Song: âAltamaha-Haâ â Olivier Devriviere & Stacey Subero
Setting: Kamino, pre-Clone Wars, training the clone commanders
A/N - I thought I would give the clones some motherly love because they absolutely deserve it.
âž»
Arrival
Kamino was a graveyard floating on water. Not one built from bones or tombstones, but of silence and steel, of sterile white walls and cloned futures.
You arrived at dawnâor what passed for dawn here, beneath an endless, thunderstruck sky. The rain hit your Beskar like a thousand tiny fists, relentless and cold. There was no welcome party. No ceremony. Just a hangar platform soaked in wind and spray, and one familiar silhouette waiting for you like a ghost from your past.
âDidnât think youâd come,â Jango Fett said, arms crossed, armor dulled by salt and time.
âYou asked,â you answered, stepping off the transport. âAnd Mandalorians donât abandon their own.â
He gave a small, tired nod. âThis place⊠itâs not what I wanted it to be.â
You followed him through the elevated corridors, your bootfalls echoing alongside his. You passed clone infants in incubation podsâunmoving, unawareâlined up like products, not people. Your throat tightened.
âKaminoans see them as assets,â he muttered. âNothing more.â
You scowled. âAnd you?â
Jango didnât answer.
You didnât need him to. That was why you were here.
âž»
Training the Future Commanders
They were just boys.
Tiny, sharp-eyed, disciplinedâbut boys nonetheless. They saluted when they saw you, confused by your armor, your presence, your refusal to speak in the Kaminoan-approved tone.
âAre you another handler?â one askedâCody, maybe, even then with that skeptical glare.
âNo,â you replied, removing your helmet, letting your war-worn face meet theirs. âIâm a warrior. And Iâm here to make you warriors. The kind Kamino canât mold. The kind no one can break.â
At first, they didnât trust you. Fox flinched when you corrected his form. Bly mimicked your movements but refused eye contact. Rex tried to impress you too much, like a pup desperate to please.
But over time, that changed.
You didnât teach them like the Kaminoans did. You taught them like they mattered. Every mistake was a lesson. Every success, a celebration. You learned their quirksâhow Wolffe grumbled when he was nervous, how Cody chewed the inside of his cheek when strategizing, how Bly stared too long at the sky, longing for something even he couldnât name.
They grew under your care. They grew into theirs.
And somewhere along the line, the title changed.
âBuir,â Rex said one day, barely a whisper.
You froze.
âSorry,â he added quickly, flustered. âI didnât meanââ
But you crouched and ruffled his hair, voice thick. âNo. I like it.â
After that, the name stuck.
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The Way You Loved Them
You taught them how to fight, yes. But also how to think, how to feel. You made them memorize the stars, not just coordinates. You forced them to sit in circles and talk when they lost a training simâwhy they failed, what it meant.
âYou are not cannon fodder,â you said once, your voice carrying through the sparring hall. âYou are sons of Mandalore. You are mine. You will not die for a Republic that wonât mourn you. You will survive. Together.â
They believed you. And because they believed, they began to believe in themselves.
âž»
Singing in the Dark
Late at night, when the Kaminoans powered down the lights and the labs buzzed quiet, you slipped into the barracks. They were small again in those momentsâcurled under grey blankets, limbs tangled, some still holding training rifles in their sleep.
You never planned to sing. It started one night when Bly woke from a nightmare, gasping for air, tears clinging to his lashes. You held him, like a childâbecause he was oneâand without thinking, you sang.
âSlumber, child, slumber, and dream, dream, dream
Let the river carry you back to me
Dream, my baby, 'cause
Mama will be there in the mornin'â
The melody, foreign and low, drifted over the bunks like a lullaby born from the sea itself. It wasnât Mandalorian. It was older. From your mother, perhaps, or her mother before her. It didnât matter.
Soon, the others began to stir at the soundâsome sitting up, listening. Some quietly pretending to still be asleep.
You sang to them until the rain outside became less frightening. Until their eyes closed again.
And after that, you kept doing it.
âž»
The Warning
âDonât get in their way,â Jango warned one night as you stood by the viewing glass, watching your boys spar in the simulator below. âThe Kaminoans. They wonât like it.â
âThey already donât,â you muttered. âIâve seen the way they talk about them. Subjects. Tests. Like theyâre things.â
âThey are things to them,â he said. âAnd if you make too much noise, youâll be the next thing they discard.â
You turned to face him, cold fury in your chest. âThen let them try.â
He didnât push further. Maybe because he knewâdeep downâhe couldnât stop you either.
âž»
Kamino was all rain and repetition. It pounded the platform windows like war drums, never letting up, a constant rhythm that seeped into the bones. But inside the training complex, your boysâyour commandersâwere becoming weapons. And they were doing it with teeth bared.
You ran them hard. Harder than the Kaminoans wouldâve allowed. You forced them to fight one-on-one until they bled, then patch each other up. You made them run drills in full gear until even Fox, the most stubborn of them, nearly passed out. But you also cooked for them when they succeeded. You gave them downtime when they earned it. You let them joke, laugh, fight like brothers.
And they were brothers. Every one of them.
âYou hit like a Jawa,â Neyo grunted, dodging a blow from Bacara.
âAt least I donât look like one,â Bacara shot back, swinging his training staff with a grunt.
The others laughed from the sidelines. Cody leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, smirking. Rex and Fox were trading bets in whispers.
âCredits on Neyo,â Bly muttered, grinning. âHeâs wiry.â
âYouâre all idiots,â Wolffe growled. âBacaraâs been waiting to punch him since last week.â
You let them have their moment. You sat on the edge of the platform, helmet off, watching them like a mother bird daring anyone to touch her nest.
The sparring match turned fast. Bacara landed a hit to Neyoâs ribsâbut Neyo pivoted and brought his staff down hard across Bacaraâs knee. There was a loud crack. Bacara cried out and dropped.
The laughter died.
You were at his side in an instant, shouting for a med droid even as you crouched beside him, checking his leg. His face was twisted in pain, jaw clenched to keep from crying out again.
âItâs just a fracture,â the Kaminoan tech said from above, indifferent. âHeâll heal.â
You glared up at them. âHeâs not just a number. Heâs a kid.â
âThey are notââ
âHe is mine,â you snapped, standing between Bacara and the tech. âAnd if I hear one more word from your sterile little mouth, I will see how fast you bleed.â
The Kaminoan backed away.
You turned back to Bacara, softer now. Your hand brushed the sweat from his brow.
âDeep breaths, cyarâika. Youâre alright.â
He tried to speak, teeth gritted. âIâmâfine.â
âNo, youâre not,â you said gently, voice warm but firm. âAnd you donât have to pretend for me.â
The other boys were quiet. They had seen broken bones, sure. But not softness like this. Not someone kneeling beside one of them with care in her eyes.
You stayed by Bacaraâs side while the medics patched him up. You held his hand when they set the bone, and he let you.
Later, when he was tucked into his bunk with his leg in a brace, you sat beside him and hummed. Just softly. The rain tapping the window, your voice somewhere between a lullaby and a promise.
He didnât cry. But he did sleep.
âž»
You didnât just teach them how to fight. You taught them how to liveâhow to survive.
You made them argue tactical problems around a dinner table. You made them learn each otherâs tellsâso they could watch each otherâs backs on the battlefield. You made them memorize where the Kaminoans kept the override chips, in case something ever went wrong.
You never said why, but they trusted you.
And sometimes, theyâd tease one another just to make you laugh.
âYouâre so slow, Wolffe,â Bly groaned, flopping onto the floor after a run. âItâs like watching a Star Destroyer try to jog.â
âYou want to say that to my face?â Wolffe growled, looming.
âNo thanks,â Bly wheezed. âMy ribs still remember last week.â
Fox tossed him a ration bar. âEat up, drama queen.â
Rex smirked. âYouâre all mouth, Fox.â
âI will end you, rookie.â
âBoys,â you interrupted, raising a brow. âIf you have enough energy to whine, I clearly didnât run you hard enough.â
Groans. Laughter. Playful swearing.
âTen more laps,â you added, smiling.
Cries of âNooo, buir!â echoed down the corridor.
âž»
When You Sang
Sometimes they asked for it. Sometimes they didnât need to.
The song came when things were too quietâafter a nightmare, after a long day, after theyâd lost a spar or a brother.
Youâd walk between their bunks, singing low as the rain hit the glass.
âLast night under bright strange stars
We left behind the men that caged you and me
Runnin' toward a promise land
Mama will be there in the mornin'â
Theyâd pretend not to be listening. But youâd see itâthe way Rexâs fists unclenched, how Neyoâs brow relaxed, how Wolffe finally let himself close his eyes.
You knew, deep down, you were raising boys for slaughter.
But youâd be damned if they didnât feel loved before they went.
âž»
The sterile corridors of Tipoca City echoed beneath your boots. Even when the halls were silent, you could feel the Kaminoansâ eyesâwatchful, cold, and calculating. They didnât like you here. Not anymore.
When youâd first arrived, brought in under Jangoâs word and credentials, theyâd accepted your presence as a utilityâan expert warrior to train the Alpha batch. But lately? You were a complication. You cared too much.
And they didnât like complications.
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The Meeting
You stood at attention in front of Lama Su and Taun We. The pale lights above made your armor gleam. You didnât bow. You didnât smile.
âYou were observed interfering with medical protocol,â Lama Su said, his voice devoid of emotion. âThis is not within your designated parameters.â
âOne of my boys was hurt,â you said flatly.
âHe is a clone. Replaceable. As they all are.â
Your fists curled at your sides.
âDo not forget your role,â Lama Su continued. âYour methods are not standard. Excessive independence. Emotional entanglement. Your presence disrupts efficiency.â
You stepped forward, slowly, deliberately. âYou want soldiers whoâll die for you. Iâm giving you soldiers whoâll choose to fight. Thereâs a difference. One that matters.â
There was a pause, then:
âYou were not created for this program,â Lama Su said with quiet disapproval. âDo not overestimate your position.â
You didnât respond.
You simply turned and walked out.
âž»
He was waiting for you in the observation room overlooking Training Sector 3. The boys were down thereâCody and Fox were running scenario drills, Rex was lining up shots on a target range, Bly was tossing insults at Neyo while dodging training droids.
They didnât see you. But watching them moved something fierce and dangerous in your chest.
Jango spoke without looking at you. âTheyâre getting strong.â
âTheyâre getting better,â you corrected.
He turned to face you, arms folded, helm clipped to his belt. âYouâre making them soft.â
You scoffed. âYou donât believe that.â
A beat. âNo,â he admitted. âBut the Kaminoans do.â
You shrugged. âLet them.â
âYouâre pissing them off.â
You turned your head, met his gaze with something sharp and sad in your eyes. âThey treat these kids like hardware. Tools. Like youâre the only one who matters.â
âI am the template,â he said, with a ghost of a smile.
âTheyâre more than your copies,â you said. âTheyâre people.â
Jango studied you for a long moment. Then his voice dropped. âTheyâre going to start pushing back, ner vod. On you. Hard.â
You looked back down at the boys. Bacara was limping slightlyâstill healingâbut still trying to prove himself.
You exhaled slowly, then said, âIâm not leaving.â
âTheyâll make you.â
âNot until theyâre ready.â
Jango shook his head. âThat might never happen.â
You glanced at him. âThen I guess Iâm staying forever.â
âž»
That night, you sang again.
You walked through the bunks, slow and steady. The boys were half-asleepâworn out from drills, bandaged, bruised, but safe. Their expressions softened when you passed by. Neyo, usually tense, had his arms thrown over his head in peaceful surrender. Bly was snoring into his pillow. Bacaraâs fingers were still wrapped around the edge of his blanket, leg elevated, but his face was calm.
You stood at the center of the dorm, lowered your voice, and sang like the sea itself had whispered the melody to you.
âTrust nothin' and no one in this strange, strange land
Be a mouse and do not use your voice
River tore us apart, but I'm not too far 'cause
Mama will be there in thĐ” mornin'â
Somewhere behind you, a voice murmured, âWeâre glad you didnât leave, buir.â
You didnât turn to see who said it.
You just kept singing.
âž»
They didnât even look you in the eye when they handed you the dismissal.
Lama Suâs voice was as flat and clinical as ever. âYour assignment to the training program is concluded, effective immediately. A transport will arrive within the hour.â
No discussion. No room for argument. Just sterile words and sterile reasoning.
âWhy?â you asked, though you already knew.
Taun Weâs expression didnât change. âYour attachment to the clones is counterproductive. It encourages instability. Disobedience.â
You laughed bitterly. âDisobedience? Theyâd die for you, and you donât even know their names.â
âYouâve served your purpose.â
You stepped forward. âNo. I havenât. Theyâre not ready.â
âThey are sufficient for combat deployment.â
You stared at them, ice in your veins. âSufficient,â you repeated. âYou mean disposable.â
âYou are dismissed.â
âž»
You packed slowly.
Your hands were steady, but your heart roared like it used to back on Mandalore, in the heart of battle. That same ache. That same helplessness, standing in front of something too big to fight, and realizing you still had to try.
You left behind your bunk, your wall of messy holos and scraps of training reports scrawled in shorthand. You left behind a half-written lullaby tucked under your cot. But you took your armor.
You always took your armor.
You were nearly done when a voice cut through the door.
âCan I come in?â
It was Cody.
You didnât turn around. âDoorâs open.â
He stepped in quietly, glancing around the room like it was sacred ground. You saw his hands twitch slightlyâhe never fidgeted. But tonight, he was restless.
âThey told us you were leaving,â he said, almost like it wasnât real until he said it out loud. âWhy?â
âBecause I care too much,â you said simply.
Cody sat down on your footlocker, elbows on his knees. His eyes were dark, searching.
âWhat happens to us now?â
You finally looked at him. Really looked. He was trying to hold it together. He always had toâhe was the eldest in a way, the natural leader. But underneath it, you saw the boy. The child.
âAre we ready?â he asked.
You walked over and sat beside him, your shoulder brushing his.
âNo,â you said. âYouâre not.â
That hit him harder than comfort might have.
âBut,â you added, âyouâre as ready as you can be. Youâve got the training. The instincts. Youâve got each other.â
Cody was quiet for a long time. Then, softly: âIâm scared.â
You nodded. âGood. So was I. Every time I stepped onto a battlefield, I was scared.â
His eyes flicked to you in surprise.
You gave a soft huff of breath. âYou think Mandalorians donât feel fear? We feel it more. We just learn to carry it.â
He looked down. âWhat was your war like?â
You leaned back slightly, staring at the ceiling.
âI fought on the burning sands of Sundariâs borders, in the mines, the wastelands. Iâve lost friends to blade and blaster, to poison and betrayal. Iâve heard the war drums shake the skies and still gone forward, knowing Iâd never see the next sunrise. And when it was overâŠâ You paused, bitter. âThe warriors were banished.â
Cody frowned. âBanished?â
You nodded. âThe new regimeâpacifists. Duchess Satine. She took the throne, and we were cast off. Sent to the moon. All the heroes of Mandalore⊠left behind like rusted armor.â
âThatâs not fair.â
âNo,â you agreed. âBut thatâs war. You donât always get a homecoming.â
He was silent, digesting it.
Then you said, more gently, âBut you do get to decide who you are in it. And after it. If thereâs an after.â
Codyâs voice cracked just a little. âYou were our home.â
You turned to him, and for the first time, let him see the tears brimming in your eyes. âYou still are.â
You pulled him into a hugâtight, armor creaking, like the world might tear you both apart if you let go.
âž»
You walked through the training hall one last time. Your boys were all there, lined up, watching you.
Silent.
Even the Kaminoans didnât stop you from speaking.
You met each pair of eyesâWolffe, Fox, Rex, Bacara, Neyo, Bly, Cody.
âMy warriors,â you said softly, âyou were never mine to keep. But you were mine to love. And you still are.â
You stepped forward, placed your hand on Codyâs shoulder, then moved down the line, touching each one like a prayer.
âBe strong. Be smart. Be good to each other. And remember: no matter what anyone says⊠you are not property. You are brothers.â
You left without turning back.
Because if you didâyou wouldnât have left at all.
Part 2
âž»
She wasnât just their trainer. She was the trainer. The hard-ass Mandalorian bounty hunter who whipped the clone cadets into shape, showed them how to survive, and maybe, quietly, showed them something like love.
They werenât supposed to fall for her.
She wasnât supposed to leave.
But they did. And she did.
Now sheâs backâin chains. On trial. And neither of them has forgiven her. But neither of them has stopped feeling, either.
âž»
Wolffe was gone.
Off to a frontline somewhere, chasing a ghost on someone elseâs leash. He hadnât said goodbye. Just stood in her cell, said her name like it tasted like blood, and left.
She told herself it didnât sting.
Told herself that right up until the door hissed open again.
This time, it was him.
Fox.
She felt him before she saw himâevery hair on the back of her neck standing at attention. She didnât lift her head until she heard the soft clink of his boots on the duracrete.
âYou always did have the heaviest damn footsteps.â
No answer.
Just the soft hum of the ray shield between them and the weight of six years of unfinished conversations.
She sat back against the wall of her cell, tilting her head to study him through the barrier. âYou used to take your helmet off when you saw me.â
Fox didnât move.
âYou smiled, too,â she added. âEven blushed once.â
Still nothing.
She leaned forward. âWhy donât you take it off now, Fox? Scared Iâll see what I did to you?â
That one hit.
His shoulders shifted. Just enough.
âI loved you both,â she said, voice softer. âYou and Wolffe. It wasnât just training. You know that.â
âYou walked away.â
âI had to.â
âNo,â Fox said, voice hard behind the visor. âYou chose to. We needed you. And you ran.â
He stepped closer to the shield.
