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saerins · 5 months

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⋆୨ chapter one ୧˚ thorns without flowers, bars with no drinks

⋆୨ if not for you (masterlist) ⋆୨ previous: prologue - all see through just like glass <> next: chapter two - a million miles away, still you connect me in your way ୧˚

⋆୨ synopsis ୧˚ neither of you want this. both you and sae reluctantly agree to this marriage, although sae’s dissatisfaction far outweighs your own. with hidden agendas and old flames, will this ever work out between the two of you, or will your forced spark be doomed to fail?

ೀ series: sae x f!reader | wc 5k | ೀ content warnings: fluff/angst, modern au, arranged marriage, rich!sae and rich!reader, hostility on sae’s part, profanity, your marriage is not off to a very good start, both yn and sae both have other … options. | notes: ty i appreciate all of you who are reading this <3 i added everyone who asked to be tagged ^_^ lemme know if i missed you !!

The day has finally arrived. After two months of painstaking preparations, it’s your special day today. Not that your parents have given you any say on your own special day. You wonder if your future husband got the same treatment too. That is, if he was even interested in it.

Everyone has arrived, the chefs are ready, people are dressed to the nines, photographers are already snapping away. More than half the guests, most of which you barely know, have come to speak to you, to congratulate you, but it all still feels so surreal.

Is this really happening?

There’s a lot of important people in attendance today, a lot of them you don’t even know personally. Which is funny, considering that it’s your wedding. Of course, both sets of parents were in charge of the invites, and your actual friends probably only account for fifteen percent of the entire list. (With Sae’s friends, probably totaling thirty percent.) The rest are spaces filled by people in power—political, business, what have you. It’s no surprise; your parents (and you guess Sae’s as well) are great at networking, and of course these people would attend such an event—two kids of rivalling companies getting married would signify a possibly huge shift in market share, and they’d probably like to be here to witness for themselves if this is some sort of sham. If this lasts, then they’ll have to move their money around, that’s for sure.

It is kind of a sham, but you’re trying to get that out of your head. This can’t possibly be anything but a ruse to further their own gains. Parents are like that, as much as you know.

“Hey, are you sure about this? There’s still time to back out, you know?”

Beside you, your ever observant younger sister offers you a sad smile; a product of the guilt she feels because despite you not telling her, she knows you’re just trying to keep the crosshairs away from her. She must’ve realised that your feet are colder than you thought. But as far as you’re concerned, better you than her.

She has a happy relationship with one of the nicest guys she’s ever met, and the last time you’d spoken to him, he’d confessed to wanting to marry her. The only downside to it all is that your sister is way too filial—if your parents tried to force her to get married to someone of their choice, she’d give in eventually, and you don’t want that.

Besides, you don’t have anyone. No love interest, no potential suitors—what’s the worst that could happen to you? As long as Sae is decent enough of a human being, you’re sure you’ll be fine.

“I’m sure, so don’t worry about me, okay?” Your hands come up to her shoulders, squeezing slightly, offering your best and most radiant smile.

Sensing that there’s only more of your dear sister’s worry coming, you’re grateful that a timely knock comes from the doorway. You hold back a sigh of relief before turning to look at your visitor, and you stiffen up when you realise who it is.

“Is this a bad time?”

Your sister speaks up before you do. “Oh, Itoshi Sae, of course not!” There’s a sense of excitement in her voice that masks her earlier concern; it’s kind of sad that the art of faking is a necessity of living in the world you do. It’s one of the essential skills. You either fake it or face consequences. “I’m all done here, you two should talk.”

With that, she bounces out of the room, and you wonder just what kind of thoughts she’s having—her happiness is kind of infectious. Sure, Reo had said countless times that if Sae was ever a dick to you, he’d punch him in the guts for you. So far, he doesn’t have to. It’s nice that he made the time to visit you before the ceremony, it’d be nice to meet just once before after all.

“Hi, um, it’s nice to meet you.” It’s the best you can do when you’re halfway gaping at how good your future husband looks. There’s nothing that needs to be said for his face; his red-brown hair frames his face just nice, his teal eyes makes it feel like he can see right through you, and those naturally long lashes of his makes you envious. He’s wearing a simple black tux—but you know there’s nothing simple about the price tag. Not for his tux, nor for your couture wedding dress. He still looks handsome all the same, and you realise now why so many girls seem to be all over him from all those forums you’d been reading up on.

Still, as charming as he looks, he makes you slightly uncomfortable with that especially long silence, your eyes falling on his gaze, his teal eyes seeming like they’re posing you silent questions. You remain quiet, waiting for his next move. It’s almost like you submit by default.

Some foolish part of you, the hopeless romantic, is hoping you and him can hit it off right away, but even you know that’s asking for too much. Sae proves you right when he finally opens his mouth.

“I wanted to set things straight before we go through with anything.”

Just like that, with just those few words, Sae has managed to strip all the hope out of you. Nothing good can come out of those words, coupled with that monotonous tone of his. This isn’t the face of a man who’s happy to get married, and certainly not one of a man who is even willing.

Though, can you really say you are?

“I only said yes because I was forced to,” Sae tells you, not explaining more than he needs to. The line is drawn—thick with a black marker, something you can’t miss even if you wanted to. “Just play your part, act happy, and you can drop the act once we’re done with this today.”

There’s something in his bossy attitude that doesn’t sit right with you, but you’re too busy being disappointed in yourself to do anything about it. All you allow is a nod, because even without Sae saying it, you had planned to give your biggest smile later anyway, no matter how fake it is. Thing is, you had imagined that Sae was less… hostile than this. Honestly, maybe you had been hoping for him to at least put some effort into liking the situation, but from how he is now, it doesn’t look like it at all.

“Okay then, see you.”

Sae barely looks at you before he turns and walks off toward the door, right about to turn the corner when he’s stopped by your parents. Of course, they’re more than delighted to see him. They’d been convincing you hard to this arranged marriage, claiming how you’re so horrible at romance that they really are just pushing you to do this so they can have an heir early. If you ever did have a child, you can only be sure how you want to not treat them like. Your parents can be credited for that.

“You look wonderful, Sae!” Your mother is already gushing over Sae’s look as your father has his arm around him, pulling him back to the door.

“So, this is the first time you’re meeting our Y/N right? What do you think, son?” Your father has his Client Services voice switched on—after seeing him work all this time, you can distinguish it in an instant. You wonder if Sae can.

In front of your parents, you’re shocked to see that he’s already putting on an act. There’s a very subtle smile on his face—something that seems so soft and secretive, something that looks like it’s meant to be viewed by exclusive people only—and you find your own heart skipping a beat. You wonder if anyone’s ever been so lucky to be able to see that naturally.

“Your daughter is…” Sae trails off, and you find yourself swallowing the lump in your throat, inwardly asking. yourself why on earth would his opinion matter to you at all. “Pretty.”

It’s a simple word, with an even simpler meaning, and Sae doesn’t even mean it, but you find a heat creeping up your cheeks and you’re not sure why it’s so easy to appease you.

“You’re hopeless, you know that?” Reo says later on, after your parents and Sae have headed off somewhere and Reo takes their place.

Covering your head with your hands, you groan, absolutely annoyed with yourself. “Is it so wrong that I just want my future husband to remotely like me even just a little bit?”

Reo sighs, wondering what kind of luck you have to be born into a family where that isn’t even possible. Usually, people marry someone after they dated them for a while. After they can ascertain they’re good for them and that they have the capacity to put them first. Somehow, you’d been stripped of that because your parents, of all people, are the ones encouraging you to get married to someone who doesn’t love you. Hell, they even know that you and Sae don’t even know each other.

It’s pitiful, really. You’re a nice person, and Reo would shake you and convince you not to do this if he could, but it’s not like you can afford anyone to lose faith in you. If they do, how will you keep up your act? So, he’ll play his part as your best friend and just support you—he’ll deal with Sae separately if he ever dares to treat you horribly.

“Does he even know how to be nice to people?” You ponder out loud, whining, pouting as you gaze at nothing at all, the ticking of the clock making you more nervous by the second.

The wedding ceremony is half an hour away now.

Reo takes a seat beside you, leaning an elbow against your dresser. “Hmm, I heard about him from friends of friends—but all of them say he’s more of an asshole than your average person,” Reo fills you in, though you probably guessed that by yourself.

Of course, he chooses not to disclose the fact that Sae has an alleged ex he can’t get over, because what good would that do you? You’ll just get all FBI-mode and try to find her socials and find reasons you’ll never measure up and say shit like maybe that’s why Sae isn’t interested in you.

Still, you look like a hot mess and Reo has to encourage you somehow, or else you’ll end up walking up that aisle like you’re marrying Lord Farquaad. “Oi, Y/N, what I hear is he’s just a tough nut to crack.”

“I get it, Reo, I’ll probably end up talking to the wall everyday at home since my husband won’t even talk to me.”

Reo rolls his eyes, pressing his lips into a firm line and putting his hands on your shoulders, taking care not to shake you or else your hairdo will come off and he’ll have your hairdresser absolutely seething. He’s not about to try and owe her anything or else he’ll end up bald just from having to offer her a wig.

“Hey, he’s just a tough nut to crack,” he repeats, and he sighs in exasperation when you still don’t get it. “So crack him, stupid. You’re good at that, right?”

Your eyes widen at Reo’s insinuation, and even more so when you realise it’s an actual good attempt at trying to encourage you. You crack a small laugh and Reo smiles along with you—he thinks that smile looks the best on you.

“If you can crack Nagi of all people, who’s Itoshi Sae?” Reo affirms. Nagi Seishiro, the son of the dean back when all of you were in university, who wanted for nothing except laying in bed all day and playing games, somehow managed to show an interest in helping his mother with her business, and it’s all because of you. Reo still doesn’t know how you did it, but all he knows is that you’re probably magic. (No, he knows you definitely are. You were, once, his once upon a time after all.)

His words stay with you even as you walk down the aisle fifteen minutes later, arm looped around your father’s.

“Be a good wife, okay?” Your father’s words break you out of your reverie. It isn’t the normal way a father would show concern for his child. No, the way he says it is cold and sinister, like it’s a threat. He reminds you why you’ve never had a good relationship with him. “If you screw this up, we’ll all have hell to pay.”

Trust your father to drop a bomb on you right before he passes you to Sae, who receives you with a polite nod. Perhaps, his original reaction is to have no reaction at all—is that nod his form of ‘acting’?

“Dearly beloved, we are all gathered here today—”

The words are lost on you as you try to keep your head in the present. Different thoughts are invading your head from different places that you almost feel overwhelmed from the mess. You can see Sae right in front of you, staring at you, and all you can think of is how you’re going to get along with someone who looks like he doesn’t want to. Growing up with a distant father and a far-too-subservient mother gives you anxiety—what if you end up just like that? Aside from that, instead of the holy words of matrimony, all you can hear is your father’s words repeating themselves in your head.

Hell to pay? Why, exactly? Why did he let go of the flimsy excuse of simply wanting to be his daughter’s matchmaker? What’s he talking about when he involves you in a possible blowback? What’s going on?

“Anytime now, princess.”

Sae’s hushed voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and you scramble to gather yourself. “Yes, I do.”

For some reason, Sae’s hands are now around yours, and the glimmer of the diamond on your ring finger reminds you of the gravity of what you’re doing. You’re getting married—to someone you barely know, for a reason you’re somehow not privy to. You’re signing away your life to be with someone who made it clear he’s definitely not interested, who views you as a chore before he bothers to get to know you.

It all terrifies you, if only because this was not what you ever envisioned for yourself. In the audience, you see Reo’s vibrant purple eyes looking at you, a confident smile on his face, nodding as though telling you that you’ve got this. In some ways, it’s reassuring, because once upon a time, you’d thought of Reo as your Prince Charming.

In front of you—not completely oblivious to your subtle actions: trembling fingers, eyes flicking over to that purple-haired boy in the front row, your shallow breathing—Sae puts a gentle hand on your cheek, slowly guiding you to look straight at him. For his part, he has to at least make this believable, to make his parents believe that he’ll follow through with this for years and years so that they’ll never have to bother Rin. Unfortunately for you, you’re his ticket to that end. Like it or not, both of you are in this together.

“Try to look like you’re happy, at least,” Sae breathes against your lips, a soft curve on his lips just for show, as he slowly presses his lips against your own, a satisfaction washing over him as he feels you kiss him back.

Great, step one is done. Now, for the rest of the wedding.

It’s a tough sell. During the reception, you’re acutely aware of how awkward you and Sae are around each other. He tries, occasionally tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear, or offering to feed you food. It’s only because there’s a lot of eyes on both of you.

His hand on your back feels foreign, and forced, and you can’t help feeling sad that he’s not someone who cares for you. The only thing tiding you through is that it’s not necessarily that way for you too.

“You’re a horrible actress,” he whispers, low so only you can hear. He’s right, too. You really do suck at this. “If you don’t at least look happy, we’re both in trouble.”

As if you need a reminder. In some ways, his attitude is similar to your father’s, and not in a good way. It only serves to make his touch more alien.

“Hey, look who’s here,” you hear a very boisterous voice approaching.

A quick turn of your head and you can see who you assume to be Sae’s friends, because surely they’re not yours. The one approaching first looks older, dark hair with green tips, behind him another one with blonde hair and wild pink highlights.

“Hello there, beautiful,” the first one says, reaching out to grab your hand and place a kiss on the back of it.

With a click of his tongue, Sae yanks his hand off of you. “Stop playing, Oliver.”

Oliver. That name sounds oddly familiar.

“At least I wasn’t like Mr Embarrassing here who spilled the wine all over one of the bridesmaids.”

Mr Embarrassing cocks a brow, ready to challenge Oliver. But before either of them can say anything more, Sae cuts in.

“These are my friends—”

“I’m Oliver Aiku,” he introduces himself, properly reaching out his hand this time now, waiting for you to take it at your own pace.

You stare at him dumbly for a moment before shaking it. “As in, the law firm?”

“At your service,” Oliver smirks.

Of course one of Sae’s friends is the son of the most influential law firms in the whole of Japan. Right as you’re still collecting yourself, Oliver nudges Mr Embarrassing.

Looking completely disinterested, he sighs. “Ryusei Shidou.”

“As in,” you pause for a while, afraid you might be wrong. “As in… the governor Shidou?”

Annoyed, Shidou nods anyway, and Oliver begins to tell you to excuse him because he’s in a shitty mood but you’re not really hearing any of that.

Holy crap. So that must be the infamous son of the governor, the one he keeps carefully hidden away from prying eyes. Given how he’s behaving, and how he looks completely unlike a… typical person here, you’re not that surprised. That’s probably just how tradition is, in their family. Much like how you and the Itoshis have their own as well.

The rest of the celebration goes uneasily, your anxiety forever creeping up your spine, threatening to unravel itself and have you running off to Reo for some sense of familiarity—but that won’t look well: new bride choosing to spend the entire celebration with her best friend instead of her new husband? That’ll just bode a scandal for all three of you, and with this many influential people in the room, from governors to influencers, that’s the dumbest move you can make.

“Well, you two look absolutely beautiful together!”

After your first dance, the Itoshis approach you, both of them seemingly happy on the surface, but given how Sae absentmindedly tightens his grip around your hand, you’re not so sure you should believe in the superficial. Right, because you of all people should know the complications that come with being children of such parents.

It’s like Sae realises what he’s doing before he drops your hand, acting like nothing happened at all.

“Sae. What did we discuss?” The way his father calls his name is absolutely sinister. If you didn’t know any better, you swear they feel like absolute strangers.

Fortunately for you, some other guests come by and steal their attention, both of them relegating to one of the other tables. Beside you, Sae’s jaw is clenched—he’s lost any interest in faking anything for now.

Still, you suppose, if you’re going to get along with him, you probably have to try to reach out… right? Steeling your resolve, you place your hand over his, squeezing it a little, “what was that—”

Without even letting you finish, Sae yanks his hand away, and for the first time today, you’re seeing some genuine emotion behind his eyes.

And they’re not kind. They’re pretty, but they’re ice cold—the veins on his temple are prominent now, and he really doesn’t care if anyone sees.

“You’re my wife, only on paper,” he hisses through his teeth, still cautious in keeping his voice down. His frustration doesn’t know its boundaries, choosing to take this anger out on you. “Stop trying to poke your nose into my fucking business, we’re strangers, and that’s all we’ll ever be. Drop the act, I’m done for today.”

Just like that, he storms off, which doesn’t quite particularly cause a ruse because for a wedding held for the both of you, there’s not a lot of people here that actually care for either of you. It’s as though this wedding is just a pathetic excuse for a larger-scale networking session.

Feeling even more pathetic yourself, you make sure nobody’s looking before you slip away, retreating to the rooftop garden—you need some fresh air after being so uprightly rejected by your on-paper husband.

Back in the dressing room, Sae locks the door behind him, knowing full well you didn’t deserve to be on the other end of his temper but not being able to bring himself to just apologise. Just as well, he figures. From the looks of it, you seemed pretty hopeful for the bare minimum being a good relationship but Sae can’t see it.

He catches his reflection in the mirror, barely recognising himself. A year ago, getting married wasn’t even in his radar. He’d thought of it before, sure, but would never have guessed in his wildest dreams that he’d get married to you of all people.

There’s always an agenda for why his parents force these things on their children. If he was a shittier brother, he’d have let them drag Rin back for all he cared. But maybe it’s the way he can’t bear for them to ruin yet another dream that he so easily gave in. Or maybe he thought that this idea wouldn’t be so bad in the first place, maybe it’ll give him the chance to want to move past certain things.

Evidently, it’s not working well.

You’re pretty, and that’s something he didn’t lie about. You really are, but that’s all he can say. He can’t say he sees anything, any hope, any reason for him to want this to work out.

Sae sits down on one corner of the bed, pulling his phone out. He scoffs upon realising he doesn’t even have your number. What kind of fucked up marriage is this? Nothing was handled for either of you, so it’s safe to say that the only thing either set of parents cared about was that this went through.

