat. “That’s where we’re going, right? Last time I talked to you, I mentioned her and you immediately walked off. And you left Obi with me.”

“Don’t call him that,” Anakin says automatically. He sighs. “Did you tell anyone where we were going?”

Ani gives him a look. “I’m not stupid. I know they wouldn’t let us go.”

“You’re going to be in big trouble when we get back.”

“So are you,” Ani points out. “And they’re Jedi, what are they going to do: not feed us for a day or two? It’s not like we’ll get electroshocked or anything.”

Anakin stares at his child self in surprise, remembering just how strange his ideas about what constituted a mild punishment were. “They’ll still feed you. They just might assign you extra meditation or something. Think about your wrongdoings.”

“Like stealing?”

Anakin blinks. “What are we stealing?”

“Mom, duh.” Ani gives him a look. “Unless you have money.”

Anakin winces. He hadn’t thought of that. “Maybe I can do a spice run for Jabba.”

“You’d work for Jabba?” Ani gives him a look of cold disgust.

“Do you have a better idea?” Anakin retorts. He takes a deep breath. “Trust me, I don’t like the hutts any more than you do. I probably like them less, actually. But unless we can get the funds another way, we’ll need to get a job. And Jabba pays well.”

Ani scrunches up his nose and says, with a small, high-pitched, annoyingly adorable voice, “Fuck.”

—————

“Padawan Kenobi,” Obi-Wan says, still unnerved by his younger self. It’s one thing to remember yourself as twenty five, and quite another to see it. It might be odder still without the padawan braid— at this point, Obi-Wan’s had been cut. At this point for Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon had been dead.

Padawan Obi-Wan opens his eyes, not standing up from where he’d been meditating under a tree. “Master Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan resists the urge to cringe at hearing that appellation from his own lips. “Have you seen Anakin lately?”

Padawan Obi blinks, a blank look stealing over his face that Obi-Wan knows well— the look he uses when he doesn’t want to reveal anything. “I saw him a few hours ago,” he says. “He and Ani were yelling about the queen.”

“I remember,” Obi-Wan replies. “I heard Ani shouting about Anakin stealing the love of his life from three rooms away.” He grimaces. “Is there any chance you’re going to tell me where he went after that?”

His younger self has the decency to look ashamed.

“I do know you,” Obi-Wan says, not unkindly. “Lying won’t work.”

“I wasn’t lying,” Padawan Kenobi replies, “I was withholding a truth until I had a full understanding of the situation.”

Obi-Wan snorts. “Where did he go?”

“I saw him in the hangar. He was taking a ship. I believe Ani was on board as well.”

“And you didn’t try and stop him.”

“Master Kenobi,” the young Obi-Wan says in the sort of voice he uses to lecture Qui-Gon— annoyed, perhaps, but not entirely devoid of humor, “Anakin is a Knight. I’m sure he’s capable of taking care of himself.”

“You say that now,” Obi-Wan mutters, “but wait until you see him fly.” He frowns at his padawan self. “He’s been annoying you, hasn’t he?”

“He’s been very friendly,” the younger Obi-Wan says neutrally.

“Annoying,” Obi-Wan fills in, “so you didn’t try and stop him.”

“Yes, well,” the padawan says, “I would have had to talk to him to do that, and I’ve run out of ways to politely reject his requests to spar.”

“Just say no,” Obi-Wan advises. “You’re older than him anyways. He can’t force you to do anything, and he’ll only leave off if you tell him to in no uncertain terms.”

Padawan Kenobi grimaces. “I’ll take that into consideration.”

“Do you know where they went?”

The padawan’s face goes blank again as he closes his eyes, preparing for the blow. “Tatooine. I let them go to Tatooine.”

[cybertronian-cupid]

hey!! could you guys write a hurt/comfort scenario for a tfp insecticons x reader? like reader works in retail n just has the *worst* day, gets picked up by hardshell, n he can tell that somethings wrong then later reader finally spills n gets comforted by the hive. thank you!!!!!!!

Working these jobs is no fun at all :/ but we hope this helps!!~Mila💟

HERE COMES YOUR HIVE!!!💥 ~Gregoria🏩

............................. ....................... ............................

“Something is wrong.”

She looks down at Hardshell's metal plates, her thumb gliding over the back of the insecticons helm, finger gripping tightly as he lands in the ship’s hangar.

“I guess. Work has been tough, that’s all.”

“We still think you shouldn’t work at all. Our Queen shouldn’t be forced to mingle with worthless scum," with practiced ease he throws her in the air, transforming to his bipedal mode and catching her. "They do not deserve your presence.”

She takes her seat on one of his shorter mandibles, kissing his faceplate.

“Other people would know something was off if I just quit. But thanks anyway, ‘Shell.”

He walks throughout the corridors, the vehicons flattening against the walls or picking up their pace in hopes of avoiding the insecticon. She can see a couple of them taking a different corridor entirely.