âYou trained us to survive, to lead, to kill. You were everything. You looked at us like we were people before anyone else ever did. And then you were gone. No note. No goodbye. Just gone.â
She stood now. Toe to toe with him on opposite sides of the shield.
âDonât pretend like it was easy for me.â
âIâm not pretending anything,â Fox bit out. âBut every time I close my eyes, I see the cadet barracks. I see you, pulling us out of bed, making us fight through mud and stun blasts and live fire. And every time I put this helmet on, I remember the woman who made me who I am.â
âAnd you hate her now?â
âNo,â he said, almost too quiet.
âI wish I did.â
The silence between them wasnât emptyâit was heavy, loud, aching.
Then the lights flickered. Once. Twice.
Foxâs helmet snapped up.
âYou planning something?â he demanded.
She blinked, surprised. âNot me.â
An explosion rocked the building.
Fox swore and turned toward the hallâtoo late.
The backup power cut in, and the shield between them dropped.
She moved first.
Elbow. Throat. Disarm.
Fox recovered instantly. Mandalorian training burned into his bonesâher training.
They fought dirty. Brutal. No flourish. No wasted motion. Just rage and history and sweat.
He slammed her into the wall, forearm to her neck. âDonâtââ
She headbutted him. âToo late.â
He threw her to the ground. She rolled, kicked out, caught his knee. He staggered. She was up in an instant, swinging.
He caught her wrist. âYou left us.â
She broke the hold, breathless. âAnd you never stopped loving me.â
That cracked him.
She tackled him.
They hit the floor hard.
His helmet came loose, skittering across the ground.
And for a heartbeatâ
There he was.
Fox.
Red-faced. Bloodied lip. Eyes blazing with pain and love and fury.
He flipped her. Pinned her down.
âThis is what you wanted?â he growled. âTo be hunted? To fight me?â
âNo,â she whispered. âBut Iâm not dying in a cell.â
Her elbow caught his jaw. He reeled. She moved fast, straddling him, fist raisedâ
And paused.
Just for a second.
He looked up at her like she was the sun and the storm.
So she closed her fist.
And knocked him out cold.
âž»
She ran.
Again.
Bleeding. Gasping. Free.
But not the same.
Not anymore.
Because this time, she left something behind.
And it wasnât just her past.
It was him.
âž»
(Flashback - Kamino)
It was raining.
Then again, it was always raining on Kamino.
She stood in the simulation room, arms crossed, helmet tucked under one arm, a long line of adolescent clones in front of her. Twelve cadets. Identical on the outside. Nervous. Curious. Eager.
She hated this part. The part where they still looked like kids.
She paced down the line like a wolf sizing up prey. They were still, silent, disciplined.
Good.
But she could already see itâthe cracks, the personality slipping through despite their efforts to appear identical. That one on the end with the defiant chin tilt. The one in the middle hiding a limp. The one watching her like he already didnât trust her.
She knew it the second they marched inâtwelve cadets, lean and lethal for their age. Sharper than the usual shinies. These werenât grunts-in-the-making. These were the Commanders. The ones Kaminoâs high brass whispered about like they were investments more than soldiers.
She smirked. âYou all have CT numbers. Serial designations. Statistics.â
No one spoke.
She dropped her helmet onto a nearby crate and leaned forward. âThatâs not enough for me.â
Eyes tracked her, alert.
âYou want to earn my respect? You survive this program, you get through my gauntlet? You donât just get to be soldiers. You get to be people. And people need names.â
A flicker of something passed between themâconfusion, curiosity, maybe even hope.
âBut I donât hand them out like sweets. Names have weight. Youâll earn yours. One by one.â
She paused.
âAnd I wonât name you like some shiny ARC trainer handing out joke callsigns for laughs. Your name will be the first thing someone hears before they die. Make it count.â
âYou survive my program, youâll earn a name,â she said. âA real one. Something from the old worlds. Something that means something. Not because you need a nickname to feel specialâbecause names have teeth. They bite. They leave a scar.â
The silence was sharp. But the room listened.
The first week nearly broke them.
She saw it in their bruised knuckles, in the fire behind their eyes. None of them quit.
So she came in holding a data slate. Her list.
âCT-2224,â she said, nodding to the clone who was always coordinating, always calm under fire. âIâm calling you Cody.â
A pause.
âNamed after an old soldier from history. Scout, tactician, survivor. He fought under another manâs flag but always kept his own code. You? Youâll know when to follow and when to break the chain.â
CT-2224 tilted his chin, something like pride in his eyes.
âCT-1004,â she called next. âGree.â
He quirked a brow.
âNamed after an Astronomer. A mind ahead of his time. You like to challenge the rules. You think differently. Thatâll get you killedâor itâll save your whole damn battalion. Your call.â
He smirked.
âCT-6052,â she said, turning to the one with the fastest draw in the sim tests. âBly.â
âBly?â he echoed.
âNamed after a naval officer. Brutal. Unrelenting. Survived mutinies and shipwrecks. Your squad will challenge you someday. Youâll either lead them through the stormâor end up alone.â
He went quiet.
âCT-1138.â She stepped toward the quietest of the bunch. âBacara.â
That got his attention.
âNameâs from an old warrior sect,â she said. âReal bastard in the heat of battle. No fear, no hesitation. Youâve got that in youâbut youâll need something to tether you. Rage alone wonât get you far.â
âCT-8826,â she barked. âNeyo.â
He didnât flinch.
âNamed after a colonial general in a lost war. Known for precision and cruelty in equal measure. You fight with cold logic. Thatâs useful. But one day itâs going to cost you something you didnât know you valued.â
His stare didnât break.
She nodded to herself.
Then she stopped in front of CT-1010.
This one was different. Always stepping in front of the others. Always first into the fire.
âYou,â she said. âYouâre Fox.â
He tilted his head. Curious. Suspicious.
âNot the animal,â she said. âThe man. He tried to blow up a corrupt regime. People remember him as a traitor. But he died for what he believed in. He wanted to burn the world down so something better could rise.â
Fox looked at her like he wasnât sure whether to be proud or afraid.
Good.
And finallyâ
CT-3636.
She exhaled. Quiet.
âYouâre Wolffe. Spelled with two fâs.â
He arched a brow.
âYou ever heard of General Wolffe? He died leading a battle he won. Knew it would kill him. Did it anyway. Thatâs who you are. Youâd die for the ones you lead. But youâre not just a soldier. Youâre a ghost in the making. You see things the others donât.â
Something flickered across Wolffeâs expression. Not quite gratitude. Not yet. But something personal. Something deep.
She stepped back and looked at them all.
âYouâre not just commanders now. Youâre names with weight. Remember where they come from. Because somedayâsomeoneâs going to ask.â
She didnât say why she chose those names.
But Fox knew.
And Wolffe⊠Wolffe felt it like a blade between his ribs.
âž»
That night, neither of them slept.
Fox sat on his bunk, staring at the nameplate freshly etched on his chest armor.
Wolffe couldnât stop replaying the sound of her voice, the precision of her words.
It wasnât just what she called them.
It was how she saw them.
Not clones.
Not numbers.
Men.
And in that momentâbefore war, before death, before heartbreakâboth of them realized something:
They would have followed her anywhere.
âž»
âTarget last seen heading westbound on foot. Sheâs injured,â Thornâs voice snapped through the comms, sharp and clear as a vibroblade. âBleeding. She wonât get far.â
Commander Fox didnât respond right away.
He didnât need to.
He was already movingâboots pounding against ferrocrete, crimson armor flashing in the underglow of gutter lights. His DC-17s were hot. Loaded. Heâd cleared the last alley by himself. Found the blood trail smeared across a rusted wall. Confirmed it wasnât fresh. Confirmed she was smart enough to double back.
Foxâs jaw tensed behind the helmet. That voice. That memory. He hated that it still echoed.
He hated what sheâd made him feel back thenâwhat she still made him feel now.
âShe was ours,â Thorn said suddenly, voice low on a private channel. âShe trained us. Named us. And now sheâsââ
âA liability,â Fox snapped.
A pause.
Then Thorn said, âSo are you.â
Sheâd been moving for thirty-six hours straight.
Blood caked her gloves. Her ribs were cracked. One eye nearly swollen shut. And stillâstillâsheâd smiled when she saw the Guard flooding the streets for her.
âMiss me, boys?â she whispered, ducking into an old speeder lot, sliding through a maintenance tunnel like sheâd been born in the underworld.
Fox was five minutes behind her. Thorn was closer.
She was running out of time.
So she did what she swore she wouldnât.
She pressed a long-dead frequency into her wrist comm and whispered:
âYou still owe me.â
âž»
Fox was waiting for her at the extraction point.
He stood in front of the old freight elevator. Helmet on. Blaster raised. Shoulders squared. He hadnât spoken in five minutes. Hadnât moved in ten.
When she limped into view, he didnât aim. Not yet.
âYouâre bleeding,â he said, voice flat.
âYouâre still wearing your helmet,â she rasped.
He didnât answer.
âWhy?â she asked. âWhy donât you ever take it off anymore?â
That hit something.
He didnât move, but the silence that followed was heavier than armor.
âYou think if you bury the man I trained, the one I named, then maybe you donât have to feel what you felt?â she asked, stepping closer. âOr maybeâmaybe you think the helmet will stop you from loving the woman youâre supposed to kill.â
Fox raised his blaster.
âIâm not that man anymore.â
âAnd Iâm not the woman who left you behind,â she said.
Then she charged him.
They hit the ground hard.
She drove her elbow into his side, but he blocked itâtwistedâslammed her onto the deck. She kicked his knee, flipped him over, caught a glimpse of his face beneath the shifting helmet sealâeyes wild. Angry. Broken.
Their fight wasnât clean. It wasnât choreographed.
It was personal.
Every strike was a memory. Every chokehold a betrayal.
She got the upper handâuntil Fox caught her wrist, yanked her forward, and headbutted her hard enough to split her lip.
âStay down,â he growled.
But she was already back on her feet, staggering.
âYou first.â
She lunged. He met her.
For one second, he nearly won.
And thenâ
The roar of repulsors screamed overhead.
A shipâlow and meanâswooped in like a vulture. Slave I.
Foxâs head snapped up.
From the cockpit, Boba Fett gave a two-fingered salute.
From the ramp, Bossk snarled: âHurry up, darlinâ. Weâre on a timer.â
She spun, landed one final kick to Foxâs side, and leapt.
He caught her footâjust for a second.
Their eyes locked.
She whispered, âYouâll have to be faster than that, Commander.â
Foxâs grip slipped.
She vanished into the belly of the ship.
The ship shot skyward, cutting between the towers of Coruscant, gone in a blink.
Fox lay back on the duracrete, chest heaving, blood in his mouth.
Thornâs voice crackled in his comm:
âYou get her?â
Fox didnât answer.
He just stared at the sky, helmet still on, and muttered:
âNext time.â
âž»
The hum of hyperspace thrummed through her ribs like a heartbeat she hadnât trusted in years.
She sat on the edge of the med-bench, wiping blood from her mouth, cheek split open from Foxâs headbutt. Boba threw her a rag without looking.
âYou look like shab.â
She gave a low, painful laugh. âBetter than dead. Thanks for the pickup.â
Boba didnât answer right away. He just leaned back in the co-pilotâs chair, helmet off, arms crossed over his chest like a teenager who wasnât quite ready to say what he meant.
âYou couldâve called sooner, you know,â he finally muttered. âWouldâve come faster.â
âI know,â she said, quiet.
Bosk snorted from the cockpit. âSentimental karkinâ clones. Always needinâ someone to save their shebs.â
She ignored him.
Boba didnât. âStow it, lizard.â
After a beat, he glanced back at her. âYouâre not going back, are you?â
She didnât answer.
âYou should stay,â Boba said. âThe crewâs solid. And youâre⊠you were like an older sister. On Kamino. When it was just me and those cold halls. You didnât treat me like a copy.â
That one hit her like a vibroblade to the gut.
âI couldnât stand seeing your face,â she admitted. âAll I saw was Jango.â
He looked away. âYeah. Well⊠I am him.â
She stood, stepped over to him, and rested a bruised hand on his shoulder.
âYouâre better. You got his spine, his stubbornness. But youâve got your own code, too. Jango⊠Jango wouldâve left me behind if it suited him. You didnât.â
He looked at her, lip twitching. âYeah, well. You trained half the commanders in the GAR. You think I was about to let Fox be the one to kill you?â
She smirked. âSentimental.â
He rolled his eyes. âShut up.â
She moved toward the ramp. âThank you, Boba. But I canât stay.â
âYou donât have to run forever.â
âNo,â she said, voice thick. âJust long enough to finish what I started.â
And with that, she slipped through the rear hatch, into the wind, into whatever system they dropped her in next.
âž»
Wolffe stood silent, arms folded, helmet tucked under one arm. Thorn sat across from him, jaw tight, armor scraped and bloodied.
Plo Koon entered without fanfare, his robes trailing dust from the Outer Rim.
âYou two look like youâve seen a ghost,â the Kel Dor said mildly.
âShe might as well be,â Thorn muttered.
âWe had her,â Wolffe said. âFox did. And she slipped through his fingers.â
Plo regarded them both for a long moment.
âI assume there is tension because Fox and Thorn were in charge of the op?â
Wolffeâs jaw tightened.
Thorn spoke first. âSheâs dangerous. Sheâs working with bounty hunters now. Itâs only a matter of time before she turns that knife toward the Republic.â
âPerhaps,â Plo murmured, folding his hands. âOr perhaps she is a wounded soldier, betrayed by the very people she once called vode.â
Wolffeâs shoulders stiffened.
âShe made her choice,â he said flatly.
âAnd yet,â Plo said, gently, âI sense hesitation in you, Commander. Pain.â
Wolffe didnât respond.
âShe is off-world now,â the Jedi continued, glancing at a tactical holo. âPotentially aligned with Separatist sympathizers. The Senate will push for her recapture. But I believe it would be wiser⊠more effective⊠for the 104th to take point on tracking her.â
Thorn straightened. âThe Guardâs been assignedââ
âAnd you failed,â Plo said, not unkindly. âLet Wolffe try. Perhaps whatâs needed now is not more firepower⊠but familiarity.â
Wolffe met Ploâs gaze. âYouâre using this as a chance to fix me.â
âIâm giving you a chance,â Plo corrected. âTo understand. To remember who she really is. Not what she became.â
Silence.
Then Wolffe slowly nodded.
âThen Iâll bring her in.â
Ploâs gaze softened beneath his mask.
âOr maybe,â he said, turning to leave, âyouâll let her bring you back.â
âž»
The atmosphere stank like rust and rot. Arix-7 was a graveyard of ships and skeletonsâmetal, bone, old wreckage from a thousand forgotten battles. The 104th picked through it like wolves in a burial field.
Wolffe moved ahead of the squad, visor low, silent.
Boost sidled up beside him. âYou know, this place kinda reminds me of her. Sharp, full of ghosts, and ready to kill you if you step wrong.â
Sinker snorted. âYeah, but she smelled better.â
âCut the chatter,â Wolffe growled, tone clipped.
Boost shrugged. âJust saying. Weird to be tracking the person who taught you how to hold a blaster.â
âWorse to be planning how to shoot her,â Sinker added, quieter.
Wolffe didnât respond.
He just kept moving.
They found her in the remains of a Republic frigate, buried deep in the moonâs crust, converted into a hideout. Cracked floors, scattered gear, a heat signature blinking faint and woundedâbut moving.
She knew they were coming.
She was waiting.
âž»
They found her in the wreck of an old Separatist cruiser, rusted deep into the jagged crust of the moon. Sinker and Boost had gone in firstâquick, confident, all muscle and old banter. That didnât save them from being outmaneuvered and knocked out cold.
Wolffe found their unconscious bodies first. And then, her.
She stepped into the light like a shadow peeling off the wallâhood pulled low, face scraped and bloodied but eyes still burning.
âYou always send the pups in first?â she asked. âOr were they just stupid enough to come on their own?â
Wolffe charged her without a word.
Hand-to-hand. Just like she trained him.
But she didnât hold back this timeâand neither did he.
She was still faster. Still sharper. Still cruel with her movements, a blade honed by years outside the Republicâs rule.
But Wolffe had strength and control, and heâd stopped pulling punches years ago.
They traded blows. She bloodied his mouth. He cracked her ribs. He pinned her. She slipped free.
Then came him.
The air shiftedâsharp with ozone and tensionâand suddenly Plo Coon was between them. Calm. Powerful. Alien eyes behind his antiox mask, watching her without familiarity, without sentiment.
âStep down,â Plo said.
She bristled. âAnother Jedi. Wonderful. Let me guessâhere to âredeemâ me?â
âI donât know you,â Plo answered. âBut I know what youâve done. And I know you were once theirs.â
âI was never yours.â
âGood,â Plo said, igniting his saber. âThen this will be easier.â
They fought.
The air crackled.
She struck firstâfast and brutal, close-range, aiming to disable before he could bring the Force to bear. But Plo Coon had fought Sith, droids, beasts. He wasnât unprepared for feral grace and dirty tricks.
He parried. Dodged. Let her come to him.
âYouâre angry,â he said through gritted teeth. âBut not lost.â
She lunged. âYou donât know me.â
âNo. But I sense your pain. Youâre not just running. Youâre bleeding.â
âPain is whatâs kept me alive!â
He knocked her off balance, sent her tumbling. She scrambled, but he held her in place with a subtle lift of the hand, the Force pinning her in a crouch.
âEnough,â he said, not unkindly.
