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techtalksfics · 1 year

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Panic Attack (Tech x Reader)

Summary: Reader is having a panic attack and Tech is tasked with calming them down. This was a request from @narcissa-of-kaas so this one is all for you!

Author's Note: I know that someone rambling at you isn't everyone's way of dealing with a panic attack but it definitely works for me every time. I also haven't gone into massive emotional depth with it because well, trigger trigger.

Warnings: May be triggering for some, I don't know. If discussions of intense panic trigger you, I would maybe say DNI? One swear word and a lot of angst.

Word Count: 1.5k

You'd watched your mother die.

It happened right in front of you, and it was all your fault. You'd help these clones hide from the Empire and your mother paid the price. It should've been you. Why wasn't it you?

You did the right thing, my brave, darling girl. Those were her final words before the life dissipated from her eyes, her hand on your cheek. You'd cried into her, holding her to you.

Had it been the right thing? You no longer knew. You'd kept them hidden for several days, got to know them and they knew you. You'd fed them, allowed them to wash, allowed them to wander your home and its grounds at will. It had been a very pleasant experience with a truly horrific ending. The worst ending.

Tech had learned that you were an anxious person, but you overcame that to do the right thing. He admired that about you. When he watched you cry into your mother with the Empire swarming closer and closer to you, he knew he had to get you out of there. Tech placed his hands under your knees and around your middle and lifted you away from your mother. Your wails were now suddenly vibrating through his body as he ran for the Marauder. You called out for her and Tech felt his heart shatter. He'd grown fond of you and of her. Your anguish was hurting him too.

As you pulled away from his chest, you found he had taken you aboard their ship and he held onto you until he reached his bunk on the ship. Tech made space on his bed, wires and cables everywhere, and told you to wait there. To relax there. But you couldn’t relax. Not after that.

It was all your fault. Your fault. Your mistake. It should’ve been you.

It should've been me. It was all my fault, your mind regurgitated these phrases over and over until your whole body was racked with anxiety. You felt the panic begin to surge through your body. Your feet were numbing and your legs were following in close suit. You tried to breath but all you could manage were small gulps and tear stained huffs of air. You couldn't breathe. You couldn't move. You couldn't do a damn thing.

The voices inside your head began cascading into one another and the voices were so loud. So loud you feared that others would hear it. Hunter had certainly picked up on your condition but was focused on escaping the Empire first. Your world had just crumbled around you, your feelings were to be expected. It was my fault, you reminded yourself again. What now? You had no home. No family. Nothing. It had all been demolished by one shot, directly to the heart.

You could do nothing but sit upright with your head in your hands. Your clammy palms felt heated against your cool forehead. Or perhaps your forehead wasn't cool but rather your palms were hot. You didn't know. You lifted your head and clasped your hands together.

The ship veered and shook as Tech and Hunter worked on your escape. When they finally managed the jump to hyperspace, you continued to feel the full force of your mistakes. It only felt stronger the further you got from your mother's body.

Your heart raced. Your palms were drenched even further in sweat as you repeatedly rubbed your hands together. You couldn't stop the motion. Just rubbing until friction was felt and repeating the motion until it hurt a little to do so.

You pawed at your brain. The palm of hand beating into your temple as you did so. Thud. Thud. Thud. You very often bruised your face in this manner. You couldn’t help it. It was as if you needed the physical pain to match the inner pain you were experiencing.

And then you heard it. It was as if you heard the voice at the end of a rather long and exceedingly dark tunnel. Even if they bellowed you feared you’d never hear it clearly. Never hear it over the ringing of the electricity which set your brain alight. The voice called out once more, but the distance was too great.

The voices in your head were hiding whatever voice was calling out to you. Tech had unexpectedly left the cockpit as soon as they'd made the jump to hyperspace. Hunter knew why so didn't question it. He knew how much you mattered to Tech.

“Omega,” you heard the muffled sound of Tech’s voice in the distance. “What did you say her mother did to calm her down?” At the mention of your mother’s name, you heart both soared and broke as you remembered her being shot. You began to rock back and forth, unable to breathe. You felt like you were choking on your grief. "Omega, quickly. Think. She is hardly breathing in here."

There was a muffled response from Omega and suddenly Tech had kneeled in front of you. You were shaking heavily, and you choked on your breath. Suddenly, you felt him grab your hands. Just like your mother used to.

That was the first step. Grounding.

You looked up at Tech through your lashes and he squeezed your hands together gently in his. The voices began to slow; they were a little less loud. Still there, still repeating that it was your fault but you tried to focus on Tech.

“You need to breathe slowly,” Tech said as he grabbed your hands. “I do not know the stories your mother said to calm you. But I believe that it is actually the sound of someone speaking is the thing that calms you down. We can try to regulate your breathing together. I am excellent at talking and storytelling so perhaps I could try?” Tech queried as he gently squeezed at your hands for a second time. He felt the tremor that was coursing through your body, and he suddenly almost felt it as his own. He frowned. But when you nodded furiously, he realised he needed to carry on talking. “I cannot tell her stories and I know she is gone. I know that you are scared, and I fear I will never truly understand why as it is not in my nature. But perhaps I can tell you one of my stories. Perhaps that would help?” All you could muster was a gentle nod as you clung to his hands trying to centre yourself. You tried to focus on the feeling of his hands in yours. On the solid bed beneath you. But you couldn’t stop your lungs and heart from hyperventilating. Tech decided to start with the tale of Safo Toma. It was an odd, exciting tale and he figured that was an excellent place to start.

As he spoke softly to you, telling you of his time as a racer in an attempt to save their ex-work partner Cid. Of the colourful and chaotic tale of understanding schematics and the adjustments he made to the pod in order to win the race. He sighed and continued on, "Omega and Wrecker thought I was being idiotic, getting rid of the weapons systems. They were simply slowing me down and I needed speed and manoeuvrability in order to succeed in the blocked off tunnel. They say it was a death trap. If that is so then I defied death that day. Though I suppose we defy death every day," and then Tech realised what he had said. Your eyes began watering again, but your breathing had slowed, so he must be on the right track. "I'm sorry, that was a thoughtless comment."

"No, no, it's fine. Your st-story is working," you mumbled, stuttering only occasionally, "so, did you win?" You wanted the end of that story.

"Of course I did," he said confidently, "there was never any doubt." You laughed at that and he was grateful for that. The soft, accented lilt of his voice was extremely calming.

You’d previously thought your mother was the only one who could calm you. But now. Now there was another. Tech. A surprising turn of events. When you finally raised your topaz eyes to look at his, you saw nothing but sympathy and concern. His brow was heavily knitted as he looked at you. Without thought, you reached forward to kiss him but the second your lips connected with his, he lurched backwards.

“I…I’m so sorry,” you spluttered out quickly, blushing profusely, “I shouldn’t have done that. I was stupid to think you want that.” You began rubbing your palms together furiously again as he’d released your hands in all the motion.

Suddenly, his strong nimble fingers held on your wrists, pausing your ministrations. “Meshla,” he whispered, “I very much would like to kiss you. I would even say I want to do more than just that. But I will not let something as important as that to blossom out of panic. I don't want it borne from sadness. When you kiss me, I want you to be sure. I want you to be calm. When you kiss me, I want it to be a positive memory.” He removed one hand from your wrists to adjust his goggles.

And with that, your hands were finally still and your breathing was steady.

#tech x reader #tech bb x reader #tech bb #tech badbatch #reader insert #triggering content #maybe #hunter bad batch #the bad batch

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dreamswithghosts · 1 year

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Tech's Wires (Tech x Reader)

This is an 18+ fic, anyone who is under the age of 18 please do not read this!

Summary: You and Tech were peacefully traveling through hyperspace on a small mission when all of a sudden something happens to the ship. Tech had to crawl into a small space to get to where he needed to fix the ship. Something scandalous probably ensues afterward.

Author's Notes: This was purely inspired by an old sailor story my dad and his navy buddies always talked about. They were all on the same nuclear submarine back in the day. There was a time when the nuclear reactor that was on the sub was malfunctioning and they were going to lose power to the ship. My father had to crawl into this little hole full of wires to fix the malfunction so they could all still have power. Very much a do-or-die moment, but the kicker was he couldn't fit with the safety gear so he had to crawl in there in just his underwear. Also, I want to thank everyone who reads this and likes this. This is the first time I have ever publicly shown any of my writing. I hope you guys like it and if you have any ideas or suggestions you want to share please let me know! I plan to eventually post this on ao3 as well once I make an account. I have always been a reader and have written for my own personal pleasure. I really hope you like this. Edit: Link to fic on AO3

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, grinding, mild biting, unprotected sex (please wrap it before you tap it boys and girls and everything else), creampie, after care is important y'all

Word Count: 2.6k

You are jerked awake from the feeling of the Havoc Marauder being yanked out of hyperspace and the alarms instantly blaring throughout the small modified attack shuttle. Tech was out of his bunk in a flash before you even had a chance to lift your head from your bunk. He was in the cockpit in seconds and his voice could barely be heard over the blaring sound of the alarm. You pulled yourself out of the bunk quickly making your way to the cockpit.

"Take over the controls and keep the ship steady." Tech hollered, he was pulling a panel off of the inner walls of the cockpit. You threw yourself into the pilot's seat, grabbing the steering wheel and holding the ship steady. You also reached over, turning the alarms off so you could think clearly as you flew the ship through the dark black vacuum of space. Behind you, you heard Tech grumbling and grunting as he reached into the open panel pulling out some wires.

"Tech, what's going on?" Your voice was full of worry as you noticed that they were in the middle of nowhere.

"The wires to the hyperdrive must have short-circuited and fried the system. I'm going to need to get into the wall to fix it." Tech explained. You then heard the sounds of plastoid armor dropping to the ground and the sound of the leather from his belts followed quickly after. You glanced over the back of the red seat spotting Tech pulling his shirt off of his body, and you felt your face flush a little.

"Tech? What are you doing?" You quickly yanked your eyes back over to the dash of the ship.