As he looks through his phone, contemplating whether to ask Oliver or Shidou to think of an excuse to let him bail from the celebrations before it ends, a text comes in, and this time, all the anger and disappointment disappears, all that’s left is the warm feeling of nostalgia and familiarity.

The contact he hasn’t seen in his notifications for a few years now lights up his phone, and all of a sudden he feels somewhat better. Though, her message itself makes him feel complicated inside.

Sae types a couple of responses, staring at it for a few moments before rephrasing himself and sending it through.

Hours later, after the celebrations are done and both of you are forced to drive back to your new apartment together, you sit in the passenger seat, staring out the window as Sae drives, sitting in complete silence.

As much as you want to save what this marriage could be, you’re not sure where to even start after how he flared up earlier.

Sae keeps his eyes on the road, too enveloped in his own thoughts to bother even turning on the music. His eyes occasionally flick over to your figure. Your fingers are trembling. Are you scared of this all or are you just feeling cold? Either way, he can’t bring himself to care. All he cares about right now is just finding a way out of this stupid farce.

After a fifteen-minute drive, both of you arrive at the apartment building; sleek black walls on the front and twenty-storeys high. Each floor is an apartment in itself, and it doesn’t take a genius to know that only the rich and wealthy stay here. By extension, that means your neighbours are either going to be complete strangers who don’t bother each other, or annoying young kids who host parties and have to be complained against.

Both of you head up to the top floor, neither of you knowing what it’ll look like—it was a gift from both your parents, saying how they picked out the best of the best for their children, and then periodically joking about wanting grandchildren. (You and Sae had completely ignored that part of the conversation.) Sae let you carry your heavy bags on your own, choosing to avoid any sort of eye contact all the way up. He’s just busy on his phone, and you can’t help feeling a little lost.

When you reach the top floor, Sae opens up the door; it’s made of heavy mahogany, slamming right back at you after he strolls in. You take a deep breath, pushing on the door to open and barely making it in, sucking it up because the last thing you want after an entirely shitty day is to have an argument.

Sae doesn’t even stop, just keeps walking, placing his suitcase in what seems to be the master bedroom. Truthfully, you wouldn’t know; this is the first time you’re even seeing the apartment. This entire place is huge, and thanks to this being on the top floor, there’s two floors and a high ceiling. All crisp and clean, walls a bright white, full contrast to the outer walls of the apartment.

Ten seconds later, Sae comes back out, finally making eye contact as he looks at you like you’re dumb for just standing there. If he does think that, he doesn’t say it out loud.

“There’s another room at the far end down the hall, you can use that one,” he tells you, matter-of-factly, as though you wouldn’t retort. (You don’t, but it’s annoying that he takes it as a given.) “And there’s only one key, but I’ll make a copy tomorrow and pass it to you.”

How romantic. The first night of your new life together and he’s relegated you to the far end of the house to sleep alone. You’re sure it wouldn’t be past him to enforce a rule of minimum contact at this point.

“Yeah, sure.”

You’re trying not to make a big deal out of this, because what would it even amount to? It’s not like you can get out of this, or else what’ll that do? Just impact your sister. But still, it completely sucks that your husband isn’t someone you love, isn’t someone who even wants to give it a shot, isn’t someone who’s willing to make himself bearable to live with.

An exhausted sigh leaves Sae’s lips as he tosses the keys onto a tray placed carefully atop the kitchen island. “I don’t think I need to remind you, but I didn’t want this and I think neither do you,” he says, his eyebags more apparent now that some of his makeup has caked off. “So I’ll keep out of your way if you keep out of mine.”

Spoken as if he truly hates your guts.

The wariness from everything that happened earlier—the wedding, the entertaining, the scepticism, your unwilling husband. What’s supposed to be a typically happy occasion has drained the complete life out of you, though it deigns to strip your hope entirely. Some nauseatingly optimistic cell in your brain is telling you that you still have to try, that it takes longer for some people to warm up to you, that if you give up then this might really just be it for the rest of your life.

So you nod your head and force a smile, even when Sae doesn’t return it, even when you know he won’t. “Mhm, okay,” you say, obediently, even though Sae just looks on at you emotionlessly, the only sliver of human that you see in him being the slight furrow of his brows. When he turns to walk back to his room, you call a goodnight! to him. All it gets you is a grunt of acknowledgement before he slams the door once he’s in.

Trudging your bags behind you, you dump them on the floor of your bedroom. The walls are pearly white, and the dresser is huge, a top-to-bottom mirror rests on the wall next to the closet. There’s even a bathroom inside, too, though you’d bet it’s smaller than the one Sae’s room has.

It’s all very nice. Expensive, like the suite of a five-star hotel, and decorated lavishly.

But that’s all this is.

Nice. On the surface. It’s nice only to the eyes. Yet it can’t shake the foreboding feeling inside you that nags at you, warning you that Sae is just going to get even worse as you go.

Right as you’re about to spiral into a descent, you get a text from Reo.

You smile at his offer. Maybe if this was a few years ago. Maybe if both of you had acted on it when you knew the feelings were there. It’s been too long since then, everything that could’ve been is not—but what is doesn’t seem to have any hope of working out.

Sighing to yourself, you make a mental reminder in your head to keep trying tomorrow. After all, you’re probably the only hope this sham of a marriage has at making it.

taglist: @kimvmarvel @mxplesyrvp @yuzurins @futuristicxie @kiopanxp @k0z3me @y-sabell-a @sae1toshilover @xoxojisu @karmatiz @sagejin @minnieminnie00-got7 @hearts4heidi @shiinobu-x @n1uh @prepchuu @leeyzhuo @shidouryusm @kaiserkisser

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staycalmandhugaclone · 7 months

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I Missed You, Too

This is almost entirely @drafthorsemath's fault. We were talking about Crosshair and got sad... so I needed write a little something and figured I'd kill two birds with one stone for the Clone x Reader Bingo prompt: Bed. (It's not spicy - I just wanted a tiny snip of fluff)

In my head, this is a Doc/Crosshair future scene, but it can be read as gender neutral and totally apart from the Doc Series.

Warnings: Crosshair being Crosshair, but he's really a softy. Snuggling in bed. Probably one of the least Warning-heavy things I've written

Words: 660

I knew he’d be there, sprawled out on my cot as if it were the most natural thing in the world, feigning pure ignorance to the way seeing him like that made my heart jump as wisps of glee sparked through my stomach. I knew he’d allude to some annoyance that I’d intruded while he was so near to sleep, all the while fighting the faintest hint of a smile as he reached for me, and I knew that he wouldn’t dare let himself actually begin to drift off until he held me firmly in his arms, but there will always be some profound disconnect in consciously anticipating these things, in imaging the façade of a scowl ruined by the love he couldn’t quite keep from those golden eyes, in remembering the feel of his hands and the warmth of his touch, the strength of his embrace surrounding me and the steady beat of his heart thudding softly against my cheek, with actually living through those breath-taking moments.

His arm already lay draped dramatically over his eyes as the door hissed open, flooding the room with an unforgiving light, and I couldn’t stifle the tiny chuckle that caught in my throat at his grumble.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up.” Crosshair drawled with a careful boredom that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at as I walked past him to set my supplies down on the counter to be dealt with later.

“Keep giving me that attitude and maybe I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight.” I retorted, but before I could take more than a few steps back toward the door, his arms latched about my waist, wrenching a bark of laughter from me as he hauled me toward him, something torn between a growl and a grunt rumbling from his chest.

“Alright, alright! Scoot over!” I yielded, joy singing through my voice. He refused to release me as he shifted slightly, guiding me down until I lay nestled atop his chest, body thrilling in the want fueling his hold, in the flutter of his breath through my hair as he lightly touched his lips to my brow.

“I missed you, too.” I whispered, and it was so nearly teasing were it not for the depth of some unspoken promise veiled within those words. I’ve missed you just as desperately as you’ve missed me. I understand all the secret murmurs you can’t bring yourself to say through any means other than hidden touches and the covetous strength of your embrace. I couldn’t think and not wonder about you, if you were safe, if you were happy, if you were thinking about me, too. I couldn’t breathe without searching for the scent of you upon the air, and not a moment passed in which I didn’t long to return to you.

Trying to put the entirety of those thoughts into words would only work to cheapen the violence of emotion fueling them, and so we said nothing more as a relief more profound than the first rays of sun after an unending winter storm settled quietly about the room. I felt the deep breath slowly leave him, taking with it all of the tension and fear and worry that weighed upon every second we were apart, and found my own breath mimicking his in that same release.

I’d known he’d be here, laying atop my bed in the perfect allusion to an effortless sleep we both knew he’d been robbed of since I’d left. I’d known he’d play the role of aloof impatience all the while restraining himself from giving in to the need to feel me against him until the last minute. And I knew his lips now pulled into a gentle smile that he’d never reveal to anyone but me as we finally allowed ourselves to rest, eager for the comfort of the coming night safe in each other’s arms.

Taglist: @arctrooper69 @ct-0113 @padawancat97 @eclec-tech @kixs-husband @atomickidsoul @jennrosefx @echos-girlfriend @starqueensthings @burningfieldof-clover @manofworm @merkitty49 @idoubleswearimawriter @abigfanofstarwars @chopper-base @daftdarling222 @pb-jellybeans @skellymom @bacta-the-future @rosechi @legalpadawan @pantagasm @ew-wtaf @solstraalaa @drummergirl1701 @shersten-the-gold @shewhoneveryields @6oceansofmoons @get-wr3ckered @dangraccoon @ji5hine @dathomiri-mudpuppy @mooncommlink @isthereanechoinhere96

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starrylothcat · 1 year

Text

Not Alone

Hunter x Reader One-Shot

Warnings: Big spoilers for The Bad Batch S2 finale. Sadness, angst, comfort. SFW

Summary: You comfort Hunter after the events of the season 2 finale.

Word Count: 900ish

I was inspired by @jedipoodoo ‘s post on writing comfort for Hunter after the S2 finale, and @wanderer-six ‘s lovely Wrecker fic. Check it out! Our boys are in desperate need of comfort. 😩

Anyway, enjoy. 😌

The Marauder was deadly silent. You could feel the anguish hanging in the air, it was suffocating as you tried to conceal your sobs. You found a small corner of the ship to tuck away in to, trying to process everything that had happened.

Tech was gone.

And so was Omega.

You couldn’t think straight, the grief ripping through you. Watching Tech plummet in to the clouds ran through your mind over and over. Seeing Omega be taken, while you all watched hopelessly, gripped your heart like an iron vice.

You squeezed your eyes shut as tears spilled out, silent cries wracking your body.

A gentle touch on your shoulder startled you. Hunter was standing over you, his face twisted in guilt. You had been with Clone Force 99 long enough to call them all brothers. Over time, your relationship with Hunter became more than friends, and you loved one another fiercely.

On Pabu, in those blissful days of no worries, you both talked about settling down there together with Omega. You were hopeful for a chance of putting your lives as soldiers to rest, and being with the man you loved. But that dream was now gone.

He held out a hand, offering to help you stand up. Always the strong Sergeant. But he doesn’t have to be.

He shouldn’t be the one coming to comfort you, as you knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. He blames himself.

You took his hand and laced yours with his once you stood up fully. The feeling of his gloved hand caressing yours gave you solace, momentarily. He looked at you, the absolute pain his eyes making your heart shatter. “Hunter…” your voice almost inaudible. He reached toward you with his free hand, wiping a tear off your face. “We’ll find her…” he whispered. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying not to crack under his gentle touch. “Don’t blame yourself...” You mumbled as you laid your head in the crook of his neck, tears threatening to fall again. Hunter put his strong arms around you, pulling you close and resting his cheek on top of your head.

“Let me help you, let us help you.” You said softly.

He gripped you tighter, and you could feel his body shake. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have let them take her. I shouldn’t have taken us to Cid’s. I shouldn’t have let Tech…” His voice broke and he buried his face in to your hair. His usual stoic demeanor was crumbling, and he felt lost.

Useless. A failure.

He had let everyone down. First Crosshair. Now Tech. And Omega…his family was fading away from him one by one and there was nothing he could do about it. His grief over Tech laying so heavy on him, he could barely breath. He had never felt so undone.

He continued his hold on you, afraid if he let go, you’d be taken from him too. Something that he already had nightmares about and couldn’t bear the pain of that passing thought, not now. His senses were suddenly overwhelmed, and his head began to spin. He stumbled forward, before catching himself on you. “Hunter! Sit down, you’re still injured...” You had grabbed his shoulders to catch him, and he leaned in to you.

“I’m still here, Hunter.” You murmured. “We made these decisions as a team. And Tech…he saved us. This isn’t something you need to carry alone. Please, we’ll do this together.” You pleaded, knowing whatever you said, he would still carry the guilt on his own. He knew he didn’t have to, but it was habit. He let out a breath, your soft words bringing him back, grounding him.

Hunter looked you in the eyes, trying to find anything to say. You placed a hand on his cheek, and he leaned in to your touch, feeling more vulnerable than he’d ever had in his life.

You brought your lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss. “I’m here for you. Always.” His mesmerizing brown eyes met yours, and you could see tears forming in the corners. “I know.” He whispered as he brought you back in to another strong embrace, your familiar scent surrounding him. He focused on the sound of your heartbeat, rhythmic and strong. Alive.

He felt your hands on his back, the warmth of your palms radiating through his clothing. He truly didn’t know what he would be without you, especially now, in this moment. You had a way of always knowing what he was thinking. While you were intense and composed on the battlefield, you had a tranquil way about you. Whenever Hunter was stressed by a mission, getting in to his own head about his skills as a leader, you were always there to reassure him. It’s one of the reasons he fell for you.

You melted in to one another, desperately wishing the circumstances were different. He slowly pulled away from you, because if didn’t, he would continue getting lost in you forever. But every second that passed, Omega got further away. You knew it too. Your lives as soldiers weren’t over. Not yet.

He put his hand under your chin, lifting it gently toward his face. “I love you.” He mumbled, pressing a tender kiss on your forehead, before stepping away from you. He moved toward the front of the ship, where Echo and Wrecker were silently sitting, lost in their own dark thoughts.

“I love you, too.” Your heart swelled momentarily, before following him to begin planning your next move, ready to continue the fight.

#uhhhh I didn’t mean to write angst #this kind of helped me process the finale? haha #oops my hand slipped and I wrote a Hunter fic again #I swear I’m still working on a crosshair fic I’m just having writers block on it #the bad batch fanfiction #hunter tbb x reader #Hunter tbb #hunter x fem!reader #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader #starrycatwrites #Hunter tbb x you #Hunter x you #sergeant hunter #clone force 99

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phantom-of-the-501st · 4 days

Text

Thoughts on TBB 3x14: Flash Strike

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

Penultimate episode, people! 😨 This better not be too traumatising, I have a flight to catch later...

"Odds are against the Batch..." THANKS FOR THE REMINDER, EPISODE DESCRIPTION. I ALREADY KNOW THAT THERE'S A CHANCE THIS ISN'T GOING TO GO WELL AND I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT THANK YOU VERY MUCH

"How's Echo going to get off that ship?" I'm with Wrecker on this one! I need to know how my boy is going to stay safe!!!

Well this is already going tits up

Crosshair, I think everything is failing, let alone the shields

THIS IS BATSHIT WTF

Rampart's screams are sending me 😭 he hates life so much rn

Echo's little head tilt when he got the idea for the disguise 🥺

THE END OF THE SCOMP POKING OUT OF HIS SLEEVE I'M DYING

Echo's content may be limited this season but it is absolutely top tier

Poor Crosshair. Having to go back to Tantiss was not something he ever needed to be put through again, but the respect I have for him putting himself through this to rescue Omega is immense. Crosshair was never cold and heartless and he just continues to prove that. 🫶

"Unfortunately, yes" The way they all shit on Rampart is incredible

The Kiners are absolutely killing it with the soundtrack as per usual 🔥

"Thanks for the hand" THIS MAN ISTG

Echo actually reminds me so much of Fives rn and it makes me both very happy and very sad

THE DROID CHUTE AGAIN?! Ffs, Echo

OMEGA, BE CAREFUL I DO NOT NEED YOU LOSING YOUR HEAD

"Depends on who's giving them" The evolution of Crosshair is so personal to me. Being a good soldier was never bout blindly following orders, it was about helping people, which meant knowing whose orders you should be listening to. Watching Crosshair grow to understand that he doesn't need to blindly follow whoever is in charge is heartwarming. This man has come so far.

"Deadweight" 😭 The nicknames for rampart continue to pile on

Well, the giant furry thing coming back isn't ideal

Omega, bestie, you are really stressing me out rn

ECHO THE HAND IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AWAY

...what did I just say?

"Not just her. We're here for all the prisoners you've been experimenting on" Truly Echo being Echo

THIS SHOW IS TOO STRESSFUL I CAN'T COPE

There's so much to wrap up her. What happened to CX-2? What are they gonna do with Rampart? Where did Wolffe go? What ever happened to Cody? What happens if the Batch do get off Tantiss? What then?

Like last week, I really enjoyed this episode, but I'm still worried about how this is all going to get wrapped up. I wouldn't;t be surprised if SW announced more shows that end up going back to some of these story points, but without confirmation of future projects, I feel like they really need to wrap up the loose threads in this show as much as possible.

✨ manifesting a 1hr finale ✨

#star wars #the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb omega #tbb echo #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair

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neyswxrld · 4 months

Text

memories

Bad Batch Family (no pairing(except Phee and Tech))

summary: Omega makes her brothers a present that is full of their favorite memories.

warnings: none, it's just fluff

word count: ~1250

advent calendar masterlist

a/n: this is the twenty fourth fic for my advent calendar! i hope you enjoy! merry christmas to everyone who is celebrating today already!

i also found this lovely piece of art by @blazedeclipse of omega playing with her camera a few weeks ago, and it was so cute and somewhat fitting that i have to show it to everyone!