She panted, teeth grit, shoulders trembling.
âI donât know why you left them. I donât care. I only ask you stop now, before someone dies who doesnât need to.â
Her gaze flicked past him, to Wolffeâwho stood in silence, jaw tight, one eye focused and guarded.
âYou Jedi think you know everything,â she hissed. âBut you donât know what itâs like to train them. To love them. And to choose between them.â
That made Plo pause.
âI chose nothing,â she said. âAnd it still broke them.â
The silence that followed was colder than the void outside.
Plo stared at her for a long moment.
Then, slowlyâhe stepped back.
Released the Force.
âYouâll run again,â he said, saber still lit. âBut I wonât be the one to kill someone trying to hold herself together.â
She blinked.
âYouâre⊠letting me go?â
âIâm giving you a moment,â he said. âWhat you do with it is yours to answer for.â
Wolffe took a step forward.
Plo stopped him with a look.
âSheâs off world. Unarmed. Andââ his voice lowered, ââno longer a priority.â
Wolffeâs fists clenched.
She didnât wait.
She bolted into the wreckage, shadows swallowing her whole. Gone again.
This time, no one followed.
Post-Order 66, early Imperial Era
âž»
They called her a terrorist now.
Once upon a time, they called her General. Jedi. Friend.
But those days were ash.
The Jedi Order was goneâbetrayed by its own soldiers, hunted by the Empire it helped birth, and erased from history like an inconvenient stain. Those who survived scattered like broken glass across the galaxy, hiding in shadows, smothering their light, hoping to live long enough to spark something again.
But not you.
You didnât run. You didnât bow. You didnât hide.
You fought.
A lonely hero. Trying to fight too many battles.
Openly. Proudly. Recklessly, some would say. But you didnât care. If they wanted to call you a terrorist, then let them. You were dangerous. Not because of your power, but because of your refusal to give up.
You lit your saber like a beacon in the dark. You attacked Imperial convoys. Freed enslaved workers. Raided supply depots. Stole data. Inspired whispers across the Outer Rim.
They posted your face on wanted screens with the words:
HIGHLY DANGEROUS. JEDI TERRORIST. KILL ON SIGHT.
And you laughed. Because for the first time in a long time, you felt alive.
But even fire can burn cold. Especially when you burn alone.
âLife likes to blow the cold windâŠ
Sometimes it freezes my shadow.â
âž»
The battle on Gorse was a blur of smoke, fire, and screams.
Another raid. Another desperate gamble. But this one wasnât like the others.
Because he was there.
Commander Cody.
You saw him the moment he stepped out of the dropship. Clad in black-trimmed Imperial armor, a commanderâs pauldron on his shoulder, his movements precise, efficient, familiar.
It hit you like a punch to the gut.
You froze, mid-fight, your saber humming in your grip.
He saw you too. His helmet tilted. A heartbeat of stillness passed between you across the chaos.
And just like that, time rewound.
Missions. Long nights. Campsite coffee and war-room arguments. His voice in your comm: âCopy that, General.â
His voice in your dreams: âStay alive. Iâll watch your back.â
But that was before. Before the betrayal. Before the chips. Before everything.
Now?
He raised his blaster rifle.
You didnât move.
He didnât shoot.
The stormtroopers around him hesitated, uncertain.
âStand down,â Cody barked, his voice cold, sharp, and absolute. The troopers obeyed instantly.
You took one slow step forward.
âCody,â you said, voice low.
His grip tightened, knuckles white beneath plastoid.
âYou shouldâve disappeared with the rest,â he said.
âI donât know how to be quiet,â you answered, lifting your chin. âIn the midst of all this darkness⊠I must sacrifice my ego for the greater good. There isnât room for selfish..â
He said nothing.
For one awful second, you thought he might arrest you.
Instead, he turned and ordered a retreat.
He didnât even look back.
âž»
Weeks passed.
You tried to forget. You kept fighting. You told yourself that the man you remembered was gone. Replaced by protocol. Stripped of soul.
But still⊠something gnawed at you.
The way he hadnât shot. The way heâd told his men to stand down. The way his voice trembled just slightly when he said your name.
You started scanning intercepted comms during downtime.
Just in case.
And then, one night, across a crackling, half-jammed signal from a rebel slicerâŠ
ââCommander Cody. AWOL.
Deserted post.
Last seen heading into the Outer Rim.
Do not engage without support.
Consider highly dangerous.â
You stopped breathing.
He left.
He left.
Everything blurred after thatâcoordinates, favors, stolen codes, sleepless nights. You chased shadows across half the galaxy. You didnât know what youâd say if you found him.
But you knew you had to.
âž»
You found him on a dead moon. The kind no one bothered with anymoreâcold, quiet, abandoned.
The outpost was half-crumbled. The fire inside even more so.
He was sitting beside it, helmet off, hunched forward, hands resting on his knees. His face looked older. Harder. Tired in a way that sleep couldnât fix.
You stepped into the firelight without a word.
His head lifted. He didnât reach for a weapon.
âTook you long enough,â Cody said quietly.
You swallowed. âYou left.â
âYou were right,â he replied. âYou didnât hide. I did. I stayed in the system because I thought it was safer. Cleaner. But itâs just slower death.â
Silence stretched between you. Wind howled outside, cold enough to steal breath.
âI thought I lost you,â you whispered.
Codyâs voice cracked just slightly. âI thought I destroyed you.â
You moved toward him, every step heavy.
âWhy didnât you shoot me?â you asked.
He looked at youâreally looked. Like he was memorizing you again.
âBecause even after everything⊠I couldnât. I wouldnât.â
You sat across from him, the flickering light catching on your saber hilt.
âYouâve got nowhere to go,â you said softly. âNeither do I.â
He let out a slow breath. âThen maybe we stay nowhere. Together.â
You stared at the flames, and for the first time in years, they felt warm.
âIâm still a wanted terrorist,â you reminded him.
Codyâs mouth quirked, just slightly. âGuess that makes me a traitor.â
You glanced at him. âI think I missed you.â
He met your eyes. âI know I missed you.â
And for a moment, the galaxy fell away. No war. No orders. Just two people sitting in the ruins of everything, quietly choosing each other anyway.
this is the peak of my artistic career
the self-indulgent fanfiction will continue until morale improves
Youâre writing is amazing! I had two things
1: What is a trope you love writing?
2: Can there be a Bad batch x reader, where sheâs loves to cook. When she joins them she cooks for them and they love her cooking (once they get used to having something other than ration bars). Maybe she even sends them with packed lunches for when they go off.
Thank you x
I donât have a trope in particular I like writing, but Iâm a sucker for a good enemies to lovers or anything angsty or tragic
âž»
âž»
They werenât sure what to make of you at first.
A civilian-turned-ally. Handy in a fight, steady under pressure, and weirdly good at organizing their storage crates. But most of all, you cooked. Like, really cooked.
No one had expected itânot after surviving off ration bars, battlefield meals, and the occasional mystery stew Crosshair pretended didnât come from a can. But then youâd shown up with a patched-together portable burner and the stubborn attitude of someone determined to make something edible from nothing. And you did.
The first time you cooked, it had stunned them into silence.
The scent of simmering broth wafted through the corridors of the Marauder, followed by spices and roasted meat and something buttery that made Wreckerâs eyes water.
Tech was the first to speak, nose twitching. âThat is not protein paste.â
âUnless someoneâs finally weaponized it,â Echo said, cautiously hopeful.
Hunter didnât say anything at first. Just leaned in the doorway of the galley with arms crossed, watching the way you movedâcalm, focused, humming to yourself as you stirred a bubbling pot. There was something disarming about the scene. Domestic. Gentle. Strange.
Crosshair gave a low whistle from where he lounged. âAre we keeping this one?â
No one answered. But no one said no.
âž»
It became tradition fast.
You cooked whenever there was downtime, wherever there were ingredients. You scavenged herbs on jungle moons, traded for spices in backwater towns, stretched every credit and crumb into something warm. Something human. Youâd hand them plates and bowls and containers like they were weapons before a battleâonly these made them feel⊠grounded.
Every day you could. Breakfasts on quiet mornings. Late dinners after brutal missions. You adapted what ingredients you had, learned what they each likedâTech hated onions but loved citrus, Crosshair liked spicy food that burned the tongue, Echo had a sweet tooth he tried to hide, and Hunter⊠Hunter liked comfort food. Heâd never say it out loud, but you caught the softness in his expression whenever you made something simple and warm. Like home.
They never asked you to. But they stopped saying no.
Eventually, you started packing lunches for them. Personalized. Thoughtful.
Crosshairâs were spicy and wrapped with a snarky note.
Wreckerâs came with double servings and a warning label.
Techâs included clean utensils and clear labels, because of course they did.
Echoâs always had a little dessert tucked in the side
Hunterâs would just have little doodle/picture youâd drawn
âž»
Theyâd left you behind this time. Not because you couldnât handle yourself, but because someone had to stay with Omega. She wasnât ready for this mission, and neither were youâstill recovering from the last one, a blaster graze healing at your ribs.
The ship was quiet. Omega wandered in around dinner time, drawn by the smell of whatever you were cooking.
She climbed up onto the counter like it was the most natural thing in the world, chin resting on her hands as she watched you slice vegetables and stir broth.
âThat smells better than anything Iâve ever had on Kamino,â she said dreamily.
You smiled. âIâll take that as the highest of compliments.â
She watched you for a while, head tilting. âYou always look really happy when you cook.â
âI am.â
âWhy?â
You thought about it as you stirred. âBecause food makes people feel safe. Even in the middle of a war, a good meal can remind you what itâs like to be human.â
Omega was quiet for a beat. Then: âYou make them feel safe.â
You didnât answer right away.
She squinted up at you. âYou really care about them, huh?â
You nodded. âTheyâve been through hell. They deserve someone to care.â
She grinned slowly. âYouâve got a crush on one of them.â
You almost dropped the spoon.
âExcuse me?â
She giggled. âI knew it!â
You tried (and failed) to play it cool. âI have no idea what youâre talking about.â
âOh, come on,â she said, sliding off the counter. âYou pack lunches. You make special snacks. You stitched Wreckerâs sleeve when it ripped, even though he didnât ask. You added hot sauce to Crosshairâs meal because he once said it tasted better. You kept Techâs favorite tea even though no one else drinks it. And you stayed up all night once just to make sure Echoâs respirator didnât fail after that dust storm.â
She paused, smirking. âOne of those meant more.â
You turned back to the pot. âYou are way too observant.â
She laughed. âSo, who is it? Wrecker?â
âNo.â
âTech?â
âDefinitely not.â
âEcho?â
âCloser.â
âCrosshair?â
You gave her a look.
She grinned wide. âFine, fine. I wonât guess. For now.â
You stirred the pot again and said, softly, âIt doesnât matter.â
Omegaâs voice was gentler. âWhy not?â
You shrugged. âBecause maybe itâs safer this way. Just being part of this⊠this crew. This little found family. Itâs enough.â
She looked at you for a long moment. Then she slid onto a nearby stool and rested her chin in her hand again.
âTheyâll be back soon,â she said. âYou gonna tell them dinnerâs ready?â
You smiled quietly, not looking up. âTheyâll smell it.â
Hi! I was wondering if you could do a Bad Batch x Fem!Reader where they havenât realized how much they like her and having her apart of the team because they didnât want to get attached but then they see her with other clones having fun and being tactical and huggy with them. Iâm a sucker for jealous tropes and the âsheâs oursâ stuff! Thank you! Xx
Featuring: Commander Wolffe, Boost, Sinker (104th)
âž»
The Bad Batch didnât realize how much they liked having you aroundâuntil you werenât just around them anymore.
Youâd been reassigned temporarily to assist the 104th Battalion for a joint operation, something about terrain recon and hostile base infiltration. The job was meant to be routine. Easy. Quick. But it had stretched to three weeks, and that was three weeks too long for Clone Force 99.
âSheâs fine,â Tech said for the third time that day, eyes on his datapad but noticeably less focused than usual.
âOf course sheâs fine,â Crosshair muttered. âSheâs annoying. Wonât shut up. Talks too much. Laughs at stupid jokes.â
âShe does make the barracks less quiet,â Echo added, but his words sounded more like a confession than a complaint.
Hunter remained quiet, brooding in the corner, arms crossed. Wrecker finally broke the silence.
âI miss her.â
No one argued.
âž»
When they finally returned to Anaxes to regroup, they werenât expecting to find you on the tarmacâleaning against a gunship, laughing with Commander Wolffe and his men.
You had your arm slung around Sinkerâs shoulder, mid-sparring banter, sweat-slicked and flushed from training. Boost was tossing a ration bar at you like it was a long-running inside joke, and Wolffeâstoic, grumpy Wolffeâwas standing beside you with the faintest upward tug at the corner of his mouth.
You laughed and said something that made the entire squad snort.
Wrecker stopped dead in his tracks. âWaitâare they hugging her?â
Crosshairâs scowl darkened. âWhy the hell is she touching Sinker?â
âSheâs laughing,â Echo muttered. âAt his joke.â
Hunterâs jaw ticked. âLetâs go.â
âž»
You saw them before they could storm up and cause a sceneâwhich, letâs be real, was already inevitable.
âHey!â you called out cheerfully, waving them over. âLook who finally decided to show up. I was beginning to think you all forgot about me.â
âWe didnât,â Hunter said. The rest of them were staring daggers past you at the Wolfpack.
Wolffe raised a brow and drawled, âWe took real good care of her. Didnât we, boys?â
âToo good,â Sinker smirked. âSheâs basically one of us now.â
âShe is one of us,â Boost added, throwing his arm around your shoulders with obnoxious ease. âGot the bite to match.â
You didnât see it, but every member of the Bad Batch visibly twitched.
âSheâs not a stray,â Crosshair hissed, stepping forward.
âCouldâve fooled us,â Wolffe shot back, âconsidering how quick you were to let her slip away.â
âWasnât our choice,â Tech said stiffly.
âYou sure?â Sinker smirked. âDidnât seem like you were fighting too hard to keep her.â
You raised your eyebrows. âOkay, woah, no testosterone fights on the landing pad, please.â
Wrecker pointed dramatically. âYou hugged him!â
You blinked. âYouâve hugged me!â
âYeah but thatâs different!â he whined.
âWhy?â you challenged.
Silence.
Hunter stepped forward, voice lower now. âBecause youâre ours.â
Your breath caught.
Wolffeâs grin turned downright wolfish. âTook âem long enough.â
You looked between both squads, caught between amusement and surprise. âSo let me get this straight⊠the 104th is adopting me, the Bad Batch is reclaiming me, and I didnât even get a say?â
âYou always get a say,â Hunter said, quieter now. âBut we want you to know how we feel.â
âAnd howâs that?â
Wrecker was first. âI missed you.â
âI hated not having you around,â Echo added.
âEverything was quiet,â Tech admitted.
âYouâre mine,â Crosshair said, almost growled. âOurs.â
Your eyes flicked to Wolffe and his boys.
Wolffe shrugged. âGuess weâll let you go this time.â
Sinker grinned. âBut if they mess up, you know where to find us.â
You snorted. âWhat is this, the clone version of a custody battle?â
Boost winked. âOnly if it means you come back for visitation rights.â
You laughed. âAlright, alright. Iâll go home. But I am visiting the 104th again. You guys are a riot.â
Hunter stepped closer, head tilting. âAs long as you come back to us.â
You smiled, softening. âAlways.â
The air between you and the Batch shiftedâless tension, more heat, more home. Hunter didnât touch you, not yet, but his presence lingered close, electric.
You turned back toward Wolffe and the others, grinning. âThanks for everything, boys.â
Sinker gave you a two-finger salute. âDonât be a stranger.â
âYeah,â Boost chimed in, winking. âJust remember which pack took you in first.â
You rolled your eyes, walking backward toward your original squad. âYouâre all insufferable.â
âAnd you love it,â Wolffe called after you.
echoed behind you.
Then, lowâtoo low for most ears, but not for Hunterâs enhanced sensesâWolffe muttered to his boys, voice almost casual:
âSheâs still got a bit of wolf in her now. Letâs hope they can keep up.â
Hunter stopped walking.
His head tilted just enough to catch the last of the words. Not angry. Not threatened. Just⊠cold.
Possessive.
His jaw flexed.
Crosshair noticed first. âProblem?â
Hunter didnât answer right away. His gaze flicked to your backâlaughing with Wrecker about something stupidâand then back to the 104th retreating into the barracks.
âNo,â he said finally. âNo problem.â
But when he looked forward again, his voice was steel-wrapped velvet.
âThey can howl all they want.â
He caught up to you in two strides.
âWeâre the ones sheâs running with.â
âž»
There were momentsâeven in warâthat felt still.
In the jungle shadows of Saleucami, as the sun threatened to rise, the camp was a blur of hushed voices and clicking equipment. But for you, standing at the edge of it all, it felt like the world had paused. Just long enough to breathe. Just long enough to feel the weight of your purpose settling heavy on your shoulders again.
You always stood alone when you could. Not out of pride. Not out of habit. But because solitude had always made more sense than letting others carry the burden with you.
Youâd never been one to chase recognition. The battles you fought were never about victory. You fought because others couldnât. You carried pain so others didnât have to.
And still, the loneliness crept inâlike frost under your skin. You were a Jedi. A general. A friend. A weapon.
But never just⊠you.
âž»
âYouâve got that look again,â Aayla said, stepping beside you in the fading moonlight. Her blue skin shimmered under the pale light, her voice teasing but knowing.
âWhat look?â you murmured, not looking away from the horizon.