“You could say you were invited on another research mission,”

“I can’t keep running away with my handsome entomologist, they’ll want frequent social media updates just to see you.”

“There is no easy communication access in the jungle. One of those postcards should prove to be satisfactory.”

She is halfway into explaining why she can’t disappear like that in such a short amount of time, when they finally pass the door to the hive's entrance. The energy inside of it envelopes her like a warm blanket and her eyes prickle with tears. The excited sound of legs skittering and wings hitting against their covers make a sound similar to wind whistling through treetops and chimes playing in the distance. She lets out a laugh and waves at the insecticons nearest to the entrance, the attention sending another pleasant ripple throughout the whole chamber.

“It’s good to be home,”

Hardshell carries her to the middle of the hive, and places her at the entrance of a structure where her chambers are located. The cone shaped structure is filled with twists and turns, corridors leading her to different rooms, big enough for her and her partners when they wish to join her for- whatever reason really. There's plenty of room to move and, on her request, there are soft lights lighting up the places the white light from above doesn't reach. She walks deep into the center of it, where the master bedroom is located. She laughs out loud at the sight.

“Guys, what is all of this?”

There's a new collection of items waiting for her inspection, composed of expensive pillows and honeyed sweets, mixed with various gems, rocks, and other trinkets they know she might appreciate, all neatly stacked in different piles.

“Only the best for our Queen,” Hardshell rumbles from the entrance to her chambers, waiting for the invitation as he always does.

She lays down on the huge bed draped in expensive, comfortable fabrics, thinking over if she wants the company. She hugs a pillow close to her. It's too soft.

“How about you stop with all the sweet talk and come cuddle your Queen?”

She can hear transformation noises that only come with her darling bugs mass displacing. Hardshell emerges in her chamber, flanked by two other soldiers, the ones she met back when Hardshell laid his visor on her for the first time.

She grins ear to ear, opening her arms wide, and the two rush forward, chittering and nuzzling their faceplates against her skin, mandibles rubbing against her head and shoulders in greeting.

“Yea, I missed you, too,” she laughs and looks up at Hardshell, waiting in anticipation for her next “order”.

“I’d like to lay against you today,”

His mandibles clack in delight and the two soldiers move aside for their strongest warrior to take his place, laying her back against his abdomen, embracing her body with his claws as he makes himself comfortable on the softness of her mattress.

“The Hive shall deliver whatever you desire,” he reminds her, his voice vibrating around her.

The other two come closer, changing back into their bug form, sloting neatly to the side and spreading their wings for her to run her fingers over. The metal is thin, yet strong and translucent, the green color reminding her of emeralds. It took some time to get used to the sensation and vibrations she could feel coming from them, feeling the way energon is pumped back and forth through thin fuel lines, warm as it passes under her fingers, and cool once it returns back to their bodies. It's fascinating. It's calming. She can hear the sounds of the whole hive easily from her chambers. The sound of their fields mixed with chatter and excitement at her mere presence makes the stress melt away from her body. It makes her feel safe enough to let the tears fall and loved enough to rage and spit out curses over the entitled shitheads, lazy coworkers full of half-assed excuses and all the other things that have been piling up and up until she just couldn't hold it in anymore.

“Whatever injustices have been done to you shall be punished,” Hardshell vows and the swarm chitters in agreement, the sound reverberating through the corridors, aggressive and firm with their united determination. There’s a treat presented to her lips and she huffs, nuzzling against Hardshells metal while she chews. All of them always make her feel like a real queen, even if she has to keep reminding them that they can’t go around destroying whole towns for her sake.

Even if the idea does seem incredibly tempting on some of her worst days.

“Cuddles sound good enough right now. I'd like to rest.”

The swarm quiets down, the energy returning to the calming hum that begins lulling her to sleep.

[monako-jinn-stories]

Echo X Fem!Reader FanFic

A Returning Echo ~ Before the Citadel

Main Master List

Story Master List

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Nineteen

It was late when you got to Dohbar. The sun was almost fully set and it was well past the normal “dinner time”. You hadn’t expected anyone to be around when you got there, so you were surprised to see Kwol standing in the palace hangar. 

You noticed him watching you intently as you landed, maneuvering the royal transport into a position that would be able to make a quick exit if necessary. Part of you was hoping that the council would call you back before your break was up. You were still beyond furious that they removed you from the war, even if it was only for a little bit. You couldn’t see how it was a smart move, or how it was fair.

As you descended the boarding ramp, you saw Kwol fold his arms across his chest. His face was set in a glare as you approached.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, not bothering to hide his displeasure.

“I’ve been sidelined. I need to take a break from the war, apparently,” you responded. “I thought I might as well come here and try to get some stuff done.”

“Oh, like you’ve been failing to do since the war started?” He said dryly.

“I’ve been trying! It’s not exactly easy to lead a battalion into battle and rule a planet at the same time,” you shot back.

“Whatever,” he said, turning and walking towards the doors.