It's been a few months since they were finally able to settle down on the quiet and peaceful island. The stress from the war and its aftermath has slowly disappeared. At first, Omega's brothers were a little lost. Nobody knew what to do, now that they finally had time for themselves, without any missions or shady jobs to gain a handful of credits.

It took a while for all of them to gain a foothold and live their new lives. Wrecker managed to help the people where he could and became a valued member of Pabu's society. He also discovered his passion for cooking and was making the best meals for them.

Tech finally had time to reinforce his relationship with Phee and had fun with teaching people different things about everything.

While trying to get accustomed to this new place and people, Hunter slowly but surely let his walls fall and laid down his role as the strong leader. He became the best father figure Omega could have ever imagined.

But Echo and Crosshair didn't manage that well at first. While Echo was restless and antsy, trying to be useful in every way, Crosshair had a very hard time. He was sad, and angry, and at the same time his guilt was eating him up alive.

It took both of them a lot of time to finally adjust to their new lives.

And Omega? She was just happy. She finally had the family she ever wanted. She lived with her brothers in a small house. She could visit her friends whenever she wanted. She simply felt good. She wasn't scared or troubled anymore. Just happy.

Months passed by and she collected countless memories and experiences. Memories, she never wanted to forget.

Because of that, she had begged Tech countless times to make her goggles just like his, so she also could record everything.

The Problem was, that she didn't need any glasses. Her eyes worked perfectly fine. So Tech decided to make a small device that had the same functions as his goggles and gave it to her about a year ago.

Since that moment, she took the small holo-recoder with her everywhere she went.

She took pictures of the sea and the nature, of animals, of her and Lyana, of Wrecker and how he proudly holds up a new meal he made, Tech and Phee laughing, Hunter when he was sleeping on the hammock in the garden, Crosshair scowling at Hunter, Echo smiling shyly and of herself.

With the time, she collected picture over picture. Some of them, she had printed out and put them on her wall.

But she wanted to share those pictures and memories. It just was right on time, when Phee was talking about some festivities called Christmas and about traditions. Watching holo movies, eating cookies, meeting with loved ones, and presents.

She immediately knew what she wanted to give her brothers for this special day.

On the same day, she sat down and decided so make a photo album for them. Over the next few weeks, she planned, printed more pictures, glued them in a small empty book she bought from the market and decorated every page in its own style.

Hunter even got a little worried because she was in her room so much and didn't let anyone of them in. But well, it should be a surprise, right?

After about three weeks of hard work, she finally finishes the album and proudly holds the thick book to her chest. Christmas was going to be amazing.

When the said holiday finally comes around, she already wakes up with the biggest smile on her lips. For a small second, she is scared that maybe her brothers won't like her present, but as soon as her eyes fly to the finished photo album, all her worries fade away. They will love it as much as she loves it!

The whole day is like Phee described it already. They watch classic Christmas movies in the afternoon and eat some of the baked goods she brought around.

After some time, Wrecker gets up to start cooking. Here and there, one of them helps him and after about two hours they eat dinner.

She's a little bit absent. Her mind is mostly occupied with the photo album. When Hunter notices and asks if she's okay, she just nods, too tense to speak. She doesn't notice how Echo and Hunter exchange a quick, concerned glance, seriously worried by now.

The rest of the meal is relatively quiet and everyone is savoring the unbelievably delicious food on their plate. When all of them are done, they clean up the table and the kitchen together.

When they're finally finished, Omega decides that now is the right time.

"I have something for you," she says, her voice thin and shaky.

Before anyone can say a thing, Omega runs up to her room, grabs the wrapped book and soon after, she is standing next to her brothers again.

"A gift?" Wrecker asks excited when he sees the colorful paper.

All the attention lies on her now. Everyone is watching her as she comes closer and places it on the table.

"Yes, I- I- thought... That maybe you'll like it," she nods, sliding it towards them.

While the others are a little unsure and don't know what to say at first, Wrecker is all excited. He grabs the present and before anyone can protest, he already rips the paper away, gasping as he gets a good look at what's inside.

"A book?" he questions, looking over at her.

"A photo album," she corrects, but nods.

Wrecker's eyes get big.

"I thought... Well, Phee talked about Christmas gifts and I wanted to give you something back because you care for me so much. I care too. And... this is a small thank you for everything you do for me," she says quietly, looking around all of them.

All of them look a bit confused at first, before understanding settles in their eyes. When she finishes, she feels proud of herself and when she interprets Hunter's face right, he is too.

"Come over here," Echo is the first one to break the silence. When she reaches him, he lays his arms around her.

"Thank you so much, Omega. This is very kind of you," he tells her, stroking through her short hair.

All of them say their thanks in their own way. Whether it's a silent nod and a pat on her shoulder by Crosshair, the red glint on Tech's face as she tells him that the pictures are taken with his holo-recorder or Wrecker's bear hug. Hunter is the last one that pulls her close.

"Thank you," he whispers in her hair, before pulling her down on a chair next to him. "Let's give it a look on the inside!"

Said and done.

In the next hour, they're sitting huddled together at the dinner table and look at all the different pictures.

They laugh, and smile and retell different stories they remember when they see pictures.

Phee went to clean the last few dishes as soon as Omega came around with the present. When she finishes, she quietly sits down with them, enjoying their conversations. She keeps in the background, not wanting to disturb their family moment. They still have too less of them, in her opinion, and seeing all of them so happy and careless warms her heart.

TAGLIST:

@isthereanechoinhere96 @trixie2023 @freesia-writes

#the bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #the bad batch family #star wars #tbb #tbb echo #tbb tech #tbb crosshair #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb omega #the bad batch fanfic #phee genoa #tbb phee #tech x phee #star wars advent calendar #all i want for christmas advent calendar #tbb advent calendar

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clone-anon · 8 months

Note

Hey so I’ve been thinking about this idea for a little bit- but maybe we could get a little bit of platonic Cross with a padawan reader and this sort of mirrors “the outpost” episode in tbb season 2- where reader and Cross are walking through a mine field or something and joking padawan says that like the mines probably aren’t even there, but low and behold they step on one and crosshair is now the one that has to carefully defuse it- maybe even at the end it could be like flashing back to the episode with Cross and Mayday where he’s thinking about it

Hope that made sense!

Okay I am falling in love with this dynamic. It's slightly different than what you described, but I think is in the same spirit. I'm going to set this after Crosshair leaves the Empire and rejoins the Batch because yes. Also, if he's flashing back to Mayday, that must have already happened.

The rest of the squad headed in one direction after Hunter sent you and Crosshair through a minefield. A supposed minefield. It looked fine to you. You practically skipped around with energy while Crosshair walked forward, long strides at a steady pace.

"I bet there aren't even any mines left out here," you said.

"You should be able to figure it out," he replied. "Search your feelings or whatever."

You gave him a look. Your days as a padawan felt long gone since the Empire came to power. You felt safe with the squad, knowing them since before Order 66 was handed down, and managing to find them on Pabu. Much had happened and while you didn't use the force in an obvious way in public, when you were with Crosshair you knew it was okay. Right now you were certain there was nothing to worry about. You took another few steps forward with a smile now on your face. Crosshair simply watched with a raised eyebrow hidden beneath his helmet.

"Pfft," you replied with a wave of your hand and a few more steps. "See? It's fine. I've searched and all I've found is dirt and more dirt and some trees. I bet there's nothing-"

You felt a metal click as your left foot stepped on a mine. Probably the only active mine in the entire area. You felt your heart leap in your throat and immediately wanted to reach for Crosshair's steady arm, but he was too far to reach just yet.

"Take a breath," he said. He was trying not to panic, but his face gave away his emotion as he removed his helmet and searched for any other mines in the immediate area. Finding none, he kneeled down in front of you and blew the dust and dirt away, revealing the metal contraption. You tried not to worry, but saw a small smile tugging on his face and felt a surge of frustration.

"Why are you smiling, Crosshair?! I might die."

Crosshair reached into his pack and got out three small stakes and a while he didn't have a hammer, he grabbed a rock nearby. He would need a steady hand, but that was something he could manage. In his mind he thought of Mayday in that cave. Despite the warm sun on his back, he suddenly felt a chill. He shook it from his mind, focusing on helping you.

"I'm not smiling because you're standing on a landmine," he replied. "I'm thinking of... a friend. A brother." He started gently hammering the first stake into place. He bent down further to make sure it was secured in the right spot.

"Oh," you said. "Which one?"

"A reg," he said quietly, hammering the second stake in. "His name was Mayday."

You looked at him while he hammered in the third staKe. You sensed his memory was happy yet sad. That if he could, Crosshair would want to talk to Mayday now. You smiled to yourself, wanting to ask a thousand questions, but holding off.

Crosshair finished the job and stood up. You went to move.

"No, stop! Wait!"

You stopped moving, keeping your foot steady.

"Now, I'll go stand behind those trees and when I say, you can move."

"Great," you replied sarcastically. "I get to die alone."

"No," he said. "I'm just not stupid."

Crosshair hid behind the trees and then told you to try easing off the mine. You did so, breathing a huge sigh of relief when you were clear. Crosshair came out from behind the trees, smiling and putting his helmet back on.

You hugged him, surprising him for a moment, but he quickly returned the hug. You continued walking together, feeling a little more cautious about the dangers of this trek. Crosshair was focused on the job ahead, but smiled to himself, thinking about the friend he had lost, but who would still always be with him.

"You would have liked him," he said.

"Tell me about him?"

Crosshair was silent for a minute, but then after considering it, started opening up about him for the first time.

#tbb crosshair x padawan reader #tbb crosshair x platonic reader #crosshair x reader #tbb crosshair fanfiction #tbb crosshair x reader #crosshair anon #reader insert #land mine #mayday mention #search your feelings or whatever #words to live by

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littlemissmanga · 3 months

Text

Song of the Caged Bird (1/3)

Summary: Crosshair has failed. Still imprisoned on Tantis, he sees Omega and knows that his brothers didn't heed his warning. Unable to face his failure, he starts losing what little hope remained as he and his sister are offered as tribute to Hemlock's ambition. But every night, a voice echoing off the mountains soothes his battered and broken soul. But can Crosshair recover himself before that voice is silenced, forever?

Pairing: Crosshair x f!OC

Rating: PG-13 (there will be violence and a lot of dark thoughts and eventually a very vengeful Crosshair)

Tone: Hurt/comfort overall with a happy ending, but this first chapter will be 90% hurt with only 10% comfort.

Warnings: Some depressive/suicidal thoughts, imprisonment, threats of torture, characters dealing with grief and guilt spoiler if you haven't seen season 2 - Tech is dead in this fic, despite my beliefs to the contrary

Chapter w/c: 2,000

It was the constant tinkering near his head that dragged him back to consciousness.

Tap, tap, tap.

Nails against the light metal underneath him, pricking at his ears and sending sharp vibrations along the slab.

Damn Imps were even worse than the Kaminoans. At least the long necks would let him sleep after an experiment.

Arms and legs extended out from his body, cuffed and locked at the wrists and ankles for maximum exposure, Crosshair could feel the cold from the table seeping through his thin prison uniform. He didn’t remember passing out this time, but he already wished he could again.

The exhaustion was starting to wear on him. Though, if he were really being honest, the physical ache he felt in his bones was nothing he couldn’t handle.

It was the rest that was harder to ignore.

Crosshair was tired to the core of his being. Giving up was something wholly unfamiliar to him. The thought used to earn a sneer and a snide comment. But he was slowly coming to understand the allure. How easy it would be to just not wake up.

“Crosshair?”

What was he even waking up for? If he succeeded, his brothers would be far away with the kid. If he didn’t … well, he didn’t want to find that out, anyway.

“Crosshair!?”

The voice was louder that time, more insistent, and the sniper was aware enough to catch a quiver in his name. Emerie Karr had never so much as flinched in his presence. The discrepancy scratched at his brain, irritating until he opened his eyes.

And his heart sank.

Neatly combed blonde hair and large, sad brown eyes filled his vision.

“Crosshair! You’re awake! I was so worried; it was taking so long.” The kid threw herself on top of him, and if he had any air in his lungs, it would have been pushed out by the weight of her solid form pressing down on his.

The moment she pulled back, his eyes narrowed at her, ignoring the tear stains marking her cheeks and the spark of hope now hiding in the corner of her eyes.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Her face fell, and somewhere deep in his heart, Crosshair cared. But that didn’t matter. More important was the fact that she was here. His karking wanna-be hero brothers ignored the warning he risked his neck to send and the kid was still kidnapped.

It was only then that the cold shock of reality bit, clawing deep.

Hunter would never have let her go without a fight … or alone.

“The others?”

The kid sighed and fell back into a seat next to his table. “Safe, I think."

“You think?” he spit.

“Yeah. I think,” she snapped, though it lacked much bite. “I … I was able to distract the troopers long enough for Hunter and Wrecker to get free, and Echo was never captured. But I got grabbed. And I saw Maia in the transport with me.”

The name wasn’t familiar, but Crosshair knew who Omega was talking about. Her. That woman who had been with them on Kamino. The one they replaced him with in the squad mere rotations after they left him.

Of course she got caught, too. A kid and a civvie had no place in this.

“Figures. I risk my neck and you still get caught.” Crosshair strained against his bindings, his muscles aching from disuse. “I assume Tech at least got a tracker on your transport?”

It took a beat longer that it should have for Crosshair to realize the optimistic response he expected from the kid never came.

Omega’s silence said more than her incessant chattering ever did. Never in his life had Crosshair wanted her irritating, chipper voice to grate his ears as he did right then, and every moment he waited for it pulled at his heart until it felt stretched like the silence, far too thin to survive yet it was the heaviest weight he ever carried.

“Tech … he …”

Shut up, shut up, shut up.

“Shut up.”

How many times had he told his brother that? Told him to stop annoying him with his endless rants and useless information briefs?

But Crosshair didn’t dwell on the fact that he’d never tell Tech to shut up again. That the last thing he did say to him was cruel and spiteful. No, he didn’t focus at all on how he could feel the loss as acutely as he did the armor-penetrating cold on Barton IV.

Instead, he retreated to what he knew: turning pain to anger. He let it sit just as heavy as Omega’s silence, his accusations unsaid but understood. If they just karking listened to him, for once, Tech would still be alive.

It wasn’t long before Emerie Karr’s voice actually rang out, calling for Omega. And though he could feel the kid’s stare as she paused before leaving, he kept his face turned away.

He wanted to be left alone with his failure. And finally, he was getting his wish.

It was hours later when the Imps finally returned him to his cell. Just one of countless holding clones prisoner for experimentation and decommissioning.

The densely populated prison was surprisingly quiet, something for which Crosshair was thankful. The somber silence was as far from his experiences with his squad as possible. At least the regs could give him this.

Despite his muscles aching for use, Crosshair could only curl up on the pathetic excuse for a bed. He wanted the weight he felt to crush him, to actually wreck him the way it felt it could. Maybe then he’d be free.

A small part of his brain surged in resistance. Omega was here. He should keep her safe.

But he tried that before. And look where it got him. Where it got all of them.

Where it got Tech.

So instead, he let himself drown in the silence.

That is, until a small, frail sound made its way from somewhere above. A higher level of the compound, maybe. The echo made it difficult to pinpoint, but Crosshair didn’t care to know anyway.

It was a tune, hushed and broken. Its stuttering stops and starts were irritating, distracting him from his guilt and solitude until finally, the source seemed to gain enough strength to force the sound from their diaphragm.

"Somewhere … over the rainbow,

Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby."

The staccato start had smoothed, and the voice rang through clean. It still wasn't loud, but it bounced off the fortress and surrounding mountain range, making it seem as if it were coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

Unable to block it out and unwilling to resist anything Tantis had left to throw at him, Crosshair gave in and lost himself in the sound.

"Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true."

At first, he bristled at the words. But as the song kept repeating, the lyrics fell away. He felt the bittersweet tune envelope him and, after just a little longer, he allowed it to lull him to sleep.

And when the early morning light cut across his eyes and forced him from the blissful emptiness of his sleep the next morning, Crosshair intentionally ignored the fact that it was his first night without nightmares in weeks.

a/n: This is so not my usual style as I tend to be a fluff author all the way. BUT I had a scene pop into my head (it'll come in chapter 2) and this whole fic started unraveling. It'll be a 3-part series, not very long at all, and it'll be entirely from Crosshair's POV. I hope to get it done before Season 3 debuts so I get all my nerves out here and can still be hopeful for our boys canonically.

Taglist: (This is still broken cause I'm broke AF right now and can't upgrade my google storage so if your name isn't on here and you want to be alerted when Chapter 2 comes out, then drop a comment or DM and I'll add you to the list.

@dreamie411, @wings-and-beskar @starrylothcat @sev-on-kamino @wolffegirlsunite @secondaryrealm @idontgetanysleep @freesia-writes @clonemedickix @multi-fan-dom-madness @dystopicjumpsuit @sinfulsalutations @sunshinesdaydream @wizardofrozz @anxiouspineapple99 @dhawerdaverd @mythical-illustrator

People who liked my announcement post (Let me know if you want/don't want to be tagged going forward. I just wanted to let you know it was out since you showed interest): @ci-avmovies14 @rogue616, @marvel-starwarsfangirl

Like this fic? Check out the rest of my Masterlist!

#tbb crosshair x OC #crosshair x oc #tbb crosshair #it is an x oc but the focus here is on Crosshair #he's the protagonist #honestly the only reason it's oc instead of reader is because I needed to address her in the third person #you'll meet her next time #sorry for the whump fest this chapter became #but it's necessary to build the stakes #tbb crosshair fanfic #tbb omega

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burningfieldof-clover · 1 year

Text

i couldn't do anything -

S2E12 SPOILERS

crosshair x gn!reader (reader is slightly jedi)

warnings: this is sad. kind of not happy ending, but it is an open ending that is going to lead to a part 2 as i figure out what is happening with the canon plot (then alter to my liking mwahahaha)

indented italic font is memory. bold faced text is present.

