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monako-jinn-stories · 1 year

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Echo X Fem!Reader FanFic

A Returning Echo ~ After the Citadel

Main Master List

Story Master List

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Five

The sounds of medical equipment are faint, but are slowly becoming louder. The stiff feeling of a medical bed underneath you slowly makes itself present. Medical equipment attached and inserted into your skin sends weird sensations through you as fluids are pumped into your system. It all comes to you slowly, but then it hits.

You sit up straight in your bed, heart rate immediately spiking. Your eyes are wide as you look around, and you panic for a second, not knowing where you are or what had happened. As you begin to throw the covers off of yourself and slide off the bed, Aid runs in and immediately yells at you.

“Sit your karking ass back down on that medical bed or so help me Maker,” he says, his tone serious and threatening. You freeze, shocked by his tone before slowly crawling back on as he told you to. “Why do you try this every time you wake up on a medical bed?” he mutters to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. More footsteps flood in, and you see Sans, Hex, Steele, and Tie all rush in to stand at your side.

“Maker, it’s a miracle you’re able to even stand up,” Sans says, his face full of relief. “I was so worried that…never mind, that doesn’t matter.”

“What matters is that you’re alive and awake,” Hex says, and he smiles down at you, but you’re still utterly confused.

“What happened?” you ask, “and where’s Bomber?” A sense of shock fills the room, and you watch as everyone exchanges confused and worried glances. “Guys, where is Bomber?”

“Y/n,” Steele begins, talking to you slowly, “what is the last thing you do remember?”

“I-” you begin, but your mind is fuzzy. Brief flashes of different battles and different troopers come to your mind, but nothing solid enough for you to make sense of it. “I don’t know…”

“Okay, we’ll start with the easy stuff,” Aid says, before adding, “well, the supposed to be easy stuff. What year is it?”

“Uh…7955?”

“Kriff,” Tie says, “what happened to her memory?”

“I don’t know, but I did say it was a possibility with how hard her head was hit.”

“Wait, so you don’t remember any of that last two years?” Sans asks, and you look back at him with wide eyes.

“Two years? I’ve forgotten two years?!”

“Calm down, y/n, this isn’t good for you or for your-” Aid stops mid sentence, his face paling as he comes to a realization. “She doesn’t know…”

“Oh my gods,” Hex says, staring at you in shock.

“How the hells do we even explain this?” Steele asks, throwing his hands up to his head.

“Calm down, everyone! I can only treat one person at a time,” Aid says, and everyone snaps their gaze to him. “Everyone, out. I will do what I can to…gently inform her of her…condition…”

“Alright, but we’ll be waiting outside,” Sans says, and Aid nods. “We won’t be gone for long, y/n. Just shout if you need us.”

“Can someone just please tell me where the hells Bomber is?” you say, and Aid lets out a sigh, waving the others to keep leaving.

“First, the year is 7957-”

“Yeah, I got that. I forgot the past two years,” you snark back, and Aid gives you a brief look before sitting in a chair next to your bed. A conflicted expression covers his features, and he looks like he’s trying hard to figure out how to tell you everything.

“Bomber died in 7955. We were in a battle with General Skywalker’s battalion, the 501st. I…I couldn’t save him, I didn’t even get a chance to try.”

“Wait, explain the mission more,” you say, squinting your eyes in concentration.

“Well, you went off with two of Skywalker’s men-”

“Fives and Echo. I remember them. Fives is…with Shaak Ti?”

“Yes.”

“And Echo…he was flirting with me…”

“Yes, he was. You and him…well, you struck up a relationship, eventually.”

“We did?” you say, and a sudden flash of memory of him taking you to an arcade floods your mind. You immediately look to your side, grabbing the stuffed porg, Marvin, that you guys had won. “We did.”

“Yes. And…well, I guess there’s no gentle or easy way to say this but…”

“I’m karking pregnant?!” you shout, the boys hearing your words from outside the room.

“Well, I guess that went…well?” Steele says, and Hex just sighs, not knowing what to think of the situation.

“Yes, now, for your sake and your baby’s, you need to stay calm.”

“How the karking hells am I supposed to stay calm when I’m pregnant, I don’t remember the last two years, and-”

“Y/n,” Aid says again, sternness coming back to his tone. “If you don’t calm down, I will put you back asleep.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” you say, narrowing your eyes at him. “Wait, where’s Echo? Did you tell him I’m awake?”

“Echo’s dead.” The words come from someone else, and you snap your head to look at Fives standing in the doorway. Aid looks at him, making a frustrated strangling motion with his hands. “No point in skipping over it. Y/n, a lot has happened-”

“Yeah, I’m figuring that out,” you say, another brief flash of memory coming to you. “I keep getting more and more flashes of memories, and their beginning to be more discernible.”

“Good, we’ll give you a couple weeks, and then we’ll see how you are, and if you’re able to go back into battle,” Aid says.

“How long was I out for?”

“Only a week, but your head trauma was bad. We had you in a bactatank for a couple days, but everything improved quickly, so we took you out and brought you here.” You let your head fall back against your pillow. A sense of loss fills you, not just after re-learning about Echo and Bomber’s deaths, but after losing the past two years of your life. You just hope it will all come back, and that you’ll be able to pick right back up where you left off.

“I want you to go to Dohbar, and to rest there. Hopefully the palace will help return your memories more comfortably.”

“Okay,” you say, and he finally begins working on removing the medical equipment from you. Fives just sits silently by your side, and a sense of sadness covers his features. “Is everything alright, Fives?”

“Yeah,” he says, plastering a smile on his face before it fades. “I just…I was really worried about you and the baby. You’re all I have left of Echo and…I just couldn’t bear the idea of losing you both.”

“It’s okay, Fives, because we survived.”

“Do you remember her name?” he asks, and you shake your head. “Echoa. After her father.”

“It’s beautiful,” you say, smiling softly while resting your hand on your bump. “I can’t wait to get to know her again.” He just nods, a small hint of relief in his eyes.

“Alright, you’re all good to get up. Tie will take you to Dohbar, and then palace doctors can take care of you.”

“Okay,” you reply, and you walk out to the rest of Jawa Squad. They look at you expectantly, and you just give them a small smile. “I’m heading to Dohbar to rest for a couple of weeks. I’ll be back soon, though.”

“I expect I’m the chauffeur?” Tie asks, and you nod. “Right this way then, m’lady,” he says, giving you an exaggerated bow and grin before offering you his arm.

“Are you boys coming too?” you ask the others, but they shake their heads no.

“We don’t want to do or say anything that might make your condition worse,” Hex explains. “Besides, we are scheduled to head out soon. After Tie drops you off, he’ll come right back here so we can be deployed tomorrow.”

“Oh,” you say, a bit of sadness washing over you. “Well, be safe out there.”

“We will, y/n,” Sans says, giving you a smile, “we’ll make you proud.”

“You always do,” you say before turning and continuing on with Tie to head to Dohbar.

~~~

“-and banthas are flying in the skies, with rainbows coming from their asses…”

“Tauntauns are dancing in the streets…”

Kwol and Ahni exchange another look with each other before they both sigh and look back to you.

“Y/n,” Kwol says again, and you finally acknowledge him. “What was the last thing we said that you listened to?”

“I…sorry,” you say, resting your head in your hand, “it’s just been…a lot lately.”

“Well, do you think you could spare us just a few minutes to listen to what’s been going on here? I mean, you need to understand situations to be able to be a good queen.”

“Right, sorry, I’ll pay attention this time,” you reply, finally meeting their gazes. Ahni’s expression relaxes and she gently places her hand on Kwol’s arm before she speaks.

“Why don’t we worry about this later?” she says.

“But she’s already been here for four standard weeks-”

“Kwol, she is expecting a child while also serving as not only a leading general in a galactic war, but also a queen. Not to mention her memory has only just been fully restored. She has a lot on her plate-”

“Dohbar has a lot of things that need to be addressed,” he counters, turning to look at you. “Look, I’m sorry that you have so much going on, but your people need you to be present, even if you can’t always physically be here. They need you to keep up with their world so that you can make the best decisions to keep them safe and thriving. You need to be thinking about them more.”

“Kwol-”

“He’s right, Ahni,” you say, straightening up. “I appreciate your concern for me, but Kwol’s point stands. I need to know what my people are going through so that I can best help them. I need to put other things aside and be a queen here and now.” Ahni gives you a sympathetic look before nodding, clasping her hands in front of her.

“As I was trying to tell you before, Dohbar’s supply of-” Kwol is interrupted by the sound of your holo transceiver going off, and you meet his annoyed expression with your own apologetic one.

“Masters,” you say, answering the holo to see three Council members.

“Master Jinn,” Obi Wan says, “we hope we are not interrupting anything.”

“Uh, well…” you say, glancing at Kwol’s even more irritated expression, “you are, but I know you wouldn’t be contacting me unless it was important.”

“You’re right. We are having some…issues with your battalion,” Plo says. You sigh while rolling your eyes, your own expression going to one of unamusement.

“What is it now?”

“They are refusing to do as we have tried to tell them to,” Mace explains. “They are very adamant about not following orders.”

“Did they give you a reason why?”

“No. In fact, they refused to talk at all. Only answering ‘no’ when we ask them something,” Obi Wan says.

“Alright, I’ll talk to them after this meeting,” you say.

“Actually, we were hoping you would be able to come back from your leave early. As long as the doctors there say you’re alright, we would like you to return and help on the battlefield again,” Mace says.

“Is that really a good idea? I mean for me to be on the battlefield?” you say, a hand subconsciously going down to your stomach. “I’m getting pretty close to term.”

“We understand your condition, and if you do not personally feel fit enough to be on the battlefield, we will respect your decision to stay back. But, your help can still be used on Coruscant,” Plo explains.

“Alright, I’ll make arrangements to come home tomorrow-”

“Tomorrow?” Kwol says, anger taking over him. “You can’t leave tomorrow! There’s many things that need to be addressed and done here, and we can’t possibly cover it all today!”

“Kwol, I’m sorry, but-”

“But nothing! You are abandoning your people for the war. A war that shouldn’t even concern you! I thought your people always came first. I thought your duty as Queen came before your duty as a Jedi. Apparently, you lied.” He gets up then, storming out of the room, Ahni quickly following after him. You sigh, resting your face in your hands.

“Master Jinn, we understand if you’re not able to come right away-”

“No, I’ll be there tonight. I have to get off this Maker-forsaken planet.” Your words and tone are final, and the Masters nod before ending the holo. You head to your room and pack up everything you need before heading to the hangar. You decide to just fly yourself back, needing the peace of being alone in space.

“What the hells has my life become?” you mutter to yourself, the stars flying by in hyperspace. “Choosing between my people and the war…my duty as a queen and my duty as a Jedi. It’s not fair…” You wipe the tears that slowly run down your cheeks and stand up, leaving the ship on autopilot and heading to the quarters. As you pass by the door, a flash of a memory comes to your mind, and you stand there as you relive Tayah’s capture.

Tayah. You wonder if she’s okay. It’s been two standard months since she was kidnapped, two standard months and no effort to locate her has taken place. You feel awful, sick to think about it. Despite all that you yourself have gone through, you still feel as though you have some sort of responsibility to find her, but you know that there are more pressing issues.

You settle down in the peace of your quarters, clearing your mind as you prepare to meditate. It’s been harder for you recently, after your accident. Sometimes you get flashes of memories, sometimes you relive the incident. Rarely do you get to actually meditate. This time, you’re unlucky enough to get the incident again.

~~~

“We’re going down!” you yell into the comms, “everyone, get to an escape pod or ship, just get out of here in one piece!” You’re in the middle of a doomed space engagement with Grievous, and your Venator has been struck beyond repair. It’s not even functioning enough to be guided down and land on the planet you’re currently hovering in the atmosphere of. You see everyone scrambling around to get to some sort of transport off the Venator, and Sans runs up to your side.

“Come on, y/n, Tie is waiting for us with a ship just over there,” he says, pointing in the direction he wants you to go.

“No, you go, Sans. I’m staying back to make sure everyone gets off safely.”

“What? No! You need to leave!”

“I’m not going to argue about this, Sans,” you say, turning to run off to where others need help.

“Kriffing hells, you’re pregnant!” Sans shouts after you, but you just keep running, needing to make sure as many men survive as possible.

“Sans, let’s go!” Hex shouts into the comms.

“Y/n ran off!”

“Just get your ass onto the ship and we’ll try to get her later,” Steele says.

“I’m not leaving her behind!”

“Sans, either you get on this ship right now, or you go down and die with the Venator’s impact. Make up your mind,” Hex says firmly. Sans clenches his jaw, torn between making sure you end up safe, and ensuring his own safety. He’s always chosen you, always made sure you were okay, but now, something convinces him not to. Something tells him to turn and run to the gunship and let Tie take him to safety.

“Alright, I’m coming,” Sans says before turning and sprinting towards the ship. He jumps on and Tie immediately begins to fly off. Sans rights himself before looking out, trying to find you in the hangar, but you’re not there. “Karking hells,” he mutters, a sense of regret washing over him.

“She’ll be fine,” Aid says, resting a hand on Sans’s shoulder. “She knows what she’s doing.”

“She karking pregnant. She should be here, flying away-”

“Don’t worry about her,” Hex says, looking out as the gunship flies away from the crashing Venator. “Everything will be-” His sentence is cut off by an explosion and desperate yells from the men around him. His own knees feel weak as he watches flames engulf the Venator, still crashing to the ground.

“Hex…”

“Shut up, Steele,” Hex says, not able to take his eyes from the flames. “Just…shut up…”

“Tie-”

“Don’t even ask, it’s too dangerous to get close,” Tie responds. “I’m heading to the ground. Once it crashes, we can tell the rest of the battalion to regroup and head to the wreckage.”

“Sans?” Steele asks, but Sans is motionless, tears streaming down his face.

“Karking damnit, Steele! How many kriffing times do I need to tell you to shut up?!”

“Hex, you better watch it,” Aid says, suddenly getting stern and grabbing his brother’s arm. Hex turns and glares at him, getting up in his face.

“Let go of me.”

“Leave Steele alone.”

“He won’t listen-”

“Men!” Sans suddenly snaps, turning to look at the others. “What the kark is wrong with you Hex? I thought you left your bad attitude back on Kamino when we were deployed.”

“Don’t you talk to me like that,” Hex says, pulling his arm from Aid’s grasp as he faces off with Sans.

“If you don’t straighten out your attitude, then I’m going to courtmart-”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Steele says, shoving Sans so that he’s facing him now. “You won’t do a fucking thing like that to Hex!”

“I’ll do whatever the hells I want, because I’m your Commander!”

“I’ll sedate you all if you don’t karking calm down!” Aid shouts, and the others turn to glare at him.

“What the hells is going on?” another clone says, and everyone turns to see Uma standing in the gunship. “Y/n is suddenly in a life or death situation and all you di’kuts can do is argue and threaten each other? Sans, you’re right, you’re our Commander, so why the hells are you acting like a child?”

“Uma you have no right-”

“Neither do you,” Uma cuts Sans off with the statement, a hard glare settling in both of their gazes. “We are clones, we don’t have rights, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about you and the rest of Jawa Squad, except for Tie since he’s flying this karking ship, acting like children fighting over which bunk they want on Kamino. We have a duty, and that is to protect and fight for the Republic. Now, our General is out there on a wrecked Venator, in who knows what kind of condition. So, I’m going to ask you something. Are you going to straighten out your acts, all of you, or are you going to keep acting like di’kuts and let her die?” The men of Jawa Squad all exchange harsh glances with each other, but let out a collective annoyed sigh.

“You’re right, Uma. I’m sorry for acting as I did,” Sans says.

“You don’t need to apologize to me, you need to apologize to them,” he responds, motioning to the others, “I expect you all to act like the men you are and exchange the appropriate apologies. The rest of us will be waiting outside the gunship.” The men of Jawa Squad watch as everyone else exits and gets situated outside, and then they’re alone. They each stand there silently, all looking around while occasionally glancing at the others. A couple of them fidget while the others just stand still.

“So, who would like to go first?” Steele says after a few minutes. Silence is all he gets in response. “Fine, I guess I will. Sans, I’m sorry for threatening you when you threatened Hex.”

“I’m sorry for threatening you, Hex,” Sans says.

“I’m sorry for getting in your face, Sans. And for getting in yours, Aid,” Hex replies.

“I’m sorry for grabbing you, Hex, and threatening you all with sedation,” Aid says.

“Steele, I’m sorry for telling you to shut up,” Hex adds.

“Hex, I’m sorry I wouldn’t shut up,” Steele responds. “Is that all? Are we good to go?”

“I think so,” Sans says, before a new sense of determination washes over him. “Alright, boys, let’s go get our general.”

“Y/n,” the trooper beside you says, “it’s no use. They’ll never be able to get to us-”

“Lightweight, I swear to the Maker, if you don’t stop being so negative, I will make you run twenty laps around the Jedi Temple when we get back to Coruscant.”

“I don’t think I can even walk,” he says, wincing as he tries to move his leg. You curse to yourself, wanting to use the force to heal him, but needing to focus on keeping pieces of metal from falling on the two of you. “No one else was on the ship, were they?”

“No, you were the only life form I felt,” you reply, and it’s the truth. Lightweight had been helping others, like you had, and had gotten stuck on the Venator with you as it crashed.

“How can you be so sure they’ll come for us?”

“Because, Sans would never leave without me, whether I’m alive or not. If I died, he’d make sure I make it back to be buried where I belong, and if I lived, he’d make sure I make it back to get the proper medical exams needed to ensure I survive.”

“He really loves you, doesn’t he?” The question makes you falter slightly, and a bit of debris falls down into the area you’re standing in.

“Yes, but unfortunately, this isn’t the right story for us to be in love. Perhaps in another he’s the one for me. But the man I love is dead, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move on from Echo. I certainly know I’d never be able to love someone like I love him.”

Lightweight doesn’t respond, he just remains silent while looking up towards the small beams of light that filter in through tiny holes. He wonders how long it’ll take the others to get here, to save the two of you.

“Hurry up, Sans,” you mutter to yourself, your arms becoming tired. You try to ignore the feeling, but it’s taking a lot of energy to hold everything up. “You wanna spare me any energy?” you ask your bump, and in response, you get a wave of energy to wash over you. You smile, knowing that Echoa will grow up to be strong in the force. You can only hope that she gets to train, if she wishes, and become a talented Jedi.