âThat one where you pretend youâre not breaking apart inside,â she said softly. âI know it better than you think.â
You let out a breath, slow and careful. âIf we break, who picks up the pieces for everyone else?â
âWho picks up your pieces?â she asked.
You didnât answer.
She turned fully to you, voice stronger now. âYouâre not alone. Not really. I see the way Bly looks at you.â
That earned her a glance, half amused, half exhausted. âBly is⊠complicated.â
Aayla smiled faintly. âSo are you.â
âž»
Commander Bly had always been disciplined, precise, and steadyâa wall in a storm. You respected that about him. Needed it, even. In your world of sacrifice and selflessness, he was one of the few constants who didnât ask anything of you⊠except that you live.
He watched you the way soldiers watch for landminesâcarefully, constantly, with the knowledge that one misstep could end it all.
He wasnât vocal with his concern. He didnât have to be. It was in the way he stood between you and danger, just a fraction closer to the line of fire. The way he followed your orders, but his eyes always scanned you first after every blast. The way he touched your shoulder when you didnât realize you were trembling.
It was in the moments between missionsâwhen your hands brushed in passing, when his armor was at your back as you meditated in silence, when he stayed up longer than necessary just to match your exhaustion.
You both carried the same truth: you couldnât afford selfishness.
But love? Love didnât wait for permission.
âž»
The ambush came fast.
You didnât think. You never thought when lives were at stake.
The supply convoy hit the mines. Fire erupted. Screams followed. Troopers scattered.
You threw yourself into the blaze. Your saber lit the way. You pulled one soldier from the wreckage, then another. Smoke filled your lungs, but you kept moving.
Bly was shouting behind you. He didnât wait either. He followed you into the flames, gunning down droids with lethal precision, cursing under his breath as you took a hit to the arm shielding a clone from shrapnel.
âThatâs enough!â he growled, catching you as your legs faltered.
âIâm not done,â you rasped.
âYou are to me,â he snapped. âYouâre enough. Youâre alive. Thatâs all I care about right now.â
But you couldnât stop. You never stopped. Your life wasnât yours to guard. Not when theirs hung in the balance.
âž»
Later, when the battlefield went still again, you sat by the med tent, arm wrapped in bacta gauze, head heavy with more than just exhaustion.
Bly knelt beside you, helmet off, eyes burning with frustration and something deeper.
âYou think you have to carry the whole damn galaxy,â he said. âBut I need you to hear thisâyou matter too. Not just your sacrifice. Not just your service. You.â
You swallowed hard, guilt rising like a tide. âI canât stand by and do nothing. I wonât. If I can save themââ
âYou saved me,â he said, quiet and fierce. âEvery day, you make this war mean something. But if it costs you your lifeâthen what am I even fighting for?â
You looked at him then, and for the first time, let him see itâthe cold, lonely part of you that had grown too familiar. The part that wondered if youâd ever be more than just a shield for others.
âIâm tired, Bly,â you whispered. âIâm so tired of being the one who runs into the fire.â
âThen let someone run into it for you.â He reached for your hand, gloved fingers curling gently around yours. âYou donât have to be alone in this.â
A tear slipped down your cheek. You hadnât meant to let it.
But Bly just wiped it away, his touch reverent. âYouâve already given enough. Let someone fight for you.â
âž»
The next morning, the wind shifted again, colder than before.
But when you stood at the front of the battalion, Bly was beside you.
And for once, you didnât stand alone.
leader of the pack
[Image ID: Digital bust illustration of Commander Wolffe from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He is framed by a blue background. End ID.]
I say shit like "If my memory serves me" knowing damn well it serves the dark lord
Thranduil weekly bitch mood đ«Ł
Hi! I have a request for Wolffe x fem!reader. They have a established relationship but Wolffe has been a little distant since order 66 happened... one night when he's sleeping in the readers coruscant apartment, she decides to ask him about it. Wolffe sort of pushes her away, thinking he's too broken and has already done too much bad, but she stays no matter what. She soothes him with some love and cuddles?
âStill Yoursâ
Commander Wolffe x Fem!Reader
âž»
The city lights of Coruscant cast a soft glow through the wide windows of your apartment, dancing across Wolffeâs armor where it lay discarded on the floor.
He lay on your bed now, back turned, shirt half-pulled on, one arm slung under his head like a shield.
You watched him breathe.
Even in sleep, it wasnât easy. His breaths were shallow, uneven. Like he never really relaxed anymore. Like his body didnât know how.
Since the end of the warâand the day everything changedâheâd been distant. Still present. Still Wolffe. But quieter. Withdrawn. Touch-starved but pulling away when you tried.
You couldnât take it anymore.
You slid into bed beside him, soft and careful.
âWolffe,â you whispered.
He didnât open his eye.
âAre you awake?â
A beat of silence.
Then, âYeah.â
You reached out, brushing your fingers across the back of his shoulder. âYouâve been⊠far away lately.â
He tensed under your touch. âIâve just been tired.â
âNo. Youâre not tired. Youâre hurting.â You sat up beside him, pulling the sheets with you. âYou barely look at me anymore. You flinch when I say your name. You hold me like Iâm something youâre about to lose.â
Wolffe turned over slowly, sitting up and running a hand down his face.
âMeshâla, donât do this right now.â
âI have to,â you said. âYou think I donât notice how hard youâve been trying to pretend youâre fine? You sleep in my bed like a ghost.â
His jaw clenched. âWhat do you want me to say? That I followed orders that led to Jedi dying? That I donât know what was real and what was the chip? That I still see itâthemâwhen I close my eye?â
He stood, taking a few steps away like he could outrun it.
âIâm not who I used to be. Iâm not your Wolffe anymore. Iâm justâwhatâs left.â
You stood, quietly wrapping the sheet around yourself as you crossed the room to him.
âI donât need the man you used to be. I love the man you are. Even when heâs broken. Even when heâs hurting.â
He shook his head. âYouâre a senator. Youâre out there fighting for clone rights beside Chuchi, risking your damn career. You still believe weâre worth saving. That Iâm worth saving.â
âI do.â
âYouâre wrong.â
You stepped in front of him, tilting his chin up until he had no choice but to look at you.
âIâm never wrong about you.â
Wolffeâs breath hitched, his hands trembling faintly at his sides.
âI let them die,â he said, voice breaking. âI didnât even try to stop it. I justâfollowed orders like I always do. Like a good little soldier.â
âYou didnât have a choice.â
âDoes that matter?â he rasped. âTheyâre still gone. I still pulled the trigger.â
You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in his chest, speaking against his skin.
âYouâre not a weapon, Wolffe. Youâre a man. One who has done everything he could to survive. And I know you. I know the way you fought for your brothers. I know how much you loved them. I know how hard itâs been for you to stay.â
His arms slowly, reluctantly, came around you. Tight. Desperate.
âI donât want to lose you,â he said quietly. âBut I donât know how to keep you either. Iâm not what you deserve.â
You pulled back just enough to kiss the scar at the edge of his temple, then rested your forehead against his.
âThen let me decide what I deserve. And I choose you.â
He let out a shaky breath, pressing his face into your neck like he was finally letting himself feel.
You guided him back to bed, pulling the covers over the both of you, holding him closeâhis arms around your waist this time.
You whispered, âIâm still here, Wolffe. And Iâm not going anywhere.â
And for the first time in weeks, he slept without flinching.
âž»
hello! this is my first time sending any sort of request so i hope this is the right place! i absolutely love your writing and was wondering if you could write Hunter x a plus sized f reader (more specifically a reader struggling with loving her body). maybe sfw with a hint of suggestiveness? thank you!! <3
âž»
You stared at your reflection in the mirror of the Marauderâs fresher, scowling as you tugged at your shirt. It clung to the softest parts of you. The waistband of your pants had folded overâagainâand if you stood a certain way, your stomach lookedâ
âLike a whole moon orbiting around me,â you muttered under your breath, smirking bitterly. âGalactic gravitational pull and all.â
It was your thing, after all. Make the joke before anyone else could. Keep it light. Pretend you didnât care. Pretend you didnât hurt.
You didnât hear Hunter step in.
âYou always talk about yourself like that when you think no oneâs listening?â
Your heart skipped, stomach sinking faster than gravity.
You turned. âWell, yeah. Someoneâs gotta say it. Might as well be me before someone beats me to the punchline.â
He didnât laugh. Not even a twitch of a smirk.
âDonât do that,â he said, voice low and steady.
You raised an eyebrow, trying to brush past him. âItâs just a joke, Sarge.â
His hand came up, gentle but firm, stopping you before you could flee.
âItâs not funny,â he said. âNot to me.â
You tried to shrug it off, even as your throat tightened. âRelax. Iâm not fishing for compliments. Iâm just realistic, you know? Built like a bantha in body armor. Itâs fine.â
He blinked slowly. Once.
Then, âDonât say that about my girl.â
Your breath caught. âIâm notââ
âYou are,â he interrupted. âI havenât said it yet, but you are.â
Your protest fizzled somewhere in your chest.
He stepped closer, and now his hand was on your waistâyour soft waist, the one you avoided letting anyone touchâlike it belonged there.
âDo you know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off you when you wear that shirt?â
You blinked. âYou mean the shirt that makes me look like a wrapped ration pack?â
âI mean the shirt that hugs you in all the right places,â he murmured, sliding his hand along the curve of your hip like it was art. âThe one that reminds me exactly how good youâd feel in my arms. Or on my lap. Or under me.â
Your cheeks burned. âHunterâŠâ
âI love how you look,â he said. âBut more than that, I love you. All the parts you try to cover. All the jokes you use to hide the things youâre still learning to live with.â
His tone was quiet. Serious.
âYou donât need to pretend with me.â
Your throat ached. Your hands twitched at your sides like they didnât know whether to cover your face or grab his.
âI donât know how to believe you,â you admitted softly.
âThatâs okay,â he said. âLet me believe it for both of us until you can.â
You stared at him, all your words gone, and he kissed youâslow, reverent, grounding.
And for the first time in a long time, you didnât feel like something to fix.
You felt like someone wanted.
âž»
Later that night, you made another joke about needing âextra rations to fuel all this real estate,â and he didnât hesitate.
He pulled you flush against him, kissed your neck, and growled in your ear:
âI hope youâve got extra, sweetheart. I plan to spend all night exploring every damn inch of you.â
âž»
A/N - kind self inserted here, Iâm a bigger girl and tend to make the jokes before anyone else can, not that most do
Hiiii! Could you do a Bad Batch x Fem!Reader where sheâs like their new general (a force user but not a Jedi) where sheâs trying to keep her distance to stay professional and to not fall for them but maybe she wakes up from a nightmare or has a really bad day and she goes to wrecker and sees if those hugs are still available? The others obviously see and a bunch of cute confessions? Love all the additions you add too!! Love all your work! Xx
The Clone Force 99 barracks were quiet for once.
No late-night sparring, no Tech rattling off schematics, no arguments about snacks between Wrecker and Echo. Even Crosshair wasnât brooding out loud. Just silenceâand the hum of hyperspace.
You should have been grateful. Instead, you sat on your bunk with your face buried in your hands, heart hammering from the aftershocks of a nightmare you couldnât quite shake.
You werenât a Jedi. You never claimed to be. Not trained in their ways, not chained to their rules. You were something⊠other. The people on your homeworld called you âWitchblade.â A war hero. A force of nature. The Republic called you General.
But tonight, you were just a woman shaking in the dark, trying not to feel too much.
And failing.
The visionâwhatever it wasâhad left your skin cold and your chest too tight. It wasnât just war. It was loss. Familiar faces, falling.
You told yourself it was just stress. Just echoes from the Force. Nothing real.
But you couldnât stay in this room.
Your feet found the floor before your mind caught up. You moved through the ship barefoot, shoulders hunched, arms crossed like you could hide the vulnerability leaking from your ribs.
Wreckerâs door was cracked open. Dim lights. Soft snoring. His massive frame curled on a bunk made way too small.
You hesitated. So many reasons not to do this. Not to cross that line. Not to give in.
But stillâyou whispered, âWrecker?â
He stirred. Blinking. Yawning. âHey, GeneralâŠâ His voice was warm and rough, like gravel and sunlight. âYou okay?â
You didnât answer at first. Then: âAre those hugs⊠still available?â
He was already opening his arms before you finished.
You didnât cry. Not really. But when your face pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around you like a fortress, you breathed in a way you hadnât in days. Weeks. Maybe ever.
âYouâre shaking,â he murmured.
You nodded against him. âItâs fine.â
âItâs not.â
You felt the bed shift behind you, and only then realized others had stirred. You didnât need to turn to know Hunter was standing in the doorway now, gaze sharp but not judging. Crosshair leaned against the frame, arms crossed but brows drawn together. Echo hovered behind him, concern etched into the lines around his eyes. Tech, as usual, said nothingâbut his gaze softened when it landed on you.
âI didnât mean to wake you,â you mumbled, pulling back.
Wrecker held you a second longer, then let go gently. âItâs okay. Youâre allowed.â
You sat back. The silence wasnât uncomfortable now. Just⊠full. With things unsaid.
Hunter stepped in first. Sat across from you, elbows on his knees. âYou donât have to carry everything by yourself, you know.â
âIâm your commanding officer,â you said quietly.
âYouâre you,â Crosshair replied, from the doorway. âThat outranks any title.â
âI wasnât trying toââ you started, but Echo interrupted gently.
âYou were trying not to fall for us. We noticed.â
You blinked. âWhat?â
Wrecker chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. âYeah, youâre not as subtle as you think, General.â
Tech pushed his goggles up. âStatistically, we have all exhibited signs of attachment. It is entirely mutual.â
Your heart stuttered.
Hunter leaned closer. âWe donât expect anything. We just⊠we care. And if you want thisâwant usâyouâre not alone.â
You looked at them. Really looked.
These menâoutcasts, experiments, your greatest alliesâthey werenât just soldiers under your command. They were your anchor. And maybe you were theirs.
You exhaled, tension uncoiling from your shoulders like a storm breaking.
âThen⊠maybe Iâll stop pretending I donât want you.â
Hunter smiled softly. âThatâd be a good start.â
Crosshair rolled his eyes. âFinally.â
Wrecker just wrapped his arm around your shoulder again, and you leaned into it like it was the safest place in the galaxy.
Wrecker never stopped holding you.
He rested his chin on your head now, gently rocking you. âYou donât have to say anything,â he rumbled. âNot tonight. You can just stay.â
That simple.
You can just stay.
And so you did.
You stayed.
Sat nestled between the one who understood your silence (Echo), the one who sensed your pain (Hunter), the one who read your walls like blueprints (Tech), the one whoâd never admit he cared but always acted like he did (Crosshair), and the one whoâd give you the biggest piece of his heart without needing anything back (Wrecker).
Eventually, someoneâmaybe Echo, maybe Techâtossed a blanket over your shoulders. Wrecker shifted, cradling your body like it was made of starlight and trauma. Hunter sat beside you, his hand finding your knee, thumb stroking softly in rhythm with your breath.
You drifted off like that.
Not in your quarters.
Not alone.
But safe, for once.
Warm, held, and finallyâfinallyâseen.
ARC Trooper Fives x Sith Assassin!Reader
âž»
Hidden in the caverns of a storm-ridden world, the Separatist outpost buzzed with dark energy. Most didnât know this base existedâmost werenât meant to.
You patrolled its halls like a shadow: cloaked in darkness, lightsaber at your hip, Count Dookuâs orders in your comm. You werenât just his assassin. You were his favorite oneâfast, brilliant, and loyal. Or so he thought.
The GAR mustâve caught wind of this place, because theyâd sent two of their finest headaches in armor: ARC Troopers Echo and Fives.
One was bleeding. The other was missing. And your patience?
Wearing very thin.
âž»
You pressed Echo against the cold metal of a cell wall, your red blade crackling inches from his cheek.
His expression was equal parts pain and smugness. âYou sure this isnât personal?â
âWould it make a difference if it was?â
âNot really. I just like to know how far up the creep scale weâre going.â
You leaned in, amused. âWhere is your partner?â
Echo raised a brow. âFives? Trust me, he wonât let you take him alive.â
You tilted your head, amused. âIs he really that dangerous?â
Echo actually snorted. âNo. He just has the worst luck Iâve ever seen. I once watched him fall down a set of stairs and somehow set off every detonator in the room. We werenât even carrying that many.â
You blinked.
Echo nodded sagely. âThe manâs a one-man catastrophe. If heâs still loose in here, odds are heâs somehow about to crash a starfighter into the medbay by accident.â
You smiledâdespite yourself. âIâll be sure to leave a fire extinguisher out for him.â
âž»
Fives was, predictably, not following the plan.
He was crawling through a duct that was way too small for his armor, holding a deactivated blaster, and whispering threats to Echoâs comm signal.
âEcho, if youâre not dead, Iâm gonna kick your osik for getting caught,â he muttered. âAlso, I may or may not have just dropped a thermal detonator in the hangar bay. Might wanna move.â
No response.
He sighed. âGreat. Now Iâm talking to myself.â
A cold voice echoed from below: âYouâre not very stealthy.â
His eyes widened. âOhânopeââ
You launched your saber.
Fives dropped like a sack of bricks through the grate, rolling with a very undignified grunt onto the hallway floor, armor scuffed, ego intact.
He grinned up at you from his heap. âFancy meeting you here.â
You stalked forward, eyes narrowed, saber blazing. âYou broke into a classified base.â
âWell technically, Echo broke in. I just⊠fell in.â
He scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt off his pauldron. âLook, do we have to fight? Because Iâd rather just stare at you for a bit. Youâve got the whole angry-warlord look down, and I gotta sayâitâs doing things for me.â
You blinked.
