Me: i only ever ended up getting 1/3 of the open world fandragons i wanted and i'm not super happy with my Plains scry anyway so i should probably go redo that and-

Also me: what if. zariman fandragon

Couldn’t get this out if my head - Brother AU where Yata and Munakata are half brothers. I just can’t get the reactions of everyone finding out. Like say during group missions with red and blue if it looks like Yata is about to be injured Munakata will jump in to be big brother and save Yata. Which in turn confuses some squad members to spark rumors of them dating. Cue Fushimi who has a freak out and doesn’t know how to ask if they are true or not. The stress gets amplified when Munakata tries to get lunch with his little brother cause that’s what a big brother does. And that since Munakata is the big brother he is allowed to call Yata “Misaki-kun” (Yata does not see it this way). Or that he’ll stop by HOMRA and Yata’s part time jobs to check up on him. It eventually comes to head when one member of the blues decided that enough is enough and that Yata should be more considerate other feelings and he should treat who he’s dating better. They rally the troops and go off to find Yata who’s walking around with the rest of the HOMRA crew and confront him. This leads to Yata having to scream at them that he is not dating their boss that would just be gross. Cue blue member asking back wants wrong with our captain anyone would want to date him. Yata feeling attacked bites back I’m not into incest that’s why before going red in the face embarrassed. Shocked and confused pikachu faces. Yata explains your captain’s my brother before leaving to go into hiding. The two squads part ways with everything making a little more since and when the blues get back they pass the information around that no the two are not dating and that they are brothers. Fushimi goes from relieved that Misaki is not dating he annoying captain to anxious that Misaki and the captain are related (Sarumi for the win...sorry). The blues now understand the relationship and the reds now have jokes like “you brother poached your boyfriend” or “hmm you better go say hi to your big brother” whenever they see Munakata out. Idk I just couldn’t get this idea and several others out of my head and was wondering your take on the different reactions of the two clans or how they all find out.

I am honestly very amused by the idea of the clans assuming Munakata and Yata are dating only to find out that they're related and probably thinking why does the idea of them dating suddenly feel like the more realistic one. Like say Munakata's always wanted to be a doting big brother to Yata but Yata's never liked him, like imagine by the time they are aware of the other's existence Munakata's already in high school preparing for college (oh maybe Munakata was the result of like Yata's dad having an affair before Yata was born too and he finally decided to leave Yata's mom for his mistress and so Yata also kinda dislikes Munakata for that even though he technically didn't have anything to do with it). Munakata never gets the chance initially to do much with his younger half brother, he only meets Yata like once before going to college and it's not until he becomes the Blue King and sees who the members of Homra are that he's very intrigued to discover his little brother has been busy in his absence.

Of course Munakata has always secretly wanted to be a big brother himself and now he's like determined to foster some brotherly affection between himself and his unruly younger sibling. Yata has no interest in this whatsoever and he also doesn't want anyone to know that he and Munakata are related because how uncool would it be for him as a member of Homra to be the younger half brother of the stupid Blue King. This does not stop Munakata from trying to be the best big brother he can be, which leads to moments such as Munakata noticeably stepping in to save Yata from being attacked by a Strain during some mission where Homra and Scepter 4 ran into each other, or giving Yata special attention whenever they run across each other (also he doesn't stop Fushimi from riling Yata up but maybe he keeps trying to encourage Fushimi in his own way to be more honest with his feelings, like a good big brother he wants to help his sibling find love too). He also refers to Yata within earshot of other clansmen as 'Misaki-kun' which is what really gets the rumor mill going, like did you hear the Blue King and Homra's Yata Misaki are on a first name basis with each other.

The Scepter 4 and Homra rank and file are soon all gossiping about it and of course Fushimi hears it eventually too. At first he blows it off as ridiculous but then imagine he hears Munakata call Yata 'Misaki' too and he's confused and irritated and doesn't know why the idea of this upsets him so much. Meanwhile imagine one day Yata runs across some Scepter 4 guys and he can't resist making some comment about their stupid King, the S4 alphabet are pissed that Yata could speak so cruelly of his supposed boyfriend. A few other members of Homra and Scepter 4 happen to be in earshot as the arguing progresses, the S4 boys thinking Yata needs to be ore grateful and is this how you treat someone in your type of relationship while Yata's mad thinking Munakata told everyone that they're brothers and that's the type of relationship they mean. He's like that guy's always smothering me and trying to act like we're close, the S4 boys are like so you don't even think you're close to the guy you're dating. Yata's immediately like what the fuck we're not dating we're brothers you sickos a moment before he realizes that no one actually knew and now he just told everybody his 'big secret.'

This of course opens a whole new can of worms for Yata, on the Homra side while no one questions his loyalty I'm sure the Homra guys can't resist teasing him sometimes about being 'the Blue King's baby brother.' The Scepter 4 guys like to use this to taunt Homra with too, like shouldn't you show respect to your vanguard's more successful brother. Fushimi is initially still a little bewildered by all this but I can totally see him using it as ammo to taunt Yata too, like noting Munakata got all the height in the family (and meanwhile Munakata's probably continuing to try and get the two of them to reconcile and finally admit their feelings, if only so he has an excuse to suggest that Fushimi also call him 'big brother'). Munakata only knows that Yata told everyone they're brothers so he assumes this must mean Yata has embraced the strength of their filial bonds at last and he's even more eager to bond as siblings should, poor Yata is like I should have just said we were dating.

Mina - Love Yourself

Mina Ashido

Rating: sexual content (Not smut)

 Love Yourself

 Ever since you manifested your quirk people have ran away from you. You couldn’t blame them, sharp horns on your head, devil tail and claws, you were a monster. It was the reason why your parents had forced you to become a hero saying, “We won’t have a villain for a daughter.” Hell even they were afraid of you.

You got into UA fairly easily, your quirk increasing your general strength and speed while also giving you wings. You had landed second behind Bakugo, not that you really cared. You saw no point in all this, you doubted UA would keep you for long. The minute they find out the full extent of your quirk they’ll kick you, you thought.

That’s why it was so surprising to you when you found yourself moving into the dorms during break. After Bakugo had been kidnapped the school, your class especially, to move on campus for safety measures. You didn’t mind, you saw it as freedom from your parents, though they were hesitant to let you go.

You had didn’t bother making friends with anyone, you doubted they wanted to be your friend in the first place. That didn’t stop a certain pink girl from trying though. She was constantly around you, inviting you to lunch or just for girl time. You had never accepted, and ended up avoiding her where ever you went. You had developed a crush on the bubblegum girl and you figured avoiding her would be better for both of you.

It was currently weekend at the dorms, and you didn’t bother going home. You didn’t feel like listening to your parents nag at you, or the disappointed look in their eyes whenever you were around. Your heart clenched at the thought, your quirk made you unlovable to even your family. You had filled your day with small chores, cleaning up your room or reorganizing things. It kept your mind busy, which was what you desperately needed at this point.

The sun was setting, your Saturday afternoon transitioning into night. You sighed, stomach growling. You had a tenacity to not eat, it started when you just didn’t want to come out of your room and see that look in your parent’s eyes. You got up and headed down stairs, figuring you might as well eat something. Plus you thought everyone had gone home.

You were wrong.

Walking into the common room you were greeted with the loud shouting of Denki and Bakugo who appeared to be playing some video game. “Stop being a coward and help me fucking kill this bitch,” Bakugo yelled as he smashed buttons on his controller. The whole Bakusquad was sat in the lounge playing video games, snacks and glasses sprawled around them. Mina looked up to see you, a smile gracing her face, “Hi Y/n, wanna join?” you shook your head, stuffing your hands in your hoodie as you quietly made your way to the kitchen.

Mina frowned, she had been trying so hard to befriend you and all you seemed to do was avoid her. Hell she was pretty sure you had spoken more words to Mineta than her. Kirishima noticed the frown on his pink friends face, turning to watch you make yourself food. “Yo Y/n,” he called leaning over the couch. The Bakusquad watched silently, confused as to what Kirishima could possibly be up to. “We’re gonna watch a horror movie later, you should join.”

You froze on the spot before turning slowly to face him, the whole squad staring back at you. Jirou caught on quickly, knowing Mina’s desperate attempts to befriend and even flirt with you. “Yeah, not like there’s anything else to do around here.”

You stared for a bit before turning back to your food, your silence annoying a certain blonde. The whole squad knew Mina had a crush on you, and even if you weren’t into girls she still wanted to befriend you. He didn’t want to listen to Mina’s whining, that and he actually did care for his group of idiots (though he would never admit it). “Sit your ass down, or I’m gonna blow your door down and tie you to the couch.”

Everyone was shocked by Bakugo’s claim. You and Bakugo shared an understanding and mutual respect for each other, you weren’t perturbed by his loud attitude and he couldn’t care less about your stupid quirk. You rolled your eyes at him, “Whatever you say Boom Boi.” A tick mark appeared and Bakugo’s forehead, but the minute you actually sat down to join them it faded away. Soon Denki and Bakugo were playing and yelling again, while the others attempted to help them.

“Left!” Kirishima said as an enemy came at Denki and soon the screen flashed showing Denki had died. “Man this game sucks,” he pouted as he crossed his arms. “Maybe it’s the player and not the game,” Shinsou said, he had recently moved to the Hero course. You watched them argue before deciding to reach over and grab the remote. Mina watched as you respawned and instantly killed half the enemies in the room, fingers gliding gracefully over the controller. “Wow Y/n your super good at this!” She chirped, drawing the other’s attention. You and Bakugo had cleared the floor and where moving to find health potions and ammo. “Use to play a lot at home,” you mumbled, “Never had anything better to do.”

The class didn’t know much about you, let alone any hobbies or personal life details. Sero couldn’t help but make an observation, “So how come you never leave the dorms?” You froze slightly, eyes not leaving the TV, “Family.” You didn’t say much else, but it spiked curiosity in them. “Oh, do they live far away?” Denki asked switching places with Mina so she could be closer to you. “I wish.” You sighed as you and Bakugo run into the boss room. Mina furrows her eyebrows at how you responded, did you and your family not get along?

“Dodge and go for the back,” you directed as the boss charged at you both in full force. Bakugo grunted, the both of you taking down the boss fairly easy. “Fuck yeah!” Bakugo yelled as the screen faded to back, signally the end of the mission. You took a bite from your sandwich as Bakugo, Kirishima, Denki and Sero rejoiced. “Thanks Y/n, we’ve been trying for weeks now to finish this mission. Honestly if it wasn’t for Bakugo’s motivation we would have quit.” Sero rubbed the back of his head and you simply nodded, “It is one of the more complex levels, took me a week before I got it.”

Soon the game was discarded and Bakugo was in the kitchen fixing up dinner, because if anyone else cooked they would probably burn down the kitchen. Jirou, Denki and Kirishima started cleaning up the mess of bowls while Shinsou and Sero went to get blankets and stuff for the movie. That left you alone with Mina. “Hey,” she said softly, as if approaching an injured animal, “You know, it was really nice of you to help us. Thanks.” She smiled and your heart fluttered, tail subconsciously swaying in happiness.

Mina found it cute how your tail moved, twitching when you were annoyed, swaying when happy or just curly slightly when you were highly focused. “It wasn’t a big deal,” you mumble, setting the controllers away. Mina giggled, your tail lightly swiped against her thigh. It wasn’t on purpose but Mina couldn’t help but clench her thighs together, she wondered what else that tail of yours could do.

You wondered where the others were, probably washing up or helping Bakugo. Mina took a deep breath, deciding it go for it like her friends had tried convincing her. “You’re really pretty Y/n.” she said and you froze in shock. You wiped your head towards her, not caring about the blush on your cheeks. “What?” you were dumbfounded, “You’re really pretty,” Mina repeated, “I also think your tail is cute, you know how it twitches and stuff.” You shook your head, “You’re crazy.”

Mina frowned, “What, why?” you looked at her before sighing. “Look, my quirk literally makes me a devil, and you’re tell me I’m pretty, cute? Don’t pull my leg.” You rolled your eyes before looking away. Mina tilted her head, “But you are pretty, quirks don’t matter. You should love yourself regardless.” She gave you smile and you couldn’t help what you did next.

You pressed your lips to hers, she tasted of bubblegum. You pulled away and stared at Mina’s shocked face. The weight of what you just did crashed down on you. You blushed before attempting you get up and leave, not wanting to embarrass yourself more. Mina moved faster, moving to straddle your legs and pulling you into an open mouth kiss. The taste of bubblegum filled your mouth and you flipped her over so that you were hovering over her. Her hands wondered up your sides before wrapping around your shoulders to pull you closer.

“We got the, Oh Shit!!” Sero yelled as he walked in on you and Mina making out. You both pulled away out of shock, faces fully red. You got off Mina, moving to create some distance. “You go Mina,” Sero chuckled causing Mina to throw a pillow at him, “Shut up!” she yelled embarrassed and the commotion made the others come to the common room. “What’s going on?” Kirishima asked confused, Sero smirked, “Mina’s getting some that’s what.”

Kirishima and Denki both started cheering, getting a pillow thrown at both of them by Mina, “Shut up you idiots.” You were still processing what had happened, you and Mina had kiss, hell fully made out and one of her friends had caught you. You pulled you knees to your chest, hiding your flushed face. Finally Mina had managed to shoo them away, not before receiving a few encouraging remarks form her friends. She turned to you when they had left, taking in your embarrassed form. “You ok?” she asked causing you to peak your head out from your legs. “Yeah…” your voice trailed off, you couldn’t really look at her with your mind wondering to what had happened moments prior.

Mina didn’t like you avoiding her so she took action, pouncing on you so that she straddled you form. You gawked up at her, “What are you-“ Mina hushed you with a kissed. She soon pulled away, “Don’t ignore me, please.” Her voice was soft and it made you weak. You sat up, bringing Mina closer to you, “Why me?” you whispered, “Out of everyone you could chose, why me?”