“Y/n,” Lightweight says after a while, noticing your struggling, “just let it go. We’ll be alright.”

“No, I can’t. Both of us will be crushed, and they’ll never find us,” you counter, your legs and arms shaking from exhaustion.

“You’re going to collapse. Just set it down gently while you can.”

“I’ll be fine,” you say, and a sudden added weight sends you to your knees, and you fight with all your strength to keep it all from falling.

“Y/n! Set it down now!”

“I…I can keep it-” your sentence is cut off, and your arms fall to your sides. You barely brace yourself, and the last thing to remember is hearing Sans’s voice shouting, mixing with Lightweight’s as a piece of metal hits your head and you collapse.

~~~

“Well, that worked amazingly,” you mumble to yourself, frustrated as you come out of your meditation. “At least I’m able to remember everything.” You sigh as you stand, heading up to the cockpit where the signal is going off. You sit in the pilot’s seat and take control again, having come out of hyperspace and reaching Coruscant. You wait, though, taking the time to just spend a few more minutes of peace out here, and to be alone with Echoa.

Every day you wonder more and more what kind of life your daughter will grow up to have. Will the war be over soon so that you can raise her? Will she become a Jedi like you? Will you have to give her up to the order? Will she want to be a royal more than a Jedi?

The questions overwhelm you, and you sigh again at the lack of peace. You just give up, and guide the ship into Coruscant’s atmosphere, heading to the Temple. When you get there, you’re surprised to find a group of very annoyed 17th battalion clones who are grumpily cleaning up the hangar.

“So, you finally listened to something they told you to do?” you say while walking up to Jawa Squad.

“It was that or get court martialed,” Steele grumbles.

“Well, maybe you should start listening to them more, and this won’t have to happen,” you tease, earning glares from everyone.

“Ain’t you the one who always tells us to only listen to you?” Tie asks.

“No, I tell you to listen to me and other people if it’s logical and smart.”

“Specifics don’t matter, what matters is that you’re here and can free us from this punishment,” Sans says, but you just shake your head.

“Not until I speak with the Council first. So you might as well get back to cleaning, because it could take a while.”

“Ugh,” they all groan, grumbling as they get back to cleaning. You just giggle to yourself before heading to your quarters, dropping a few things off and grabbing your robe before heading to the Council chambers.

“Master Jinn,” Plo says as you enter the room, “thank you for coming back so soon.”

“It was no problem, Master Plo. If anything, it’s a relief to be off of Dohbar and away from Kwol.”

“Is everything alright there?” Obi Wan asks, “if you need to attend to your duties as queen, by all means, please do so. We don’t want to get in the way of your people’s needs.”

“I’m afraid that’s already happened, but don’t worry. I’ll talk to Kwol again when he’s calm and able to be cooperative. But I’m not here to discuss Dohbar.”

“Right, you’re here to discuss your troopers,” Mace says. “Now, we know that they are not the biggest fans of the idea of working under other generals, but we had offered them to be led by Master Daawa in a campaign, but they refused to even go out under his command.”

“Master Daawa ended up having to take Master Windu’s battalion, and the 17th was asked to help train some new troopers, but again they refused,” Plo explains. “They seemed to have a lot on their minds after they got home from their last mission.”

“Did it go alright?”

“Yes, but I think they were more worried about their recent tensions after your last mission,” Mace says. “You see, they were quite worried about you when you’d been unconscious, and another of your troopers, Uma, had revealed to us that Sans, Hex, Steele, and Aid had a rather harsh argument, with Sans even threatening to court martial Hex.”

“What?” you say, anger boiling inside of you. “I was not aware of this.”

“You were given quite the…information overload when you did wake up,” Obi Wan comments. “Especially regarding your child.”

“Yes, but I don’t think I could have gone long without figuring that out,” you reply. “Besides, I should know what’s going on with my men.”

“In the state you were in, all you needed to worry about was recovering,” Plo says. “But now that you are back and in better health, perhaps you can convince your battalion to go on some missions?”

“Yeah, I’ll do that,” you reply, “just after they finish their cleaning duty.”

“I think that’s a fine idea,” Obi Wan says, “that hangar is pretty dirty.”

“Yes, it does need a nice deep clean, but perhaps more than just her troopers should help. I think the 501st is currently free, might you have Anakin send his troopers to help? And have Commander Cody supervise as well, please.”

“Yes, Master,” Obi Wan says, nodding to you before walking to the elevators to go find Anakin.

“Do you by chance know where Codo is?” you ask, and Mace nods. “Could you tell me where?”

“He should be in the gardens meditating, as he often is,” Mace jokes, “I’ll walk with you, I am heading there myself.”

“Okay,” you say, smiling to Plo before following Mace to the elevator.

“How was your time on Dohbar? Were you able to recover your memory?”

“Yes, I was. I’m painfully aware that it’s fully back,” you say.

“Painfully aware? I’m assuming that’s referring to what happened with everyone you’ve lost?”

“Yes, it is. I also feel extremely guilty about not doing anything to find Tayah.”

“You did what you could to try and save her, and it’s not your fault that she was taken. I promise you, we will help you look for her when it is possible, but we must focus on the war right now.”

“Thank you, Mace,” you say, and he turns and hugs you, and you let his comfort surround you. “I just…I don’t know how well I’ll be able to focus on the war with, well, everything.”

“I understand. We can only ask you to do what you’re able. We will not push you more than you can handle.”

“Thank you,” you say again, and pull away from the hug to continue heading to the gardens. “I think that, since I’m so close to the end of my pregnancy, I’m going to try to convince the 17th to head out under Codo’s command, but also under my instruction. I will still be on the Venators and help plan missions and attacks, but I will have Codo fill the spot that I would hold.”

“I think that is a good plan, but keep in mind that you two are very different Jedi. Codo does not have your…passion, and he is more careful than you. He’s very slow and methodical, while you are better at improvisation. Your plans may work, but also let him add some input, as he will be the one fighting.”

“I will,” you reply, noting in your mind that Codo is also quite a bit older than you, and doesn’t move in the same ways that you do. He is also more defensive, and does not often rush into battle like you do. You wonder if pairing him and the 17th up will be a good idea, but before you can think too much, you’re walking out into the garden and finding him meditating.

You sit across from him and enter your own state of meditation, reaching out to him through the force. He happily lets you into his mind, and it’s here that you have a conversation.

My child, he says, I have missed you.

I’ve missed you too, Codo.

How are you? Are you better?

Yes, but it was a painful process.

I’d imagine so. I’m sorry that I could not be there to help you through it.

Your words and love were with me, so I knew you were always there if I truly needed.

My child, you mean the galaxy to me, I hope you know that.

I do, Codo. You’re my buir, and soon to be ba’buir of Echoa. You mean the galaxy and more to me.

I suppose you didn’t just come here to let me know you’re back?

Well…No. I wanted to know if you’d be willing to work with me and the 17th, and take my position on the battlefield with them.

If they cooperate this time, then yes, I’d be honored to lead your men in battle.

Thank you. You’re probably the only one they’d trust, even if they need a bit of encouragement to do so.

Their dedication and loyalty to you is admirable. I’m sure that once this war is over, plenty of them will remain by your side.

I will gladly let them if that is what they truly want. I just hope this war ends soon, I don’t want Echoa to have to grow up in it, and without me.

I’m sure it’ll end in the right time, Codo says.

But when is the right time?

I cannot answer that question, my child. But I agree with you in that I hope it is soon. Now, why don’t we go make some nice dinner? I miss cooking with you.

Yes! We can have ebruah and stemau!

Of course, your favorites. Perhaps we can add some Mon Calamari cuisine as well?

Uh…sure… you respond, making a face even in your meditation.

Oh, I won’t force you to eat it. You always did refuse to eat it as a child.

You just stick your tongue out at him before he comes out of meditation, and when he does, he escorts you back to your quarters. There, you prepare a big meal, and invite Jawa Squad over to eat with you when they’re done. Of course, soon enough after you comm them, much too soon to have actually finished, there’s a knock at your door, and five eager troopers are waiting outside to have some fresh food, much better than the mess hall slop.

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bobattef · 1 year

Text

The new help.

POV: After a deal went south very quickly you needed a way off the planet asap and a no nonsense bounty hunter was your best bet.

You’ve since become very helpful for the Mandalorian, your knowledge of spacecraft means he has an on board mechanic, a co-pilot (when he allows) and with the skills that come with having younger siblings, also a live in baby sitter and chef for that little green child of his.

But after a particular hunt finds him being intoxicated with a certain pollen, he ends up needing your help in another way.

The child was snoozing away under the safety shields of his floating crib, the porg soup you had made was stewing away on the stove nicely, awaiting the return of the Mandalorian and you were sat flicking through some sort of old magazine you had found when tidying up earlier.

Something that the bounty hunter you had accompanied across the Galaxy for the last 2 weeks obviously didn’t agree with as he almost kicks down the door of the Razor Crest.

“Mando!” You shout out, just as the child screech’s its annoyance at being woken up!

The Bounty hunter doesn’t say a word as he stomps past you sat at the table and up into the cock pit, shutting the door behind him in a huff.

You practically glare holes in the back of his Beskar helmet the whole time, not saying a word as you take the crying child in your arms, rocking back and forth, trying to calm him.

A few minutes pass, you don’t hear a peep from the cock pit, as you place the child back into his crib. You click the shield shut thanking the stars that you managed to get him back to sleep.

That’s when the Mandalorian decides to show again, this time your finger flies up to your lips “shhhhh” you sound angry with it.

You can’t see his face but you know he rolls his eyes at you as he stalks past into the refresher out back.

*what is up with him!* you think to yourself.

You’re not exactly friends, but you’ve definitely tolerated one another on this weird journey you’ve found yourself in.

You’re here to cook for him, clean for him, you even look after his child!

Yes, he saved you from certain death back on Nevarro but you’re basically a housewife!

Plus, with the extra add ons like knowing your way around space craft mechanics, and flying them to boot!

He’s never once said thank you.

He has a major lack of people skills you know but even just a nod of appreciation won’t go a miss.

Because of all this racing through your mind you find yourself storming after him, banging on the fresher door.

He doesn’t answer.

“Mando! What’s going on?” you bang again, a little quieter this time, remembering the sleeping child in the next room.

“Ergh, what?” he grunts at you.

*the cheek of him!*

“Why are you being so…” you start to ask him but get cut off with him barking back.

“just go away!”

You’re taken a back, he’s never spoke to you like this. Even when hunts have gone wrong, which this one clearly has as there’s no bounty laying unconscious in the hold right now. He’s never snapped at you.

Given you the silent treatment yes but you usually warm him round once he sees you playing with the child or serving up one of his favourite dishes.

“What’s your problem??” you snap back at him.

You should probably leave it, maybe he’s finally had enough of you and…

*thud* you hear something hit the fresher door.

“Mando?” you’re concerned now.

“Are you hurt?”

“Urgh…n…no” he manages to let out.

His voice sounds closer now, you work out it’s him that thudded against the door.

“Are you sure?” you push.

“Yes!” he breathes out loudly, like it’s painful for him to talk to you.

“Mando, if you want me to leave then just say! I know you’ve had me around for longer than our original deal but if you just…”

“No! No, it’s not that Y/N!” he rasps out your name.

*Why is he talking like this?* you wonder.

“I’m just, I need…” he’s almost whispering now.

“You need??” you repeat.

“Just need, a few…er, moments to my…self” he’s struggling to get his words out.

“Mando! Open the door!” there’s something wrong, he’s not usually like this!

You don’t hear anything so go to click the release button this side of the door but it’s like he senses you doing so and quickly cries out,

“No, don’t come in. I can’t..I can’t have you see me like…like this” he seems to be moving around doing something, he’s struggling with something.

“If you’re hurt I can get the medi kit!” you press your ear up to the door, to work out what’s happening the other side.

“No medi kit will help me now” he breathes out.

“I’ve been…I’ve had a…an exposure to a…erm…” he trails off.

You’re confused.

You hear the pot of porg soup simmer over and practically have to pull yourself away from the fresher door to run and switch the heat off.

When you return you sound more exasperated.

“Mando! Just kriffing tell me what’s going on or I’ll break this damn door down!“

“Ergh” he believes you will “I’ve had a run in with a certain plant!” he’s talking through gritted teeth right now.

“A plant??” if he’s making this up for you to leave him alone then…

“A Pheromone Ivy plant!” he shouts out.

“Oh…” *realisation hits you*

You’ve heard of this plant, never seen it mind.

But a few dealers used to sell it on the streets of Nevarro, and I’m sure the same goes for across the whole Galaxy.

It was supposed to lower inhibitions, increase libido and make men maintain an erection.

“Any…antidotes?” you say, breaking the silence that’s fallen between you two.

“Not that I could..find!” he answers back quickly.

“Can you not…help…yourself?” you don’t know what to say and find yourself trying to offer something, anything.

“Why do you think I’ve been in here for so long??” it’s his turn to sound annoyed.

“It hasn’t helped??” it wasn’t a question, you were just surprised.

“No!” he rasps out.

You glance over to the child’s sleeping pod sealed shut.

*he usually naps about 2 hours* you think to yourself. Working something out…

“Do you” you gulp down, unsure wether you should continue “do you want me to…help?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Mando?” you call out softly this time.

You hear him exhale, loudly.

“Maybe if I…”

“No” he cuts you off cruelly.

“Ok!” He didn’t have to answer so quickly you think, then stop your thoughts.

Are you seriously annoyed he doesn’t want to?

Have you ever wanted him to?

“I don’t want…” he starts to say.

“Well. Maybe we can find a brothel or something in town?” you say quickly, not wanting to hear his rejection out loud.

He chuckles. Have you ever heard him laugh before?

“No…Y/N” he’s back to struggling for words again.

“I just don’t want…it like this the first…the first..with you” he can’t seem to finish his sentence.

Is it because of the symptoms from this plant? Or because he can’t find the words to tell you that he’s thought about you in more ways than just the help around here.

There’s been a few nights where he couldn’t help himself.

Laying in his bed cot, knowing you were a few feet away in the spare bunk, he touched himself thinking of you.

The way your tank top clung to every curve of your body as you got out the swimming lake that night on Naboo.

How the sweat dripped down your chest after you had worked for hours on the crest under the forest tree canopy’s.

Maker, he wanted to take you right there seeing how skilled you were with his spacecraft.

Or when you were sunning yourself on top of the crest on Tatooine.

He watched you for a bit longer than he should of as he knew you were topless, if only he could turn you over, onto your back…

“Talk to me Mando” your voice interrupts his thoughts as you find yourself sitting on the Crest floor, you lean your head back on the door now, mimicking his position from the other side.

You don’t mean to change your voice but it stirs something deep down inside the Mandalorian.

“Maker!” he almost cries out and you bite your lip.

Is this turning you on? You’ve never seen the bounty hunter in this way before.

Yes there’s a certain stance about him. When he enters a room, any room, every one stops and stares at him. But you always thought it was in fear.

But now, maybe it wasn’t always fear? It’s something else.

“Y/N, I can’t” he lets out a shaky breath.

“You can’t what?” you almost whisper to him.

“If I open this door…” he starts to say.

“Mmm hmm?” you reply, why is he dragging this out for you.

“What if i… what if I can’t stop?” he sighs.

You inhale deeply.

What is this plant?!

You know he would have spent that time in the cock pit earlier, searching up symptoms and antidotes on this thing but has he read more?Something he’s afraid of?

“Then I’ll have to...” you start to say slowly “fight you myself…” you smile and hear him let out a laugh against the door.

You seem to wait what feels like a long while for his answer.

You almost go to ask again but instead you hear him move on the other side of the door before the release clicks open.

You’re not sure what you expected to see when that door opened but he didn’t expect you to be on the ground.

Looking down on you, his visor boring into your face. He had shed his armour, everything but his helmet, which you definitely expected!

His undershirt was also on the pile on the floor, his chest bared and covered in sweat, just his slacks hung low around his hips, exposing the v lines there.

You couldn’t help but drop your eyes to the hair trailing down past their waistband from his navel, noticing he has a hand down there already.

You had no words, just swallowed down a breath you didn’t realise you were holding.

*stars* you looked a sight, on your knees in front of him, he’s thought of you here a few times in those moments he had alone.

Your head tilted up towards him, your throat being exposed, he can see you swallow hard and his cock twitches in his hand.

You lean up on your knees, resting your ass on your calves so you’re a little higher, perfect eye line with his crotch.

The Mandalorian sucks in a breath as you reach up to his waistband.

It’s been a while since you’ve had the closeness of another man.

You argue with yourself, nice and slow or just go for it? but your brain clicks into gear about helping the bounty hunter, this is what you’re here for…

To only help elevate his symptoms. Right?

You don’t take your eyes off that dark visor of his, knowing that his eyes would be on you, you pull his slacks down, freeing his beautiful cock.

*stars! It’s big!* you’re not sure wether it’s due to the after effects of the ivy or he’s just blessed in that area but your cunt flutters at the sight of him.

You must of pulled a face of some kind as the Mandalorian makes a low rumble sound from beneath that helmet of his.

You don’t realise you’re biting your lip until you dart your tongue out at them, wetting them slightly.

You grab him from behind his thighs, using them to guide himself to your mouth and to stable yourself.

You flickered your eyes from his length, which he is pumping now, the affects of the ivy crying out to be touched.

You look up to his face, almost waiting for a go ahead.

He slowly nods, the Beskar of his helmet glinting in the low light as he leans back against the door frame of the fresher as you take him in your mouth.

The sound that comes out of him is one you want to replay over and over.

It’s glorious, like your lips are the most heavenly of things to touch right now for him!

He almost comes, there and then and feels like he should, to maybe calm down these ridiculous symptoms of his! But he takes in a huge breath as you start to flick your tongue over the head of his cock.

You can taste the pre cum there, or perhaps it’s from where he already tried to help himself earlier on?

You wonder how many times this bounty hunter is going to be spilling his seed tonight.

You start to move your mouth up and down his shaft, licking as you go along.

He’s possibly the biggest you’ve ever had and you know you won’t be making it to the base of his cock but you’ll be damned if you’re not going to be trying your best.

“Ah, Y/N!” he cries out. You love the sound of him moaning out your name. Why haven’t you done this before??

He grabs your hair with his hand, making it into some sort of pony tail as he almost holds your head in position whilst he starts fucking your mouth.