"I need to crawl into the wall to do the repair and I cannot fit with my armor and clothes," Tech said simply. Your hands gripped the wheel tighter, "Tech, that's dangerous."

"If I do not do this, we will be floating in space with no power soon." He argued. You made a small sign knowing that once Tech sets his mind on something, you know there's no changing it. You peeked over the chair again to see the last of Tech's bare leg disappear into the wall. A few minutes later, the ship started to fly more smoothly and you heard Tech remerge from the open panel in the wall. He appeared next to you, shooing you out of the pilot's seat to get the ship back on track and back into hyperspace.

"We should be fine until we land back on Ord Mantell." Tech signed, getting up to retrieve his things, but you stopped him.

"Wait. You're bleeding." You reached out, grabbing his arm. He made no protest as you led him into the main hull of the ship grabbing the medical supplies.

"It's just a small cut. I will be fine." Tech objected vocally, but made no move to move away from you.

"Yes, but who knows what else is in these walls? I don't want to risk any kind of infection." You argued, sitting him down in one of the chairs and opening the medkit. You started to clean the small cut on his bicep. It took you little time to put a bandage on it and fix up the other small one on his back. Once you were done, you gave him a quick, light kiss on his cheek.

"All done soldier." You smiled lightly at him and put the medkit away. Tech looked over at you, a very small flush on his cheeks in the dark lighting on his cheeks. He might have finally caught up to the fact that he is sitting next to you in just his underwear.

"How much longer till we are back at Ord Mantell?" You asked lightly, moving to sit in the other chair in the main hull of the small fighter ship.

"Oh, probably only for another hour or two," Tech answered after a second like you had pulled him out of his thoughts. You raised your eyebrow at him, "You alright?"

Tech sat still in his chair, his sharp brown eyes staring you down. The only movement he made was his left hand reaching up to adjust the goggles on his face. He took in a deep breath, "Come over here."

You gave him a surprised look. This tends to be out of the ordinary for him. The two of you had been doing a small dance around each other for months now, trying to see if the other liked each other more than friends. It was obvious to everyone else around them and they never failed to tell you that. Tech has never been forward like this.

Your curiosity gets the better of you. You stand up walking the short distance from your chair over to where he sat. When you were close enough, he reached out and pulled you into his lap, making you squeak in surprise. His hands lightly rested on your hips, leaving you plenty of space to move away if you wish.

He gazed at you through his goggles, "Would you allow me… To make love to you."

You blinked once or twice, your brain processing his words for a second. Being this close to him, you could see the small blush on his cheeks. You made a small smile, nodding your head, "Please."

Tech took the opportunity and leaned forward, kissing you on the lips. You made a small hum, moving your head to accommodate his goggles. This isn't the first time you've kissed him. There was a drunken night between the two of you where there was a small bruise on your cheek from accidentally hitting his goggles. This was the first time the two of you kissed without the hindrance of something else in your systems.

You wrapped your arms around his bare shoulders, lightly pressing yourself up against him as he ran his tongue over your bottom lip. You gave him easy access, making a small moan at the feeling of your tongues sliding against each other. That seemed to push Tech forward, he pushed his hands under your shirt, pulling it up over your head. The clothing dropped to the floor followed quickly with your bra. Tech's hands started to wander, mapping out your torso, taking a moment to grope your breasts. His thumbs ran over your nipples, playing with them until they were hard.

You decide to take the initiative, moving away from his lips and starting to kiss down his jaw and neck. You paused at the sensitive skin right at the base of his giving that spot more attention. He granted you with a whimper that sounded amazing from him. You instantly wanted to hear that again and again, so you started to slowly grind your hips down against his lap. Through your pants, you were able to feel he was already hard as he rocked his hips up against yours.

"Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" You teased him lightly, leaning back some to get a good look at the man flushed in front of him. His goggles were knocked out of place and his blush had increased dramatically, it spread to his shoulders and chest.

You got a snort and a small crooked smile from Tech. Moving his hands down to your ass, using them a moment to guide your hips on top of him. Both of you shuttering at the pleasure you got from each other.

"You might be a little surprised when it doesn't shoot blaster bolts." Tech teased, his hands moving away from your clothed ass to the underside of your thighs. He promoted a laugh from you from his words, not expecting him to say something like that.

While he had you distracted with your laughter, he shifted under you, pulling you into his arms and standing up. He held you with some surprising strength that only a clone could have. You instantly wrapped your arms around his shoulders, holding onto him out of the small worry that he might drop you. He walked the two of you over to the bunks, laying you down on the bottom one.

"This spot is probably better for now." Tech hummed as he crawled over you, "Eventually I want you in the pilot's chair. If this ever happens again."

"You've thought about this with me?" You asked, pulling him close to you again, his chest pressing flush to yours. The warmth from his body was already starting to become an addiction.

"Yes." He hissed out, leaning down, pulling you into another kiss. You made a small groan from the kiss once again, your legs instinctively wrapping around his hips so he could grind down against you.

He moved away from your kiss, slowly moving down your body, kissing and sucking on your neck and chest pulling all kinds of sounds from him. Eventually, he got to your hips, his long fingers dipping under the waistband of your pants. He paused for a moment looking up at you to silently ask you again for permission. You nodded your head and your pants and underwear were quick to be pulled from your body.

"Marvelous." Tech breathed looking down at you completely bare for him. You were flushed just as much as him feeling a little subconscious now that you had his complete attention. His hands moved down your sides to your hips and then between your thighs. His hand moved between your legs, being quick to find your clit, rubbing it in small circles. Your back arched off the bunk a little as you let out a deep moan from the pleasure it brought you.

"Oh my god, Tech." You gasped as you felt him slide one of his fingers in you, meeting barely any resistance from how wet you were. His breathing was uneven as he watched you squirm under his touch.

He was quick to add in another finger to make sure you would be able to take him. You were so worked up that his menstruations had you already close to your peak. Tech let out a heavy moan at the sight, pulling away, "You are absolutely gorgeous."

"Tech." You shuttered at his compliments. He smiled down at you, shifting himself as he pulled the last bit of clothing that was still on his body off. You gasped at the sight of him in his naked glory in front of you. He looked divine.

"As much as I would love to see you cum from just my hands, I would prefer to see you cum on my cock." Tech's voice was deep and breathy, sending shivers up your spine. He grabbed your thighs to shift the two of you in a good position between your legs. He ended up pulling one of your legs on his shoulder.

"W-Wait." You gasped suddenly freezing, "Protection."

Tech paused looking down at you confused for a moment, "You mean condoms? I doubt they're hardly necessary. Clones are sterile and we were designed to not be able to contract illnesses easily. Plus we were tested regularly. I'm clean. Are you?"

"Yeah." You breathed still looking up at him, a little concerned. He leaned down kissing you softly on the lips, moving your leg so you didn't have to stretch it too far, "Then there should be nothing to be concerned about."

The two of you kissed a bit more and you slowly moved away again to ask him a question, "Are you sure? You're not lying to me are you?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Tech gave you a confused look and you looked away from him off into the distance, biting your lip.

"If you don't want to do this, you can just tell me." Tech's voice was laced with concern now. You jerked your eyes back to the man on top of you, "What? No, I do! Sorry."

Tech stayed where he was. His thumbs lightly stroked your skin, "Would you feel better if I were to find some form of protection?"

You thought about it for a second, a little concerned you ruined the mood. But as you glanced down, you saw he was still hard, flushed red, and leaking precum out of the tip. You found yourself shaking your head no.

"I need to hear you say it." Tech's voice was soft as he leaned down again giving you a small kiss on your cheek.

"Tech, I want you to fuck me." You breathed, your hands reaching up to wrap around his shoulders. Tech's breath hitched, his exhale another whimper.

"As you wish, my dear." That was all the motivation he needed, moving the two of them again between your legs. He slowly slid his dick into you making you gasp at the stretch. He started to set a steady pace, the both of you pulling moans from each other. You ran your nails up his back, probably leaving small little lines. He leaned down kissing your neck more leaving small bites that will probably leave a mark.

Eventually, he angled his hips right, hitting a spot in you that practically made you scream. The both of you panting and moaning, a small sheen of sweat on both of your skins. He hit the spot a few more times and before you could warn him, you felt yourself cuming around his cock. His name is like a prayer on your lips.

"Oh fuck." Tech gasped his hips rocking into you as you felt your walls squeeze around him. He made a few more weak thrusts and then he was cumming inside you. You moaned at the feeling of his warm, white seed filling you. The both of you held onto each other tightly, panting hard as you came down from the high of the orgasm.

"That was…" you breathed as Tech shifted himself so he could lean up and kiss you on the lips. He smiled softly against your lips, "Yeah."

The two of you stayed like that for a moment, softly kissing each other as he got soft in you. Eventually, he pulled away both of you groaning at the feeling of him pulling out of you.

"I will be right back," Tech informed, moving off the small bunk the two of you were on. He went into the small fresher on the ship, eventually coming back with a small damp towel. You had moved to your side but moved again as he settled himself between your legs again. He gently ran the cloth over you, efficiently cleaning you up. Once he was done he lightly tapped your thigh, making the sound of a slap, but not being painful at all.

"Okay. Go use the fresher and then come back here." Tech instructed, his voice is softer than it normally is. Honestly, it sounds very similar to the sound of him waking up and still feeling tired. You nod, moving out of the bunk as he laid down on it in your place. You went to the fresher doing your business and returned like he had asked you to. He was still in the bunk, naked, but with a blanket laying over his hips. He had his tablet in his hands. He put it aside when he saw you, motioning for you to join him.

"Didn't think you would be the type to be a cuddler after sex." You teased him lightly as you laid back down on the small bunk, Tech wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you into a spooning position. He made a small huff kissing your shoulder as you wrapped the blanket around the two of you.

"Don't want to let go of you yet."