ââŠDid you just flirt with me mid-arrest?â
âOh sweetheart, that wasnât even my best line.â
You attacked.
The duel was fast and reckless.
You moved like smokeâtwisting, striking, your saber slicing through the air with lethal precision. Fives fought dirtyâimprovised, unpredictable, ducking under your blade and throwing whatever he could find your way: a tray, a datapad, a coffee mug.
âSeriously?â you growled, batting it aside.
He grinned. âDidnât hit you, did it?â
You kicked him hard in the chest. He flew back, slammed into a crate, and groaned. âOkay, that oneâs fair.â
You advanced, steps slow and measured.
Fives coughed, wiped blood from his lip, and looked up at you with defiant heat in his eyes.
âGo ahead,â he rasped. âKill me. Bet Iâll still look better dead than half the seppies in this base.â
You stopped.
Laughed.
Actually laughed.
He blinked. ââŠWas that a smile?â
âNo.â
âIt was. You smiled.â
You rolled your eyes. âYouâre insane.â
Fives pushed to his feet, panting. âTakes one to fight one.â
You circled each other, breathing hard.
âWhy didnât you run?â you asked.
Fives tilted his head. âMaybe I wanted to see what a Sith assassin looked like up close.â
âDisappointed?â
He smiled. âNo. Youâre terrifyingly hot. Itâs messing with my aim.â
You exhaled sharply through your nose. This idiot. This attractive, sharp-tongued, insufferable idiot.
You deactivated your saber. âYouâre lucky I find your stupidity charming.â
âYouâre lucky I canât feel my ribs.â
ââŠYou didnât break anything.â
âI break everything. Itâs kind of my thing.â
You studied him for a long moment, head tilted.
Then you spoke, soft and curious: âWhy does he call you Fives?â
Fives gave a crooked grin. âBecause my number is CT-5555. Or maybe because I only ever have five brain cells working at any given moment.â
ââŠThat tracks.â
âž»
You shoved Fives into the room beside Echo, who was now sitting up and mildly annoyed.
Echo blinked. âOh kriff. Youâre still alive.â
Fives grinned. âShe likes me.â
Echo stared at you, then him. âYouâre unbelievable.â
You smirked and crossed your arms. âHe tried to fight me with a mop.â
âIt was tactical,â Fives shot back.
âYou fell over your own foot.â
âIt was a strategic stumble!â
Echo groaned. âIâm surrounded by morons.â
You leaned against the door, eyes flicking between them. âTell me, ARC Trooperâhow long before the Republic sends a team for you?â
Fives shrugged. âLong enough for you to fall in love with me.â
You narrowed your eyes.
He winked.
And Maker help youâyou didnât immediately stab him.
âž»
The cell was dim and humming with tension. Echo paced like a caged animal, checking the cuffs on his wrists every few minutes. Fives leaned against the wall like he was on leave at 79âs, smirking every time you looked at him.
And you?
Youâd made the mistake of hesitating. The mistake of not killing them when you had the chance.
Something about that idiotic grin. Something about the way Fives joked with death like they were old friends.
It irritated you.
It fascinated you.
You turned your back on them and checked the comm unit outside the cell. The transmission coming through wasnât Separatist.
ââthis is General Skywalker, approaching target coordinates. Standby for breach.â
Your blood ran cold.
No. Not now.
You tapped the panel. âWhat kind of breach? How far out?â
The droid on the other end fizzled. âJedi cruiser approaching from the lower stratosphere. Their forces have jammed exterior defenses. Two gunships inbound.â
You spun around. Fives was watching you carefully now.
âYouâre nervous,â he said softly.
You ignored him. âYou said the Republic wouldnât come.â
âI said long enough for you to fall for me,â he said, grinning. âApparently theyâre faster than I thought.â
You pulled open the cell and grabbed his collar.
âWhoaââ
You shoved him into the wall, pinning him with your arm against his chest.
âYou know whatâs about to happen, donât you?â
Fives didnât flinch. âLooks like the cavalryâs here.â
âYour Jedi are going to tear this place apart.â
âYeah. And if I were you, Iâd get real comfortable with the idea of changing sides.â
You glared. âI donât have a side.â
Fives smirked. âNo, you have a job. You follow orders. Youâre good at it. But Iâve seen that look before. Youâre not sold on this war anymore.â
You hesitated.
He tilted his head. âCome with us.â
âDonât be ridiculousââ
âIâm serious. Youâre strong, terrifying, weirdly hotâEcho agrees with me.â
Echo shouted from the cell, âI do not!â
âYouâre not like the others,â Fives continued. âYou hesitated. You didnât kill us. And I donât think thatâs just curiosity.â
You looked at himâreally looked.
And he wasnât wrong.
But before you could speak, the walls shook. A violent tremor rattled the floor. Sirens flared.
They were here.
âGet down!â you shouted, instinct pulling you faster than thought.
The ceiling cracked open above, and the cell block exploded into fire and debris.
Gunfire.
Smoke.
Blue and white armor filled the halls.
You pulled your saber and moved, deflecting blaster bolts while droids scrambled to regroup.
Fives grabbed Echo, ripping the restraints off his wrists.
Echo stared. âYou sure about this?â
Fives looked at you, still holding your saber like it wouldnât touch him.
âPretty sure.â
You blocked a bolt that wouldâve taken off his head and glared. âYouâre going to owe me for this.â
âOh, trust me,â he grinned, âIâm already planning the thank-you speech.â
You turned your back on the fightâon everythingâand ran beside them through the collapsing base.
âž»
Outside the base.
The fight was chaos. The 501st swarmed the compound like a storm. AT-RTs thundered through mud and smoke, and blasterfire lit up the sky like fireworks.
You ducked behind a transport with Fives and Echo, heart hammering.
âYouâve got to be joking,â you muttered.
Marching toward the base was Skywalker himself, saber drawn, flanked by Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.
You exhaled slowly. âI just betrayed the Separatists for that guy?â
Fives beamed. âJealous?â
You shoved his helmet back on. âShut up and run.â
âž»
Later. On the Venator.
You sat alone in the medbay, cloak scorched, hands trembling.
You hadnât spoken since you boarded the ship.
Echo had gone to debrief. Fives⊠had stayed.
âYou alright?â he asked quietly.
You didnât answer.
He stepped closer. âYou saved us.â
You laughed bitterly. âI doomed myself.â
âYou did the right thing.â
âI donât even know what the right thing is anymore.â
He knelt in front of you. âYou didnât hesitate back there. You chose.â
You looked down. âIâm not like you.â
Fives gently reached for your hand. âNo. Youâre not. Youâre smarter.â
You blinked at him.
âI mean that,â he said, eyes warm now. âYouâre terrifying. And brave. And brilliant. And alsoâcan I kiss you now or do I need to duel you again first?â
You actually laughedâa real laugh.
Fives leaned in. âIs that a yes?â
ââŠJust shut up and kiss me.â
âž»
The ocean was too blue. The sky was too clear. The people were too⊠happy.
It annoyed you.
Not because it was badâit wasnât. Pabu was a dream. A sanctuary. A rare piece of untouched paradise in a galaxy still licking its wounds. But after everything youâd seen, done, survived, the cheerfulness of it all hit you like sunburn on old scars.
So when Wrecker waved at you the first morning you arrivedâbig smile, bigger voice, bouncing down the stone steps like a gundark on cafâyou nearly turned around and left.
But you didnât.
You stayed. You unpacked. You avoided him for two days.
And then?
He showed up outside your door with a grin and a crate of fresh fruit.
âYou need help settinâ up?â he asked, already peeking past your shoulder like he owned the place.
You crossed your arms. âYou just looking for an excuse to snoop?â
Wrecker blinked, then grinned wider. âOnly a little.â
You tried not to smile. You failed. He saw.
âYou smiled! I saw it, so no denying it!â he said, delighted, as if heâd won a war.
âThat wasnât a smile. That was⊠mild amusement. Donât get cocky.â
âOh, your smile is so beautiful!â he declared, plopping the crate on your counter like he lived there. âIâd love to see it more often.â
You raised a brow. âFlattery? Really?â
âNot flattery,â he said, serious for a second. âJust the truth.â
And just like that, your walls cracked a little.
âž»
A week passed. Then two. You stopped flinching when he knocked. You started helping him haul supplies. You let him drag you into town gatherings, always with the same grin and the same cheer.
âYouâre definitely the only person I would do this for,â you grumbled once, dragging your boots through the sand on the way to a lantern festival.
âI know!â Wrecker beamed, looping a thick arm around your shoulder. âIâm special.â
âYouâre loud.â
âIâm charming.â
You snorted. âYouâre ridiculous.â
âYou smiled again.â
âDamn it.â
âž»
One night, you found yourself sitting beside him on the docks. The moon cast silver streaks across the water, and Wrecker was humming some out-of-tune melody you didnât recognize.
âYou ever stop being cheerful?â you asked quietly.
He shrugged. âUsed to. After Crosshair left, and after Echo⊠yeah. I had some bad days. Real bad. But Omega helped. So did Pabu.â
You nodded slowly.
He looked at you, more thoughtful now. âYou got bad days too, huh?â
You didnât answer right away.
Then, quietly: âSometimes it feels wrong to enjoy peace. Like I havenât earned it.â
Wrecker shifted closer. His hand brushed yours, warm and solid. âYou donât gotta earn peace. You just gotta accept it.â
You looked at him, brow tight. âYou make it sound easy.â
He grinned. âNah. It ainât. But Iâm here. Omegaâs here. Youâre not alone.â
You swallowed the lump in your throat.
âIâll do it,â you whispered after a long pause, âbut only because you asked me to.â
âDo what?â
You finally leaned your head against his shoulder.
âTry. To enjoy it. This place. You.â
Wreckerâs face turned redder than a sunset. âWell, hey, no pressure, butâI really like it when you smile.â
You chuckled.
Then, finallyâfinallyâyou smiled again.
Warnings: Implied Smut, sexually suggestive
âž»
The air inside 79âs was a hazy blend of spice, sweat, and that old metallic tang of plastoid armor. It was always loudâalways full of regs laughing too hard, singing off-key, and clinking glasses with hands that still shook from the front lines. But tonight?
Tonight, you had a spotlight and the attention of half the bar. Most importantly, you had his.
From the small raised stage near the piano, your eyes flicked toward the familiar ARC trooper leaning against the bar. Helmet under one arm, legs crossed at the ankle, blue-striped armor scuffed like itâd seen hell and swaggered out untouched. You knew that look. Youâd seen it beforeâweeks ago, months ago. Fives always came back, and he always watched you like he was starving.
And tonight was no different.
Your set ended to a chorus of cheers. You slid off the piano top, high heels clicking against the floor, hips swaying just enough to keep his eyes hooked.
Fives didnât even try to hide the grin that curled across his face as you approached.
âWell, well,â he said, voice low and teasing, âI think you were singing just for me.â
You smirked. âIf I was, you wouldnât be standing over there, Trooper.â
He stepped closer without hesitation. âCareful. Say things like that and Iâll assume you missed me.â
You leaned one elbow against the bar. âWhat if I did?â
Fives looked floored for all of two seconds before he recovered with a cocky grin. âThen Iâd say weâre finally on the same page.â
âIs that what you tell all the girls at the front line?â
He laughed. âOnly the ones who can make regs forget theyâre one bad day from a battlefield.â
From beside him, Echo groaned audibly into his drink. âStars, Fives, pleaseâjust one conversation where you donât flirt like your life depends on it.â
âJealous Iâve got better lines than you?â Fives teased, bumping Echoâs shoulder.
âNo,â Echo deadpanned. âJealous of my ability to have shame.â
You laughed, and even Echo cracked a smile at that.
âDonât mind him,â Fives said, focusing on you again. âHeâs just bitter no one sings for him.â
You sipped your drink, voice playful. âAnd what makes you think I was singing for you?â
Fives stepped in closerâjust close enough that you could smell the faint scent of cleanser and battlefield dust clinging to him. âBecause,â he said, voice quiet but confident, âyouâre looking at me like you already made up your mind.â
Your gaze held his for a long moment. The tension hummed like music between versesâhot and coiled, teasing the drop.
âMaybe I have,â you said softly, setting your glass down.
His eyes widened just a touch. âYeah?â
You tilted your head, lips curling into a half-smile. âYou want to find out?â
Fives blinked. âFind out what?â
You leaned in, brushing your fingers lightly over the edge of his pauldron as you murmured near his ear:
âIf you want to come back to my apartment.â
Fives went completely still. Echo actually choked on his drink behind him.
âStars above,â Echo muttered under his breath, turning away. âIâm going to pretend I didnât hear that.â
But Fives? He looked like youâd just handed him victory on a silver tray.
âYouâre serious?â he asked, tone equal parts awe and smug disbelief.
You shrugged, playing casual. âI donât make offers I donât intend to follow through on, ARC trooper.â
Fives grinnedâbright, reckless, and so damn him.
âLead the way, sweetheart.â
And just like that, you were out the doorâwith the best kind of trouble following one step behind you.
âž»
The room was warm.
Not just from the heat of tangled limbs and lingering sweat, but from the quiet hum of comfort that followed a particularly good decision. Outside, Coruscant flickered in the distanceâspeeders zipping by in streaks of light, a low thrum of traffic buzzing like the aftermath of a firefight.
Inside, Fives lay flat on his back in your bed, armor long gone and bedsheets pooled around his hips. He looked like he was trying to decide whether to stretch or sprint away.
You rolled onto your side, propping your head up with one hand and staring down at the man who had flirted with the confidence of a thousand battle droidsâand was now staring at the ceiling like it held the answers to the universe.
âSo,â you said, amused, âyou always go quiet after?â
Fives blinked. âNo! I meanâonly when Iâm⊠yâknow.â
âEmotionally overwhelmed by your own success?â
He let out a weak laugh, dragging a hand through his hair. âStars, youâre dangerous.â
âI warned you,â you said, poking his bare chest. âYou didnât listen.â
âI did. I just didnât care.â He looked at you then, eyes softer. âYouâre⊠not what I expected.â
âBecause I invited you home? Or because I made you nervous for once?â
Fives groaned. âBoth.â
A silence settled again, this one a little heavierâlike something was unsaid. He shifted, rubbing the back of his neck, then blurted out:
âOkay, listen. Iâm so embarrassed I didnât ask before, but⊠whatâs your name?â
You blinked. âAre you serious?â
Fives winced. âI meant to ask! But then there was the bar, and the music, and then you invited me home and my brain just⊠shut down, okay?â
You stared at him. âWe slept together, and you donât even know my name.â
âI know your voice,â he offered. âAnd your laugh. And yourâuhâflexibility.â
You grabbed the pillow and whacked him in the face.
He laughed against the cotton, muffled. âOkay, okay! Truce!â
âMy name!â you said firmly.
âRight,â he said, sitting up slightly. âPlease. Iâm begging.â
You eyed him, then finally said it: â[Y/N].â
Fives whispered it like a secret. âYeah. That fits.â
You arched a brow. âAnd whatâs your name, Trooper?â
He paused. âYou donât know?â
âOf course I do,â you smirked. âI just wanted to see if youâd finally offer it without bragging about being an ARC.â
He rolled his eyes. âItâs Fives.â
âFives,â you repeated. âFives and [Y/N]. Cute. Tragic.â
âI vote tragic,â he said, falling back dramatically into the pillows.
âž»
Echo was waiting for him.
Not with questions. Not with judgment. Noâworse. With smug silence.
Fives entered the room whistling, undersuit halfway zipped, hair a little too messy to pass inspection. Echo didnât even look up from his datapad.
âSo,â Echo said, still reading. âDid you have fun last night?â
Fives coughed. âDefine fun.â
Echo finally glanced up. âDid you ever ask her name?â
Fives groaned. âHow do you know about that?â
âBecause, I know you.â Echo said casually, âher name is [Y/N]. Sheâs sung at 79âs for months. Iâve talked to her before.â
âYou what?â
âSheâs nice. Friendly. Has great taste in Corellian whiskey.â
âYouâve talked to her?â Fives said, scandalized.
âMultiple times.â
âAnd you never told me?â
Echo grinned. âThought you were a professional flirt. Didnât realize you were just a dumbass with armor.â
Fives pointed a finger. âYouâre lucky Iâm still emotionally glowing from this morning.â
Echo raised a brow. âOh, youâre glowing, alright. Like a reg who forgot the basics.â
Fives flopped into his bunk. âYouâre cruel.â
âIâm accurate.â
Fives groaned into his pillow. â[Y/N],â he mumbled, testing it again like it was sacred. âStars⊠I really like her.â
Echo just chuckled and returned to his datapad.
âYouâre doomed,â he said lightly. âBetter learn her last name next.â
âShe has a last name?â
âž»
âTech, youâre smarter than you look,â you said, fingers flying across the datapad as you recalibrated the long-range scannerâs neural relays.
Tech didnât even glance up. âIs that a compliment for my intelligence or an insult for my appearance?â
You smirked, biting the inside of your cheek. âMaybe both. Youâll never know.â
That got him. He looked at you over the rim of his goggles, blinking once. âYou are remarkably cryptic for someone so precise in data analysis.â
âAnd youâre remarkably dense for someone with a photographic memory.â
He opened his mouthâno doubt to deliver a factually loaded rebuttalâbut Omegaâs groan from the doorway cut him off.