He gets closer and closer to the back of your throat, your eyes are watering now as spit also starts to run down the corner of your mouth.

You hollow your cheeks and wrap a hand around the bottom part of his cock that you can’t quite reach.

The Mandalorian picks up his pace, practically shoving his cock down your throat, willing you to make more room for him to fill.

The noises coming from the hull of the razor crest right now are divine on your ears.

The noise of his cock, moving in and out of your mouth, sloppy and fast.

The bounty hunter moaning your name over and over, giving you all sorts of compliments.

He calls you his good girl and you can feel yourself start to soak your underwear.

You start to feel the tensing of his muscles as you dig deep into the flesh of his thighs.

He’s close. Just a few more flicks of your tongue and…

All sorts of profanities escape his lips as you feel that warm sensation of his come, hitting the back of your throat. You swallow every bit, lapping it up like a hungry scavenger who’s been starved of her last meal.

He buckles, his legs almost giving way to the pleasure he’s feeling right now.

He’s panting as he slowly pulls out of your mouth, not taking his visor off you.

You smirk up to him. Satisfied that he seemed to of enjoyed that, not just because he needed to rid of his symptoms from the Pheromone Ivy, but he really did want to do that to you.

He stumbles back on to a cargo crate that’s in the hull, pulling up his slacks. He looks such a sight as he’s perched on the edge of the crate catching his breath back.

You stay sat on your knees on the floor, silence falls across the hull apart from the Mandalorian’s breaths.

After him not saying a word to you for a few moments you get up, rising slowly from your feet, you’re not sure if he’s having second doubts or something.

You start to walk past him, going to check up on the child and the pot of food you had left, deciding you’d just carry on with what you were doing before.

*Was this a mistake?* your thoughts start to run but get cut off suddenly when you feel his hand grabbing your arm, stopping you from walking away.

“No, not yet” his breathing starts to quicken once again as you stare at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“I’m not done…not yet” he says as he pulls you closer to him, you’re now standing in between his legs.

You can’t help but glance down to his waist, noticing his cock is straining against the fabric there.

“Stars!!” you breathe out “that quick?” you’re in shock. You can still taste him in your mouth and yet here he is, rock hard and panting in lust once again.

“If you don’t want to I, I underst…” he starts to mumble but you stop him by putting your hand to his mouth.

“Mando,” you whisper to him “I do want to”

That was all it took for the Bounty Hunter to make his move, his arms wrap around the bottom of your ass, grabbing the flesh there as he stands up.

Being so close to him you suddenly realise just how tall he is.

He twists your whole body round, now stood behind you whilst your back is flushed against his chest, you can feel his cock jutting out into your lower back.

“Maker!” is all you can muster for words as the Mandalorian grabs the top of your combats, pulling them down past your asscheeks, stopping only due to your boots holding them up.

Using one foot he kicks your legs further apart at the same time his hand splays across the top of your shoulders pushing you down, the crate being the perfect height to bend you at the waist.

Your eyes almost pop out of your head, you see just how vulnerable you are right now and think back to his “what if I can’t stop” comment.

“M…Mando?” you can barely talk as your heart is slamming against your chest, it’s being pressed into the wood, held by one of his huge hands.

You’re gripping the edges of the crate right now, bracing yourself for what ever is coming your way. But you feel something cool and metal being shoved into your hand…a stun gun.

“Wha…what’s this for??” even your voice is strained in concern.

“In case I can’t stop” the bounty hunters words send a chill down your spine.

“Dank ferrik!” you say under your breath.

He pulls your underwear to one side, teasing the folds of your cunt with two of his fingers still gloved you notice in pleasure.

Your body starts to relax against his hand, cupping you from behind when in one quick movement, he’s shoving his cock deep inside you, bottoming out right to the hilt.

He’s talking in some sort of other language right now as you feel your body trying to get away, pushing further into the crate as he pushes further into you.

The walls of your cunt burning with the oh so sudden stretching feeling of him inside you.

*stars he’s so big!!* you move your one free hand from the edge of the crate and outstretch it to hold on the other side.

*maker* he thought your mouth was the perfect hole to swallow his cock but the way your lips are gripping him right now he throws up silent thank you to the stars.

“M..Mando” your voice is low and heavy which pulls him out of his trance.

He starts to move his hips, almost pulling the whole way out and then slamming it back inside of you.

There’s no way you’ll be walking right for the rest of the night, not even the week!

You’re not sure he’s aware but one of his legs is pressed into the back your thigh, you know it’s going to leave a bruise there.

As will his fingers that are digging into your hips, holding you in place whilst he tries to free himself from the effects of the toxins.

He quickens his pace, almost seeing the tip of his cock slide out of you before disappearing back inside your walls with a snap.

You cry out, you don’t mean to but the sensations from feeling him baring down on you feels, good? You’re not sure.

Your moans are cut off by the mandalorian grasping a hand over your mouth.

The way your cunt is pulsating around him, he’s starting to see stars, he loves being buried inside you.

Yes, he would have preferred it being in a slightly more relaxing matter but he’s never gotten the courage to build up to ask you for this.

*He could fuck you forever* he thinks to himself as he feels that built up tension rising inside him for the 3rd time tonight.

He secretly prays to maker that this…encounter…won’t scare you away.

He loves your company aboard this ship.

You’ve been more than kind to him and he’s never really shown you any praise for the many things you done for him and the child.

“Ah…Y/N!” He feels himself boiling over. “Where?” he grunts out, not sure if you could hear him over the sounds that are bouncing off the walls of the crest right now.

The wet noises from your cunt, being pounded by him and his balls smacking against the skin of your arse as he’s ramming into you.

He’ll be remembering this sound for a long time.

He’s so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed you were answering him. He drops his hand from your mouth to let you talk.

“In..in…inside” you try to say as your whole body is being slammed into the crate.

You think he can’t hear you so, dropping the stun gun to the floor, you point to the very top of your thigh, it’s a contraceptive patch.

“It’s…it’s safe” you don’t mean to cry out but despite him chasing his own high to help get rid of those symptoms, he’s also hitting the sweet spot inside you.

He doesn’t make any sense in the noise he makes as he comes inside you. Moving his hand that was holding you down, he wraps it around the back of your neck as he fucks it deeper into you, starting to slow his movements.

*dank ferrik* you feel as though you’ve lost your moment of climaxing yourself.

Quickly forgetting the disappointment as you remember you were only being used to help the bounty hunter get over his symptoms from the Ivy!

Right?

You start regulating your thoughts as you’re still laid across the crate with the Mandalorian inside you.

You feel his fingers move underneath you to rest on your clit.

The sensation makes you jolt as a moan escapes your lips.

It feels so sensitive there right now.

“Shhh mesh’la” the Mandalorian whispers from behind you.

He’s speaking Mandoa, you realise but get distracted by how good it feels to have him rubbing circles on your sweet spot.

You go to speak “again? We’re going again?” you whimper out to him.

You hear a low rumble of a laugh as he starts to quicken his pace with his fingers.

You glance down at the stun gun that you had dropped earlier as your legs start to go to jelly, and you feel that tightening feeling in your stomach.

“You’re going to come” he breathes out through his modulator “on my cock”

You don’t have any words.

“Y/N!” he calls out to you, pressing himself deeper into you “do you hear me?”

“Y…yes” you can’t focus on talking, his hands are doing the most magical of things on your clit right now.

“Maker!” you don’t mean to be loud but you’ve drowned out everything else that’s going on in that ship.

All you can see, hear, feel, is him.

“Ah Mando!!” you don’t seem to be getting told off for being vocal this time.

“It’s Din” he whispers to you, his voice sending signals straight to you core.

“Olaror cyar’ika” his words tip you over the edge.

You come, hard, over his cock that’s still buried inside you.

He lets out a hmm of praise to you as he rubs the cheeks of your arse as you’re glad for the crate. It’s holding you up from being reduced to a puddle on the floor of this ships hull!

#smut #the mandalorian #starwars #warnings #18+#din darjin #18+ fanfic #pov

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supernovaslut · 1 year

Text

Chapter 1: The Bounty

Din Djarin x OC

Word Count: 3.8k

Warnings: MDNI, canon typical violence, Mando being Mando, nothing crazy here since it’s really just exposition

Masterlist ~ Next Chapter

A low chatter filled the dimly lit bar as Astra wiped down a table. Her dark red hair pulled back into two braids, loose strands tickling her tan cheeks as she turned to welcome a customer.

“Hey, Sully. Usual?” she called to the older man as he entered, earning a wave and a nod.

Astra reached behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of a viscous blue liquid, pouring it into a glass. She slid the glass down the counter to Sully’s awaiting hand.

“Never gets old,” Sully laughed as Astra hopped over the bar with a weightless grace.

“How’s the kid?” Astra asked, turning her back to the man to wash glasses and watch him through the mirror set in between the liquor shelving.

“She got a job shadowing a senator. Can you believe it? My daughter in the Senate … one day. Big things are coming for her,” Sully beamed.

Astra smiled back at him through the mirror, rinsing a cup, “Where are they sending her?”

Sully scoffed, “Hosnian Prime. I get they don’t wanna put all their spice in one freighter, but Hosnian Prime?”

“I hear it’s nice there. Been wanting to visit for Equinox Day,” Astra said, a light giggle leaving her lips.

Sully grumbled, “Why leave Coruscant? The future is happening all around us!”

“Some people just need a change of scenery. Doesn’t have to be permanent,” she placated, setting a glass to the side to dry.

“Maybe,” Sully muttered, downing the rest of his drink, “Thanks, Aradne. Same time tomorrow?”

He tossed a few credits on the bar as Astra nodded at him from the mirror, “Take care, Sully.”

Astra continued to wash the glasses, back to the door. She hummed a tune as she cleaned each glass in a sand-colored top that wrapped around her back, crossed over her chest, and wrapped back around her stomach. Her black pants sat snugly on her hips, but billowed in the legs before cinching over her tattered black boots. Black fabric wrapped up her forearms, a gold chain peeking out from her neck, the end hidden under her top. A jagged scar cut across her eyebrow, stopping just short of her eye. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as the door opened.

“Be with you in a second,” Astra called. She set the last glass off to dry and spun around to face a tall, shiny man. A Mandalorian, Astra quickly recognized. She hadn’t seen one in … stars, who knew how long? She thought they’d just about all died out.

“Haven’t seen you here before, Shiny. Passing through?” Astra asked as he sat down, his stare bearing down on her through the T-shaped slat in his helmet.

“Something like that,” he finally said, voice modulated. Astra couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine. She eyed the Mandalorian warily, a foreboding sense clouding her mind. Something was off with this man.

“What can I get you?” Astra asked, grabbing a towel with her left hand as her right slowly reached under the bartop.

“I’m not here to drink,” the Mandalorian said, cocking his head to the side ever so subtly.

“Then what are you here for? We just got a shipment of Porg meat and the cook makes great Porg kebabs with Jogan fruit. I know it sounds strange, but I promise it’s worth it,” Astra smiled kindly, her beating heart betraying her calm demeanor as her fingers wrapped around the blaster taped under the table.

The Mandalorian tossed a black fob on the bar, its red light beeping wildly. Astra looked between the fob and the Mandalorian, back and forth and back again.

Maker, save me, she thought before whipping the blaster out and taking a shot at the Mandalorian’s head. He ducked out of the way, giving Astra time to grab her satchel beside her, bound over the bar, and fly out the door.

Astra bolted down the street, turning down alleys and flying over obstacles, not daring to look back. The Mandalorian was hot on her trail, albeit a tad less gracefully. Where Astra deftly side-stepped around a barrier, the Mandalorian hurdled over it. Where Astra squeezed between beings, the Mandalorian barreled through them.

Astra slid in through an open door, losing herself within the mass of people in what seemed to be an art exhibition. She reached down to her wrist, pulling back the fabric to reveal a watch-like device. She twisted the rim of it and her hair changed color. She twisted it a few more times, her hair cycling through colors until it settled on a light brown. She pulled the blue-colored contacts out of her eyes, dropping them in a passerby’s drink.

She spotted a tan jacket unattended on a chair back and slid it over her shoulders as she passed, making her way through the back door and out into an alleyway. Astra looked down each end, ensuring the coast was clear before letting out a deep breath, bending over with her hands on her knees.

“Stars above, that was close,” she sighed to herself.

Just as she straightened up, a metal arm swung towards her, slamming her against the wall of the building. Astra groaned as the hand wrapped around her throat, the other grabbing the blaster out of her hand and holding it in place against the wall.

The Mandalorian looked down at her, squeezing her throat just the slightest bit harder. She choked, her free hand reaching up to her neck to try to pry his hand off.

“Please,” Astra croaked, “I can’t go back.”

The Mandalorian’s grip loosened at that. He didn’t know about his bounty’s crime. That was never his business. His job was to retrieve the bounties, no questions asked, and he’d get his reward. That’s how it had always been, until the Child. Everything he upheld in the Guild shattered the second he ran off with the Child not even 2 days ago.

Now, he was in Coruscant, chasing a bounty given to him by the Client that wanted the Child. The Mandalorian knew that the woman pinned to the wall would be useful to him, one way or another.

“What do you mean?” he asked, loosening his grip enough for her to speak.

Astra glared up at the Mandalorian and spit on his helmet, her feet bucking up and pushing out against his armored chest, launching him away from her and into the opposite alley wall. Astra took the chance to run again, speeding down the alley and across the street, her feet pounding against the ground hard and fast.

Astra turned down an alley and slid to a stop just a few away from a 15 foot tall wall blocking her escape. She turned as the Mandalorian stepped into the alley, a hand on his blaster.

“I can bring you in warm … or I can bring you in cold. Your choice,” the Mandalorian threatened.

"Bet you use that line on all the girls, huh?" Astra mocked, backing up till her back hit the wall.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. A second passed. Two. She opened them again and turned to the wall on her left, jumping impossibly high up and off the wall, leveraging her up to where she could just reach the top of the barrier wall and pull herself over.

“I really need a jetpack,” the Mandalorian said as he watched her disappear over the wall. He heard her land with a harsh thud as he approached the wall. On the other side, Astra leaned against the wall, her right leg holding her weight as her left hung limply.

“You can run all you want. I’ll still find you,” the Mandalorian warned.

Astra let out a breathy laugh from the other side, “I’d like to see you try, Buckethead!”

Astra pushed herself off the wall and started running awkwardly, her left leg slowing her down tremendously. She hoped the barrier wall would buy her enough time as the Mandalorian would have to run around the whole building to reach the other side. She smiled at the thought.

She miraculously made it around the corner, down the street, and up a fire escape ladder before crouching down on a roof. She looked over the edge, checking if the Mandalorian had seen her.

“Find me now, you dumb, shiny- ah!” Astra’s insults were cut short as a hand grabbed the satchel strap wrapped around her and pulled, her black sliding against the pebbled rooftop and stopping at the Mandalorian’s feet. She spun her body around, ignoring the scratching pain from the rocks under her back and swiping the Mandalorian’s legs out from under him.

Astra scrambled to her feet and ran to the edge of the building.

“Wait!” the Mandalorian cried just as Astra leapt off the building.

The Mandalorian watched with bated breath. The split between the buildings was far too wide to land a jump, especially in her condition, yet the woman soared through the air like a bird taking flight … before harshly landing on the neighboring roof, her weak leg buckling under her, sending her rolling to a sharp stop against a protruding air conditioner unit.

Astra groaned, slowly turning herself skyward, her vision blurring as a shiny metal head came into view. She tried to speak, letters jumbling up in her mouth as the metal man reached down to pick her up.

“I can’t … no,” was all Astra managed before the darkness took her.

•┈┈┈┈┈┈••✦ ⋆★⋆ ✦••┈┈┈┈┈┈•

A small girl. Hair wound in braids pinned to her head, her linen dress billowing in the breeze. A large, black figure looms in the distance, men the size of ants growing larger and larger until a hand shoots across, spinning the girl into view. Her green eyes reflect a woman, screaming, her voice muddled in the distance, growing clearer and clearer until–

“Run! Astralis, run! Go, hide now!”

The sound of blaster fire. A black cape, pulsing red light dying in the darkness of the fabric. The cape swallows the girl whole.

•┈┈┈┈┈┈••✦ ⋆★⋆ ✦••┈┈┈┈┈┈•

Astra woke with a start, a gasp ripping from her mouth followed by a deep groan. She reached a hand to her throbbing left knee, or at least attempted to until cold metal bit into the skin of her wrist, restricting her motion.

“What the kriff…?” Astra blearily wondered aloud, the fog in her mind clearing with each passing second.

Astra looked around her. Metal, harsh lighting, crates, a small green baby, her satchel. Wait. Astra slowly turned her head back towards the green being, its eyes staring back at her. They were quite large, filled to the brim with black yet they reflected nothing by peacefulness. A light in the darkness.

The child slowly approached her, its eyes never leaving hers. Something tethered between them pulled tight, inching them closer and closer.

“What are you, little one?” she asked, a shackled hand reaching out as much as she could, the child doing the same as he stepped closer. Their fingers were hardly an inch apart before the hiss of a door stole both the child and captive’s attention.

The Mandalorian rushed in, helmet quickly scanning the room before locking on the child, scooping him up.

“I told you to stay out of here,” the Mandalorian hushedly chided.

Astra looked the man up and down, light bouncing off the silver armor that covered his body. Maybe it was because Astra was on the ground, but she hadn’t realized how large and imposing the Mandalorian was, even with a baby in his arms.

“Cute kid,” Astra jibed, earning a slight turn of the Mandalorian’s helmet before he spun around and left the room, the door shutting behind him. Astra sat in the silence, her mind trying to concoct a million escape plans.

She can’t kill him. She’d barely get past the armor unless she used … no. Astra shook her head. Wait. Her head whipped toward her satchel across the room. Some bounty hunter, she thought. Why would he leave her bag in the same room as her? Perhaps to taunt her, thinking she couldn’t possibly break out of her chains. She would prove him wrong.

•┈┈┈┈┈┈••✦ ⋆★⋆ ✦••┈┈┈┈┈┈•

An hour later Astra had barely made a scratch on her bonds, finding nothing useful within reach save a piece of chipped wood no larger than her thumb. Maybe the Mandalorian did intend to taunt her, making her struggle uselessly until he dropped her off at the feet of– no. She would make it out of here or she’d die. Anything was better than going back.

The hiss of the door made her jump as she quickly hid the now sharpened wooden shiv in the waistband of her pants. The Mandalorian stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. He looked down at Astra, the pitch black visor blocking her from reading her captor’s expressions, leaving her wondering if he’d come to simply check on her or hurt her.