#bad batch #the bad batch #tbb #star wars #star wars bad batch #clone force 99 #tech #tech bad batch #bad batch tech #tech x reader #reader x tech #tech fic #bad batch fic #tech bad batch x reader #tech bb #reader insert

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ashtrologys · 1 year

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Fingers crossed the next Bad Batch episode will be a Crosshair one finally because the team are stuck on the planet for a few days. Crosshair please, come back

#crosshair #the bad batch #disney #crosshair bb #wrecker bb #bad batch #tech bb #star wars

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imperialcadetdaye · 1 year

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Watching The Bad Batch with my dad and he observed that Tech looks like he has wooden hair. I’m WHEEZING

#the bad batch #the bad batch series #the bad batch tech #tech bad batch #tech the bad batch #tech bb #bb tech

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dragon-pups · 6 days

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ANOTHER

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robotsandramblings · 11 months

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Tech's armor continues to be my favourite armor design, even with the S2 repaint! his "under" armor clothing is also on point. 10/10 all around from the judges

#tech #the bad batch #star wars #R&Rphotoset #bb faves #his S1 armor was always my favourite too #scsh from cap-that.com #almost 1k

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apocalyp-tech-a · 1 month

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It's been exciting guessing who CX-2 actually is, but can we all at least agree on one thing...

That this fight scene was flipping epic? 😳 @eclec-tech I feel like Stefon again! Blasterfire, blocks, kicks, punches, elbowing, knifeplay, slaps, uppercuts, wrestling, smackdowns, head butts, leaping, taunting, choking, falling down waterfalls - this fight had it all. 😂

Kudos to the animators and creative team who choreographed this scene!!!! 👏🏆

#tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #cx-2 #tech the bad batch #possibly #crosshair the bad batch #star wars #the bad batch #clone x #imperial tech #umm those thighs stalking toward Crosshair though plz #they know what they're doing #i don't just want this to be Tech #I *need* this to be Tech 😂#kudos to the BB creative team #tech lives

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spectrehavoc99 · 25 days

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Had a horrific thought...

What if the next time Hunter sees Omega is the last time?

#bad batch #bad batch crosshair #bad batch hunter #bad batch omega #bad batch finale #star wars #bad batch spoilers #bad batch tech #bb hunter #bb omega #bb spoilers #bad batch season 3

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andors-oar · 1 year

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#the bad batch #tbb #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #bb spoilers #bad batch spoilers #bad batch #tech tbb #tbb tech #omega tbb #tbb omega #my edit #andors-oar

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embeanwrites · 1 year

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Plan 99

Tech (Bad Batch) x Reader

A/N: I refuse the ending of that season, no thank you so I have fixed it. Spoilers for the finale season 2!

The Jedi heard Tech’s voice from where they were standing next to Echo on the rail car, barely able to stay upright as the group continued to fight for their lives, but the moment they heard those words from Tech’s mouth they no longer cared what they were doing.

“Plan 99!”

Those dreaded words. An agreement the Batch had before they had become their General and before they had even seen a second of battle. Plan 99 was more of a code phrase than a real plan. A simple agreement that the rest simply had to trust and respect whatever decision the Batcher was making. It was the final say on any matter, it wasn’t something they used lightly.

And hearing Tech say those words while hanging from the train card, gun pointing at the only part of the train keeping them together, spurred them into action. The moment his blaster fired the Jedi felt through the force, through the turmoil, fear, and stress the entire group was feeling, and grabbed onto Tech through the force, barely moving him in time to miss the half of the falling rail car before propelling him up, roughly through the force. They didn’t have the time to make sure he was gently placed, all thoughts tied into just making sure Tech stayed alive.

Through the loudness of the battle, the Jedi was unsure if they had screamed or even said anything as Wrecker grabbed Tech and Omega steadied the Jedi. But as soon as they seemed to be safe the group found themselves rushing in the car as they were then all sent speeding the other way. The last thing the Jedi remembered before hitting their head was Hunter reaching for Omega.

Waking up to the darkness of the Marauder’s bunk room, the Jedi’s heart was immediately racing as they stumbled out of their bunk. The room’s light was dimmed, and the Jedi just barely could make out that Hunter and Omega were resting on one of the lower bunks as they began racing towards the cockpit. Their thoughts were racing as the memories were starting to come back, it had been so long since they had used the force that strongly, and the sudden worry that it wasn’t enough was beginning to bubble and surface.

“Where-” They started, as Tech suddenly appeared in front of them grabbing their shoulders, steading them.

“Everyone’s on board the Marauder, you’re okay. Both you and Omega were knocked out and we are-” The Jedi quickly cuts Tech off with a harsh slap, leaving his goggles skewed and his thoughts scattered. Before he can even question why, he sees the tears welling in the Jedi’s eyes, in his Jedi’s eyes.

“Plan 99?” They hissed and immediately Tech sees them become undone. Gone was their cool and collective Jedi General, and all that was left was a scared individual who almost lost their partner only a few hours ago. Tech looks to see Hunter’s eyes peeking at the two of them so he quickly moves his hand to grab their arm and gently pull them into the fresher, at least there they could have privacy from peering eyes, even if Hunter could still hear them.

“I know, but at that moment I-”

“You what? Wanted to play the hero!” They seethed. “Tech, there were other ways out of that situation, and you were ready to kill yourself! Did you have any regard for what they might do to the squad? To Omega? To me?” Tech listened as their voice cracked on their last thought. He closed his eyes as he gently pulled them into his chest, for a moment he thought they’d pull away and then they engulfed them closer.

“May I explain?” He asked softly, he listened for them as they sighed and then nodded against his chest. He was glad the first thing he had done was rid himself of his armor when they were back on board so he could really hold them. “As selfish as it may seem at that moment my greater concern was keeping you and the others alive. I…I was scared and worried and I had already suspected my death would be on the battlefield either protecting or with my brothers.” He felt them pull him tighter as he stroked their back, trying to reassure them that he was still alive and with them. “Then you came along, and I allowed myself to think outside of the war and even now with the idea of Pabu, the thought is even stronger. We could live a normal life, and as selfish as it is I would die a thousand deaths before I could ever watch your own.”

“Tech-”

“I know it’s selfish and unfair to you, but at that moment I thought what I was doing was right. I see that, even though I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you safe, it isn’t fair to you, and I am very sorry.”

“No more Plan 99.” They mumbled, pulling away slightly, just enough so they could make eye contact. He found himself trapped in their glance, just as he had been the first time they had met and there was a flashing thought that the rail car could’ve been their last moments together. That they could have watched him die, helplessly.

“Promise me, no more Plan 99. Even if it’s to save me, especially if it’s to save me.”

“What if-”

“No more, what if’s, Tech. We get Crosshair back and that’s it. No more Plan 99’s.” They begged ever so softly. He sighed and gently cupped their cheek.

“No more, I promise.” He murmured, sealing his promise with a soft kiss.

#tech bad batch #bad batch tech x reader #tech x reader #x reader #star wars #bad batch #i refuse that ending #season 2 spoilers #bb spoilers

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verndusk · 1 year

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re-drawing a Bad Batch scene a day until season 3 comes out (or i forget): day 8

#thank you for everyone supporting me so far #it means so much aklfhksghdsg #i love yall #cant believe its day 8 already #the bad batch #tbb #my art #star wars #tbb everyday #bad batch #tbb hunter #tcw #captain rex #tbb tech #tech tbb #tech bb #tbb echo #echo tbb #will be posting speedpaint in a min :)

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techtalksfics · 1 year

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Tech Support (Tech x Reader)

Summary: Tech meets the reader on Pabu and decides the best way to show he cares is by simply doing all the technical work the reader has lined up to do.

Author's Note: this is just based off of my interpretation of Tech. Hopefully it's okay. I'm thinking there may be a part two. You know, a little wine and dine, a little smut, a little bit of Echo. Who knows.

Warnings: None, this is just straight fluff. Couple of swear words, if you don't like those, well... tough luck. I swear.

Word Count: 7.2 K (oops, again)

You sat under the famous tree of Pabu and scratched the chalk calmly across the paper. You began furiously blending the contours of his face, his cheeks, his jaw, as you remembered them in your mind. But you had only seen him from a distance and currently, he was up in the sky teaching Omega how to fly. So no chance of sketching from a distance, as you'd previously done. The ship frantically swooped low in the sky, causing a sudden gust of wind to bustle around you, flipping the page of sketchbook slightly. You enjoyed the sensation as the hairs on your arm stood on end as the sudden cool chill swept over you. Your head hit the bark as the Marauder rushed past you, disappearing into the distance of the sparse clouds.

The sun shone wildly as it so often did on Pabu. A little piece of paradise that you were now grateful to call home. You raised your hand to cover your eyes as you watched the ship disappear.

As the Marauder span off into the distance and disappeared, your eyes immediately fell back down to your sketchpad, and you continued to work on his jaw line. You had to keep trying to recall his features from memory. You remembered the strong and sharp line of his jaw, the intensity of his large goggles neatly lined on his face; you remembered his soft brown eyes and indulgent yet thin lips. You tried to remember that soft smile you'd seen afforded to Omega and his brothers on occasion. You tried to remember everything you could as you sketched his face on the paper before you. But even after all the recollection, after all the trouble, time and toil of your work, you still weren't happy with it; something still wasn't quite right.

But you'd only ever seen him from a distance. So how could it possibly be truly accurate? You sighed, wishing you had the confidence to approach him. Introduce yourself. Tell him you admire him. That you thought he was handsome. That you had the confidence to invite him to dinner. But you didn't. So, you simply admired him from a distance, whenever you could. More often than not, this was when he was working on the Marauder. You could sit in this very spot and watch him intently as he worked. You chose moments where you knew he was enraptured in his work that he wouldn't notice your gaze. You knew how to choose those moments because you'd experienced them too. Those moments of total focus on technological development. Your enjoyment of art was not your only skill.

Suddenly, the Marauder swooped towards you, wings raised for landing. Clunking down with a solid thud, it landed.

Well, at least her landings are improving, you reasoned with yourself. Though you had noticed a number of people running from the landing sight. Probably a sensible solution, given her previous attempts.