“You know, people usually say ‘welcome home’ when someone returns!” You shout at his retreating figure.

“Thanks for visiting,” he sarcastically yelled back. You huffed and folded your own arms, internally groveling at his sour mood. You had only just gotten back, and he’d already decided that this was how he was going to behave.

You had known things would likely be tense between the two of you, but you hadn’t expected it to be right from the start, or this tense. The air around you had felt as though you could slice through it with a vibroblade. It was enough to make someone choke.

You tried to shake it off, focus on relaxing and preparing for the next day. You went to the kitchen, deciding to eat since you hadn’t gotten a chance on the ship. You calmed yourself as you made your dinner, humming a Mandalorian tune Echo often hummed when you fell asleep together, or when you just sat in silence, holding one another.

“Queen Monako!” You heard a royal aid call, “how lovely to see you again!”

“Hey, Mai-Lee!” You responded, turning to pull her into a hug.

“What are you doing back here? I know the war isn’t over yet. Oh, please don’t tell me you’ve been injured!” She said, eyes suddenly scanning your body. When she saw nothing concerning, her eyes returned to yours.

“I’ve been sidelined. I displayed some very ‘not Jedi’ actions, and the council wants me to take a break from the war.”

“Not Jedi actions?” She questioned.

“I was using my anger to fight. They see it as a way to fall to the darkside. They’re worried I might go down the wrong path if I continue the way I was.”

“Oh, I see,” she said. “Well, I’ve known you for quite a while, and I don’t think you could ever fall.”

“Yeah, I hope you’re right. Not that I feel like I could or will, but you never know who might. That’s the thing about being a Jedi. You think you know your friends so well, but even the best of them could lose it all.” You paused to look at her, and she held more concern now. “Sorry, that got deep and dark. But don’t worry, I really don’t think I could fall. I mean, right now I have so many good things to not fall. I have my planet, my friends, my battalion, Echo-“

“Echo?” She asked, a new curiosity in her voice.

You bit your lip as you smiled, a small giggle falling from your mouth.

“Are we finally going to have someone by our beloved queen's side?” Mai-Lee giggled.

“Maybe, but it’ll have to be after the war. But I hope so, I can’t imagine a life without him. I think I’d truly be lost.”

“You have to bring him here soon, then!” Mai-Lee said before glancing at her chrono. “Unfortunately, I must be going, but it was lovely to see you again, Queen Monako.” Mai-Lee began to curtsy to you but you stopped her frantically.

“No no,” you said, an embarrassed flush coming to your cheeks, “don’t do that. And please, y/n is fine.”

“Right, I forgot, sorry,” she said, grinning sheepishly.

“Goodnight, Mai-Lee,” you said while smiling back. She waved as she left the room, and you grabbed your food to eat peacefully. As you sat at the table, you couldn’t help but find yourself waiting to be bombarded by the twins, before remembering at the same time that they weren’t here. Maybe you hadn’t realized how empty it would be here if they did leave. It was truly quiet, no small child laughter to fill the halls. No approaching giggles and tiny footsteps. 

You sighed, setting your fork down and letting yourself be sad for a moment. Just for a moment. You let yourself remember life before the war, when the twins were barely walking. You let yourself remember how you’d still lived here, how you’d still been so close to Kwol and Ahni. Now, you were distanced, so much that this didn’t feel like home anymore. It was missing the things that made it home.

There was no little niece or nephew running around. There was no close bond with your childhood friends. Codo, your only true parental figure, was back on Coruscant, along with the 17th. Your new best friends, Sans, Hex, and Steele were waiting for your return to lead them back into battle. Echo was there, waiting to hold you in his arms again as you both fell asleep.

You fought back the tears that threatened to fall. You wanted this to be your home, but it wasn’t. Not anymore. And you didn’t know if it ever could be again.

After taking a deep breath, you stood up and decided to go talk to Kwol. The last thing you wanted was to spend your whole visit being angry at each other, not getting along. You found him sitting in a room watching a holovideo, eating a bowl of candy. You felt through the force for a second trying to judge his attitude. He was still slightly tense, likely still mad from your sudden arrival.

“Hey,” you said, walking over to him, “can we talk?”

“I’m busy right now,” he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.

“Please? We really need to.”

“I said I’m busy right now, y/n.” The way he said your name irked something in you. He said it with disrespect and disgust, and you closed your eyes for a second before responding.

“You can pause that.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Kwol, please! I’m trying to work with you here!”

He angrily grabbed the remote and paused the holovideo before standing up and getting in your face.

“Look, I don’t care what you have to say or talk about. My children should be here, watching this with me, but YOU took them from me!” As he spoke, he jabbed his finger at you and you kept stepping back, trying to not let him get too close. “You took them away and only the gods know if I’ll ever see them again! So I don’t want to hear any bantha shit Jedi wisdom that you want to give me!” Your back was now pressed against the wall and you were staring at him, terrified as you’d never seen him angry like this before.