He took a step towards Astra, her frantic mind making her gasp and scoot back involuntarily, eyebrows raised in alarm. He stopped before taking two hesitant steps forward, treating the girl like a wounded animal. He slowly pulled a crate between them before sitting on it, making a point to show his blaster on his hip, at the ready in case she made any sudden movements.

“What do you want?” Astra spoke first, her voice steadier than she expected.

Mando stared back at her. He studied her face, her eyes the color of an aurora where upon their meeting they had been a deep blue. His eyes wandered to her disheveled hair, her natural blonde now that he’d stripped her of anything that wasn’t clothing, including her quick disguise gadget. The deep scar that sliced her eyebrow shifted as the girl looked up at him, a fire in her eyes that betrayed her huddled stance. He was smart to be wary of her. She was not what she seemed.

“What did they offer? I can pay double,” the girl bartered, snapping Mando back to attention.

“No, you can’t,” he answered.

“Ah, so he does speak,” the girl snidely remarked, sticking her chin out as she glared at him. Mando thought of all the questions he needed to ask her, debating which first question would get her to open up fastest.

“Do you know who put the bounty on you?” he finally asked. The girl furrowed her eyebrows, suspicion flooding her mind.

“I’ve got a pretty good guess. What? You need directions? Well, good luck with that,” the girl humorlessly chuckled. Mando stared at her for a long moment, debating whether to show all his cards so soon.

“I’m not turning you in,” he admitted. This got the girl’s attention. “But I need you to answer some questions,” he added, deflating her again.

“Well, I’m not answering anything, Buckethead.” The girl turned her head away from Mando, as if he didn’t matter. As if she wasn’t chained to the wall of his ship in the vast emptiness of space.

“Well, then maybe I will turn you in,” Mando threatened, the impudent girl getting on his nerves.

Astra froze. She thought over how to play the Mandalorian in the same way he was trying to do to her. He was her captor and as much as she wanted to stab her little wooden stake into the fleshy part between his chest plate and helmet, she needed him to get free.

“Fine,” Astra huffed, turning back to the Mandalorian, “But for every question you ask me, I get to ask you one in return.”

“You’re not in a place to be making demands,” the Mandalorian rebuked.

“Then I guess we can sit here and stare at each other,” Astra smiled.

The Mandalorian let out a deep, modulated sigh, “Fine.”

“Ok, well you already asked me a question so it’s my turn,” Astra said before the Mandalorian could fill the silence, “What’s with the green baby?”

Mando looked at her incredulously. This girl was a bounty trapped on a spaceship with a Mandalorian in the middle of space without a clue of what the closest planet might be and her first question is about the Child?

“He’s my ward,” Mando answered simply.

“Really? That’s all I get?” the girl scoffed.

Mando ignored her, asking, “Why is there a bounty on you?”

“I escaped. They didn’t like that,” the girl answered as cryptically as he had.

“Who’s ‘they’?”

“Ah, ah. My turn. Why’d you take me if you’re not planning to turn me in?”

Mando debated how much truth to give her, before realizing if he wanted her help, she needed to trust him, and he didn’t have time to waste with all the other bounty hunters looking for the Child.

“The person who hired me to find you is the same one that wanted the kid. I didn’t let them take the kid … didn’t trust them with him, but just about every bounty hunter in the galaxy is looking for him now, so I need to know what I’m dealing with,” Mando answered.

“And you thought I would be able to point you in the right direction? Sorry, but I’ve never seen anything like him before,” the girl answered, avoiding eye contact.

“But you know what they want from him, don’t you?”

The girl met his gaze, or at least her guess of it, and sighed, “Maybe.”

“I know he’s,” Mando tried to find the right word, “special.”

The girl chuckled, “That’s one way to put it. My turn. What did you do to my leg? I could barely walk by the time you caught me yet it hardly throbs now.”

“It was dislocated. I popped it back in,” he answered.

The girl’s eyes flashed with confusion, suspicion, and something he couldn’t quite place. Something quick in the flash moment that she met his eye. She couldn’t possibly see his eyes, yet he felt she could see right through his helmet.

“Why?”

“It’s my turn now. What do you know of what he is and why they want him?” he asked quickly.

The girl pursed her lips. He could see the gears turning in her mind, planning her next move and the dozen after that. This was a game of chess and she was deciding which pawn to sacrifice and when to strike.

“Why they want him, I don’t know. He’s too young for anything I can think of. As to what he is … he’s force sensitive,” Astra said, careful with every word.

The Mandalorian said nothing for a while.

“You know what the force is, right?”

“Of course I know the force. So, what? He’s a Jedi?”

Astra laughed, “No. He’s just a baby. He has a very strong connection to the force, though. Can’t you feel it?”

The Mandalorian shook his head, “You can?”

Astra stared at him for a long while. “Is that your official question?”

“Who is hunting you?” The Mandalorian shifted.

Astra smiled, “You know who they are.” “I need names.”

“I’ve been in hiding for 3 years. Kept my head down. I’ve seen enough Imperials paraded through Coruscant to know there isn’t much left of the Empire out there and I couldn’t begin to imagine who did survive,” Astra said. She crossed her legs and rested her back against the wall behind her.

“What are you going to do with me after this?” she asked lowly, eyes watching her fiddling fingers.

Mando faltered at that. All of a sudden, she seemed different. Mando wondered how she got her scar.

“I can drop you off somewhere on my way. Though, if they have more bounties on the Child, I’m sure they have more for you, too.”

The girl looked up, her brows furrowed, lips parted like she intended to speak but couldn’t make a sound. She looked back down again.

“I can help you,” she finally spoke.

Mando tilted his head in response.

“I know about the Empire and how they work. I can fight. I can run. I know when to lay low. I’ve survived this long hidden from the galaxy right at the heart of it. I know what the Child is. I can help you find his people … That’s what you want, isn’t it? Or do you plan to raise him yourself?”

“What would you get out of it?” Mando asked.

“Whoever you entrust the Child to would probably be able to help me, too, or at least point me in the right direction. Besides, if there’s a bunch of bounties on me I’d like to have a Mandalorian by my side. Not many of you around anymore,” the girl smiled like she’d just told a secret.

A long silence passed between them before Mando leaned closer, holding a small key up. The girl offered a shackled wrist, hope gleaming in her eyes.

He held the key further back, asking, “You say you’re hiding from the galaxy. Not just the remnants of the Empire. Why?”

The light in Astra’s eyes dimmed. The girl and the Mandalorian stared each other down.

Finally she spoke, “It’s not your turn anymore … What’s your name?”

No answer.

“I can tell you mine first. It’s Astra.”

Still nothing.

“You could lie to me and I'd never know. I’m very probably lying, too,” Astra smiled, a dark glint in her eyes.

The Mandalorian didn’t budge.

“Fine. I guess I’ll have to name you myself if we’re going to be around each other. I like Shiny.”

The Mandalorian sighed before grabbing her wrist and unlocking the cuff. He grabbed her other wrist, stopping to look her dead in the eyes and say, “If you give me any reason not to trust you, you do anything suspicious, you so much as look at the kid the wrong way and I will kill you. Understood?”

Astra swallowed. She knew she should be fearful of this large, metal bounty hunter, but for some reason she knew she could trust him. She knew little of the Mandalorians, but she knew they valued honor and she doubted anyone risking their life for a child that isn’t theirs could be an awful person.

“Understood … Shiny,” Astra smiled. Mando unlocked the other cuff and stood, stepping back a few steps.

Astra reached into her wrist and pulled out the wooden stake, flicking it across the room, “See? Unarmed. Completely trustworthy.”

Mando tilted his head to the side. He had a feeling he’d come to regret this.

“You can sleep wherever. Stay out of my room. Don’t touch anything.”

“Yes, mother,” Astra quipped.

“We should be arriving in about 7 hours,” Mando turned towards the door.

“Where are we going?” Astra called after him as the door opened.

He ignored her and walked away, the door closing behind him.

Astra shook her head, “Great chat, Shiny. Really great. I’ll just sleep on the floor or … some crates.” Astra looked around the room and sighed. What had she gotten herself into?

She picked up her satchel, dumping it on the floor to check its contents. Out tumbled her blaster, some credits, a ration pack, but what interested her most was the item that rolled across the floor, stopping at a crate. She bent over and picked it up, feeling the ridges of the handle. The lightsaber was silver with rings of red interspersed and three tally marks etched into the metal. She powered it on and the room glowed red.

Taglist: @elinedjarin

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des8pudels8kern · 11 months

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Look, it’s another snippet of fake Sith!Obi-Wan!

“You couldn’t just get a tooka?”

“She’s not a pet, Commander.”

“It’s not contraband, is it? How do you finance your exploits, since you insist you are not a Separatist contractor?”

“Gambling. I’m very good at sabacc, and even better at cheating at it. And she’s not contraband. She’s... a friend.”

Cody looked up at the kriffing 15-meter-long lizard parkouring across the hangar. A friend. Obviously.

“And why is your friend climbing over my hangar ceiling right now?”

“Because your men shorted the loading ramp of my ship, presumably to investigate suspicious noises once she woke up. By the way, this does not speak well of their risk assessment capabilities or common sense. I am a known terrorist.”

Cody was aware. He was also aware that most of his men now considered the Sith to be at least morally grey, even though they, unlike Cody, didn't know he wasn't as much of a Sith as he pretended to be.

“That ship is way too small to keep her in, Commander, Sir Sith,” said Ringer, who had gotten his life saved by the Sith once and clearly lost all reservations and common sense since. “Keeping her locked in there is animal cruelty.”

“Oh, I don’t usually keep her locked in. In fact, I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to get her out, but she’s faster than me, and smart enough to only ever go far enough to be back by the ship before me.”

The Sith slowly walked towards the ramp of his ship, looking up at the giant lizard that was creeping towards them. Walking upside-down on the ceiling. Its suction cup-toes were leaving a faint trail on the surface that would be very difficult to explain to any visiting Jedi, natborn, or sane clone. The lizard’s face was turned towards the Sith, neck bending to keep its eyes locked on him like a clawbird prowling towards a potential meal.

That beak would be able to crack a human skull like a porg egg.

Then the lizard dropped from the ceiling.

Cody pulled his blaster and had it aimed at the animal before it landed on the ramp, between the Sith and his ship.

Sithspit.

“Is stun going to be enough to stop it?” The vode around him had raised their own weapons now. Suddenly so close, the lizard had apparently gotten reclassified from a poor, abused animal to a veritable threat. “Shh! If we startle it, it’ll bite him in half before we’ve got a chance to find out.”

Cody agreed.

“Get back here,” he hissed at the Sith, who didn’t move even though the line of his shoulders was too relaxed for him to be frozen in fear.

We won't harm it, he thought at the Sith.

They’d figure out the correct stun setting while everybody was safely out of beak reach, then properly drug the beast, and drop it at the next habitable planet they passed by. Cody pictured the process carefully and tried to project it at the ginger head in front of him because Force knew the Sith had gotten weird about killing once he’d discovered his conscience and he had already proven he veered towards suicidal more than survival.

Then, with a force that had the Sith stumble two steps back and punched the breath out of Cody and several of the men around him, the lizard bumped the flat of his head into the Sith’s chest.

“She’s a varactyl, and her name is Boga,” the Sith said softly as Cody tried to calm his heart that was trying to escape his ribs. He buried his hands in the smaller feathers at the line of the lizard’s crest, ruffling and pruning. The lizards rumbled, forehead rubbing up and down the Sith’s front with enough strength to almost lift him up his feet. “She’s decided that I must be lonely, with no flock of my own, and has taken upon herself to keep me company.”

Someone make a choked-off sound somewhere to Cody’s right, and he lowered his blaster. The varactyl was too big to be considered harmless, but she posed no immediate threat. Still, she couldn’t stay. Cody had gotten lax with one stray, but the Sith at least was a known variable at this point.

“Can you get her back into the ship?”

“Yes,” the Sith scratched her ruff, and one of her hind-legs went pat-pat-pat against the floor. “She’s stretched her legs. Once she’s got sufficient grooming, she’ll get back inside for a nap.”

The present clones were beginning to spread out. No one tried to approach the varactyl, at least, but some slunk off towards the sides. Cody would bet his gauntlets there’d be holos of the Sith petting a giant lizard like an overgrown tooka all over the intranet soon.

“This might even have been a stroke of luck;” the Sith glanced over his shoulder, a corner of his mouth lifted in amusement, “now she will think you are my flock and let me drop her off back home!”

Then he dropped forward, half-lying on the bony ridge of her forehead, arms buried in feathers.

The varactyl’s rumbling picked up a notch, and Boil, who had no reason to be in the hangar but somehow was anyway, squealed.

Cody looked at the Sith, always so straight-backed and untouchable in his precisely tailored, flawless clothing, every line of the dark blue fabric meticulous and as much an armour as Cody’s own, lavishing affection on an animal that had left its home for him.

Was he lonely?

See here, here, here, here and here for more.

#not!fic #obi wan kenobi #commander cody #fake sith obi wan

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sun-roach · 11 months

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💤🍁🙈📖 and

💓💘💗💖

For fork please hehehe

💤: Fork has trouble to fall asleep. At night memories of his failed campaign and failures haunt him. When he manages to fall asleep, he will mostly have nightmares, where he has to watch his batch or battalion die again and again because of his mistakes.

His lucky charm, the fork he got from his batch, or the porg plush from his first campaign, helps him to calm down. Yet if you want him to have a well rested, good sleep, a hand holding his during sleep is the way to go

🍁: His favorite season is spring, where everything starts to come back to life. It gives him hope and reminds him of his first drink at 79's

🙈: Generally Fork tries to keep his emotions hidden, yet he is an open book for everyone. One thing tho he manages to keep hidden very well: his bloodlust and hate. He hates this side of him, that anger, the self-loath. He doesn’t want to cause anyone harm, but he also wants justice for the vode, for the innocent who suffer because of the war. Fork doesn’t ever want anyone to see him lose control and tends to bottle his hate away

📖: Fork loves to read. He will sometimes ask his general for some book recommendations. It just helps him keep his thoughts away from spiraling into the past.

He doesn’t have a favorite genre, but he finds himself a little obsessed about a biography of a mandalorian bounty hunter and his travels trough space

��: genuine smiles, showing interest in his interests, little kisses and subtle touches. It doesn’t take much to make his heart race

💘: he doesn’t really explicitly look for specific traits. But the partner shouldn’t be too pushy. He wants someone independent, someone safe to talk to, someone whom he can hold, who is caring and understanding and not afraid to be themselves.

Fork doesn’t believe in love at first sight yet he finds himself falling quickly for someone

💗: Around his crush, Fork is a blushing mess. He will try to act as always, but he also will initiate little touches. He will smile more often and help his crush with anything without any hesitation

💖: Outside he only does little PDA, like holding hands, though he won’t mind if his partner is a little more showy. Fork loves to do little acts of service. He likes to comb his partners hair, make them something to eat, just helping them in general. He was never a big speaker, his feeling to heavy on his tongue, so he lets his acts speak

#oc: fork #lieutenant fork #107th battalion #star wars #tcw #sw tcw #star wars oc #oc game #this took me way too long😂😂#but i luved it #thx for the ask liv🧡

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marklyttleton · 6 months

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Getting to Know Your ‘Glimmers’

Mark Lyttleton is an angel investor, business mentor and speaker. He is also a registered Associate Pranic Healer and is currently in the process of establishing a UK-based charity. This article will look at the concept of ‘glimmers’, providing strategies to help people encourage and embrace them and feel happier throughout their everyday lives.

For many people, particularly those familiar with the principles of wellness and mental health awareness, the concept of a ‘trigger’ is well understood. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Psych Central defines a trigger as a sensory reminder that causes painful symptoms or memories to resurface.

This may involve a person remembering an individual who hurt them, a traumatic event or the feelings that they experienced during a difficult period in their life. Such episodes are unpleasant at best and traumatising at worst, particularly for those with post-traumatic stress disorder.

A ‘glimmer’, on the other hand, has a positive connotation, instilling feelings of safety and joy. Essentially the opposite of a trigger, a glimmer is an internal or external cue that restores happiness and a sense of security. This could be anything from looking at a picture of a beloved pet, listening to a piece of music or seeing the skyline of a favourite city.

The concept of glimmers forms part of Polyvagal theory. The term was coined by Stephen Porges, a behavioural neuroscientist who introduced the concept in 1995. Polyvagal theory describes how the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary actions like breathing, is constantly searching for and reading cues to detect danger in a process called ‘neuroception’. Neuroception is regulated by the vagus nerve, which is also responsible for organ function.

The term ‘glimmer’ was popularised by Deb Dana’s book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, which was released in 2018. The term gained further exposure after a TikTok video produced by psychologist Dr Justine Grosso went viral in 2022.

Glimmers are precious moments that spark feelings of peace or joy, soothing the nervous system and instilling a sense of calmness and safety. They may be experienced by all senses and from a variety of different sources, from the warmth of a loved one’s embrace to the smell of freshly baked bread.

From assembling a playlist of their favourite songs to getting in touch with nature to curating their social feeds, there are various different ways that an individual can encourage and integrate glimmers into their daily lives, helping to boost their emotional wellbeing and enabling them to lead a calmer, happier and healthier life.

#mark lyttleton #wellness #health and wellness #wellbeing #glimmers #mental health #mental wellness #mental wellbeing

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emergentcounseling · 1 year

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The Polyvagal Ladder and Understanding Your Nervous System States

Safe and Social, Flight, Fight, and Freeze

Polyvagal Theory, created by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps to explain how our nervous systems are organized around felt senses of safety or danger. Our autonomic nervous system is constantly scanning our environments for cues that we can relax or that we should respond to keep ourselves safe. This process, called neuroception, happens before conscious awareness and can describe the power behind intuition.

Depending on how safe or unsafe we feel, we will occupy internal states of calm, flight, fight, or freeze. The polyvagal ladder, created by Deb Dana, is a helpful way to visualize how these autonomic nervous system states are organized within us.

Top of Ladder - Safe & Social (Ventral Vagal)

When our neuroception perceives environmental safety, we are likely to be in a calm and open state of being. This safe and social state allows us to engage positively with others and to use our full brain power - we can problem solve and be more creative in this state.