Mina wrapped her arms around your neck bringing your body flush against hers, “Because you deserve love Y/n, and I will make you see that.” She smiled and you pulled her into a soft kiss.

Home from War (Ch.1/8)

James Conrad x Reader Word Count: 2,565 Warnings: so much angst (sorry not sorry) Fic Summary: One year after you lost the love of your life, a last-minute decision changes everything you thought you knew. Now only one question remains: how to make it out alive, and return home from war? 

If you haven’t read the prequel series, go HERE to read Rainy Days! Super important, you don’t want to miss it. 

Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight (Epilogue)

A/N: Tag list is open! Thanks for the overwhelming support for Rainy Days and this new series! I love you all so much and I hope you like this one. Also, since his fic follows the plot of the movie, I apologize in advance for any discrepancies between my writing style and the script itself. I’ve taken most of the dialogue verbatim. I’ll try to make all of the extra characters fit into the story as smoothly as possible (so we can focus on the romance, lol). Enjoy! <3

Captain James Conrad stood in the middle of the road, uniformed soldiers passing him by. The wind whipped at his clothes, pulling them from him, as he stood frozen and utterly hopeless.

Where had you gone?

His mind raced and his blue eyes darted around, looking for some sign of you, but there was nothing to be found. All he could feel were the heartstrings in his chest splitting, the unbidden tears in his eyes blurring his vision, the overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

He fell to his knees, and looked up to the sky, where the yellow clouds had turned dark and drowned out the sun.

It began to rain.

One Year Later

Rain came down from the night sky in droves as the two scientists, Randa and Brooks, made their away across the busy Saigon street, holding their black umbrellas upright. As usual, they were caught up in argumentative conversation, shouting above the noise.

“Why do we need a tracker? And why SAS?”

“Former SAS,” Randa, the older, bearded man, corrected. “No allegiance to anyone. And he rescued twelve downed pilots from Da Nang in ‘72!”

Brooks’s reply was lost in the commotion of traffic and the onslaught of rain coming down on their umbrellas. As the two of them ducked into the corner establishment, folding up their umbrellas, Brooks sighed noisily and pushed his glasses up.

“Okay, fine. So how much do we tell him?”

“Just enough to get him to say yes,” Randa replied.

The bar was bathed in red and blue neon light. It lit up the silhouettes of everyone inside, revealing the room to be overcrowded and dusty. The air was thick with the smell of perfume and alcohol. Slow music played from some hidden room, giving the entire bar a mellow, diluted atmosphere.

The two men made their way to the bar and stopped short at the sight of the man they were looking for: James Conrad.

The former captain was a shell of his previously clean-cut self. Wearing a blue button-up shirt rolled up to his elbows and unbuttoned at the neck, Conrad’s sharp features were diluted by an unshaven beard, unstyled hair, and a clouded veil over his blue-green eyes. Apart from the hardness of his physique, the rest of him was in obvious disrepair, for reasons Randa and Brooks could only guess.

Conrad shot the eight ball deftly into the center hole and reached for the pile of money on the pool table. As he did so, someone grabbed his wrist and objected, scolding him in Vietnamese.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. Conrad stared at him, deadly and unblinking, before he snapped the pole upwards and hit the man in the face. Intuitively, he jabbed the pole backwards and slammed it into the body of another man with an open switchblade in his hand. The man threw a cue ball– he dodged. He threw another, and this time, he deflected it back into his face, knocking him to the ground.

Randa raised an eyebrow and turned to Brooks, giving him a look that screamed I told you so.

“Now there’s a man worth talking to.”

~

“...So we need someone like you, with unprecedented experience in navigating uncharted jungle terrain, to lead us on this expedition,” Brooks finished, watching Conrad nervously from across the table. Bathed in neon light, Conrad’s face was cold, calculating, and entirely unreadable.

Randa scoffed lightly. “We’re just scholars and scientists. We need someone with experience. In case things go sideways.” He held up his shot glass and paused, giving it a thoughtful look before his eyes flickered up to the rugged, bearded man sitting across the table.

“Men go to war in search of something, Mr. Conrad,” He pointed out. “If you’d found it, you’d be home by now.”

~

“Attention all soldiers and base personnel, final troop withdrawal will commence at 0600,” the loudspeakers above your head announced as you walked through the flight bay of the U.S. army’s Da Nang air base– your home for the past eleven months.  

You cupped your hands around your mouth. “Hey, Slivko, do you have my Steinbeck?” You shouted, striding over to where the small group of soldiers were lounging on folding chairs, playing cards on top of ammo crates. You came within earshot of them just as Mills finished a joke, and laughter erupted from the men. You couldn’t help but smile, too– they were a funny group, and unlike your past experiences with previous squads, these soldiers actually felt like family.

Slivko looked up at you, laughing, and muttered “oh, shit,” reaching in his back pocket for the dog-eared paperback. He tossed it to you. “Sorry!” He called apologetically, waving as you walked past.

You grinned and shook your head, taking the book with you as you headed back to your quarters: a small, plain room with a single bunk, your half-packed duffle bag sitting open on the bed.

You sighed, tossing it onto the pile of books and other miscellaneous items, and took a moment to glance out the window. Squads of men ran past in drills. Planes and helicopters moved in and out on the runway like clockwork.

You were going to miss it.

Da Nang was a stark contrast to the jungle camps where you’d spent most of your deployment, but the change was a welcome one. The resources and free time that the air base provided had allowed you to finish up your degree: you were a bona fide Field Nurse now, and finally used to the title.

The rest of your life, however, wasn’t lining up so nicely.

News of your parents’ fatal car crash reached you only days after you lost the man you loved. The two combined were enough heartbreak to send you spiraling. Suddenly, war became the only constant, dependable thing in your life.

You snapped out of your trance and shook your head, inhaling deeply. You still had things to pack.

Your fingers worked nimbly to stack your books in orderly fashion, next to folded civilian clothes. 

When was the last time I’ve worn jeans? You wondered amusedly, setting your other personal effects inside, reaching for the final items.

Your hands wrapped around something small– silver metal, cold and familiar.

“Nurse L/N,” Said a voice behind you.

You whirled around and snapped to, holding your hands at your sides and closing your fist around the item in your hand. “Sir?”

In the doorway stood Colonel Packard– an imposing, stern-faced man who’d seen too much war for his own good. Despite this, he was kind enough to you, and you’d been underneath his command during your time here.

The colonel glanced at your room, taking in the stages of preparation to leave laid out.

“Your orders for home have been processed, I see.”

“Yes, sir,” you nodded.

The Colonel leaned against the doorway and eyed you with scrutiny. “Any plans for when you get back to the world, L/N?”

You blinked. This was the question you’d been avoiding. “No, sir,” you admitted. “I don’t.”

“How do you feel about one last Op?” He asked.

You frowned, not understanding. “Sir?”

“My boys and I have been called in. It’s just a flight escort for some organization called Landsat.” He tapped his fingers on the doorway. “If it’s what you want, go home. But if not …” he trailed off, raised his eyebrows, and pushed himself off the wall. “Let me know. We could always use you.”

You saluted one more time before he left, the sound of his boots fading down the hallway.

You fingered the cold, metal square in your hand, looking down as you opened up your palm and flipping it over to read the letters. R.A.F.

Captain Conrad’s lighter.

A familiar pang in your chest made your eyes teary and you angrily wiped them away. An entire year ago, and you were still crying over it?

Pathetic, you thought miserably. He’s probably been dead for a year.

You inhaled deeply to calm your nerves and turned back to your bed, staring at the half-packed duffle bag lying open on your bed, like an open-ended sentence.

“What do I have to go home to, anyways?” You sighed aloud. You shoved the lighter back in your pocket.

One last Op, you thought, Packard’s words echoing in your mind as you set to packing – but for a different purpose.

~

The docks of Bangkok were damp from rain and crowded by both cargo and the people carrying it. Your duffle bag was slung over your shoulder as you walked with the troops. Slivko and Mills were less enthusiastic than usual, and you knew from their grumbling that they were upset at being deployed a day away from going home.

Needless to say, you didn’t share the same sentiment. There was nothing for you to miss that you could find at the end of a return journey. Right now, your job was everything you knew, and you weren’t about to leave it for the unknown.

You nodded to Colonel Packard, who was standing at the base of the gangplank, and he gave you a barely-discernible smile. He’d already expressed that he was glad you were coming. 

 It’s nice to be wanted, you thought, heading up the plank and onto the freight carrier Athena.

Stepping onto the ship gave you immediate nostalgia. The smell of seawater and rusted ship metal reminded you of your deployment to Vietnam from the states, and the weeks you spent at sea. You felt like you’d been so much younger then, even though it was a mere few years ago. 

Tossing your duffle bag onto the bunk without a second thought, you brushed your hands over your camo pants and headed down the narrow hallway towards the common rooms of the ship, where debriefing would take place in a few short minutes.

You yawned. The trip to Bangkok had taken a full day and then some– hopefully you wouldn’t fall asleep halfway through.

The room was decently sized and filled with folding chairs, where men in blue, collared shirts sat on one side and soldiers sat on the other. You took your place in the sea of green camo, finding a seat next to Mills.

You yawned again when you sat down and shook your head, trying to blink away the tiredness. He nudged you with his elbow. “Hey, don’t fall asleep on me, L/N. I don’t want your drool on my shoulder.”

You chuckled and nudged him back. “You can’t make me,” you threatened playfully, ignoring his comically hurt expression as the lights dimmed and the projector in the middle of the room whirred.

A dark, curly-haired man named Victor Nieves introduced himself as the chief LandSat field supervisor. The presentation began.

Almost as soon as he started talking, your eyes started to droop, and you felt yourself falling asleep despite your best efforts. You tried bouncing your knee, picking a spot on the floor to focus on, breathing deep through your nose, but nothing stuck. You swallowed and shook your head, looking up stubbornly at the bright projections of maps and geographical summaries. Your eyelids began to close again.

“...we’ll then land and make base camp for ground excursions led by Mr. Conrad–”

You jerked awake so fast that your chair skidded against the floor. The sudden, jarring noise made the LandSat supervisor pause before continuing his speech. He cleared his throat. “As I was saying…”

In another situation you would have been embarrassed, even mortified, but you were too startled even for that. With sudden and desperate urgency your head turned to look around the room, searching every face, anxiety growing in the pit of your stomach.

“What the hell, L/N?” Mills hissed at you, but you weren’t listening.

You only had eyes for Conrad.

You finally found him. Standing against the wall, his arms crossed over his broad chest, listening intently to the LandSat Field Supervisor with no sign that he knew you were there.

You stared at Conrad, mouth agape. You inhaled shakily and took a moment to really look– after all, you hadn’t seen him in a year.

He was leaner. Harder. Even more handsome than you remembered. But when he turned his head as he leaned against the wall, you could see an unfamiliar shadow in his eyes– one that hadn’t been there before. It cast a darkness over his countenance.

You watched his blue-green irises flicker over the projector screen, listening to Nieves talk. He sighed, and his gaze began to wander, and your heart rose in your throat.

He looked at you, and the world froze.

It was like time decided to take a day off. Suddenly you couldn’t remember the last time you’d drawn a breath, and the beat of your own heart was unfamiliar to you. Every atom in your body felt torn apart, every hair raised, your eyes sparkling with tears as you met the gaze of the man you loved– the man you lost.

In the painfully slow tick of time you saw his breath catch in the way that his chest shuddered, how the blood drained from his handsome face.

You wanted him to move to you, to make some sign. Damn the debriefing and the rows of soldiers and scientists between you– for all you cared, you and Conrad were the only two people in the vast expanse of the universe.

But he didn’t.

He looked away.

Time returned to its regular pace and suddenly you came back to your senses, just in time to hear the Field Supervisor finish the debriefing and dismiss you.

Without a word you shot out of your chair and ran back down the corridor that led to your bunk. It was all you could think to do– you shut the door behind you, and fell with your back against the metal as you slid down to sit on the floor.

And you cried.

He looked away, you thought, replaying the momentary interaction over and over in your head. He saw me, and he looked away.

A sudden, dreadful thought occurred to you, and you looked up at the wall. You whispered your fear to the empty room, voice thick with emotion.

“Did he forget about me?”

~

Conrad watched you bolt as soon as the meeting was dismissed. You were gone almost before anyone else was was out of their seats, lost in the crowd of military uniforms.

He sighed, reaching up and putting his hand on his chest. His heart was pounding out of his shirt.

It was really you, he thought, clenching his jaw. After all this time. All my searching.

As the room gradually emptied, he stood alone with his thoughts, staring at the empty seat where you had been so close.

He felt like someone had punched him in the gut and stolen the breath from his lungs. The urge to follow you was overpowering, but he stilled himself. After all, he didn’t know exactly where you’d gone. And there was another thing to consider– that you’d run from him, like you’d seen a ghost.

Men go to war in search of something, Mr. Conrad, Randa’s words echoed in his mind. Conrad tightened his jaw and sighed, speaking quietly to the empty room.

“If I’d found it, I’d be home by now.”

- - -

A/N: thanks so much for reading! Kicking things off with a bang and a ton of angst. There are two tag lists: people who asked to be tagged, and people who I assumed wanted to be based on their comments. If you’re on the second list and do not want to be tagged, just let me know and I’ll take you off. :) 

Tag List: @tarynkauai, @jessiejunebug, @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi, @fire-in-her-veinz, @daylight-swiftt 

Assumed Tag List: @damalseer, @un-consider-it, @uinen-ulmiel, @kinghiddlestonanddixon

Keeper of the Stars-3: Heart

Author’s Note:  A multi-part sequel to Some of This Isn’t Bad

Summary: Y/n was a fan of the Supernatural book series who wrote fanfics and attended the conventions. After meeting the boys through Becky, she stopped being a fan and became a hunter. When she shows up at a hunter wake, she doesn’t expect the Winchesters to remember her, and doesn’t expect the argument that breaks out between her and Dean.