“I wasn’t going to tell you ‘Jedi wisdom,’ Kwol,” you shot back. “You know what? Forget it!” You shoved him away from you and began to leave the room, and Kwol called after you as you did.

“We have a meeting tomorrow. 1000. Don’t be late.”

You slammed the door behind you as you left, grumbling to yourself about how you didn’t care about some stupid meeting, that you’d be late if you wanted to be. Even if meetings and royal duties were the reasons you’d come home, if it made Kwol mad, then it would be worth it. Internally, you knew it was childish, but you didn’t care. If he was going to act like this, you were going to retaliate.

When you got back to your room, you instantly threw yourself onto your bed. A layer of dust flew into the air as it hadn’t been disturbed in a while. Sitting up, you decided that you needed to change the sheets before sleeping in them. You also thought this would be a good time to contact Echo.

“Hey,” you said when he answered you, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. “Miss me yet?”

“Every second, darling,” he responded. “Are you okay? You seem off, like you’re upset.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice,” you said as you walked to your closet.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…Kwol,” you sighed, tossing the sheets onto a random chair. “He’s clearly still upset, and very much blames me for everything.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could help.”

“You can by talking to me,” you replied, shooting the holotransceiver a smile before stripping your bed.

“Then I guess I’ll talk to you until you fall asleep,” he said, smiling back at you. “Do you have any plans for tomorrow or are you just going to relax and see what opportunities find you?”

“Well, I have to start off the day with a meeting. Kwol informed me of that,” you explained before adding, “in a very rude and almost threatening way.”

“Wait, he was threatening you?”

“Well, not exactly. Just being very confrontational. He did end up, kinda, sort of, pinning me against a wall. But he didn’t shove me!” You said, adding, “I actually shoved him, so, in the end, it was all fine.”

“Y/n, it’s not fine,” Echo said, and you turned away and worked on making your bed to avoid looking at his concerned expression. “You don’t deserve to be treated like that, even if he’s still angry with you. That’s not a good excuse to…bully you.”

“It’s…it’ll be fine,” you said, turning around and giving him a reassuring look, though he didn’t look convinced. There was a few minutes of silence, and you worked on your bed until he spoke again, almost too softly for you to hear.

“Why don’t you just come back home, to Coruscant?” His tone was sad and pleading. 

In that moment, you wished more than anything that you could wrap your arms around him, but you couldn’t.

“I need to be away, Echo…I have to be here for my people.”

“But what about the people who need you here?”

“I’ll be back in five standard weeks. It’s only twenty five days, okay?”

“Twenty five days?” He asked, eyes widening and becoming impossibly more sad.

“Don’t say it like that, it makes it sound like a long time,” you tried to joke.

“Because it is!”

“Now you sound like a child.”

“I’m not a child,” Echo defended, sticking his tongue out.

“Mhmm,” you hummed, shooting him a playful glare.

“But really, do you have to be there that long?”

“Yes, Echo. There’s lots that needs to be done. And I could always have Ahni or Codo bring you to visit.”

“Really? Can I really go there, to Dohbar?” He asked, suddenly becoming very excited. You laughed at his excitement before responding.

“If you get the chance, yes, you can. But that’s only if the opportunity presents itself.”

“Well, I’ll make sure it does, then,” he said confidently.

“Echo! We’re leaving for 79’s, hurry up!” A voice called from his end.

“Ah, you know how I said I’d talk to you until you fell asleep?” He said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Don’t worry about it, Echo,” you said while smiling, “go off and have some fun.”

“You sure? I can tell the boys that I’m-“

“Go, Echo. I’ll comm you if I need you, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, darling.”

“Love you too, Echo.”

“Want to kiss over holo?”

“Bye, you dork!” You said, making him laugh before you waved and shut the holo off. Your smile quickly fell and you were back to missing his company, even if it was just a holo. 

You went outside and rested your arms on the balcony railing as you stared up at the stars and planets. You knew, somewhere far out there, Echo was heading off with his brothers. Codo was likely training younglings at the temple, and the 17th was probably up to no good, mostly Sans and Steele while Hex tried to control them. Tie probably got dragged in, being the unlucky man that he was.

You closed your eyes and reached out for a second, not expecting a returned feeling. But you felt that familiar warm sense coming from Codo, accompanied by two familiar forces. You gasped when you realized it was the twins. Ringo’s was strong, but Tayah’s seemed to falter and fade in and out. Either way, you were proud of how far they seemed to be coming along, though you never really got to see them at the temple. The council feared that your attachments to each other could hinder their training, so you rarely saw them.

After a minute, the three forces faded completely, likely going back to whatever trading you had interrupted. Alone, again, you decided it was time to clean up and then go to bed. You shivered as you turned, a gust of wind following you into your room. You closed the transparisteel door to outside, pulling the blinds shut before heading to the refresher. You used the sanisteam before brushing your teeth, remembering how Echo had tried to use your toothbrush just that morning.