Whilst you couldn’t muster the courage to speak with her brother, you’d become quite close to Omega. Her outgoing and courageous personality made it almost impossible not to know her and care for her. As the gangplank, you couldn’t stop your eyes from watching the entranceway. Your sketchpad fell limp in your fingers as you watched. Omega came bounding off, as she very often did. A wide grin spread across her face. Flying lessons were her favourite thing at the moment and based on the way she was flying, you could see why.

Then you waited. Waited for Tech to emerge and when he did, you couldn’t help but giggle. He stumbled slightly, hand reaching to fix his out of place goggles as he clung to the frame of the ship. You only ever saw him this undone when he had been flying with Omega. When his eyes drifted towards you, you looked down quickly and began stroking at the chalk on the page. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed you staring.

Unfortunately, in your panic at being caught, you hadn’t noticed Omega approaching you and when she burst out a ‘hello’, you jumped a mile out of your skin, throwing your sketching pad up in the air and it flew away from you. “Oh, sorry!” She said, as she reached sheepishly for your sketch pad.

Oh shit, you groaned inwardly. She held it in her hand for a moment as she looked intently at the drawing on the page.

“This is Tech,” she said as she looked at the drawing. All you could muster was a nod, dreading whatever question came next. But there wasn’t one. She simply said, “this is amazing! You’re really talented.” As she handed the sketchpad back to you, she asked, “have you met him yet? I didn’t think you knew each other.”

“We, uh, don’t know each other, no.” You mumbled quickly, “I just noticed him the other day and thought he had an interesting face.” An interesting face, seriously, you thought painfully, is that seriously the best you could come up with?

Well at least you'd made it seem like the fixation was recent.

That’s when you noticed it and your heart began thudding in your chest. Tech had spotted Omega with you and had decided to approach, to find out what had caused a sudden and loud yelp. Your palms began to sweat, your heart racing and your head fogged over. His walk was one of subtle confidence, to call it a strut would be perhaps too critical. But there was some slight power to the way his feet pushed him forward. But that certainly did not help the incoming chaos of your mind.

“You are improving Omega,” Tech said as he finally reached you. You noted that he did not appear to be a man who opened with empty platitudes or standard greetings. But you smiled at Omega who was beaming at the compliment. His opinion being one of high import in her young life.

“The landings are certainly less chaotic,” you suddenly said, not knowing where that confidence came from, and Tech suddenly let his eyes fall on you, a small smile on his lips at you comment. Sucking in a breath, you dared to push forward. “Your teaching must be excellent,” you offered.

“I believe you are correct in your assumption.” He factually stated. He observed you for a moment before thrusting his hand towards you, “I am Tech, I do not believe we have met.” Taking his hand in yours and gently shaking it, you threw out your name speedily, simply grateful when you didn’t stutter. When he pulled his hand back, he looked at his gloved hand and noticed a grey residue on his fingers. Lifting his hand closer to his face, he brushed his fingers together and then looked at you quizzically.

You grimaced.

“I’m so sorry,” you mumbled, “it’s just chalk.”

“Yes, I had gathered it would be something of the sort.”

“I should’ve wiped my hand off or something. I’m truly sorry.” You grimaced again as you looked at him with a crimson blush on your face. He simply smiled softly at you, the corners of his lifting gently.

“Think nothing of it. Chalk will simply rub off shortly. There are far worse substances to be covered in, plastoid, acertron, gammaplast. Just to name a few. ” As he continued to rub his fingers together, he asked, “what are you using the chalk for?” Omega had been quietly watching the interaction up until this point. Fascinated by how nervous Tech seemed to make you. She’d always known you to be fairly outgoing and fierce. All the stories you told her certainly suggested you were a truly fiery person. But suddenly, you’d become exceedingly quiet and Omega was convinced she knew why.

“She’s sketching,” Omega chimed in, and Tech’s eyebrows raised at the comment. “She’s very talented. Look at her drawing of you.”

Oh no, oh please no, you begged internally. As Omega grabbed the sketchpad from your loose grasp, she thrust it towards Tech to examine, before he could even utter a word, and examine it he did. Taking it into his hands, he analysed the drawing of his features.

“This demonstrates a high level of skill, from a quantifiable perspective at least,” he offered as he continued to stare at the drawing. Suddenly, his eyes drifted from the page and back to you, the deep brown of his eyes unnerved you, “may I ask why I am the subject of such scrutiny?”

“I suppose… I have looked at you a little from a distance.”

“May I ask why?” He quickly said. Omega’s head was whipping between the two of you as you spoke, trying to figure out what was happening.

“You…” you began the sentence and realised there was only one real ending to it, “I think you have an interesting face.” There. You’d said it. Hopefully that was enough. His eyebrows seemed to rise even further than before as you said that. But you couldn’t look at him now. So, your eyes fell towards the Marauder. You just needed something to focus on that could calm you down.

As your eyes remained fixated, you felt your sketchpad fall back into your hands. Tech had reached forward and placed it there. He secretly hoped that would bring the warm gaze of your topaz eyes back to him and he was glad when it did. He smiled once more and said, “you are very talented.”

Omega was beaming suddenly, a plan was forming in her mind. “You have to join us for dinner this evening,” she announced suddenly. “Shep would love to have you, you know that.”

“Yes,” Tech affirmed, looking at Omega, “I believe you are right, Omega. I believe that we would all certainly enjoy your company for dinner this evening.”

“O-okay,” was all you could muster as you clutched onto your sketchpad. You looked at Omega and sighed out a smile, “it would be lovely to have dinner with you all.” With that, your plans for the evening had been settled.

------------------

Shep was certainly surprised to find out you had agreed to join them for dinner. It wasn’t that you were unsociable. No; it was simply that you usually dined with Romsan and Colanna, the other ‘tech’ fanatics and refugee friends of yours. As a trio, you would occasionally attend one of his dinners together. But alone? It had only happened once before, when you'd arrived. But he was certainly elated to have you join them. He always enjoyed inclusive dinners and was thrilled you felt welcomed enough to join them.

“Please make yourself at home,” he said to you as he noticed you awkwardly standing at the edge of the stone steps, “you know you’re always welcome here.” You deeply appreciated his encouragement. Your sorely beaten ego needed all the encouragement it could get. After you’d left Omega and Tech, you’d gone on to work on your attractor node. You’d been toiling away on it for months, with no success in resurrecting it from the damaged state it was in. What you hadn’t realised as you’d left for dinner was that your tool belt was still firmly around your waist.

That was the first thing Tech had noticed when you arrived. He noticed that you wore an emerald dress of a georgette looking fabric, with an exceedingly out of place and clunky tool belt around your waist. So, you’d clearly dressed for the dinner but had also been working prior to your arrival. He also took quick note of the device in your hand and presumed that the device in question was what you had been working on. Recognising certain mechanisms, his mind worked to determine its purpose.

You’d noticed Tech staring at you as you walked nervously around the table, suddenly realising why as your hands came to your waist. You quickly opted to remove the belt and place it across the wall behind the dinner table. This allowed your dress to cascade more elegantly around your body and Tech couldn’t help but notice this. He enjoyed the way your dress stirred gently against the soft breeze. Green was certainly a colour that suited you.

As dinner was served, you took a seat and found yourself seated next to Tech and you whole heartedly believe this to be the work of Omega. Course after course was served and you picked delicately at the food, not wanting to overindulge on Shep’s kindness. You made idle conversation with Wrecker about the quality of the food and with Hunter about the works going on in lower Pabu. You even chatted with Omega about her improved flying skills.

But you couldn’t muster the courage to speak to Tech and this disappointed him. You had been introduced so your reason for avoiding his gaze and conversation baffled him somewhat. He believed that of all the companions at the table, you would be able to speak to him as it appeared you may have more in common than he had originally thought.

As everyone found themselves full and content, your fingers couldn't help but drift towards the attractor node that you just couldn't seem to put down. You reached for a tool from your belt, strewn on the wall behind you, and began fiddling with the broken trigger button.

"What's that?" Omega asked as you fiddled with the heavy device that you'd lifted into your lap. You grabbed the hydrospanner from the belt behind you and began tightening a nodule. You sighed as you put the spanner down on the table, realising you truly were getting nowhere with this device. What you hadn't noticed, was that Tech had been watching you the entire time you'd be working. "It's a modified attractor node," you eventually replied, flickering your eyes towards Omega. Dinner conversation had dwindled a bit as a continued, "it simulates a gravitational pull at the same strength as the ones found in shuttle bays... or it would, if I could get it to work."

“I could fix that,” Tech announced from the seat beside you. He’d been watching you tinker away for some time, longer than he probably should’ve. But he admired watching your expertise at work. He didn’t realise that his staring hadn’t gone unnoticed by his brothers. Tech reached over and took the device from your hands. You felt the warmth of his gloved hand glide over yours as he took it securely from you. Before you could even begin to protest, Tech had taken a tool from his belt and began to work. “This device is exceedingly impressive. I wonder who designed such a miniature version of an Imperial attractor node. It is an impressive idea.”

“That would be me,” you offered up sheepishly, and Tech’s eyes snapped up to you as you spoke. He looked somewhat shocked. "It was an idea I had when the Empire rose." Not much of an explanation you realised.

“My compliments to the architect of an ingenious device. I had made the assumption that Phee had found this for you,” he explained as he continued to work. You’d both clearly disregarded the purpose of a ‘family’ dinner and focused solely on the device. Idle chatter quickly picked up around you. You watched Tech work, absolutely in awe of his skill and ability. He began taking parts of the device off and you frowned instinctively. As you went to protest that he was making it worse he simply looked up at you through the edge of his goggles, his face still down, and stated, “it needs inner configuration. I have taken the part off carefully. It is fine.” As he took off another part, he asked, “what truly lead to the creation of this device?”

“I worked for a clandestine operation briefly after the fall of the Jedi, it was useful in trapping Imperial ships. The size of this device was crucial for that, but…” you voice drifted off as you remembered the pain of the fateful night you fled, with a sigh you said, “it was damaged after we were found out.” The dinner fell eerily silent at that comment. A shared understanding of the pain caused by the Empire was apparent.