Pairing(s): Dean x Reader

Word Count: 2944

Story Warnings: 18+ HERE BE SEX, DO NOT READ IF YOU’RE A YOUNG’UN!, fingering, oral (male and fem rec), protected sex

Chapter Warnings: the slightest amount of angst

By the time you pulled into the 'Stay Inn Motel', your CD changer had made its way around to your Zeppelin 'Best Of' disc, which Dean had flipped to hear. You parked next to the Impala and Sam greeted you as Dean popped your trunk. "Hey, Sammy. You remember y/n?"

"Yeah, of course. It's good to have another set of eyes on this."

"Oh, I'm just here to shoot stuff." You pulled your duffel from the trunk and headed for the office, where you secured room with a single full bed. You dropped your bag in your room and headed for the room Sam exited before. Dean answered, midway through buttoning his white shirt.

"Another body dropped last night. Sam hasn't hit the morgue yet. Wanna come with?"

You nodded. "Yeah. Gimme fifteen," you said, retreating for your room. Twenty minutes later, you were leaving your room, while pulling your hair up into a ponytail.

"Damn, those extra five minutes are magic, huh?"

You rolled your eyes at Dean and straightened your suit jacket. "It's Agent y/n Collins, by the way. So you don't fumble on what to call me." You pulled open the back door of the Impala and slid in. "What are you guys going with? Plant and Jagger? Bowie and Pert? Criss and Simmons?"

"Nobody wants to be Peter Criss," Dean answered.

"Young and Gibbons," Sam said, sliding into the car.

"Which is which? I don't want to get confused."

"You really do hunt solo most of the time. I'm Gibbons." Dean started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"It's a lot easier to just have to keep track of my own fake shit."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, it seems I miscalculated the time of death on Mr. Dylan. Sheriff Strucker found out the power went out in Dylan's house the night he died. It was back on by the time we got there, but there were several hours of him bakin' in his foyer before the Central Air came back on. He was attacked at night, I think." The M.E. nodded at them as the three of you walked in.

"That changes things," you whispered. They'd assumed skinwalker because the kill was a day kill. Now, it might've been a werewolf.

"Agents. Fancy seein' you in Burkhardt," a cheerful voice with a Minnesotan accent said. A blond woman entered the morgue, a large travel mug of coffee in her hand.

You smiled. "Sheriff Hanscum. If I'm not mistaken, Stillwater's about 50 miles Northwest."

"Y/n! Sweetie-pie, what are you doin' with Sam and Dean-o?"

"Giving new partners a shot," you answered, wrapping an arm around the woman.

"You know Donna, too?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, yah. We met at a party at Jodio's place about six months ago," Donna answered.

"It was less a party and more the three of us having beers and plinking cans in Jody's backyard."

"It was a lot of fun. Y/n provided drinks, Jody brought the guns and ammo and I made cheesecake."

"Oh, my God, that cheesecake was so good," you gushed.

"I'll let you in on a secret: it's from a box," she whispered, loudly.

"No."

"Yep. Didn't have time to make it from scratch, but I didn't wanna show up without something sweet to munch on, so I hit the supermarket and grabbed a box a' no-bake."

"It's like Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray with guns," Sam whispered.

"Long as I'm not Rachel. Can't stand her," you said, pulling away from the sheriff.

"I like Rachel Ray. She's spunky." Dean smirked. "Seriously, Donna, this isn't your jurisdiction."

"Oh, no, but yer second body, Dave Smythers, I knew him. We went to high school together."

"Well, we were about to check his body out. Why don't you and y/n go check out the scene?" Sam suggested.

"That's a great idea, Sam. Call when you get done here. Let's go, Don. You got your squad car out front?" You headed for the parking lot and Dean was not subtle about checking your ass out as you left.

"Oh, yah. Right out here." You slid into the partner's side of the car and she smiled over at you. "So, did'ya meet them on a hunt or did Jody introduce ya?"

"I, uh, actually met them before I met Jody."

"Oh, did'ya?"

"Yeah. It's a long story."

"Yeah?" She pulled out onto the main road. "So, which one was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Which one of those boys burned ya?" You looked over at her in surprise. "Betcha it was Dean, huh? I saw how he was lookin' at'cha."

"Donna. Come on." You sighed, running your hand across your forehead.

"Oh, you come on. I may not be some big bad hunter, but I got eyes and a head on my shoulders... you've done the horizontal Mambo with one of those guys and I'm pretty sure it's the bowlegged one." You bit your lip and looked away from her. "It was, wasn't it?! So, what was that like?"

"Are you seriously asking me what sex with Dean is like?"

"Yah! I've been wonderin' since he walked into my station. Man looks like that, but still managed to put down three powdered sugar doughnuts... If I weren't so sure I wasn't his type, and if I weren't so hung up on Doug, I would've tried him myself. So?"

"I was certain that I wasn't his type, too, but Dean doesn't seem to have a type. Not for one night stands, anyway." You turned back to her a bit. "I wasn't his type back then, not really. I'd never fired a gun or anything. Never done anything risky or dangerous. I was... not the type of woman who went to bed with strangers, definitely not the type to dig up a body and light it on fire. When I met the Winchesters, I was the kind of woman who wrote about other people getting to do crazy, dangerous stuff, but wouldn't even ride a bike without a helmet on."

"Helmet laws exist for a reason, ya know?"

"Yeah, but helmet laws aren't something hunters concern themselves with, Donna. Like concealed carry laws and federal impersonation regs. My point is that I was a pretty timid woman until I met them."

"An' how'd they change that?"

"Uh, Dean told me the truth about everything, all the horror movie stuff that's real and... then he took me to bed. He, uh, gave me his phone number before he left and told me to call and I only waited a couple days before I called." You clicked your tongue against your teeth. "I got his voicemail. So, I waited a couple days and tried again. I tried for months, putting more and more time between calls, less emotion in each message. During that time, I started teaching myself self-defense stuff. I bought a gun, took some martial arts classes at the rec center and started reading up on any lore I could. I started noticing weird shit in the newspapers and reporting it to him so he could go check it out. I still got nothing. Eventually, I realized that I was absolutely not going to get a call back, so I got in my car and headed out to Oklahoma to check out a case on my own. When I got there, the boys were already there. So, I stopped calling."

You chuckled. "And I started doing it, myself. If Dean had answered the phone once, I probably wouldn't be a hunter."

"Wow. So, he was good enough that you kept callin'?"

You laughed. "Really, Donna? I bare my soul to you about my damn past and you want to know about the sex?"

"Of course, I do! Come on, give mama the deets!"

You rolled your eyes, playfully. "Best I ever had, but if you repeat that to him, I'll deny it."

You pulled into the driveway of the second victim's house and headed in. The living room was destroyed, claw marks embedded deep into the wood floors and paneling. "So, what are you an' the boys thinkin' on this?" Donna asked, running a pen through the gash on the TV console.

"They were thinking skinwalker, which is like a... an off-shoot of werewolf, but not... skinwalkers are always born skinwalkers. It's not contagious. But this?" You indicated the largest claw mark. "This is a wolf. This feral lack of control... skinwalkers don't get that."

"Really? You done a lot of werewolf hunts?" Donna asked.

"No, but I've read 'Heart' a dozen times." You stepped over a puddle of blood to check the bedroom.

"What's that?" Donna followed.

"It's..." You stopped in the doorway and looked at her. "It's just a novel I used to like. Werewolf romance... sadness."

"Oh, like 'Twilight'?"

You grimaced at the comparison. "No. The werewolf was a woman in this."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. See, her neighbor was obsessed with her and he was a wolf. When his moon came up, his animal brain ran with the obsession, tracked her and got his teeth in her so that they'd be the same. She didn't even know it was her when the men around her started getting mutilated. The hunters who came for the wolf... one of them fell for the chick before realizing what she was."

"How'd that end?"

You turned back toward the bedroom, which showed signs of a struggle, but no blood. "It ended in tears. How else?"

"Well, how sad was it?"

"Madison ended up with a silver bullet in her heart and the protagonist ended up with a metaphorical hole in his."

"He killed her? It wasn't her fault!"

"She asked him to. Didn't want to kill people every month." You turned back to her, shrugging at her upset expression. "Told you it was sad."

"So..." Donna picked up a picture from Dave's side table. "You bein' here, with Dean, what's that about?"

"It's... working towards forgiveness. He had his reasons for ghosting me, and it made me become... well, it changed my life, that's for sure."

"So, you think you're gonna..." She left the end of the sentence up in the air, but you knew what she meant.

"Probably. We're kinda perfect for each other," you admitted, picking up a brush from the en suite bathroom counter. "But I'm not gonna make it easy for him."

"Well, I'm jealous, but yer right ah course. You two look cute together."

"You don't know that. You've only seen us together at the morgue and we weren't much about the PDA there."

"Yah, but I saw how he looked at'cha. He's got it bad, ya know."

"Yeah, he ain't the only one," you responded. "But I can't just... I'm not gonna be weak just 'cause it's easiest."

"But... he's so..."

"He's amazing, I'm not arguing that, but he left me hanging. I can't- It's complicated, Donna," you finished as your phone went off in your pocket. You pulled it out and answered it. "Yeah, Dean?"

"Find anything at the house?"

"Claw marks. Pretty sure it's a werewolf."

"Yeah, we're thinkin' the same. Anything point in a direction to start looking for our wolf?"

"No. Just a lot of blood and gashes in the wood. Wanna head back to the motel? Donna and I could hit the hospital and see if anybody's come in with a bite wound in the last month or so."

"Nah, Sammy's got a rapport with the lady doc down at the ED, so he's droppin' me off at the motel so I can make more silver bullets. You and Donna done at the scene? You coming back?"

You sighed. "Yeah. Donna's gonna drop me off."

"Good. See you in a few."

You turned to Donna as you shoved your phone back into your pocket. "Silver bullet duty. Gonna stick around to help?"

Donna sighed, shaking her head at you. "Nah. I think you an' Dean need some alone time."

"Thanks, Don. That's exactly what I wanted you to say," you responded, sarcastically.