When you left the refresher, you put on your comfiest pjs and slipped under the covers of your bed. It was much larger than the one you had on Coruscant, and it wasn’t pushed against the wall. You had nothing and no one to cuddle up to, except for you vast majority of stuffed animals you had stored away in your closet. Despite having nothing to comfort you, you managed to fall asleep, though it wasn’t deep or fulfilling. You tossed and turned, groaning every so often as you tried to rest.

The next morning, you woke up with a groan. You didn’t sleep well, and you didn’t feel quite right. You rolled your head to the side and waved a hand, opening the curtains to your room. You squinted at the harsh light, trying to let your eyes adjust. It didn’t work well, as you felt a headache coming on from it. Wanting to prevent it from forming fully, you waved a hand and they shut. 

Standing up, you made your way over to your refresher, stumbling into the wall as you felt dizzy.

“Kriff, the hells is wrong with me?” You muttered, rubbing your face. You walked in and splashed water onto your face, and it seemed to slightly help. You quickly brushed your teeth and hair before going to get dressed.

“Y/n?” Mai-Lee called from behind your bedroom door. “Breakfast is ready in the dining hall.”

“Breakfast?”

“Yes, we made some for King Kwol and Senator Caree, with a little extra for you.”

“Is he done eating?” 

“No, I have yet to inform him that his meal is ready.”

“Come tell me when he’s finished. We’re not on…cooperating terms right now.”

“Oh, okay.” Mai-Lee said before you heard her shoes walking away.

You entertained yourself by meditating the open space of your floor, waiting for Mai-Lee to tell you Kwol was finished. When she did, you jumped up, immediately becoming dizzy again. You held your head for a second before it went away. 

“This better go away after I eat,” you said, thinking that the lack of sleep and having not eaten yet today was causing this. You also assumed you could be having nerves, as this was similar to how you used to feel when you were a young princess on diplomatic trips, with only your unloving parents around you.

You made your way to the dining hall, sitting down in your normal chair and smiling down at the food. Pancakes and sausage, just how you liked them. You couldn’t help the moan of pleasure as your mouth was filled with the food you had missed. Sure, you made them back on Coruscant, but they were never this good.

When you finished, you sat back and closed your eyes. You smiled happily as you let out a sigh, rubbing your stomach. Your peace didn’t last long, however, as a wave of nausea overcame you. Your eyes shot open and a hand covered your mouth as you jumped up, running to the nearest refresher. Your breakfast and last night’s dinner spilled into the toilet, and when you finished, you flushed it away. 

“At least my body is as excited as I am to be back into the role of queen,” you mumbled sarcastically as you wiped your mouth with a tissue. You sat back and let out a sigh before standing up. You no longer felt sick, but you wished you hadn’t thrown up. Slowly walking out of the refresher, you went back to your room to brush your teeth before going to the meeting as it was almost 1000.

When you entered the meeting room, you met Kwol’s gaze briefly before looking to Ahnimaka. She looked happy to see you, while he looked like he was dreading every breath you took.

“Y/n, are you okay? You look a little pale,” Ahni said as she looked at you. Her voice was laced with concern and her happy expression was replaced by worry.

“Yeah, I’m just thrilled to be back to doing this stuff,” you said as you rolled your eyes, sitting down in your normal seat, which was unfortunately beside Kwol.

“And we're thrilled to have you back,” Kwol added sarcastically. His comment hit a nerve, and you were suddenly very angry.

“Alright, Kwol, you can cut it out right now. I am not going to deal with your bantha shit attitude the whole time I’m here! I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about the twins sooner, but I didn’t know how! I didn’t want to hurt you, but in the end, I still did! The last thing I wanted was to take them from you, but keeping their powers a secret was also something I couldn’t do! Try and look at it from my perspective for once!”

“No, you look at it from my perspective!” He shot back. “Look at it from the perspective of a parent who had to give up both of his children to some magic space wizard order and never see them again! You don’t understand what that’s like!”

“You’re right! I don’t! Because I’m not a parent, and I never will be!” You yelled, tears coming to your eyes. “I don’t get the luxury of raising a child of my own for even a few years like you did! I have to focus on the Jedi order, and the war, and when I’m here, I have to focus on my people and my planet! I’ll never know the joy of holding a tiny version of myself in my arms as they smile for the first time! I’ll never feel the pride of when they take their first steps or say their first word! Things that I so desperately want! Things that you had the luxury of experiencing!” 

Kwol’s expression had fallen apologetic, and he lowered his eyes from your gaze.

“I’m sorry, y/n, I just-“

“I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. I took your children from you and that’s all you’ll ever be able to see when you look at me now. I might as well be a bounty hunter who did a job for free.”

“Y/n-“

“We have stuff to do. Dohbar has been neglected. Ahnimaka, where do we need to start?”

 Ahni looked at you, sadness in her eyes. You rarely addressed her by her full name, and when you did, it wasn’t a happy thing.