“Found out?” He probed without looking up.

“Yes. They slaughtered my friends, I… well, I barely managed to escape.” You scratched at your neck slightly, “that’s how I ended up here. The device was damaged during my escape.” With those words, Tech stopped working. Something he wasn’t prone to doing. When he looked at you, you swore you could almost see sympathy in the depths of his brown eyes. You were trying your absolute best to hold back the tears for your fallen friends.

“I am sorry about your friends,” he said, a small frown decorating his lips.

“It’s fine. I have a good home now,” you picked up your drink and raised it towards Shep, “I have a family, thanks to the good people of Pabu.” Tech’s eyes drifted between you and Shep before simply continuing with his work. He had the sudden urge to ensure this device became operational. It seemed important to you. Though why that thought motivated him, he didn’t quite know. Suddenly, your topaz eyes became fixated on his nimble fingers as he worked on the device. You took a sip of your drink, eyes remaining pinned on Tech. You didn’t notice the small smirk shared between Hunter and Wrecker as you watched.

“She is instrumental to the repairs of electronics on this island, limited though they may be,” Shep affirmed as he grinned at you. Tech’s eyes suddenly snapped up to you and he seemed to simply be evaluating you. You blushed under his intense scrutiny.

Is this how he felt when he found out I had been sketching him? You couldn’t help but wonder this as he stared at you. You decided a change of conversation was needed.

The reality of his thoughts were perhaps a little simpler than what you'd imagine. When he had discovered you sketching, he had assumed you were simply an artist. Not any kind of expert in electronics or mechanics and now it appeared, you were certainly an expert in both.

“I will be looking at those mechanisms for the ladder tomorrow, as promised Shep,” you confirmed with a nod. Tech drifted back to his previous attentions – your device.

“There is no rush, my dear girl.” He retorted gently as he reached for his glass. He looked between you and Tech and noticed a hidden spark that he had not expected. “And don’t forget to continue with your sketching. Your representations of our community are truly commendable. Not to mention beautiful.”

“Thank you, Shep,” you responded with a grin, “you know how much peace I find in my art.”

“I do, my dear girl.” He loved to call you that. He was like a father to you in so many ways and he very often liked to remind you of that. You weren’t sure if Tech had even been paying attention to the conversation happening around him.

But Tech had been listening intently whilst he worked. He found it fascinating that you found peace in your art. There were very few who delved into both words. He found himself thinking that you deserved as much peace as you could get after what you had been through.

As the sun finished setting, Tech looked up at you and thrust the device back towards you. “That should work within its standard parameters now,” he affirmed as you took hold of it, examining his work. “But I would not recommend activating the device at the dinner table.” A joke? Your mind boggled at the concept, but you couldn’t help but flutter out a giggle. Tech simply adjusted his goggles and forced his eyes to focus on the food before him. As you observed him a little longer, you noticed a light pink dusting on his cheeks. That couldn’t be because I giggled at his comment, you thought, could it?

“I can’t believe you fixed it.” You spoke softly and Tech eyes drifted back toward you.

“You’re surprised?” He queried softly, with a faintly and probably accidentally cocky undertone.

“More grateful than surprised.” He looked perturbed at the comment and even more so when you raised yourself from seat just enough to lean over and place your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. “Thank you, Tech,” you whispered into his ear as you embraced him. Unsure of what to do, he simply placed an awkward arm about your back and waited for you to pull away. Whilst he was waiting for it to end, he realised that he also very much enjoyed the warmth of your body around his. He liked the feeling of your dress brushing against his thigh.

“You are most welcome.” You smiled. “Should you need assistance with any other works, I would be more than capable of helping.”

“I have no doubt about that, Tech.”

As the evening wore on and the drinks flowed freely, you told the full and unabridged tale of how you came to Pabu. You explained your previous work on Coruscant, in the Jedi Temple archives. A role you had always been thrilled to hold. You also explained that you sketched and painted on the side wherever you could. That it brought you a sort of inner peace. You explained how you’d become involved in the clandestine operation to save Jedi and clones where you could and how it had crumbled around you. You explained that you’d watched the Temple burn, how you’d hidden in the archives but when you were found, you had been spared. Order 66 didn’t apply to terrified librarians as it turned out.

“When the world crumbled around me, I did what I could to help and when I couldn’t do it anymore…well I landed here, and they took me in. I owe these people everything.” With a smile, you explained, “now I help with repairs wherever needed, keeps me busy and when I’m free I draw whatever I want as much as I want. Until I got to Pabu, I never knew what it meant to be truly free.” There was sense of understanding washing across the table as you spoke. It was the most any of them had heard you say. Especially Tech. He was surprised by your entire story and enamoured by your bravery. He wished he’d known you sooner. He’d been here for several rotations and had only noticed you as a shadowy figure in the distance of his mind. Finally, as the silence felt too much, “life here is pretty perfect.”

“You’d like Echo,” Omega replied, “he’s out there fighting for clones too.” You smiled and silently prayed that their dear friend was safe.

------------------------

The next day, you awoke with a groan. The sun was already high in the sky, the scorching sun filled your cabin with a heated greeting. The wine you had drunk copious amounts of the previous night swam violently around your head, causing you to moan. You really must learn to drink a little less at dinner. You were getting too old for that. Stretching out your tired limbs, you dressed yourself in a linen shirt and cargo pants, fixing your belt around you.

You were already very late in starting your day and remained full from the previous evenings dinner. With that in mind, you stumbled out the door and made your way towards the broken ladder mechanisms. When you arrived, however, you found Tech already evaluating and fixing the modules.

When he saw you approach, he turned to you and offered you a good morning before immediately returning to his work. You simply stood there, sheepishly, watching him work. After a moment, he stood up straight and tested out the mechanism. You weren't surprised to find that it was now working.

Damn it, you thought, Shep’s guests doing my work. You couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.

“You didn’t need to do that Tech,” you mumbled as you approached him. He peered over the edge at the ladder. When he felt your shadow gloss over him, he turned to you slightly and simply stated, “I was already here and thought I could lend a hand. It was truly no trouble. I stopped by your hut earlier and you seemed to be enjoying a restful morning. I did not wish to disturb it.”

“Are they both operational now?” You queried. When he nodded, you gave a contented sigh. That was one less thing to fix. “Thank you, Tech.” You couldn't help but reach up and throw your arms around his neck. You couldn't seem to help yourself. Unlike the awkwardness of the night before, this time you felt his hands come to rest on the small of your back and you hugged him.

“You are welcome.” He adjusted his goggles and simply looked at you, a pink blush rising on his cheeks and neck. “I did inform you that I was more than able to aid in the repairs.” When you smiled gently at him, Tech’s chest tightened inexplicably, and he did not understand why. He would analyse his bodily reactions later on when he had a moment to spare, he decided.

“Well, I guess this gives me more time to draw this afternoon.” You joked, scratching at the back of your neck awkwardly.

"I thought it might," he replied, somewhat quickly, "I have some ideas for further modifications for the Marauder." He only said this to try and relieve the tension of his previous comment.

“Would you like any help?” You offered.

“No, thank you. It should not take me long. Enjoy your sketching.” He said with a gentle smile. Then, suddenly, Tech retreated towards Upper Pabu and towards the Marauder, leaving you standing awkwardly by the finished work.

Shep appeared as you watched Tech walk off into the distance. You didn’t notice him until he clapped you on the shoulder. “They look fixed. Another good job as always,” he said cheerily. Your fingers nervously played with the auburn hair which was loosely falling around your shoulders.

“You can thank Tech,” you responded. “He’s the one who fixed them.”

“It is good that our new friends are helping out,” he responded as he looked out over Pabu. “They are becoming exceedingly valuable to this community. I am glad you have found a friend in their midst."

“Y-yes,” you stuttered as you forced your eyes away from the empty space that Tech had left, “yes I suppose he is a sort of friend now, isn't he?” Shep rested his hand on your shoulder, before patting it slightly and making his way down towards the wreckage that was still present in lower Pabu.

For a moment, you simply stood there, frozen in spot... wondering how it had come to this. Tech support, as you would now call it. Bizarre, you thought.

---------------------------------

The next day, you’d woken up early to aid in fixing the mechanisms of one of the docking systems. You knew Wrecker and Shep needed it sorted as soon as possible. They'd let you know the work was needed the night before as you'd walked past the Marauder whilst heading to your favourite sketching spot. You'd notice Tech sitting in the entrance of the Marauder tinkering away. You were sure he hadn't been listening this time. Surely, your idle chit chat would be of little interest to him.

So, you’d awoken once again, very much in the same way you had the day before, and headed straight down to the docks. You often skipped breakfast when there were works needed.

When you arrived, you found Tech high up on a ladder, fixing the mechanism that Shep had asked you to attend to.

“Good morning Tech,” you said cheerily as you approached, “I wasn’t aware that they’d asked you to help with this too.”

“Ah,” he said looking down from his work, “good morning.” When your name fell from his lips, you realised you loved the very tone in which he said it. It was both soft and heated as it fell from his lips. A stunning pronunciation of an unimportant facet of your life. Whilst you pondered your interest in the way your name had fallen from his lips, he had climbed down the ladder. His towering height meant his gaze fell downwards towards you. “They did not ask me to help. But I overheard your conversation with Shep. I thought I could be of some assistance in fixing this mechanism.”

“Please,” you started carefully, “allow me to help finish the work. I was tasked with it after all and I am sure you have far more important work that you could be doing.”

“No need,” he stated so simply that you were perturbed. “It is almost fixed, I simply need to make one more adjustment and it should be operational. I can continue with my own works shortly.” He adjusted his goggles and admired you. Although you didn't know that's what he was doing. He simply looked you up and down with a scrutinising stare. You'd put on a black sundress, due to the heat, but still had your tool belt about your waist. Suddenly he spluttered, "you look very pretty today."

You blushed heavily at that. Your hands idly reached for the fabric of your dress.

"Oh, um, thank you!" That was all you could muster in response.