"Oh, you know me, sweetie. Always here to help."

~~~~

You sat at the table in Sam and Dean's motel room, melting silver jewelry down with a blowtorch. Dean kept looking over at you between gluing the tips in place. "What, Winchester? What's with the look?"

"What look?"

"The look! Like you think I'm gonna spill molten silver on myself, or something."

"That's not the look." He chuckled. "Sweetheart, the look I'm giving you is... I have known a lot of hunters and a handful of badass women, but not a single one of them could pull off the welding gloves and mask the way you are."

"Oh, so this is more of that predatory sexuality shit."

"If I'm the predator, does that mean you're my prey?"

"Maybe four years ago. But not today."

"You're gonna make this hard on me, aren't you?"

"Why should I make it easy? I was... this is not what I signed up for when I decided to become a hunter. God and destiny and..."

"Soulmates?" he asked, standing as you turned the blowtorch off.

"Don't even say that, man! 'Soulmates'? You know how ridiculous-" You flipped the mask up so you could glare at him.

"Chuck made you into my perfect woman! He picked you and wrote your story to put us in this exact position, and you're getting hung up on my terminology? You got a problem with destiny, I get that. It's bullshit to think this was written years ago and, hey, God has left the planet, so if you wanna go your own way... the door is right there." He pointed at the door and shook his head. "But I don't think you want that. I sure as hell don't. I've been searching for a woman like you since before I knew I was looking for anything."

"You barely know me!" You set the crucible carefully on a heat-resistant pad and pulled the gloves off. "I know all about you and all you know about me is that I used to write some good smut!"

"I know you're beautiful and smart and badass. I know you're caring and take risks and you picked up hunting in no time and have risen up to epic status in just a few years. I know you're amazing in bed and I've actually dreamed of the way you screamed for me." You looked away, embarrassed of the way your cheeks heated up at the reminder. "You deserve better than me, but that doesn't change how much I want you, how right it feels to want you."

"Don't say that," you whispered.

"What?"

"That I deserve better than you." You pulled the mask off and tossed it on the empty chair on the opposite side of the table. "I don't. How could I possibly deserve better than Dean Winchester, the man who saves the world?"

"You mean, Dean Winchester the man who popped the first lock on Lucifer's Cage? Who's started as many apocalypses as he's helped end? Who has had to watch everyone around him die, some people more than once?"

"Are you stupid? That just means you deserve me, not that I deserve better than you!"

"Then why are you making this so difficult, y/n?!"

"Because it's too easy for me to fall in love with you!" His eyebrows came together as you ran your hand through your hair, anxiously. "And if I fall for you, Dean, and you... you push me away like you are so good at doing, then I... I'll be... ruined."

He pulled your hands into his. "I'm not gonna push you away, sweetheart."

"You can't say that. You can't!" you urged. "You think you get people killed. You think you're gonna get me killed and, eventually, that's gonna make you push me away. Just like before, except this time it's not gonna be you not answering your phone, it's gonna be you sending me away. It's gonna be you putting me out into the world, knowing what it's like to love you and not being able to have it and that's not fair, Dean, it's not fair to-"

"Y/n, shut up!" His eyes were amused as he pulled you closer to him. "I will not push you away. I won't push you away because you won't let me. That's how Chuck wrote you." He slid his hands up your arms to rest on your shoulders. "Stubborn, smart, risk-taker who recognizes my worth. You won't let me get all dark and sad and push you away for your own good, 'cause God didn't write you that way. Right?"

You looked down. "I'm scared, Dean. I've worked hard, I've worked for years to be... and to let myself be vulnerable is-"

"Terrifying. I know." He smiled, softly. "But I know of a real good way to distract ourselves from the fear."

"No." You pulled away.

"Seriously?! I get you to open up and you still say 'no'?"

"I don't screw around when there's a hunt going. It's the 'Friday the Thirteenth' rule."

"Are you kidding?"

"No. It's bad juju. You know it is! Your first werewolf with Sam, he fucked Madison. Boom! Wolf. Oh, and your little Amazon story?"

"Okay, but... we both know that neither of us are the wolf."

"Bad juju, Dean."

He growled and pulled out his phone, putting it to his ear as he stepped away from you. "Tell me you've got something useful. Because I'm ready for this hunt to be over, dude, don't ask questions."

You laughed as you sat down at the table and started to move on with the silver bullets.

KITCHEN SINK TAGS @heyitscam99 @wonderlandfandomkingdom @unlikelysamwinchesteronahunt @mrs-meghan-winchester @henrymorganme @lonely-skys @allykat2108 @mogaruke @flamencodiva @team-free-will-you-idjits-67 @pisces-cutie @paintballkid711 @natura1phenomenon @rainbowkisses31 @atc74 @alagalaska

HUNTER TAGS @letsby @mrswhozeewhatsis @adoptdontshoppets @spnskinnyballs @deansenwackles @gayspacenerd @thewhiterabbit42 @dolphincliffs

GAGA FOR GREEN EYES TAGS @akshi8278

Since two of our players were out, we pulled out this campaign

This was a really, really long session that had some hard bits in it for me as a person because boy howdy did I give Sam a lot of ammo to use against Vera.

SO the morning after the successful bank defense the Watch are all in the watchtower recovering from the previous night’s shenanigans, where even Y’all’d’ve was allowed to drink because Al was like “I watched him kill two people I’m not telling him anything he probably needs to drink.” The next morning there’s a group outside the tower, with a lot of city members coming wanting to join the watch.

The QC looks at the group and is like “Freddy, Ken, Y’all’d’ve, who’s the most sober?” As Y’all’d’ve was trying to sleep on Sara’s arm he was out of the running. The other two were sent off to get coffee. Al and Pava started their usual ribbing of the QC and she went outside to scare the shit out of people in order to give us enough time to sober up. With the help of coffee and bright ass sunlight the squads are ready to stand behind the QC as she gives her speech. Al stands back and makes punching motions with her fists because apparently she’s going to beat them up.

The other squads get paired up with their respective newbies and squad 3 gets pulled into the QC’s office for a conversation. Long story short: Because Sieger Medvedev is being an asshole and consistently requesting the guard look into the missing ring issue (not his wife’s probable murder) she’s sending her best and brightest. Namely: us three assholes. The half elf (Al makes sure to pull her hair back so her ears are showing), the human male (Who doesn’t do anything unless he has to) and the elf boy (Who has not worn shoes in his life and isn’t about to start now.).

They head to the residence and notice a few things about the staff: All Rutish maids, no butlers, the ones that seem to be in charge are the prettiest, and everything is very nice in the house. They’re shown into a sitting room and after fucking with the maids for a bit they get served tea. Y’all’d’ve perches on the couch, Pava drags a chair over from the desk to sit on it backwards, and Al sits on the seat at the head of the area, what would most likely be the seat Sieger would take.

Sieger guesses pretty quickly why they’re there, and Al wastes no time making his day as shitty as possible. Sieger tries to be like ‘Excuse you I just lost my wife and I am heartbroken’ but rolls a literal 1 on his bluff. Even Y’all’d’ve can tell he’s lying. Al states that they’ll need to search the house as a formailty, Siger is like ‘of course, you’ll be able to search all the rooms she was allowed in’ and Al is like ‘Uh no, all the rooms’ and Sieger was like ‘lol no come back with a warrant’ and Al was like ‘OKAY’ and goes out to talk to the queen commander.

Y’all’d’ve and Pava go to search Therese’ room where Pava keeps an eye on Sieger who’s trying to get away as much as he can. Y’all’d’ve is resepectful of the room as he can be, because he’s starting to feel bad for this dead lady. He talks with a bit with her maid and asks some questions, asks what other rooms in the house she frequents. The sitting room, the drinking room, the smoking room, her children’s nursery. (Me, as a player: OUCH) She hadn’t been anywhere else besides her room that day before she left. She’d been in good spirits (probably because she knew she wouldn’t be partying with Sieger, who essentially said he didn’t want to bring her along because she was an embarassment).

Meanwhile, Al tries unsuccesfully to convince QC to give her a warrant to search the whole place and QC is like ‘We have been trying for like 60 fucking years to get into that house to search and they haven’t slipped up I hate them so fucking  much Al do you understand I have had to deal with Sieger his whole fucking life and even my husband, Geoff the literal saint, considered letting him walk free a crime’. and Al is like ‘I need in that house I need in all the fucking rooms I hate him and I want him in jail how can we knock him down a few pegs’ And the QC gets a horrible idea. 

So they swing to pick up Y’all’d’ve and Pava and head over to a small but tall house and the QC asks the Butler to tell the Dame that she’s there. They get called up to the Dame’s room to meet her, and the woman that the QC has taken them to see, whom she thiinks will be all in for fucking with Sieger, is his Grandmother, the previous head of the family, Vera Medvedeva.

Dame Vera starts out the conversation with a quip about the QC not being able to die, which is a fucking great way to start the conversation. Al and Pava can both tell it’s a quip at her, but at the same time Dame Vera is playing. (She’s been playing this game for a while) It’s at about this point that the QC imminently regretted her decision of walking into this fucking house. Al is like ‘OH HEY GUESS WHAT YOUR SHITTY GRANDSON LOST YOUR FAMILY RING’ and Dame Vera is like ‘what a fucking moron’ and also was like ‘filing that away, he didn’t tell me, fucking idiot i find out everything’

Al and QC try to convince Grandmama to be on their side of ‘let’s throw your shithead grandson in jail’ and Grandmama is all”:) do you have proof :)” and Al is like ‘I will go to the queen herself if I have to get that smarmy son of a bitch in jail for a few nights” and Grandmama is all like ‘oh ho look at that, jack booted thugs. At least this is an improvement over the old group you ran with, they’re not killing people in the streets.” And Y’all’d’v’e is like -Jim face-

(Dame Vera also made a comment about Y’all’d’ve and hsi bathing habits that went mostly unnoticed)

The Dame is basically like ‘lol come back when you got some proof’ though she does give the group some nice backstory regarding Sieger, his ‘missing’ first wife, and some bits about the new wife. (She’s young, possibly thinks herself clever, hopefully not for her own sake, we all know what happened to Akulina) She also name drops his first son and adds that Sieger forgets he exsists half the time. Mentions his daughter that left the country.

(Dame Vera thought we were all ‘delightful’)

QC is exhausted and can’t even be too happy when Pava starts telling her about how everyone fucked with Sieger and she heads off. The idiots head back to the house to find out that the Master has left, but his son is there and Al is like ‘oh fuck yes, let’s talk to him’ but first talks with the maids in secret to get on their side and learn some info. She learns that Sieger went out, bought a pig, brought it into the basement and butchered it, and apparently that’s something he does when he’s in a temper and Al’s like ‘oh fuck that pig was me.’

After that in sashays Volya Medvedev who is like ‘oh, look at you. You, are you the one who perched on the couch?’ and Y’all’d’ve is like ‘uh yeah?’ “Pleas,e show me.” “Like this?” “Now sit on the couch.” “Okay?” “Rub your butt on it. Really get on there.” “I am uncomfortable.”

Meanwhile Al is like “TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT.” And Volya is like “OKAY” and strips off his jacket and shirt and Al goes to town looking for signs of abuse. There’s no brusing or anything, but he does have scars. Al asks him about a few and he’s like “Oh yeah, that happend -insert horrible childhood memory here-” “What about this one?” “Oh, that was -additional horrible memory here-” And Al’s like ‘what the actual fuck, also would you come down to the guard tower and make a statement’ and He’s like ‘BUY ME DRINKS’ and Pava’s like ‘AYYYY’ and Volya puts his jacket back on but forgets his shirt and it becomes A Look. Al leaves behind the quill/parchment she’d taken with her before after breaking hte quill and writing ‘eat a dick’ on the inside of the letter.

So they walk him back to the guard tower and Volya gives his horrible, horrible statement, telling horrible stories of his past. Mentions the time his dad tossed his sister down a flight of stairs. When asked about the basement that no one went in he’s like ‘YUP, THAT’S A FUCKING THING’. Straight up offers to work with the guard and go back and purposely provoke his father into hitting him. Jokes a bit about if his dad goes too far and kills him that he’ll swing and somehow only Y’all’d’ve catches that he’s not joking. Volya is literally wiling for his dad to kill him if it means Sieger dies too.

Ont he way to the bar after Y’all’d’ve is like ‘uh guys i don’t think we should let him help cuz he wants to die and that is maybe not okay?’ and Al is like ‘we are trying to not get him killed’ and Pava’s like ‘yeah he is not in good shape’ but they go out bar hopping and Volya takes them to the two bars he was with his mom with on the night she died. Pava asks around to see if anyone remembers her, and att he first one he doesn’t get much luck but the second one he does, getting some information on the last person to see Therese alive. One of her friends stayed behind at the bar to have some fun with t he barkeep and he was like ‘it was amazing holy shit’ and talked that rich lady up. pussy game strong. The one Therese left with was younger, thick makeup, odd accent.

Al tapped out for a bit to go back and talk to her contact the bluter to see if he can contact both the Medvedva butler as well as the Medvedev maids to be like ‘hey, I want some info and I’ll make sure nothing comes back to you’. She joins back up at bar 3 and that’s when Y’all’d’ve makes his move.

He slides up to Volya and is like ‘hey there my dude, you seem to want to die’ and Volya is like ‘PsssSSSShhh’ and Y’all is like ‘I don’t think it’s cool to let your dad beat you to death when you kinda don’t act like you’d come back for a resurection spell’ and they walk and talk for a bit while Pava and Al follow behin (Al sneaking, Pava just walking)

Volya admits that shit is bad, and Y’all agrees. The world is fucking awful, and horrible things happen, and they keep happening, and they don’t stop. And Volya mentions that his brother left, his sister left (Me, as Vera: OW) and his mom ‘left’, goingout by getting Sieger arrested wouldn’t be a bad way to go out himself. And there’s his dad’s new wife and the kid she’s going to have, they’re going to get treated just the same. Y’all is like ‘it’s good to want to make things better, but like, shit don’t get better when you die. it just stops getting at all’.

They stop by the canal and Al and Pava are like ‘oh my god are they going to jump in’ after they’re like ‘shit, it’s easy to forget he’s been alive a long time’. Kid elf he may be, he’s older than all three of them combined. Volya seems to back from the cliff a bit, but Y’all’d’ve sees something sparkly in the water and, true to form, is like ‘Excuse me, I’m aware that this is a serious conversation but there’s something shiny, gotta get it.” and in he goes, failing his swim check remarklably and freaking out both Al and Pava.