âUgh, will you two just kiss already?â
Wrecker let out a bark of laughter from the other side of the room. âTheyâre both so smart and yet so stupid. Itâs kinda impressive, honestly.â
Hunter passed by without even looking up from his weapon check. âI give it three more arguments before one of them short-circuits.â
Echo, lounging at the gunnerâs console, rolled his eyes. âIâve seen better communication from malfunctioning droids.â
You turned bright red. âWeâre notâ! I mean, itâs not like that.â
Tech, completely deadpan: âI fail to see the logic in a kiss solving anything.â
âOh my stars,â you muttered, pinching the bridge of your nose. âYouâd think two geniuses wouldnât be so emotionally⊠constipated.â
Omega laughed as she flopped into a chair. âIs that what itâs called?â
âYes,â you said, shooting Tech a sidelong glance. âHeâs got a whole datacard full of tactical strategy, but apparently no folder for feelings.â
âI have folders,â Tech protested, indignant. âI just havenât⊠opened them.â
You crossed your arms and leaned back in your seat. âWell, maybe you should. Before I go flirt with Echo just to see if he can keep up.â
Techâs goggles glinted as he straightened, spine stiff. âThat would be inefficient. Echoâs humor is marginally less compatible with yours. Statistically, I am the superior match.â
The room went dead silent.
Even Hunter looked up.
ââŠWhat?â Tech asked, genuinely confused. âWas that not the correct response?â
You blinked, lips parting, but nothing came out at first. Finally, you leaned forward, resting your elbows on the table.
âTech,â you said slowly. âAre you⊠trying to court me via statistics?â
âWell, that is the language I am most fluent in,â he said, as if it were obvious. âI have also calculated the probability of your reciprocal affection to be relatively high, based on prolonged eye contact, increased heart rate during proximity, and your tendency to brush your hair back when speaking to me.â
Your face went completely warm. âYou noticed that?â
âI notice everything about you,â he said plainly. âI simply havenât known what to do with the information.â
Your heart stutteredâbecause for all his clinical language, there was vulnerability behind it. Soft. Honest. Tech didnât lie. He just struggled to feel out loud.
You offered a small smile. âYou donât have to do anything⊠except meet me halfway.â
He tilted his head. âCan you define halfway in this context?â
You stood up, stepped in front of him, and placed your hand gently on the side of his faceâjust enough pressure for his breath to catch. He froze like a statue.
âThis,â you whispered, âis halfway.â
âOh,â Tech said softly, eyes wide behind his goggles. âI see.â
And thenâslowly, cautiously, with all the finesse of a man defusing a bombâhe leaned forward and kissed you.
Echo let out a low whistle. Wrecker whooped. Omega cheered.
Hunter smirked to himself. âAbout time.â
When you pulled back, Tech looked dazed. Awestruck.
You grinned and nudged his shoulder. âSee? That wasnât so hard.â
Tech adjusted his goggles. âI must say⊠I found it remarkably agreeable.â
âYouâre so weird,â you whispered, grinning.
He smiled back. âYes. But apparently, I am your kind of weird.â
âž»
The base had fallen into chaos. The sharp beeping of alarms echoed through the corridors, sending waves of tension throughout the facility. It was a rare moment of vulnerability for the Republic, and the last thing anyone had expected was Cad Bane, the notorious bounty hunter, to escape from his containment cell.
The guard stationed at his cell had been lax, and the mistake had proven costly. The high-alert klaxon sounded through the base as soon as Bane's cell had been breached, and every clone in the vicinity had scrambled to act. The corridors buzzed with the hurried footsteps of soldiers moving to secure the area, but the fugitive had already disappeared into the shadows.
Fox had been among the first to respond, his focus sharp as ever. His instincts were honed for situations like thisâsituation after situation where quick thinking was required. He'd immediately ordered a lockdown, sending squads to lock down the base and search every inch of the facility, but Bane had always been a step ahead.
Thorn, ever the stoic and capable commander, had taken charge of the search team. He was methodical, ensuring every room, every vent, every corner of the base was scoured. His calm, commanding presence calmed the other clones as they executed their assignments, and the search continued with the precision only a seasoned commander could bring.
As for you, you were, as usual, observing from the sidelines. The office had cleared out, with most of the staff focused on the lockdown. It wasn't often the facility was on such high alert, and you'd been relegated to helping with the more menial tasks. Even so, you couldn't help but be drawn into the chaos.
Through the halls, you had heard Fox's voice, barking orders into his comm as he led the charge to track Bane's escape route. It was the kind of mission Fox thrived inâthe kind that required focus and relentless determination. But as the hours ticked on, you could tell he was growing more frustrated. Bane was slipping through their fingers.
It wasn't until the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the base, that Fox returned. His boots clicked sharply against the floor, his jaw set, his face as hard as stone. He was visibly irritated, his focus laser-sharp, but the frustration was palpable. He had always been able to handle these types of situations, but Bane was something elseâslippery, cunning, and relentless.
"You should've seen the way he slipped past us," Fox muttered to Thorn as he strode into the command center, his eyes never leaving the glowing screens in front of him. "He's too good. We're gonna have to rework our entire strategy if we're going to catch him."
Thorn didn't reply immediately, though you could tell he shared the same frustration. "He's still here. We'll find him. No one's getting out of this base."
Fox glanced at him sharply, his eyes betraying a rare vulnerability. "That's not the problem," he said, the words more clipped than usual. "The problem is he's playing us. I'll need to stay focused, Thorn. This won't be over until he's back in his cell."
The tension in the air thickened, the base still on high alert. The clones moved efficiently, conducting their sweep of the area, but Fox's mind was elsewhere. The escape had rattled him in a way that wasn't typical. Maybe it was because Bane had outsmarted themâor maybe because he had already begun thinking of what could come next. Whatever it was, Fox wasn't about to let it distract him from the task at hand.
As the day wore on, the base remained under lockdown, but you knew Fox would need a break. That night, you had something to offer him that he didn't expect.
***
The stage at 79's was dimly lit, the familiar hum of the bar filling the space. The crowd had gathered, and you could feel the pulse of anticipation in the air as you stepped onto the stage. The drinks were flowing, the conversations were louder than usual, and the usual mix of soldiers and off-duty personnel filled the room. But tonight, you weren't just going to be a face in the crowd. You were going to perform, as you always didâletting the music take over and letting the world around you fade.
When you took the stage, the room quieted, and the eyes of those in the bar turned toward you. A guitar hung around your neck, your fingers brushing over the strings as you tuned it just before you began. It was almost like you could feel the weight of Fox's gaze on you, even though you didn't look for him.
You'd spotted him earlier when you entered, standing near the back of the room. His usual stoic presence made him blend into the shadows, but there was no mistaking him. Commander Fox had made his way to 79's, a rare moment of him stepping outside of his usual duties, and you knew exactly why he was there.
He was here to watch you.
You started your set, letting the rhythm of the music flow through you. The crowd was hooked, as they always were, but tonight, there was something different. As the song progressed, you caught his eyeâhe wasn't just watching anymore. His gaze had softened, and for a moment, he wasn't the hardened commander. He was just Foxâsomeone who had chosen to be here, to be with you, in this space.
After the final note rang out, the crowd applauded, and you stepped down from the stage. Fox was already at the bar, a drink in hand, though he hadn't touched it. His eyes tracked you as you made your way over, a brief nod to acknowledge his presence before he looked at you directly.
"That was..." Fox began, his voice low, yet genuine. He searched for the right words, his usual confidence slipping as he softened. "I didn't expect that."
You grinned, your heart racing. "What? That I could hold a tune? You doubt me, Fox?"
His lips twitched in what almost resembled a smile. "I didn't doubt you." His eyes lingered on you, a shift in his expression. "You're more than I imagined."
It was the quiet admission you hadn't expected, but it was everything you needed to hear. Fox had always been careful with his words, but tonight, the mask had slipped, just enough to see something raw underneath.
You stepped closer to him, the moment charged with a tension neither of you could ignore. The crowd's noise faded into the background as you stood before him, the space between you almost electrified.
Without thinking, you reached up, fingers brushing lightly against his jaw. He didn't pull away; instead, his eyes darkened, and his hand rested gently on your waist, a silent invitation.
And then, with no more words needed, you kissed himâslow, tentative at first, but deepening as the weight of everything between you came rushing to the surface. Fox's hand moved to your back, pulling you closer, his kiss almost desperate, as though he were trying to make up for lost time. When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless.
"Fox..." you whispered, your voice soft, yet full of meaning.
"I've always wanted to say this," he murmured, his forehead resting against yours. "I don't know when it happened... but I care about you. More than I should."
You couldn't stop the smile that tugged at your lips. "I care about you too, Fox."
And in that moment, surrounded by the music and the chaos of 79's, nothing else mattered. Not the war, not the Republic, not the danger that always loomed just outside the door. All that mattered was the person standing in front of youâthe person who had finally let down their walls and confessed the truth.
The escape had been contained, but you knew this momentâthis feelingâwouldn't escape either.
The lights of Coruscant buzzed in their never-ending hum, a sharp contrast to the stillness that surrounded you as you made your way through the narrow halls of the Coruscant Guard's administrative building. The click of your boots echoed off the walls, and the air was thick with the usual tension.
As you passed by the cubicles, you could feel the weight of eyes on youâTrina's, mostly. She was at her desk, pretending to focus on a datapad but failing to hide the sharp, cutting glance she shot your way. You had no idea what her deal was, but it was like every move you made was another opportunity for her to find fault.
Kess, the other assistant, had been trying to remain neutralâsometimes siding with Trina, sometimes siding with you. But today, it was clear where she stood. She gave you a little shrug, an apologetic look, and then quickly turned her attention to Trina.
"I don't get it, Kess. Why do you always side with her?" Trina hissed, loud enough for you to hear, but not quite loud enough to be overtly disrespectful.
Kess tried to defuse the situation with a laugh, but it was hollow. "I just think we should all get along, that's all."
"Oh, please," Trina scoffed. "I think we all know whose side you're really on."
You rolled your eyes and turned to leave, not wanting to engage in their petty rivalry any longer. But then, the doors slid open to reveal Commander Fox standing in the hallway, his usual stoic demeanor unwavering as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You're needed," Fox said simply, his voice low, betraying no hint of emotion.
You followed him into the briefing room, where the walls were covered in reports and intelligence updates. There was a strange energy in the air today, one you couldn't quite put your finger on. Fox stood by a table littered with datapads, his face hardening as he looked at one of the reports.
"Everything okay, Fox?" you asked casually, leaning against the table.
He didn't look at you, but his voice was thick with something you couldn't quite read. "It's nothing."
"You sure?" you pressed, your gaze narrowing.
Fox turned to face you, his eyes briefly meeting yours before he glanced away, his jaw tight. "You mentioned something earlier. About being nearly murdered by a galactic legend last night. What did you mean by that?"
For a split second, his stoic mask cracked, the faintest trace of concern flitting across his face before he locked it down again. But it didn't go unnoticed by you.
You hesitated. The mention of Aurra Sing, the bounty hunter, still lingered in your mind. You'd barely escaped her grasp, but her motives were still unclear. You'd been too shaken to process it at the time, but now the gravity of the situation was settling in.
"Iâ" You swallowed hard. "It's nothing, Fox. Just a run-in with a bounty hunter. Aurra Sing"
His face hardened at the mention of her.
"I'm not sure why she's after me, but... she was too close. I didn't think I'd make it out of there last night." You shrugged, trying to brush off the gravity of it all, but you could see the concern building behind his eyes. "I wasn't exactly planning on being in the line of fire, if you catch my drift."
Fox's posture didn't shift, but you could sense the tension in his stance. "You should have told me," he said, his voice betraying more emotion than usual.
You snorted. "I didn't think it would be a big deal, Fox. It's just a bounty hunter."
His gaze softened for just a moment, but it quickly turned back to its usual stoic intensity. "You're not just some bystander. You're important. Don't make light of things like this again. Understood?"
You nodded, meeting his gaze for a moment. "Understood."
The conversation was cut short as the door to the briefing room slammed open, and Trina entered, her eyes flashing with that usual arrogance. "Did I hear something about a bounty hunter?" she sneered, her gaze landing on you with more than a touch of disdain. "What, are you some kind of target now? Seems like trouble follows you everywhere."
Kess lingered in the doorway, but she was much quieter today, hanging back like she wasn't sure where her loyalties lay. It was like she was trying to gauge the room before making her move.
Fox's eyes flashed with annoyance, but his voice remained calm, controlled. "Trina, that's enough."
Trina narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't seriously be buying into her little story, can you? A galactic legend hunting her down? I don't know about you, but it sounds like someone's fishing for sympathy."
Fox turned his gaze back to you for a moment, and then back to Trina. "You'll need to mind your tone, Trina. This is a serious matter."
Trina huffed, clearly not impressed, but she didn't say anything else. She gave you a final look of contempt before storming out of the room, leaving the air heavy with her disdain.
Kess shifted uncomfortably in the doorway, watching the exchange. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice quiet, almost unsure.
Fox glanced at you, then back at Kess. "For now. But we'll be keeping a close eye on things. Don't take your safety lightly, not with Aurra Sing around." He paused before adding, "If anything else happens, you come to me."
You nodded, feeling the weight of his words, but also the strange comfort of having someone like Fox looking out for youâeven if it wasn't in the way you had expected.
As you walked back to your desk, the tension in the office hadn't died down. Trina and Kess were still at each other's throats, but something had changed in the dynamic. And somewhere in the background, you couldn't shake the feeling that Aurra Sing's shadow still loomed over you, and it was only a matter of time before she made her next move.
But for now, you had to survive the office politicsâand the bounty hunter.
_ _ _
The hum of Coruscant's busy atmosphere felt oddly quiet as you returned to the office. It was a stark contrast to the calm, serene days you'd spent on Naboo. Your cousin's hospitality had been a much-needed reprieve, and the peaceful landscapes of Naboo had offered the perfect escape from the usual chaos. You couldn't help but feel recharged, the stress of office politics and bounty hunters temporarily forgotten.
You'd left without telling anyone, of course. The usual message to Fox had been a casual *"By the way, I'm off-world, visiting my cousin. I'll be back around this time."* No leave request, no formalities. It was just how you operated. And now, here you wereâback, and very much prepared to deal with the aftermath of your absence.
As you entered the office, the first thing you noticed was the silence. It hung thick in the air, broken only by the soft click of your boots against the floor. You spotted Trina immediately, her eyes narrowing as she glanced up at you, her arms crossed.
"Oh, look who finally graces us with her presence," Trina sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she threw a pile of reports onto your desk. "What, were you living the good life on Naboo while the rest of us were stuck here, keeping things running?"
You didn't even flinch at her attitude. Instead, you casually dropped your bag on the desk and powered up your datapad, skimming through messages as though her words weren't even worth your attention.
Kess, standing by her desk, raised an eyebrow but remained quiet, not wanting to escalate things further. She was always caught between trying to keep the peace and avoiding the conflict that always seemed to bubble up around Trina.
But then the door slid open, and in walked Thorn, Thire, and Houndâthree of the most notorious clones for adding fuel to the office drama. Thorn, in particular, was known for his stoic demeanor, but he was more than willing to throw in a comment or two, just to watch the chaos unfold.
Thorn leaned against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow, his voice as dry as ever. "Well, well, look who's back from her little getaway," he said, his eyes scanning the room. "I'm sure Naboo was *just* what the doctor ordered."
Hound, standing near the back of the room, smirked and crossed his arms. "Yeah, must've been real rough out there. Too bad the rest of us couldn't get the same luxury treatment."
Thire chuckled, shooting you a teasing glance. "I hope you at least got some time to relax. Sounds like a vacation we could all use."
You barely looked up as you replied, still focused on your datapad. "Oh, it was great. Thanks for asking."
Trina, unable to resist taking another shot, leaned in, her voice sharp. "Must've been nice to disappear for a week. Some of us have responsibilities around here, you know."
You let out a quiet sigh, rolling your eyes. "I'm sure you've been holding down the fort, Trina," you said with exaggerated sweetness, giving her a quick, condescending smile.
Thorn, clearly enjoying the tension, glanced at the clones before turning back to you with a small smirk. "I think she's just jealous she didn't get a taste of the *relaxing* life you got to have," he teased, his tone completely deadpan.
But there was a shift in his expression, a flicker of something more serious when he glanced at Fox, who had silently entered the room and was now standing near the doorway. Thorn knew better than to press too far. The clones may have loved watching office drama, but they also knew where the line wasâand that line was Commander Fox.
Fox gave no outward sign of having heard the comments, but there was something in the air that shifted the mood. Thorn, always in control of his own stoic composure, simply raised an eyebrow and backed off, sensing Fox's presence. He gave one last glance in your direction before turning to the rest of the room.
"We'll leave you to it, then," Thorn said, his tone neutral as he motioned to the clones. "But next time you decide to vanish for a while, let us know, yeah?"
The clones, now looking cautiously at Fox, quickly filtered out of the room, but not without throwing a few more playful glances your way. They were clearly amused by the little spectacle they'd just witnessed. Thorn, despite his reserved nature, couldn't resist a little chaos, and watching Trina's sour face as you returned was too good a moment to miss.
Once the clones had left, the tension in the room became almost palpable. Trina's smug smile faded as she shot you another look. "Must be nice to have that much freedom," she said, but her voice had lost a little of its bite. The reality was, she was on the defensive now, unsure of how to react to the clones' comments.
Kess took a step back from the situation, unsure of where to align herself today. She shifted from one foot to the other, glancing between Trina and you, caught in the middle of their rivalry.
You leaned back in your chair, eyes still locked on your datapad, completely unfazed by the tension. "It is nice," you said, the words casual, but there was an edge to your tone. "But if you need anything, you know where to find me."
Trina opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by Fox's voice, now much more authoritative. "That's enough, Trina," he said, his tone calm but firm. "I've had enough of the games today. Everyone, focus on the tasks at hand."