“Well, I will go and find something else to do. I am sure there is plenty more that needs fixing.” You affirmed, finding the positive in the very confusing situation you found yourself in. “Thank you, Tech.” You went to turn, but realised he was still staring at you, almost expectantly. But perhaps that was wishful thinking in your head.

Regardless and with a small smile on your face, you reached up and gave him a quick hug. Arms around his neck and his hands just above your waist. When you pulled back he was pink in the cheeks again and you relished in the sight.

“It is my pleasure," he finally said as you began to pull away, "perhaps you could sketch some more this afternoon, now that your time will be free?” He suggested as he began to climb the ladder once more.

“Y-yeah, maybe I could.” What a wonderful thought, you realised. Less work, more pleasure.

As you walked away, you found yourself sitting on the stone steps that led to the docks, simply watching Tech work. You sighed as you placed your hands over your knees and leant your weight into your legs. It was also a new pleasure of yours to simply watch the man work.

“He likes fixing things,” Hunter said, making you jump. He had silently approached, after watching the situation unfold, a small smile on his lips. When you'd sat down, he wanted to make his presence known.

"I can tell," you replied airily.

“And I think, these days, he likes helping you particularly.” He added smugly, crossing his arms as he leant on the wall beside you, his head tilted in your direction. The smug smile made you react with a start, almost causing palpitations.

“What do you mean,” you queried, disconcerted by his train of thought.

“Tech likes to be helpful. He’s active in his affection. Not so much with the words but with the things that can help, make life easier, and recently, he seems intent in helping you.” He adjusted slightly on the wall as his gaze fell towards the chaotic sight of Wrecker chasing Omega around the dock. Those two were the happiest he had seen in so many rotations.

“I have no idea what you’re getting at,” you said, leaning into your legs once more, staring down into the docks. Omega had stopped at Tech's beckoning call and she handed him a different tool but from this distance, you couldn’t see what it was. You could probably guess but there was no way to be certain.

“Just know this, Tech is always helpful. But sometimes, he will actively try to be helpful. He does it when he cares and he cannot express things the way everyone else does.” You felt Hunter’s hand gently squeeze your shoulder. "If you want him to express that he cares in some other way, you'll have to draw it out of him..." his voice trailed off and his eyes narrowed somewhat, "and it'll be like drawing blood from a stone."

After that, he simply disappeared. You sat there for a moment pondering his words but couldn’t fathom exactly what he was trying to tell you. Was he telling you that Tech liked you? Was he telling you to make a move? You truly couldn't tell what was happening there. But you'd certainly be mulling over his words incessantly.

Shaking your head, you reached into the pocket on your trousers and pulled out your sketchpad. Grabbing the loose chalk from a different pocket, you began to sketch the sight before you. This time, you knew the faces of everyone in front of you. You simply began to draw the wonder of the new members of the community fixing up the dock, paying particular attention to sketching Tech stretching up on the ladder to fix the mechanism. In fact, that image brimmed to the edges of the page. You smiled as you watched them work in the midday sun.

Perhaps having a helper wasn’t so bad after all.

-------------------------------

About a week later and numerous Tech support encounters later, you knew you had to begin working on the electrics in the lower Pabu. You were aware that this project was the most extensive you’d been tasked with. You set out with a sense of purpose and in that, you found tranquillity. But you were also aware that the likelihood of finding Tech already working there were incredibly high.

Walking by Hunter and Omega, you gave them a fond hello as you made your way down the staircases towards the lower huts of Pabu. When you arrived at the starting point, you found Tech already working on the wiring in the hut. You sighed as you saw him.

“Good morning,” he offered without looking up. He simply felt your presence at the door. “I have begun wiring the lights for this hut, it was heavily damaged. But I believe it to be easily salvageable.”

“I agree,” you responded cautiously, “that was why I had intended to start with this hut.” After he offered no response, you decided to finally ask the question burning in the back of your chaotic mind, "Tech, do you think I'm bad at my job?" His head flipped up suddenly, almost banging on the console that was only slightly above him.

"Not at all," he replied quickly, "I think you are highly proficient. Admirable, in fact."

"Then why are you doing all of my work?"

“I have the situation in hand,” he responded haphazardly, from under the panel. “You said that you found peace in your sketching. That you enjoyed it profusely. I was simply trying to afford you the time to do that.” You sucked in a breath. This conversation was not going the way you thought it would have.

“Please Tech,” you begged, “let me help, at least a little. So I don’t feel completely useless.” He paused his ministrations for a moment and observed the pained expression on your face. “That was never my intent,” he finally said and as he adjusted his slightly wonky goggles he sat fully upright after pulling himself out from under the console. "I..." He began, looking at you, "I apologise if I have overstepped. I just wanted to offer you my assistance."

Then everything clicked into place. Hunter’s gentle nudge about Tech’s ‘forms of affection’. All of the hard work he had been doing. Putting his own projects on hold. All the work he had been doing. Omega’s curious interest in introducing the two of you. “You did all of this for me? So I could do something that brings me peace?"

“I suppose on some, I am doing it for the people of Pabu,” he afforded you a soft smile, a rare sight of his gentle lips, “but yes, I have been doing this for your benefit. I wanted to afford you the time to truly feel at peace with your sketching. I believe that was how you described it.” As he leaned back down suddenly, to hide his blushing cheeks, you couldn’t help but reach out your arm and place it on his elbow. Almost willing him to look at you. When he paused and stared at your arm, you softly whispered his name. Instinctually, he moved out from under the console and looked at you sheepishly.

You took that moment as your chance. You reached in and placed your lips to his cheek. The softness of lips on his skin lit his whole body on fire. He couldn’t avoid a slight jump at the contact but as your face lingered near his, he reached in and rested his forehead to the side of your head awkwardly. “Thank you, Tech,” you whispered softly. This was a step further than the odd friendly hugs you'd shared.

The somewhat amorous response you had towards him made his heart soar. Eventually, you pulled away from one another. You took the spanner from his hand and leaned down to continue the works, with a smile he couldn’t see, you simply said, “but I’m still going to help you. Because I enjoy this too.”

For a moment, Tech remained upright and simply thought about the contact, the gentle brush of your lips on his cheek. His mind was racing, he could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Steadying himself, he simply lay his body next to yours. Your body connected to his at the arm as he began working again. He could feel the warmth of your body, the feeling of your hip pressed against his and he suddenly dropped the tool in his hand.

You asked if he was okay as a result.

“I am fine,” he responded almost too quickly, before adding, “thank you.” You smiled at him under the console, before continuing with your ministrations. He retrieved the tool and began working beside you. He suddenly realised how well you worked together.

That day, you and Tech simply worked alongside one another. Solving problem after problem and you both loved the feeling of being understood by another.

---------------------------

“You know you don’t have to help me with everything, you know,” you told Tech one evening as you stood together looking over Pabu.

“I do not mind. My proficiency in technical repairs is certainly beneficial for efficiency.” You stated so calmly that you couldn’t help but giggle a little.

“I don’t doubt that Tech,” you said, placing your hand on his bicep, “I appreciate you helping me. But you have Omega’s flying to worry about.”

“I am capable of instructing her,” he paused to look at your hand on his arm, it almost made him shiver when you didn’t let go. After a moment he finished his thought, “and helping you.”

“I just mean,” you sighed as you tried to find the right words, “if you wanted to spend time with me, without repairing things, that would be fine with me too.”

“What about your sketching?” He queried as he turned suddenly to face you directly, “I do not wish to distract you from that.”

Pulling out your sketchbook, you handed it to him. “Take a look,” you mumbled softly, feeling your cheeks heat slightly. He blushingly took hold of your sketchpad and opened it. The early pages were sketches of Pabu, of Shep, of the damage, of Phee and her treasures. He smiled at that, he had come to care for Phee. He was glad you cared for her too.

When he continued to turn the pages, his face suddenly became oddly nervous. There was the sketch of him he had already seen but when he continued he found the sketches were of him fixing the mechanism at the dockyard, him at that first dinner when they’d met. They were all of him. All you had drawn in recent rotations was him. Him. Him. Him.

“I am grateful that wanted to grant me time to find peace in my drawing,” you affirmed. “But…” your voice drifted off. In a sudden burst of confidence, you placed your hand over his as he grasped your sketchbook tightly. You reached to close it and place it back in your pocket. Tech stood extremely still, simply studying your face as he tried to understand your sketches. “I have found peace in spending time with you. I have found peace in you.”

Tech smiled at that and it was more than a slight upturn of his lips. It was a full smile, one you had never seen before. “You don’t need to fix things for me to notice you, Tech.”

With a sigh, you finally said, “if I am wrong, and all of this, was just kindness then, I apologise. But I feel like you are trying to show me you care.” There was suddenly a silence between you as Tech tried to find the words to express what his actions had shown.

“You would be correct.” He finally said. “I was trying to make you happy. I… I did not know that my company alone would be sufficient.”

Placing your hand on his cheek, you said, “your company is much more than sufficient, Tech. Perhaps I could invite you to dinner? This time without the others?” You suggested, hope tinted in your voice.

“I think I rather like that idea,” he said, resting his face in your palm. When you pulled away and looked out over the ocean view, Tech simply mimicked your movement. The sun was beginning to set and the pink hue over the sky rippled over the day and as night fell, you found yourself placing your head on Tech’s shoulder.

And Tech found that he didn’t mind the feeling over your body so close to his.

“Tech,” you whispered, when he hummed slightly in response, eyes still watching the setting sun, “I could still need help wiring up the electrics in all of the houses.”

“I hope you did not expect my aid to stop simply because we have arranged a dinner rendezvous?” He joked softly and when you giggled, he feel the gentle shake of your body against his.

He knew he liked Pabu. But this unexpected gift certainly gave him one more cause to want to stay.

You didn't want to rush him. But when you lifted your head and he turned immediately to look down at you, missing the contact, you placed your hand on his cheek one more. "Please allow me to thank you for your support, properly." He looked as if he was about to ruin the chance, so you quickly reached up your toes and pressed your lips to his.