“We should start with the schools,” she said, looking down at the datapad in front of her and beginning the discussion.

Throughout the meeting, you kept your tone void of any emotion. You ignored every time Kwol attempted to lighten the mood. You ignored Ahni’s pleading looks for you to get along. You just sat and did your duty as Queen, signing important policies and debating new ones. 

“Alright, I think this is a good place to stop for today,” Ahni said after a few hours. You had covered the entire school system, including the military training, and had begun to focus on public works when you came to this break.

“Thank the Maker, I almost fell asleep,” Kwol said.

“Good thing for a king to fall asleep during important meetings,” you mumbled sarcastically.

“What was that?”

“I said, good thing for a king to fall asleep during important meetings.”

“Stop it!” Ahni said as Kwol was about to retort. “I don’t know why you two can’t just act like adults! This is getting ridiculous! Kwol, I’m upset about Ringo and Tayah just as much as you are, but it’s not y/n’s fault! She wasn’t the one who decided they had to leave, that they couldn’t visit! It’s centuries old traditions! And she didn’t want to take them from us, that's why she waited so long!”

“Thank you, Ahni-“

“I’m not done! You, y/n, need to understand how much he’s hurting! His children, the very beings he created and raised and loved, were taken from him! He doesn’t even get to comm them, let alone visit them!”

You and Kwol were both silent, exchanging glances before looking at Ahni. She was mad, and she rarely got mad. 

“Sorry, Ahni,” you said.

“Yeah, sorry, love.”

“Fix yourselves before you apologize to me,” she said, standing up and leaving the room. You looked at Kwol and you knew that nothing was going to get resolved tonight, you could tell by the look on his face.

“Where are you going?” He asked as you stood up.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, king boy.”

“She said to fix ourselves!” He called after you as you left.

“That’s what I’m doing!” You yelled back.

You wandered away, deciding to spend the rest of your day meditating and training. Sitting under your tree, you tried to clear your mind as best as possible. The day had barely started a mere few hours ago and you had already had an awful one. Between waking up and getting sick, to the constant fighting with Kwol, this trip was nothing how you’d imagined it would be. 

After you meditated and ate lunch, you decided to practice some of the more “peaceful” fighting techniques. As a child, you’d never enjoyed them, finding the long and exaggerated movements to be useless and boring. Codo had always tried to explain how they helped to ground you, but as you were young, you’d never quite listened. Now, however, you realized how important they were. In a sense, they were a form of meditation. 

As you practiced, you let your eyes fall shut as you imagined a different scene. You were fighting alongside your men, running towards the Separatist droids. Sans was by your side, followed by Hex and Steele. They shouted excitedly, energizing your men as you headed towards the battle. You swung your saber elegantly, protecting your men from the incoming blaster shots. You jumped and spun around, destroying as many droids as you could. You engaged in a lightsaber duel with Dooku, and knocked his sabers from his grasp. You took him as prisoner, back to Coruscant where he was jailed with no way of receiving help or rescue. The war ended, and you got your peaceful life with Echo. You had a family, as did Fives and Shaak Ti, and Aayla and Bly. Your children grew up as best friends, being the best cousins they could. Fives was surprisingly a great and responsible babysitter, at least that’s what you imagined. His goofy personality would be won over by a child in seconds. If they happened to be force sensitive, you, Shaak, and Aayla would train your kids in the ways of the Jedi. If not, their fathers would train them to protect themselves. 

As you daydreamed and trained, a presence had entered the room. You didn’t acknowledge them until you decided you’d spent enough time in your dream world. Opening your eyes, you saw Ahnimaka sitting on the floor, an admiring look in her eyes.

“You've always been so elegant,” she said while standing. “You truly are a beautiful Jedi. I can only hope my children are the same.”

“You only see my beautiful side. There’s often a lot more violence and blood,” you countered.

“But I don’t know that, because I’ve never seen it. Don’t ruin my imagination of you.”

“It’s already ruined,” you said sadly.

“Your image is not ruined. Yes, I’m upset with how you’ve been acting, but I know who you are, y/n.”

“Do you? Do you really?” You asked, taking a step back before turning and walking over to the large windows. “Ahni, you don’t know what I’ve done. Who this war has made me.”

“You’re still the same, y/n.”

“If you truly think that, then you’re blind. Ahni,” you said, turning to meet her gaze. “I’ve killed people. The last mission I was on, I killed someone. Would the y/n you know kill someone?”

“Yes,” she responded simply. “If it was necessary, she would. Y/n, we were best friends, we grew up together. I notice things about you that others don’t. Our whole lives, deep down I've known you were born for fighting. You’re a warrior, that’s why I believe the Maker sent you to Dohbar. It’s a warrior planet, like Mandalore once was. You, a warrior princess turned queen. This is in your soul, and the only thing that has changed is you found this part of yourself and brought it to life.”

“Killing people shouldn’t be something I do.”