Al grabs Volya and he’s like OH SCORE and Al’s like ‘Get Y’all’d’ve!’ and Pava’s like ‘My girl, I can’t swim.’ and Al is like ‘ffs you get HIM then’ and shoves Volya at him and Volya’s like ‘SCORE’ and Al goes over to check on Y’alld’ve.

Y’all’dve finds the shiny thing and pops up and is like ‘hey. saw a shiny. got it.’ and Al is like ‘you are a horrible fucking gremlin’ and Pava and Volya are like ‘AWESOME JOB’. He brings it up and it’s Therese’ missing necklace, but it’s broken.

Al and Pava (And Volya) seem to think that Therese killed herself, and Y’all’d’ve is in camp ‘why the fuck this neckacle broke tho’. At one point in the night Al and Pava have a conversation about if Volya swings both ways or not. Al heads home with Volya in tow to let him sleep it off with the old ladies and talks to Ethel and has her hide the necklace Y’all’d’ve found because she does not want any of this to come back on him. Ethel is like ‘do you fucking know who that is that is the medvedev heir’ and Al is like ‘i am aware we’re trying to get his father also his granny is great’ and Ethel is like ‘bitch what’ because apparently Ethel does _not_ like dame vera.

The next morning They take watch to the park and to distract Y’all’dve Al tells him to look somewhere, and he’s like ‘there’s nothing over th- is that a squirel’ and runs over to climb a tree and catch a squirel. Al and Pava talk about serious shit for a bit while Y’all’d’ve catches a squirrel. He’s like ‘I DON’T WANT IT ANYMORE’ and throws it at Watch, who catches it in one hand. Horrified, Y’all is like ‘please take that to al’ and as Pava and Al finish their conversation he lumbers over and holds out his hand to Al, opening it to reveal a terrified squirel who promptly bolts.

At the guard tower the QC is pissed because douchebag Sieger has sent a letter being like ‘HEY HOW BOUT YOU FUCKS BE PROFESSIONAL’ and Al and the QC have another chat where Al _almost_ tells her that Y’all’d’ve found the necklace but instead is like I WAS IN THE THIEVES GUILD THE TOHER TWO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT and the QC is actually impressed she admitted that, but through other clues she’s given (Like admitting to the QC that she knew the necklace Sieger said wass on the body wasn’t there because we were the idiots who found it) that Al stole th rings off of Therese’ corpse.

Y’alld’ve and Pava go to escort Volya home and are like ‘Okay, don’t start shit’ and Volya’s like ‘Okay’ and in he goes to promptly start shit. They hear  yelling and Volya opens the blinds a bit. Then things calm down and Y’all’d’ve and Pava are like ‘I got no where else to be’ so they wait. Volya comes out shellshocked. He yelled at his father, accused him of killing his mother, accused him of killing his first wife, came out as gay, and his dad didn’t give a shit. Didn’t yell at him. Didn’t hit him. Was like ‘I don’t care’.

Y’alld’ve and Pava: oh my god he’s going to fucking murder you.

They refuse to let him go back in the house and they walk him to Grandmama’s before heading back to the station to tell Al about this development. The QC drops a hint that she thinks that Al should return the ring to sieger for the reward money and to also be like ‘hey, asshole, look what the fuck I found’ and Y’all’d’ve is like -squinty eyes- because he suspects something’s up, but they distract him with gold to count. He makes it into shapes when he forgets he’s supposed to be counting it.

They head to Therese’ friend, the one who fucked the barman, and they get her account of the night. She gives them a bit of info on the girl that Therse left with. Her name was Peach, she wore thick makeup and out of style clothes and had an accent, but it sounded like she was trying to hide it. after Pava told her about hte barman’s compliments and she was like ‘he was so appreciative, he made me feel so wanted’ and Pava wingmaned hard for him she was like ‘oh, no, her name was Plum’. They talk with Therese’ other friend that sieger had told them about but she doesn’t have much to tell them, but both women say that Sieger’s people had been there to talk to them.

So the team heads back to the Medvedev residence and ask to talk to his fiance, and Sieger isn’t too happy. Howver, team asshole is on best behavior. Al’s brought her own quill and parchment, Y’all’dve is sitting and not perching on the (new) couch, Pava’s standing up straight. They talk with the future lady medvedev, who is from rusk and has an accent and the team is like HMMMM MMM INTERESTING. And Tatiana admits she was bar hopping and trying to network and did run in with Therese and how awufl she feels because the poor woman died that night. Al and Pava are like ‘oh you poor thing, it’s all right, she just had an accident’ and Tatiana shakes at that. The group is like ‘oh shit she knows something’ but they don’t say anything because Sieger is right fucking there.

Back at the guard tower the QC is like ‘you asshole need to finish this up because I’m losing squad one tomorrow you’re going to need to get interns.’ an Y’all’d’ve is like ‘hey, can I not get the elves? They don’t like me, I’m not elfy enough fro them’ and Pava’s like ‘WE GOTTA KICK THOSE ELVES OFF THE SQUAD THEY MAKE HIM FEEL BAD ABOUT HIMSELF’

I 👏🏼need👏🏼an 👏🏼angsty 👏🏼sick 👏🏼clones 👏🏼who 👏🏼push 👏🏼themselves 👏🏼fanfic Like really. I want a clone to get sick and brush it aside as he still goes on duty only for him to get worse and pass out on the job and brothers are super worried for him! They care so much! 😭👌🏼

It was gonna be just a lil drabble lmao

Fiveswasn’t feeling exactly well ever since they’d gotten in the shuttle. Echoelbowed him on his arm, keeping his voice low.

“Youalright there?”

“I’m fine.”

The hell hewas. Fives had woken up a little dizzy and so clogged he could barely breathe,settling for breathing through his mouth, which made him short of breath andwas starting to get him a headache. Echo wasn’t gonna let up this easily:

“You don’tlook alright. You were pale this morning. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Fivesbreathed out of his mouth, which made the filters in his helmet hiss.

“I’m fine.Give it a rest, okay?”

The missionwas to defend the shipyards of Kuat, a planet of the Core Planets from whichmany ships vital to the Republic would come from. Dooku had sent an army ofdroids and their commander to try and seize control of the planet and itsshipyards. When Fives was about to get off the shuttle, he could barely standon his feet. Echo led the shinies out and asked Kix to mind them for a secondas he looked over his shoulder to Fives.

“Are you sure you’re okay there, Fives?”

Fivessniffled, unable to breathe through his nose. He could feel sweat forming onhis forehead under his bucket. Before he could answer, Rex stormed back in theship:

“May I knowwhy in the blazes my two ARC troopersare still in the ship while our General expects us outside?”

Echo stoodstraight at Rex.

“Sure, sir.Uh, Fives here is…”

“Had aproblem with my equipment, sir.” Fives cut him off “I, uh, thought I had leftmy ammo back at the base” he lifted his kama “But, hey, it’s all here. Let’smeet the General.”

Rex tookhis helmet off, narrowing his eyes at Fives.

“Is thisall there is, Fives?” he asked, and Fives nodded.

“Yessir.I’ll… I’ll get going so the boys won’t be alone.” and he marched out.

Rex sighed,putting his helmet back on.

“He is aterrible liar.”

Echofacepalmed at his own helmet.

“HeAlways have been, sir.”

“What is upwith him, then?”

“I don’tknow.”

“Well” Rexsaid walking out of the shuttle “Let’s hope we don’t find out in the middle ofthis mess.”

-

Fives’voice was cracking every three words. Rex just knew he wasn’t okay. Still,Fives pushed him by his chest, away from the incoming gunfire as they tookcover.

“—Tellingyou to back off, sir! Somebody has to activate the disruptor and that’s gonnabe me! You round up the boys to protect the depot. Go!”

Rex lookedover his shoulder. General Skywalker did need a help to hold the clankers off,so many there were, coming in waves. He looked back at Fives.

“You’ll beokay? I can send a small squad…”

 “No, I need their attention on you!” Fiveslooked ahead with his visors “There are fewer of them there. They don’t knowthey’re all within the disruptor radius.” He looked back at Rex “The minute Iturn that thing on, stay close to General Skywalker; All blasters in range,ours and theirs, will be useless and they might resort to fighting so he canwipe them all with his lightsaber and they won’t be so dangerous. Look out forEcho and the others…”

Fives wasinterrupted by a coughing fit; his throat felt like he had swallowed dry sand.

“Fives, youare not one hundred percent, are you?” Rex asked with concern as Fives liftedhis helmet halfway up to spit on the ground

“I’m fine.”Fives answered as he wiped his chin “Just fine, sir. Now move on, take care ofthe others.”

As Fivesclimbed out of the shallow improvised trench, Rex sighed, running back toSkywalker.

“Kriffinghell Fives, you better come back alive.”

-

Fivesactually managed to turn on the disruptor without alarming the droids. Too badhe was too dizzy not to trip on his own feet and fall down with a loud clatterof armor. The eight commando droids guarding that exit turned to him as he gotback to his feet.

“Ah, justmy luck.” they raised their blasters to him and Five raised his own to them “I won’tgo down without a fight, you karking clankers.”

Both Fivesand the droids tried to open fire, but nothing happened. Fives let out a smalllaugh.

“Ha-ha. Itworked.” the dizziness and the unrelenting headache was starting to make himstupid

The droidslowered their guns, closing a circle around him instead. Fives raised hisguard, defending the first hit, but a punch of a solid steel punch wasn’tsomething his armor could do much for. Fives grunted, and another strike hithim right on his ribs, triggering another coughing fit; when another droid hithim on the back of his head he collapsed down, never feeling happier for havinga bucket over his head to prevent these fuckers to bash his skull in. He lookedup to the merciless red eyes and tried to stabilize his breathing.

“Ah, kriff,what a damn way to die.”

“Fives!”

GeneralSkywalker came cutting two droids in the same move, and that was a sweet image,but nothing could compare to Rex and Echo simultaneously landing a kick to acommando droid’s chest, forcing it to stagger back to the General’s lightsaber.As Skywalker got rid of the remaining droids, Echo reached for Fives, helpinghim sit up.

“Fives, areyou alright, vod?!”

Fivescoughed. And coughed. And coughed. Then he pried the helmet off his head andpushed Echo away, because he knew what was coming, and he threw up right nextto an unamused Captain Rex’s shoes.

“So.” Rexraised an eyebrow “One hundred percent, huh?”

Fiveswasn’t quite finished, and this time he did manage to hit Rex’s shoes. Echotapped his back lightly.

“There,there, let it out.” He scrunched his face in disgust “The hell is up with you?”

Sweatdripped from Fives’ forehead as he tried to catch his breath.

“Nothing.They punched me in the gut, that’s all, let’s…” he got to his feet, and hetried to walk despite his steps looking like those of a drunk deer on ice “Let’smove out, we need to set the second disruptor close to the other flank…And…”

Fives was sodizzy he didn’t even put his hands in front of himself to prevent falling onhis face. Someone flipped him on his back without much care and Fives sawhimself face to face with a furious Kix holding a vial full of a bright greenliquid close to his face.

“Try towalk again and I’ll shoot this on your neck. Fall on your face again and I’lldo it on your dumb ass instead.” He threatened in an angry snarl

“Holy kriff,Kix, didja miss the first few classes on bedside manners?”

“I don’t havebedside manners to stupid pacients.” Kix answered as Jesse and Hardcase broughta stretcher close to the ground close to Fives “And now I’ll get you out ofhere and you will lie the hell down until I’m done checking you.”

Kix wasstill cursing even the tube from which Fives had come from as Jesse and Harcasecarried him  out, and Rex scratched theback of his neck.

“Ah, therare angry Kix we see once in a blue moon.”

Echo noddedat Rex.

“The lasttime I saw him like that we had a case of Hardcase.”

-

When Rexfinally came to see Fives at the camp, the ARC trooper sat up tensely, undressedoff his armor and lying on a small bed in the medbay:

“What’shappening outside? Is everyone okay? Any losses? General—”

Rex raiseda hand, and Fives silenced. Rex looked at Fives with sharp eyes, and Fives knewthat look. That was ‘disciplinary Rex’ alright. Fives knew this side of hisvery well, almost as well as Hardcase did.

“I want anexplanation. And so does the General.”

“Rex—”

“Don’tstall me.”

“I was just…”Fives looked away from Rex “I thought I could…”

Rex tensed uphis jaw, cutting him off again.

“Don’t lieto me, you suck at that and you’re wasting my time and yours. I demanded anexplanation, ARC Trooper Fives, and I want it now.”

Fivesfisted in the white covers over his legs, still not looking at his Captain.

“I woke upfeeling a little ill. I thought it would be okay for me to work like that.”

Rex ran histongue over his teeth, nodding a few times.

“Like that.Like that, out there in the field? Throwing up and barely breathing andsweating like a bantha?”

“I wasn’tlike that when we left…”

“Why didn’tyou take a checkup with Kix before leaving the GAR?”

Fives shookhis head, speaking between his clenched teeth:

“Because wewere tight on schedule, we were departing soon and I wanted to…”

“And youwanted to be a hero. You wanted to– Look at me when I’m talking to you,soldier!” he snapped at Fives, and the ARC raised his face in a sharp move;Fives’ face was full of pent up anger “You don’t get to decide whether you aregood to go or not, we have a medic staff to do so. They get to give you clearance.Not your poor judgement.”

Fiveschewed at his cheek.

“My poorjudgement? I turned the disruptor on. I did the thing that saved everyone’slives, including yours and the General’s!”

“And youalmost got killed in the process.”

“Nothingyou never did before.”

Rex took astep towards Fives, raising a finger and warning in a whispered snarl.

“You watchthat tone when you talk to me, trooper.” His breath was shallow and hiseyebrows were so furled and his eyes were squinted in such anger that for amoment all Fives could see was their glimmer in his features “Kix told me youhad a burning fever over 40ºC! You could’ve died out there!”

Kix hadgiven Fives an amount of painkillers that most likely had took from him whatlittle common sense he would normally have not to answer to his Captain.

“Oh, please!”he spat “Like it would be a big kriffing difference, another clone dead onduty!”

Rex’s eyeswent wide and he marched to Fives’ bedside with such anger in his featuresFives flinched, expecting a punch to the face. Instead, Rex gripped the frontof his blacks, pulling him closer and screaming at his face.

“It wouldmake all the difference, you stupid, shitty soldier!” Rex’s face was red allover, a big vein popping up on his forehead “You’re an ARC trooper! There areothers depending on you! You can’t just go sick into war and throw yourself todeath!”

Fivesflinched again because Rex’s screaming wasn’t doing any good for his massiveheadache.

“Why areyou worrying about the shinies anyway?! I would’ve died for them if I had to.They would be safe!”

Rex’s voicedropped down abysmally to a raspy, tired whisper.

“Youabsolute di’kut. It’s not just aboutthe shinies. It’s not even about the General. I need you. I need you in theLegion. What do you think the 501st is made of? Hm? Captain Rex and GeneralSkywalker? Why the kriff do you think I made you an ARC Trooper, to rub your ego?I don’t think you’d ever need that, you selfish asshole.”

He pushedFives back down against the pillows, breathing hard between his teeth as Fiveslooked back at him wide-eyed. Rex turned his back on Fives and ran a hand overhis face, sighing.

“Look. Iknow I’m not the best example of someone who knows when to relax ever, but youcan’t let that affect your work, Fives. Do you understand that?”

Fivesfidgeted at the covers for an instant before answering quietly:

“Yessir.”

Rex noddedlooking at Fives over his shoulder.

“Good. I’llhave you on charge of cleaning the barracs for a month after this little stuntof yours.”