He grunted at the suddenness and unexpected nature of your movement. But quickly, his fingers were digging into your waist as you kissed him gently. Your whole body alight as the Force wove your paths inextricably together... all of this through the first kiss you had shared with this incredibly intelligent clone.

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Part Two (AKA my fix to Ep 16)

#tech x reader #tech bad batch x reader #tech bb #reader insert #pabu #bad batch #hunter #wrecker #omega #shep bb

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dreamswithghosts · 11 months

Text

Walking on New Legs - Part 2

Part 1

Summary: After setting Echo up with all new prosthetics, Dante runs into some trouble while being overworked with the injured from the frontlines of Anaxes. Some of the trouble isn't purely his job.

Author's Notes: I couldn't help it. I made a part 2 of my introduction to Dante. Dante is my OC who originally was a Reader who got very, very specific. My mind thought process was pretty much 'I want to do a prosthetics specialist reader insert', 'but wait I want him to be a trans male since the clones are in a masculine environment', 'Wait how did he become a trans prosthetics specialist in the clone wars?', 'Oh, this isn't reader insert anymore'. Also, if you want to be added to my tag list, just let me know by commenting or sending me a message!

Warnings: This is still a medical setting, there is a mention of an IV, mention of vomiting, crude language, besides that it's actually mostly fluff, there is some heavy pinning from Crosshair

Word Count: 4k

AO3: Link

Dante spent a decent amount of time finishing up his intense report from working on Echo. Dante wanted to be super thorough since it was the first time he worked with Echo. Crosshair stayed silent the entire time, the only noise Dante could hear from him was the sound of the soft tapping of his fingers on Dante’s tablet.

He had just submitted the report and moved to get himself some water when his communicator sounded off. Dante didn’t hesitate to answer, “This is Dante.”

“Dante! I heard you were here! So glad to hear from you!” Dante heard a trooper’s voice respond over the communicator. Only two certain ARC Troopers ever responded like that to Dante. Jesse and Fives. With Fives being gone, Dante knew it was Jesse on the other side of the communicator.

“Hey, Jesse. What can I do for you?” Dante chuckled lightly, amused by Jesse’s excitement.

“Oh, it’s Echo.” Jesse responded almost sheepishly, as if he forgot the reason he called Dante in the first place, “He’s not doing too great. Something about his stomach. If you could come by the barracks that would be great.”

“Yeah. I’ll be over there in a few.” Dante hummed lightly in response and ended the transmission. Dante glanced over his shoulder at Crosshair who seemed to have put the tablet down, sharp eyes locked on him.

“You want to join me if you promise to behave yourself?” Dante invited, with a quizzical look on his face.

Crosshair hopped off of the counter, standing at his full height. With the other clones, Dante was obviously shorter than the others, standing at a full height of 5”6’ whereas the clones all stood at an easy 6”. Crosshair was much taller than the ‘regs’, they liked to call them. He didn’t say a word but lightly nodded and then gestured for Dante to lead the way.

“Are you going to be nice?” Dante pushed again, wanting to get vocal confirmation from the clone who loved to follow him around like a lost tooka.

“Yes,” Crosshair grumbled out, pulling a toothpick from his belt, and rolling the wood between his teeth.

Satisfied, Dante led Crosshair out of the med bay and towards the barracks. Dante went straight to the 501st barracks, knowing that was where Echo would have probably wanted to go first. Plus, it was Jesse who called for a medic anyways. Entering the barracks, Dante watched as most of the troopers, especially the ones that looked younger, all gave him and Crosshair second glances. The pair were not people these clones saw on the daily.

Jesse spotted Dante first, waving him down. It was easy to spot the ARC Trooper, minus the special gear, Jesse always sported a massive Republic cog on the top of his head and around the top right side of his face.

“There’s my favorite medic!” Jesse smiled, gesturing for Dante to follow him. Dante watched Jesse’s eyes narrow in some at Crosshair, who was hovering not too far behind Dante’s shoulders, but he did not comment on it.

“Careful now. If Kix hears that, he would probably have your ass.” Dante spared Jesse a small smile, when he wasn’t working he would be glad to sit down with the old trooper and spend some time with him, but duty calls. Jesse looked offended for a moment, his hand going to his armored chest right over his heart, making Dante chuckle lightly at his silliness.

“Where is Echo?” Dante asked, changing up the topic.

“In the fresher, he’s been dry heaving for a good minute now,” Jesse explained, leading Dante to the fresher. Dante opened the door and was greeted by Echo, sitting on the floor next to a toilet looking a bit worse for wear. He wasn’t as bad as when he first was at the table with Dante, but he was worse than when he left.

Dante kneeled in front of him, “Hey trooper, how are you feeling?”

“I’ve been worse,” Echo grumbled a little, his eyes barely open as he rested the back of his head against the fresher wall.

Dante set down his mobile medkit next to him on the fresher floor, “Is it alright if I take a look and do a scan?”

Echo’s eyes opened, looking at Dante. The expression on his face showed that he had not expected Dante to ask for permission. He slowly closed his eyes and gave him a small nod, “Yeah.”

Dante reached up lightly pressing a thermometer to Echo’s forehead to get his body temperature. It was still a bit lower than what should be a trooper’s average temperature. He made a small hum, reaching into his pack to scan his body.

“Did you eat anything?” Dante asked lightly, watching as the numbers and data showed up on his scanner.

“Yes. Whatever they were serving for dinner.” Echo informed.

“Your stomach is not used to food after being in the cryo chamber for so long.” Dante hummed to himself and then glanced over his shoulder towards Crosshair, who was leaning on the doorframe watching from afar. “Crosshair, can you go get one of my special drinks from the med bay?”

Crosshair nodded and moved out of the doorframe, disappearing from view. Dante turned back to Echo getting a med shot, “This should help with the pain, and hopefully settle your stomach some.”

Echo nodded, wincing when Dante administered the medication to him on his neck. At the moment, it was the two of them alone on the floor of the fresher. Jesse seemed to have disappeared as well.

“Sorry, for disturbing you from your work and making you come out here.” Echo apologized and Dante quickly moved to hush him.

“You didn’t disturb me from anything.” Dante assured him, “I am here for you guys to make sure you are healthy and ready to go back to the fight as soon as possible.”

Echo seemed a little better after Dante’s words but not fully, and Dante was not satisfied enough with his reaction. He reached out, lightly laying his hand on Echo’s shoulder, “Hey, you are meant to be here and be alive. Don’t ever think that you are not. If it's the Force willing it or something else, you are here breathing for a reason. I know you are meant for bigger things, if you weren’t then you wouldn’t be here. I’m going to pick you back up on your feet and watch you do amazing things, because I know that is what you’re going to do. Okay?”

Echo made a small sigh and smiled, giving Dante a small smile. That seemed to settle him. Just in time for Crosshair to return, holding a pouch in his hands. Dante waved him over and took the pouch from him, opening up the spout for Echo.

“This is my personal smoothie concoction. This should fill you and also help settle your stomach. Drink this slowly over time, not all at once.” Dante instructed as he handed the liquid pouch over to Echo.

He took the pouch hesitantly eyeing it. He put the spout on his lips taking a hesitant sip. Tasting the smoothie-like concoction that Dante had given him, he blinked in surprise at the taste, “Meilooruns?”

“Yes, plus a bunch of other beneficial things. It’s like rations, but tastes a lot better.” Dante chuckled lightly amused by Echo’s reaction. Dante gathered up his things, putting them all back in his bag. He stopped for a second and then reached for Echo’s com, “Here. Here's my com number. If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Echo nodded thanking Dante. He started to pull himself back to his feet with Dante’s help. He continued to sip on the pouch that Dante had given him. Once Dante deemed Echo good to be on his own again and able to return to the other clones in the barracks, Dante left him to his own devices.

After a moment, Dante felt a light pull on his elbow and he glanced over at Crosshair, who made a small nod telling Dante to follow him and Dante didn’t hesitate. Crosshair led the two of them a little off course from Dante’s path back to the med bay.

“Stay.” He finally said once he stopped the two of them in front of the Marauder that was parked up with the rest of the ships. Dante was surprised at first and then glanced down at his communicator, letting the medic know that it was currently late. It was almost lights out time for the clones that were stationed here behind the frontlines. Dante knew that the rest of the Bad Batch was probably already on the ship getting ready to hunker down for the night shift.

Dante also knew that there was an underlying request with Crosshair with that simple word. The look on his face read, ‘Please stay with me.’

He felt like he was at a small crossroads. Dante knew he shouldn’t follow Crosshair onto the ship, even though it will probably be something completely innocent. Dante had always had this problem when it came to the members of the Bad Batch. He adored every single member of the small, special ops squad immensely, almost to the point where if he had to choose one of them, he couldn’t. He honestly feared that he would get too attached to them too quickly if he let himself do so. They all were in the middle of the Clone Wars, and there was never any assurance that any of them would make it out of this war alive. Yes, the Bad Batch has had a 100% success rate so far, and Dante spent most of his time in the medical bays treating wounded soldiers.

It was honestly just a risk Dante didn’t want to take at this moment in time. Plus, it probably will not be healthy for the entire party if Dante did eventually settle for one of them. Though that option seemed to not be something Dante wanted to consider. He liked them all individually way too much.

So for now, Dante wants to bite the bullet, and not encourage the actions of the clones of Clone Force 99. Even though, deep down, he would be more than happy to let them. It just wasn’t the time or the place. It probably will never be.

“Crosshair, I ca-” Dante was cut off by his communicator beeping. Watching Chosshair’s frown, Dante gave him a weak smile and answered his communicator.

“Dante. We just received a new wave of injured soldiers from the frontlines. It’s all hands on deck.” It was Kix, Dante could always recognize his voice when he was starting to get overwhelmed.

“Copy.” Dante replied instantly, “I’m on my way.”

Dante ended the feed, his eyes never leaving the almost sad look on Crosshair’s face. He reached up, putting his hand on Crosshair’s shoulder, his fingers able to dip past the plastoid armor and touch the warmth of his blacks underneath. His touch was close to his pulse point. This was a motion that almost all clones have done to each other in reassurance.