Trina huffed, muttering under her breath before turning back to her desk, clearly not done but not willing to escalate things further. Kess, sensing the shift, returned to her own work, though she kept glancing at you and the ongoing office drama with a hint of curiosity.
Fox looked at you for a moment, his gaze steady, as if weighing something in the air between you. But he said nothing more, and you knew better than to press him.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of passive-aggressive glances, subtle jabs, and quiet interactions. But as the hours ticked by, you felt a sense of amusement, even pride, that the office still couldn't figure you outâdespite the clones' attempts to stir the pot, the undercurrent of rivalry, and the ever-present drama.
As long as you had your freedom, nothing could keep you down. Not even the endless office politics.
Hi! Could I request a Crosshair x Reader? The reader was a medic in the GAR and would occasionally be called to treat the Bad Batch and loved to over-the-top flirt with Crosshair. After Order 66, the reader treats him after the fall of Kamino, and is reunited again on Tantiss?
Thank you for the request!
Because Iâm evil I made this really sad and tragic - hope you enjoy!
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Warnings: Injury, death, angst
When you first met Crosshair, he was bleeding all over your medbay floor.
Not dramatically, of course. That wasnât his style. Heâd taken a blaster graze to the ribs, shrugged it off, and sat on the edge of your cot like he couldnât care less if he passed out.
âYou shouldâve come in hours ago,â you said, kneeling to check the wound. âThis is going to scar.â
Crosshairâs eyes barely flicked toward you. âScars donât matter.â
You raised a brow. âTo you, maybe. I, on the other hand, take pride in my handiwork.â
His lip curled in the barest ghost of amusement. You took it as encouragement.
You started showing up whenever they did. Crosshair got injured just enough to give you an excuse to flirt outrageously. You called him things like âsniper sweetheart,â âsharp shot,â and once, when you were feeling particularly bold, âcross and handsome.â
He rolled his eyes, glared, told you to shut up more times than you could countâbut he never really pushed you away.
You werenât blind. You saw the way his gaze lingered when you turned to walk away. The way he always sat a little too still when you touched himâlike he was trying not to feel something.
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You pressed the gauze a little firmer than necessary against Crosshairâs side.
âCareful,â he grunted.
You smirked, dabbing the bacta. âSorry, sniper. Didnât realize your pain tolerance was that low.â
Crosshair didnât dignify that with a response. Just narrowed his eyes at you and clenched his jaw.
You loved getting under his skin. The other clones were easy to treat. Grateful. Polite. But Crosshair? He glared like youâd personally insulted his rifle every time you patched him up.
It made him interesting.
âYou know,â you added, taping down the final dressing with a wink, âif you ever want me to kiss it better, just say the word.â
Crosshair exhaled sharply through his noseâsomething between irritation and disbelief.
âYou ever shut up?â
You leaned in close, your voice dropping to a purr. âNot for you.â
And then you walked off, grinning to yourself, because Crosshair mightâve looked annoyed, but you caught itâthe way his eyes lingered just a second too long.
You never expected anything from it. It was just a game. A slow, stupid, hopeful kind of game.
And then the war ended.
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The transition from the Republic to the Empire didnât faze you at first.
Same job. Same uniform. New symbol on your chest.
You werenât naĂŻve, just tired. The war had dragged on for years. Maybe peace, even under control, wasnât the worst thing.
Besides, you were just a medic. You werenât in charge of policies or invasions. You fixed what was broken. Saved who you could. And in your mind, the war was finally over.
You didnât question the new rules. Not then. Not when Crosshair disappeared. Not even when Kamino began to feel⊠emptier.
When the call came in that Crosshair had returnedâinjured during the fall of Kaminoâyou were the one they requested. Of course you were.
You told yourself it didnât matter. That you were just a medic, doing your job. Nothing more.
But when you saw him again, lying on that cold table, soaked in sea water and rage, something shifted.
âYouâre quiet,â you said as you cleaned blood from his temple.
He didnât answer.
âYou could say something. Like âHi, I missed you,â or even just a classy grunt.â
Crosshair stared at the ceiling like heâd rather be anywhere else.
âI thought you were dead,â you admitted softly, your voice losing the humor. âAnd then I thought⊠maybe that wouldâve been easier.â
His gaze finally cut to yoursâsharp and cold. âDidnât stop you from joining them.â
You stiffened.
âI didnât know what was happening, Cross,â you said. âNone of us did. I didnât even see the Jedi fall. I was in a medtent treating troopers shot by their own.â
He said nothing.
âI stayed. I helped. I didnât know youâd⊠chosen to stay too. Not like this.â
His voice was quiet, bitter. âSo youâre leaving again?â
âI wasnât supposed to be here at all. They only brought me in to stabilize you.â
He scoffed. âFigures. Youâre just like the rest.â
That sentence struck you harder than any wound youâd treated.
Your hand froze on his bandage. Your throat tightened.
You stepped back.
âYou think I didnât care?â you said, barely more than a whisper. âI flirted with you for years, you emotionally constipated bastard. You couldâve said something. You couldâve stayed.â
He didnât answer. He just looked away.
And this time, you were the one to leave.
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The Imperial Research Facility on Tantiss was hell in sterile form.
You hated it the moment you arrived. The black walls. The quiet whispers. The clones in cages. The scientists with dead eyes.
But you told yourself you had no choice. Youâd seen too much to be let go. Youâd signed too many lines, accepted too many transfers.
And if you were going to be stuck in this nightmare, you might as well try to help the ones left inside it.
So you stitched up soldiers with no names. You treated mutations the Empire refused to acknowledge. You whispered comforts to dying experiments when no one else would.
And then one dayâyou saw him again.
You found him slumped against a wall, one arm dragging uselessly, his uniform half-burned.
âCrosshair.â
He blinked blearily. When he saw your face, he flinched like youâd hit him.
âOh,â he said. âOf course. You.â
âI shouldâve guessed youâd find a way to almost die again.â
You knelt beside him, voice low. âLet me help you.â
He didnât move. Didnât speak. Just watched you with a raw, wounded anger that made your stomach twist.
âYou knew I was here,â you said. âDidnât you?â
âI heard rumors,â he rasped. âDidnât believe it. Figured if you were here, youâd have visited. Unless that was too much effort.â
You stared at him. âYou think I wanted this?â
âYou chose this,â he said coldly. âYou always do.â
You wanted to scream. To shake him. To make him see what this place had done to you. What the Empire really was. But Crosshair didnât want sympathy. He wanted someone to hate.
And you were easy to hate.
Even if the way his fingers brushed yours when you patched his shoulder said otherwise.
Even if you still smelled like the cheap soap he used to mock, and he still remembered exactly how you smiled when you wrapped his wounds.
Even if he was still in love with youâand still convinced that meant nothing.
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Tantiss was built to be soullessâwhite halls, dead lights, silence where screams shouldâve been. You learned how to survive here by becoming invisible.
But now you were doing something dangerous. Stupid, even.
You were trusting again.
Crosshair hadnât spoken much after that first time you treated himâjust short questions, sarcastic comments, clipped observations. But he stopped flinching when you approached. Stopped spitting daggers every time your fingers brushed his skin.
And sometimes, on the rare nights when the lights dimmed and the cameras looked the other way, heâd ask things.
âDid you know what they were doing here?â
âDo you regret staying?â
âWhy did you help me?â
You answered every question honestly, because lies were for people who didnât already carry each otherâs ghosts.
And then came herâa ghost you didnât expect.
Omega.
They brought her in bruised, shackled, but defiant. You knew who she wasâof course you did. You knew what she meant to Crosshair even if heâd never say it.
The first time you saw her, you crouched beside her cot and said:
âNameâs [Y/N]. Iâm not here to hurt you.â
Omega didnât trust you, not at first. But you earned it, one moment at a time.
You fixed her shoulder. Snuck her extra food. Sat with her at night when the lights made her cry.
Crosshair was the one who really got her to open up.
Sheâd whisper across the room in the dark.
âYou look grumpy, but youâre not really.â
Crosshair muttered something like âKeep telling yourself that.â
She smiled.
Youâd watch them from the corner of the lab. A tired soldier and a fierce little kid, clinging to the only family they had left.
You started planning.
You spent weeks preparingâdisabling door locks, stealing access codes, memorizing shift schedules. You taught Omega how to sneak. You warned Crosshair how many guards you couldnât distract.
The night came fast.
Crosshair didnât ask questionsâhe moved like a man with nothing to lose. Omega stuck to his side like a shadow. You guided them through hallways, down lifts, past sleeping monsters in bacta tanks.
You reached the final corridor, the one that led to the hangar.
Thatâs when he stopped.
âWhereâs your gear?â Crosshair asked. âWe donât have time to backtrack.â
You shook your head. âIâm not going.â
He stared at you like youâd just said the sky was falling.
âWhat the hell do you mean, youâre not going?â
âIâm on every manifest. Every shift schedule. Every system. I donât make it out. Not without putting you both at risk.â
Omega grabbed your hand. âBut we canât just leave you!â
You smiledâGod, it hurt to smile. âYou have to. Youâre the only ones who still have a shot.â
Crosshair stepped forward, chest heaving. âYouâre out of your mind.â
âMaybe,â you said softly, âbut Iâm making the call.â
He didnât say anything for a long time. Just stared. Like he wanted to remember everything about youâyour face, your scent, your voice when you werenât bleeding or angry.
And then, quietly:
âI shouldâve said something. Before. Kamino. You deserved more thanââ
âI knew,â you said. âI always knew.â
You kissed him. Once. Brief. Like a secret passed between souls.
âGet her out,â you whispered.
And then you ran back toward the alarms.
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The cuffs chafed against your wrists, biting into raw skin. The interrogation room was colder than usualâdesigned to break people long before the scalpel touched skin.
You werenât broken.
Not yet.
Dr. Royce Hemlock entered like he always did: calm, unbothered, surgical. He closed the door behind him with a quiet hiss. No guards. He didnât need them.
He looked at you like a specimen already tagged for dissection.
âDr. [Y/L/N],â he said softly, hands clasped behind his back. âYouâve been busy.â
You didnât speak.
He circled you, like a predator measuring bone width and muscle density.
âYou falsified clearance reports. Tampered with door access logs. Administered unauthorized sedation doses. Facilitated the escape of two highly valuable assets. All while wearing the Empireâs crest on your coat.â
You tilted your chin up. âYou forgot âate the last slice of cake in the mess.ââ
Hemlockâs smile was thin, sterile.
âI misjudged you,â he said. âI assumed your compliance stemmed from belief. But it seems it was convenience.â
âIt was survival,â you corrected. âUntil I realized survival meant becoming the monster.â
He stopped behind you, his voice like ice against your neck.
âDo you know what fascinates me, Doctor?â he asked. âLoyalty. The anatomy of it. How some will kill for it. Die for it. And how othersâlike youâwill throw it away for a defective clone and a girl with a soft voice and wild eyes.â
Your voice didnât shake.
âThey had more humanity than anyone in this facility.â
Hemlockâs footsteps were deliberate as he moved back in front of you. He looked down like you were an experiment that had failed on the table.
âYour medical clearance is revoked. Your name will be stripped from the archives. You will die here, and no one will remember you.â
You met his gaze. âThen youâll never know how I did it.â
That made his mouth twitch. Just slightly.
âYou think youâre clever,â he said. âBut youâre just like all the rest. Sentimental. Weak. Replaceable.â
You leaned forward, blood on your lip, defiance burning in your chest.
âNo,â you said. âIâm unforgettable.â
Hemlock pressed the execution order into the datapad.
âTake her to Sector E,â he told the guard at the door. âImmediate termination.â
As the guards hauled you to your feet, you locked eyes with Hemlock one last time.
âYouâll lose,â you said. âMaybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But someone will bring this place to the ground.â
He tilted his head, amused.
âAnd who will that be? The sniper who tried to kill his brothers? The child?â
You smiled through bloodied teeth.
âTheyâre more than youâll ever be.â
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They didnât let you say goodbye.
They didnât let you scream.
But you didnât beg.
You thought of Crosshair. Of Omega. Of the escape you made possible.
And you went quietly.
Because monsters didnât get the satisfaction of your fear.
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Later, through intercepted comms, Crosshair would hear the clinical report:
âSubject [Y/N] â execution carried out. Cause of death: biological termination. Body transferred to incineration chamber.â
He replayed that sentence ten times before he crushed the headset in his hand.
Hunter didnât say anything.
Wrecker just placed a heavy hand on his brotherâs shoulder.
And Crosshairâwho hadnât prayed in his lifeâlooked out at the stars, and wished he believed in something that could carry your soul home.
Omg! I saw you take requests! I love your work especially bad batch! I was thinking a Hunter x Fem!Reader where the reader is new to the ship, like medic or maybe even a soldier? But she uses like perfumes and obviously a different soap and heâs obsessed with trying to figure out what she smells like and with how nice it smells? Youâre amazing! :))
Absolutely - sometimes I run out of ideas so love getting request! I hope you like it x
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The Marauder had always smelled like metal, boot polish, and testosterone. Maybe a little like burnt caf on bad days. It wasnât badâit was just what Hunter was used to. Predictable. Familiar.
Until you showed up.
Fresh off an assignment with a battalion on Christophis, you were the newest addition to Clone Force 99âmedic, technically, but you could hold your own in a fight too. The regs had spoken highly of your skills. Thatâs all Hunter needed to approve the transfer.
What he hadnât anticipated was you.
Not your skills, not your sharp tongue or how fast you could stitch a man back together mid-firefight.
No, what Hunter hadnât anticipatedâwhat was currently driving him up the kriffing wallâwas how good you smelled.
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It started on the first day.
Youâd walked up the ramp in your gear, throwing a satchel over your shoulder, hair pulled back, confidence in your step. The moment you passed him, it hit Hunter like a punch to the senses.
Sweet. Warm. Not too strong. Not floral, not fruity. Something clean. Something⊠familiar but elusive. He couldnât place it.
His head had snapped toward you like a damn hound on instinct.
You hadnât noticedâtoo busy joking with Tech about the medbay setup.
Hunter had clenched his jaw and focused. Or tried to. You walked past him again andâthere it was. A whisper of something rich and soft. Stars, what was that?
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The next few days were worse.
Every time you were near, his senses lit up like a battle alert. The scent of your soap after a shower. The subtle perfume that lingered on your neck and collarbone when you leaned over the holotable. Even the way your gear smelledâfresh, clean, nothing like the usual musty armor worn too long.
Hunter could track someone through a jungle with a five-day head start, but your scent was all he could think about, and you were right thereâconstantly in his space, brushing shoulders, handing him bandages, laughing at something Wrecker said.
He was losing it.
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He caught you in the galley one night, the ship quiet, everyone else asleep.
You were perched on the counter in sleepwear and a hoodie, cradling a cup of caf like it held the secrets of the galaxy. The scent hit him againâstronger this time. No armor, no barrier. Just you, soft and warm and godsdamn intoxicating.
âYou okay?â you asked, eyes flicking up to meet his.
Hunter blinked. âYeah. Just⊠couldnât sleep.â
You tilted your head. âToo much stimcaf or just the usual war trauma?â
He smirked. âBit of both.â
You chuckled, then held out the cup. âWant some?â
He stepped forwardâand nearly flinched when the scent hit him again. His jaw tightened.
âYou good?â you asked, raising a brow.
âI, uhâŠâ He cleared his throat. âCan I ask you something?â
âSure.â
âWhat do you wear?â
You blinked. âExcuse me?â
Hunter rubbed the back of his neck, ears flushing. âI mean, you smell⊠different. Not in a bad way! Just⊠I canât place it.â
You stared at him for a beatâthen burst into laughter. âIs that whatâs been bothering you?â
He scowled, only mildly embarrassed. âItâs been driving me nuts. I canât figure it out.â
You hopped off the counter, still laughing, and came to stand close. Too close. He tensed when you leaned in just a little, tilting your head.
âItâs amber and sandalwood. Little bit of vanilla. And my soapâs just some fancy one I stole from an officerâs shower kit. Want me to make you a batch?â
Hunterâs brain short-circuited.
The scent was right thereâintimate, surrounding him, and your voice was low, teasing.
âIâuhâŠâ he stammered, then pulled back just slightly. âNo. No, I think Iâll go insane if everything smells like you.â
You smiled slowly, eyes dark with amusement. âSo⊠itâs a problem?â
He gave you a flat look. âYes.â
You leaned in again, grinning. âGuess youâll just have to get used to it, Sarge.â
Hunterâs voice was gravel. âThatâs what Iâm afraid of.â
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The ramp of the Marauder hissed as it lowered, groaning under the weight of exhausted boots and heavier egos. Smoke clung to armor plates and robes alike, the remnants of their latest skirmish still staining their clothes and lungs. But they were alive, in one piece, and Wrecker had already claimed that meant it was time for a snack.
âI told you,â Wrecker declared, stomping down the ramp with a grin that was a little too smug for someone whoâd nearly face-planted during the evac, ânothing brings people closer than a near-death experience! Team bonding, baby.â
âTell that to the squad of clankers you flattened like pancakes,â Tech muttered, adjusting his goggles. âThey didnât seem especially enthusiastic about our cohesion.â
Behind them, Echo trudged down with his helmet tucked under one arm, glancing behind him for you. His expression softened the moment his eyes met yours. You were brushing ash off your tunic and tucking your lightsaber back into your belt, brow furrowed in focus as alwaysâbut you felt his gaze and looked up with the smallest smile.