“Ah, c’mon,Captain, I’m sick in a bed, how can you be this heartless?”

“I’m goingeasy on you, you deserved worse and you know it.” Rex paused, scratching hischin and speaking louder now “Hey, I know you are all outside spying on ourconversation, smartasses.”

Echo, Jesseand Hardcase popped their heads in the tent.

“Spying?”Hardcase asked as if someone had accused him of a crime “We would NEVER!”

“They mademe do it, sir.” Echo said promptly, standing straight with his hands behind hisback

“Thanks,vod, good to know you’d never turn us in.” Jesse said as he rolled his eyes,and Rex chuckled

 “Take your time talking to him, but rememberwe have a meeting with the General soon.”

At that Rexsaluted them and Fives, and they saluted him back. The group cautiously camecloser to Fives, and Fives shook his head.

“Don’tworry, it’s not contagious by touching or breathing. Kix said it’s just a minorvirus but unless any of you is going to kiss me…”

Hardcasescratched his head, drawing in closer along with Echo and Jesse.

“Well, nokissing, but…” he gave Fives a hug, and Jesse and Echo joined him “I think youdeserve that.”

“Yeah,”Jesse laughed ruffling his hair “being sick and having saved our lives, thatkinda deserves a hug, right?”

“Glad tosee that Kix didn’t have to strap you to the bed this time.” Echo said with asmile as they let go off him “I suppose you’ll accept staying down for a while,vod?”

“Yeah… Iguess a trooper’s gotta rest sometimes, right? It’s not all that bad.”

“Good.”Echo replied “Because you ran over like eight safety regulations on that stuntof yours. Paragraph 112, code E of the manual explicitly stated that in the circumstancesof need for medical attention, a trooper is obligated to—“

“I changedmy mind.” Fives groaned “It’s bad. It’s terrible. Someone toss me back in the middleof those clankers and let them finish the job!”

They alllaughed, even Echo. He was used to being a little shit to Fives and did itmostly to annoy him. Then a voice came from the door, making the group shiverin fear.

“I willtoss all of you to the clankers if you don’t get the hell out of there and letmy patient rest now.”

Kix hadstormed in, and Echo, Jesse and Hardcase got up to their feet and back to thedoor in no time.

“Yessir.”

“ ’scuse me”

“See yousoon, Doc.”

Kix walkedto Fives, setting a droid to measure his heart rate and checking the readingson the screen on it’s chest. Fives swallowed hard, looking down to his ownhands.

“Sorry formaking you worry, Kix.”

Kix noddedto then swallow hard, looking at Fives with a hesitant smile.

“Don’t evercome to work sick again or I will kick your ass, we clear?”

“Yeah. Ipromise.” He made a pause “Kriff, I’ve never seen Rex so angry.”

Kix raisedan eyebrow.

“Angry? Hewas pacing and looking all helpless outside. General Skywalker had to remindhim to breathe slower. You didn’t get him angy, Fives, you got him terrified.”

Metal Slug Past Life Ch 15

Marco was having a second thought about taking Kartu with them and ordered him to be taken as far away as possible to a bunker room to come back for him later after they help The Hawk Unit out in their raging battle against The Rebels. The storm grew worst and flying through the sky they thought Eri blew up for good is The Dusk Eater, reigning down terror among The Hawk Unit soldiers and making a sharp U-turn to breathe more fire. “Everyone, we need to split up and find Major Bilby and Commandant Tarbh.” Marco shouted and the team was split up into groups of two. Marco and Fio took Trevor and Tyra with them while Tarma and Eri took Nadia and Walter and split up. They ran toward the flaming city and fought their way through against The horde of Rebel soldiers running right at them. Getting into the city was one thing but fighting inside was another challenge. A gigantic shadow ran across the roofs of buildings, following Marco and his team and Marco screamed at everyone to stop when a beam of lighting came at them, leaving burnt marks on the toes of Marco's boots and the laugh of Allen O'Neil soon followed. “Why isn't it the Chicken Squad.” Allen O'Neil mocked them and jumping from the rooftop is The Twilight Seeker itself. The Mechanical Drake made Allen O'Neil looks small and the beast has static crackling from its mouth. Its horns are made of wires wrapped and weaved together and metal poles sticking out of it to collect electricity from the violent storm. It has saber tooth fangs to help bite down on anything with no problem and sharp claws to tear into strong steel and a long thick tail to knock buildings down. Its hide is a dark as the storm itself with piercing yellow eyes. Marco and his team drew their weapons out, preparing to fight Allen O' Neil and The Twilight Seeker and Allen O'Neil burst out laughing again, “Oh, this is rich. You little children up against this beast? I'll let you all have a chance at that.” The Twilight Seeker Lunged and Marco ordered the group to scatter before The Mechanical Drake snatched up Marco with its powerful jaws. “Major!” Tyra shouted and quickly took cover when Allen O' Neil shoots off his M60 at them. They want to help Marco but yet the maniac behind the M60 is refusing to let them get near The Twilight Seeker to help. Marco fought against The Twilight Seeker, he mustered all his strength to keep the jaws from snapping shut on him and his arms and legs from buckling on him. But The Twilight Seeker refused to give up and shook its head to make Marco lose his balance and Marco is refusing to budge an inch. It roared out frustration and charged up its lighting cannon to rid of him instead. He closed his eyes shut and looked away to prepare himself for the end of his life. Allen O' Neil stopped to watch The Twilight Seeker end Marco's life and grin and shout out of excitement. Fio's eyes teared up out of horror to witness Marco's soon to be death. “Marco!” She cried out his name and charging out of the right side of the buildings' alleyway was Kevin. He leaped out and gave The Twilight Seeker a right hook so hard that it interrupted the Drake's charging cannon and dislocated its jaws. Just enough to break down and free Marco from its clutches. Kevin gave out a hearty laugh as The Twilight Seeker stumbled to try to fix its broken jaw. “Did that knuckle sandwich suited your puny lizard, O' Neil?” He smirked and this made Allen O' Neil inflamed. “I thought my son was taking care of you.” He shouted at Kevin. “Aye, maybe you should of spend more time teaching him how to fight more than how to groom his beard.” Kevin taunted him. Trevor, Tyra, and Fio ran to Marco's side and Fio hugged him and Marco put his arm around her in return. “Thanks for saving my hide, Commandant Tarbh. Can you handle him on your own?” He asked him and Kevin laughed, “I took care of his boy and I got the bruises and the black eye to show it,” he replied and got into a boxing stance to fight Allen O’ Neil, “You gather your flock and go help Major Bibly, she's  a sitting duck right now as we speak.” Marco ordered everyone to move and they obeyed. Before Fio followed the rest, she quickly hugged Kevin and thanked him for helping Marco. Kevin smiled and gently patted her head, his hand almost took up her whole top of her head, “You get going, little Sparrow. Your Falcons needs you.” Kevin said softly to her and she ran off to catch up with them. Kevin is a mountain of a man but deep inside that man of muscle is a heart of gold that beats within or as Rasha puts it, “He was born with a heart on his sleeve and that heart is made of gold. “Ready for an ass whooping, ya wee gutless man.” he said, gripping his fists. Allen O' Neil gritted his teeth and they charged at each other. Tarma and Eri lead the team through the street and duck for cover when The Dusk Eater swoops in to breathe fire over them and they fire back at The Mechanical Dragon. The storm kept pouring down on them and Tarma couldn't spot where The Dusk Eater flew off and he signals everyone with the wave of a hand to follow him close and they kept low and moved slowly as they can and hit the ground when The Dusk Eater swiped at them with its claws. “This is going to take us forever to find Rasha and Kevin.” Walter shouted over The Dusk Eater's whirlwind it was creating with its wings to try to uncover them. It knocked over cars and knocked over street lights like trees and let out a loud roar and took flight again to perch on a building, roaring and scaring away any Hawk Unit soldiers to grab hold of a spotlight with its claws to shine down onto the streets. They took cover again and move away when it shines nears them. This is not looking good for Tarma and Eri's team and they need to get that thing away from them but how? Tarma looked for any cars or tanks he can grab and use to lure away. They were all wrecked and slimming down his chances. He spotted something and grinned and Eri knows that grin all too well. “Hello, beautiful.” Tarma purred and in a fast pace walked up to a parked motorcycle and found the keys still in its ignition and starts it up. “What are you doing?” Eri shouted and ran towards him. “I'm going to make a distraction while you three get to Major Bilby.” said Tarma and found a rocket launcher inside the saddlebag of the motorcycle. “What? You're going to get yourself killed!” Eri glared at him and Tarma smiled back at her. “For some reason, having you saying that is like some kind of good luck spell to me.” He started the motorcycle up and used his handgun to shoot out the spotlight. It worked and it got The Dusk Eater's attention and Tarma took off down the crowded city road of destroyed tanks, crashed cars, and tossed helicopters. The Dusk Eater let out a distress call and The Twilight Seeker came crawling over the rooftops toward The Dusk Eater. It saw its broken jaw and helped it snap it back into place and both took off following Tarma. Rasha is outnumbered and her wall of sand bags is more damaged than it could take and she can't move with her leg being stabbed and broken. The men she had with her were all gunned down by Allen O' Neil and she got her leg stabbed by the same man and broken when one of The Rebels touched off a bomb, sending her flying through the air like a rag doll. She's running out of ammo and all of her grenades is gone. She heard some splashing of puddles and turned around to find three Rebel soldiers, guns out and pointing at her head. As they about to pull the trigger, multiple guns shots went off and all three of them fell down and Marco and his team all have their guns out and the barrels smoking. “What took you so long, Major Rossi?” she said, grabbing one of the dead Rebel's guns and checked it for bullets and used the gun on the Rebels. “Allen O' Neil is what took us so long and that Drake he sic on us. I could have been killed if it wasn't for Commandant Tarbh to disarmed it.:” Marco fired back at The Rebels, “So the meathead found you all. Where's Captain Roving?” She asked and fired another round. As all five of them joined together to fight off The Rebels. Eri, Nadia, and Walter shortly joined them and they had no problem finishing off all the remaining Rebels standing. “Eri, where's Tarma?” Said Marco, checking for any more Rebels and gunning one down. “He took off on a motorcycle to lure The Dusk Eater and The Twilight Seeker away from us,” Eri replied, “He better come out of this alive, dammit.” Tarma shot back at the dragons chasing after him with rockets and it didn't do much. He shot off the last of his ammo and discarded the gun itself and sped up faster even with the gas running low. The Twilight Seeker's scales began to glow and static covered its entire body and it lifted trucks, demolished tanks, planes, and cars and threw them one by one at Tarma and he swerved to dodge everyone and move out of the way to avoid getting burned. The Dusk Eater flew ahead and The Twilight Seeker rooted Street lights and threw them at Tarma to block his path. Tarma threw a grenade at a wall already crumbling and blew up a hole big enough for him to drive through. The Squad heard an engine growing louder and Kevin stepped up behind them, bloody and clothes ripped from his fight. “Eh, does anyone else hear that or did Allen docked my ears good?” he said and Tarma sped by them, followed by the dragons. “Where is he going, Major? Why is he heading toward that tunnel?” Rasha sounding alarmed and tried to crawl over the sand bags to stop him. “He can't go in there! We rigged that whole tunnels with bombs!” She shouted at them. “You got to be kidding me? Why did you do that?” Marco shouted. “We did it in case The Rebels brought in tanks or trucks so we can touch them off and create a cave in.” Aghast for his friend's safety, He grabbed his radio and contacted Tarma right away. “Tarma, can you hear me? Turn back! Get out of the tunnel at once!” But there was no reply and Marco contacted him again, “Tarma, I repeat! Get out of there!” What they didn't know is that Tarma did reach for his radio to be struck out of his hand by The Dusk Eater's fire. The Twilight Seeker climbed over the top of the tunnel while The Dusk Eater clawed its way inside it. Tarma hears the engine dying and he cursed looking down at the fuel tank gauge's needle pointing at E and he jumped off the motorcycle. It squirmed, it dragged itself toward Tarma, jaws snapping and roaring at him. He drew his gun and shot it in the eye, making it thrashed about in pain and Tarma yelped and missed getting crushed by The Twilight Seeker's paw. The Twilight Seeker let out a rumbling growl and charged up its lighting beam. Kevin showed Eri where the wire box for the bombs are and ripped the lid off it as if it was made of paper and let Eri get to work right away. She traced her fingers over the wires and went away snipping at them one by one in a fast fury. She shook away any rain drops falling over her face and went back to cutting wires. “It's almost disarmed.” She said and cut the last wire. They all held their breath and the air was eerie quiet except for the rain falling around them and distance rumble of thunder. “You did it, Lass! We can go retrieve the lad and-” To everyone, they didn't see it coming. Kevin grabbed Eri and shield her from the bomb blast and they all watched in horror as the explosion erupted through the roof and entrance ways, collapsing onto itself in flames and smoke. Rasha ordered the rushing Hawk Unit soldiers to move in and put out the fire and form a search and rescue. Marco is in distraught and took a few step back, he can't look away from the smoke and fire. Heart racing, mouth dry, and eyes fully wide. He ran, screaming Tarma's name and pushing soldiers to the side to head for the smoldering rubble to search for his friend, with The Squad following him from behind. “Oye, don't just stand there like a bunch of fence posts, lad. We got a man to save.” Kevin ordered them and he began lifting huge debris and throwing them to the side. Marco's breathing is heavy and he's pleading for Tarma to be alive and kept shoving rubble around. They worked none stop, even when the storm broke away in hopes to find him alive. Walter helped Kevin move debris around and passing them off to Trevor to discard to the side. Trevor heard something and he held his hand up to let everyone know to stop and pointed to the source of the painful moaning and Kevin moved in to help move a huge chunk of wall. Under that chunk of wall was the now lifeless claws of The Dusk Eater and Kevin have an Engineer come in to cut claw it off with a blow torch and lifted away. “Praise the Saints! He's alive, Major Rossi!” Kevin burst out into a Hearty laugh and they helped Tarma up.

so, @thebisexualmandalorian expressed an interest in reading this particular scene from O66. well, here you go, Jesse. Maximum angst.

Kashyyyk, three days after the flight of Grievous from Coruscant, 1,088 days ABG

“About time,” Fixer said, cramming ammo clips into his belt. “I was getting fed up fighting this war on my own.”

Scorch nudged him in the back, indicating Boss and Sev. “What were we doing, then, filing our nails?”

“I meant Vos.”