Physically, being in this state of regulation allows for healthy digestion, better immune response, deep breathing, a steady heart rate, and healthy blood pressure.

Life does not have to be perfect or without stress to mainly occupy this state. In fact, when ventral vagal is our baseline, we are more equipped to handle challenges, because we can use our brains more effectively and our bodies are more resilient.

Middle of Ladder - Flight and Fight (Sympathetic Activation)

When our nervous systems perceive danger, we are likely to move down the ladder, to states of sympathetic activation. Flight and fight are normal survival responses to danger that are easier to see in animals, who don’t also try to hide or mask what may be happening internally. This is a mobilized state of being, where our adrenaline may surge and our heart rate increases, preparing us to either run away or to fight to stay safe. Chronically being in flight or fight is linked to anxiety, panic, and anger issues.

Blood pressure tends to increase and pupils may dilate to better focus on potential dangers. You may feel hot in this state. Shallow breathing, and inhaling for longer than exhaling, are features of this state (and why panic can often feature hyperventilating).

*Hint: This is one reason why deep breathing is such an effective tool for finding calm. Especially breathing that features longer exhales than inhales. Try 4-7-8 breathing, where you breathe in to the count of 4, hold your breath for 7, and breathe out for 8. Repeat this as many times as needed until you feel your body relaxing.

Bottom of Ladder - Freeze/Shut Down (Dorsal Vagal)

On the bottom rung of the ladder, is the immobilized state of freeze, also called shut down or dissociation. This state can be seen in animals who have tried to run away but then got caught by the predator. At that point, their best option may be to shut down and go numb, so as not to feel the pain they are experiencing. Our autonomic nervous system may determine that fighting or fleeing is not an option, so it moves to the freeze response to try and stay safe. The world seems fuzzy in this state and you likely feel low energy and numb. Chronically experiencing a freeze state is linked to depression.

During freeze, your blood pressure can drop lower, you are more likely to feel cold, to have a decreased heart rate, and to hold your breath. Your limbs may feel more rigid and heavy as well.

Trauma and Stuck States

Sadly, trauma and chronically unsafe environments (emotionally or physically) can wire your nervous system to detect danger even when there is none.

Staying stuck in states of flight, fight, and freeze are also connected to greater loneliness, since it is harder to connect with others. In fact, in these states, neutral faces may be perceived as mean or threatening and calm voices can sound harsh. The world generally seems scarier and meaner when our nervous systems are activated or shut down. Because neuroception happens before conscious awareness, the stories we tell ourselves and the thoughts we have are formed through the lens of our nervous system state.

When your neuroception becomes faulty, through your body’s heroic attempt to survive and keep you safe, you are likely to perceive there is a fire when toast is burning or to live in a state of hopelessness, disconnection, or autopilot.

In order to get back to safe and social regulation from freeze, you actually need to first move up the ladder through activation. In animals who froze, but then somehow escaped danger, you will see them shake. This shaking is them moving from freeze, through, activation, before they can get to the top of the ladder, where they can find safe and social mode again. While it can be hard to move through activation if you have grown comfortable in numbness, it is necessary to really find relief and healing that will allow you to feel positively connected to yourself and to others.

While our autonomic nervous system and neuroception are automatic functions, if we can start to distinguish what state we are in, there are actions that we can take to help ourselves move up the ladder so that we can find calm again. Especially if you exist in a stuck state of flight, fight, or freeze, it is important to start training your nervous system in a new way so that safety and calm can begin to feel normal and that neural network can deepen.

Some ways to move up the ladder and train your body to more easily find safety:

4-7-8 breathing

Splash cold water on your face

Sing or hum to activate your vagus nerve

Self massage (especially your ears, neck, and face)

Play with our cuddle your furry friend

Spend time with a supportive friend (especially one that seems to be in a safe and social state themselves)

Practice restorative or yin yoga

Toss a ball back and forth with someone (this helps you to be socially engaged and connected to yourself and the other person - it requires focus to follow the ball that would be harder to access in freeze as well)

Drink water (when we are in flight/fight our mouths get dry since the body decides digesting is not a priority during survival mode)

Watch comedy (ideally with others so we can have more cues of social safety and connection)

Listen to calming or upbeat music

Practice mindfulness exercises

Speak to yourself with compassion and kindness, like a child you love

Listen to a guided meditation

Go for a run to release the activation energy

Create something

Shake or dance it out

Do progressive muscle relaxation

To visit more blogs please, click here.

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risehealingcenter · 1 year

Text

The Polyvagal Ladder and Understanding Your Nervous System States

Safe and Social, Flight, Fight, and Freeze

Top of Ladder - Safe & Social (Ventral Vagal)

Physically, being in this state of regulation allows for healthy digestion, better immune response, deep breathing, a steady heart rate, and healthy blood pressure.

Middle of Ladder - Flight and Fight (Sympathetic Activation)

Bottom of Ladder - Freeze/Shut Down (Dorsal Vagal)

During freeze, your blood pressure can drop lower, you are more likely to feel cold, to have a decreased heart rate, and to hold your breath. Your limbs may feel more rigid and heavy as well.

Trauma and Stuck States

Sadly, trauma and chronically unsafe environments (emotionally or physically) can wire your nervous system to detect danger even when there is none.

Some ways to move up the ladder and train your body to more easily find safety:

4-7-8 breathing

Splash cold water on your face

Sing or hum to activate your vagus nerve

Self massage (especially your ears, neck, and face)

Play with our cuddle your furry friend

Spend time with a supportive friend (especially one that seems to be in a safe and social state themselves)

Practice restorative or yin yoga

Drink water (when we are in flight/fight our mouths get dry since the body decides digesting is not a priority during survival mode)

Watch comedy (ideally with others so we can have more cues of social safety and connection)

Listen to calming or upbeat music

Practice mindfulness exercises

Speak to yourself with compassion and kindness, like a child you love

Listen to a guided meditation

Go for a run to release the activation energy

Create something

Shake or dance it out

Do progressive muscle relaxation

To visit more blogs please, click here.

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fancyfrey · 3 years

Text

Watching this one sided fight between a normal person and some petty bitch like

So some bored person is sending their followers to attack a random fanfic writer claiming that writing smut about two characters in a romantic relationship is plagarism. Ok honey, you didn't invent the lap dance.

#fandom drama #kanera #fanfic plagiarism #plagiarism #plagiarising common tropes??#wow there really is some toxicity in every fandom huh.#calm like a porg

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aenaxes-moved · 3 years

Text

reverie

[crosshair x f!reader] kashyyyk is beautiful at night. crosshair takes advantage of the moment of peace to sneak away. you follow.

warnings: none, just some snoggin’ with cross (you can technically read this as gn!reader if you disregard the petname)

w/c: 2.2k

a/n: NO SPOILERS! this is me coping with the current crosshair situation :’-) i wanted to explore his softer side because dammit he’s got feelings (he might be a little out of character but my house my rules heheh)

“Nice hideout you have going on.”

“Had,” Crosshair corrects without looking up, too focused on carefully wrapping a rag around the scope of his firepuncher laid carefully across his lap.

Had you heard him speak one short year ago, when you were fresh out of GARMC orientation and shunted straight onto the Marauder, you would have certainly taken the sniper’s curtness for frigidity. And you had, for your first few months with Clone Force 99, taken his flat intonation and pointed tone with a timid squeak every time he’d come in for a bacta patch or hypodermic needle.

But things were different, now.

There is no deflated resignation that he’s been discovered, hidden a good few paces away from where Tech sits entranced by the wizened green Jedi master. Nor is there icy snarl curling at the edges of his lips, that you might deign to interrupt his alone time with Darling (nobody got between Crosshair with a microfiber cloth and Darling, not even Wrecker). Instead, he acknowledges you in his cool nonchalance, beckoning in the most backhanded of ways. You grin, seizing your welcome and ducking under a thick loop of vine into the small clearing where he sits perched on a boulder.

“Was Master Yoda talking too much?” you laugh, dropping down onto the balls of your feet as you peer up at Crosshair (who still won’t tear his laser focus from polishing over the dark metal of his rifle). You wrap your arms around your knees and grin when he groans.

“General Yoda is fine; it’s Tech that keeps prattling on with him,” Crosshair mutters, scrubbing a touch more aggressively at the base of the scope.

“Oh, Cross, let him have his fun,” you chide playfully, finally earning you a disdainful glance and a raised brow. “It’s not every day that you get to interrogate one of the oldest sentient beings in the galaxy.”

“Did you just call the general old?” Crosshair snorts, flipping his toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other.

“Crosshair, how dare you accuse me like that!”

“You said it,” he shrugs, and you catch a glimpse of a fleeting smile before he turns his head back down, away, towards his rifle.

You huff, and for a moment after, there’s silence. Mostly because you know that even your best retort would be effortlessly shot down, but in part to just indulge, to look quietly at the ornery sniper you’ve come to call a dear friend, to take in him and all of his tall, confident quietude. You both know that he knows what you’re doing, drinking him in, but he says nothing every time.

It’s in these brief reveries that you catch him in his softest, purest, state, methodically cleaning the firepuncher, disassembling, reassembling, replaying the soothing knowledge and practice that every piece had its rightful place. Things would align. Even with his chin turned down, his features nearly obscured by the shadows of the jungle canopy, there’s just enough light yet to make out the slight upward turn of his lips, a wry smile around his toothpick as he unclips his scope.

“So why are you here?”

The daydream is broken, and you flicker your eyes up to his with an embarrassed cough when you notice he’s been staring back. And if his smug half-smile has anything to say, it’s a triumphant and coy I caught you.

“Well,” you laugh, quietly pushing down the rising heat high in your neck. “I wanted to try to see the night sky on Kashyyyk before we leave, but I’m too scared to go alone.” You plaster on the sickliest of smiles you can, batting your lashes up at Crosshair in the way that would have Wrecker at your beck and call in seconds, but one that you know has no effect on his brother.

“Bullshit.” Crosshair rolls his eyes, but he’s already snapping the scope back onto Darling and sliding down from his perch. “Only things in the galaxy you’re scared of are porgs,” he says as he fastens his rifle into his pack and slings one strap over his shoulder, offering his free hand down to you.

“They—they have weirdly sentient eyes, okay!” you snap a bit hotly. You blame the warmth blooming across your cheeks on the fact that only Crosshair knows about your fear of the terrifying little fellows, not that he’s squeezing your hand and hefting you onto your feet.

“Why not ask Wrecker to take you?” Crosshair asks, letting go of your hand—to your relief and dismay all at once—and brush off whatever undergrowth sits dusted over your shoulders. “He’s sappy.”

“He’s busy making friends with the Wookiees.” And butchering Shyriiwook while he did it.

“And Hunter?”

“He’s also making friends with the Wookiees.” It’s not entirely untrue, if learning how to whittle blades out of branches counted as friendly bonding.

“Echo?”

“Also... making friends... with the Wookiees.”

You both know Echo has probably long since fallen asleep after a dose of painkillers for his fall during a particularly messy bit of the firefight. You could have actually told Crosshair the truth, but a part of you won’t take your chances—depending on Crosshair’s mood, he’d send you back to wake up his newest brother and return to shining up the stock of his rifle. But instead of calling your bluff, Crosshair simply shakes his head and sighs, extending his hand to you.

Mind suddenly and miserably blank, you stare mutely at his outstretched palm, an offering, then up at him.

“Come on, you said you were scared,” Crosshair teases, a lazy, sloping smirk curved over his features. He beckons you with a single flick of his fingers. Smug bastard, you think.

“My hero,” you snark back, but you’re quick to close the distance. Even if it takes bearing a bit of his snide sideswipes, you’re surprised at how easy it is to set aside your headstrong pride and simper for the sniper’s attention (though he’s giving it much more freely than you had anticipated). Palm to palm, the cool fabric of his blacks between you, you secure your grip around him as snug as you can.

Crosshair leads you quietly through the underbrush, going so far as to lift drooping vines and push aside especially tall ferns for you, all the while keeping as secure a grip on your hand as your grip on his.

It’s comforting, even while tamping through the darkness. You trust all of his brothers with your life, but maybe, just maybe, you trust Crosshair just that much more as he leads you deeper into the jungle.

After an short trek, you arrive at another clearing, the ground barren and drier than the damp, brush heavy terrain you had come to know during the Kashyyyk campaign. It’s no bigger than the armory floor spread on the Marauder, but as Crosshair pulls you into the clearing, you realize it’s not the earth beneath your feet that commands your wonder.

Crosshair nods his chin up, and your eyes are quick to follow. It’s the pearlescent glow of the three moons high above the treetops, shining clear and soft down through the canopy skylight.

Two moons float above in the bluish gray darkness of the galaxy, the third moon peeking from behind a few trees, in between them, a delicate freckling of stars, twinkling planets, comets ambling quietly through space. You’re barely aware of the grin spreading across your face as you soak in the night sky. It’s everything you had hoped it would be.

And with Crosshair at your side, it’s just that much more.

“Found it while I was scouting,” Crosshair’s voice comes, soft through the ambient silence of the jungle. Even in your rapture, you can feel his eyes on you, lingering on the green earth and watching your wonder far up in the sky.

“It’s amazing,” you breathe, and you squeeze his hand. You tear your eyes away from the starscape above to meet Crosshair with a smile. “Thank you, Cross.”

The sniper is quiet as you meet his gaze, trained on you with an indiscernible expression, a depth in his dark eyes you have only seen once before when you caught a glimpse of him at the helm, looking quietly into the expanse of space laid out before him.

It’s peace, you decide. A stillness, a calm, the quietest respite in the midst of this war. You gently rub over his knuckles.

“Close your eyes, y/n,” Crosshair finally murmurs, barely above a whisper, his gaze unwavering. And your eyes are already fluttered shut when you hear something hit the underbrush and a crunch of dirt under his boot as he steps forward and loops an arm around your waist. You squeeze your eyes shut a bit tighter as you press up against the battle-worn plastoid of his chestplate and feel his fingers splay over your hip.

Warm, rough fingertips gently pinch your chin and tilt your head up just so. A soft breeze wafts over your cheeks, carrying with it the woody musk and cloying pollen of the forest around you, and it is in that moment that you realize that he had dropped his glove onto the forest floor, had left it there and chosen to hold you in his bare hand, smoothing his thumb over your skin.

“There’s a good girl.”

The only warning you get is a ghost of a breath gently exhaled onto your skin before there is warmth, pulled close and steady and sweet as Crosshair gently tugs on your bottom lip.

He’s soft, you think mindlessly through the blissful haze between your ears. You faintly register the taste of the lavender balm you had bought him planetside on Crucival as he trails his hand up from your hip, over the dip in your back, and up to cup the base of your neck, pulling you closer.

All that teething’ll dry you out you had told him, and he’d scoffed something along the lines of soldiers—especially clones—not needing or wanting luxury goods. And yet you taste the telltale floral notes on his skin. You foggily wonder if he keeps the little tin on his ammunition belt as he kneads firm, steady fingers into your neck. You’ll gloat about it later.

There’s lavender, and then you taste him, just a trace, when he drags his tongue over the plush skin of your lips. At some point, you’ve brought your hands up to curl at the base of his head, threading through neatly cropped silver strands, and you part your lips. Finally, finally you can taste him on your own tongue.

He’s battle weary, laced with the slightest tang of synthetic wood treatment bleached into his toothpicks, anxiety bitten and jaw clenched. But here, now, only the faint residues of that tension remain in his impossibly gentle, unhurried motions. Running his thumb from your chin to the corner of your jaw, he tugs, tilting your head and gently tugging your tongue into his mouth.

Warmth blooms through your chest, steady and soft, a pulsar light glowing through the darkness, and you pull him closer.

He pulls away first, if only by virtue of your fervent wish that this moment might never end, nipping lightly your bottom lip in parting. And when the heat radiating off his skin is no longer close enough to warm you in the cool forest night, you slowly open your eyes, hoping that you won't wake to the durasteel ceiling of your bunk glaring down on you.

It's not a dream, Maker bless.

Crosshair stands before you, barely half an arm's length away and already flicking another toothpick between his lips as he smiles, open and soft in the moonlight. Without his persistent scowl, his piercing gaze, he looks so, so achingly young. And, if only for a moment, free of the burdens of war. Just a simple man bathing in the starlight in the jungles of Kashyyyk.

He's beautiful.

"Hi, Cross," you whisper, voice doing little to hide your lingering daze, and you watch, eyes wide with starry wonder, as Crosshair shakes with quiet laughter, eyes closed and shoulders sloped low.

"Hi, y/n," he chuckles. He fixes you with another unreadable look, this one different from the first. It's softer and mellow, vibrant in thrumming waves of bliss, content.

But before you can decide, he reaches down to pick his glove off of the jungle floor, tapping off the dirt on his hip and then, without hesitation, stuffing it into his ammunition belt. There's a brief flash of purplish metal in the pocket he chooses. The balm. You were right.

He catches your astonishment with a soft huff and clips the pocket shut.

"All that teething does dry me out," he teases, but there is only quiet acknowledgement, gracious and still as he extends his ungloved hand to you in the waning moonlight.

You stare at him, dumbstruck.

"The general probably knows we're gone. Come on," Crosshair's smile shifts, assuming a much more familiar smirk to accompany the sharp, snarky lilt that washes over him. He flicks his fingers at you, rolling his toothpick between his teeth. "Be a good girl for me."

There's the Crosshair you know.

"You're insufferable," you mutter, the heat blazing on the tips of your ears as you duck your head. But you reach for him anyways, reveling in the slow slide of your skin over his palm, your fingers finding home intertwined with his.

"Such a good girl," he chuckles, lifting your knuckles to his lips for the barest of chaste, fleeting touches.

"I will make your next hypoderm hurt like hell," you grumble.

"Oh, I look forward to it."

#vietnamese coffee is so good but so strong and for what #did i want to pull this all nighter? perhaps #should i have pulled this all nighter? no #crosshair x reader #bad batch x reader #yaej.writes

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maddieinwonder · 3 years