When that damned Lieutenant Asshole sent Mayday and Crosshair off, you weren’t too worried. Mayday has held this outpost together for over a year, and Crosshair was a previous member of Clone Force 99. It will be a walk in the park.

Or so you thought.

The next day when a commotion started on the edge of the base, it caught your attention instantly. Are we under attack again? Assuming the worst, you grabbed your first aide kit and followed the rush of soldiers.

After assessing the situation and finding that there was no attack, but instead it was the return of the two clones who were sent out, your run picked up pace.

So many memories attacked your mind.

The Republic had fallen, and the Empire has risen. You had finally spent your last credit getting to Coruscant. You worked hard while living hand to mouth on the streets of some backwater planet you can’t wait to forget the name of. You came to Coruscant to speak with the Jedi. You had powers that sounded like what the Jedi called the Force, so you wanted a mentor.

The riots in the streets (being excitement or resentment) were starting just a few steps out of the spaceport. An Imperial-dressed clone trooper stopped you before you could walk through the turnstile.

“What’s your business on Coruscant?” His tone startled you.

“I uh–” panicking to find an answer, you mimicked a quiet voice you quickly overheard. “I’m here to enlist in the army.” Inwardly you were already punching yourself.

The clone raised an eyebrow. “You? Enlist?” he asked sarcastically. He gave you a glance up and down. “Okay, then. Not my place to judge, but be prepared,” he said with a condescending tone. He fumbled with a holopad in his hands. “Do you have a chain code yet?”

After going through the process of getting a chain code with your actual identity and instructions on where to go, you fell in line. You’d find a Jedi somehow, right?

Mayday looked like he was in rough shape. You’d have to tend to him first.

“Send a medic! We need help!”

You started to sprint to the call for help in the field, but the Imperial officer leading the mission held his arm out to prevent you from going to the cry.

“Don’t bother. They’re just clones. Worry about the actual soldiers, not the cannon fodder.”

Heartbroken, tears forming in your eyes behind your helmet, you stayed put. After learning about the terrible fate of the Jedi, any kind of heroics were frightening to you. You hadn’t tried to use any Force abilities. You had no idea what any true Force abilities were. Despite the Empire knowing your real name, no one really knew who you were.

Crosshair pushed past you, his shoulder shoving into yours. “They’re the ones that don’t matter. Then there are the ones who do.”

Even though he was wearing his own helmet, you could feel his piercing stare dive right through his visor, judging you for even caring about the regs.

Mayday had fallen to his knees, Crosshair with him. You could barely hear Crosshair ask for help with Mayday.

“Yeah, I guess the Jedi were good people. We served alongside them for the whole war. I don’t know what happened to make them turn on the chancellor.”

You listened to the clones in your medical wing just chatting away.

“I'm not sure, some part of me finds it impossible to believe it, you know?” This clone rubbed his head sheepishly. “I mean, my general, he was a good man. I watched my brother shoot him down when we got the order.”

Crosshair was in the company of these clones as well. You were checking his shoulder for injury after a way too powerful kickback of his rifle. He grumbled.

“At least one of them knew how to follow orders.”

“Chill out, Cross,” you chided. You were lifting his arm up and pushing it in different directions and judging his reactions. “What’s your opinion? Why is his opinion any less valid than yours?”

With a glare and pursed lips, he pulled his signature toothpick out of his mouth. “Good soldiers follow orders.”

You scoffed. “That’s all I ever hear you say. ‘Good soldiers follow orders, good soldiers follow orders.’ It’s like you were programmed to say that.”

Crosshair turned his head away. He was not in the mood to justify his actions.

You rotated his arm one last way and earned a hiss from him.

“Theeeerrre it is. There’s the pain. You need to rest this. I don’t trust you to take some muscle relaxers on your own, so,” you reached to the tray nearby and grabbed a little cup, “I need you to take them now and then you can go.

He looked at the small pills in the container, then to you. He grabbed them and downed them without a drink.

“Let me know if it doesn’t get any better in a few days.”

Crosshair grunted. His eyes traveled to the divider that split this area from the other rooms and clones. He was still listening to the men talk.

“You weren’t there,” he said quietly.

“Hm? Was that aimed at me?”

“You weren’t there,” he repeated. “So even if you heard my opinion, you couldn’t believe me.”

You crossed your arms and almost felt sorry for him. “I’m still interested. I know how you look when the empire tries to deem you expendable.” You shrugged and put your hands on your hips. “You’re all human to me. Each of you matter.”

He seemed interested in your words, but the curiosity ended abruptly. He left without a word.

“They don’t need medical attention!” the Lieutenant barked.

Everything you learned about Jedi and what they used to be was all from bits and pieces you’d catch in conversations. Some clones had a fond memory or two.

After learning about meditation, you gave it a try. Since you actually didn’t know how that worked, you probably tried a little too hard. It wasn’t working. After a couple weeks, you were able to sense feelings in people. Sometimes the emotions were colors or they simply bled onto you and engulfed you with the feeling. It could be overwhelming.

A loud pounding was heard from the frame of your office door. “CT-9904 has been recovered. Clear him for service or decommission him.”

Blinking in awe and watching the officer walk away, you couldn’t believe how many times that a clone was recommended for “decommissioning,” it always hurt more than the last time.

CT-9904… that was… Crosshair! Excitedly you jumped up and ran to the clinic. You could see him again! He’d been missing for over a month! You prayed that he was okay.

The Force was reaching for him. You wanted to know how he was doing before you saw him. The anticipation was too much. That jerk of a clone was refreshing.

In return, the Force gave you signals of a life in despair, mentally and physically. Crosshair was in so much pain.

Skidding to a halt before the door leading to him, you couldn’t hide the shock and surprise. He was weak and frail. His Force signature was faded from it's usual vibrance.

“You…?”

You rushed to his side and instantly started checking vitals and fluids. A laugh escaped your lips. “What the hell, Cross? I thought you were invincible!”

Crosshair turned his head away to keep you out of his line of sight. “Put me back into service. I don’t need to be here.”

“Shut up, Crosshair.”

You got to work. You were ordering tests and scans, medications and nutritions. At one point you passed a cabinet which held something very important. It was something you placed in there for special occasions. Which didn’t seem all that special when you count the numerous times Crosshair had been in the clinic. He came by even when he was not injured. He told you it was because you were ‘the least irritating person but not immune to causing irritation.’

You opened the cabinet and retrieved the item.

“Hey, Cross.”

He glanced your way without moving his body.

You flicked a toothpick his way. He caught it with a single hand. He stared at it briefly before pinching it between his teeth harshly.

You eventually cleared him to return to service.

You grit your teeth together in frustration. The Force in Mayday was flickering, fading.

“Lieutenant, he’s dying!” you cried.

Lieutenant Nolan turned his angry snarl towards you. “I gave you an order! Stand down. Let these expendables expire!”

Crosshair spoke your name as he entered your office.

Your sleepy figure looked at the tall twig of a man. “What’s going on? Are you injured?”

He didn’t acknowledge your questions. “You’re assigned to my mission. I’m here to tell you we’re leaving for Barton-4 in the morning.”

Crosshair’s Force signature was different. His smug aura was instead calm. He held some hesitation in the background. Since you didn’t say anything, he turned around to leave.

“What are you not telling me?” you asked him.

He froze in his movement. He grinded the toothpick in his mouth and pushed it to the other side. “You’re the only medic I trust. I requested you for this mission.”

You nodded, accepting this confession. He was telling the truth. “Okay. I’ll meet you in the hangar tomorrow.”

He nodded and faced the doorway. He was quiet for a while. “Do you… remember when you asked for my opinion?”

Blanking for a minute, you weren’t sure what he was referring to.

“I worked with a few Jedi. They were alright, I guess.”

You hesitated. Does he know what you are?

He grimaced and turned to fully face you. “I finally give you what you wanted, and you ignore me?!”

Not meaning to, you laughed. It was a hearty, full belly laugh.

Crosshair didn’t know what you were doing. Were you mocking him? What the hell was so funny?

“I’m so sorry!” you exclaimed while out of breath. A few chuckles were coming out. “It’s just, I never expected you to–to be open with me. That felt really special.”

Crosshair threw his toothpick at you and left.

Mayday faded away. His life Force had gone. You felt it flow through you and away like it had used you as a doorway or passage to return to the living Force itself.

So many emotions were reeling on Crosshair’s face, and his aura was violent. The emotions he was projecting through the Force were suffocating you.

In the shuttle on the way to Barton-4, you sat next to Crosshair since he was the only thing you were familiar with. It had been a long time since you were sent away from Coruscant. The empire made you discard your old armor. It may not have been that old, but they also stripped you of your field clearance so you didn't need it anymore. The new armor was foreign and didn't feel right at all. How did Crosshair get this approved?

Crosshair had his helmet on and was strapped into a harness, so you couldn’t read his expressions you’ve gotten to know. His hands were resting at his sides. He tapped on the side of his helmet.

“Everything is going to be fine.” He was speaking directly to your private comm channel in your helmet.

You turned your head his way slightly, just enough to catch him in your peripherals. You pressed the same button on your helmet to return the connection.

“I don’t believe you.” You meant to sound snarky but it came out afraid.

Crosshair glanced down at you suddenly. Your helmet turned fully his way now. You knew he was asking for clarification. You couldn’t give him one, though. How do you explain to him that you have a bad feeling about this?

“You… you could have saved him,” Crosshair forced out.

The Force never felt so strong in you as it did now. Failing to move away from the situation you had fallen to your knees. You lifted your helmet off your head and dropped it on the ground as you watched Crosshair like a hawk.

Still stuck in this staring contest. The sound of the engines was significantly noisy. The Lieutenant was scrolling on his holopad, the tapping of his fingers sounding like a metronome. Are the minutes being counted down? Is this it? Did someone catch on to your connection to the force? Does Crosshair know? Wait--no, it isn't about you--

“I’m scared,” you whispered.

Crosshair’s gloved hand brushed against your leg briefly. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Quit being so cryptic.”

“Cross, I’m not the one in danger.”

“Crosshair!!” you screamed out.

“How could you possibly know that?”

The Lieutenant called for your silence again.

“I…”

Your fists clench against the cold ground.

Crosshair grumbled. “Do you have something to say?”

The Force began rumbling beneath your hands. The very scattered and small total of pebbles rattled against the concrete. You were begging the Force to prevent anything terrible from happening to Crosshair.

You could tell him… right? He’d protect you, right?

“Spit it out!”

Crosshair witnessed the anomaly happening around you with wide eyes. After hearing what the Lieutenant had to say about his feelings on clones… Crosshair couldn’t let the Lieutenant see you. The monster of a man would treat you the same.

“Lieutenant!”

“I can’t lose you, too.”

An echoing blaster shot went straight into Lieutenant Nolan’s chest. The shock of the event cut your tie to the Force. Crosshair saw the air around you settle, but he didn’t know what to do about the action he just committed.

“Drop your weapon! Don’t move!”

Troopers rushed Crosshair with blasters raised. You wanted to run to his aid. Crosshair was injured as well. You went to stand, but a trooper’s hand pushed you back down to your knees. The whole time you have been with the Imperial army, you told yourself–no heroics. You can’t stand out. You’d be in danger.

“Crosshair!!!”

You fought the hold on you and rushed toward Crosshair. You needed to protect him. You had to heal him. You needed to fight for him!

Your hand was outstretched and reaching for him. The expression on his face flickered through many expressions. He reached for you, too. He looked hopeful, but the last thing you saw on his face was horror.

You suddenly collapsed to the ground, feeling paralyzed. They hit you with a stun?

Crosshair reached for your body. He almost grabbed your hand, but the troopers wrestled him away. You lost consciousness before you could see the outcome of Crosshair’s fate.

–part 2 maybe after finding out what happens to crosshair idk ily bye

taglist: @ilovestarwarsmen725 @l-lend @arctrooper69 @nekotaetae @roguethe0tter @the-clone-zone

#crosshair #crosshair x reader #tbb #tbb x reader #crosshairxreader #crosshair x you

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tbnrpotato · 21 days

Text

Our Own Choices

Chapter 13

When we reach back to the Anaxes base, I go to the medbay and get my hand fixed up. Medical droid replaces the shattered bone inside with metal and my hand's good as new. Echo's doing good as well. He's recovering from what damage he took on Skako Minor.

So Echo has a plan about getting onto a Separatist Dreadnought and into Trench's comm vault so that he can feed Trench strategies that we already know and let the Republic retake Anaxes. I've been hanging out with the batch for a while, and I actually feel like I fit in with them. I don't get weird looks for being different.

Tech's fixing the ship while I show Hunter and Wrecker how I manage to fit 20 knives into my wrist compartment. Wrecker looks shocked, Hunter raises an eyebrow, looking slightly impressed. Then I see Tech trying to get a piece of metal loose from the engine, and I throw a knife at it, hitting the piece of metal with the hilt of the knife, and the metal piece falls to the ground, along with my knife. I head over to pick up my knife and receive a "That was unnecessary" from Tech. I smirk as I throw my knife up in the air and catch it.

Echo, Rex and General Skywalker come over just as Tech finishes the repairs.

"Tech, is everything ready?" Hunter asks.

"Yep Sarge, we are ready," Tech replies. "Still not sure how we are gonna land on that ship."

"Don't worry, Echo says he's got a plan," Rex says, putting a hand on Tech's shoulder.

"That makes me feel so much better," Tech replies, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"What do you mean by that?" Rex and I ask at the same time, slightly annoyed.

"To be blunt, his mind belonged to the Separatists until we unplugged him. We don't really know where his loyalties lie."

Good point.

"Yea. Well I know. Now get moving," Rex orders.

We walk up the ship, and I'm standing next to Crosshair and Hunter, Tech's piloting, and Wrecker's slightly restless.

"Please tell me we are blowing something up," he says, turning to face us.

"Sorry Wrecker, this is strictly stealth," General Skywalker replies.

I like that word.

Wrecker groans. "I hate that word."

Oh cmon Wrecker I thought we were getting along here

"Echo, you're up," General Skywalker says and Echo plugs his mechanical arm into the scomp link. "As soon as I plug in, I'll send a signal to the command ship."

"What type of signal are you gonna send?" Hunter asks. "Nothing that'll give us away, right?"

"As far as the droids are concerned, we're just gonna be another one of their shuttles coming in for a landing," Echo replies.

"And the regs think we take risks," Hunter says as he and Crosshair give a sideways glance at each other.

We fly for a short while, past some of the Separatist ships stationed above Anaxes.

"Sending the signal...now."

Echo I swear if you give us away I will fucking waterboard you and then carve your eyes out.

"Roger roger, Shuttle TC-159. You may approach and land." A battle droid's voice is heard over throughout the ship.

Wow looks like I don't get to torture Echo today. How sad.

Wait tf is my brain thinking rn stfu brain

Wrecker groans. "I'd still rather blow it up."

"I have a feeling you'll get your chance," Tech says.

Really hope he doesn't.

We fly past the fleet of Separatist ships and up to the Dreadnought, flying under it. The ship turns upside-down, much to my discomfort as I land head-first onto Rex's chest, and we're now on the underside of the Dreadnought.

As I stand up on the ceiling of the ship, rubbing my head, I ask, "Okay so how the fuck are we getting from the damn underside of this thing INTO it?"

The door at the bottom of the ship opens and so does the one in the Dreadnought. The ladder in the floor extends and we climb in.

I ready my pistol and knife, in case there are any clanker patrols nearby. Luckily for us, there aren't any.

I help Echo up and we walk through the corridors cautiously, with General Skywalker leading the front and Crosshair and I guarding our flank, walking backwards, on alert in case any clankers show up.

Echo, Tech , Rex and General Skywalker enter the comm vault, while Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair and I guard the door.

"So uh how's it usually like on missions without us regs?" I ask, not expecting much of a response from Crosshair.

"Wild," Crosshair says as Hunter walks into the comm vault to check on Echo and the others. I raise an eyebrow at him, although he can't see it from under my helmet.

"Yeah, our last mission was with those Yalbec males, and they tried to eat us after I cut off the queen's stinger," Wrecker says.

"Why? They jealous that you get that Yalbec pussy and they don't?" I ask, smirking slightly.

Wrecker side-eyes Crosshair, and Crosshair replies, "Yea, I guess so."

I grin under my helmet, holding back a laugh, trying to stay focused.

Echo's taking a while, and some clankers have started to come through the corridor. Crosshair goes to take care of some of them and I follow him.

I take cover at the side of the entrance to the corridor, shooting at the B2 super battle droids with my pistol, throwing my knife at one of them and hitting it in the head. There's about 16 of them, and Crosshair gets more kills than me, which sucks.

Wrecker joins us slightly late, and by then we've almost taken out all of them. As I throw another knife at the last one, I wait to see if there are any more droids before running to go pick up my knives.

Crosshair, Wrecker and I lead the way through the corridors, shooting droids the moment we see them, littering the corridors with bodies of broken battle droids.

Wrecker runs ahead, and when he turns the corner, some battle droids start firing at him, and he takes cover around the corner. Crosshair and I start shooting at the droids in front of us, Rex behind us doing the same, and Hunter and Tech are taking care of the remaining droids at the back.

Then, Wrecker goes to absolutely destroy the battle droids with his bare hands, and I kinda feel bad for them as I look left and right, scanning the area for more droids as I hear the terrified screams of the battle droids and the crashing of metal against the walls.

"It's all clear!" I hear him shout, and we move out from the corner, Rex half-carrying Echo.

No time to ask what happened to Echo, if Rex is carrying him, he shouldn't be dead.

Some more battle droids come from the back, and Tech alerts us to them. "More droids."