“Duty calls. Make sure you guys come by to say goodbye before you take off on another mission.” Dante smiled at him and Crosshair slowly softened to the gesture. He gave Dante a nod and then moved away.

This was probably for the best. One can’t get too attached during a war anyways.

Dante turned and left Crosshair at the Marauder so he could rest with his brothers, who were probably already sleeping onboard. He made his way back to the Medbay at a record pace. Stepping through the door, Dante was greeted with the chaos of many, many injured clones. This was going to be a long night.

And a long night it was. There was no moment for a pause for Dante, nor the rest of the medics on duty at the time. It had been a hot mess. Amid everything, Dante had managed to soil his upper armor and blacks with who knows what kind of bodily fluids. He had to resort to borrowing one of Kix’s workout tank tops while finishing up treating the rest of the injured.

Unlike most of the men he worked around, a lot of them wouldn’t care or think about working shirtless, but Dante had a habit that he couldn’t break since he was a child. Plus, Dante had some scars on his chest that were from another internal battle that did not involve the Clone Wars. He wasn’t one to flaunt them around either.

When all his work was done, Dante found himself ready to collapse from exhaustion. He was still on duty, but everything he was doing was paused for a bit. It probably wouldn’t hurt if he took a quick power nap while he waited for the next patient that needed him.

Dante found himself in the original room where he had first treated Echo. It was the first bed he found that was empty and Dante didn’t hesitate to hop up on the bed and rest his head on the pillow. He was still wearing his armor on his hips and legs, but that barely registered in his tired mind. He was out like a light the second his head hit the pillow.

“Hey, scoot over. There are no other free beds.” Dante stirred a little at the sound of Kix’s voice. He made a small grumble but moved to one side of the small medical bed. There was a soft sound of plastoid armor lightly tapping against each other as Kix slid up beside him. Dante shifted, getting himself more comfortable, and then was fast asleep in seconds with his cheek resting against Kix’s armored shoulder.

The two bone-tired medics were fast asleep for maybe half an hour before they were disturbed once again.

“What happened to your rule on not sleeping with people you work with?” Captain Rex’s voice woke Dante from his slumber. Dante made a grumble, quickly rubbing his eyes with his hands.

“Very funny Captain,” Dante grumbled, which earned a chuckle from Rex. He looked over at the entryway where the ole faithful Captain stood with Echo standing just behind him. Dante was quick to spot Echo’s pale eyes darting down to his bare arms. Oh yeah. He barely remembers his tattoos. One of them was on his right forearm solidifying his story of being an inmate who was serving a sentence in the Republic Central Judiciary Detention Center - RCJDC for short - for the rest of his life. Tattooed on his skin was the symbol of the prison and his inmate number right underneath it. His left bicep also had a ring of roses and thorns wrapped around in a line. That one had more of an intense meaning to it than the tattoo all inmates get when they were sentenced there for life.

“What can I do for you?” Dante asked, pulling himself up from the bed. Kix stirred a little, it was obvious he was awake, but if he wasn’t going to be addressed, he was going to try to go back to sleep.

“I need Echo for a mission.” Rex started to explain Echo’s idea of slipping past enemy lines and sabotaging the Separatists for a Republic victory. Hopefully, a victory would solidify their full control of this planet. While Rex was explaining everything, Dante kept looking over Rex’s shoulders at Echo. Even though Dante had only known this clone for a short time, Dante could tell that Echo would try to go on this mission with or without Dante’s approval.

“Echo.” Dante addressed the former ARC Trooper once Rex was done talking, “How has your stomach been since last night?”

Echo paused for a second, “It’s been fine since you last saw me.”

That was a lie.

Dante had been around clones long enough to learn that clones were terrible liars, especially to people they either respected or had a higher ranking. Echo was probably lying so he could go on the mission. It seemed to be his idea.

“Very well.” Dante said after a moment, not breaking eye contact with him, “But only on one condition. You have to take Clone Force 99 with you.”

Dante heard Kix groan in the bed behind Dante. He must have not had a favorable interaction with them. Including Rex, who grimaces for a split second.

“May I ask why?” Rex asked Dante.

“I am not confident that Echo is fully ready for combat.” Dante explained, keeping out the details of Echo’s condition since it was a need-to-know basis, “Since I know what the Bad Batch is capable of and they have a 100% success rate. I have the confidence that if something were to go wrong, they would be perfectly capable of handling it.”

Dante watched Rex’s shoulders lower slightly but nodded, “Very well. I will let them and the General know.”

Dante gave him a small smile and a nod, watching the two of them leave the room. Once Dante was sure that they had left and the coast was clear, he activated his com, typing in Tech’s com channel.

“Hey, Tech. You guys are going to be on a mission with Echo and Rex soon. I’m going to send you my report on him in case things get out of hand. Best to share the basics with Hunter as well.” Dante explained as he moved over to the computer that still was logged into his files and started to transmit the files.

“Yeah, if we don’t have to kill him for being a traitor.” Tech sounded skeptical.

“What makes you think that?” Dante asked, watching the file blink as received. He could hear Tech’s datapad beeping on the audio channel.

“Well, his mind was controlled by the Separatists for a while. We don’t know for sure if it still is.” Tech explained. In the background, Dante could hear Wrecker pipe up saying that he liked Echo.

Dante made a snort of amusement, “I seriously doubt that he’s now a spy for the separatists. He honestly reminds me a lot of you guys. I think he would fit in well with you guys.”

“We will see.” Tech still sounded hesitant but after a quick confirmation that he got the file and a quick goodbye, he ended the transmission.

Dante’s suspicion about Echo’s stomach was right.

After the successful mission and Anaxis were free from Separatist control, Dante received a call about Echo’s condition. He had seemed fine at first, saying goodbye to Rex and officially joining the Bad Batch. But not too long after, they were calling Dante up to the Havoc Marauder. Dante was honestly not surprised.

Stepping onto the modified attack shuttle, Dante was directed over to Echo who was laying in one of their bunks at the back of the ship. He had his hand on his stomach, his face scrunched up in pain.

“How are we doing Echo?” Dante asked softly, setting his supplies down on the ground next to the bunk.

“I’ll admit, this is shit.” Echo groaned, “I uh... I might have ended up getting sick again a few hours after you visited the barracks. Since then I haven’t been capable of keeping any kind of food down.”

Dante nodded, reaching into his bag to set up a mobile IV for Echo, “I figured so. Thank you for being honest with me.”

If Echo wasn’t in such intense pain at the moment, he probably would have looked so much more surprised, “Wait. You figured so?”

“Yes. I knew you were lying when you and Rex approached me before the mission. It is precisely why I had required the Bad Batch to join you.” Dante explained softly, setting up a bag of fluids for Echo. He gently pushed Echo to sit up so he could get the IV in his arm.

“Hey, Hunter,” Dante called after he had set Echo up with the fluids and medication through the IV, “We are going to Kamino. Echo is going to be needing surgery.”

After hearing a small roger from the cockpit, Dante felt the ship come to life under him. Dante activated his com device on his vibrance, “Hey AZ. I’m going to Kamino, when you are done here on Anaxis, I am going to need you back. I’m going to need help with a stomach transplant.”

Dante heard confirmation from the droid and ended the transmission. Dante glanced over at Echo who was looking at him with wide owl eyes, “Stomach transplant?”

“Yes, I’m going to replace your stomach with one that will work.” Dante nodded, motioning for Echo to lay back down and rest, “I had already ordered the Kaminoans to clone you a replacement one, figuring that this would happen. Don’t worry. You will probably feel better after than you are now once it’s all done.”

Echo still looked a bit nervous but nodded slowly accepting the situation. Dante got him situated to rest, letting the poor clone try to relax a bit during the travels. He even left Echo with his tablet so he could either read or play the simple games on it that the rest of the Bad Batch had installed onto it without Dante’s permission.

It wasn’t long after that, that Dante found himself being cornered by Crosshair.

“How many hours of sleep have you gotten recently?” Crosshair demanded, he was already reaching to take off Dante’s armor that he had cleaned while they had been away on the mission. Dante paused, trying to think back on the last 48 to 72 hours he had been on Anaxis. The only real sleep he had gained was the power nap that lasted maybe an hour. After that, he’s been constantly working.

Now that Dante had a second to think about it, his body was exhausted. His mind was almost just as exhausted.

“Plenty.” Dante lied to the lanky clone, trying to act like he didn’t need to be chastised. Crosshair frowned, getting a wrinkle on his nose between his eyes. It was a look that screamed, ‘You are bullshitting me.’

Dante grumbled looking away from Crosshair’s sharp eyes, “Maybe like… an hour.”

Satisfied with Dante’s confession, Crosshair moved to take off Dante’s armor, leaving him in his blacks. Dante helped him, not wanting to feel completely helpless. Crosshair was then quick to pick up Dante, practically dropping him in the top bunk that Dante knew Crosshair liked to sleep in the most, considering the small C scratched into the wall near the pillow. Crosshair was quick to follow, getting between the wall and Dante’s body on the tight bunk.

“Wait-” Dante started to protest but Crosshair quickly stopped him, pulling Dante close to him.

“Sleep,” Crosshair grumbled, wrapping his arms tight around Dante’s torso. Dante let out a heavy sigh quickly giving up the fighting knowing that it was futile. Why does he have to have such a big soft spot for these clones? It was going to ruin him.

Dante let this happen for now, silently telling himself that this was the line and there was no crossing. He couldn’t, for the sake of everyone else. He could have a nap right here and then wake up on Kamino and go straight back to work. He could have this small moment to himself and store it away, only to bring it out on quiet nights alone.

He found himself quick to relax, feeling comfortably warm with his face pressed into Crosshair’s chest. The sound of his breathing lulled him into a deep and comfortable sleep. Just this one time, he will let himself have this. Nothing more.

Tag List: @stripeverse @stardusthuntress @fantasyproductions

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