Text

A Lesson In Romance #3: The Cast

Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.5k

Plot: Reader keeps getting caught in rom-com situations with Spencer Reid. This time, the team figures it out.

A/N: I'm guilty of writing too much Morgan and Garcia but I can't help it — they're so much fun! I think them plus Emily would have the most dramatic reactions to Spencer in a (potential) relationship, though I'm excited to write about the rest too.

(Also, the reference at the end is from Lord of the Rings, because I love Lord of the Rings.)

Masterlist | All chapters here!

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If you've learned anything from rom-coms, it's that every romantic lead needed a supporting cast. Whether they were siblings, parents, or childhood best friends, the main character needed somebody who would drop everything to talk to them — preferably showing up at their doorstep with face masks, nail polish, and a bottle of wine.

In your life right now, you suppose those people would be your teammates from the BAU.

Of course, this hypothetical scenario didn't require your potential love interest to be from work, but let's say for the purposes of the discussion that they were. Then you hoped, at least, that they would have an IQ of 150 or higher and a propensity for wearing mismatched socks.

But you were getting ahead of yourself. You were simply imagining the hypothetical scenario where your life was a rom-com. Hypothetically, you would need a love interest, and hypothetically, you kind of already had one.

“Hey,” Spencer waved you over from across the coffee shop. It wasn’t difficult to spot him when the place was nearly vacant. Everything was slow and quiet this early in the morning, and you weren’t going to make an exception.

“Morning,” you greeted softly as you sat down, relaxing into the smell of freshly roasted coffee and baked goods.

“I already ordered yours.” He smiled, tucking his book away in his messenger bag. “They had bagels this morning. Yours is cream cheese, but mine is strawberry jelly.” He looked overly pleased with himself, and you couldn’t help but crack a sleepy smile.

You eyed the spread in front of you, before lifting your gaze to meet his. “So your theory that you can predict my taste in desserts seems to be getting better.”

"Yes!" He shout-whispered, silently raising his fists in victory. “I knew I was right.”

You giggled at his overexcitement over something as small as getting your dessert order right. Although, he did once spend ten whole minutes explaining to you why dessert for breakfast was an underrated concept, so you couldn't say this was beyond your expectations for Dr. Spencer Reid.

You propped your head up with your arms, a smile plastered over your face. “Have I ever told you that you’re a weirdo, doctor?” You teased.

“Why, yes. Yes you have.” He replied with a smile, gesturing at you to try the bagel. His own was almost-gone, so they must be good.

And it was. Your eyes fluttered shut as the heavenly combination of carbs and cream woke up your taste buds. It was made even better with a sip of the perfect cup of coffee.

"Perfect," you sighed happily, digging into your breakfast further as Spencer quietly caught you up on the latest news in classical art.

Two weeks ago, you wouldn't have guessed that you would talk to Spencer alone, much less spend your mornings together with him. But as it turned out, a lot could change in a few days.

After the initial awkwardness between you had passed, you found that the two of you shared a lot more interests than interdimensional doctors and space opera. You both loved coffee, obviously, but you also had a mutual love for desserts, classical literature, and history.

It didn't take long for these interests to seep into the weekend, resulting in a suspiciously date-like afternoon with Spencer at his favourite museum. But you tried not to think too much into it. After all, the day had ended with a "see you at work", and not a "would you like to come in?"

Still, your dance between friendship and something more continued to grow wilder as days passed, until it reached a point where it inhabited your every waking thought. The only time it didn't, ironically, was when you were spending time with the person in question and every stray thought seemed to fall away.

Your mornings with him brought a necessary reprieve to the dark realities of this job, and some days you almost had to drag yourself out of your seat, knowing that you were straying from the calm of his company straight into the lion's mouth. But duty always called.

Your sudden hesitance to be apart from the resident genius hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of your team either; ever since the two of you walked into office one morning with matching coffee cups and smiles on your faces.

At first you enjoyed Spencer's company too much to care, but you knew that it was going to bite you back one day. And today seemed to be that day.

You could tell, because the lift doors to the BAU opened to one very determined Penelope Garcia with her arms folded across her chest. "Spit it out, you two," she said sharply without any greeting.

You and Spencer looked at each other, confused, before looking back at Penelope. "Spit out what, Pen?" You asked, a frown starting to form between your eyes.

"You know what I mean!" She squeaked, dropping her stern facade for a brief moment. "Are the two of you dating? The entire team has been dying to know, and I mean, d-y-i-n-g because there's a huge pot of money with my name on it if you are."

"Ah— No— I mean, you think—" Spencer stammered, his face instantly turning beet red in embarrassment, while your face began to grow red for another reason entirely.

"I think what he means is 'no', and what I mean to say is— what do you mean the entire team?" You half-yelled the question, while Penelope raised her hands defensively.

"What I mean, sugar, is that the two of you went from avoiding each other completely, to coming into work together everyday — and I know you spent last weekend together too, because you couldn't stop talking about it the next day at work and everybody noticed." She stated, pushing up her glasses.

"Not to mention, Dr. Reid here started wearing brighter colours subconsciously." She continued with her observations. "I know this, because in the almost four years I've worked with this man, I've never seen him wear anything brighter than violet. Or white. Or beige. But those don't count." She shook her head, getting back to her point.

"You get what I mean— and you," she pointed her pen in your direction, causing you to jump slightly. "You finally stopped doubting yourself as a part of this team. I knew this when you started talking more often during briefings — which I have nothing against, B-T-W, I totally support any effort in self-care and personal growth — but you also stopped shifting in your seat which you used to do when you felt nervous."

Penelope took a deep breath, preparing for the climax. "So all I can assume, is either you've been attending one of the 52 self-help classes that happen every weekend in Virginia, or somebody has been helping you find some serious zen."

"And my money's on the latter because every time you think nobody's watching, you're making eyes at Reid. But you're wrong. Garcia is always watching." She concluded triumphantly, raising one finger to point at herself.

"You might make a good profiler yet, doll." Derek remarked, walking up to the group with a smirk firmly affixed to his face.

"Expert at all things romance, and Cupid of the Behavioural Analysis Unit, Penelope Garcia at your service." She smiled, graciously curtseying to your other teammate.

"I know you're smart like that, babygirl," he grinned, draping his arm around her shoulder, "but you also don't know pretty boy as well as I do, because they aren't in a relationship."

He turned to you questioningly. "Are you?"

"No." You replied, glancing hesitantly at Spencer for his response, but his face simply looked blank with shock.

"See? Now it's time to collect my payout." Derek grinned at the tech analyst, making the motion of raining dollar bills.

Penelope tailed behind him grumpily as he walked into the BAU office, surely to share the "good news" with everybody else.

You hesitated to follow, imagining what teasing and looks would follow regardless of the outcome. Then you felt a tap on your shoulder. Turning around, Spencer gestured back at the empty lift with his head and you smiled, realising what he meant.

"That is the best hypothesis you've had all morning," you said. The two of you shared a laugh as you got back into the lift.

Even behind glass doors, you could hear a muffled "What?!" that you guessed came from Emily. "There's absolutely no way those two aren't together already. Have you seen them?"

There was a brief pause, then a loud groan.

"I know, that's what I told him!" Penelope's high-pitched voice was clear. "You know I'm going to be right about them eventually—"

The lift doors finally closed, blocking out the rest of their conversation. You looked up at Spencer, your gaze meeting his clear hazel eyes. He looked at his watch briefly before saying the next words.

"We've got time. Are you up for second breakfast?" He asked, referencing a movie from a conversation two weeks ago. He remembered. Of course he remembered.

You cleared your throat before replying the next line. "What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?"

He laughed, and you felt a familiar peace return to you.

Whatever your teammates were yelling about, the two of you could deal with it later. Together.

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Tag list:

@blue-space-porgs @nobutalsoyes @lady-loves-a-lot

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halzore · 3 years

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But its all the things we've lost.

Grief is hard. Today was hard. So have a haphazard vague concept ficlet about grief.

Rex x Reader.

Word count: 466

contains: sad, angst, crying, mentions of grief

Tags: @a-lil-perspective @peacefulwizardfox @simping-for-fives @this-smh-turned-into-a-cw-site @kaitou2417 @chewychewyque @alderaani @marvel-starwars-nerd @thegoodbatch @the-studious-porg

Static.

The clenching of your jaw, the obscuring of your vision. Unconscious, your breath draws in faster.

The wobbling of your chin as you fix your gaze into the hypnotism of hyperspace.

A hand on your shoulder, the seeping wetness on the collar of your shirt.

A familiar voice, quiet but strong like always.

How he was strong you never knew, everything he knew crumbling in an instant. But you heard him late at night when he thought no one was listening.

“You’re gonna be okay.” An empty promise that had echoed meaninglessly since the day it all turned upside down.

Or had it been slowly turning but we couldn’t see it?

The hand rubbed your shoulder. Comfort, the only offer now.

Your hands, pressing through your hair, clutching for respite against the onslaught of grief.

The shaking was all encompassing, the terror that consumed you. You tried to calm yourself, and in that small moment of quiet, eyes once again affixed to hyperspace, he took your hand.

“We have to build now, we have to be strong, for them.” Rex rolled his hand in your grasp, his own eyes glassy as they stared into yours.

All the pain held in your heart, resurfacing. Shivering in grief, unable to scream, unable to make a sound. Your walls caving in all over again.

“But it’s all the things I’ve lost, we’ve lost.” Your nails dug into the rough skin of the clone in front of you. “All those moments when we would smile together, when I’d show Hardcase a new song and I’d hear him humming it as we entered the drop zone.”

The Paralysis of violent agony.

“But he’s gone,”

“There all gone.”

A search for hope in the soft eyes of the man before you, your last brother.

“I won’t ever be able to go back.”

You hugged your arms around yourself

“It was all for nothing, they lost their lives, I lost the only family I ever knew.” Your breathing slowed. “Just for this horrible place to replace it.” Rex cocked his head at you, a hand coming to rest on your tear-stained cheek, a small weak smile.

You were lost, listless. “Each day I wake up, I wake up to grieve them again.” He pulled you into his arms, a warm familiar place.

“I just wanna see their smiles again, I just want to laugh with them.”

“I know,” His words were soft in your ear, hand stroking your hair.

“But they’re gone forever, and they took me with them.”

“They will always be in your heart.” You closed your eyes, giving into the calmness of your protector. You let go, slowly lulled into a sleep.

“We will always be in your heart.” Familiar smiles greeted you, cheeky eyes, caring hearts, and soft smiles of those not lost, merely moved on.

#rex x reader #captain rex x reader #angst #clone wars x reader #clone x reader #clone trooper hardcase #clone wars imagine #rex x you

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tanyawritesstories · 3 years

Text

Close Encounters | Kit Fisto x Reader

After 6 hours of writing I have finally completed my first request! Which you can view here. I had planned on this being short but then got carried away, I hope the anon who requested this enjoys and so does everyone else who reads it!

@venomous-ko asked me to tag them. @savagesbonergarage @blue-space-porgs I think y'all might like this too 😉

Word count: 4.2k

Warnings: NSFW, smut, oral (f receiving), handjobs, dirty talk, Master and Padawan relationship, groping, cliffhanger, sexual tension for days, kissing, biting, fingering, all the usual good stuff 😋

•••

You waited patiently in the training room for your master to arrive. You had gotten there a little early and decided to stretch while you waited for him, he had told you this morning that you would be practicing your lightsaber combat and more hand-to-hand combat training since you hadn’t gotten much of it yet.

Since you didn't have anything you had to do after this, you were wearing comfortable athletic clothes: knee length leggings, tank top, cute sports bra, and the belt that held your lightsaber. The training room was empty right now, most everyone else in different classes or occupied with important things. You were grateful for the privacy but also scared of it, you knew that same palpable tension would hang in the air the second your master walked in.

Kit Fisto was a unique Jedi. As a Jedi Master and council member he was a strong and dependable individual, he was different in that he wasn’t as serious as all the other Jedi Masters. He was capable of smiling and laughing and had a carefree and kind spirit, it made him a favorite with younglings and Jedi knights alike. Not to mention with the soldiers of his underwater unit, you’d lost track of how many men you suspected had a crush on your Master. You thought made you laugh.

Then there was your relationship with him, it was strong but recently had taken a strange turn. You noticed he was spending a lot more time with you and using nicknames like: ‘starlight’ and ‘little flower’ for you. They were endearing and cute, which was also part of your issue. The crush you had on your Master was against the Jedi code, but again, lately it has gone further. You found yourself daydreaming of your Master with you in intimate situations, thank the Maker your mind was well guarded. The flash images of you and him tangled up in the sheets, how you imagined his lips would feel on your skin, how his fingers would feel as they toyed with your clit, how his cock would feel as-

You shook your head, clearing the images away. There you go again. The dreams and the close encounters with your Master had culminated in a sexual tension between the two of you. For all you knew, you could be the only one feeling it, maybe Kit was unaffected. You were lucky that you were able to hide the fact that he affected you so much, both with your mind and by acting normal and calm.

You stood up and stretched, bending in half to touch your toes, feeling the slight pull in your calves. You took a deep breath and relaxed, making sure your muscles weren’t tight and wouldn’t cause an injury.

“Good evening, my Padawan.”

The cheery voice called out and you froze for a second before standing up and turning around. Your master wore a bright smile and positive attitude that was infectious. You smiled back and greeted him. “Evening, master.” You could have sworn you saw his eyes look you up and down before he turned around. You wondered why and then remembered that you had been bent in half with your ass facing the door. You could feel your cheeks heat up and tried to force the sensation back. Kit whisked off his shirt, leaving him in loose fitting shorts. You sucked in a breath and looked at the floor, admiring the work you had done on your painted toenails. You flinched when he put a finger under your chin and tilted your head up to look at him.

“Are you ready?” He asked. You unconsciously leaned into his touch, melting under his admiring gaze. “Yes, Master Fisto,” you answered. He smirked. “Remember, call me Kit when it’s just us, flower,” he said, tapping your hip next to your lightsaber. “Get ready.” You shook yourself out of your stupor and took your lightsaber in hand, activating it. Kit took his stance and activated his own blade.

You remembered your previous training and took a calming breath before lunging at him. Your blow was easily blocked and shoved aside, you used your momentum to land a kick to his chest with your bare foot. Kit took the kick in stride and rolled backwards perfectly, coming to a stand effortlessly. You sighed, slightly frustrated. Kit swung at you this time, you blocked the first swing easily and just barely blocked the next several. Lightsaber combat was fast and required extreme concentration, one misstep could spell catastrophe.

You exchanged blows, the heat from the weapons increasing the heat in the room. You were sweating, your tank top sticking to your body, making parts of it see through. Without his shirt, you could see the beads of sweat rolling down Kit’s chest. You tried not to notice it but you looked for a second too long and felt a spike of heat near your hip. You pulled away and looked to see your shirt had been burnt through to your skin, which was, thankfully, untouched. You heard Kit sigh lightly.

“You need to maintain focus, little one,” he gently scolded. “Yes, Kit,” you said staring at the floor. Whether or not he had seen you staring at his chest you didn’t know, but disappointing him was never something you wanted to do. “How about we get to hand-to-hand training now, huh?” He smiled reassuringly at you and you nodded. You tossed your saber, and the belt it was held on, away. “What am I learning today?” You asked curiously. “We are going to work on your takedowns,” Kit replied, pulling a cushiony landing mat over. You smiled, the idea sounded fun.

Kit brought you over and stood across from you. “The first maneuver I want you to do is when someone grabs you from behind,” he explained, “let me show you.” You barely hid the nervous gulp you took before turning around and backing up a little. Kit made a noise of affirmation before you felt his arms wrap around your middle and you jumped. “You alright?” He asked, his voice close to your ear. “Yes,” you breathed, placing your hands on his arms, “you just startled me, that’s all.” He chuckled in your ear which sent a shiver down your spine and an aching in the bottom of your stomach. “I’m sorry, starlight. It won’t happen again.”

“Alright, so if someone were to grab you like this...” Kit explained, he tightened his grip around your middle and gently pulled. You gasped at the sensation and hoped he didn’t hear you. “...I want you to swing your elbow back to try and hit my face, alright?” You nodded, your breathing getting shallow as you turned your head and saw how close his face was to yours. You pulled your arm in towards you before swinging it out fast, stopping just before it hit Kit in the head. “Like that?” You asked weakly, your elbow relaxing and you draped it over his shoulder. “Just like that,” he whispered. Fuck, his deep voice was doing things to you, the deep timbre worming its way into your ears and settling in between your legs.

“What you do next is put the same arm around my head, use my shoulder for leverage and jump over my other shoulder, make sense?” You smiled and giggled, honestly not knowing what he just explained. “No, I’m sorry, Kit,” You continued giggling, “I’m going to need you to show me.” Kit pushed a strand of hair away from your ear and chuckled with you. “That’s alright, I’ll help you. Just do as I say,” he instructed. Kit took your elbow and pulled it over his head to his other shoulder. You rested your hand against his back, his silky smooth skin warm and you could feel his muscles move under his skin. You hoped he didn’t know what he was actually doing to you.

“Ok, now push off me and use the Force to help you jump over the shoulder your hand was just on. When you do that, turn and land on your feet, I’ll be dragged onto my back and you will have the advantage. See how that works?” He further explained. You looked away, thinking and rehearsing the moves in your head. "I think I got it," you said. You turned your head to look back at him a little too quick and bumped your cheek on his nose, causing you both to laugh. He maintained eye contact with you for a few seconds longer and you saw his eyes darken in the slightest bit. "Alright, c'mon you've got this," Kit encouraged. He counted down and you moved.

You jumped up, using the one arm to push off as well as your feet. With the aid of the Force, you easily swung your body out of his grip and over his other shoulder. You both went careening backwards but you landed gracefully on your knees while Kit landed flat on his back, his fall cushioned by the mat. “Excellent!” He praised. You smiled wide and stood up, offering him your hand to get up. He took it and you pulled him to stand, you didn’t realize how much strength you had put into it until Kit was standing and still moving towards you with his momentum. You reached out to stop him from crashing on top of you.

“Sorry about that, little flower. Lost my balance,” he apologized. You both held each other’s gaze, the tension in the air was so thick it could probably be cut with a lightsaber. You broke away after a moment and that’s when you realized that your hands were placed on his bare chest. Heat rushed to your face and you promptly removed your hands, murmuring an apology under your breath. You could feel Kit’s eyes linger on you for a little longer before he began instructing you on the next takedown move.

“This one is fairly simple. I swing at you, you grab my arm, turn around, and flip me over your back.” You nodded along with his words, you’d seen this move done before and knew it wasn’t as difficult as the last one. “When I swing at you, grab my wrist, turn and pull me into your back. It has to be one smooth motion to let’s try just that a couple times,” Kit explained. You agreed and took your position.

Kit threw a punch and stopped when his arm was outstretched. “I grab the inside of your wrist, right?” You asked, and Kit confirmed. You grabbed his wrist with both hands and turned your back to him, pulling his arm across your chest. “Alright, good. Now do that again but pull me into your back.” You reset your positioning and breathed. Kit punched again but didn’t stop his arm this time, you grabbed his wrist and turned, pulling his chest to your back.

He collided into you with more force than you thought, you could feel the bare skin of his chest against your back where your top didn’t cover, you also felt something pressing into your ass. You froze. There was no way, this couldn’t be happening, the hardness against your ass was not what you thought it was. You tried to convince yourself and breathed in shakily, you pushed back on him accidentally while trying to move your foot and his other hand gripped your hip tight.

“Shh,” you heard him whisper. You tried to move away but he held you firmly and you just ended up grinding into him more, he groaned in your ear and your suspicions were confirmed. You could feel the wetness pooling at the apex of your thighs and your breathing become shallow. How long had he been hard for? His other arm you still had clutched to your chest and you felt his hand twist slightly, giving him the perfect angle to rest his hand over your breast. He squeezed gently and you barely bit back a moan.

“Master-”

“Just finish the move,” he rasped out, releasing his grip on your hip.

You pulled away and avoided eye contact as you moved to complete the takedown all the way through. You grabbed his wrist, turned, pulled his back to your chest, ignoring the feeling of his erection pressing into your ass again. In one smooth motion you, with the help of the Force, hoisted your master up and over you, sending him sprawling onto the mat. You kept ahold of his arm and your eyes met, you felt your pussy clench around nothing as his eyes were dark as night, filled with lust. You chanced a glance further down his body and saw the prominent tent in his shorts. Your mouth fell open and your eyes flicked between his eyes and his dick.

Tension and silence filled the room until Kit made a move.

He spun around on his back to face you and tugged on your arm that was still holding him, sending you toppling down onto him. Kit cupped your face with his other hand and crushed his lips to yours in a fiery kiss. It took a few seconds for your brain to register what exactly was happening, as soon as it did, you were kissing back. Kit parted his lips and ran his tongue over your bottom lip, nibbling gently, asking for entrance. You opened and Kit’s tongue entered your mouth, your tongues swirling together. Kit pushed off the floor and rolled you both over so he was on top of you, devouring you in his kisses. You wrapped your arms around his back and pulled him closer to you, Kit was holding himself above you with his arms and he experimentally ground his clothed cock against your center.

You broke away at the sensation of him grinding against you, you let out a loud moan and looked Kit in the eyes, he stilled. “Do you want this?” He asked, breathless. “Yes,” you breathed, “more than anything.” You pulled Kit down for another blazing kiss, during which you could feel his hands slipping under your tank top and pushing it up. You broke away just for him to pull it all the way off and toss it somewhere in the room. You wrapped your legs around his waist and Kit kissed you once more before moving down to suck and bite marks into your neck.

You almost couldn’t believe this was happening, had your master really had the hots for you the entire time and you had no idea. It was something you’d have to ask him later. A sharp nip to your collarbone had you crying out again and you wove a hand through his head tendrils. “Kit….” you moaned. He broke away from your neck and chuckled. “Needy, aren’t you?” He teased. He undid your bra and pulled it over your head, throwing that away also and revealing your breasts. You heard him curse under his breath and he gently took them in his hands. “You are stunning, my dear,” he cooed. You bit your lip and whined, watching as his mouth descended on one of your nipples. Your back arched, pushing your chest further into his hands and mouth. You moaned as you felt his tongue trace around your pebbled bud, finally flicking over it a few times and sucking hard.

You mewled, feeling more slick seep out of you as Kit sucked on one breast and his hand massaged the other. He switched and gave your other breast the same attention, his other hand snaking its way down your body. Your nails scratched up Kit’s back but he seemed to be enjoying it, letting out moans and grunts while kissing and sucking your tits. His wandering hand found its destination and he rubbed your heat through your leggings, finding them wet through. He pulled away and sat up on his knees.

“Look at you, soaked through your leggings. Do you need me to take care of you, little one?” He asked. You nodded rapidly. “Yes, please Kit. I’ve wanted you for so long,” you pleaded. Kit chuckled and reached for the waistband of your leggings, pulling them off in one fluid motion. His eyes widened at the sight and he could feel his dick twitch in his shorts. Kit looked up at you. “No panties?” He questioned. “My my, such a filthy little thing you are.”

You whined again, desperate for any sort of attention where you needed it most. Kit spread your legs and watched as your folds parted, he groaned at the sight and ran two fingers up and down your soaking slit. You released high pitched moans and tried to stay still as the pleasure wracked through your body. “You’re positively dripping, starlight. Is all this for me?” Kit asked in awe. “Yes, all for you Kit. You a-always make me this wet…” you said, your body jolting with pleasure. Kit swirled his fingers around your clit and you nearly shouted, he moved them lower and sunk two fingers into your dripping hole. Your eyes closed, the electric feeling coursing through your body as Kit started pumping his fingers.

He kept them at a steady pace and you were about to beg for more when you heard him ask you to open your eyes. You opened your eyes and looked down your body to see that Kit had moved to lay between your spread legs. Before you could say anything he was licking long stripes up your cunt, flicking his tongue around your clit and slurping up all your juices.

“You taste heavenly, little flower,” he purred. Kit slipped his tongue inside and curled it, practically scooping your wetness into his mouth. Your eyes closed and your head flew back, your moans and cries of his name mixing on your tongue. His tongue felt like liquid gold inside you, reaching parts of you that you didn't know you had and dragging pleasure from your body like a talented artist stroking against his pliant canvas.

Kit removed his tongue and replaced it with his fingers while his tongue gave your clit attention. His fingers pumping in and out, their pace picking up and Kit curled them, hitting that secret spot of heaven inside you. Your hands flew to the back of Kit’s head and pressed him impossibly closer, your fingers entwining in his lekku. Kit continued to drown himself in your cunt, he was hard as a rock in his shorts and wanted nothing more than to sink into your warm body and stay forever.

Kit worked on repeatedly hitting your sweet spot with his fingers, he could tell you were getting close and he wanted you a wet slippery mess before you took his cock. He sped up the pace of his fingers making sure to hit that spot with every thrust.

"K-kit," you cried, "I'm, I'm close..” He broke away from your pussy to speak to you. “I know. Cum for me, little flower, soak my fingers,” he begged. Kit returned his mouth to your clit and sucked hard, your hips bucked up and Kit quickly held them down as your orgasm flowed through you. The pleasure was blinding and you threw your head back once more, ecstasy surging through your body, you saw white and opened your mouth to scream Kit’s name.

He worked you through intense bliss, he stopped his ministrations and sat up again watching you catch your breath, your eyes still closed. While you were distracted, he removed the rest of his clothes.

You slowly came down from the mind blowing orgasm that Kit gave you, you opened your eyes and whimpered at the sight before you. Kit was finally naked and Maker he was gorgeous. Now that you were allowed to look at him you noticed his broad chest and strong, toned body. The expanse of his pretty green skin got slightly darker around his thick cock. Kit had a knowing look on his face as you said nothing, only reached out for him, he took your hand in one of his and kissed the back of it lovingly. His other hand traveled down and slowly stroked over his length, you whimpered and mewled as you watched him touch himself. Kit could almost see more of your juices pouring out of you and he smirked. He took your hand in his other one and brought it to his cock where you wanted it.

He guided your hand up and down his shaft and you twisted your wrist as you worked him. His skin was even softer and you wanted it in your mouth immediately, you smeared around the clear and sticky precum leaking out of his pointed and swollen tip. The little grunts and groans that spilled from Kit’s lips were music to your ears, but you wanted to make him moan. You tugged a little harder on his cock and Kit’s chest rose and fell faster with his breathing. He suddenly clamped his hand over yours, stopping your movements.

“Your hands feel amazing, starlight,” he gasped, “but I’m not cumming without being inside you.” You gasped and Kit draped himself over the top of you again. You grabbed the back of his neck and brought him in for another kiss, tasting yourself on his tongue and lips. “I need you to fuck me, Kit, please,” you begged. “I will, are you on-” “Yes, I’m on something, pleeeaasse,” you whined. You could feel his cock resting against your stomach and needed it inside your body. “Patience, little one. I’ll give you what you want,” Kit purred in your ear. He rested his forehead against yours as he reached down and slid his cock up and down your slit, collecting your juices. He pumped himself a couple times before lining up and pushing inside you slowly.

Your breath was stolen from you and your mouth hung open. Lords he was big. His cock stretched you deliciously as he continued to sheath himself within you. “Ooohh, fuck,” Kit groaned, closing his eyes as he bottomed out. You both stared into each other’s eyes, catching your breath and getting used to the feeling of being connected. Kit lowered his lips to yours, your walls were squeezing him so tight he didn’t know how he was going to pull out much. You once again wrapped your legs around Kit’s waist and dug your nails into his back. You had expected it to hurt when he entered you, given his size, but all you felt was mind numbing pleasure that encompassed your entire being.

You nodded once you were used to him and Kit slowly started moving, pulling out halfway before slamming back in. You yelped and begged for more. “Kit, please. I want you Kit, I need you to make me cum. Fuck, please!!” You rambled. Kit chuckled and picked up his pace, knowing he wouldn’t last long with how tight you were and how close he already was. “Stars above, YN,” Kit moaned, “fuck, you’ve got the tightest little pussy I’ve ever felt.” His pace increased again and he was slamming in and out of you, the sound of skin slapping together and panting filled the empty training room.

You kissed again and Kit reached down to play with your clit. Your sweaty bodies sticking together, both of you in a new kind of euphoria previously undiscovered. “Look at you, fuck, you look so beautiful like this. You gonna cum on my cock now, flower?” Kit panted. You had no words, none could enter your mind, the only thing you could think of was how good Kit was making you feel and how you never wanted it to stop. You nodded frantically, moaning loud and pulling Kit closer to you.

He pressed hard on your clit at the same time he bit onto your neck and you were sent over the edge of ecstasy. You screamed his name and convulsed around him, your cunt clamping down on him and gushing all over his cock. Kit released your neck and growled deep in your ear as his balls tightened and, with a few more thrusts, his seed was spilling inside you. You both stilled, connected together and finally sated.

After a couple minutes you fully came down from your highs and your eyes met. You smiled and Kit smiled brightly back at you, before you both started laughing. "This isn't exactly the way I had hoped you'd find out about my feelings for you," Kit confessed. You shook your head. "Me neither, but I'm glad it happened," you said. "Me too," Kit whispered, leaning down to kiss you again. You could feel Kit start to soften inside you but he made no move to pull away from you.

You nuzzled your nose into Kit's cheek. "I love you, Kit," you whispered. Kit in turn kissed the tip of your nose, making you giggle. "And I love you, Y/N," he said. "My little flower." You both smiled and connected your lips in another kiss. You both barely heard the sound of someone clearing their throat until a familiar Kel Dor voice spoke.

"Well, what do we have here?"

#star wars the clone wars #star wars fanfiction #kit fisto #kit fisto x reader

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monako-jinn-stories · 3 years

Text

Echo X Fem!Reader FanFic

A Returning Echo ~ Before the Citadel

Main Master List

Story Master List

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Twelve

Once back on the Venator, Tie was rushed to the medical ward to be more thoroughly examined. The medics didn’t want you to be there, as it would be quite a long process, so they told you to go rest. You reluctantly did and found yourself back in your squad’s sleeping quarters, where you looked at the two extra helmets that were on the empty bunks. You closed your eyes and let out a deep sigh. You only lost two men today, but how many more would you have lost if it was just your forces? And if you hadn’t had enough men? You had barely made it out alive as it was. If Obi Wan hadn’t shown up, you were certain everyone there would have been killed.

“You did all that you could, y/n,” Sans said, walking over to wrap you in a hug. The rest of your squad followed his lead, joining in on a big group hug.

“I love you guys so much,” you said to them.

A jumble of muffled, “we love you too’s” met your ears as you stood there. Eventually, you all pulled apart, some of them going to find a refresher, others climbing into bed as they were. You sat on your own bed and opened your bag, looking for your shower supplies. You felt something soft and round inside and were confused for a second. Grabbing it, you let a small smile come to your lips as you pulled out Marvin. Holding him, you came up with an idea. Forgetting about your plans to shower, you stood up and left the room, sneaking down the hall to find the quarters where the 501st were staying.

To your luck, when you felt through the force, no one was in the room. You bit down a grin as you stepped in, closing the door behind you. You looked around, trying to find where Echo would be sleeping. Spotting his armor neatly piled on his bunk, you quietly made your way over. He was staying on the top bunk, so you had to climb up to reach it. You didn’t want to invade on his personal space by crawling on his bed, so you decided to stand on the steps as you placed Marvin near his pillow.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” You shrieked and jumped at the sudden intrusion, losing your grip from being startled. Fives chuckled as he watched you tumble to the floor.

“Sneaking around your boyfriends bedroom now?”

“Wha-no! I was just…leaving a little surprise,” you said defensively, rubbing your elbow that had hit the floor.

“You know, usually you wait to sleep in their bed until they invite you to.”

“I wasn’t going to get in his bed!”

“Whatever you say,” he said while walking over to you. He gave you a smug look as he offered you his hand. You took it while squinting at him, untrusting of his actions.

“Aww, is this your little adiik?” He said, grabbing Marvin and squeezing him.

“Yes, now put him back, it’s a surprise for Echo!”

“Alright, calm down, General,” he laughed, putting the stuffed porg back where you had left him. “You sticking around to give him a kiss goodnight?”

“No, I have to go clean up. I just wanted to sneak in here real fast and leave Marvin for him.”

“Well, I’ll let you go then,” Fives said, walking over to his bunk. “Have a goodnight, y/n,” he called as you waved and left the room. A few minutes later, Echo wandered in and Fives watched as he climbed onto his bed, pausing before a grin split his face. He let out a small chuckle as he grabbed Marvin, admiring the stuffed animal in front of him.

“I scared her when she dropped it off,” Fives commented, drawing his brothers attention.

“Him, not it,” Echo said. “His name is Marvin.”

Fives rolled his eyes at his brother. “You’re ridiculous,” he laughed.

“I’m not ridiculous,” he said before burying his face in the stuffed animal. It smelled like you, and he wanted to fill his senses with it. “I’m in love,” he mumbled to himself, though he said it loud enough that Fives heard and grinned at his brothers confession. Echo pushed his armor to the side before he crawled under the sheets and laid down, squeezing Marvin to his chest as he fell asleep, hoping to have dreams of you instead of the normal nightmares.

The Venator landing in the hanger woke Echo up. He blinked awake slowly, remembering the stuffed animal that was squished in his arms. He looked down and noticed the dark and wet spot on it. He brought a hand up to his cheek to brush away the tears that hadn’t fallen onto Marvin. Unfortunately, he had still had those nightmares. Not even the small comfort of a stuffed animal could keep them away. He stretched slowly, looking over at Fives, who was still snoring. Others were moving about the room, getting their stuff together and exiting the ship. Echo swung his legs over the side of the bed and jumped down, Marvin tucked under his arm. For a moment, he thought about throwing him at Fives to wake him up, but decided he might not get him back if he did that.

“Wake up, Fives,” he said as he walked over to his brother.

“Mmm, five for minutes,” Fives mumbled, turning away and shoving his face back into his pillow.

“If I let you have five more minutes every time you asked for it, you’d never get up,” Echo said while pulling his brother off his bed.

“Hey! I need my beauty sleep. Good looks like this don’t come naturally.”

“You really are the worst, you know that?” Echo said while scowling at his brother.

“And I’m the best at being the worst,” Fives said as he flashed his brother a grin.

Echo rolled his eyes before going over to put his armor on. He stuffed Marvin inside his helmet so that no one would see him carrying him around. He looked to Fives who had thrown his own armor on before they exited the room together.

“So, what are your plans for today?” Fives asked as they descended the ramp. “Going to hangout with the lady?”

“If she’ll let me,” Echo responded, already looking around for you. “What about you?”

“Suppose I oughta get into contact with Shaak Ti to see if she’s busy. Haven’t seen her in a while, and I owe her dinner.”

“Y’know, I can’t expect she’s much work to keep happy. Yeah, she’s a Jedi and all, but she’s just so-“

“Echo!” A voice called from across the hanger. He and Fives looked to see a group of three clones approaching them.

“Commander Sans,” he replied, “what can I do for you?”

“Well, me and my Captain and Major here were wondering if you were free for the day?”

“Well, I didn’t really have any plans set in durasteel-“

“Great! So you’ll be able to spend the day with us?” Steele interjected.

“Uhh,” Echo responded, looking to Fives who just gave him a shrug and uncertain expression.

“Sure, I can do that,” he said while looking back at the three before him.

“Awesome! We’ll meet you back here in 15 standard minutes, in case you needed to freshen up or take something to your quarters,” Sans said before smiling and walking away.

