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vibrantbirdy · 11 months

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You are so incredibly talented! I love reading all of your works! : )

Could I request a Cal Kestis x female reader (or OC, no preference really). I’ve been super into the game recently and just love his character. Maybe a really strong female character, but she gets flustered by Cal’s confidence, and how much she has grown to like him more than friends. I totally see him being a complete flirt (but still sweet). Haha. I’ve always had this idea that it would be cool for a force user to show someone what it’s like by holding their hand and pulling something to them (like aiding them in using the force). Stupid maybe I don’t know lol, basically Cal being suave and laying it on thick. Fluff, crack, little spice, I’m here for whatever creative piece you get going ❤️

Firstly, thank you for your lovely words! Secondly, yay, Cal! Thank you, I'm glad someone's asked for Cal, this is a cute prompt.

Character x Reader requests are currently open in my Asks. Please read the guidelines first. Masterlist of my fics can be found here.

Title: Proximity Fandom: Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor Games Setting: Prior to events of Jedi Survivor Genres: Sci-fi; Romance; Fluff - This is tooth-rotting fluff with a little added spice as requested ;) Warnings: This fic is 18+ so please heed and respect the adult rating. Descriptions of sexual longing/arousal; one scene of strong consensual sex - nothing too descriptive but probably on the borderline of (hopefully still sweet) mild smut. Pairing: Cal Kestis x Female Reader Chapters: 1/1 (Complete) Word Count: approx 5.5k (Because I have no self control) Summary: You are an accomplished Coruscanti thief who has been recruited by the Rebel Jedi, Cal Kestis. As you join him and his crew on their adventures aboard the Mantis, you and Cal have to navigate your growing feelings for each other.

You are standing in some Imperial-worshipping Senator's private vault in a bank nestled deep in the heart of Coruscant's palatial financial district. You've just located your prize - a data stick containing the names of high standing political and military figures within the Empire who have Republic, perhaps even Rebel leaning sympathies.

It's the Senator's insurance policy, his get out of jail free card - something he can produce at the eleventh hour in case his unwavering loyalty to the Empire turns out not to be enough to save him from the pull and push of the Imperial tide of oppression swelling across the Galaxy.

You'll sell the data stick to one Rebel faction or another, whoever is willing to pay most for your service in getting information out of Imperial hands and aiding the Rebel's recruitment drive in the process.

You're in the middle of internally congratulating yourself on successfully extracting the data stick from its complex security casing when a male voice, almost conversational in tone, rings out behind you.

"I can't let you leave with that."

Startled, you whirl around to see a man standing no more than a meter away from you. You wonder how long he's been there, watching you.

He has bright ginger hair which is swept back from his face, short at the back and sides, but longer on top and slightly ruffled. His matching red stubble sits on his cheeks, chin, upper-lip and travels up his well-defined jawline to his ears. He is dressed simply in a fawn shirt, dark grey pants, and sturdy brown boots.

A small red and white droid, bipedal, with a flat rectangular head and two photoreceptors, one slightly larger and beadier than the other, hangs almost casually off his shoulder like a pet. It's a BD unit, you think.

Both the man and the droid are rather dirty, but then, so are you after squeezing your way through a maze of dusty ventilation shafts. It makes sense the only possible way they could have gotten in here is the same way you did.

The stranger is holding something metal in his right hand that glints occasionally in the vault's dim security lighting, but you can't quite work out what it is. A weapon?

You raise your blaster.

"Don't!" he shouts, holding out a palm towards you, "The vault is magnetically sealed, if you miss, that bolt's going to cause us both a world of problems."

You raise an eyebrow because one, you already know that, and two...

"Bold of you to assume I'll miss at point blank range," you say levelly.

You keep your weapon trained steadily at the young man's chest.

He adjusts his grip on whatever it is he is holding and a green beam of light extends from the hilt of what you now realise is a lightsaber. A deep thrumming sound resonates around the small chamber.

A Jedi. Great.

You thought they were all extinct after the Emperor's purge. Briefly, childhood memories of evening strolls with your parents past the monumental ziggurat of the Jedi temple glowing golden in the low Coruscanti sun flash through your mind. You remember the thrill of excitement at seeing the Jedi, elegant and regal in their grand robes, lightsabers clinking at their belts as they swept by on important Republic business.

Right now? Here? This is the last place you want to see one.

The light from the blade illuminates the young man's face which, you have to admit, is a rather attractive combination of youthful and rugged. His nose and cheeks are peppered with freckles and his eyes contain green irises so deep in colour that they almost match his blade. A thin, red scar runs almost horizontally across the bridge of his nose, dipping down onto his right cheek. The ghost of a smirk is now playing on his lips and it has the irritating effect of making him more handsome.

You don't know why, but for some reason, you trust him instinctively not to try and cut you in half with that humming beam of hot, vibrating energy. At a stalemate, you lower your blaster. He follows your lead by deactivating the blade of his saber immediately.

"If you make me a good offer, you can have this right now," you say, one hand on your hip, the other waving the data stick in front of him impatiently.

You never like staying on the scene of a job too long and you are starting to feel on edge.

"I've got ... uhhh ... one hundred credits?"

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly as he speaks. He knows it's a stupidly lowball offer and you scoff loudly to let him know you think so too.

"Look, I know the ISB would pay a lot for information like this but..."

"I don't sell to the Empire," you snarl, cutting him off.

He holds up his hands in a gesture of apology which seems genuine enough. He tries again.

"I really need to get this to a contact in the Mid Rim..."

"The Mid Rim?" you interrupt abruptly, "that's off-world."

"Yeah..." his brow furrows and a slow, quizzical smile spreads across his face at the obviousness of your statement.

You curse yourself for being as predictable as a cheap holo novel. All your life you've lived on Coruscant. You've never been anywhere else. These days, the endless maze of unnatural, lifeless spires and struts and blocks of artificial construction seem to press in and in and in on you so that, despite the sprawling size of the metropolis, it feels like you are living in a tiny metal cage.

Still, this stranger didn't need to know that, and you realise you've given him his angle - a bargaining chip.

"I can't buy it off you," he reasons, "I don't have the credits, but I do have a proposal. Work with me and my crew. It's regular and we're rarely on one world for too long..."

There it is...

You got in here," he continues, gesturing around the vault, "we could use someone with your skill set. And, you get to piss off the Empire in the process."

You consider his offer. You are used to working alone and you don't like the complications that come with relying on others. Trusting anyone is difficult after fending for yourself, all alone, so successfully and for so long....

But with the Empire continuing to close their fist around all aspects of daily life, work was difficult to come by on Coruscant these days. Thieving in the city from Imperial targets in particular was becoming more and more fraught with danger.

While it riled you that he was able to read you so easily, really, what did you have to lose? Because by the Force did you not want to get off Coruscant? Isn't this what you'd been waiting for your whole life? An adventure?

"One job," you counter pragmatically, extending your hand to shake his, "And we'll see how it goes from there."

"Cal Kestis," he introduces himself with a disarmingly friendly smile, "And deal."

*************************************************

One job turns into another then another and another. Weeks turn into months and soon you've been on Cal's ship - well, borrowed ship you had come to learn - the Mantis for nearly half a year.

You've grown close with the crew of the Mantis. Cal, Gabs, Bravo and the two hulking Klatooinine twins, Lizz and Koob. This type of camaraderie is new to you. You really thought you'd struggle with it, that your independent nature would rail against the confines of living in close quarters with ship mates and fitting your own whims and desires and wants around others. In reality, you've never felt more at home. You didn't realise how lonely you had become before.

And the missions you run with the crew are exhilarating. This new life is so much more than just pilfering here and there from the Empire. You feel like you are really making a difference, like you're spitting directly in the face of the Imperial machine with every job. You feel like a Rebel.

It's not all sabotage and espionage and fighting Stormtroopers though. Off duty, life on the Mantis is mainly based around friendly joshing and winding each other up. And the dull minutiae of life still goes on.

Like now.

You and Cal are patching up the Mantis while the others are out on a supply run. You are currently crouched on your haunches so that the service hatch you are examining on one of the walls inside the ship is at eye level.

Cal is stood behind you, arms folded across his chest. You've been arguing good naturedly about what the problem is with the engine cooling system for an hour and you are now impatiently waiting for BD-1 to finish his scan to find out which one of you is right.

The little droid crawls out from the tangle of wires and gives you little nod and a boop of approval. You pat BD on his rectangular head and he scurries up your arm and on to your shoulder.

"I told you that was the problem," you say, craning your neck to look up at Cal with a triumphant grin.

You gesture to the wiring tool in his hand.

"Give that to me, I'll do it."

The Jedi looks down at the small instrument in his hand then tosses it up in the air and catches it again. He has that mischievous look on his face, the one you've learned to recognise as a sign that he's about to do something really annoying.

"Kestis..." you warn standing up, unable to stop your lips curling into a smile.

You make a lunge for the tool in his hand, but he's too quick. In a flash, he's holding it up above his head. Cal is almost a head taller than you and there's no way you can reach that high, even when you stretch up onto your tiptoes.

Instead, you decide to play dirty. You jab him hard in both his sides with your fingers where you know he's ticklish. He makes a funny sort of snorting noise in surprise and his hand drops for long enough that you manage to snatch the tool from him and make off with it at great speed.

Cal darts after you, both of you careering in to the kitchen of the Mantis, the thud and scrape of your boots on the ship's durasteel grated floor ringing throughout the ship in chorus with your laughter.

BD-1 takes this opportunity to leap of your shoulder and onto the kitchen table with an indignant whirr, determined not to get involved in this organic tomfoolery.

Cal is on you in seconds. He grabs you around the middle and lifts you off the ground with ease, spinning you around and deliberately tickling you in between making grabs for the wiring tool.

You squeal and let out perhaps the most ridiculous giggle to ever escape your mouth. You can't let him get away with forcing you to make a noise like that so you elbow him in the stomach. It's only a gentle prod really, but it's enough to make him grunt and let go of you.

As Cal doubles over, winded, you sprint back around to the opposite side of kitchen table holding the instrument aloft and performing a little victory dance.

Across the table, Cal straightens and, with a cocky look on his face, he stretches his arm out towards you. You stumble forwards slightly as if pulled forwards by an invisible rope tied around your wrist as he uses the Force to tear the tool easily out of your hand and bring it flying through the air to rest in his own outstretched palm.

"That's cheating!" you say, breathlessly.

Despite your half-hearted admonishment, in reality, you're delighted. And you're certain Cal knows it. The more time you spend with him, the more that old fascination you held as a child with the strange powers of the Jedi has returned. You are always enchanted by Cal's displays of Force ability.

"Alright kids, we almost ready to go?" Gabs' voice echoing through from the Mantis' doorway signals the return of the others.

Cal shrugs at you and you both grin, panting from your exertions. Keeping his green eyes locked on yours, he backs casually towards the door to help Gabs and the others load up the supply crates. Just before he exits the ship, he tosses the wiring tool to you underarm and you catch it with an elaborate flourish and twirl that makes him laugh.

You return to your work fixing the Mantis's cooling system with BD-1. You try to concentrate, but you feel slightly giddy. You can still feel Cal's strong arms against your body as if they remain wrapped around you. His masculine scent, pleasant and earthy and fresh like petrichor, seems to linger in your proximity and on your skin.

BD-1 tries his best to keep you right. He trills or nudges you every so often either to correct your wiring or to encourage you to stop staring into space with that inane, absent-minded smile.

When you lie in your cot bed that night, the hum of the Mantis' hyperdrive lulls you into a comfortable drowsiness and your thoughts return, unbidden, to Cal.

Over the past few months, it's like the very idea of him nestled deep into your brain and now refuses to budge. Every morning when you wake, you look forward to the sight of his honest, open, expressive face. The warmth of his slightly crooked smile. The way his red brows arch when he finds something funny before he squeezes his eyes shut so tight that they crinkle at the corners as he throws back his head, letting out peels of joyful, open-mouthed laughter.

Even when he has those strange moments of quiet introspection which you don't quite understand yet, you find it hard not to watch him. You can't help it, even although you sometimes feel like you are intruding on a private, sacred moment of reflection. It's always the same. His eyes glaze over as he stares out into the distance at nothing, a muscle works in his chiselled jaw, and then his head drops as if in dignified, melancholic prayer. These periods never last too long - not when he has a crew to lead.

There's no point in denying it anymore, at least not to yourself anyway. Your feelings for Cal go beyond comradeship; beyond friendship. And a hopeful notion has formed in your head that he might actually feel the same way about you.

It's both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

A sudden heat blooms deep within your very core and rises in your cheeks as your mind conjures the image, no, the feeling of Cal's solid, toned body, pressed against yours in a feverish, impassioned embrace, your limbs entwined, fingers woven tightly through the flames of his red hair

Force, you want him.

You place a palm against the cool durasteel wall above your head that separates your room from the Jedi's. You wonder what he's thinking of on the other side of the thin sheet of metal.

****************************************

Cal Kestis can't sleep. Like most Jedi, he can't actually read the thoughts of others, but his connection to the Force allows him to feel the emotions and state of mind of those around him.

Over the past few months, the Jedi has noticed your feelings for him blossoming into something more than friendship, mirroring the growth of his own affections for you.