"Go. I'll buy you some time," Crosshair says, throwing up a deflector puck in his hands just to look badass, and proceeds to do an epic shot where he just throws it at the battle droid's chest before shooting it in the head, then waiting for the precise moment to fire another shot at the deflector puck which bounces off the ceiling and at all 3 battle droids' heads.

I just stand there, frozen for a moment before walking off with the others.

"We'll meet you at the infiltration point," Rex tells Crosshair.

Wrecker groans. "He's gonna try and top me. You watch."

"And me," I say in an annoyed tone.

We start half-walking half-running through the corridors, and we reach the infiltration point.

Tech looks through his visor. "I'm picking up dozens of droids on my sensors, all heading this way."

"Hope you're not waiting on me," General Skywalker says as he runs to our position.

Wow I didn't even notice he was gone I think I literally forgot he existed.

"Now all we're missing is Crosshair," Hunter says.

Right on cue, Crosshair comes running through the corridors to our position, throwing deflector pucks literally everywhere, and stops in front of us, turning backwards and aiming his rifle, using his right shoulder to support it.

"You miss me?"

No.

"How touching."

Then he aims at the deflector puck as the droids come marching through the hallway and he fires.

The blaster bolt deflects off the first puck and then to the second and then to like the next 30, hitting all the droids in the side, and Wrecker and I just stand there gaping at what just became the most badass shot I've ever seen.

"THAT STILL ONLY COUNTS AS ONE!" I protest.

"Relax Wrecker," Hunter says as he nudges Wrecker in the shoulder. "You'll top him next time."

No he won't.

And then Crosshair just comes up to us just to say "No he won't" to Wrecker's face and now I'm trying my best not to laugh again. I'm quite sure Crosshair has the biggest smirk ever under that helmet right now.

Wrecker groans.

We climb down the ladder to get back into the ship and fly off.

"I've got a present for you, Wrecker," General Skywalker hands Wrecker what looks like a detonator with a green button.

"Oh, seriously? I get to blow it up? The whole kriffing thing?" Wrecker sounds excited as he takes the detonator from General Skywalker's hand, and Crosshair and I watch.

"This..." Wrecker wipes a probably happy tear from his eye. "Is the happiest day of my life."

He presses the button and I can hear all the ships behind us going kaboom as we fly back down to Anaxes.

When we land on Anaxes, we get praised by General Windu, and General Kenobi says we've got some medals coming our way.

I take off my helmet.

"Thank you, General," Rex says as he starts to walk off.

As Echo starts to walk away, and batch and I stay behind.

"You coming?" Echo asks.

"Not really our thing," Tech replies.

"Accolades," Crosshair clarifies.

"Yea, we're just in it for the thrill," Wrecker says.

"You sure it's your thing?" Hunter asks, the question directed at both of us.

Echo looks confused. "What do you mean?"

"Your paths are different," Hunter says. "Just like ours." He motions towards the batch. Echo looks down. "If you ever feel like you don't fit in with them, well, find us."

I...don't fit in with the 501st. Or any of the other regs. And I think Rex knows that. Echo knows that. 99 did. And so did...

Don't say his name. Don't say his name.

As the batch turn around and walk up to their ship, I'm standing beside Echo as Rex walks up to us. "Those are some of the finest troopers I've ever fought alongside." He pats Echo on the shoulder. "Echo. You and I go way back. If that's where you feel your place is, then that's where you belong."

I glance at Rex. "Does that apply to me?"

Rex sighs. "Yes, ad'ika. It does." He turns around and walks away.

He's...he's letting me...what-

I thought he would-

Nevermind. Don't worry about that right now.

Echo and I look at each other before walking slowly up to the batch, and I see Rex turning back to look at us. Echo salutes him, and then I do the same, with the batch following.

"Goodbye, ad'ika," he mouths to me.

"Goodbye, buir," I mouth back. He smiles, and so do I.

And then Echo, the batch and I turn around and walk into their-well now it's our ship, and we fly off.

On the ship, I sit on the floor, making myself comfortable, spinning my knife, scanning the surroundings of our ship. When I finally see the toilet sign, I sigh in relief.

Thank god.

I go into the toilet to take a piss, until I realize that there's something very wrong.

"GUYS WHY IS THERE ONLY A DAMN URINAL IN HERE WHERE'S THE MOTHERFUCKING TOILET BOWL?!"

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eriexplosion · 3 months

Text

TIME TO MEET UP WITH LIZARD WIFE.

The fact that Crosshair's wrist is apparently even remotely near a small girls wrist size is hilarious to me. Eat more you skinny creature your limbs are only slightly bigger than a child's. He does say it's not an exact fit but. Close enough to work.

Wrecker doing Gonky lifts in the background is wholesome.

"The Jedi who are all dead?" is still the most 0-100 response, good job on your immediate escalation Tech. He's correct but damn.

LIZARD WIFE LIZARD WIFE

Anyway in case it wasn't clear I am extremely Pro-Cid. I love her even though she has committed crimes and betrayals. She looked really sad while doing it you see.

Tech's COMPLETE distaste for this place is hilarious. MAYBE he was ARRESTED for VIOLATING COUNTLESS HEALTH CODE REGULATIONS. It doesn't look that bad but he is Offended.

Love Omega just instantly tuning into the fact that Cid is engaged in the ancient art of 'straight up lying' while in the background everyone else discusses what their next move is if this isn't Cid's place like they didn't just walk under a big glowing sign that says "Cid's"

God bless them all

Deadly looking Crossbow: Exists

Omega: This is? for me to touch?

Nice foreshadowing to her actually getting a hold of a bow though.

I just love Cid's office full of concerning objects like said Crossbow, a mounted clone trooper helmet, and what looks distressingly like a wookiee pelt on the back of the chair. If Cid can do one thing it's design an office.

Echo is so deeply horrified by the concept of becoming a mercenary. They really were setting up the split early, it was obvious from the start that Echo wasn't going to run with this forever. It goes against everything they ARE.

Wrecker and Omega when Cid calls her the brains of the operation LOL. I love them.

Cid I love u but don't be mean to Wrecker in particular he's an angel and we're glad he's here.

The 'what's a slave trader' conversation is minorly annoying still because 'people can be sold' Omega let me tell you a story about THE ENTIRE BASIS OF THE KAMINOAN ECONOMY. Through Echo's whole explanation I'm sitting here going YOU. THAT IS YOU. YOU ARE THE PROPERTY THAT WAS BOUGHT AND SOLD AND NO ONE IS MENTIONING IT. There are points where it feels like they're just straight up not allowed to imply that while the Empire was WORSE for clones, the Republic was also very bad.

Another great moment though that shows how much Echo already doesn't fit this is when Tech helpfully fills in AS WELL AS EARN A DECENT AMOUNT OF CREDITS ONCE THE JOB IS COMPLETE and Echo sounds so damn downtrodden saying 'yeah, that too' they want to be doing good things for the sake of it not worrying about if it's going to get them paid. Tech meanwhile seems more like. You do a good thing (rescue a child) AND you get a good thing in return (the ability to eat regularly) what's there to be upset about?

Old Ord Mantell is goregoussssss

Hunter like 'I'm going to do a good job of parenting and make Omega stay with the ship' and then NOTHING HAPPENS AS PLANNED.

Truly insane that Echo was assigned to be the eyes in the sky, Echo you have one arm go climb that building right now, do it. I know they're used to having Crosshair to do this but surely secondary duty should fall on ANYONE BUT THE ONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE TWO HANDS.

Echo should by all accounts be severely injured from that fall, almost like people in Star Wars don't take fall damage.

Yes I'm going to be thinking about Tech through every one of these so SUE ME. IF THEY DIDN'T WANT ME THINKING ABOUT IT THEY SHOULD STOP SHOWING ME HIM FALLING.

Anyway after the fiasco in Cut & Run and this it is clear that losing Crosshair dramatically decreased the batch's fighting ability, almost like the family needs to be complete to truly thrive.

"I have my BEST PEOPLE (some guys and a child I met five minutes ago) ON IT"

Every food in TBB is simply some form of cylinder.

Something so sweetly domestic about Omega and Gonky on the ship she's just chilling with the family doggo who is actually a half charged brick of a droid.

Also to be fair to Omega. This time she TRIED to just stay on the ship like she was told.

I love when my faves are endangered so the entire batch being captured by slave traders is like catnip to me. Would watch a whole arc about this, I want them constantly getting hurt to protect each other please. My favorite narrative.

Once again Tech is the one to spot Omega clearly he should have been sent up the tower to be the eye in the sky.

Hunter trying to convince her NOT TO COME RESCUE THEM by insistingly shaking his head. You should already know that won't do ANYTHING Hunter.

This guys design and menacing demeanor go so hard for NO reason he's in it for like two and a half minutes tops.

Also regarding this scene, Echo going with 'the Republic outlawed slavery' is some real 'what do you mean you're being murdered that's illegal they can't do that' energy.

Leading Omega along where she needs to go via loud boasting is a great idea though.

"If you do not comply, the person next to you will pay the price" is a TERRIFYING LINE and it is happening ENTIRELY offscreen and I only know he says it because of the subtitles. More peril please.

MUCHI. GREAT HOW NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO HER IN THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY RIGHT :'D

Still one of the more attractive things Hunter's ever done and I wish we could see his face for it, you know the stare is INTENSE.

Love Wrecker's tiny thumbs up

The moment of sending Muchi off is cute, GREAT HOW NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO MUCHI R I G H T

The last bit with Cid <3 my girl I just love a crime grandma okay, I love her. She had no reason to make life that difficult for them she just did it Because. Something is wrong with her <3

#the bad batch rewatch

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xoxopredilection · 2 years

Text

Love Languages: The Bad Batch and Sad Omega

Summary: Omega is sad and the guys try to show her some love, in their own unique ways.

Note: slightly AU.

Affirmation

"If the Kaminoans say I'm special, they'll always send someone after me. This won't ever stop." Omega wrapped her arms tightly around her knees and hunched over, as if trying to shrink into herself.

Echo frowned deeply, brow knitted with concern. He knelt down beside her and looked her straight in the eyes.

"You are special, Omega. Be proud of that." He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Don't worry about anything else. We'll take care of the rest."

Acts of Service

"Omega?" Tech walked over to where the girl sat. What a dejected sight she was, alone in the shadows.

Omega looked up miserably.

Tech cleared his throat and handed her a comm device.

"I made this for you. With this, you will always have a way to contact us." Tech refrained from mentioning the close call she had with the bounty hunter on Pantora. The trauma was still too fresh.

Omega's face brightened and she took the comm device. "Thank you, Tech," she whispered as she regarded the commlink with utmost reverence.

Physical Touch

"What's the matter, 'mega?" Asked Wrecker. She sat huddled on the floor, knees drawn up to her chest, a forlorn look on her face.

"I'm just afraid they will never stop coming after me. After us." She looked up at him, worry creasing her features.

Wrecker squatted down in front of her, face serious. "Don't you worry about them," he said in a low, reassuring voice. "No one comes near you when we're around. Yeah!" He slammed his fist into his open palm. "We'll make sure of that!" He reached out a huge hand and ruffled Omega's hair boisterously, making the girl giggle and try to swat his hand away.

Giving Gifts

"Hey, Omega?" Hunter sat down beside her. She looked so helpless and lonely sitting in a dim corner on the Marauder's floor.

"Hi." She replied softly, eyes downcast. She had her arms so tight around her knees, it looked like she was trying to disappear into herself.

Seeing her like this tugged at his heart. He sighed, then remembered his purpose in coming. He took a deep breath and smiled.

"Close you eyes. I have a surprise for you."

She finally lifted her gaze. Sad brown eyes met his, and his smile nearly faltered. Hunter tried to convey as much warmth as he could with his expression.

Omega closed her eyes.

"Hold out you hand," he instructed. She did as told. Hunter gently placed a small wooden item in her hand. He watched as her mouth quirked up, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

She opened her eyes and her smile turned into a grin as she held up the small wooden tooka carving to her eyes. She picked it up and turned it over in her fingers slowly, mouth dropping open as she remarked at how perfectly carved and smooth and beautiful it was.

"Look at its little nose!" She squealed in delight. "Thank you so much Hunter!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Hunter exhaled softly and hugged her back.

Quality Time

Crosshair observed the small figure sitting in a dark corner of the ship. His sharp eyes noted the gloomy look on her face and the occasional quivering of her lips. He looked away with the intent of ignoring her, but yet another shuddering breath drew his gaze back to her.

Annoyed, he spat out his toothpick and crossed the distance between them in three quick strides and scowled down at Omega.

"Alright. Spit it out. That's thrice already. What's wrong with you?"

Omega looked up, her eyes widening in fear when she saw his face. She quickly looked down and buried her face in her knees.

"Nothing," she mumbled. "I-I'm sorry," she added in a whisper.

He glowered down at her, hands crossed over his chest. She seemed to grow even smaller as she hugged her knees tightly, hunching over, face pressed tightly to her knees as if she was trying to sink into the floor.

Crosshair blew out his breath and shook his head, and quietly sank to the the floor; close enough to hear her, but not too close to intimidate her further. He hadn't missed her frightened expression earlier.

They sat in silence for some time; he chewing on his toothpick and she sighing to herself. At one point he thought she'd fallen asleep when the sighs stopped. He turned to check, and saw her staring at him with wide-eyed awe.

"What?" He snapped, raising an eyebrow.

She blinked. "Uhm..have you been sitting here long?" She ventured timidly.

"Long enough to know there's a problem." He shifted on the floor, stretching a leg out in front of him, and stared fixedly ahead.

From the corner of his eye he saw her mouth clamp shut, then open, then close again. With a final heaving sigh she turned and settled against the wall, leg sprawled out in a similar manner as his. She also rested her hands on her folded knee, just like he did. He snorted softly in amusement and gave her a sidelong look.

"Thanks for sitting with me," she finally said. "It was getting kinda lonely here."

They continued to sit in silence, companions in solitude.

**************Reblogs appreciated ^_^*************

#star wars the bad batch #The bad batch #bad batch fanfic #bad batch hunter #Bad batch omega #Bad batch tech #Bad batch echo #Bad batch wrecker #Bad batch Crosshair #hunter tbb #echo tbb #Wrecker tbb #tech tbb #Omega tbb #crosshair tbb

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lady-pug · 11 months

Text

How do we move on?

Summary: You and the Batch have decided to head to Eriadu in hopes of tracking down the location of Doctor Hemlock and maybe have a chance at saving Crosshair. But you have a bad feeling about this. After the whole thing goes down, you’ll need the help of your family to face the consequences.

Pairing: Tech x Reader

Word count: 2,2k

Warnings: this one is preatty heavy on the angst: major character death, grief, mourning (this contains spoilers)

Notes: This one is ONE SAD BOI. This honestly was inspired from my own recent experience with grief, including a few quotes that I myself have said. So this is slightly self-indulgent in that sense. I'm already working on part 2 so I hope to have that out soon.

I really hope you, dear reader, enjoy this (I really want to write for the other boys as well). As always if you spot any mistakes, please feel free to warn me and I'll correct it right away, and feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

Reader’s gender not specified.

Next part | Masterlist | Read on AO3

“Tech, come in! Tech, what’s going on?!”

Only static greeted your ears.

“Hunter?!” you shouted into the commlink yet again “Wrecker? Anyone?”

No one was answering.

“Does anyone copy?!” your chest tightened, a horrible feeling washing over you.

The Batch had decided that the best course of action if you even hoped to find Crosshair was to fly to Eriadu and sneak into Tarkin's base, planting a tracker onto Hemlock’s ship. You had protested from the beginning, sensing something was off.

“Tech?” as you were preparing to leave Pabu you had wandered outside where he stood, nose glued to his datapad.

“Hmm?”

You walked up to him until your toes touched, something you always did when you wanted his full attention. This was your way of letting Tech know what you had to say was important, which he always respected.

“What is it?” he asked, lowering his datapad.

You sighed. You didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, to spoil the only chance you might have to save their brother, your friend, but something was gnawing in your stomach, telling you not to go.

“Should we really be doing this?”

His face twisted into one of confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“This… mission.” crossing your arms, you averted your gaze, looking anywhere but at him. “I know this is our only option in order to save Cross, but…”

Trailing off, you shrugged, chewing at your lower lip, a bad habit you had picked up during the war and the goggled clone often scolded you about.

“But…?”

You closed your eyes, leaning only slightly closer to him, and took a deep breath.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

It was Tech’s turn to sigh.

“I know this mission could be potentially dangerous,” he placed a comforting, yet slightly patronizing hand on your shoulder “but from an objective point of view all of our missions are.”

“Potentially dangerous?” you scoffed, dodging away from him, his arm falling limp by his side “Tech, this isn’t like blowing up some clankers, o-or racing on Safa Toma. T-This is real. We’re infiltrating an Imperial Base holding some of their highest ranking officers, we-” you tried swallowing around the lump in your throat.

“Well, yes, but we have done much-” he adjusted his goggles before preparing to launch into a long explanation that most likely involved statistics of some sort. However, he must have caught something in your expression, some hidden feeling deep in your eyes, that made him pause.

Taking a hold of your elbow, his touch so gentle you almost mistook it for the wind, he seeked your gaze, trying to get you to look at him.

“What is this really about?” he questioned, his voice soft.

Your lower lip quivered. How could he not see it?

“I’m scared, Tech.”

His eyes softened. The smallest of sighs left his lips as he gently held your chin with his forefinger and his thumb, tilting your head to look right into his eyes.

“I know you are concerned. But you do not need to worry.” the corners of his lips lifted into a small smile “I won’t let anything happen to you, dear.”

You chuckled humorlessly, tears brimming in your eyes.

“It’s not me I’m worried about.”

Tech’s grip on your face tightened just a fraction. His eyes, on the other hand, softened even more.

“I know that you care for our safety. But if we want to retrieve Crosshair, it’s a risk that we have to take.”

A lone tear made its way down your face. Then another. Tech moved his other hand to cradle your cheek, his thumb slowly collecting fallen tears as they escaped your eyes.