General Vos had arrived from Boz Pity with the first wave of troopers the night before; General Yoda was inbound with the 41st Elite and the Wookiee chieftain Delta had extracted from the Seps’ prison camp, Chief Tarfful. The Republic was pouring resources into the Kashyyyk theater. Scorch agreed that it was a little overdue, and also that it was remarkably handy that all those extra troops and ships had become available, freeing up the likes of Yoda.

It’s a big ambush; Coruscant first. Grievous gets his tin shebs kicked, and runs. Chancellor, you better be right, or we’re finished.

“Ready?” Boss said.

“How long have we got?”

“Time on target for Yoda’s flagship—thirty standard minutes.”

They walked out onto the vine bridge and scanned for visible vessels in the dawn sky. The Seps knew reinforcements were coming, too; their fleet was piling in, and a cruiser had taken up position at coordinates that looked as if it was going to engage Yoda’s flagship.

Wookiees were massing, too. Scorch heard them long before he saw them, a random chorus of rumbling, growling, yawling voices, growing louder, and you didn’t need to know a word of Shyriiwook to get the gist of the sentiment. They were psyching themselves up—not that they needed it much—to take back their world. They were going to do it with their bare hands, and Scorch believed them, oh yes, he did. He’d seen it. He wasn’t keen to see it again. The screams would be enough. The Wookiee chieftains were massive, brandishing heavy bowcasters and long-guns as if they were tiny hold-out blasters. They were working their troops up to a fever pitch. They thrashed their fists against their chests, then raised their arms to the sky again, bellowing defiance. The whole Wookiee army joined in. It was a wall of sound that Scorch didn’t just hear but felt in his sinuses.

Enacca came up behind them, and even Fixer jumped. She growled and pointed back into the forest.

Boss checked his chrono. “Yeah, I know you’re looking forward to pulling off some arms, but I think our best bet is to take control of the turbolaser battery. That cruiser’s positioned to stop Yoda from disembarking ground troops, and we need it gone.”

Enacca let out a roar of approval. She wanted it gone, too.

Etain came jogging along the platform and stood beside her. It was an image of extremes that Scorch wouldn’t forget in a hurry—the two-meter-tall Wookiee with a bowcaster slung across her back like a small accessory, and Etain, so tiny that he was still sure her conc rifle weighed more than she did.

It was nice to see a Jedi general who used more than a lightsaber. Etain knew exactly what it felt like to haul heavy kit for hours on end, so she understood when her troops needed a break. But there was something poking out of her belt, in the shadow of her robe, and Scorch realized after a few baffled seconds that it was a small furry toy, an animal.

“Reckon you can take that battery in eighteen minutes, Delta?” she said, winking. “Omega would try for fifteen.”

“We’re easily provoked into rash displays of competitive machismo, ma’am,” Sev said. “We accept the challenge.”

Scorch indicated Etain’s mascot. That’s what he thought it was, anyway. “Your Wookiee’s not very big, ma’am.”

“It’s my little boy’s toy nerf,” she said. “He put it in my hand before I left, and right now it’s really comforting. It smells of him.”

Sev said nothing. Scorch was grateful for that. Boss clapped his gloves hard to get their attention. “Come on, Delta, move it. You can play with the toy later.”

Etain gave them a casual fingers-to-brow salute and disappeared with Enacca. They were booby-trapping the walkways so that the 41st Elite could drive the Trandoshans into a trap and pick them off.

“I call dibs on the main cannon,” Sev said. “A Sep cruiser is like one big bug. I haven’t had my bug-splattering fix today.”

But he’d get plenty of chances once they blew their way into the big silo-like emplacement. The Seps had built into the trees, almost sleeving them in metal at some points and driving durasteel shafts clean through the road-wide trunks. The first set of doors Scorch blew unleashed a wave of spider droids, and Fixer picked them off with anti-armor rounds.

Boss checked his HUD chrono, flashing the countdown to all of them across their readouts. “Fifteen to go, so let’s not let the generals down. Grab the first anti-air turret you see and hang on to it. One each. Between the four of us, we should be able to put a dent in that shabuir.”

Scorch could hear the voice traffic now in his helmet between the 41st and Vos’s forward air control. The Sep cruiser was maneuvering to block the flagship, and Commander Gree was searching for alternative sites to land men. If he was forced too far from the landing zone, they’d have a hard haul back“through the forest before they could engage the Sep targets. The cruiser had to move. Two MagnaGuard droids blocked their path to the battery positions. Scorch almost didn’t count the Trandoshans who opened up with blasters. He lobbed a grenade their way while Fixer and Sev charged the droids, slicing one of them in two with a burst of plasma bolts and smashing the other to the floor with the butt of a Deece before emptying a clip into it.

Fixer ran on and swung himself into the gunner’s seat on the first turbolaser position. He waved Scorch and the other two past him, and started punching the controls. Scorch dropped into the next bay. He found a Trando trying to get a firing solution on the GAR flagship, which was now looking awfully close and in need of a parking space. Scorch brought his vibroblade up under the Trando’s chin just as the barve reached for his rifle, waited for him to stop struggling, and dragged the body clear of the seat.

By the time Scorch had taken control of the cannon’s targeting system and found the optimum points on the cruiser’s hull to do the most damage, Boss and Sev were gone, sprinting on to take control of the last two cannons. Fixer was already opening big vents in the cruiser’s hull. But the thing wasn’t going to go down easy; now Scorch could see four streams of laserfire playing along the keel of the Sep ship.

“Yeah, feel free, join the party.” Scorch thought Fixer was talking to him on the comlink, but when he saw triple-A coming up from the ground in brilliant white staccato lines, he realized Vos’s larty units had moved in. “That’s our sky, buddy. Move over.”

The cruiser was losing height. Its buckled hull plates shuddered every time it took a hit, and then it started to break up. Flame vented from rips big enough to swallow a gunship.

“We’re going to be wearing that thing for a hat if we don’t move soon, Boss,” Scorch said. “It’s as good as dead.” “Job done, Deltas. Bang out.”

“Scorch swung out of the gunnery seat and ran for the turbolift, Deece ready, but he was running over dead Trandos and shredded metal. Any remaining Seps in the battery had made a run for it, too, possibly because of the imminent fireball from a dying cruiser. Boss, breathless, was calling in a LAAT/i for extraction as he ran.

Then Sev cut in. Scorch looked around. It was the first time he’d noticed that he wasn’t with them. When he checked the point-of-view icon in his HUD, Sev still seemed to be looking out from the turbolaser viewport, and then the image broke up into streaks before going black.

Sev’s voice carried on. “Boss, I’ve got a problem here …”

“Sev, where are you?”

“Sector … multiple hostiles …”

Fixer jabbed the comlink reset on his helmet. There was just the wash and crackle of static. “Lost his signal, Boss.”

“Well, find it again. Delta, regroup—we’re going after Sev.”

The forward air controller from Vos’s unit cut in. “Negative negative, Three-Eight, new orders came through from the generals—clear the area and evac now.”

“I don’t care if they came from General Yoda himself.” Boss gestured to Fixer and Scorch to make a move after Sev. They could always claim they hadn’t heard the message. “Sev—”

“As a matter of fact, they did, soldier. Now get your squad out of there.”

Explosions shook the ship. The comm circuit was a disjointed mix of half-snatched conversations; it was all going to haran. Sep forces were streaming in from the north and east of their position, converging on them. Delta had killed the cruiser and enabled the 41st to land, but the battle had only just begun.

“He’s right, Boss,” Fixer said. “We’ve got to get out now.”

Scorch grabbed Fixer’s arm. “We can’t leave Sev. Nobody gets left behind. Remember? Remember how Sev blew up when we left Vau on Mygeeto? You want to do that to our brother? You want to abandon him? Leave him to die here?”

“He’s Sev,” Fixer said. “If he’s alive, he’ll hole up somewhere and we can retrieve him later.”

“What if he can’t?”

“Then he’s dead anyway.”

“We don’t leave without a body, moving or otherwise.”

“If we don’t evac now, we’ll all be dead.”

“Fine, then we go together, not running off to save our own shebse while Sev’s left here.”

Boss said nothing and just watched as if he had nothing better to do, even though they had seconds to make their move. Then he took hold of Scorch’s shoulder.

Scorch hadn’t wept since he was a kid, but he couldn’t see for tears now. “I’m not leaving him, Boss. You go if you want to. Not me.”

“This is an order.”

“Screw orders. Omega wouldn’t leave a man.”

“Scorch …”

“You’ll have to shoot me.”

Boss put his hand on his sidearm. “Losing one guy is bad enough. I’m not losing two. Don’t let me down now.” He shoved Scorch hard in the back and nearly knocked him over. The larty was hovering level with the exit hatch of the turbo-lift. “Shift it, Six-Two.”

“I’ll never forgive you for this, Boss. Or you, Fixer. We’re brothers, for fierfek’s sake. I’d never leave you.”

But he did. He left. They all left.

“Sorry, Sev.” Boss’s voice was suddenly husky. He wasn’t the weepy type, either, but he sounded like he was struggling. And maybe Sev could hear them, and maybe he couldn’t, but if his end of the comlink was still live, Scorch could imagine what he was going through now as he listened to his brothers leaving him to die, or worse.

“Delta … move out.”

Sev was as hard as they came. Vau had made survivors of them all. Fixer was probably right: if Sev was still alive, he’d probably stay alive for a long time, and they could always go back.

But they didn’t know.

No, you didn’t pull out all the stops for Sev.

Skirata would have told Yoda to shove his orders, cut the comm, and gone looking for him.

As they jumped into the larty’s crew bay for the evac, Boss put his hand on Scorch’s shoulder, but Scorch shrugged it off. He longed for a cannon round and instant oblivion, some way of stopping the guilt of not being dead, not staying to search, not making a final stand and defying Boss and CIC and even shabla General Yoda. He wanted to die of shame. He could only imagine how much worse it would feel in years to come when he had to face himself every morning.

It was just as well that a clone’s life span was limited.

-Order 66Karen Traviss

Republic Naval Investigation Service - part 1

RN-IS: Ord Mantell

Tethered to a starship stanchion, the RHC Colossus made an imposing silhouette against the smudgy skies of Ord Man’. Despite being several hundred metres above ground level, her vast hull made the old ship seem frighteningly low; it cast a huge shadow across the Orodam Peninsula.

As curious, yet wary, locals and off-duty troops alike turned out in force to watch from afar, several long, retractable turbo lifts extended from the Colossus’ underbelly, connecting the concrete land with the durasteel sky. Transport shuttles - tiny by comparison - emerged from concealed hangers, ferrying personnel between Colossus and Fort Garnik, the Republic headquarters for the entire Ord Mantell campaign, while the mechanised lifts hauled supplies down and salvaged equipment and the dead or wounded back up.

Since a recent misdemeanour involving a prototype bomb (which potentially could have wiped out the entire sector), Planetary Command had grown increasingly suspicious of Separatist sympathisers infiltrating Republic operations, so the resupply operation was overseen by a carefully chosen few to minimise this risk. Over the course of the day, Republic logistics crew deposited over one million blaster cells (despite appeals for more plasma cells, the overwhelming majority were ion), eighteen All Terrain Transport Vehicles and a replacement orbital defense cannon - which arrived in several installments throughout the afternoon. As evening drew near, the light level around Republic base camp actually began to grow, as the slowly dipping suns appeared between the Colossus and the mountainous horizon.

As he paced the oddly convoluted streets, ensconced by thick armoured walls, Captain Denniker couldn’t help but feel at ease. Just a few clicks to the North lay a Separatist stronghold and (although it wasn’t yet declassified to any but officers), Imperials had been sighted in the enemy-held territory. Additionally, morale had been generally low, the weather foul and supplies running dangerously low. But in this ironically peaceful moment, drenched in pale magenta binary-starlight and surrounded by hectic cargo droids, shouting officers and loud machinery, Denniker reflected on his brief time in command of the main Ord Man’ force. His promotion from the Expeditionary force had come as no surprise after the calamity surrounding Havoc’s defection. It’s no wonder we’re all suspicious, he mused, if we can’t trust our best ops squad, who can we trust?

In spite of his misgivings and carefully concealed apprehension, his emergency term in transitional command had gone as smoothly as could be expected. Over the past month there had been no major incidents of note - not a bad track record in a war-torn hell hole.

Of course, the garrison had lost the equivalent of a full combat squad during that period, but that was to be expected. Eight were killed by dissident snipers while on patrol and three dead, another badly wounded as a result of an improvised explosive rigged near the base. A couple more were lost to a mystery disease, which had reportedly been contracted while off duty in the Talaran resettlement camp.

Denniker had served the Republic well as interim commander, and the arrival of Colossus meant his job was almost done. The robust officer paused a moment and glanced up at the enormous expanse of oxide-primed armour hovering high above. He ran a hand through his prematurely grey hair, which had once been a similar shade of red. Somewhere aboard that heavy cruiser, Commander Mykon awaited him, ready for the official transfer of leadership. About time, thought Denniker. A combination of bureaucratic nonsense and pirates harassing space lanes had delayed the Colossus’ arrival by a couple of days.

Arriving at the shuttle pad, Denniker spied a crate, neatly piled with his personal effects, sat on a small repulsor-lift trolley. It was attended by a young member of the Ord Mantell Republic cadets brigade. These willing youngsters had been recruited after one or two came forward to volunteer, having lost their homes to the Separatists. Since then, the recruitment program had been met with unexpected success and popularity. None were under the age of fifteen standard human years, and all had proved to be most enthusiastic in serving the military which sought to liberate their planet from Imperial-backed rebels. Denniker knew the lad by sight as Ylum (“my Ma named me for a far away star, Sir”), having personally approved every member of personnel for the resupply operation. Although not yet at the age of manhood, Ylum and his fellow cadets were proving to be diligent scouts and orderlies (on record) and even better guerillas and spies (off record).

As it transpired, Ylum was a delicate demolition expert as well: the Captain’s entire inventory and contents of his quarters had been methodically dismantled, removed, packaged and transported to the shuttle pad in less than an hour. Not that there was much more than four sets of his armour, weapons and a few personal trophies; he wore his Republic officer’s dress uniform on this occasion.

“Seems tha’ we picked ourselves a nice day for this, Sir,” the boy called as he incorrectly saluted his OC. Denniker felt it would be churlish to correct him now. “No rain an’ all, you see.”

“Um, yes… yes it is.” The officer’s mind was entirely elsewhere, but he couldn’t help but notice the view from up on the shuttle pad. Gentle evening glow was reflecting off the murky waters of the Savrip Shore, giving it an almost pleasant aura. Even a broken and fallen bridge in the distance had the kind of rosy glow associated with ancient monuments in the sunset.