But tonight, Cal can sense that something in your emotional frequency has changed. Evolved. A clarity, a new and vigorous and glorious certainty in your desire for him radiates incandescent through the Force. It's like the smouldering embers of a fire have ignited into a ferocious blaze.

As the feeling permeates through the thin sheet-metal wall dividing you, the intensity of it, the heat of it, drives him crazy. He wants to rip through the flimsy partition separating you and give you everything you want from him and more. His whole body is aflame with almost painful arousal and he is aching to bring himself release.

Cal resists, teetering on the very edge of giving himself over to his desire. Is this voyeuristic? Is he trespassing? Crossing some unspoken line? Should he be trying to block you out? He doesn't know.

The Jedi hisses through his teeth in frustration. Reluctantly, he rolls out of bed and, sinking to his knees on the floor, surrenders himself to the Force in search of whatever temporary solace he can find in meditation.

Even as he does so, he knows that the only real relief he'll be able to get now is if he can find it with you.

***************************************

The crew of the Mantis are taking some time to rest after a run of particularly eventful jobs. You've landed on the quiet world of Brax at the edge of the Mid Rim. It's a beautiful, lush planet adorned with meadows of wildflowers, glassy lakes and sprawling coniferous forests.

Everyone is making the most of their down time.

Gabs and Bravo have gone off for a hike in the nearby woods.

BD-1 is having a well earned oil bath on the Mantis.

The twins are snoozing in the meadow amongst the flowers. When you'd crept past them earlier, you'd smiled fondly - the peaceful serenity on their faces was such an odd juxtaposition to their usual chaotic enthusiasm for life.

Having successfully sneaked past Lizz and Koob without waking them, you are now sitting atop a large slab of rock which juts up and out of the meadow. You alternate between admiring the view of the lake and cleaning your blaster.

It is a warm day, but a gentle cooling breeze keeps the heat at bay. A gust suddenly whips up the heady, sweet smell of wildflowers all around you. For some reason the scent triggers something inside you, your heart suddenly full to bursting with a strange concoction of melancholy and joy.

To think that all this beauty, all this Galaxy was just out here, waiting, your whole life. And if you'd never met Cal, you might still be crawling through filthy ventilation shafts smelling of metal and damp and darkness just to get by on Coruscant.

You are just about ready to reassemble your weapon when you look up from your task towards where the Jedi is meditating with his back to you. He's kneeling a few meters in front of you on the sandy shore by the still water. You always think it's strange how he chooses to sit on his knees, rather than cross-legged. It looks uncomfortable to you, but he seems to be able to sit like that for anywhere up to an hour. Maybe you'll ask him about it one day.

Cal is shirtless. Even from here, you can see the freckles littered like celestial constellations across his strong back and down his broad shoulders and muscled arms. You take the opportunity to admire the outlines and angles of his taut, athletic body.

You start as the Jedi begins to stand. You'd rather not get caught staring at him quite so openly and you quickly shift your gaze back to your blaster which is still in its various component parts.

Cal turns and advances towards you up the beach and onto the grassy meadow. You pretend not to have noticed him at all, but you keep catching glimpses of him in your peripheral vision. He walks a few paces, then stops and looks around as if he's searching for something on the ground. Then he crouches down. He does this several times.

What is he up to?

"Hey," Cal says casually as he finally wanders over to you.

He has to crane his neck to speak to you, perched as you are on top of your rock, and use a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. He's hiding something behind his back you realise.

"Oh, hey," you reply, as if you're surprised to see him there.

He pulls his hand from behind his back and reaches up to you. In his grasp is a bunch of wildflowers, beautiful pastel blues and pinks and purples.

You exclaim softly in surprise, a rather giddy sound that makes Cal beam up at you. As you take the blooms from him, his fingertips, calloused and tough from years of wielding a weapon in combat, brush gently against your hand. Even that small touch feels like a spark of electricity arching between you.

"See you at dinner," he says, and he's clearly pleased with himself as he retreats towards the Mantis, head held high, a jaunt in his step.

As you twist in your seated position to watch him disappear into the ship, you realise you were so enchanted by the gesture that you forgot to say thank you.

That's the thing about Cal Kestis. He's completely disarming. He has a rare, effortless charisma and an easy, flirtatious way about him that is somehow both sweet and suave at the same time. Few men you've met have ever managed to render you so flustered.

You look down at the delicate blooms in your hand and bring them to your nose, inhaling their fresh scent. Smiling to yourself, you shake loose the functional way you usually wear your hair to keep it out of your face and retie it, carefully weaving the wildflowers that Cal has picked for you through your locks.

When you come in for dinner - Bravo's turn to cook - Cal is already sitting at the kitchen table. He looks up and inclines his head to the side as he takes you in, his eyes widening. You blush furiously to see the genuine pleasure at the sight of you and your decorated hair written so openly on his face.

Amid the usual convivial hubbub and chaos of dinner in the Mantis' kitchen, you and Cal steal glances at each other across the table.

**********************************************

That evening, the moon is low and yellow in Brax's dark sky, hanging like a ball of golden light above the lake. You have an hour or so before you all depart for a rendezvous with a contact on Naboo. It's the twins' turn to do pre-flight checks and you find yourself on the shores of the water, skimming stones with Cal to kill time.

Before joining the crew of the Mantis you'd never skimmed a stone in your life. Not many places to do that on Coruscant. But Gabs in particular is an ace at it and she's taught you well.

Cal spots a likely candidate for his next projectile and he brings it flying casually into his hand using his Jedi abilities.

"What does it feel like like?" You ask, suddenly.

Cal smiles at you, seemingly understanding that you are talking about the Force. He hesitates for a second, looking down at the stone in his open palm. Then he places it back on the ground in an obvious position, nestled in the sand a few feet in front of you, and moves round to stand behind you.

He's so close you can feel his heart beating against his chest. Instinctively, you lean back into him, enjoying the safe feeling that his nearness gives you, and the warmth of his body against yours in the chill night air.

"It's time for instruction," he says softly.

He's said that phrase before when he's showing anyone how to do something new. You've come to understand that it's a fond impression of his late Master's dignified voice - a touching habit you've always thought.

Tonight it sounds different. His tone is light and teasing, but the smirk you can hear as he speaks makes the words sound almost seductive in a way that causes something to flip then tighten in the pit of your abdomen.

"Hold out your hand."

You extend your right arm, holding your palm outwards as you've seen Cal do many times. He places his own palm against the back of your hand and interlocks his fingers with yours.

His other hand comes to rest at your waist, pulling you ever so slightly closer into him. He doesn't need to put it there and you both know it. Nor does he need to rest his chin on your left shoulder, so close to your cheek that his stubble almost tickles your skin.

Yet you can tell that you are both revelling in this rare, private opportunity for proximity between the two of you, and it is as thrilling as it is maddening.

"Focus. Breathe."

You realise you've been holding your breath. You feel Cal's chest rising and falling against your back and you match your own breathing in time with his. You can't help but notice it's at a slightly elevated pace.

"See the stone in your hand."

You nod and exhale, your eyes boring into the rock as if you really are going to levitate it yourself. You try and fail to stifle a sudden giggle at the ridiculousness of such an idea.

"Concentrate," Cal scolds quietly in your ear but you can hear the smile in his voice as the hand round your waist tightens its grip ever so slightly.

"I am," you mutter, but it's only half true.

You wonder if it's just your imagination, but in the seconds that follow, you think you can feel an deep, vibration flowing through Cal and passing through his body and into yours, binding your lifeforces together.

The rock flies so suddenly into your palm that you jump. You just about remember to close your fingers around the stone's cool, smooth surface as you shout out in surprise and delight. Cal lets out a good-natured laugh at your reaction and you glow as it rumbles through his whole body and yours.

You've just made up your mind to twist around in his arms kiss him when BD-1 comes running through the grass at great speed on his little legs, beeping and chirping urgently.

"Ok buddy, ok, we're coming," Cal says kindly to the little droid, but you can hear the exasperation at the untimely interruption in his voice.

*******************************************

Course set, the Mantis is travelling at lightspeed and, nestled safely in the cradle of the hyperlane, you will probably make it to Naboo in about six hours.

You suspect the rest of the crew are all sleeping soundly. The Mantis takes care of herself for the most part when travelling through hyperspace. With the life you lead, the importance of catching rest when you can cannot be underestimated.

You, however, cannot sleep. Thoughts of Cal and your interrupted moment by the lake race through your mind. The wildflowers he gave you are still in your hair and every so often you catch the ghost of their aroma, reminding you of your almost idyllic day on Brax.

You sigh and drag yourself out of bed, deciding to go and sit in the empty cockpit of the Mantis for a while and watch the stars race by as you hurtle through the hyperlane. Although it should really be frightening, you love to watch great swathes of the Galaxy disappear in a flash before your eyes as the Mantis catapults through space. It's a novel experience for you still - being off Coruscant, light speed travel, new worlds.

You wave your hand over the control and the door to your room hisses open. You jump to see a figure already standing there in the corridor. With a jolt of excitement, and with a strange feeling that you've summoned him somehow, you realise that it's Cal.

"Uh, hi.."

You don't let him get more than two words into his sentence. You grab him roughly by the front of his loose night shirt - which is slung low, revealing tufts of ginger hair on his chest and the elegant lines of his collarbone - and pull him into a deep kiss.

Not breaking away from your lips, and hardly hesitating, he picks you with almost alarming ease. You wrap your legs around his waist and curl your fingers in his red hair as he carries you back into your quarters. He places you up onto your workbench situated against the opposite wall as the door slides closed behind you.

"You look so pretty with those flowers in your hair," he mumbles into your neck you shiver with pleasure as his mouth brushes against your skin as he talks.

"Yes, it's a shame you're about to make such a mess of me," you whisper into his ear.

He pulls back to stare at you for a moment, green eyes wide as if dumbfounded by your forwardness. His delighted, slack-jawed expression forces a loud giggle from deep within you.

"Shhh," Cal warns emphatically, keenly aware of the proximity of the rest of the crew and how thin the walls of the Mantis are. He presses a kiss to your mouth in an attempt to silence your outburst, but you can feel his body shake with his own barely contained laughter as he grins against your lips.

Once your stifled mirth subsides, you hastily start to undress each other. You barely have time to appreciate the now naked, muscular form of the Jedi before you, when, in his enthusiasm to remove it, Cal accidentally rips your flimsy night dress away from your body. As it comes apart in his hands, the fabric makes a loud tearing sound, louder even perhaps than that of your previous bouts of laughter. You both freeze, as if anticipating someone will burst through the door and catch you in this compromising position, before dissolving into poorly restrained giggles again.

As he drinks in the sight of your body, Cal's expression changes into something primal. His brows knit together as if he is trying to understand how you could possibly be sitting in front of him like this. Then, his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare before he crashes his mouth back down on to yours into a deliciously rough kiss.

You don't move from your position on your workbench, and you coil your legs around Cal as tight as you can as he starts to move in you. The pace is urgent. You don't mind. There'll be opportunities for languid and gentle love-making in the future. Right now, this is a matter of need for both of you. The cord of tension that has been tightening between you for months finally snapping in a glorious, frenzied, explosion of mutual lust.

As his pace increases and his movements start to become uncoordinated, Cal moves a hand down between your bodies, splaying his palm against you, and settling the pad of his thumb between your legs at the very place you most need it to be.

At this, your hand which was tangled in his flaming hair flies down to join the other at his back and he growls as you claw your fingers in to his flesh between his shoulder blades.

You press your lips hard into his shoulder to muffle your cries as you approach your peak and then, suddenly, you are crashing over the edge and seeing stars. You gasp out his name, over and over, open mouthed and breathy against his ear.

This, combined with the sensation of your body in rapture, sends Cal hurtling towards his own oblivion. You cling to him while the great, strong muscles all over his body tense and release, and he lets out a long, shuddering groan into your neck that is almost a whimper.

The sight of him, the sound of him falling apart in front of you is beautiful.

Once you've both caught your breath, Cal lifts you gently off the table, and carries you to your tiny, single cot bed. You manage to position yourselves fairly comfortably in the snug space by lying on your sides. The Jedi has one arm laced underneath you with the other slung over your waist, hand resting on your stomach and holding you close to his warm chest.

As you are lulled almost into a doze by the sound and feel of his slow and steady heartbeat, you take in the rather sorry sight of the flowers which once bejewelled your hair, now scattered in ruin across the functional durasteel floor.

"I told you those flowers wouldn't last," you muse drowsily.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Cal removes his hand from your waist and reaches out his arm, palm splayed open. A blue bell flower, stem and petals astonishingly still intact- a brave survivor of the onslaught of urgent hands through your hair - floats lazily up from the floor and towards you on the bed.

Cal plucks it out of the air and gently weaves the bloom into your locks just above your ear. Then, he kisses you gently on the cheek and then on your shoulder, his beard tickling your skin, before sinking back down on to his side and resuming his previous position curled comfortingly around you.

For some reason, despite the eroticism of what you've just done together, this sweet gesture makes you flush disproportionately and you feel your cheeks turning pink.

You're starting to realise, perhaps hope, that the heady feeling of being slightly flustered in Cal Kestis' proximity might never go away.