“Looks like you get to meet the family,” Fives joked, clapping a hand on his brothers armored shoulder.

“Yeah…I guess I do,” he replied, a distant look coming to his face. “What have I gotten myself into?”

“Well, from what I’ve heard about Sans?” Five said while beginning to walk towards the barracks, “a day filled with chaos.”

“Perfect. As if I don’t get enough of that with you and General Skywalker already,” Echo grumbled, going to follow him. After they made it to their quarters, Echo stripped off the top half of his armor, leaving on the bottom half. He didn’t know exactly what to wear, so he just kept his undersuit on. He left Marvin tucked away where his brothers wouldn’t find him. He wanted to avoid as much teasing as possible, he felt he already got enough from just Anakin and Fives, and he didn’t need Jesse or Hardcase joining in.

“Good luck,” Fives called, pausing in his holo conversation with Shaak Ti to wave off his brother. “I hope this goes well for him,” he said, turning back to look at the beautiful Togruta being projected from his holotransceiver. “Have I ever told you how pretty you are?”

“Yes, many times, Fives,” she laughed while playfully rolling her eyes.

“Well, I don’t think I’ve said it enough. Now, where was I? Oh, right, so anyway, this clanker came out of NOWHERE and was going to kill Anakin, but luckily I was there and since I’m such an amazing ARC-Trooper…”

As Echo walked back to the hanger, he couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous. He truly knew very little about these clones. You had talked about them before, but not in great detail. You mainly spoke of how loyal your men were, and how you’d do anything for each other. Nothing much about their personalities.

“There he is,” Sans said as Echo approached. “We were beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”

“Yeah, we thought we might have scared you away,” Steele added.

“Ignore them,” Hex said pushing his squad mates to the side. “I’m Captain Hex, it’s nice to formally meet you, ARC-Trooper Echo.” Echo shook his hand, noting the firm and confident grip.

“I’m Major Steele,” he said, slinging an arm over Hex’s shoulder while shaking Echo’s hand with the other. “I’m his favorite vod, by the way,” he said while nodding to Hex. Hex rolled his eyes at his brothers comment, but Echo noticed a small smirk play over his lips.

“And of course, you’ve met me already,” Sans commented.

“You sure you’re comfortable in that?” Steele asked, motioning to the armor and undersuit Echo wore.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I don’t really have any other clothes,” he responded. He took a moment to take in the other clones’ appearances. They wore civvie clothes, casual shirts and pants that were starkly different than anything in regulation.

“You mean to tell us you don’t have any civvie clothes?” The surprise in Hex’s voice when he spoke made it seem like Echo’s words had been some of the most outlandish things he’d heard.

“Well, I do have this one shirt-“

“One shirt?”

“Yeah, I just got it the other night-“

“Kriffing hells,” Sans said while shaking his head. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were a shiny.”

“A shiny? With all due respect, Commander, I hardly think not having civvie clothes would make me a shiny.”

“It does in the 17th. We all have civvie clothes. We even have matching pjs that we designed. Every new trooper gets a pair once they complete a certain test.”

“The 17th really isn’t a traditional group, are they?”

“Nope,” Steele said, slinging an arm over Echo’s shoulder, “we’re about the least traditional battalion out there. After spending today with us, you’ll realize just what I mean. Come on,” he said, leading the group out to the stairs of the temple.

“So, what exactly are we doing today?” Echo questioned as they wandered onto the streets of Coruscant.

“Well, we’re going to take you around and get to know you. See if you’re a good match for our general,” Sans replied.

“So she wasn’t joking when she said you wanted to interrogate me.”

“Wait, she said that? Haar’chak, I didn’t want you to know what I was doing.”

“Sorry?”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ll still be able to have my fun.” He flashed Echo a mischievous grin before turning to wave at a shop owner.

“Ah, if it isn’t Commander Sans of the 17th. How are you?” The elderly Mirialan woman asked.

“Oh, Mrs. Orno, I am in despair. My heart has been ripped from my chest and crushed by the tender hands of my most beloved,” Sans said while dramatically clutching his chest.

“You always were a dramatic one,” she said while pushing the boys inside.

“But alas, it is true. Y/n’s affections have been stolen away from me by another man.”

“Really? By who?”

Sans grinned as he clapped a hand onto Echo’s shoulder. “Mrs. Orno, meet ARC-Trooper Echo of the 501st clone legion, led by General Anakin Skywalker.”

“An ARC-Trooper, you say? Well, I can see why she chose him over you.” A slight smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she gave him a once over.

“Hey! I’m a Commander, remember? Commanders were her type, before she met him. You know how she was in love with Cody even though he practically ignored all her flirting.”

Mrs. Orno merely waved off Sans before turning back to Echo.

“My name’s Aleiah Orno,” she said while grasping and shaking Echo’s hand. “I’m the one the 17th comes to to get fitted for civvie clothes.”

“Wait, is that what we’re doing here?” Echo asked, turning to the other clones.

“Well, yeah! You did say you didn’t have any, so we brought you here to get some,” Hex said.

“Really, this is nice, but it’s not necessary.“

“Oh, please, we love doing this. It’s a very interesting experience as well.”

“Interesting experience?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll see,” Steele said while smirking at Sans and Hex.

Aleiah appeared by Echo’s side after having snuck to a back room to get something. “Arms up, tough guy,” she said while unrolling a measuring tape and wrapping it around his center. “Hmm, typical size for a clone,” she muttered to herself. “Arms out-no, not in front of you, to the sides. Yes, like that.” She measured along his wingspan before wrapping the measuring tape around his muscles.

“Oh, what’s this? Bigger than normal. That might be impressive to her.” Echo blushed slightly at the thought. He wondered if you would actually notice something like how his muscles were bigger than other clones.

“Oh look, he blushes too,” she pointed out while poking his cheek, making him flush darker.

“Watch it, Aleiah,” Steele joked, “I don’t think y/n would appreciate another person flirting with Echo.”

“Oh please, I’m too old for him. And besides, I’m sure he has to put up Sans flirting with her, which is arguably worse.”

“I’m not that bad,” Sans said, waving off her comment.

“Okay, take your armor off. I need to measure your lower half.” Echo did as told, and stood while following her directions as she mapped out his body.

“Kark, if you’re bigger here, I wonder where else you’re bigger at,” she said as she smacked his butt, causing a wave of red to cover his cheeks.

“Oh, and your feet are bigger as well! You know what that means.”

“E-excuse me?” Echo stammered out, eyes widening.

“Oh, you know what I mean. I don’t need to know about it though, I’ll let that be a secret between you and y/n.”

“M-me and y/n?” Echo said, eyes widening more.

“Yes. You two are sleeping together.”

“W-were not sleeping t-together,” Echo said, feeling impossibly red, “we’re not even together yet.”

“You’re not even together yet? Maker, what the karking hells are you waiting for? To be lying on the battlefield, riddled with blaster shots, having her hover over you so your last and dying breath can be, ‘I love you y/n, I always have but I never found the right time to tell you’? Maker, and I thought you seemed like a smart one,” Aleiah said as she finished up her measurements. “Alright, boys. Come back in a few hours and I’ll have something stitched up for him.”

“Thanks again, Aleiah. You truly are the best,” Sans said as they walked out of the shop, waving behind him at the Mirialan woman.

“Is she…always like that?” Echo questioned when they’d walked out of earshot.

“What? Handsy or intrusive?” Steele questioned with amusement.

“Both.”

“Yup. First time Hex went there, the poor guy almost imploded from embarrassment,” Steele laughed, remembering the incident, much to Hex’s annoyance.

“You would have too if she’d felt you up like she did to me,” Hex grumbled.

“It’s sad when you realize she’s probably the only woman who has touched him like that,” Sans whispered to Echo.

“What did you say, oh beloved Commander?”

“Nothing of your concern, my beloved Captain,” Sans responded.

“I’m going to shoot you one day,” Hex threatened.

“I think Steele’s done enough of that for the both of you,” Sans countered.

“It’s usually not on purpose,” Steele said defensively.

“Usually,” Sans emphasized, giving his Major a look before stopping in front of a door.

“Ahh, I’ve missed this place,” he said, stroking the glass lovingly with his hand.

“Come on, open the door already! I’m hungry!” Steele impatiently pushed his Commander to the side and walked in.

“Hey, everyone! Meals are on us!” Steele yelled while walking in. “Just bill it to the GAR and they’ll cover it!” Cheers and claps erupted around the diner, and Steele stood in the middle giving a bow as everyone celebrated him. Hex face palmed and grumbled into his hand while Echo watched the scene, slightly confused.

“Well, it looks like my boys are back to visit me,” the familiar besalisk said while coming out of the kitchen.

“Dexter!” Sans said, going to hug the cook.

“Nice to see you safe, Commander. Ah,” he said, spotting Echo behind him. “It looks like you’ve met your generals friend. Good to see you again, Echo.”

“And you, sir.”

“Please, no formalities. Call me Dexter,” he said while leading the group over to a booth. Echo nodded and took his seat, FLO rolling over to them.

“Oh, it looks like trouble came back today. What can I get you rowdy boys?”

“The hardest alcohol you have,” Sans said.

“Jawa juice,” Steele spoke.

“Water for me,” Echo added.

“Water with lemon, please,” Hex finished.

“Right away, boys,” FLO responded before rolling away.

“Someone’s getting fancy with their lemon,” Steele teased while nudging his brother in the side.

“It adds flavor. Water doesn’t taste like anything without-“

Steele suddenly slammed his hands on the table, a wildly angry look coming to his face.

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?! WATER’S FLAVOR IS THE TEMPERATURE IT IS!”

“NO, BECAUSE THINGS CAN’T TASTE ‘HOT’ OR ‘COLD’! A TEMPERATURE CAN’T BE A FLAVOR! IT’S A FEELING!”

“BUT IT MAKES SENSE!”

“NO, IT DOESN’T!”

“Hex, no matter how many times we have this argument, you always lose. Just accept that you’re wrong,” Sans interjected calmly.

“NO! ECHO!” He yelled, suddenly turning to Echo with a wild look in his eyes. Echo instinctively backed away slightly in his seat as he took in Hex’s face.

“PLEASE, TELL ME YOU AGREE WITH ME!”

“I-Uh…”

“Hex, he’s clearly smarter than that. I mean, he’s an ARC-Trooper. Of course he thinks water’s flavor is it’s temperature,” Sans said.

“JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION, ECHO!” Hex yelled, leaning across the table.

“PLEASE, TELL HIM HE’S WRONG!” Steele yelled.

“I-well, what does y/n think?”

“Y/n refuses to say, she likes watching us argue over it,” Sans explained. “Though I think she’d side with me and Steele.”

“SHUT UP AND LET THE MAN THINK!” Hex and Steele both yelled at Sans.

“I WAS ANSWERING HIS QUESTION, YOU DI’KUTS!”

Echo slowly inched closer to the edge of the booth, watching the chaos unfold.

“Alright, I’ve got your drinks boys,” FLO said as she rolled back over. “Oh, Maker. Are you arguing about water again?”

“YES!” The three of them yelled at once.

“I’m so sorry you’re with them,” FLO said to Echo.

“Yeah…I think I might need to make an escape soon.”

“Oh, they’ll calm down once they get their food,” she said before addressing them all. “Should I tell Dexter to make the usuals?”

“Yes,” they replied calmly before going back to arguing.

“And you, Echo?”

“Oh, I’ll just have what me and y/n had last time.”

“The shawda club sandwich?”

“Yeah, that was it. Thanks.”

“No problem sweetie,” she said before rolling away.

The other three continued to argue, much to many other diner’s annoyance. One Rodian even came over to tell them to shut up, to which they responded by dragging him into the argument. He sided with Hex, agreeing that temperature cannot be a flavor. Steele then went on a tangent about how it can be and how it makes sense, causing the Rodian to rethink his stance.

“Alright boys, time to calm down and eat,” Dexter said while placing their food down. The three of them instantly seemed to forget their argument from two second ago as they took in the sight of food.

“Ahhh yeah,” Steele said, grabbing his fork with a hungry look in his eyes.

“Close your mouth, Steele. You’re about to drool,” Hex said while smacking his brothers chin up.

“Sorry, I just haven’t had this in forever, and kriffing hells is it good.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

They all ate while joking around, Hex and Echo keeping Sans and Steele from causing any more chaos. They had been about to start a food fight when Hex decided it was time to leave. They wandered around the streets, taking Echo to a few more of their favorite places, sometimes causing more chaos and making quick exits to avoid the consequences.

It was getting late, but none of them felt like going back to the barracks just yet. They were walking along casually, talking about nothing in particular.

“Hold on,” Steele said as he paused pointing down the street ahead of them. “Is that y/n?” Everyone moved to get a look at the person Steele had motioned to.

“Hey, it is. I wonder what she’s doing down here,” Sans said.

“Who’s that blue guy that she’s with?” Hex questioned.

“That’s Cad Bane,” Echo said, a hint of sourness coming to his voice. “He’s a bounty hunter. General Skywalker has dealt with him before.”

“Of course, our little General is hanging out with bounty hunters. They grow up so fast,” Steele said while pretending to wipe away a tear.

“Are they friends?” Hex asked, observing the way you and Bane were acting.

“Mutually beneficial friends, I think he called it,” Echo replied, still eyeing the Duros down.

“So you’ve met him?”

“Briefly, but I don’t like him. He’s a criminal, she doesn’t need to be hanging around him.”

“She’s fine,” Steele said. “She’s a Jedi anyways. He couldn’t hurt her if he tried.”

Echo was silent as you moved closer. It looked like you and him were just casual friends going for a walk together. When you were almost to them, Echo stepped forwards to go and approach you, only to be pulled back by Sans.

“Woah there, buddy. What do you think you’re doing?” He asked as he pulled Echo away.

“I was just going to make sure she was alright,” Echo responded, trying to move past Sans.

“I’m sure she’s fine, Echo. Plus she could be on some sort of mission, and we don’t want to risk compromising it.”

“Yeah, or she could be in danger. Would you rather risk that?”

“If she needed help, she would have commed us, okay? Trust me, she’s good at this sketchy lower level stuff.” Echo held Sans’s gaze for a second before he looked around him at you. You were now leaning against the railing that kept people from falling deeper into Coruscant, Bane looking at you with his back to the group of clones. You didn’t meet eye contact with any of them, but Echo watched as you motioned with your hands, telling a story of sorts.

“Ah, did you see that, Echo?” Steele said.

“See what?”

“That motion she did with her hand. It was a signal. She’s doing just fine, and we have nothing to worry about.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Echo said while folding his arms.

“Man, has she really told you nothing about the 17th?”

“What? What does this have to do with the 17th?”

“He’s referencing out expansive collection of motions and signals to indicate our status. It’s something we’ve come up with as a battalion. One of the traditions for our shinies is to have them memorize them all and pass a test,” Hex explained. “That’s how we earn our matching pjs.”

Sans waved his arm in a way to signal back to you that they understood but would come help if necessary.

“Eugh,” Steele said, making a grossed out face while Sans smirked, watching another one of your signals.

“What? What did she signal?”

“She signaled us to give you a little peck on the lips for her,” Sans said while jokingly lifting Echo’s face with his fingers and leaning in.

“Come any closer to me and you’ll be needing a new commander,” Echo warned.

“She picked a feisty one, I see,” Sans laughed as he dropped his hand. “Come on, let’s go to 79’s. I want to cause some more chaos.”

“I think you’ve caused enough chaos for today,” Hex countered.

“Hey, you and Steele were the ones who started the argument at Dexter’s.”

“Yes, but as our commander, you didn’t stop us. You even joined in.”

“Just because I’m your commander and I’m supposed to be the responsible one, that doesn’t mean I am. If I remember correctly, you’re the responsible one, Hex.”

“Yes, because you’re not.”

“Hey, di‘kuts, what if we let Echo decide what we do? We’ve dragged him around all day, might as well give him a chance to pick where we go,” Steele interrupted.

“79’s actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me,” Echo said.

“Hells yeah!” Sans said, high-fiving Steele.

“Okay, but if they get wasted, you have to deal with them,” Hex said before they all turned to make their way to the bar. When they walked in, there was a good amount of clones from many different battalions all around. Some in uniform or armor, others in their undersuits or the more casual clothes from regulation.

“How’s everybody doing tonight?” Sans yelled as he walked in. Cheers erupted and a wave of “Sans!” and, “Commander!” erupted from the clones around the bar.

“I guess he’s popular around here,” Echo said to Hex.

“Oh, yeah. He’s wild. He gets very wasted, and often does embarrassing karaoke. And don’t get me started on what he’s like on Commander Centaxdays.”

“Come on, guys,” Sans said while looking back at his group, “shots aren’t going to do themselves!” Sans and Steele ran over to the bar and waited for Hex and Echo.

“Okay, boys. You ready?” Hex asked, looking at them both. They nodded and looked at the five shots in front of both of them.

“Ready? For what?” Echo questioned.

“They have a tradition to see who can down the first five shots of the night the fastest,” Hex explained. “It’s how they get ‘warmed up.’ Y/n even joins them when she’s with us.”

“Huh,” Echo replied, imagining what you would be like while intoxicated.

“One…two…THREE!” Hex yelled, starting the shot race. Echo watched in amusement as Sans and Steele desperately raced each other, lifting up the tiny glasses and swallowing as fast as they could.

“Done!” Steele yelled, slamming his last glass onto the counter a split second before Sans.

“Karking, haar’chak!” Sans said while shaking his head. “I’m getting you next time.”

“No you won’t.”

“Yes I will.”

“Nu-uh.”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Nu-uh.”

“YUH-HUH!”

“Nope.”

“You know what? Dance off, right now!” Sans said, dragging Steele away from the bar and going to the center of the room. Hex shook his head, looking fondly at his brothers.

“They really are something else, aren’t they?” Echo joked.

“Yeah, but I gotta love them. They’ve been with me from the beginning. We were all in Jawa squad together. It’s always been just us, Tie, Aid, and there was Bomber but he...” he trailed off and was silent for a moment, a flash of sadness coming to his eyes before he shook his head. “Come on, let’s go join the crowd.” They got up and headed onto the dance floor, the music pounding in their ears as they let themselves loose. They danced for what felt like days, but was really only an hour or so.

Echo and Hex sat at the bar after they got tired, watching as Sans and Steele danced around and got intoxicated, not just from drinks, but the excitement and energy of 79’s.

“So, tell me exactly how Steele is a higher rank than you, when you’re clearly smarter and more responsible,” Echo said while setting his drink down. “I’d even go as far to argue that you should have Sans’s position.”

“Well, Sans acts like a fool, but in truth, he’s one of the best. He definitely deserves the title of Commander more than me. And as for Steele?” He took a sip of his drink before continuing. “It came down to, Major Hex and Captain Steele sounded awful, while Captain Hex and Major Steele sound badass. Plus, Captain sounds like a higher rank, at least in my opinion.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Echo agreed.

“You got any close vod?” Hex questioned as Steele waved at him.

“Yeah, my squad mate, Fives.”

“He’s the clone Shaak Ti hangs around with, right?” Echo nodded, confirming Hex’s thought.

“He’s also an ARC-Trooper. We’re the only ones still alive from our squad. The others all died on our first mission.” Echo looked down, remembering his fallen squad mates.

“Hey, they died heroes.” Hex waved the bartender over to get two more shots. “What squad were you in?”

“Domino squad.”

“Woah, seriously? Domino squad?”

“Yeah, you hear about us?”

“I think everyone’s heard about you guys,” Hex joked before grabbing his shot, Echo doing the same. “To the fallen Dominoes,” he said, clinking his shot to Echo’s.

“To the fallen Dominoes,” Echo echoed before downing his drink.

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