âNice work back there,â Echo said, and though his voice was soft, it cut through the banter around you. âYou saved my shebs. Again.â
You shrugged, trying to hide the way your heart jumped at the way he looked at youâlike you were the whole kriffing galaxy. âYou wouldâve done the same for me.â
âI already have,â he said, voice low, his smile a little crooked. You bumped shoulders with him, rolling your eyes with a grin that gave you away.
Hunter, catching the exchange from the edge of the ramp, raised a brow. âYou two always this obvious?â
âOh, itâs worse than that,â Wrecker chimed in, loud enough to turn heads. âSheâs totally his girlfriend.â
You froze mid-step. Echoâs expression twitched like his brain had blue-screened for a second.
âIâwhatâWrecker!â he hissed, ears practically glowing red.
Wrecker threw up his hands, unbothered. âWhat? Everyone sees it! I mean, câmon! They were making goo-goo eyes while taking down that tank together. Thatâs not âstandard Jediâclone operational procedure,â thatâs âsave-the-galaxy-togetherâ couple stuff!â
Crosshair snorted from where he leaned against the ship. âYouâre all idiots,â he said flatly. âThatâs unrealistic. Sheâs not just a Jediâsheâs Old Republic trained. The whole code is sacred thing, remember?â
You gave Crosshair a look and stepped forward with arms crossed, voice cool and amused. âSo youâre saying I canât be both a warrior and a woman with depth?â
Crosshair stared at you for a moment, blinked once, and turned away. âDidnât say that.â
Echo cleared his throat and stepped between you and the others, half-shielding you like instinct. âCan we not discuss Jedi doctrine like weâre gossiping in the barracks?â
âOh, now heâs shy,â Tech said, tilting his head.
Wrecker grinned at you. âShe didnât say no, though.â
âWreckerââ Echo growled, but you touched his arm, and he stopped short.
You looked up at him, just for a second. âLet them talk. We know what this is.â
Echo studied youâcarefully, gentlyâlike he was afraid youâd vanish if he blinked too fast. Then he nodded, just once. âYeah. We do.â
The team fell into a comfortable rhythm after that, still teasing, still tossing back jabs and laughs, but it all faded a little in your periphery as Echo walked beside you. And maybe the Jedi code was sacred. Maybe there were rules. But as the sun dipped low over the landing pad and he smiled down at you like you were the one thing anchoring him to this chaotic galaxy, you werenât thinking about rules.
You were thinking: Maybe we can survive this. Together.
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The stars outside the viewport blinked like distant memories. The Marauder hummed with its usual low thrum, the rest of the squad either asleep or pretending to be. It was one of those rare, fragile momentsâwhen the galaxy felt like it was holding its breath, just long enough for two people to realize they werenât alone in it.
Echo sat on one of the benches in the common room, armor stripped down to the basics, a cup of something warm in his hand. You stepped in barefoot, robes loose and hair still damp from a rushed rinse, like you were shedding the battlefield piece by piece.
He looked up. âCouldnât sleep either?â
You shook your head, padding over to sit beside him. The silence between you was companionable, soft. You both knew how loud your thoughts got at night.
After a while, you pulled something from the inner pocket of your robesâa small, weathered talisman on a leather cord. Gold and deep bronze etched with faint runes, worn smooth by time and touch. Echo tilted his head.
âWhatâs that?â
You held it between your fingers for a second, then placed it gently in his hands.
âItâs⊠old. Really old,â you said. âIt was given to me when I became a Padawan. Back long before the war, before the Jedi and the old Order became a memory. My master said it would keep me anchored. Itâs seen every part of my life sinceâbattlefields, meditations, exile, heartbreak, my Millenia long carbon freeze prisonment.â
Echo turned it over in his hand, thumb brushing the ancient symbols. âWhy are you giving it to me?â
âBecause I donât think I need to be anchored anymore,â you said, voice quiet but sure. âNot in the past, anyway. You remind me that Iâm still here. That I still get to be here. And if anyone should carry a piece of where I came from into the future⊠itâs you.â
His fingers stilled. He looked at you like you were some impossible thingâlike someone who shouldâve been gone centuries ago, yet was sitting beside him, breathing the same air, bleeding in the same war.
âI donât know what to say,â he murmured.
You smiled softly. âJust donât lose it.â
Echo slipped the talisman over his head carefully, reverently, and tucked it under his chest plate. When he looked back at you, there was something heavy in his eyesâsomething like wonder, something like love.
âYou always talk like youâre a ghost,â he said. âBut youâre not. Youâre flesh and blood, and youâre here. With us. With me. You donât have to drift anymore.â
Your heart caught. You reached up and brushed your fingertips against his jaw, and he leaned into it without hesitation.
âI donât feel like a ghost when Iâm with you,â you whispered. âI feel⊠alive.â
Echo leaned in, resting his forehead against yours, his breath warm. âThen letâs keep it that way.â
And in the stillness of the Marauder, with the stars watching in silence, it felt like maybeâjust maybeâthe galaxy wasnât all war and death and shadows.
It could be this, too.
It could be you and him.
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Part 1
peep boost and sinker from the background of what i'm working on because i need motivation to get through rendering it all đ
Hi! I donât know if youâre doing requests, if not ignore this. I love your writing! My request would be bad batch x Jedi!reader( can be gen) where itâs their reaction to you having to save them and do a bunch of cool badass force moves to get to them. đ©·
Absolutelyâ I will gladly take any request x
I hope you enjoy this, I kinda went off on my own little world at the end.
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Bad batch x Jedi!Reader
The op was supposed to be simple: get in, grab the intel, get out.
So naturally, it was a disaster by hour two.
The Bad Batch was cornered inside a decrepit refinery complex, hunkered behind a wall of overturned crates as blaster fire lit up the air. Explosions cracked the walls. Wrecker was bleeding. Techâs datapad was sparking. Crosshair was out of ammo.
Hunter muttered a curse. âWe need backup. Now.â
Crosshair scoffed. âYou mean the Jedi?â
âDonât say it like itâs a bad thing,â Tech said, wincing as he adjusted his shattered goggles. âThey are highly efficient warriors, after all.â
âWell, ours is late,â Echo gritted, shielding Wrecker with a dented durasteel panel. âAnd I donât think those guys outside are going to politely wait for her.â
Then, like the Force heard them bickeringâ
The air dropped a few degrees.
The wind shifted.
And then the main door of the facility exploded inwardânot from detonite or a charge, but like something had pushed it in with terrifying, silent power.
Smoke billowed.
And out of it stepped you.
Cloak trailing behind you, lightsaber already humming in your hand, you walked into the chaos like you were late to a dinner partyânot a battlefield.
âSorry Iâm late,â you said, lifting your hand.
Three enemy droids shot into the air like ragdolls, slammed into a pipe overhead, and sparked out. âHad a bit of traffic.â
Wrecker blinked. âThat⊠was awesome.â
Hunter stared as you leapt forward, deflecting blaster bolts without looking. âRemind me never to complain about Jedi again.â
You moved like a shadow. One second you were blocking a shot, the next you were throwing your saber, calling it back mid-spin, flipping off a wall, and dragging a pair of guards toward each other with the Force so they knocked heads and dropped.
âShow off,â Crosshair muttered, but there was something weirdly close to admiration in his tone.
âExcuse me?â you called as you force-pulled a turret off its base and crushed it into a ball. âYou want to do this next time, sharpshooter?â
âI mean⊠I wouldnât mind the view,â Crosshair said under his breath.
Tech, oddly calm amid the chaos, adjusted his goggles with a broken-off screw. âFascinating. You manipulated five separate Force events within a span ofââ
âIâll send you a diagram later!â you called.
You sliced the control panel, opened the bulkhead, and gestured. âCome on, boys. Iâm not babysitting this op all day.â
Hunter helped Wrecker to his feet. âThat was⊠intense.â
Echo gave you a half-grin. âWeâd be dead if you hadnât shown.â
âYou would be,â you said smugly. âGood thing I like you.â
âIs that a Jedi flirting?â Crosshair drawled. âShould I be worried about a lightsaber through my chest or a date?â
You raised a brow. âDepends. Are you always this cocky, or is it the blood loss talking?â
Crosshair smirked. âYou tell me.â
As the team jogged after you, Tech whispered to Echo, âI believe this is what organic beings refer to as âtension.ââ
âYou think?â Echo grinned, ducking blaster fire as you launched an enemy into a vat of molten ore with a flick of your hand.
âLetâs save the flirty quips for after weâre not being shot at,â Hunter grumbledâbut he wasnât exactly not smiling.
You stopped mid-run, looked over your shoulder, and grinned. âThen pick up the pace, boys. You can flirt after we survive.â
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The air inside the safehouse was still hazy from Wreckerâs attempt at cooking, and someone had definitely patched Crosshairâs blaster wound with duct tape and attitude.
But everyone was alive. And that was saying something.
You were seated cross-legged on a crate, calmly cleaning your lightsaber with the kind of peace only someone who had deflected about 200 blaster bolts could muster. The Force hummed around you, quiet but alert.
Hunter dropped onto the floor nearby, arms resting on his knees. âYou always fight like that?â
You looked up, raising a brow. âLike what?â
âLike gravity doesnât apply to you and youâre mad at every object in a ten-meter radius.â
You grinned. âOnly when people I care about are in trouble.â
Crosshair, lounging against the wall with his arms crossed, scoffed. âSo, you do care.â
âDonât get excited,â you teased. âIâd do the same for my hydrospanner.â
Wrecker burst out laughing while Crosshair smirked like heâd just been promoted.
Echo, who was calmly running diagnostics on his arm, chimed in: âI donât know. I think youâve got favorites.â
You shrugged. âMaybe.â
Tech looked up from where he was scanning his datapad, eyes sharp behind his cracked goggles. âYou know, from a technical standpoint, some of your techniquesâparticularly the telekinetic manipulation mid-flightâcould be extremely beneficial in combat.â
You tilted your head. âAre you saying you want to train with me, Tech?â
He cleared his throat. âFor research purposes, of course.â
Echo leaned back against a support beam. âI wouldnât mind a session or two either. Might pick up a move or two that doesnât involve being thrown across a battlefield.â
âI think I should go first,â Hunter said mildly. âSince Iâm the one who has to keep all of you alive.â
Wrecker raised a hand. âHey, I want to train with the Jedi too!â
You looked around at all of them. âLet me guess⊠you all want to train now?â
âBetter than watching Crosshair try to flirt,â Echo muttered.
âI donât flirt,â Crosshair said flatly.
âYou stared at their hands for five minutes straight,â Hunter pointed out.
Crosshair didnât deny it. âTheyâve got good saber grip. Itâs tactical.â
You smirked and slowly stood, clipping your saber back to your belt. âAlright. Weâll start tomorrow. One at a time. Youâll get a feel for the Force, and Iâll see who whines the least when they land flat on their back.â
âI never whine,â Crosshair muttered.
âGood,â you said with a wicked grin. âYouâll be first.â
Wrecker fist-pumped. Tech adjusted his datapad like it was a test. Echo and Hunter shared a look that said, Weâre all going to die.
You stretched your arms and turned to leave.
âOh,â you added over your shoulder. âAnd if youâre all so eager to get closer to the Force⊠donât forget it can read minds.â
Five men froze. Completely.
You didnât have to look to know exactly which ones had immediately panicked.
Yeah. You were going to have fun with this.
âž»
You stood in the middle of the field, arms crossed, calm as ever.
The Bad Batch lined up in front of you like misbehaving cadets at a very weird summer camp. Wrecker was bouncing on his heels. Crosshair looked bored already. Echo was trying to focus. Tech was holding a notebook. And HunterâHunter was watching you like he was trying to anticipate your every move. Again.
âAlright,â you said, voice light. âRule number one: you are not Force-sensitive. So stop trying to feel it. Youâll just give yourself a migraine.â
Tech quietly lowered his fingers from his temple and put his notebook away.
âInstead,â you continued, pacing in front of them like an instructor, âweâre going to focus on reflexes, awareness, and how not to swing a lightsaber into your own leg.â
Wrecker raised his hand. âWaitâdo we get lightsabers?â
You blinked. âDo you want to lose an arm?â
Wrecker grinned. âKinda depends on the story I can tell after.â
Echo muttered, âMaker help us.â
You tossed a training baton at Crosshair, who caught it one-handed with zero enthusiasm.
âLetâs see how you handle this, sharpshooter,â you said, smirking. âTry to block me.â
Crosshair rolled his eyes. âI donât need a magic trick to win a duel.â
You raised your training blade. âThatâs cute. Try to last thirty seconds.â
What followed was the most stubborn, cocky, and utterly chaotic sparring session you had ever experienced.
Crosshair lasted eighteen seconds. He blamed the sun.
Hunter was fast, perceptive, and nearly knocked you off your feet once, but then got distracted when you smiled at him. He never admitted it.
Echo was calculated but got annoyed when you used a Force push to trip him mid-roll. âNot fair,â he growled, flat on his back.
âI told you Iâd use it,â you shrugged.
Tech kept trying to guess your next move based on logic. Unfortunately, you were using the Force. And chaos.
âI have a theory,â he said, face-down in the grass.
âIâm sure you do.â
Then came Wrecker.
âAlright,â he said, grinning like a kid about to break a toy, âgimme your best shot.â
You dodged his first three swings. The fourth came very close.
âEasy, big guy,â you huffed, ducking under his arm. âThis is training, not deathmatchââ
âOops!â Wrecker slipped on a rock, stumbled forward, and you had to Force-jump to avoid being pancaked. You landed behind him, breathing hard.
âThat was⊠impressive,â you managed.
âDid I pass?â he asked, hopeful.
âPass? You almost Force-chucked me into next week!â
âCool.â
Later, as the group collapsed in a sweaty, bruised heap under a tree, you sat cross-legged nearby, sipping from a canteen.
âIâll admit,â you said with a sly grin, âyouâre all⊠slightly less hopeless than I expected.â
âHigh praise,â Echo muttered.
Crosshair lay back, arms behind his head. âSo whenâs the advanced class?â
You tossed a pebble at his head. âNever.â
Tech looked up from scribbling notes. âI would still like to record your movement patterns. Possibly⊠for private analysis.â
You raised an eyebrow. âPrivate?â
Hunter cleared his throat, cutting in fast. âIâd be up for a meditation session. Just us.â
You blinked. âYou meditate?â
âI do now.â
Wrecker sat up. âWait, I want to meditate too!â
âNo, you donât,â Echo sighed.
You lay back in the grass beside them, arms tucked under your head, eyes half-closed. âYou know⊠for a bunch of non-sensitive, chaos-wielding commandos⊠youâre not so bad.â
Crosshair, eyes closed, smirked. âCareful, Jedi. Keep talking like that, and we might start thinking you like us.â
You smirked back. âI do like you. I just like kicking your asses more.â
lock in? no. iâm locked out. please let me in. i promise im the real me and not my evil clone
Guys I can't stop | -> pt. one
rain season
Warnings: injuries, suggestive content,l
âž»
The jungle was thick with steam and smoke, the scent of burning metal and charred flesh choking the air. Delta Squadâs evac had been shot down. You were the only survivor from your recon team. Boss had taken command of the opânaturally.
âStick close,â he ordered, his voice rasping through the modulator, sharp like durasteel dragged across stone.
You rolled your eyes, already moving. âI didnât survive a crashing gunship to get babysat by a buckethead.â
He turned just enough to look at you, that T-shaped visor catching the fading light. âI donât babysit. I lead.â
âAnd I slice,â you shot back, shouldering your pack. âLet me do my job.â
âWe already have a slicerâ he respond, before he turned forward again. But you could feel him watching youâtracking your movements with that eerie commando focus. It had been two days of this now: evading patrols, patching up your leg, sleeping back-to-back under foliage so thick you couldnât see the stars.
Tonight, it rained. Not the cooling kindâthis rain was warm, heavy, pressing the jungle into silence. You sat in a hollowed-out tree, tuning your equipment while Boss kept watch. When he finally returned to your makeshift camp, you didnât look up.
âHow badâs your leg?â
âFine.â
âYouâre limping harder than yesterday.â
âYouâre observant. Iâm touched.â
âStop being stubborn,â he muttered, kneeling in front of you. His gauntlet brushed your knee as he examined the torn fabric and swelling underneath. âYou need rest.â
âYou need to stop looking at me like that,â you whispered.
Silence stretched. You met his gaze, even if you couldnât see his eyes behind the visor. Something heavy passed between you. Maybe it was the danger. Maybe it was the exhaustion. Or maybe it was the way heâd hauled you out of that wreckage, swearing heâd get you home.
âYou shouldnât be here,â he said finally, voice lower. âYouâre not one of us.â
âNo. Iâm not. But Iâm here now.â You leaned closer, your voice daring. âAnd so are you.â
His breath caught, almost imperceptible beneath the rain. Thenâhe reached up and disengaged the seal on his helmet. The hiss of depressurization was drowned out by your heartbeat.
And when he took it off, you saw himâfinally. Tanned skin streaked with grime and blood. Jaw tight. Eyes locked on yours like they were burning through you.
âTell me to stop,â he said.
You didnât. You leaned in.
He kissed you hardâlike everything heâd been holding back had snapped. His gloves were rough on your skin, tugging you closer, anchoring you to him like he was afraid youâd disappear. You curled your fingers into the collar of his armor and pulled until you could feel the heat of his body beneath the plastoid.
âIâve got one night,â he murmured against your throat. âOne night before Iâm a soldier again.â
âThen make it count,â you whispered.
And he did.
âž»
The war would keep going. The Republic would keep taking. But in a jungle no one would remember, under a rain no one would care about, Boss let himself be something other than a numberâand you let yourself fall for a soldier who wasnât supposed to love.
âž»
happy cody day!!!!!!