#cal kestis x reader #cal kestis fanfiction #cal kestis x you #cal kestis x female reader

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third-generation-female-warrior · 1 month

Text

There's something hilarious about the dichotomy between Ahsoka series Sabine (disaster bisexual) and Bad Batch Omega (disaster bisexual, but in a distinguished way).

In 8 hrs of screen time, Sabine accomplished almost nothing except:

losing her lesbian swordfight

being ACAB (accept for her mom)

bringing Ezra home (without her)

being the worstest cringefail padawan of the most disaster Jedi lineage to come into existence.

In roughly four 20-something minute episodes, Omega:

accidentally domesticated a wild animal bred for hunting and killing escaped prisoners

destroyed a warden droid sans blaster

was confirmed to be slightly more force-sensitive than Sabine

broke her, her brother, and her new puppy out of the most secure facility in the empire (WHILE THE EMPEROR WAS THERE)

Successfully attempted bribery

Hustled 35,000 credits (one of the victims being an Imperial officer)

Jurassic Park released a bunch of while animals

Stole a freighter

Brought herself back home (along with a semi-house-broken creature who has to physically restrain themselves from attack people at all times, and a lucra hound)

Note: I promise this isn't me bashing on or being anti Sabine, I love her so much, she's such accurate disaster bisexual representation

#tbb #the bad batch #tbb s3 #tbb s3 spoilers #ahsoka series #sabine wren #omega bad batch #tbb omega #bad batch omega

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youhavereachedtheendofpie · 1 year

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I am not, and never will be, over the fact that Cassian Andor looked at an imperial security droid, the same model that tossed him about, nearly choked him, and helped put him in prison, and said to himself: actually, I'm gonna make you my buddy

#cassian andor #k2so #andor #rogue one #he is so deeply kind and caring actually #he has such a capacity for love #🥹🥹🥹

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phantom-of-the-501st · 10 days

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Thoughts on TBB 3x13: Into the Breach

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

Oh you know how excited I got during this one

Tantiss in the sun??? That's unusual

MOUSE DROID!

The kids are all so sad. This is heartbreaking 😭

This moment seems like a prime time to contact Echo just saying

*gasp* SHIP! PLEASE TELL ME THAT'S WHO I THINK IT IS

AAAAAAAAAHHHHH HE'S BACK!!!

Hunter and Echo's little handshake always makes me soft 🥰

"That hydro snake" glad to have you and your snark back, Echo

THE QUIRKED EYEBROW 😭 I missed him so much 🫶

Hahahahahaha Wrecker and Crosshair's joint "YES"

"Well you've been demoted" Echo is not putting up with Rampart's bs and I love him for that

I really miss Hunter's scarf this season. I wish he kept it 🥲

Also petition for Echo to get a Kama again!

Oooooh she sneaky

Not sure what she's going to do with one small stick but I trust her

THEY STRIPPED THE ARMOUR WTF

I mean it kinda looks like how it used to tbf but I got used to the paint 🥺

Hahahahaha I love that they didn't change the clothing underneath. They stripped the colour off their armour to be stealthy and yet are still walking around with brightly-coloured underclothing

Ugh the fact that Crosshair looks the closest to an Imperial like this makes me upset 😭

"I've missed this" Of course you have you smug bastard

"I don't think so" Echo really does not give a shit about Rampart and I don't blame him

Real subtle Hunter

"Err Captaining" WRECKER I FUCKING LOVE YOU

Thinking back to how Echo used to be the rule follower and would try and stop his batchmates from stepping out of line and now he's pushing around an ex-Vice Admiral while breaking into an imperial base to go and break Omega out of a highly-secure imperial lab. He's grown so much 🥺🫶

Noooooo I don't like that. Echo having to sneak onto a heavily guarded ship by himself stresses me out

"Wonderful. We're all going to die" Look, I may hate this man, but some of his line deliveries crack me up

You'd think the wall tiles in a top secret imperial lab would be more secure than that but okay

I'm not sure how Echo managed that slide roll thing off the top of the container but damn it was smooth af 🤩

HE WENT UP THE FUCKING DROID CHUTE 😭 THIS MAN I SWEAR TO GOD

Like that would be such a Fives plan and Echo has just embraced that chaos

Wrecker casually strolling off the ship with an imperial slung over his shoulder (while wearing his hat) 🤣

THIS EPISODE IS NOT GOOD FOR MY HEART RATE

THAT LANDING WAS TOO CLOSE FOR MY LIKING

New episode and I fucking loved this one! Still feel like we have a lot to wrap up in the last two episodes but there was a good balance of humour, action and tension

ALSO ECHO FINALLY CAME BACK!!! I missed him so much 🥺

#little bit of a late post #slept later than I thought I was going to #AND OF COURSE THE ONE I WAS LATE TO WAS THE RETURN OF ECHO #this episode was great #and I was very happy to see our boy back #curious to see how the last two episodes go #the bad batch #star wars #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb echo #tbb wrecker #tbb hunter #tbb crosshair #tbb omega

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weixuldo · 10 months

Text

Allow me// ch 7

Vader x Reader

a/n: so sorry for the wait on this chapter guys!! I’ve been getting really into developing enigma more, but I think I finally have a plan for this story!! I hope you all stick around to see where it goes! Important info in the end notes!!!

Shocking revelations

warnings: cursing, anxiety

_____________________

Ever since your encounter with Vader, you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by your desperate behavior- you were so horny that you completely disregarded the fact that he was your employer and you were at your workplace.

No matter what he said, you shouldn’t have done that.

You became paranoid… What if the more time that passed, the more disgusted he became with you? What if he decided you no longer deserved your position? What if he despised you?

Maker.

All of these anxieties began to pile up to create an opus of fear.

You tried to avoid him as much as you could; he would ask you questions and you would choose the most generic answer you could- no risks.

One evening he commented on your shift in attitude, “You seem less enthusiastic- less like yourself” he stated as he offered an ear to listen to your plights.

What if it was a trap? The excitement that once coursed through your veins when you would see him now became dread.

You couldn't possibly stay in a room with him for longer than you had to. He was a mighty Sith Lord, all he had to do was wave his hand and your neck would be snapped.

“I assure you, I am fine” you answered sweetly before hurrying out of the room.

Eventually, you would have to truthfully answer his questions, but for the time being it was easier to keep your distance.

Today’s tasks were relatively easy in comparison to the jobs you had been taking on earlier in the week; so after your shift you went back to your quarters feeling unfulfilled.

You got ready for bed and hopped under your soft covers. Minutes went by and eventually hours; the deafening silence was becoming unbearable and you just couldn’t seem to calm your restless mind.

You opened your eyes and turned on a lamp; No use wasting time here if you’re not going to be able to sleep anyways.

You grabbed a silk robe to put over your nightgown and grabbed a pair of slippers; you figured you would finally use your high-security access to take a walk over in Vader’s wing.

Yes, you were frightened of him, but you weren’t going to his med bay or his quarters; you just wanted to see the wing where he kept his TIE fighter and other little projects. Maybe over there you’d be able to find a small project to tinker with and it was highly unlikely that he’d be in there at such a time.

The halls were frigid as you walked, maybe it was because you were used to wearing the imperial uniform or maybe it was because this was Vader’s wing (he was known to like it cooler).

You made it to the hangar and swiped your keycard to unlock the door; once the light flashed green, the blast door slid open and you entered the area.

The room was gigantic, you weren’t expecting the ceilings to be that high. The whole back wall was windows that provided a breathtaking view of the galaxy surrounding you.

Except for the safety lights, the rest of them were all off and there were droids and other pieces of machinery all around. The fixtures obscured your view so you couldn’t see how far back the room went, but based on the ceilings, you had a lot more to explore.

As you pursued the room your eyes sparkled; You probably looked like a kid in a candy shop.

You headed further in but stopped when a dim light caught your eye. In the corner, furthest from the doorway, Vader sat hunched over on a stool working on his TIE fighter. The only light illuminating his work was the moonlight and a small lamp on the mechanic’s bench behind him.

Of all places and all times, of course, he was here.

You should have guessed he was a mechanic too-why wouldn’t he be?

For a moment you panicked, but the longer you observed him, the quicker your worries dissolved.

He seemed so contemptuous just working on his fighter; it never really crosses your mind that he was just a guy who had hobbies just like everyone else.

It was a humbling experience to see him working without having to be the commanding Sith; you enjoyed the familiar pattern of his respirator from your spot in the shadows.

He stood and you hid behind a random fixture. Luckily he only turned to his workbench to grab some other parts. He wasn’t sporting his usual cape (a look you had only seen that one time he put his cape over you like a blanket),

Maker… his shoulders were so broad.

Stop.

You shouldn’t even be here, after everything that happened the other day? How would he react to seeing you after all of… that?

Just turn around and go back to bed.

You just came here because you couldn’t sleep and wanted to get some extra work done, but the one time you utilize your high-security access after hours- of course, Darth Vader is here.

You just wanted a moment to tinker in peace and sort out your thoughts.

“Care to Join me, Officer” you heard that familiar voice call.

Fuck.

“Do not turn away now, I wish to speak with you”

You exhaled and slowly walked into the luminance of his workbench lamp.

The moonlight illuminated your silk gown and robe in a way that made them look almost iridescent. Vader gazed upon your figure with awe- it had been many years since he had been alone with a woman in her nightdress. Your hair fell nicely around your shoulders and your eyes seemed to sparkle.

Maker, you were a sight.

“Yes?” you asked timidly, stepping closer to the suited man.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” he asked very matter-of-factly.

A puzzled look adorned your features but before you could answer he spoke again.

“You know what I am referring to, Y/N. Do not play the fool with me” he said.

He sounded upset… you knew you had been acting too distant, fuck.

“I-I’m sorry my lord, I didn't mean to anger you-”

“You did nothing of the sort,” he responded blankly.

“But you sounded so mad?”.

He looked downward for a moment then back up at you, “That was not my intention. I seem to be out of practice with casual conversation”.

He thought this was casual? Hah!

“Oh, It is alright my lo- errr... Vader” you corrected before continuing, “I was ashamed of my behavior the other day…and I didn’t know what you thought or how to interact with you” you admitted, a warm blush washing over your cheeks.

His shoulders seemed to relax as he exhaled.

“Was that all?” he asked.

“Umm, yes sir”.

“I thought I had done something to upset you,” he said

He thought he had upset you? No way.

“I was worried that you were not pleased with your work…or with me” he admitted, kicking another stool towards you so you could take a seat.

“No-No, not at all” you reassured.

“So, you aren’t mad about the other day? I understand if you are upset; I crossed a boundary that I shouldn’t have” you apologized.

He paused for another moment, before looking back at you and placing a gloved hand on your thigh.

“No.” he finally responded.

“There’s something special about you y/n. I’ve spent a lot of time processing our last encounter and I haven't ever had the urge to do something like that in ages. I thought these feeling may fade once I had you for a fleeting moment, but as I left the room my feeling lingered and have been growing…I’m not sure what this is and I cannot explain it, but you are important to me”

“Really?” you squeaked out.

He had spent the past few days desperately overthinking- had he done something wrong to push you away? That was the last thing he wanted; you consumed his mind and he wanted nothing more to have you to himself and he didn't know why.

“I can't quite place my finger on why, but I do know that I yearn for you when you are not there.”

You felt your heart skip a beat.

“I want you, y/n. I want you by my side” he said with a passionate undertone.

You felt like you were dreaming, you HAD to be dreaming. No way that Vader wanted you? Even if you did “stuff” it's not like he couldn’t have anyone in the galaxy, but he wanted you. He was confessing to you.

“Is that alright, y/n?” he asked meekly.

This situation was new; you had the power.

You could make or break this man with a single choice. You could tell he wasn’t used to being vulnerable, so this was a big thing for him.

‘I-i’m not sure what to say. Is this a test?” you asked in your baffled state.

He rolled his stool closer to you and took your face in his hands.

“I assure you, I have no ulterior motives. I want you to answer me truthfully- if this is not what you want there will be no consequences, you will be safe.”

You could feel his comforting and warm aura through the force and you felt calm. Before you knew it you placed your hands over his and offered a small smile, “If you truly want me, I am yours”.

You couldn’t see his eyes through the lenses of his helmet, but based on the way his breath hitched, you could guess they were pretty wide right now.

“Are you certain?”

You felt his overwhelming presence through the force, but it didn’t feel suffocating, rather it was more of a longing pull.

“I am” you whispered as you slowly nodded towards him.

He straightened his posture and the atmosphere in the room felt lighter.

“So it is done,” he stated.

“You are mine”

***

a/n: I’m aware this chapter was lacking the normal “meat” I put into the chapters, but I assure it will pick back up into more plot heavy material in the next few chapters :) this one acted more as a bridge/ filler to finally define the desire the two have for each other (i do waay too many slow burns, so i’m tryna speed this one up just a lil hehe) I hope this is ok with everyone! and thank you for reading!

taglist: @vadersassistant @sxoulohvn @khaleesihavilliard @kashasenpai @darling-murdock @beautifulbearpolice @salvatoresister1 @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @blueninjablade3 @jujuba096 @missmannequin @jellydodger @mirastark @wyvernthekriger @duckyhowls @monada43 @lauriidoesstuff @vienettacream @ray-rook @itswhatever06 @ilovenielperry

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nahoney22 · 1 year

Note

Hi! I absolutely love your writing 😍 Everything you write is so freaking cute and you're an amazing author. If you're still accepting requests, could I have something where a fem!reader gets pretty badly injured (like maybe she was tortured by imperials for info on the bad batch or maybe she was trying to protect Omega or something) and she's kinda freaking out bc like she's in a lot of pain and she's really worried about the boys or something and so one of the boys (maybe Hunter or Tech?) has to like hold her still and comfort her or distract her? If that's not something you're comfortable with writing that's totally ok 😉 (I'm such a sucker for a good hurt/comfort/whump fic). Love you!

Holding On (Part 1/2)

Hunter X F!Reader

word count: 2.2k words

After being held captive by the Empire, the boys hold out a rescue mission for you and are horrified at the sight in front of them. In pain, distressed and weary, only Hunter seems to be the one to calm you down.

warnings: brief mentions of torture/bodily harm (not detailed at all), IT-O droid, injured reader, hurt/comfort trope, blood mention, not an established relationship. Fluff at the end. Not proofread.

A/N thank you for the request my dear friend! @arctrooper69 hope you enjoy ❤️ I decided to do Hunter as I have a WIP for Hunter in process

Part One | Part Two

Rewritten 20th June 2023

In the blink of an eye, everything changed. One moment, you were walking alongside Omega, and the next, darkness enveloped you as you were rendered unconscious.

Before losing consciousness, you had managed to ensure Omega's safety, shielding her from the Empire's clutches. The encounter with the Imperials had caught you off guard since it had been a considerable amount of time since you and your companions had crossed paths with them. The sudden abduction left everyone in shock, especially Omega, who had frantically returned to the ship, screaming and sobbing.

Among the group, Hunter was the one who bore the deepest grief. His heart raced as he discovered your whereabouts. You were held captive in a new Imperial compound, concealed within a mountain, reminiscent of the one where Gregor had once been rescued.

The connection Hunter shared with you was unlike anything he had experienced before. It surpassed the bond he had with his brothers or anyone else. He truly loved you, though he had always been hesitant to admit it to himself and to you. Now, he despised himself for allowing you to venture into the town alone with Omega. On that day, a foreboding feeling churned in his gut, urging him to stay close. Yet, you had insisted himself that you would be fine. And now? His worst fears had become reality.

All except Crosshair and Omega swiftly stormed the Imperial stronghold, incapacitating any opposition in their path. As they reached a cleared floor, Echo communicated through the comms, while the others scouted the area. Hunter, consumed by anxiety, could only pace restlessly.

His mind swirled with worry. "Echo, how much longer?" he inquired, his voice laden with anxiety.

"Not much longer... These encryptions are new and complex. Just try to stay calm. We'll rescue her," Echo responded, his words a mix of unease and reassurance. Hunter knew Echo meant well, attempting to console him, but how could he remain calm? Every fiber of his being threatened to erupt in panic at any given moment, and each passing second felt like an eternity.

"Just hurry... please," Hunter pleaded, his voice filled with desolation.

Echo and Wrecker exchanged a solemn glance, understanding the depth of their Sergeant's sorrow. Despite their usual banter and teasing about Hunter's obvious affection for you, their hearts weighed heavy.

With the location secured, Hunter's mind incessantly repeated the cell and floor numbers. Your cell was guarded by heavily armed soldiers, but that posed no threat to Hunter when it concerned you.

Descending into the depths, he stood before the imposing red energy barrier that separated you from him. There you were, alive, but as he called out your name, you remained unresponsive. Huddled in a corner, your knees pressed tightly against your chest, and your head buried within them.

Tech deactivated the energy barrier and followed Hunter into the cell, while Echo and Wrecker kept vigilant watch.

"Hey, cyar'ika," Hunter crouched in front of you, hearing your repetitive mumblings. The same phrases, muffled and continuous, resonated from your trembling form. Yet, you did not lift your head.

Tech joined Hunter, his visor flipped down as he scanned you. "I can't get a clear reading," he frowned, cautiously reaching out to touch your shoulder. Instead of looking up, you unleashed a gut-wrenching cry and forcefully kicked him away.

"Don't touch me! I told you I don't know anything!"

Tech stumbled back, utterly stunned by your reaction, while Hunter's eyes widened in horror.

"Cyare, please, it's me, Hunter. Tech is here too. We've come to rescue you," he pleaded, his voice laced with worry and urgency. However, it seemed like the message wasn't registering.

"No, no, no! I don't know anything! Leave me alone," your whimpers grew frantic, hands clutching tightly at your hair as you shook your head back and forth. "I don't know. I don't know."

Hunter fell silent, overcome with a profound sense of helplessness as he witnessed you crumbling before his eyes. He was terrified even to touch you, fearing that you might disintegrate like sand slipping through his fingertips. He whispered your name with utmost gentleness, desperate for any connection. "Please, look at us."

A hushed silence settled in as your tears subsided and your trembling limbs gradually stilled. Hunter held his breath, while Tech patiently stood beside you, awaiting any response. Slowly, you raised your head, your eyes fixed on your Sergeant yet seemingly distant.

The vibrant life that once resided in your eyes had faded, replaced by pools of darkness. It felt as if you were looking through Hunter rather than at him. Chills coursed through his body, as witnessing your vacant gaze was one of the most agonizing sights he had ever beheld.

Blood adorned your face, a distressing amount. Your lip was split, swollen on the left side, where a prominent bruise had begun to form. A cut marred the skin above your eyebrow, and your nose appeared to be dislodged.

Once again, Hunter whispered your name, his voice filled with sorrow. "I'm so sorry we didn't come quickly enough. But we're going to take you back to the ship, okay?"

Your expression remained devoid of any emotion. It was as if you didn't recognise the man standing before you. Beside you, Tech silently continued his examination. "Hunter, this goes beyond a mere capture and interrogation. They used an IT-O on her," Tech spoke sternly, giving Hunter the gravity of the situation.

"An interrogation droid?" Hunter repeated, acutely aware of the brutal nature of these machines. Designed to inflict pain and extract every ounce of information from a captive's mind, resisting their torment required immense strength and resilience. It came as no surprise to Hunter that drugs could be injected as well, given the bleakness that clouded your expression.

"Yes, they're lethal. Utilized by the ISB. I need to thoroughly examine her body and ensure that she..."

Hunter's mind wandered from that point onward, mirroring your detachment. His heart shattered at the sight of you in such a state. Although you were alive, although you were technically safe, it felt as though you were slipping away, beyond his reach. The longing to hold you close and offer solace coursed through him, yet he remained paralysed by the helplessness of the situation.

With utmost caution, Hunter extends his hand towards you, the gesture taking time to register in your slowed perception. Your gaze shifts between his hand and his face, even your blinks becoming languid. "Where...?"

"We’re going back to the ship. We'll keep you safe," Hunter speaks softly, flexing his fingers as an invitation for you to grasp them.

"But I don't know anything. I told you I didn't know anything." Wariness returns to your countenance, your eyes narrowed with a mix of fear and anger. Your mind spins, and your body tenses.

"We're not your enemy. It's me, Hunter, your friend. Family."

Family. The word reverberates within your mind, stirring your consciousness with a flicker of recognition.

Hunter, sensing all hope slipping away, battles against the urge to force your compliance. Yet, your hand envelops his, and in that moment, he knows it's now or never before your state of mind shifts once more. Swiftly, he lifts you into his arms, and the entire group dashes towards the secured exit. Wrecker leads the way, with Hunter carrying you closely behind, while Tech and Echo guard the rear.

Your eyes squint, brows furrowed, and Hunter senses panic surging through you once again. They are perilously close to the exit, and he cannot risk you breaking down now. "Close your eyes, cyare," he urges, placing his hand over your eyelids, guiding them shut. Miraculously, it works.

With Imperial forces attempting to flank them, they manage to make it out, and most importantly, they make it out with you.

The road to your recovery was arduous and filled with challenges, but Hunter remained by your side at all times. There were moments when you would regain consciousness, recognising your safety, only for a sudden switch to flip, leading you to lash out, scream, and insist on your lack of knowledge regarding any rebellious activities.

From the fragments Hunter had gathered through your limited conversations, he learned that there had been a significant shift in Rebel activity. Unluckily—and perhaps luckily for you—you had been involved in the initial uprising. That was how you crossed paths with the Bad Batch initially after they completed a mission for Rex and you were identified as an easy target. However, you hadn't seen Rex in many rotations, perhaps even months.

Today was another sluggish day in your recovery, with Hunter retreating to the cockpit to clear his mind. Echo and Omega attended to your wounds, and you appeared to be improving. Your clouded eyes had cleared, and your swollen lips had subsided significantly.

Crosshair joined Hunter, casting him a sidelong glance. His left knee bounced incessantly, and he let out a deep sigh. "Hunter, relax. She's... getting better."

"She's not getting better quickly enough," Hunter retorted swiftly, although his knee bouncing reduced as he ran a hand through his tangled locks.

Crosshair hummed, busying himself with toggling switches on the control panel, as if trying to occupy his mind and conceal his concern.

Despite his stoic nature, Crosshair couldn't offer much comfort, and his worry intensified when he heard screams coming from the back of the Marauder. He watched as Hunter raced toward the source of the commotion.

As expected, you were in his bunk, seeking solace in familiarity, but you were curled up in agony. Echo stood back, holding a stim in his hand, while Omega did her utmost to provide comfort.

"No, no more, please..."

“What’s going on? Echo?” Hunter kneels by your bedside, looking to Echo for answers.

“She agreed to have a stim, something to help with the pain and make her more relaxed but as I got closer she just, well as you can see.” He gestures with his scomp, a solemn expression on his gaunt face as he sees you cling onto your knees for dear life. He had been making progress with you for two days but now it seems as if he had just gone back to square one.

Hunter sighs and places a gentle hand on your arm, offering whatever comfort he can. "It's okay, you're safe. Echo is only trying to help you."

Your eyes remain fixed on the ship's wall, but upon hearing Hunter's voice, you roll over to face him, your lower lip quivering. "Everything hurts, Hunter."

It's the first time you've said his name since the incident, and a slight weight lifts off his shoulders. You're starting to remember who he is, who they are, and where you are. It's a small step, but it's better than nothing.

Sobs rack your body, tears streaming from your sleepy eyes down your cheeks. You reach out to him, and without hesitation, Hunter moves to lie beside you, cradling your head against his chest. His chest becomes damp from your tears as he rests a hand on the back of your head, gently rubbing circles into your hair.

"I know, I know," he whispers softly, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I'm here."

Silently, Echo escorts Omega out of the room, deciding to postpone the administration of the stim. He hopes that the two of you can find peace in each other's presence.

After some time, your cries subside, and Hunter focuses on the rhythm of your breathing, preparing himself for any signs of a looming emotional outburst.

"I didn't tell them anything," you finally break the silence, and Hunter tenses momentarily before tilting his head forward to look down at you.

"It wouldn't have been your fault even if you did," he reassures you, feeling you take a deep sigh as your eyelids close.

As the moments of peace continue to pass, the storm within you subsides, replaced by a sense of calm. "I'm sorry for scaring you," you murmur softly.

Hunter blinks, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I'm sorry for not coming quick enough."

Your eyes flutter open just a fraction, allowing you to catch a glimpse of the frown on his face and the exhaustion evident in his eyes. You both were worn out. "I don't know what else you would've done. I don't know what I would have done if I saw you, the one I loved, like this."

A profound tension fills the room, and Hunter's heart stops. Did you just...?

He gazes down at you, only to find your eyes closed, seeking solace in his warm embrace as you drape an arm over his waist. "Thank you for saving me."

Hunter chews on the inside of his cheek, hoping that your small yet significant admission wasn't a fabrication. He decides to wait until you're in a better state before addressing it. For now, he plays with the ends of your hair and whispers tender words to ease your pain. When he hears your soft snores, he leans down and presses his lips to your cheek, yearning for a brighter future. Cupping your face with his free hand, holding onto you and never wanting to let go, he whispers ever so faintly, "I love you too."

Part Two

Masterlist 🤍

More Hunter Works

tags: @nunanuggets @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @cwarssimp @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @oohyesplease @megafrost4 @adriiibell @theroguesully @equalityforcats @rexandechosandwich @mustluvecho @inagalaxywickedfahaway @misogirl828 @ladykatakuri @jambolska-grozdova @chxpsi @alexandrisonfire @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 7 @rain-on-kamino @by-the-primes @torchbearerkyle @tech-aficionado @in-the-crosshairs @therealnekomari ri @a-c-lee @autumnleaves1991-blog @tech-depression-inventory @mylifeinthetardisforever @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @lucyysthings @agenteliix @fiveshelmet @the-good-shittt @photogirl894 @cosmic-persephone @imalovernotahater

#Hunter x reader #bad batch hunter x reader #bad batch Hunter #nahoney22 writes #the bad batch #tbb hunter x you #tbb Hunter #hunter bad batch

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litcityblues · 2 months

Text

I'm So Annoyed, But Not For The Reason You Think

Look, I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Ahsoka should have been the basis of the sequel trilogy. The whole damn arc from start to finish made for a vastly more compelling story than anything The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, or The Rise of Skywalker managed to put in front of us.