“But it is, and you have to accept that.” She walked over and gently stroked her thumb over your cheek. “Y/n, you have to accept yourself, because when you do, life will be so much better.”

You sighed and closed your eyes, leaning into her touch while smiling softly.

“You’re mothering me,” you mumbled, earning a light smack on the cheek from her.

“Well, you never had one growing up, so it’s better late than never,” she responded. “Now go, clean up before dinner,” she said, setting her hands on her hips and giving you a mom look.

“I’m taller than you,” you said as you walked past.

“That doesn’t have anything to do with this!”

“Yes it does! You can’t control me!” You called as you walked down the hall. “You have no authority over me!”

Later that night, you stood on your balcony, arms resting on the railing and your chin laying on them. You were quietly watching the sunset, attempting to have a few more moments of peace and relaxation. And you did, until you felt him approach. He was silent, hesitant. He walked up until he was standing beside you, and he watched the sunset with you for a minute before he let out his breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“What happened to us? We used to be best friends, and now we can’t stop fighting,” he said, and you could hear the hurt in his voice.

You’re the one who keeps starting the arguments, is what you wanted to say, but you knew that would only make things worse, so you remained silent.

“I miss you, y/n.”

“I miss you too, Kwol. But I’m not going to take all the blame for this.”

“I’m not asking you to-“

“I know, but just…try to see it my way. I never wanted to take Ringo and Tayah from you, but it wouldn’t be fair to not let them use their abilities.”

“I know. I just wish the Jedi order wasn’t the way it is. I wish I could see them. I wish I could see you.”

“You do get to see me,” you said, turning to face him finally. 

“You know what I mean, y/n. We’re supposed to be king and queen alongside each other. Kriff, I don’t even know when the last time I heard you laugh was.” It fell silent between you two again. You didn’t know how to respond. You both desperately missed your friendship, but everything seemed to be getting in the way. The war kept you from coming home, and everything with the twins was driving you apart.

“We promised to always be there for each other, to be best friends,” he said, barely above a whisper. His words struck something in you, and you couldn’t help the tears that fell. You looked at him and saw his own tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Kwol,” you breathed out, reaching forward to wrap him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight as you both let your emotions go.

“When will you come back to me? To us?” He asked, pulling apart to meet your gaze. “When will you be Queen y/n Monako again?”

“I don’t know,” you said, looking down. “But I don’t want to be her.”

“Who do you want to be?”

“Y/n Jinn. The Jedi master and General.”

He was silent for a minute before he responded again, saying his words slowly.

“And she’s not my best friend, is she?”

“You know I’d do anything and everything for you, Kwol,” you said, resting a hand on his cheek to lift up his face.

“But you’re not the woman I grew up with anymore,” he said, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. You’re stronger now, smarter. You’re brave, and fearless. I’m nothing but proud of you.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?” You asked quietly.

“Because there is. You’re amazing, but I feel like, no, I know I lost you, and I feel like I won’t get you back after the war is over.”

You looked down, and deep inside you knew he was right. Everything inside you wanted to come back after the war, but everything also told you that that wouldn’t be possible. Not if the Republic won. 

“I’ll come home when it’s over.”

“This isn’t your home anymore,” he said sadly.

“What do you mean? Dohbar will always be my home,” you countered.

“No, it’s not anymore. It hasn’t been since the war started. You belong there, out in the galaxy, fighting and returning home, to Coruscant. That’s where your family is. Codo, Echo, the 17th. Dohbar isn’t your home anymore.”

“But you’re my family too! You and Ahni!”

He smiled sadly at you, shaking his head.

“We’re your old family,” he said, “but you’ve found a new one.”

“Kwol��”

“Just…be safe out there.” His words were sincere, and his eyes were pleading. “I can’t lose even more of you.”

“I’ll be safe,” you responded, wiping a tear off his cheek. He closed his eyes and took a grounding breath before reaching up to grab your hand. He pulled you and positioned you so that you were in the same form you’d been on your coronation day.

~~~

You stood in your room, staring at yourself in the mirror. Only just the other day, the palace was attacked and the king and queen were killed. The people who were supposed to be your parents, your role models. Gone before you were ready. And now, what would become of your Jedi duties? You were barely a Jedi knight, and now you were being thrust into ruling a kingdom. At 24, you didn’t know if you could do it.

“Hey,” a voice said behind you. You watched in the mirror as Kwol approached, setting a hand on your shoulder. “I’m nervous too.”

“I don’t want to do this,” you whispered, looking down. “I don’t want to be Queen.”

“I know. I wanted more time to prepare as well, but this is what we got. We have to make the most of it, for ourselves and for Dohbar.”

“It’s just…so much.”

“I know. But I believe in us, we’re unstoppable!” He said, earning a small laugh from you. “There it is! Maker, I love your laugh, it’s so ugly.”

“Shut up!” You said, jokingly punching his arm. “Don’t forget, you have to marry me.”

“Eugh, don’t remind me,” he said, before his face fell.

“Hey, I really wish we didn’t have to, but…it’s tradition.”

“We’ll see about that,” he mumbled, giving you a wink.

“Kwol, what are you up to?”

“Nothing!” He said defensively.

“You better not make a fool of me, this is my coronation day before it’s yours. I’m the actual royal here.”

“Well, technically you’re not, since you were adopted. I’m closer to royalty than you since I’m actually Dohbarian-“

“Oh, shut it,” you said. 

“Let’s make a promise.”

“A promise?”

“Yeah, a promise,” he confirmed.

“What’s the promise?”

“That we promise we will always be there for each other. To be best friends.”

“I promise, Kwol, that we will always be there for each other. That we will always be best friends.”

“And I too promise, y/n, that we will always be there for each other. That we will always be best friends.”

You grinned at him, jumping forwards into a hug. Suddenly, there was a knock on your door.

“Are you ready, my child?” Codo said as he walked in.

“Let’s get this over with,” you sighed, walking out with Kwol by your side.

You stood on the raised platform in the city square. Thousands of people surrounded you, having come from all across the planet to see your coronation. The railing around the platform matched the balcony railing at the palace. You stood in front of it, the coronator facing the crowd while performing the ceremony. You and Kwol were holding the “royal staff” together, a staff of metal and jewels found only on Dohbar. Your hand was above his, symbolizing your elevated royal status. In his spare hand, he held a traditional Dohbarian sword. In your spare hand, you held the crown of Dohbar. 

“And, finally, we will end the ceremony by uniting King Kwol Barren and Queen Y/n Jinn in marriage-“

“No,” Kwol interrupted, turning his head to meet the coronator’s eyes. “I am not going to marry Queen Jinn. She is my very best friend, but I cannot live a lie. I cannot love her as my wife.”

“Kwol,” you said warningly.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. There is only one woman that I would ever marry.” Kwol’s eyes looked behind you to meet Ahnimaka’s form. As your closest handmaiden, you had chosen her to stand by your side during the coronation. “Ahnimaka Caree,” he said, and you stepped aside so he could approach her, “I have loved you from a young age. I have dreamed of the day I marry you, the day we have a family. I have wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms every night, falling asleep with you. You are the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, and I knew from the moment I found out what love was, that it’s how I felt for you. My beloved Ahni,” he said, kneeling down and grabbing her hand, “I want you to be the woman to marry me.”

You watched as tears streamed down her face. She was your other best friend, the other one you had grown up with. She was a sister to you, and you loved each other so much. Your heart swelled for the two of them, knowing just how in love they were. She looked up to meet your gaze, a question lingering in her eyes.

Can I say yes? is what she was silently asking. A wide grin split your face, and you nodded.

“Oh, Kwol!” She said, wrapping her arms around him. He stood up, picking her off the ground as he did. There were cheers and claps from the crowd below you, and you yourself couldn’t help but do a little celebratory fist pump at the two.

“T-this is highly unusual,” the coronator said.

“Well, lucky for you, I read the coronation book. It said that there must always be a royal wedding that takes place, but it never specified that it had to be between the king and queen, only insinuated,” Kwol explained. “This is to be the royal wedding, but we will have a proper ceremony later. This is only the formal one.”

“I…can’t deny you this,” the coronator said, sounding slightly defeated. “This is certainly a change.”

“Don’t worry, a lot of things are going to change around here with us in power.”

“Yes, and the first official business will be us joining the Republic,” you declared.

“Join the Republic?” The coronator asked in a disbelieving tone. “But King and Queen Monako despised the Republic!”

“Well, we’re not King and Queen Monako, are we?” You said.

“Well, you are technically Queen Monako,” Kwol pointed out before quickly adding, “but not the same Queen Monako.”

“You’re right, we’re new, we have fresh ideas and views. A lot of the old is going to leave. We will become more modern, we will expand in a way that is new to Dohbar, but will be beneficial in the end,” you said, turning back to address the crowd. More cheers and clapping erupted, and you couldn’t help but feel your worry slip away. “We are King Kwol Barren and Queen Y/n Monako, and we will rule Dohbar to the best of our abilities, or may the ancient Dohbarian god Pelqua strike us down!”

As the crowd cheered, Kwol leaned over to whisper in your ear.

“You know only crazy people still worship the ancient gods, right?”

“Yeah, but you see how excited they are, don’t you?”

“You always were one for making the crowds cheer,” he laughed.

You stood proudly by the side of your best friends, looking out at the people. Your people.

~~~

“Look at us now,” Kwol said, imitating holding the royal staff and traditional Dohbarian sword. “We’ve come so far, done so much good for our people, all while by each other’s side.”

“It’s always been when we work best,” you agreed.

“Then let’s stop fighting, and work together,” he said, looking into your eyes.

“Okay,” you smiled, pulling him in for another hug.

“Welcome home, y/n,” he mumbled into you.

Home. The one place you couldn’t figure out where it was.

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