“At least let me come with you.” you whispered.

As the team’s medic (and the only person Tech minimally trusted not to wreck the Marauder) you often stayed on the ship as the getaway pilot, prepared to take off at a minute’s notice. But this time you had an awful feeling telling you to be there with them. To keep them safe.

He closed his eyes briefly before looking at you again, his eyes the most sincere you had ever seen.

“You can’t. As our medic, it is in our best interest that you stay away from- that you stay on the ship.” he stuttered, like he was stalling “We need you safe. I-” his breath hitched almost imperceptibly “ I need you safe.”

A sob clawed its way up your throat, but you suppressed it. Trying to blink away your tears you stepped back from him, before jumping into his arms. You knew Tech wasn’t one for physical touch, but you couldn’t hold back anymore. If there was a chance you might not see him again, you needed this.

“Then promise me you’ll be careful.”

His arms, first tense and unsure, slowly curled around you, bringing you closer to him. His face nuzzled into the side of your head, so you felt more than you heard when he whispered:

“I promise.”

Now though you wished you had argued harder, that you had gone with them. A massive explosion had just gone off inside the base and you couldn’t get in touch with any of them, and you were starting to panic. Breathing deeply through your nose, you started a counting exercise the head doctor had taught you when you were training to become an issued GAR medic. You couldn’t lose it now, they might need you at any moment. Perhaps the empire had just jammed their communications after the explosive went off.

Just then you heard the sound of blaster fire in the distance. Looking out the Marauder’s windshield, you could see a few figures running in your direction. They were quickly followed by white armored soldiers, firing at them. Grabbing your blaster, you punched the controls to lower the ship’s ramp and quickly fired at the troopers that were trying to hurt your family.

With your help, the Batch managed to board the ship safely. Wrecker rushed in, carrying an unconscious Omega to the bunks in the back, quickly followed by an injured Hunter and an out of breath Echo.

“Echo, grab the controls.” Hunter ordered.

“What happened? What’s the damage, Sarge?” you asked the same question you always greeted them with when they came back from a mission while already fetching the medpack. Then something occurred to you “Where’s Tech?”

You could see Hunter’s shoulders tense, but he didn’t answer you, still barking orders at Echo, who was busy engaging the engines.

“Get to Ord Mantell. AZI can help her.”

“Hunter!” you shouted, walking up to the sergeant “Where is Tech?!”

Hunter finally looked at you, his expression solemn. He didn’t need to say anything. You knew.

“We have to go back.” you whispered, voice growing agitated with newfound desperation “We have to go back! Echo, turn this ship around!”

“Wait-” Hunter tried to stop you, but you only walked closer to the cockpit.

“We have to go back!” you shouted, growing more and more desperate as you noticed the ship had already left the planet’s atmosphere and Echo was getting ready to jump into hyperspace “We have to go back for Tech! We have to go get him!”

Hunter enveloped you in his arms, restraining you to prevent you from reaching for the controls. You struggled against him, frantically trying to get to the pilot’s seat.

“We have to get Tech! We have to go back!” your own voice sounded foreign in your ears and your words didn’t make sense to yourself anymore. All you could hear was a loud ringing, accompanied by a pressure in the back of your skull. You couldn’t breathe, your chest felt like it was collapsing into itself and every breath was too arduous to take. You just had to reach the controls. Once you did, you’d turn the ship around and everything would be alright again.

“Wrecker!” you faintly heard Hunter call out, but it was muffled, like you were underwater.

You registered something cold and sharp being pressed against your neck, but when you realized what it was, you were already slipping into unconsciousness.

When you came to, you were laying in a bed. The mattress was on the harder side, stiffness creeping onto your back. You sat up, still groggy, taking in your surroundings. It was a room, small, stuffy, warm. Then you noticed. In the corner, under the desk, was a can of black paint. Something sparked in your memory, you helping a certain goggled man to paint over the red stripe on his helmet. This was the room Tech often bunked in while in Cid’s parlor on Ord Mantell.

“You’re awake!” you heard an excited, albeit only slightly, voice speak from the doorway, turning to see Wrecker sticking his head out into the hallway “Hunter, get in here!”

When he turned back to you, you startled, eyes widening at his appearance. His neck was encased in a cervical collar and, you frowned, his eyes were missing their usual glint.

Hunter came rushing in, a look of relief settling on his features when he laid his eyes on you. You noticed that he, too, was covered in bandages.

“Good to see you up, doc.” he muttered.

“What happened?” you asked, even though you were certain you wouldn’t like the answer.

“The mission was compromised.” he explained vaguely.

“No, Hunter.” you hissed through gritted teeth. “What happened to Tech?”

Hunter sighed, sharing a glance with Wrecker that made your blood run cold.

“He initiated plan 99.”

Your heart sank. Plan 99. The one plan the Batch had never, ever considered using, and you genuinely hoped never would.

Leave one of our own behind.

Named after the one clone whose sacrifice meant saving the entire base back on Kamino, plan 99 was only supposed to be a contingency plan. A hypothetical, far away idea, not… not this. Not this very real, very tangible, thick, gross feeling.

You felt a gentle, large hand being placed on your shoulder, only now noticing the tears streaming down your face.

“I’m sorry, doc.” Wrecker whispered, his face reflecting the very same heartbreak that was probably etched onto your own features.

Your chest ached. Your lungs felt like they were on fire. Your heart, on the other hand, felt both hollow and extremely heavy at the same time. Your heartstrings felt like they were about to snap.

Sitting down next to you, Hunter pulled you into his arms, hiding your sobs from the galaxy. Wrecker, ever the gentle giant, sat on the other side of you, draping himself over your back in a protective hug. And you cried.

You sobbed, like you never had before. You screamed until your throat felt raw. You cried. That’s all you did for a while. And just for a little while, nothing else mattered, except for your tears, streaming down your face, and the tears of your friends, your brothers, who finally decided to let go and just feel. To truly feel what they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel until now, too preoccupied in getting Omega to safety. To feel the gaping absence of one of theirs.

Once your tears ran dry, you lifted your head from Hunter’s chest, and instantly wished you hadn’t. You caught a quick glimpse of your own reflection on the small mirror over the desk and hated what you saw. Staring back at you was someone ugly. A disfigured non-person, a shade of who you once were, it looked like you, except it was hideous and broken. Disgusted with what you saw, you turned back to Hunter to ask about Echo and Omega as something dawned on you.

“I-I never-” you whimpered, your breath hitching in your throat “I never got to tell him…”

You trailed off, a fresh wave of tears burning in your eyes.

“Trust me,” Hunter interrupted “he knew.”

“W-what?” you asked.

“You didn’t have to say it. He knew. He always knew.” he sighed, looking far away “And he wasn’t the best with words, you know that, so he never said it either. But he loved you too.”

Your heart clenched painfully in your chest.

“H-how?”

Wrecker let out a tiny laugh.

“He’s Tech.” he smiled down at you “He was the smartest of us all.”

Wrecker paused, before smiling sadly at you.

“He also said he was sorry.” he shrugged “For not keeping his promise.”

You fell silent, a million and one questions flowing through your mind. He loved you too. He was sorry. He was gone.

“How do we move on from this?” you questioned, your voice quiet, almost as small as you felt in that moment.

Hunter shook his head.

“I- I don’t know.” he whispered, defeated. You knew him well enough to know he felt like he failed as a leader, something you knew wasn’t true.

You glanced away from them, closing your eyes and letting out a shaky exhale. Just then you felt your hand being enveloped in another, warm one.

“But whatever happens next,” Hunter continued “whatever we do, we’ll figure it out together.”

As Wrecker also grabbed your other hand, you laid your head on his shoulder, suddenly feeling crushed by the weight of it all. The man you loved most in the whole galaxy was dead, and he didn’t even get to say goodbye. You didn’t know if you could come back from this.

But you were willing to try. As long as you had your family with you.

#tech x reader #tbb tech x reader #the bad batch tech x reader #tech x you #the bad batch tech x you #tech x gn!reader #tbb tech x gn!reader #the bad batch x gn!reader #tbb x reader #the bad batch x reader #tech fanfiction #the bad batch fanfiction #tbb tech fanfic #the bad batch tech fanfic

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notgonnaedit · 6 days

Text

Healer's Hands.

Chapter 2: The Squad

Master list

Althea limped along with the clones to their ship. Hunter walked in front with Tech, Wrecker was by her side, and Crosshair took the rear. It made her feel like a prisoner, and she didn't like it.

Not to mention her leg, despite her constant movement, was beginning to stiffen. Althea was practically dragging it along. She needed to treat it, but she was afraid if she stopped, the clones would leave her behind.

Dawn was approaching. With the morning sun creeping over the horizon, Althea could see where they were. They weren't far from the village, but she didn't dare look back at the ruins of her home. But she didn't have to, as she laid eyes on a ship, 30 meters away.

Wrecker pushed his helmet up and grinned. "Welcome aboard, kid, to the Havoc Marauder!" He ran up the ramp and disappeared inside. Althea stopped just before the ramp as everyone else boarded. Hunter turned to look at her.

"Last chance, kid. You sure you want to come?" He asked.

Althea squared her shoulders and nodded, gripped her bag tighter. She limped aboard the ship, leaving everything she knew behind her.

Inside, to the left was the cockpit with four seats, one for each clone. To the right was two consoles, one on either side of the ship. And even farther back were panels that folded out as beds, a tail gun mount, and crates for storage.

Althea took in the surroundings of the dimly lit ship, half of the light came from the consoles. She watched as each clone took of their helmet and began to go about their routine. Hunter and Crosshair began to pilot the ship, Tech was still doing something on his datapad, and Wrecker was lifting a Gonk droid.

"Tech," Hunter's voice was quiet, but commanding. "Take care of the kid's leg."

Tech nodded. "Already on it." He took a box from a shelf in the back, then gestured to to a seat by a console. "Take a seat. I need to examine your injury."

Althea gripped her bag tighter. "It's okay. I can do it myself." She really didn't want a stranger touching her, let alone treating her.

Tech rummaged through his box. "Perhaps, but your primitive medical supplies won't heal your leg as fast as bacta spray. Besides, I have done this countless times."

Primitive? Althea furrowed her brow. Is that what they really thought? She felt the ship rumble beneath her. She leaned forward and saw Hunter and Crosshair press a few buttons, and then the ship was in space. A few more clicks later, and the Marauder launched into a tunnel of swirling blue.

Althea was so entranced by it, she forgot Tech was treating her. She felt a sharp burn and let out a hiss.

"Sorry," Said Tech, though he didn't sound sorry. He sprayed some sort of clear fluid on the wound, and it felt rough. Althea looked down at her leg, curious as to what hit her. There was a dark red stain on her leg and around it, was a round area of charred skin. It must have been a blaster.

"You're lucky." Tech said as he began to wrap the wound in bandages. "Three centimeters to the left, and that bolt would've hit your main artery."

Althea nodded. "I know."

Tech looked up at her. "How could you possibly know?"

Hunter leaned in the doorway. He must have gotten up at some point. He sure was quiet. He looked at Althea with a slight smile. "Don't mind Tech. He's a little rough around the edges when it comes to conversations. Anything insulting is accidental."

Althea nodded. "My family ru–ran and apothecary." She had to correct herself. "That's how I know." She looked down at her hands, a feeling of sadness overcoming her.

Hunter sighed. "About that. I'm sorry about your family, kid." He didn't know what to say after that. He was sorry, but what else could he say?

"Don't worry, kid." Said Wrecker. "We'll find your brother."

Althea's lips tugged upwards. "Thanks," She was grateful for them taking her, but she didn't know where else to go after that. How would she find Thao?

Soon, Crosshair leaned in the doorway as well, and Tech had finished Althea's leg. "Try to keep weight off of it." He told her.

Althea stood, testing it slightly. "I will." She looked to four faces watched her. Four different faces. "Um, can I ask you guys something?"

Hunter nodded slightly, giving her permission. Althea struggled to find the words. "If you're all clones, why do you look different?"

Crosshair scoffed quietly, and Hunter shot him a look. "We're... different from the rest."

"We're the best of the bunch." Said Wrecker with a grin.

Tech adjusted his goggles. "We are the result of an experiment to enhance clones abilities. Most of our mutations are simply enhancements of any clones natural abilities. Hunter can track anything across a planet, even electromagnetic pulses. Wrecker is three times more powerful than the strongest clone. Crosshair is an exceptional sharpshooter, able to hit a target over 5 clicks away. And I was gifted a higher level of intelligence, resulting in my ability to dissolve complex situations."

Crosshair rolled his eyes. "If you're so smart, how were we so late to stop the clankers?"

Althea bit her lip. She didn't know these clones very well, she didn't blame them for what happened. Hunter stood up straight to look at Crosshair. "We aren't discussing this." He turned back to Althea. "We're a small squad, but we can do the work of a whole platoon in less time. We're Clone Force 99, otherwise known as the Bad Batch."

Althea nodded. "So you guys are basically the special ops of the Republic?" Noticing their blank stares she added, "Just because I've never been off world, doesn't mean I don't know things." She sighed. "Look, I just wanna find my brother. Then I'll be out of your hair." She hoped she would find Thao soon.

"Right," Hunter said. "For now, you should probably rest up. You've had a long night. You can have my bunk, I'll be up helping Tech anyway." He gestured to a wide panel, just big enough to fit a grown man.

Althea limped over to it, muttering her thanks. She lay down on it, and the cold metal seeped into her skin. Normally, she wore sleeveless shirts due to Elstar's warm climate, but the small bunk was anything but warm.

The others walked away, giving her space to fall asleep, but Althea didn't think she could. After all that had happened in less than a day, she needed time to think. Her home was gone, ravaged and destroyed. Her brother was missing, and her parents were dead.

Dead.

An ugly, horrible word that echoed in her mind. She would never feel her mother's gentle hands again, or hear her father's loud laughter. Althea hadn't thought about it, but now the adrenaline was gone, all she could feel was loss. She remembered when a sickness swept through the village, wiping out those who were infected. It's the reason there were so little of them, but Althea remembered the wails of the dead's family. How they moaned and cried when her mother couldn't save them.

Althea remembered her father taking her out to the fields so she wouldn't be scared. She was young when it happened. But now, on the cold metal bunk, in a ship she'd never been in, with people she didn't know, Althea felt a sense of loneliness creeping over her. A hot tear streaked it's way down her face as she finally fell asleep.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Althea rubbed her eyes. She had fallen asleep, but for how long? She looked up and saw Hunter walking up from one of the consoles. He was holding a small case. "Been wondering when you would wake up." He said.

Althea groaned as she sat up. "How long was I out for?"

"Twelve hours." He reached inside the case and pulled out a small stick. He held it out to her. "Here, you should eat something."

Althea took the stick, bringing it up to her nose to smell it. It didn't seem bad, so she took a small bite. Hunter closed the case. "Ration sticks. They don't taste the best, but they'll do." He looked up and saw that Althea had already eaten the whole thing. She had forgotten how hungry she was, and the ration stick left her wanting more.

As if sensing her want, Hunter shook his head. "You can only have so many before they start to hurt you. They're high in nutrients, and you have to build up a tolerance to them before you can have many. A person of your size shouldn't start with more than one a day."

Althea frowned. She was still hungry, but she could deal. Instead she chose to focus on more pressing matters. "Did you track down the Separatist ship?"

Hunter nodded. "Tech figured out that since it's run by droids, it has a designated flight path. And after doing a little research, he found that it's next stop should be near Saleucami, where they'll refuel at the spaceport."

Althea stood. "Then let's go." But a stinging feeling in her leg stopped her from walking.

Hunter stepped forward. "Easy, kid. You heard Tech. Try not to put any weight on your leg. You need to heal."

She scowled. "I can heal when I find my brother." Biting the inside of her cheek, she limped to the cockpit where Tech was piloting, and Wrecker and Crosshair were sitting. Tech pressed a few buttons. "We're exiting hyperspace."

Suddenly, the swirling blue was jolted away, and replaced by a planet with light pink and green swirls. That must be Saleucami. Althea thought. Somewhere down there was her brother, and she would find him.

As they entered the atmosphere of the planet, Althea saw the spaceport, but the ship was nowhere to be seen.

Wrecker seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I don't see it."

Tech was still flying a bit high, so maybe they just needed to get lower. Suddenly, out of nowhere the Marauder jolted, and an explosion was heard.

"We've been hit!" Crosshair ran to the tail gun. Hunter pushed Althea into a seat and moved to help Tech. Althea gripped it tightly, trying not to fall off.

"It's the ship!" Crosshair yelled from gun mount. "We're early!"

"Don't shoot!" Althea cried. "My brother's in there!"

"What can we do?!" Wrecker was gripping his seat just as tightly as her.

"Losing altitude." Tech said pressing more buttons. The ship jerked again. "We've lost the main thruster!"

Hunter pulled back on the throttle. "This gonna be rough. Hold on!" The Marauder zoomed past the spaceport, over the fields, and crashed into the ground.

Once the ship settled in the dirt, Hunter stood up. "Everyone all right?"

Althea and Wrecker nodded simultaneously, and Cross could be heard in the back saying he was fine. Hunter sighed. "Good. We need to asses the damage." He pressed a button and opened the ramp, walking down with Tech on his heels. Althea stood shakily and grabbed her medicine bag, walking down the ramp carefully. She shielded her eyes with her hand. Saleucami was much brighter than the inside of the Marauder.

Immediately, Althea could smell the flowers that grey everywhere in sight. Their perfume was so strong it made her feel dizzy, and the yellow tone of the plants matched her eyes almost perfectly.

The Marauder however, stood out like a sore thumb. A piece of cold metal in the warm nature.

Hunter and Tech walked over to the rear of the ship. "How's it look, Tech?" Hunter asked.

"Hm." Tech hummed in thought. "The rear thruster's been damaged, but I believe we have the right parts. I can fix it."

"How long?" Crosshair asked, chewing a toothpick.

"A few hours, maybe longer."

Althea stared at him. "But in a few hours the ship will be gone!"

"We have tabs on it." Hunter told her. "We can find it again."

Althea furrowed her brow. She sat down on the steps of the ramp. Partially because her leg hurt, and because she felt so hopeless. She needed to find Thao as soon as possible, and the Marauder being down meant waiting even longer. She let out a sigh, she couldn't afford to wait.

Suddenly, the bushes in front of her moved. Althea stood slowly, half expecting a wild animal to jump out at her. "Hunter?"

"Yeah, kid?" Hunter looked up from helping Tech, and his gaze turned to the bushes. He narrowed his eyes, walking slowly in front of Althea, his hand nearing his blaster. He must have sensed something.

The bushes parted, and out came a pink Twi'lek woman. Her rifle aimed at Hunter. "Who are you?"

#tbb #bad batch #oc #star wars #the bad batch

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photogirl894 · 1 year

Text

"Sun and Rain Part 2: Age of the Empire"

Chapter 3

"Aftermath"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

A/N: I apologize for the end of the last one, my lovelies 😅😅 Man, I've been on a great writing streak this week! It's nice having a bit of free time at work to write...and it's easier when half of what I'm writing is already written for me 😜 lol

The adventure continues back on Kamino! There are a couple parts from the episode I skipped over just a little for the sake of brevity and so I'm not rewriting literally everything 😜 I hope you guys are liking how I'm weaving Kimber and everything with her into the already established canon 😁 I know I sure am!

Also, this chapter and the next couple chapters that are still involving episode 1 are going to be a little longer so I'm not breaking up just one episode into a bunch of chapters, so I'm trying to condense things a bit!

Enjoy!!

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @intrepidmare , @tmnt-leo-simp , @tech-aficionado , @ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan , @sammi9498 , @darthzero22 , @scarlettroseog , @tech-deck , @thebadbatchscyare , @chxpsi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @4pplecider , @locitapurplepink , @l-lend , @nekotaetae , @eternalwaffle , @merkitty49

《 Chapter 2

》 Chapter 4

All chapters (Part 2) (Part 1)

Explanation: After the events on Kaller, the Bad Batch are called back to Kamino, where they find things are very different and a surprise meeting awaits them all.

“Kim? Hey, Kim, wake up.”

Kimber found herself lying down on Hunter’s bunk with the blanket over her, stirring awake at the sound of someone saying her name. She hadn’t realized that, while she’d sat in there contemplating a few things, she had laid down on the bed and passed out. Now, she was groggily readjusting back to the world around her and Echo’s face came into view.

“I didn’t even realize I fell asleep,” she told him, rubbing her eyes. “How long was I out?”

“A couple hours,” he told her, taking a knee beside the cot. “Hunter came back to check on you and found you asleep, so we decided to leave you be for a bit.”

Hearing that, she looked down at the blanket that was over. She definitely didn’t recall pulling the blanket over her when she’d laid down. Had Hunter done that when he’d come in?

“You okay?” Echo asked her.

“Yeah,” she said. “What about you?”

“I’m all right. Just still processing everything,” he admitted.

“I think we all are. No one understands what happened on Kaller and honestly, that worries me,” she told him.

“Me too. I’ve never heard of Order 66 and I used to read the reg manuals for fun,” he said.

That got a snicker from her. “Did you really?”

He nodded. “Believe it or not, I used to be a real stickler for the rules.”

“Yet look who you ended up with,” she pointed out, amused.

“I know, I never would’ve imagined such a thing a couple years ago.”

“Do you have any regrets about it?”

“I don’t, no. The Bad Batch made an offer to me at a time when I felt lost on what to do and where to go after my imprisonment. It felt like the right decision for me and I’m grateful to be here. Besides, I wouldn’t have met you if I hadn’t.”

That brought a smile to her face. “Very true,” she said. Then she sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed and rested her arms on her knees, letting her head hang down.

“Kimber, what’s wrong?” Echo asked her.

“How was Crosshair?” she asked, a light hesitancy in her voice.

He answered, “He’s been quiet mostly, though that’s nothing new. He did question Hunter on if he was sure the Padawan was dead. I don’t know why he seems so keen on that.”

Kimber ran a hand over her face exasperatedly. It hadn’t just been a strange turn in behavior on Kaller. Crosshair was still acting odd. She didn’t like that at all.

“Something’s been off with him since we heard about Order 66 and I don’t know what it is. It makes me feel uneasy,” she confided in him. She looked up, leaned forward and put her hands on his face. “Please, Echo, promise me that you won’t drift away from me, too.”

His expression crinkled in astonishment. “What are you talking about?” he inquired.

“Hunter has been eluding me for months and now, Crosshair seems different, too,” she explained, her voice slightly trembling. “Maybe with him, it’s just temporary, but I hate that things between me and the two of them have changed and not for the better. I feel like we’re drifting apart. You’re my best friend and I couldn’t bear it if that happened with you, too.”

Echo reached up and took one of her hands with his good hand and grasped it tightly. “I won’t leave you, Kim. I can’t speak as to why Hunter and Crosshair are behaving the way they are, but as for me, I will never leave you, I promise.”

Just then, they heard the ship’s intercom system chime and they looked up as they heard Tech’s voice informing them, “We’re coming up on Kamino.”

Turning back to Kimber, Echo stated, “Remember: it’s you and me against the world, Kim. That’s never going to change, even when things in the galaxy or in the squad are changing. You can count on that.”

Mustering up a grateful smile, Kimber responded to him, “Thanks, Echo. I needed that.”

Then he stood up, pulling up on the hand which he held and helped her up off of the bed. After that, the two of them left the bunk and retreated back into the cabin of the ship, where they could see Kamino getting closer. Kimber had a sour taste in her mouth at seeing the planet again.

“How long has it been?” asked Wrecker.

Tech responded in his usual way, “One-hundred and eighty rotations in a standard cycle, but galactic zone changes put the adjusted figure at around two-hundred and five.”

“What?” Wrecker questioned, having not followed anything Tech had said.

Echo simplified it for him with a sigh, “A long time.”

That made more sense to Wrecker and he responded with, “You got that right.”

“Though, not long enough for my liking,” Kimber thought to herself.

Right away, things seemed to be different on Kamino, as well, as they were told to submit their clearance code upon entering the planet’s rainy atmosphere, which was out of the ordinary for them. Tech supposed that it must be a protocol drill of some kind and transmitted the clearance code anyway. They were cleared for landing and told which landing platform to proceed to. Though, seeing the looks the Clones were all giving each other, Kimber got the feeling that they were as unsure about everything as she was. They flew through the storm until they reached Tipoca City and landed on the platform they’d been told to go to.

Just as they were about to get off the ship, Kimber commented nervously, “I think I’m...just going to leave my helmet on. I don’t need more people staring at me or making a fuss at seeing me here.”

The Clones knew that by “people”, she mostly meant Kaminoans. Namely, Lama Su, Nala Se or Taun We.

However, Hunter approached her and told her, “No. You have as much right to be here as we do. I won’t have you hiding yourself away. You’re a part of this squad and everyone here needs to see it and know it.”

Touched by his sudden show of conviction, she relented and stowed her helmet under her arm like the rest of them. “All right then,” she replied.

With that, Hunter lowered the ramp to the ship and the Bad Batch walked out onto the platform, looking around at all the regs wandering in and out of the platform. Almost all of them were in stark white Clone armor...except for a group in red and white armor which they all recognized.

“Shock troopers? What’s the Coruscant Guard doing here?” Hunter asked aloud.

Then, after hearing an announcement made over the intercom system that a level five lockdown was in effect, Tech observed with a tiny amount of astonishment, “This isn’t a drill.”

“Oh man, what did we miss now?” Wrecker complained.

“The end of the war,” answered one of the Coruscant Guard Clones coming towards them.

“Say again, Trooper,” stated Hunter.

The guard stopped in front of them and explained, “General Grievous was defeated on Utapau. The Separatist leadership has collapsed. The war is over.”

“Just like I said,” stated Tech.

Wrecker gasped and exclaimed, “It is just like you said!”

Those last four words from the guard were ones Kimber never believed she’d ever hear. It seemed surreal to even be hearing them now…though she felt nothing. At any other time, she would’ve celebrated the war finally ending, but given everything that had just taken place, things were different now.

To only add to her conflicted feelings, there was a stretcher being carried by some Clones in front of them covered in a sheet, clearly with a body concealed underneath it. However, as it passed by, a lightsaber fell from inside, clattering to the ground. Kimber couldn’t suppress a tiny gasp and she exchanged disheartened looks with the others at once again, another reminder of the elimination of the Jedi…of Order 66.

Yes, the war was over…but at what cost?

“Is there a problem?” asked the guard.

“No problem,” Hunter clarified. “We’ll just head to our barracks then.” Then he gestured with his head for the others to follow.

“Best hurry. There’s a mandatory general assembly at 1500,” the guard informed them as they walked away.

As they made their way through the brightly-lit halls of Kamino, Hunter couldn’t help but observe the changes in behavior from all of the regs, not just the ones from Kaller. Even Kimber had the suspicion that things felt different there. After attempting to speak to one of them and getting a cold, rough reaction, Tech felt that they still seemed the same as always. Not letting that deter them, they continued on until they reached their barracks.

“Good to be back!” Wrecker proclaimed as he set his helmet down by the doorway.

“The smell’s getting worse,” commented Echo.

“Probably because you lads have a tendency to not clean up very much,” Kimber said with a smirk.

“You guys are still new. You’ll get used to it,” Hunter told them.

Crosshair then shoved his way forward between Hunter and Echo, saying with a sneer, “Speak for yourself.”

“Well, I’ll get the board,” Wrecker stated, taking out his giant vibroblade and cutting in marks on the wall.

Kimber found it curious that they hadn’t pointed that out to her before, but she discerned rather quickly that it was a victory versus failure board for their missions. Naturally, there were no marks under the side for failure and numerous tallies under the victory side. The rest of the squad walked in and went to different parts of the room. Echo and Hunter sat at the table in the middle, Tech went over to his workstation and Crosshair sat on one of the crates in front of his bunk. Kimber decided to go towards the back and sat on one of the sofas, the very one she’d slept on the last time they had been here. She turned and looked out the window at the storm raging outside as a flood of memories of this room washed over her…her coming back after Lama Su had insulted her, being unable to sleep, Hunter trying to comfort her as she stood by the window…him inadvertently admitting that he wanted her with him…and their first kiss…then a feeling of melancholy replaced the nostalgia of the moment. That all seemed like a lifetime ago and now, her relationship with Hunter had changed. She didn’t know what to say it was anymore.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Wrecker saying as he finished marking up the wall, “Eleven more successful missions. Like there was any doubt.”

“Kaller wasn’t a win,” refuted Echo.

Wrecker sat in his bunk and picked up Lula, hugging her to him as he said back, “Says who? We completed our objective.”

“Not every objective,” Crosshair disputed. “Hunter let that Jedi kid escape.” Then he turned his stern gaze to Hunter, whose back was to him, and asked, “Or do you want to keep lying to us?”

With an irritated expression on his face, Hunter stood up from the table and moved over by the window, staring outside. “I don’t like to think of executing our Commanders a mission objective,” he said back firmly.

Crosshair bolted up from where he sat. “An order is an order,” he said back.

“Since when?” Hunter questioned, whirling back around to face him.

The tension in the air was starting to get uncomfortable and Kimber hoped she wouldn’t have to stop any sort of argument at this point.

Luckily, Echo jumped in and exclaimed, frustrated, “None of this makes sense! Those Clones served alongside General Billaba for years.” He slammed his fist down on the table. “How could they turn on her like that?”

Then Tech spoke up from his work station, “Because of the regs’ programming.”

“What programming?” Hunter repeated.

Kimber leaned forward on the sofa to get a better view of Tech, wondering what he could be talking about.

He went on to say while still working on his project, “It's been well-documented that the Kaminoans inhibited the cognitive functions of Clones to engineer them to follow orders without question.”

“Ha! We sure don’t!” declared Wrecker, elbowing Crosshair as he moved by him. Then Crosshair shoved him away, clearly not wanting any sort of physical interaction with his brother. Instead, Wrecker took the opportunity to mess with him and started shoving Lula in his face over and over again.

Kimber laughed at watching that, knowing Crosshair was definitely not enjoying that. Then Wrecker came and joined her on the sofa, giving her too a good-natured tap on the face with Lula, which made her giggle even more.

Tech continued with his explanation in response to Wrecker’s comment, “Obviously, we are different. They manipulated preexisting aberrations in our DNA, resulting in your brute strength, Crosshair's sharpshooting skills, Hunter's enhanced senses and my exceptional mind. My guess is we are immune to the effects of the programming, though I can't be one-hundred percent certain of it.”

There was something about that explanation that wasn’t quite adding up in Kimber’s mind. “Well, what about Echo?” she raised. “He’s not enhanced like you guys. He was a reg before he joined the squad.”

“Yeah, if all regs were programmed, why didn’t I react like the others?” Echo then asked, realizing Kimber was right.

Tech simply said, “The damage you sustained on Skako Minor most likely wiped out all of your preset behavioral modifications. You are more machine than man…percentage-wise, at least.”

Echo sighed. “Lucky me,” he said in a low voice.

Right then, they heard the PA system voice announce, “All personnel report to the staging area for a briefing on the state of the Republic.”

“This is one meeting I don’t want to miss,” stated Hunter.

“First time for everything,” said Tech in reply.

The thought of being in one large room with pretty much all the regs and all Kaminoans filled Kimber with dread. That surely wasn’t going to end well after whatever announcement was going to be made was over with.

Though, to her surprise, Tech came over to her and said, “I would imagine, Kimber, that you would not want to be in this meeting, due to everyone in the city being in attendance. Am I correct in that assumption?”

She scoffed and said, “It’s like you’re a mind-reader, Tech.”

“Not quite,” he replied. “I’m just good at making correct inferences based on facts and observations.” Then he handed her a datapad that he’d brought over from his desk. “If you wish to, you may stay here in the barracks and I can share the broadcast with you through this from my own datapad.”

“Why am I not surprised?” she asked back rhetorically. Then she took the datapad from him and said, “Sure, that sounds good to me.”

Tech gave her an assuring nod and then turned on his heel to leave the room with the others. Hunter stole one last look at her and bowed his head to her as he too walked out, leaving Kimber alone in the room.

“This ought to be good…,” she huffed out as she turned on the datapad, ready to hear what was going to be said to the general assembly.

“The Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”

Those words from the Chancellor--or rather Emperor now--kept sounding in Kimber’s head as she set the datapad down next to her. For one, she now knew for sure that the voice she’d heard during Order 66 had been Palpatine. Now, the Republic had been dissolved and was going to be formed into a Galactic Empire. What did any of this mean?

What was happening to the galaxy?

This was no longer the galaxy she and her boys had signed up to fight for. First, all the Jedi had been eliminated, then all Clones were called back to Kamino and then this…she no longer recognized the galaxy she had chosen to serve. Everything was changing so much so rapidly and it was making her head spin. At least, in the ever-changing world around her, the one constant she could still hold onto was her boys.

Speaking of them, now that the general assembly was finished, she had to go meet up with them, so she booked it from the barracks and down the halls, back the way they had come ad keeping an eye out for them. Before long, she spotted them easily, their dark armor sharply contrasting against the white of the corridors. Wrecker waved her over and she jogged over to them.

“Galactic Empire? We’re soldiers of the Republic,” she heard Echo state as they kept walking.

“Republic…Empire…what’s the difference?” Crosshair questioned, seemingly unfazed by everything.

“There’s a big difference,” Kimber commented. “The Republic had designated leadership to the people throughout the galaxy whereas an Empire gives power to a single entity. That’s too much power and control for anyone to have.”

Then Tech put in his two credits: “Also the systematic termination of the Jedi is a big one for me.”

Just then, Hunter stopped in front of them and held up a hand for them to stop. “Lads...we’ve got company,” he informed them.

Hearing this, they all turned around to see to whom he was referring and they were astonished at what they found.

A young human girl, possibly around ten years old or so, stood before them with her hands behind her back and just beaming with delight at seeing them. She had bright brown eyes and short, light blonde hair that was slightly spiked in the back. The girl was clothed in black pants and boots, a belt and a long white shirt that had blue up the sides and on the sleeves as well as red on the shoulders. Her head was adorned with a round, white and silver amulet that rested on her forehead. To Kimber, the amulet looked somewhat familiar, like she had seen it before somewhere.

The young girl smiled up at them, gave them a small wave and simply said in a high-pitched voice, “Hello!”

Kimber could’ve melted then and there. Whoever this girl was, she just looked and seemed so precious. With the way she was illuminated by the bright lights of the corridor, she appeared almost angelic. Kimber had seen young kids in the halls on Kamino, but they had all been Clone boys. She’d never seen a young girl at all before this one. Noticing the perplexed expressions on her friends’ faces, she got the impression that they hadn’t really encountered anyone like her on Kamino either.

“What’s that?” Wrecker inquired, crouching down and closely inspecting the child.

“It’s a girl, Wrecker. Surely, you’ve seen children like her before,” she commented.

Tech adjusted his goggles and stated as a matter of factly, “Adolescent human female. Origins…uncertain.”

With a look of glee in her face, the young girl told them, “My name’s Omega. I was wondering when you guys would come back.”

Hunter came forward and asked with curiosity, “You…know who we are?”

Looking at each of them, Omega spoke, “Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker, Crosshair and Kimber. You’re Clone Force 99.”

Kimber was startled just a little at hearing Omega mention her. “You even know about me?” she asked the girl.

Omega’s eyes lit up even more as she nodded. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard the Kaminoans talk about you. They don’t always say nice things, but I think it’s so neat that you’re a woman in a Clone squad! I kept hoping I’d get to meet you one day!”

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Kimber said to her, putting a hand over her heart.

The Clones were all grinning to themselves at seeing how excited this young girl was getting about meeting another woman.

Then Hunter bent over and asked Omega, “What are you doing on Kamino, kid?”

Omega was about to answer his question when a softer voice spoke up, “Her job, of course.”

They all looked up and Kimber’s jaw clenched as she saw Nala Se slowly sauntering up to them from behind Omega. It was then she realized why the amulet on Omega’s head looked familiar: it was highly similar to the one that Nala Se wore.

“She is my medical assistant,” Nala Se told them. “One with a curious mind that causes her to wander.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a child being curious,” Kimber said aloud before she could stop herself. Her irritation at seeing Nala Se again was making her act impulsively, but the words had already been said.

Nala Se’s eyes found her and narrowed. “There is when she has other matters to attend to. She does not have time for any trivial things.”

Kimber stepped forward to retaliate, but Hunter laid a hand on her shoulder and cast a look at her that urged her to stand down. Her teeth ground together even harder as she forced herself to keep quiet, lowered her head and stepped back.

“Come, Omega. There is work to do,” Nala Se said to the young girl. After that, she turned away and without a backward glance, walked towards another hallway.

Omega followed her, but looked over her shoulder as she walked and gave the Bad Batch a sweet smile and a wave goodbye. Kimber waved her fingers back at her as Omega went around the corner.

Folding his arms, Hunter stated in bemusement, “This day keeps getting weirder and weirder.”

Turning to the rest of them, Kimber asked, “Have you boys really never seen any young girls here on Kamino before?”

“No,” answered Echo. “The only females here usually are some of the Kaminoans and….” His face fell just a little as the memory of a kind Togruta woman returned to him. “One of the Jedi that used to come here.”

“I could tell because you lads looked very confused,” she pointed out.

“Indeed. The presence of females here in Tipoca City is not very prominent,” Tech added.

Kimber huffed. “Maybe that should change,” she said. Then she started walking, looking over her shoulder and saying with a grin, “I think this place could use a woman’s touch.”

“That would be quite the undertaking,” said Crosshair.

The lads all nodded in agreement and followed after her, the lot of them heading back to their barracks for the time being.

It wasn’t until a couple hours later that they all went down to the mess hall for something to eat. Crosshair, Echo, Tech and Wrecker were the first to head down.

Hunter was about to head out when he realized Kimber was still sitting on the sofa looking at a datapad. “Are you coming?” he asked her.

She looked up from her datapad and frowned. “Mmm no, thanks. I’m not feeling all that hungry,” she said back.

“Still not feeling great about being back?” was his next question.

With a shrug, she replied, “That and other things. Seeing Nala Se brought back...unpleasant memories.”

He softly snickered. “I could see that. You were ready to tussle with her almost immediately when she showed up.”

“I just remembered her staring at me like I was some irritating pest. Even though Lama Su was the one who actually insulted me with words, Nala Se might as well have done so, too, with how she looked at me. It still makes me sick to my stomach.”

Right then, her stomach released a low growl and she tensed up, not realizing how loud it was. Hunter clearly noticed, too, as he tried to suppress a chuckle.

“Okay, maybe I am a little hungry,” she stated timidly.

“Maybe getting some food will help you feel better,” he suggested, grinning in amusement. Then he came over in front of the sofa and extended a hand out to her. “Come with me,” he invited, his voice low and tender.

In that moment, Kimber would’ve wished for nothing more than to stay in the barracks alone with the Sergeant. Seeing how he smiled at her, offered his hand and spoke to her, it was difficult for her fighting the urge to jump up and kiss him; to remind him of just how much she still loved him and yearned to be with him again, despite the promise she’d made to herself to be patient with him. With everything he did, it was killing her inside to do so. Would her torment ever end? Would he ever figure out what he wanted? As much as she hated not knowing the answers to those questions and more, it still gladdened her even just a bit that he was at least not keeping his distance from her like he had been and was putting forth a little more effort right now.

She flashed a smile at him and replied, “I guess that’s an order I can follow,” as she then reached out and took his hand, letting him pull her up from the sofa.

“Besides, I’m sure the lads would be disappointed if you didn’t come,” he then told her.

“What about you?” she asked back.

He was a tiny bit taken aback at her question. “Of course, I would be,” he stated in reply.

She smirked, satisfied with that answer. “Just making sure,” she said.

With that, Hunter turned away and started towards the door, letting his hand linger in hers until it slipped out behind him. It was only then that Kimber realized he had been still holding her hand the entire time. Her skin felt cold once his hand let go and she missed the warmth of it immediately. Though, she knew she couldn’t dwell on it and walked right behind Hunter to the mess hall.

As the two of them got in line for their food, they both could hear the regs surrounding them all abuzz with some sort of gossip. They were talking about someone…an Imperial, it sounded like.

“His shuttle arrived earlier today,” one of the regs in front of them said.

Another one replied, “I heard he’s evaluating all the Clones.”

“That doesn’t sound encouraging,” Kimber commented in Hunter’s ear.

“You’re telling me,” he responded.

Just then, one of the other Clones behind Kimber said, “What do we have here? What’s a girl doing here?”

She turned around to face him as another Clone stepped out to see her. “Look at her armor and who she’s here with. Looks like she’s with the Bad Batch,” he said with a mocking sneer.

This was different behavior than what she’d experienced from other regs before and she didn’t like it. She also took notice that all of the regs now looked exactly the same. Not just they had the same face and similar looks, but they were all the same in every detail. Everyone wore the same white armor with no colors and they all had the same cropped black hair. There were no unique hairstyles or tattoos or markings on any of them anymore. There was no individuality amongst them like she had seen before.

She didn’t like any of it.

Keeping a calm demeanor, she just asked back, “Yeah, what about it?”

“Why would a girl like you be hanging around guys like them?” the first Clone asked. “You should be with some real Clones.”

Hunter’s grip on the sides of his tray tightened.

However, Kimber just gave the Clone a mocking grin and said sarcastically, “That is an excellent suggestion. I'll be sure to let you know when I find some.”

The Clone’s eyes widened for a second before he and the other one behind him glowered at her in response.

She looked at Hunter next to her and then exclaimed, “Oh, look! There’s one right here in front of me!” Then she leaned back and pointed a finger at the table where the rest of the Bad Batch sat and continued, “And I see more over there at that corner table, as well!” She turned her attention back to the regs and smirked deviously. “Thank you for your wonderful advice. That really was quite helpful.”

Behind her, Hunter couldn’t hold back a small, impressed grin at Kimber’s sassiness towards the regs.

As Kimber turned her back on the reg, he grabbed her shoulder and said angrily, "Who do you think you--aah!"

Feeling the reg's hand on her shoulder, Kimber had swiftly reached up, grasped his wrist and wrenched his hand away, twisting his arm downward and making him call out in pain.

Locking her eyes intently with his, she warned him with a hard tone, "Do not...touch me...again, reg." Then she released his hand with a small shove away from her.

Smirking at what she'd just done, Hunter proudly thought to himself, "That's my girl."

"Spoken like a true Bad Batcher," he said quietly in her ear, grinning at her.

Kimber smirked and chuckled in response and then whipped around, her long braid nearly smacking the reg in the face, and briskly walked away from the line, Hunter right on her heels.

They made it over to their table in time to hear Wrecker yelling in frustration at Tech, "I got a fact for you! I like to blow things up...because I like to blow things up!" He slammed his hands onto the table. "Got it?"

"Well, I'm convinced," Crosshair replied, his tone clearly laced with sarcasm.

"What was that about?" Kimber inquired as she went around and sat beside Echo.

"Long story, sunshine," answered Crosshair.

Sitting down on the opposite side of the table next to Tech, Hunter let them know, "An Imperial's been sent to evaluate the Clones. Everybody's talking about it."

"What kind of evaluation?" asked Echo curiously.

"Hopefully, not mental. Clearly, we'd never pass that," Tech said.

As they all exchanged peculiar looks, they heard another voice say to them, "Hello again."

It was Omega, the young blonde girl. She came to the table and sat on Hunter's other side, putting down her tray and timidly waving at the group. Kimber started to wave back, but then faltered as she realized that none of the Clones were reacting back. Instead, they were all gawking at the girl, puzzled at seeing her there.

"Omega," she reminded them, gesturing to herself. "From earlier? In the corridor?"

"Yeah, kid, we remember," Hunter replied, seemingly annoyed. "Don't you have someplace to be?"

Casually, Omega just said, turning to her soup on her tray, "No, I'll stay."

Tech's eyes widened. "You want to sit with us?" he questioned.

The girl nodded.

"That's never happened before," Tech observed.

"Wow...!" quietly gasped Wrecker.

Smiling, Omega told them, "I like you. You don't fit in around here either."

Hunter leaned over and pressed her, "What are you really doing here on Kamino, kid?"

Kimber then asked in addition, "Don't you have a family somewhere? Parents?"

"Parents?" Omega repeated, confused.

At that time, three more regs started walking by and one of them taunted them, "Check it out...the defect squad's got themselves a new recruit."

"Another member added to the Sad Batch," mocked another one.

They had been looking at Kimber.

She just glared at them as they walked by and just as she was about to stand up and yell something back at them, Omega surprised all of them by suddenly grabbing some of her food, climbing on top of the table and chucking it at the back of the Clone's head, hitting him directly and the food splattered everywhere.

"Who threw that?" he demanded.

"I did. Now, apologize to my friends," Omega demanded sternly.

"I like this kid!" Wrecker cried out, enthusiastically punching Echo in the chest.

The regs attempted to walk up to Omega to confront her, but Hunter put himself in the way and civilly tried to encourage them to back off and keep moving. Wrecker stood up behind Omega to try and intimidate the regs even further.

The regs seemed to relent, but not before the one in the front commented snidely over his shoulder as they left, “Know your place, lab scrapper.”

Kimber could feel her glare harden at the regs. These ones were definitely not like any other Clones she’d come across before. They were incredibly rude to her and to Omega. Her fists clenched at her sides, wishing she could go up and punch them.

Not even a few seconds later, there was movement out of the corner of her eye and a tray was suddenly flying through the air, colliding with the reg’s back. When she looked, she saw Wrecker balancing a collection of trays in his hand.

“Oops,” he said, grinning devilishly.

“That’s it!” cried the reg, all of them gearing up for a fight.

Wrecker was glad to oblige. “Oh yeah!” he shouted with glee before launching the stack of trays at the Clone, knocking him clean off of his feet.

Things turned to chaos so quickly, Kimber’s head threatened to spin. The other regs that taunted them came forward, but Hunter punched one of them and began fighting with them. Some of the onlookers started throwing food around and others began attacking Tech and Echo. Wrecker climbed onto the table and jumped straight onto another group of Clones. Echo was pushed onto the table and Crosshair took two guys out with a tray. People were thrown across tables, tackled to the floor; it was a brawl. Kimber herself jumped in and threw a couple punches at some regs while defending Crosshair and also Omega. It was just crazy how quickly things had escalated. Kimber got the feeling this must’ve happened a lot for the Bad Batch in the past.

She caught sight of movement in the upper level of they mess hall and when she turned her attention that way, she grimaced at seeing Lama Su up there watching and with him was a man she’d never seen before. It was an older man with gray hair pointed up at the sides, a hooked nose and wearing what she assumed was the garb of an Imperial officer. That must have been the Imperial the regs had been talking about.

“Echo, watch out!” she heard Tech call out.

Her head turned just in time to see Echo, who was on the ground close by her, get clubbed over the head with a tray and he slumped down to the floor, limp and unconscious. Furious, she sped forward and tackled the reg who had hit him to the floor before scrambling back up and putting herself in front of Echo to defend him.

Right then, the red-armored Coruscant guards came rushing into the mess hall, shouting at everyone to stop fighting, their weapons drawn and ready. Everyone else in the mess proceeded to stand down, though casting nasty looks at the Bad Batch.

Once the fighting was over, Kimber crouched down next to Echo and tried waking him up, but he was out cold. As one of the guards came over to her, she told them, “My friend has been knocked unconscious. He needs medical help.”

The guard nodded and ordered a stretcher to be brought in. Before long, one was brought to them and two of the guards got Echo onto it.

As they took him out, Kimber went up to Hunter and told him, “I’m going to go with him. He might not like waking up surrounded by medical equipment, so I want to be there just in case.”

“Go ahead,” he told her.

She then turned back and jogged over to catch up with the guards, heading with them and Echo to the medical wing.

A half hour had passed and Echo hadn’t woken up yet. After the medics got him hooked up for a couple tests to be run, a floating medical Droid came into the room. He had a horizontal cylindrical head with two glowing eyes and a small light at the base where a mouth would be that lit up when he spoke that was propped up on a hinged rotating stand attached to his body. He only had an upper body with arms and hands, but for legs, he only had little round orbs that helped keep him afloat. Kimber hadn’t seen a Droid like it before and she thought it was kind of cute, almost.

The door to the room opened and she saw Omega come rushing in, looking concerned.

“Is he okay?” she asked, running over to Kimber and looking between her and Echo lying on the bed.

“He should be. Echo’s a tough trooper,” Kimber assured her.

The little med Droid floated over to Omega and asked her in a nasally-sounding robotic voice, “Omega, what are you doing here?”

“I came to make sure Echo’s okay. He got hit pretty hard,” she explained.

“But mistress Nala Se summoned you to the sub-level medical wing. You must go,” the Droid protested.

“No, I’m staying here until he wakes up,” said Omega.

Kimber then told her as the Droid hovered back over to Echo, “Omega, I appreciate your concern, but Echo will be fine. I’m here with him and if there’s somewhere you need to be right now, then you should go. It’s okay.”

Omega opened her mouth to say something back, but then they heard Echo’s voice suddenly cry out, “No! Get them off!” He shoved the Droid away and was looking about frantically, panic and fear evident in his expression.

“But my tests are not yet complete,” refuted the Droid.

“Echo, hey it’s okay! It’s okay,” said Kimber, rushing to his side and taking his good hand tightly as the Droid moved out of the way. “You’re just in the med bay, it’s okay. It’s Kimber, I’m here and Omega’s here, too. Just breathe. Breathe with me, Echo.”

While breathing heavily and trying to calm himself down, Echo’s eyes found her and he seemed to relax a little at seeing her at his side, clutching her hand back hard and she covered his with her other one. Then his breathing slowed as he followed Kimber’s breathing pattern, bringing his anxiety down.

Then Omega told him, coming up next to Kimber, “It’s okay, Echo. I understand. I don’t like being hooked up to their machines either.”

Something about that statement from the young girl troubled Kimber. Why was a kid being hooked up to medical machines? Was she just constantly getting hurt and into trouble like they were or was there something else? That made her question in the moment if Omega actually was Nala Se’s “medical assistant”.

“Hello, CT-1409,” then said the Droid, hoving at the end of the bed.

“His name is Echo,” Omega corrected him.

The Droid then introduced itself, “I am AZI-345211896246498721347, your assigned medical droid.”

Kimber’s head reared back. “Yikes, that’s a mouthful,” she observed aloud.

“Yeah, we just call him AZI. The rest can be a lot to say,” Omega told her.

Directing her attention back to Echo, who seemed to be much calmer now, she asked him, “You good?”

With a heavy sigh, he replied, “Yeah…yeah, I’m good now.”

There was a swish as the door to the room opened up once again and they looked to see the Bad Batch entering into the room.

“Ha! Told you he’s alive!” cried Wrecker boisterously. Then he pointed at Crosshair. “You owe me two credits!”

Kimber frowned, slightly unamused at what she heard. “You seriously placed bets on whether or not Echo was killed by a tray?” she asked flatly, glancing between Wrecker and Crosshair. When they both simply shrugged, she rolled her eyes and said, “My stars, you boys are incorrigible sometimes.”

AZI then floated in the middle of all of them and informed the Bad Batch, “CT-1409's condition is stable…but I have some distressing news for the rest of you. According to your test results, you all appear to be…genetically defective Clones.”

While the others didn’t react, as this was naturally not new information, Wrecker got a shocked look on his face and Kimber had to suppress a laugh.

“I will leave you to process the shock of this revelation,” stated AZI before zooming off.

“We’ve got a problem,” Echo told the others.

“Not really. We’re more deviant than we are defective,” Tech replied.

Echo shook his head. “Not that. Admiral Tarkin's here. He's the one evaluating the Clones.”

“Who’s Tarkin? Was he the guy that was with Lama Su earlier?” Kimber asked.

“Yeah, that was him,” answered Echo.

Tech then added, looking at Echo, “The same Tarkin from the Citadel rescue when you, uh...how shall I put this?”

“Blew up?” Wrecker finished for him.

“And turned into that?” Crosshair added, pointing at Echo with his toothpick and smirking.

“Okay, uncalled for,” Kimber said to Crosshair, elbowing him.

Echo sighed heavily. “Yes,” he said, his expression downfallen for a second, “and he’s not a big supporter of Clones.”

Hunter then spoke up for the first time since coming in, “We’ll soon find out. We’ve been summoned by the Prime Minister.”

Kimber groaned, “Great…!” Now, they had to go see Lama Su…like that was going to go well.

“Guess he didn't find that mess hall fight amusing…but I sure did,” stated Wrecker.

Motioning with his head towards the door, Hunter told them, “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

The others made their way to the door while Echo climbed off the bed, him and Kimber walking past Omega. Though the young girl cried out to them and ran in front of them.

“The fight was my fault. I’m going, too,” she tried stating.

“Not happening,” Hunter replied, him and the others moving by her. “We’ll handle this.” When she tried to object, he turned back around and interrupted her with a warning: “Listen, kid. Our squad’s nothing but trouble. For your sake, keep your distance. Got it?”

The young girl appeared a bit dejected at Hunter’s words, but she said nothing and stayed where she was as the door shut between her and the Bad Batch.

#star wars the bad batch #the bad batch #bad batch hunter #bad batch fanfic #hunter x oc fic #sun and rain fanfic

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