Rogue One and Andor managed to take the original themes of Star Wars (rebellion against tyranny, the costs, etc.) and give them some actual depth about what it means to try and take down a tyrannical government. The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and now Ahsoka are exploring what I think is a vastly more interesting idea that Star Wars should have centered itself around for the sequel trilogy: now that you've defeated the evil empire, you've got to get into the messy and sometimes boring business of actual governing and how do you do that on a galactic scale? How do you deal with the Imperial Remnants? How do you deal with corruption? How do you, the New Republic, extend your authority and show that you're better than the Empire was?

There are so many story possibilities there and those shows mine that territory and do so effectively-- but what annoys me is that this is such an obvious arc to build into a trilogy of movies and they just... didn't. If the prequels were about the collapse of the old Republic into the Empire and the originals were about the Empire and its defeat the sequels should have been about the New Republic and securing the post-imperial future. That's the perfect arc of a trilogy of trilogies and saves us from such awful writing as, "Somehow, Palpatine has returned."

But, Ahsoka:

The series opens with Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), a fallen Dark Jedi, and his apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), assaulting a New Republic cruiser to rescue Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) who had been previously captured by Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson). Elsbeth informs Skoll that Ahsoka is searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn who has been missing for years- along with her former companion, Ezra Bridger who was dragged to an unknown location by a Purrgil.

(It should be noted at this point that I have not seen any episodes of Rebels, but know enough of the characters to piece together what's going on. It would probably provide more context if you have seen the show, but it's not at all necessary.)

Ahsoka and Huyang (David Tennant) find the Star Map they've been looking for, but it's locked so, on the advice of General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), they head to Lothal to meet with Ahsoka's former Padawan, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), who agrees to help them and manages to unlock the map, only to have Hati show up, steal the map and stab her during a lightsaber duel.

Skoll and Hati take the map to the planet Seatos where Elsbeth reveals that Thrawn is trapped in another galaxy. When Ahsoka and company track down the droids that attacked her to Elsbeth's factories on Corellia- they and the New Republic get an unpleasant surprise, as a massive hyperdrive is being built, not for the New Republic but by Imperial Remnants for reasons unknown. They manage to get a tracker on the ship and it's revealed to be the critical parts for Elsbeth's ship, the Eye of Sion, ready to go and find Thrawn and return him to the proper galaxy.

Hera is convinced that allies of Thrawn and imperial remnants are seeking ways to bring him back, the Senators of the New Republic less so, and despite a sympathetic Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), they refuse permission to send Republic forces to Seatos. So Ahsoka, Wren, and Huyang go themselves, find the ship, and are close to figuring out just what it's doing when they get shot down and are forced to land on the planet below, where Skoll, Hati, and company come and hunt them down.

What follows is quite literally one of the best lightsaber duels in the history of the franchise. I would put it right up there with 'Duel of the Fates' from The Phantom Menace or even the original confrontation between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader in A New Hope. Ahsoka and Baylan Skoll absolutely go at it and it's awesome. Ahsoka tries to tell Wren to destroy the map, but not wanting to lose her last chance and find Bridger, she hesitates and Ahsoka goes over the cliff, where she spends time In the World Between the Worlds where she meets none other than her old master, Anakin Skywalker. (Hayden Christensen)

Ahsoka makes some peace with her past- but not before Wren, Skoll and Elsbeth activate the Eye of Sion's hyperdrive and head out of the galaxy, just as Hera and a few New Republic forces arrive for a clandestine and unauthorized mission. Ahsoka and company figure out a way to follow Wren to the next galaxy, while it takes a timely intervention from Threepio (Anthony Daniels) to bail out Hera from being in real trouble with the New Republic authorities.

(Seriously: imagine how fucking badass that scene would have been if Leia herself had walked in. This is what I'm saying when I say this story arc should have been the basis for the sequels.)

In the next galaxy, Ahsoka and company find themselves at Peridea, home of the Night Witches of Dathomir and Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and his fleet. Wren goes out to find Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and Ahsoka and the company eventually reunites with them and has one grand finale. They try and stop Thrawn and Elsbeth-- but the Night Witches of Dathomir reanimate the Night Troopers sent to confront them (zombie Stormtroopers!) and eventually the parties are split once more, with Bridger hitching a ride back to the galaxy with Thrawn before sneaking off his ship and reunited with Hera and Chopper while Ahsoka, Wren, and Huyang are stranded on Peridea.

Overall: I absolutely loved this show. Love the characters, love that you didn't need to have seen The Clone Wars or Rebels to enjoy the shit out of this show. Loved so much new stuff! No Tatooine in sight! Loved the Night Witches! Loved Thrawn and his falling-apart Star Destroyer! Loved that he's loading up what I'm guessing are Palpatine clones-- which retroactively provides a clear, story-driven explanation for "Somehow, Palpatine has returned."

This is the Star Wars I should have seen on the biggest screen possible in the theaters. If I'm annoyed, it's because I can see the missed opportunity throughout all eight episodes of this show. That doesn't mean this show isn't awesome though. It is. Give me more, please. My Grade: **** out of ****

#ahsoka #star wars #streaming show #streaming review

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layla4567 · 7 months

Note

Hello there! I love your May The Force Be With You so much that I am requesting one! Here’s mine: The reader calms Cal down when he is using the Dark Side (During Jedi Survivor near the end when he’s chocking Lan Denvick) but you choose the reader calms him down.

oki doki!

I'm right here

Pairing: Cal Kestis x Fem reader Summary: Cal seeks revenge by using the dark side of the force against the hidden base of the Imperial Security Office. You arrive just in time before he does something crazy Warnings: Blood, violence, fight, chocking, spoilers of jedi survivor, angst but fluff ending kinda (If I forget something let me know) A/N: This is my first request, sorry for the delay, btw I had to research the game to write this lol

Cal walked with sure and furious steps towards the base, wielding his saber that now shone bright red ready to attack anyone who crossed his path. The red light contrasted with his green eyes and gave him a menacing look, Cal wanted revenge, to avenge the death of his friends and his seething anger toward embracing his dark side. You stayed on the ship praying that nothing bad happens to him or that he doesn't cause a lot of blood to flow. You understood Cal more than anyone and how painful it is to lose a loved one, especially when they had already lost someone before.

Finding Lank Denvik sitting behind a command desk, Cal approached him with BD1 slung over his shoulder. The redhead's gaze showed no compassion or patience.

"Cak Kestis"-Lank said

"Listen carefully, deactivate the alarm system now"

"Or what? You're a Jedi, I know what you're capable of and what you're not capable of."

Denvik took out a blaster that he had hidden but Cal was faster and took it out of his hands thanks to the force. The freckled man took out his own gun without stopping pointing it at him.

"On the comms. Now"-The redhead said impatiently and intimidatingly, knowing that one mistake and he would just have to pull the trigger.

After deactivating the alarm Cal explained that he was there because of Bode, and saying that he found him thanks to a tracker. Unsurprised, Lank, as if accustomed to her pathetic carelessness, simply casually commented that Bode's reports indicated that the two of them had become quite close since Coruscant. Cal's gruff expression softened slightly as he lowered his gun slowly, something in his brain clicking, as if his gears had been set into motion.

"You were the one who sent him to infiltrate my team.."

"That's right, he was my weapon for a long time, he was very effective. Not like those armored idiots in the inquisitorious"

"So it's true, Cere died because of you"-Cal's gaze became hard as steel again as he gritted his teeth.

Lank leaned forward in his seat. "No, there are still months until Operation Jedha"

"You're lying!"-The redhead used force by clenching his fist to push Lank's back against his seat and immobilize him.

"The empire burned the archives led by Darth vader!!"

"Lord Vader? I have to stop this while I can"

The man approached the commandos again but Cal extended his hand firmly and pushed him back again in anger.

"Don't you understand? He lured you here to destroy me! They're coming! I'll be a dead man unless-"

The redhead clenched his jaw, tired of listening to him speak, without thinking twice he drew his fist towards his chest and Lank's head hit the table making a thud. Cal looked at him with a sullen expression, the only thing he felt was displeasure for that man. With his black inquisitor suit, to go unnoticed, he decided to head towards where Bode was always with his droid at his side. When she arrived she saw Bode's daughter Kata packing her bags, the little girl explained that that was what her father had told her to do because they were supposedly going on a trip. At that moment Bode entered the room, when he saw Cal his muscles tensed, the redhead took a step with a predatory look in his pupils but Bode extended his hand in a stop sign and explained his past. That he was a Jedi Knight assigned as an undercover agent during the Clone Wars. Bode also talked to him about how he met his wife and they had Kata and the deal with Denvik. Cal let his guard down a little at Bode's story but that was his only mistake. Using force, Bode pushes him making him fall on his back and escapes with Kata and the compass alerting the imperials.

Cal, flushed with anger and with dilated pupils, leaves the room without being able to stop Bode and his daughter, just at that moment dozens of imperials are preparing to shoot him. Cal wields his saber embracing the dark side and faces the soldiers, dodging and blocking each blow while with his red saber he cuts the armor and flesh of the Imperials. He is an unstoppable beast, like an enraged bull he cuts the skin and impales several imperials without much difficulty, the desire for revenge and anger moves him as if he were carried away by a wave or ocean currents. Memories of all the people he received love from and then lost came to his mind. He no longer knew how to differentiate between anger and sadness, a whirlwind of emotions debated inside him but an emotion stronger than the others surfaced and won everything. Hatred.

Meanwhile in the Mantis

You and Greez were waiting for Cal to finish his mission. Since you were used to fighting you already had your uniform and your blaster on your belt, you nervously felt it to know it was still there. Greez reassured you by telling you that Cal knew how to defend himself and that he would be fine, but Cal knowing how to defend himself is exactly what worried you. Many times you had seen him succumb to the dark side of the force and you had to hug him so that he would return to the light, you hoped that this time it would be different, that Cal would not make too big a massacre. But you couldn't blame him, if he were you you would have done the same, he was just hurt and he needed to somehow vent those feelings into something to make sure Cere's death wasn't in vain.

Suddenly a roar and screams shook the Mantis and made the ground vibrate. You two had to hold on to your seats to keep from falling to the ground. You looked at Greez with concern and fear, you had to get out of there as soon as possible. After the tremor passed you jumped up from your seat and headed towards the exit of the ship. Greez stopped you screaming

"Wait! where are you going!?"

"I need to find Cal, he's the one causing this."

You adjusted the blaster to your belt and were about to leave when he grabbed your arm firmly, you turned to look at him with a frown.

"No, no no wait! Don't do anything stupid. Trust him"

You removed his hand with a distressed gesture.

"You don't understand, he is in contact with the dark side, he has no self-control. I am the only one who can stop him!"

Before Greez could say anything you jumped off the ship, landing on one knee on the cold floor of the base and ran like hell. Greez yelled something at you but you didn't listen, all you thought about was finding him. You ran and ran with your hair flying in the wind wishing it wasn't too late. At your sides there were imperialist soldiers on the ground dead and bleeding, you looked away in horror.

"Please don't let it be late"-you prayed in a low voice without stopping running

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cal continued massacring soldiers, he was breathing heavily and his hair had stuck to his sweaty forehead from the effort. The lightsaber gave off red sparks like fire and hummed with every cut and movement, the freckled man did not notice the fatigue, the hatred and aberration he felt was like pure adrenaline injected into his veins and drove him to continue attacking no matter what. When there was no more imperial, Cal, breathing like a rearing horse, deactivated his saber. You were still running around the corpses when you finally saw him, you felt your heart beat out of your chest and with slight relief you trotted towards him. Cal saw you and a look of surprise wrinkled his forehead, he didn't expect to see you there.

"Cal!"

You shouted his name as you quickly approached him with a small smile and great relief, at least he was still alive. You were not even a meter away when your smile faded and with horror you saw how Denvik was approaching Cal from behind with a blaster in his hand.

"Watch out behind you!!"

The redhead already saw it coming, so returning to his sullen and enraged gesture, he unsheathed his saber and blocked the shots with ease while he attracted Lank with the use of force, preventing him from moving. Cal raised his saber and held it tightly dangerously close to the man's neck, the red glow shining on Cal's face and giving him a menacing look. You closed the distance between you and Cal and came to stand close to him at his side, scared of what he might do.

"Come on Jedi, if you're going to kill me, do it now. Do it!!"

But Cal had other plans. He put his saber away and raised his clawed hand, levitating Lanken as he writhed and put his hands on his neck, coughing. Cal was choking him.

"Cordova, CERE! THEY ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!! And now you're going to pay for it..."

Lank was beginning to cough and gasp for air, his face was turning slightly purple while his eyes wanted to pop out of their sockets.

"Cal, enough is enough..!"

Your cries of fear and anguish were words inaudible to Cal as if they had been carried away by the wind. He couldn't listen or even reason, he only had eyes to see Lanken die, the man who made him suffer so much and took away his friends, his family. Cal's gaze fell on the man's face as it went from violet to pinkish red, and a slight grimace of satisfaction crossed the redhead's lips for a moment. Cal seemed to enjoy his suffering, using force was much more pleasant than if he had impaled him with his saber, a slow and painful death was what Lanken deserved. You, horrified, placed a hand on Cal's tense shoulder, hoping he would listen.

"Cal listen to me, I'm here, please don't do it. Don't become a murderer like him."

Cal didn't seem to listen, he just kept seeing his enemy, you tried to attack from the other side.

"Do you really think this is what Cere or Cordova would have wanted? Prove that you're better than him."

You grabbed the freckled man's cheek, forcing him to look at him. He looked back at you, blinded by fury, but you didn't care.

"Cal look at me, this won't make them come back, please come back to me, I'm begging you"- you cried.

The redhead's face softened and he released Lanken who fell abruptly to the ground while holding his chest and coughing and retching. For a moment Cal seemed to come back to himself, as if a blindfold had been removed from his eyes and his gaze softened, once again showing that sweet and gentle look that made his green eyes shine with heavenly intensity. He looked around as if seeing it for the first time, realizing the damage he did, feeling a little guilty under the sad sight, you approached him and rested your forehead against his, grabbing his cheeks gently.

"It's okay, it's over"

You rubbed your forehead against his like horses would and then hugged him tightly, burying your face in the crook of his neck, not wanting to let him go again. He sighed, holding you and he relaxed his body as if you had lifted a great weight off of him. As you slowly peeled yourself away from the hug, you noticed that his eyes were watering. You tenderly wiped away the tears that surrounded his cheek with your thumb. You understood Cal's pain more than anyone and you didn't want him to suffer alone because he wasn't alone, and he never was. You gave him a sweet kiss on the lips to reassure him and assure him that you would always be by his side supporting him and then feeling slightly better he gave you a shy smile, the one you missed seeing so much.

"Let's go back to the ship, Greez must be worried"

You told him as you placed a hand on his back and you both walked tiredly towards the Mantis.

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jltoystories · 1 year

Photo

KX series security droids seem like big dumb terminators. Still excited about K2’s origin story. Follow for more daily Star Wars figure photography. . . . #starwars #starwarstoys #starwarstoypix #toyphotography #toyphoto #toypic #actionfigurephotography #kx #kxdroid #securitydroid #security #droid #toysofinstagram #imperial #starwarsblackseries #cassian #andor #k2 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClD15a4LHHR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#starwars #starwarstoys #starwarstoypix #toyphotography #toyphoto #toypic #actionfigurephotography #kx #kxdroid #securitydroid #security #droid #toysofinstagram #imperial #starwarsblackseries #cassian #andor #k2

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badbatchposts · 1 month

Text

Quiet Corners of the Galaxy

Happy Bad Batch Eve! I'm obsessed with the new season but the content isn't coming out fast enough so I felt like I needed to write my own.

Tech's not dead and Crosshair rejoins the team partway through Season 2 after Mayday's death rather than being imprisoned by the Empire, but this is otherwise canon-compliant. No Season 3 spoilers.

While on a routine mission for Cid, the Bad Batch encounter a woman fleeing from the Empire. Crosshair suspects her seemingly free-spirited, nomadic existence is actually a cover for something else, but struggles to keep his attraction toward her in check as their personalities and ideals clash.

Chapters posted 1-2x weekly!

Chapter One

“We will be landing on the outskirts of the city ruins shortly. Scanners indicate that it is abandoned, but there is an Imperial outpost located ten klicks East, in the next valley over. This should be a relatively simple operation: make our way to the city center, locate the cargo, and return to the Marauder.” Tech was at the controls of the ship as usual, setting them down in an open, overgrown area where the ruins of the city—little more than rubble and scrap now, haphazardly heaped stoneworks and scorched earth where once there had been homes, streets, marketplaces—were fewer and further between. The remaining members of the squad did their final checks of their equipment, adjusting armor and securing weapons as the hatch hissed open. Wrecker was the first out.

“Woah. What happened here?” The largest member of the squad looked around incredulously. The destruction was not recent; a thick layer of soot, grime, and overgrown weeds was evidence of the neglect that the ruins had been left to. It did not seem that anyone was deeply interested in rebuilding.

Tech had the answer, as always. “A particularly destructive battle toward the end of the war. The city was occupied by Separatist forces. Citizens who were unable to evacuate before the droids moved in were held in a makeshift camp on the North side of town. Luckily, this means that many of them made it out alive once the Republic regained the territory. Their homes…were less lucky.”

Crosshair, Hunter, and Echo followed the pair down the ramp. “What cargo could there even be left to recover in all this?” Crosshair asked skeptically. His voice, as usual, dripped equal parts disdain and boredom.

“Cid’s intel says mostly expensive droid parts,” Echo intervened. “The town had a factory. When the Separatists occupied it, they planned to begin shipping the parts off-world to help with production of their army. The Republic moved in too quickly for them; the factory was destroyed, but the crates were being housed underground awaiting cataloging. As far as Cid’s source knows, they’re still there.”

Hunter looked thoughtful. “Anything to worry about with that Imperial outpost, Tech?”

“Doubtful,” the other replied, examining his datapad. “The cargo is not significant enough to merit their attention, and forces are largely dedicated to patrolling a nearby spaceport, where it would seem most of the refugees have relocated.”

Hunter nodded seriously. “Alright then. Crosshair, get a good vantage point on the hilltop where you can keep an eye on us and any activity from the outpost coming our way. Everybody else, let’s locate that cargo.”

Their forces divided, the rest of the squad beginning to pick their way among the ruins toward the city center, while the slender sniper hiked in the opposite direction. The hills were dotted with trees—not heavily forested, but enough cover for him to dig in and wait. Soon, he crested the peak, settling in at a good vantage point where he could watch the outpost in the middle distance through his scope. Activities at the facility were regular and rhythmic; troopers on patrol, units coming and going from the nearby spaceport. Nothing extraordinary.

“In position. All clear,” he reported over his comm.

“Acknowledged,” came Hunter’s reply. With any luck, the others would retrieve the cargo within a number of hours. He waited, patient and disinterested. He was good at waiting.

Some time later, his comm crackled to life again with a status update. “Cargo located.” It was his turn to acknowledge their progress. For a brief moment, he thought idly about whether he preferred missions like this one—smooth, uncomplicated, if a little boring—or those where everything seemed to go right to shit. At least, he smirked to himself wryly, the latter required more significant use of his skills.

When he heard the screeching sound of failing engines and saw the dark plume of smoke trailing behind the ship on its downward trajectory, all he could think was that the galaxy must have been listening in on him.

It crashed down northeast of his position, the impact of the wreckage echoing out across the valley. The response on his comm came through almost immediately.

“What the hell was that, Crosshair?”

“Downed Imperial shuttle. Drawing attention from the outpost now. Get moving.”

“Well, with any luck that’ll keep them occupied long enough for us to get outta here. Stay outta sight,” Hunter replied. Crosshair shifted his scope from the troopers mobilizing at the outpost toward the crash site, just in time to see a woman emerge from the ship, coughing in the smoke. He had expected a detachment of troopers to come stumbling from the wreckage, not a lone woman. She was human, silver haired, staring back at the shuttle with a look halfway between rage and despair. She slammed her fist against the ship’s hull in frustration, and he smirked a little as she winced, rubbing her hand in pain. She ducked back into the ship, emerging momentarily, pulling a poncho over her head as she strapped a blaster to her hip and pulled on a pack.

He scanned the area around her as she began marching south from the crash, glancing furtively in all directions. She was heading on a trajectory that would intersect any moment with two troopers on speeder bikes. She was moving too slowly, limping a little. This should be interesting, he thought dryly. He was sure the Empire were very welcoming to unauthorized crash landings of stolen shuttles near their facilities.

When the woman and the troopers came face to face, he could only imagine the dialogue accompanying the silent pageant he could see through his scope. The woman slowly raised both hands, throwing a flattering, charming smile at the troopers. She thought she could talk her way out of it, he reasoned. So the flash of the blaster bolt caught him by surprise when she snaked one of her hands behind her head, grabbing a concealed weapon off her shoulder, and fired off a shot.

“Is that blaster fire, Crosshair?!” Hunter demanded over the comm.

“Not mine,” he replied calmly.

“Then who?!”

The round had caught one of the troopers in the chest, toppling him off the speeder bike. The woman took advantage of the confusion to dive for cover behind a tree, exchanging fire with the remaining trooper. What she couldn’t see, of course, were the other half dozen Imperials making their way toward her position. Any moment now, she’d be surrounded.

“Status?” Crosshair queried over the comm.

“Making our way back to the Marauder.”

The woman managed to get a good shot in on the remaining trooper, and he toppled to the ground. However, just as she made a dash for the speeder bikes, two green bolts flashed by, wrecking her getaway vehicles and forcing her to dive once more, losing the smaller blaster. She recovered quickly, unholstering the larger piece at her hip and taking shots at the oncoming troopers as she ran for cover again. It was pointless, he thought. She didn’t stand much chance of escape, alone, on foot. Not this close to the outpost.

From his vantage point, he could see the troopers fanning out, boxing her in. She had the hillside to her back; the elevation would slow down her retreat, even if she could keep up enough cover fire to out-maneuver the speeder bikes. And—the only part that mattered to him—she ran the risk of drawing Imperial attention to the adjoining valley before they finished loading up the marauder.

However, before he could further consider the implications of her retreat, he saw her move to fire off another shot from around her cover. In the brief moment she was exposed, a blaster bolt from one of the troopers clipped her side, propelling her forcefully to the ground. She was close enough for him to hear her strangled cry at the hit, echoing out against across the valley. She scrabbled backwards in the dirt, blaster thrown out of reach. One of the troopers swung off his speeder bike, approaching her slowly as he took aim. They weren’t planning on taking her prisoner. He couldn’t hear whatever words they exchanged, just see the snarl on the woman’s face before her features calmed, peaceful, as she closed her eyes before the inevitable.

Crosshair dispatched the trooper closest to her, expertly, just before the Imperial could squeeze to pull the trigger. He followed it up with three more in rapid succession, the troopers falling dead before they could hope to locate the sniper’s position or find cover. The final two, he saw with some surprise, were caught off guard by the woman, who had managed to crawl over to her lost blaster in the confusion.

She was attempting to limp her way over to one of the abandoned speeder bikes when he caught up to her.

“Stay back,” she warned him, eyes glinting as she aimed her blaster at him.

“Are you even sure you could ride one of those things by yourself right now?” He drawled back at her.

“Of course I can,” she snapped. As if to prove it to him, she gripped the handle of the first one she came to with her left hand, knuckles white, right hand steady as she kept her blaster trained on his chest. She swung her leg and mounted the bike. He watched her grip on the handle loosen as the shock and pain caught up to her, her eyes rolling back in her head as she collapsed.

#the bad batch #star wars #clone wars fanfiction #clone force 99 #bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #tbb crosshair #clone trooper crosshair #crosshair x oc

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hugmekenobi · 7 months

Text

S2: The Bad Batch (12)

Chapter Twelve: The Outpost

Gif by @dreamswithghosts

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Some time has passed since everything that happened at Kamino and you and the Batch are trying to figure out your place in the rapidly changing Imperial galaxy. And you're having to do all this whilst figuring out where your relationship with Hunter fits into it.

Chapter Summary: Crosshair's mission for the Empire finalises what he'd feared would happen to him. Meanwhile, you and the Batch take on a tame job yet you find yourself filled with anticipatory dread but you have no sense of why.

Masterlist for S1

<Previous Chapter

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

Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical violence, angst, Lieutenant Nolan, character death, my interpretation of Crosshair's thought process, Force-related anxiety, descriptions of exhaustion, poor attempt at kidnapping, light injury descriptions, reader isn't quite on top of things, briefest instances of innuendo (it's tiny and you might not even notice it but including just in case), me making up some of Hunter's past, hurt/comfort

Word Count: 5.9K

Author's notes: Told you I hadn't forgotten about Crosshair lol, the poor boy goes through it. Also added my own thing to go with it and thank you to @fuckoffthanos and @arctrooper69 for helping me out with deciding how this should go! Also, @arctrooper69, loved your idea and had to incorporate it somehow but just the way other things panned out, it's a bit on the tamer side but thank you again! Hope you everyone enjoys!

He waited by the shuttle and watched. He watched the group of newly redundant clones walk past. It was the same spiel from the Imperial officer every time- “The Empire thanks you for your years of service and wishes you well on your retirement.” Like that would really make a difference.

“CT-9904?”

Yes, that was who he was to them now. Just a designation, but at least he still had a purpose here, not like the countless others he’d seen be forced out. He turned to face the lieutenant who addressed him.

“You’re out of uniform.”

Right, yes. Can’t be seen to look too different. He put his helmet on and awaited his instructions.

“I’m Lieutenant Nolan, your commanding officer for this mission. We’re heading to the Imperial Depot on Barton-4. High-value cargo stored there has been targeted by local insurgents. We’re to secure it until it’s transferred at week’s end.” Nolan paused as he heard the faint voices of the clones already in the shuttle. He let out an irritated sigh. “Fantastic. More clones.”

“Problem, sir?”

“Yes. I don’t like used equipment.” He boarded the shuttle. “Let’s go.”

Right. ‘Used equipment.’ He couldn’t afford to give that more thought. There was a mission to complete. He grabbed his sniper rifle and stepped onto the ship.

Barton-4 was an ice planet. And a hostile one at that. The cold wind howled and worked its way through to his armour and seeped into his bones, and the gusts of snow made it hard to see ahead. It was understandable how things had been going so wrong. Getting caught off guard by native insurgents in a place like this would mean the squadron here would have no chance of defending themselves successfully.

The group made their way into the main cargo haul and Nolan addressed the droids moving the shipments. “Where is your supervisor?”

“You must be our reinforcements.”

They all turned in the direction of the voice who emerged from behind one of the containers.

“We expected you 36 rotations ago. Did you get lost?” The clone asked coolly.

“We work on the Empire’s schedule, trooper, not yours.” Nolan replied.

“It’s Commander, Lieutenant.”

“Well, Commander, your orders were to guard and protect this facility and its cargo, yet this outpost is grossly unguarded.” He followed the clone round the corner. “Where are the rest of your men?”

“Dead.” He replied bluntly before he introduced the clones cowering round a heat lamp. “Hexx, Veetch, and I, we’re all that’s left.”

Their names. He was using their names. Not designations.

“Your failings will be dealt with later.” Nolan scolded. “For now, I am in charge here until the cargo is transported.”

“I feel safer already.” The commander drawled.

“Look here, clone, you speak to me with respect.” Nolan snapped.

“In my experience, respect is something to be earned.”

The Lieutenant sneered. “Yet the Empire assigned you to this desolate rock, were you let the majority of your squad get killed.”

The commander didn’t rise to it. “Tell me, Lieutenant, how many missions have you commanded?”

Meanwhile, he watched the interaction between these two men with hidden interest. He liked that this clone wasn’t backing down so easily.

“That’s what I thought.” The commander said as his question was greeted by silence. He addressed his group behind him. “Boys, why don’t you help the new boss get situated?” As soon as they all left, he focused his attention on the soldier in black armour that had followed the lieutenant in. “You, uh, know the lieutenant well?”

“For about two hours.” He responded.

The commander scoffed. “Two hours too long, I bet.”

He hummed in agreement and was both surprised and grateful to see his fellow clone bring over the heat lamp.

“So, what’d you do to get stuck with this mission?”

“Just lucky, I guess.” He said distantly.

The commander’s laugh turned into a sigh. “The name’s Mayday.” He looked at the clone expectantly.

He debated for a moment. It had been so long since anyone had wanted to know his name and cared enough to ask about it. “Crosshair.” It almost sounded foreign; it had been a long time since he’d had a reason to use it.

“Welcome to The Outpost.” Mayday with faux celebration. He grabbed his helmet and blaster. “I’ll give you the lay of the land.”

Nothing was out of the ordinary, the ship flew peacefully through hyperspace, with you all deciding that you were going to heed Cid’s instructions- after all she had said you shouldn’t return if you didn’t scavenge anything from the crash site so you were doing as you were told and the added benefit of not being in her employment worked things out quite nicely.

So, why as you sat on the edge of your bunk, was it that with nothing being out of the norm, you had a deep sense of dread lingering in your heart? This was the worst it had been; you had sensed it creeping in the days since the failed mission from Cid and your sleep had been very limited but you had put the cause down as being the mission and assumed it would go away. It hadn’t. And last night had been the worst. It overwhelmed you and had prevented you from sleeping entirely and the exhaustion you were feeling wasn’t helping matters. A light tapping on your leg forced you out of your head.

You glanced down to see Hunter kneeling in front of you, hand on your knee. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“What’s going on?”

“Didn’t sleep well.” You said briskly, not wanting to create a fuss.

“Something on your mind?” Hunter asked kindly. He could tell you were putting a brave face on but even that couldn’t hide the dark shadows under your eyes and the way you could barely keep your head up.

You shook your head. You didn’t want to bother him with something you couldn’t even put a cause or label on. “Is something happening?” You jutted your head in the direction of the cockpit where the others were gathered.

Hunter let your deflection pass for now. He knew you well enough to know that he couldn’t push you to talk. You would come to him when you needed it.

“Phee got in touch. She’s got a mission for us, but she needs us to get some credits from a contact first.”

“And the catch?” You asked, stifling a yawn.

“Her contact seems to have five possible addresses to keep people guessing his location.”

You nodded slowly. “Honestly was expecting worse.”

Hunter gave you a small smile. “I’d figure I’d keep Omega with me and the rest of you split to check out each of the other addresses?”

“Sounds good, Seargeant.” You said as you stood up to go to the refresher. You splashed some water on your face, and you caught a glimpse of your reflection. You did look pretty rough. Your eyes were puffy and dark circles graced the skin underneath them. Maybe a distraction from this feeling would be a good idea. There wasn’t much you could do about the tiredness expect for push through but even doing a small job might help with forgetting for a little bit.

Not only had it sounded like Mayday and his team had been hung out to dry with degraded equipment and poor support all the while protecting cargo the Empire hadn’t deemed necessary to inform them of what exactly it was, but it also hadn’t taken long for the first attack on the depot to occur since he and the rest of them had arrived.

The raiders had made it in and out fast and had caused the deaths of the rest of Mayday’s team and had stolen more cargo. The only saving grace had been that Crosshair had been able to hit one of them as they retreated, and the blood trail led to a system of ice tunnels that had allowed them to slip through undetected for months.

Upon Nolan’s request, he and Mayday had gone in search of the crates, and they started with the ice tunnel.

“You sure you’re up for this?” Hunter asked you gently as the others stepped off the ship.

You knew he was coming from a good place, but your sleep-deprived state took it as more of an insult. “Yes.” You said tetchily.

Hunter raised his hands in appeasement. “I’m just checking in.”

You exhaled wearily and ran a hand across your face. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s probably best to just leave me be for the moment.” You lifted your hood and mask up.

Hunter debated pushing the matter further, but he decided to wait until this task was over. “Okay.” He put his helmet on and let you leave the ship first.

It turned out that Wrecker had the current address and after he confirmed everything went smoothly, Hunter had said you were all to head back to the ship. You cut down an alley way that was a shortcut but also a means to avoid a public scene since you’d been followed once you’d rounded the corner from one of the contact’s alternative residences. “Please, I’m in no mood to do this today.” You said tiredly as the figure dashed in front of you, halting you in your tracks. You stared the Weequay. “What do you want?”

“How’d you know about the money? I’ve been watching that house, and I heard your comm. Where’d you find him?”

“I don’t have it.” You ignored the crux of his question.

“No, but someone you know does. And you’re going to help us get it.”

You really couldn’t be bothered with a simple kidnapping. If you were going to be threatened today, you’d rather it be a bit more interesting than this. “You know you’re not actually going to get anywhere with that plan, right?”

The Weequay simply sniggered and drew a blaster.

You sighed heavily and reached for your holster. Your entire body was slow. You’d never felt so sluggish.

And that was probably why you didn’t pick up on the ‘us’ or register the person that came from behind and smacked the butt of their blaster across the back of your head.

“Alright, let’s get going.” Wrecker said cheerily as he stepped on board and put the case down. He took his helmet off.

Hunter glanced past him. “(Y/N)’s not with you?”

Wrecker shook his head. “Was she supposed to be?”

“She’s not come back yet, and we haven’t heard from her.” Omega informed him, her own troubled face matching Hunter’s.

Hunter reached for his comm and tried for you, but he got no reply. “She wouldn’t go radio silent without being told to.”

“You guys aren’t in a fight, are you?” Wrecker asked.

Hunter shot his brother an irritated look. “No. And even if we were, she knows better than to ignore any of us if we’re checking in.”

“(Y/N), come in.” Omega tried but again was met with no response.

Both Wrecker and Tech also attempted to get in touch with you, but nothing came through.

Hunter started pacing. You wouldn’t ignore all of them. You just wouldn’t, no matter what was happening. The panic was starting to set in now. It was something he rarely did and when he did do it, he didn’t like it, but now he was thinking he should’ve pulled his rank with you and at least made you stay on the ship. He’d known you were in not shape to go out there, even if it was a simple mission, whatever you were going through and the exhaustion you were experiencing would have an effect on anyone.

“Hunter, it’s her.” Tech called over from the cockpit as the ship’s main communication control lit up. Only it wasn’t your voice that came through.

“If you want to see her again, meet us with that lovely case of credits you picked up in 30 minutes.”

“How do we know she’s with you?” Hunter asked, doing his best to keep his voice level.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Her top has half a white skull on it.”

Dammit. Hunter paid no attention to the looks the others gave him. He needed to know more. He needed to know if you were okay. “I want to hear her. For all I know, you just saw her and that was the first thing you noticed.”

The voice chuckled unkindly. “She’s currently… unavailable for speaking. If you want that to be a more permanent state, then by all means, don’t do as we say. But, if you want her back, you better be here.”

“If you’ve hurt her-”

“It’s 20 minutes now. By all means, keep talking and pissing me off if you want her to suffer but I’d suggest you start walking.”

“Wait, but where are-” Omega started to say but the transmission cut out. “How are we supposed to find her?” She addressed the others.

“They used her own comm. I can trace it easily enough.” Tech said calmly as he got to work.

“The rest of us will go over her steps.” Hunter directed before he led the way off the ship.

If it wasn’t for the throbbing radiating throughout your skull, you might’ve been grateful for being knocked out. It was the closest thing you’d had to a rest. But the resulting headache and embarrassment at being so easily caught took precedence over any relief at being able to not think about what signals the Force was trying to send you. Now that you were awake, the feeling was back.

“Ah good, you’re up.”

You ignored the voice and took in your surroundings instead. The room was dark, the only light came from the faint glow of a lantern, and you were sitting with your back to a damp wall. Your hands were tied loosely in front of you with a piece of frayed rope. It was the worst attempt at kidnapping you’d ever experienced.

“Don’t worry. We’ve been in touch with your friends. Once we have the money, we’ll let you go.”

Your eyes had adjusted to the dimness, and it was then that you saw the two Weequay men standing by the doorway. You snorted. “Yeah, I’m not all that worried.”

“Oh yeah?” The one that had originally cornered you in the alley said.

“You two really don’t do this a lot, do you?”

“What are you talking about?” The one you didn’t recognise asked.

“Kidnapping people. You two are clearly new to the game.”

“Meaning what?” The first Weequay asked suspiciously.

You released an aggravated huff. You were too tired to do this, but it was your way out of here. “Meaning if you were regulars at this, you wouldn’t have used my comm to send your demands to my team- I’m assuming that’s what you did, right?” Their anxious glance to one another gave you your answer. You continued, “Ideally, you also would tie my hands behind my back, or, at the very least, you would double check the strength of the knot.”

“Check it.” The one you had seen first ordered his companion.

Perfect. As he kneeled down in front of you, you punched him on the underside of his jaw, and he crumbled to the floor. Acting quickly, you broke your hands out of their restraints, and you fired a stun blast from his blaster to the second one, who had been too taken aback by your actions to get his blaster out in time.

You grabbed your stuff and headed for the door, but it was then you heard the faint sound of someone grunting. You were still pretty out of it so as you moved to dodge the blade, your reaction wasn’t quite fast enough. You inhaled sharply as the knife sliced the part of your forearm that wasn’t protected by your armour. It wasn’t much more than a graze, but you could feel blood slowly secreting from the wound and it stung like hell. You whipped around and fired a stun bolt to the half-collapsed figure, and he fell unconscious.

You opened the door to be greeted by three familiar faces. “Oh. Hey, what brings you all here?”

“We were coming to rescue you.” Omega said as she peered around you to see the two knocked out Weequays.

“I appreciate it, kid. I’ll save you something to do next time.” You dug deep for the smile that graced your face as you touched her shoulder. “Thanks for coming after me, guys.” You said to the group.

“Did they hurt you?” Hunter asked urgently as he scanned your body for any obvious injures.

You shook your head. “Nothing major. It was my fault anyway. I completely switched off.”

“Yeah, what even happened?” Wrecker asked you.

“Don’t really wanna relive the humiliation at the moment, Wrecker.” You took a breath. “We good to go?” You asked Hunter who nodded and the four of you walked back to the Marauder.

“Tech, would you mind bringing the medkit down here?” You asked as you boarded the ship and sat down on your bunk. “Also, thanks for helping find me.”

“No thanks are necessary. Although, it was a relatively simple mission; I do not understand how this incident occurred in the first place or how you managed to injure yourself.” Tech said frankly as he pulled the medkit down and started to make his way over to you.

He was right but you were embarrassed enough to be so caught off guard like you were and you didn’t need more reminders. “Tech, what about my general demeanour right now makes you think I’m unaware of that fact?” You said through gritted teeth as you tossed your vambrace with a little too much zest judging by the way it smacked off the wall by your bed. You were doing your best to keep it together. You were determined to not let your mood affect the relationships around you.

“I only meant-”

“Tech.” Hunter warned him off calmly as he took to medpack from him. “Just get the ship in the air, okay?”

“Very well.” Tech said with a nod before he turned back for the cockpit.

Omega and Wrecker followed him.

“Do you want-” Hunter started to offer.

“I can do it myself, it’s a really small cut.” You said touchily as you held your hand out for the case.

Hunter didn’t fight you on it and he was prepared to give you space, so he handed it to you. “I’ll be in the cockpit with the others if you need me.” He risked a step forward and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead.

You did feel instantly more tranquil after he did that. “I’m sorry.” You uttered quietly as he stepped away.

Hunter tenderly rubbed a thumb across your cheekbone. “Get some rest.”

Crosshair and Mayday rounded the corner of the tunnel, and the blood trail came to an end. Both their lights found the dead body of the raider hunkered against the wall.

“He didn’t get far.” Crosshair said wryly.

Mayday kneeled down to examine the body. “Not sure what bothers me more. That he’s wearing armour stolen off my men or that his cohorts just left him here.”

“No point in carrying deadweight.”

Mayday glanced back at Crosshair. “Remind me not to die on your watch.”

Crosshair didn’t pay the comment much mind. He just carried on walking past, but he didn’t get very far as he suddenly came to a complete standstill as he heard the activation click of something hidden in the snowy ground. His best chance was to not move a muscle.

“Pressure mine.” Mayday stated.

“Mm-hmm.” Crosshair nodded.

Mayday brought his light down to examine it. “What were you saying about deadweight?”

“Do you know how to disarm it?”

“I’m not an explosives expert, but since I don’t feel like carrying your body back to the outpost, I guess I’ll give it a shot.” Mayday took off his helmet and put his blaster on the ground as well as his torch- but he kept the light trained on the pressure mine- as he crouched down. He blew away the flakes of snow still covering it. “Hmm. This mine’s a little different than ones I’ve seen before, but I’m pretty sure they’re all the same. Guess we’ll find out soon enough, huh?”

It wasn’t the most comforting of statements for Crosshair to hear, but he’d take any help he could get at this point.

Mayday pulled out his tools and carefully got to work. “I wish I had the proper equipment for this, but the Empire’s ignored all my requests. I’ve learned to improvise though. I guess all clones have had to since the war. Can’t say I ever thought much about the war ending…” he sighed, “… until it did.”

As Crosshair stood still on the mine and waited for Mayday to get him out of it, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander and start thinking about his old squad and how different this mission would be going. Tech would have the suitable equipment. Hunter would’ve known where to step to avoid a situation just like this and he’d have made finding these raiders look easy despite the conditions. And, even if one of them still found themselves in this position, Wrecker would’ve disarmed it with a degree of ease and sophistication people wouldn’t necessarily expect from him. While he would never admit it out loud, he was finding that he missed them. Mayday’s question to him pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What unit were you with?”

That was a question he did not want to answer. “It doesn’t matter.” He just about manged to grind out.

“Humour me. I could use the distraction.”

Well, if he wanted them both to make it out of this, he had to do what Mayday was asking of him. “Clone Force 99.”

“What happened to them?”

“They’re gone.” He replied subduedly. It wasn’t a lie. They were gone and he didn’t know where they had wound up or even if they were all still together and alive. It had been a long time now since that day on the platform on Kamino.

“And here we are, the survivors.” Mayday peered up at Crosshair. “Hmm. Combat troopers stuck babysitting cargo shipments.”

If he let his mind start to drift down that path any more than he already had on occasion, then he’d lose all sense of purpose. He’d lose that purpose he was so sure this Empire would provide. “Mission’s a mission.”

Mayday chuckled sarcastically. “Yeah, I used to say the same thing.” He inspected his work and grabbed his gear before he stood up. “There. That should do it.” As he saw Crosshair start to move, spoke up swiftly. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t pick up your foot yet. Wait until I tell you, then lift it, but real slow like.” He started to walk past him. “I’ll wait around the bend. If I don’t hear a boom, then I’ll know it worked.”

“Glad your confident in your work.”

Mayday put his helmet back on as he continued to walk away. “Oh, I’m confident. I’m just not stupid. Remember, nice and slow. On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”

Crosshair lifted his foot and sighed in relief when there was no explosion.

The two of them made their way out the tunnel into the storm. It was then they saw the light radiating from the raider’s base and they put their plan of attack into action.

It had been going well. The enemy bas was destroyed, and they were able to reclaim the cargo. They went down to the area where the cargo had spilled. But it was then when it had started to go wrong as they both discovered what it was they were risking their lives for and what it was Mayday and his men had men had devoted their lives to defending. And… and it wasn’t worth the fight they had put in.

“Gear?” Mayday said aloud as he examined the boxes. “We’ve been risking our lives to recover equipment we could have been wearing this whole time?”

Crosshair nudged a helmet with his foot to expose the design. “It’s not clone trooper gear.” Because why would it be? They were disposable after all.

Mayday picked up a breastplate. “New toys for their shiny new military, and we get the scraps. After all the clones have done, all we’ve sacrificed… We’re good soldiers. We followed orders. And for what?”

Crosshair didn’t have an answer for him. He thought he’d been a good solider but how was that being rewarded? He couldn’t see it. If he had any lingering doubts about where his place in this Empire was, this mission was doing a good job of eradicating them. He, Mayday, and all his fellow clones weren’t valued. They weren’t worth anything to this Empire.

Suddenly, a growing rumbling echoed around them.

“Go!” Mayday ordered as he saw avalanche hurtling towards them from the mountain behind them.

They ran as fast as they could through the deep snow, but they couldn’t outrun it, the best they could do was make it past the rock ahead.

Crosshair didn’t know what happened. One minute both of them were running side by side, and the next Mayday was knocking him past the rock and letting himself get swept up by the snow first which meant he smashed into the rockface.

Crosshair’s helmet was knocked away and the best he could do was take a deep breath as the snow smothered him.

Crosshair punched a hand through the top of the snow before his head followed and he breathed in the cold air. His entire body was numb and shivering but he couldn’t dwell on that for too long since he’d caught sight of Mayday’s helmet a few metres ahead. He heaved his way through the waist deep snow towards it and started to desperately dig through to find his companion.

It was after a few moments that Mayday’s face came into view, but his eyes were shut, and his body was limp as Crosshair propped him against the rock behind him. “Mayday? Mayday, wake up!” The faint groan from Mayday’s mouth was enough of an indicator that he was alive… that there was hope for him. “Come on. We have to move.”

Mayday’s eyes flickered open. “Go.” He gasped. “I won’t make it.”

Crosshair didn’t know what possessed him to grab Mayday’s helmet and put it back on his head. All he knew now as he supported Mayday’s body was that it was something he had to do. He had to make sure they both made it back and Mayday would survive. He was going to get them both through the storm.

Hunter came back from the cockpit to see everyone else asleep but you. You were perched on the edge of your bunk looking utterly shattered and anything but relaxed. You still had all your gear on, minus the one vambrace you’d taken off to tend to your cut earlier. “Sweetheart, you need to get some sleep.”

“I can’t.” You mumbled, utterly defeated, as you brought your head down to lean against his shoulder.

Hunter rested his head on top of yours. “Tell me what’s wrong?”

“I can’t because I don’t know.” You sighed deeply and pushed your face into the crook of his neck. “I’m just so tired.”

“What can I do?” Hunter asked softly.

“Knock me out until we rendezvous with Phee.” You suggested, only half kidding.

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea, but we can keep it as an option.” Hunter said lightly. “Come on.” He gently nudged you up, ignoring your slight groan of protest. He went to the ground in front of you.

“Okay, but I’m pretty tired, can’t promise I’ll be super enthusiastic.” You attempted levity but your tone was too flat.

“Hush you.” Hunter said with a slight grin. He got to work on taking your boots off before he came to sit next you. He started to delicately take your remaining armour off before he reached for the ends of your first layer. “Arms up.” He prompted tenderly.

Your arms felt heavy, but you did as he asked and he brought it up and over your head, taking care to not let you get caught in the material. “Now what?” You asked drearily.

“Now you lie down and close your eyes.”

“You know, I have tried doing that.” You said drily.

Hunter gave you an imploring look. “Just trust me, okay?”

You did and so you found yourself lying back down.

Hunter enveloped you. He rubbed, light, soothing patterns across your arms and back. He could feel how tense you were. He kept his voice quiet and low to create as restful an environment as he could for you. “I want you to focus on me. Nothing else. Nothing else matters. It’s just you and me here right now. Switch off. Focus on my voice. Focus on my heartbeat. Breathe with me.” He stared taking slow, deep breaths whilst continuing his peaceful touches. “It’s just us. I’m right with you. You don’t have to think about anything else. I love you. I’ll always be right here.”

You did as he asked. His hands were warm- if a little rough- against your arms but years of wielding a blaster would have that effect and you welcomed that feeling. It reminded you of all that he had survived, of what you all had survived and that he was there with you. Deep breaths. He’s here. He’s okay. Everyone’s okay. Shut it off. You thought to yourself. You mirrored his breathing and continued to listen to his words.

As the minutes grew longer and you continued to listen to him, you felt yourself start to relax into him. Your eyes grew heavy, and it was easier to keep them shut this time. How’d you know how to do this so well?

“Growing up with enhanced senses had its difficulties. I had to learn how to manage it.” He felt you nuzzle closer to him, and a deep sigh left your body. “There you go” He murmured as he kept caressing your body. “Keep breathing with me.”

Things felt easier now as you focused on him, on his scent, on the feeling of his hands on your body, on his breathing. And the last thing you remembered was you telling him you loved him and the kiss to the top of your head from him before you drifted off.

Crosshair staggered onto the main platform of the outpost and fell to his knees. He tried to be as gentle as he could when it came to putting Mayday down.

“About time you two returned.” Nolan said harshly as he approached the two men.

“He-” Crosshair broke off with an exhausted pant before he removed Mayday’s helmet. “He needs a medic.”

Nolan ignored him. “I see you didn’t retrieve the crates, which means you’ve failed your mission.”

How could that be all he was concerned about? “Did you hear what I said? Help him!” Crosshair begged as he could feel the pain and weariness creeping into his own body, but Mayday needed the help first. He had to be saved.

“Certainly not. That would be a waste of the Empire’s resources.”

“He’ll- He’ll die.” Did they truly not care? And it was then he heard one last pained cough from Mayday before his eyes shut and he fell silent. Crosshair searched for a pulse but found none. No. No. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“He served his purpose as a soldier of the Empire.” Nolan said unsympathetically.

Crosshair could feel white hot anger start to rise within him. “You- You could have saved him!”

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me. He is expendable, as are you.”

And there it was. Confirmation of the doubt he had been trying so hard to deny. Hunter had been right. They were only ever numbers.

“And if you speak to me again with such disrespect, I’ll see to it you meet a similar fate, clone.” Nolan continued disdainfully.

Crosshair caught the sight of the shadow of one of the ice vultures. He knew they were coming for Mayday. But it shouldn’t be here for him.

“Now, leave him and get back to work… while you’re still useful.” Nolan started to walk back to the shuttle.

Crosshair looked up to the sky and started at the circling bird. He’d thought he’d found a way to survive on his own too but that had changed. He was supposed to have this incredible ability to see things others couldn’t. How had he been so blind for so long? Well, no more. He’d had enough. He wasn’t concerned about the consequences he would face with what he was about to do. All he knew was that he wouldn’t give this Empire anything more.

He got unsteadily got to his feet and trained his blaster on the retreating back on Lieutenant Nolan. “Lieutenant.” He didn’t hesitate and the shot went straight through Nolan’s chest as soon as he turned around. It was after that final act that he finally let the exhaustion and agony take him and his sight went dark.

You awoke with a start and sat up. Things had been going well but that was a new development. You rested a hand on your chest as you felt your heart pounding. You shivered. You were cold, both outwardly and inwardly. There was a deep chill in your veins that left you feeling frozen and unsettled. You took a few deep breaths to settle yourself.

“What’s wrong?” Hunter rasped; his voice still thick with sleep as he sat up alongside you and laid his hand on your back.

“I don’t know.” You murmured uneasily as you fiddled with the bandage on your arm. “Something woke me up. There was this cold shadow and all I could feel was fear and pain, but I couldn’t see what from or who.”

“It was just a bad dream.” Hunter comforted. He kissed the back of your shoulder. “Come on, you should try to get back to sleep.”

“Right… a bad dream.” You whispered distantly as you let him lay you back down. Whatever it was that had woken you up, it felt real, it wasn’t just a bad dream, you were experiencing what someone else was going through but you didn’t have a face to put to the feeling and you didn’t know what it could be. You closed your eyes and tried to focus on the feeling of Hunter’s arm draped over you, holding you close, but you couldn't shake the feeling like there was something more to what just happened and so sleep didn’t easily come this time around.

Crosshair woozily came around to the sound of equipment beeping. He didn’t recognise where he was, and it was then he heard the muffled sound of someone addressing him.

“Hello, CT-9904. Or do you prefer, Crosshair?”

His name. She was using his name. The woman that was speaking to him seemed to be some kind of doctor. “Where am I?” He asked wearily.

“I’m holding you for observation. Once you’ve healed, the doctor will come for you.”

She was holding a needle to his neck, yet she wasn’t the primary medic? “Who- Who are you?”

“Remain calm. Cooperate and you might survive.” That was all he registered before the needle pierced his skin and he fell into darkness once more.

Next Chapter>

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