As if unaffected by the panorama, Denniker cast an analytical eye over the payload of Ylum’s repulsor-trolley.

“Cadet private Ylum, I’m afraid you’ve been lax in your duties,” the aging trooper admonished, barely concealing a wry smile.

“I… I have, Sir? What’s “lax” mean?”

“Careless, lad. It seems you’ve missed something. Here…”

Captain Denniker slipped a small data-card from his wrist communicator and passed it to the cadet.

“Run back to my quarters, swipe this on the door to let yourself in. It’s fairly quiet around the base today, but if anyone asks what you are doing, tell them to see me.” He gestured the act of swiping the door card, but quickly stopped, realising how patronising it must seem. “Look under my rack… bunk… whatever you folks call it; you’ll find an old ammo case marked as empty. Don’t tell anyone,” he whispered, “but it’s got my secret Corellian Whiskey stash hidden in it. Bring it here at the double, cadet corporal Ylum.”

“I didn’t see anything when I checked… I- I must have missed… and, it’s… it’s private, Sir,” the boy corrected.

“Oh so it is, my mistake. And don’t let anyone see what’s in that case. Wouldn’t look too good on my record!” Denniker laughed amiably as he waved the young man off. He’d been planning the next few moments for a while.

Given that he didn’t encounter any hold-ups, Ylum should be back well before Commander Mykon was due to meet with his precursor, giving Denniker a few moments alone. Below the shuttle platform, he spotted a republic commando escorting a robed Jedi padawan around the Fort.

Army High Command had bestowed upon Fort Garnik the presence of two Jedi masters and their respective students. Master Zoeji was something of a recluse around the Fort. Rarely seen, and even less frequently spoken to. She was Togruta: orange coloured skin and a large lekku set her apart from the almost entirely human garrison. There were rumours that she had been the victim of many racial slurs thrown by troops, but she had not raised the matter, nor had anyone admitted. A second rumour surrounding the eccentric alien force-master, was that she could command the very elements of weather in battle. However, this was somewhat lacking in evidence.

Her student - or padawan - was quite the opposite. Yarrel Vorn was quite the socialite. He’d already been in bother for gambling with the soldiers on an evening and had supposedly been caught alone with a local woman. But what made this young man all the more strange was his sister. Sergeant Elivii Vorn (lacking in her brother’s force sensitivity) had been serving on Ord Mantell for over a year, so there was much surprise when it came to light that of all the Jedi who could possibly have been sent to this hellish war of attrition, one was her own brother. Everyone had agreed it was a remarkable coincidence. Except Master Zoeji, to her it was “the will of the Force”.

Of the other Jedi master and padawan, there had been no sign or news.

Captain Denniker stood silently, observing the miracle coincidence siblings as they made a patrol of the Fort. As much as he was distrustful of the Jedi and their “mystic power”, Denniker was more trusting of Sergeant Vorn. Her tactical brain and lateral thinking had saved lives on many occasions, so when she suggested that her jedi brother be in the vicinity during the transfer of command, to sense malicious intent, the captain had seen the logic of her proposal. The last thing he wanted now was a Separatist guerilla attack on the new Commander.

Although just about old enough to be her father, Denniker couldn’t help but treat Elivii Vorn as an equal. She missed very little and spotted flaws and opportunities in battle-plans better than many of his senior NCOs and even more officers. Also, he found it hard to ignore her looks. Despite having a plastisteel cover over one eye socket (courtesy of a malfunctioning sniper scope), she was still the most attractive sentient being on the continent, so far as Denniker was concerned.

As the pair walked past about ten metres below the shuttle pad, Yarrel Vorn, the padawan, looked up suddenly and met the captain’s gaze for a brief moment before carrying on in the direction of the beach. Denniker turned away, getting a prickling feeling on the back of his neck as if he were being watched. He was sure it was the Jedi trying to probe his mind.

If all had gone to plan, Ylum would have discovered the recycled ammunition canister and the cadet corporal insignia that Denniker had hidden alongside it. The OC paid barely any mind as a droid scanned his personal items and carted them off to be loaded into a turbolift tube.

When a specially marked personnel shuttle changed course and banked down towards Denniker on the landing pad, the officer checked his holo chronograph and sure enough the Commander was very early. One of them types, Captain Denniker noted. Have fun with this one boys.

As the boarding ramp descended, Denniker was greeted with a surprise: Mykon was Chiss! Having spent some time with the man in holo-conference, the captain had never once noticed that his replacement wasn’t human. He’d put the unusual accent down to being born on an obscure colony world and, of course, long range holo communications were tinted blue, so it had been impossible to notice his skin hue.

“Very minimal staffing I see, Captain.” This, presumably was meant by way of greeting.

“Yes, we had been experiencing problems with infiltration, as you’re no doubt aware. I felt it best to minimise opportunity for potential attacks until you were safely planetside and the Colossus on her way. We have even set up molecular scanners to check every single item that leaves the planet for tampering or weaponization.” Where has Ylum got to?! He’s been gone ages.

“Very well, Captain. Shall we get on with proceedings?”

Mykon’s sheer abruptness didn’t take Denniker by surprise too badly. Over the holo he’d seemed marginally more affable.

“Yes, you’re right Commander. Time waits for no Bothan, as they say.”

“Do they? Hmm… How deeply uninteresting. Well, Captain Ivonnar Denniker of the Ord Mantell planetary taskforce, I hereby relieve you of command. You are dismissed.”

The blue skinned officer saluted so sharply that Denniker feared he would dislocate a shoulder.

As he returned the salute, the veteran Captain caught sight of Ylum hanging around at the edge of the landing pad, a mixture of trepidation and glee on his face and a plastisteel ammo can under his arm. Denniker beckoned the cadet over and took the cannister and data card from him.

“Corporal, show the commander to my- I mean his - quarters. And congratulations on your promotion, it’s long overdue.” Sure enough, Ylum had the twin chevrons clipped to his Republic trainee’s jacket. The boy was both breathless and speechless, so he silently saluted both officers, beaming like a madman and led Mykon off towards the heart of the Fort. Not the grand entrance a new Planetary OC might expect, but a practical and safe one.

Taking one last nostalgia-devoid look around at the view which had been his entire world for three years, Captain Ivonnar Denniker boarded the officers’ transit shuttle up to the Colossus, which would take him far far from Ord Man’, to a new career path and a new life.

Less than an hour later, Denniker was found dead and icy cold in the Colossus engine room, a Baradium chain bomb in his hands. Nobody saw him enter.

Ivonnar Denniker: cause of death, unknown.  

BATTLESUIT BASTARDS: An Excerpt

All war is murder for profit.

Some people are just more open about it.

WARDOGS INCORPORATED is one of the largest and most professional mercenary corporations operating in the Kantillon subsector. If you need a bodyguard, an assassination team, or an armored cavalry regiment complete with air support, WARDOGS Inc. can provide it for you… for a very steep price.

If you like military science fiction, or enjoy the world of Quantum Mortis, you really have to start reading Wardogs Incorporated. Book Three will be out before too long, so you should have time to read the first two if you haven’t already.

Our other patrols were back and casualty-free. Jock gathered us quickly. “They tracked the drop, boys. They know we’re here, they know we need this. And they have at least one tank. Open these containers as fast as you can and search for anything we can use to blow it to hell.”

“We’re going to need a crowbar,” Four-eyes said, using the word as if he’d always known it. I was already rifling through the toolbox in my jeep. I came out with a long screwdriver and a hammer. Jock grabbed the same, we raced to the first container and I started working at the thing. It had a lock of some sort that was supposed to be opened by some special tool. After a minute, I realized the hammer/screwdriver combo wasn’t going to cut it.

“Clear out,” I yelled, then fired a round into the lock. Still stuck. Then again. I hated doing that because of the ricochets. The third round cracked the lock and I pried with the screwdriver as Ward and Jones pulled at the door. It let go, almost throwing us on the ground, and we were greeted with a flood of packing peanuts. Brushing them away I got to the cardboard and shrink-wrap covered boxes inside, then cut into the first one with my bayonet. A spurt of red startled me until I smelled tomato. Great. More lasagna.

“Next!” I yelled, and we started on the next container. POW POW—two shots this time, then prying it open, then another flood of packing peanuts. “Come on, Four-eyes,” I said, throwing them away in fistfuls, “you really sure you don’t know what’s in these?”

“No,” he said. “I got weights but not contents. That last one could have been one long gun or ten thousand blankets.”

“Or a restaurant shipment,” I said, as I cut into the first box I could reach. This one opened without damage and I hit something metal, and cut around it and got my hand into the dark box and around a cylinder. I pulled it out. It had a picture on the side. Loquats in syrup.

I threw it down and went to the next container, which was already being opened by Jones and Ward.

“Hey!” yelled Jock. “We got some ammo over here!”

“Great,” I yelled back. “RPGs?”

“Negative,” he said. “Small arms.”

“Then we have to keep–” Four-eyes said, then suddenly fell to the ground as I simultaneously heard the crack of a rifle. I hit the ground hard and heard the rattle of answering fire from behind another container. I didn’t see the sniper—but I saw the pool of blood under Four-eyes and swore—he was already dead. Right in the neck. GODDAMMIT!

Ping-CRACK! I heard another bullet hit the container before the crack of the report. I sent a burst of fire up the field but still saw no-one. More answering fire rattled in my ears. Blood was rushing to my head as I went into the red zone—that madness you get under fire. Things slowed down as I spotted Ace behind the next container, rifle pointed over my head. He waved me in, and I ran in a crouch and hunkered down beside him.

“Ace,” I said, “you good?”

“Yeah,” he said, looking through his sight, rifle propped on his good knee. “I ain’t moving, so they’d better get in sight. Yes… okay… there you go… right–” CRACK! He sent a round and I saw a man jump up in the grass, then fall again.

“That might be it,” he said. “For the moment.”

“Stay here and snipe,” I said. All I could think about was hitting back. “I’m cracking cargo. Where did Leighton go?”

“TOMMY!” yelled Jock, “Over here!”

I ran three containers over to where he was pulling out a large wooden crate with Park’s help. A bullet whizzed overhead. Park sent a burst of fire back as Jock and I ripped off the lid.

“Whoa,” I said, realizing the interior of the box had multiple smaller boxes inside carefully nested in foam. I picked one up—it was really heavy. “What the devil are these?”

“Oh shit,” said Jock. “There are nuke shells. Lead-lined cases—made for a howitzer.”

“What the hell–” I said, then two more bullets hit the ground in front of me.

“Next container,” Jock yelled as we hit the ground and started crawling. “We can’t launch those things anyhow.”

Just as we got to the next container, there was a massive THUMP! and a crackling explosion of breaking glass and metal. I looked back—NO! MY JEEP!

A tank had crested the hill and blown up my goddamn jeep! Now I was pissed. I opened up with my rifle at the tank.

“Save your damn ammo!” Jock yelled at me.

“My JEEP!” I yelled back. “He blew up my goddam jeep!”

“Shut the hell up,” Jock said, then yelled to the rest of the guys. “Back—get back! Tank incoming!”

THUMP-CRACK! A shell hit one of the containers near me, sending a massive splash of liquid up into the air. I suddenly smelled apples. Apple juice. Great.

“Get to the woods!” Jock yelled. Howland was hauling Ace by one arm. I grabbed the other and we hauled it towards the woods, half carrying our pilot.

The other guys were winging rounds back but I was too encumbered to use my rifle. 50 meters… 40… meters… THUMP! A shell hit near us and threw us on the ground. Ace yelled in pain and I felt the sting of hot metal go into my right arm and neck. My ears were ringing. 35 meters to the woods. I pulled Ace up and Howland started to rise, then fell back to the ground and looked at me with a surprised expression as foam and blood poured from his mouth.

“Howland!” I yelled, letting go of Ace and putting my hand on him. He looked up at me and said something that came out as a bubbling hiss, then his eyes went blank and a final breath rattled from his throat. He was gone—and I saw why, his jacket was soaked with blood. Chest hit.

“Dammit!” Ace yelled. “We gotta move!”

I grabbed his arm but as we got up, THUMP! Another shell hit, knocking me on my ass. I looked back. Two tanks closing in, and at least a squad of guys coming over the top behind them. They’d spotted us and were closing in. “Come on!” I yelled, grabbing Ace and speeding him towards the woods. 20 meters, 10 meters—THUMP—CRACK! A tree in front of us blew into toothpicks, showering us with chips of wood as we closed in—and then were were in the woods. Ward grabbed Ace’s other arm as we went further in. The woods were way too thin for my liking. Mostly regrowth with lots of space in between cover.

“Over here!” Jock yelled. “Another container!”

There, half hung up in a tree was another container. Jock blew the lock off and we started yanking out packaging. Medical supplies and linens. DAMMIT!

Bullets zipped over us and leaves fell from the trees. The tanks had stopped for the moment, but I knew we were going to be joined by Corwistalians in a moment.

Jock nodded at Park and he went up a tree to watch the mottled light at the entrance to the woods. I didn’t see Jones anywhere.

I heard more gunfire behind us and whipped around. I couldn’t see anything, but Jock tagged my arm and I went back to look.

As I tip-toed, I heard a grunt from a little ways ahead, then a “Eureka!”

“Jones!” I yelled.

“Falkland—get over here!”

He’d found another container and busted it open. “Here’s the ticket!” he said, thumping the side of a long case. “120mm mortar!”

“Run,” I said to Jones. “Get the rest of the guys.”

He ran back. I heard the rattling of guns off in the distance as I dug around for a crate of rounds. A moment later, Jones was back, along with Jock. “Park and Ace are coming,” Jock said, grabbing one end of a crate and throwing it out of the way. A bullet whizzed past us but we didn’t dare shoot back, knowing our guys were still coming. I found a box of rounds and thanked Ares for his provision.

Park and Ace came up and Park dropped Ace next to a tree and lent his shoulder to the effort. As I pushed, I saw blood on the sleeve of my jacket. Shrapnel. Don’t bleed to death now, I told myself as I pulled out rounds. I could hear the tank engines now. Way too close! “How the hell are we supposed to hit guys this close with a mortar?”

“Horizontal fire,” Ace yelled, pain on his face. “Jam the baseplate against a tree or something, then throw the shell down the tube.”’

“I swear, if the bad guys don’t kill us you guys will,” Jock said.

BATTLESUIT BASTARDS: An Excerpt published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames