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523rdrebel · 9 months

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Chapter 3 -

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Summary: AU/Canon Divergent - Set after the rescue of Crosshair, Omega, and Tech from Mount Tantis. The Batch settles down on Pabu and are, for the moment, able to hide from the Empire. Crosshair, with much grumbling, is convinced to see one of the local doctors to monitor his recovery. Unfortunately for Crosshair, Dr. Isabella Ramót is a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air - and totally capable of handling his harsh, rough demeanor.

Trigger Warnings - Mention/Allusion to grief and loss. SFW, but mature themes explored. Minors DNI.

Chapter 3:

Hunter observes the scene from afar, his heightened senses zeroing in as his brother’s erratic heart rate slowly begins to calm and regulate alongside Izzy’s steady presence. Well that’s new, he thinks.

“She’s really something special, isn’t she?” Desi, Izzy’s friend, someone Hunter was only tentatively acquainted with, stood a few steps away observing the scene as well.

Hunter chuckles, “My brother is remarkably stubborn. He doesn’t open up easily-” He pauses, reconsidering his words, then sighs, “Izzy seems to have a way with him that I haven’t seen before. Think she’ll teach me?”

“I’m afraid that’s just a part of who she is. Not sure it’s a teachable skill.” Desi laughs, glancing affectionately across the grassy area to where her friend was still sitting.

“You’ve known her for a long time then?”

“Five or six years now. We’ve been together through a lot… After the Empire–” “Well, I’ll just say she’s no stranger to pain and loss.”

“I imagine there aren’t many of us who are anymore.”

A few moments later, Izzy motions for Hunter to assist her getting Crosshair home. It takes some time, in part because of Crosshair’s weakened state and in part because of the surprising height difference between the two of them. Once they arrived at Crosshair’s lodging, a one room flat, with minimal furnishings and a small ‘fresher, they help Crosshair to a plush, if well-used, chair. He tries to hide his wince as he lowers himself down into the seat. Hunter quietly chastises his brother for scaring the kriff out of him and assures him that he’ll assign a watch cycle if he does anything like this again. Crosshair’s only response is to scowl and roll his eyes. Hunter eventually sighs, checking the time on the chrono and saying his goodbyes. He nods his thanks to Izzy before exiting with promises to check in tomorrow.

Crosshair leans back into the chair, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. The sounds of rummaging in his tiny kitchenette draw his attention and he opens his eyes slightly, “What are you doing?”

Bells continues to rummage through his sparse cabinets and refrigeration unit, “Finding something remotely edible, hopefully.”

He was feeling particularly vulnerable after the cliff. She had seen him at his weakest moment, she had sat with him and waited for him to come back, out of the darkness. He could not understand how she seemed so capable of drawing him out of the darkness of his own mind. It irked and irritated, but it also soothed. She burned like a sun - all soothing warmth and burning heat. He was a thunderstorm, rain and wind charged with electricity. “You’ve done enough. Get out.” His voice is gruff and tired, having lost some of its usual bite.

“Tsk- Not a chance.” She smiles, that dangerous brightness, as she places her findings onto the small counter space. “I’m not leaving until you’ve had something acceptable to eat and had enough liquid for your body to process the hydration tablets.” She holds up a small foil packet, gesturing with it as she speaks.

“I’m not a child. I can take care of myself–”

“And on a normal day that would be true. But today, I’m providing you with free room service. Complaints will be noted and promptly ignored.”

“Ugh–You’re worse than Wrecker…”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It wasn’t,” His voice is deadpan.

Bells responds in kind, a small amused smirk on her lips, “I know.”

She makes a simple meal, a brothy soup with some vegetables and a mild meat and brings him some. He glares at her, but the smell makes his stomach rumble and he cannot deny his hunger any longer. “What? You just going watch me eat?” “No,” she looks away, eyes darting here and there around the room before staring down at the floor. “I didn’t figure you’d appreciate it if I wandered around, snooping.”

“Hmph…” He tries to ignore her presence, tries to ignore the warmth she seemed to radiate. He says flatly, “How nice.”

After a time of mostly comfortable silence, Crosshair finishes his meal and an acceptable amount of liquid. Isabella fishes a few items from her pack and quickly checks his vitals. “The next time you get like that…call me, call someone. Just– you don’t have to be alone with it.”

“You shouldn’t say things you don’t mean, Bells.”

“Tsk- You know I do mean it.”

“Stupid.” He snaps. “You don’t know- You don’t understand. You can’t understand.” He tried to cover the pain behind his words with more anger. Anger was simpler, more familiar. “It’s better that I’m alone.”

“You’re right.” Her brows furrow and she shakes her head, “I don’t understand…I don’t fully know what you’ve been through, and I’m not going to ask you– I don’t need to know, and it doesn’t really matter. All I know is that what happened to you was wrong and I want to be here to help you throw up your middle fingers at the Empire– by living.”

He bristles at her words, they were accurate and he didn’t appreciate how easily she seemed to read him, “I’m not your project, Bells.”

“I know. But you are my patient. And I'm still holding out hope that one day we'll be friends.” After a moment, she hands him the packet of hydration tables which he accepts, rolling his eyes.

He scoffs dismissively, “Don’t hold your breath. Or do.”

Her eyes scan the room, landing briefly on an object in the far corner, her brain sparks an idea that could potentially solve two problems- increasing Crosshair’s motivation to improve and keeping him from isolating himself completely. Despite the short time she’s known him, she finds that she knows he’s worth the risk. She glances sidelong at Crosshair, “How about we change up your exercises a bit?”

“...What did you have in mind?” He drew out the syllables, squinting at her with that suspicious glare.

She crosses the room to stand beside the footlocker that had been nestled into the corner gathering dust. She flashes her bright smile and gestures towards it and arches an eyebrow, “Teach me.”

Crosshair's face goes blank, anger flashing in his eyes, "No."

His anger revealed his hand, exposing the queen - Check. Isabella is patient, almost to a fault, but perhaps it is not time for waiting… perhaps now is the time for a push. She simply crosses her arms and lifts her chin up, she locks eyes with him daring him to deny her.

“You’re not laying a finger on my rifle!” He snarls, leveraging himself out of the chair, despite his lingering weakness and exhaustion. His legs shake, but he ignores them and steps menacingly towards her. There is a battle within him, two sides opposing, pushing against each other but neither gaining ground. His fingers itch to hold his rifle again, to feel the confidence and strength, to feel whole again. But there is a gnawing coldness that eats away at him, that he can’t, that he’s no longer capable, no longer worthy.

Bell’s voice breaks through the storm in his mind, a sunshower in a hurricane, “Think about it, Crosshair-- It will be a way to ease you back into it. You’ll get to work up that muscle memory, and as long as you stay on top of your physical therapy, you’ll be back in the shooting range before you know it!” She crosses her arms, an insufferably confident smirk plastered on her face, “And I‘ll have been taught by the best.”

He snorts, feeling his broken pride like a pool of acid in his gut. He grinds the word with his teeth, “No.”

Not one to be easily deterred, and certain of her path to help her patient, she continues, “I’m not unfamiliar with blasters. I know how to handle a standard rifle, but sniper rifles are more specialized and much less accessible–”

“I said No.” He leans forward into her space, glaring down at her and once again struck by her seemingly endless cheer, “You’re not a soldier. You don’t need to learn.” Adding a little more emphasis attempting finality, “No.”

Instead of backing away, She takes a step forward angling her chin upward, eyes softening slightly, “You need something familiar. Something that is a comfort to you– and your skill with a rifle is as close to an identity as you’ve had until now.”

Her gentle glance sears into him and he takes a step backward, he’s losing ground. He shakes his head, “A rifle is not a toy– it’s not a hobby–”

Her voice is lower, taking on a heavier tone, “I know.” Bells’s face flashes with guilt, anger, and fear, then finally fierce determination. “You’ve seen what’s out there. And so have I. I know what happens to places like Pabu– to people like me when the Empire finds them. If they come here, I won’t go down without a fight.”

He watches the emotions playing across her face. Guilt and anger, now those are emotions he knows what to do with. They are as familiar to him as close friends and he feels a tugging pull in his chest, a connection. Before his mind has caught up to him, he's already spoken, a low growled “Fine–”

“Really!?” She’s staring at him with a bright expression- victory.

He panics, once again thrown off balance by his own acquiescence to her. He scrambles for a way out, "I'll do it on one condition."

She rolls her eyes and snarks playfully, "Of course– Can’t make things easy, it might kill you."

"Stop interrupting-” He watches as she mimes locking her lips and lets out an exasperated sigh, “You have to convince me you can handle a blaster. I'm not going to waste my time if you don't know the first thing about them. If you're good enough- I'll teach you."

"Ah, but how do I know you won't just say I'm trash, so you don't have to keep your end of the bargain?"

Crosshair smiled again, it was his turn to push forward, taking ground, “Afraid you're not good enough?" He clicks his tongue, "If you're not up to the challenge–"

"Fine. It's a deal."

Taglist: @anxiouspineapple99 @wings-and-beskar @starrylothcat @secondaryrealm @arctrooper69 @blueink-bluesoul @littlemissmanga @wolffegirlsunite @dystopicjumpsuit @idontgetanysleep @clonemedickix @sunshinesdaydream @followthepurrgil @yubnubhub @freesia-writes

#RebelWrites #Sunflowers & Blasters #Chapter 3 #Crosshair x OC #OC Isabella Ramot #OC Medic #star wars fan fiction #Star Wars TBB #Crosshair #bad batch crosshair #the bad batch #tbb #bad batch hunter #hunter the bad batch #star wars bad batch

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my-morai · 4 days

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#the bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #tbb #fan fiction #clone force 99 #star wars fanfiction #fanfic #star wars #bad batch #original character #hunter x original female character #hunter x oc #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb tech #tbb wrecker

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dangraccoon · 1 year

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Oyuba'din - Chapter 11: Terror

Original Character x The Bad Batch

Summary: Jaine is awakened in the middle of the night to help a squadmate. Hunter has a conversation with her.

Warnings: references to The Clone Wars Season 3, Episode 19 "Counterattack", nightmares/night terrors, overprotective brother,

Author's Note: y'all don't come at me for Hunter in this; he's worried about his brothers and instead of having a rational conversation with the woman his brothers and him are falling in love with, he gets mad [him: >:( ]

Mando'a key: Mesh'la = beautiful

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A light knock woke Jaine from her deep slumber. Rolling over to glance at her chrono, it hadn’t been long since she had gone back to sleep. However if it was duty calling, she needed to answer.

The door slid open to a worried Hunter.

“Hunter?” she asked cautiously. “What’s wrong?”

“Echo,” he breathed. “Another nightmare. It’s bad this time. You’re the only one who can calm him down.”

Jaine nodded as she raced to Echo’s bunk.

Echo was shouting something about fire and last chances, looking around frantically, and if Jaine didn’t know better, she might have believed his violent trembling to be a seizure. Crosshair sat next to a very sleepy-looking Tech, both with concern plastered across their expressions. Wrecker sat on the edge of his brother’s bunk, shaking his shoulders slightly.

“It’s okay, Echo,” he tried to say soothingly. “Just a dream.”

Echo began thrashing, smacking Wrecker across the face with his scomp, who then recoiled a little.

“Stop touching him,” Jaine ordered as she came to Echo’s side. Wrecker backed off, allowing her access to the increasingly violent episode Echo was experiencing.

The human-like part of her longed to comfort him, place his head on her lap and lull him back to sleep, but her medic training always overruled her heart.

“Echo, it’s okay, sweetheart,” she spoke softly. “I know that it’s scary, but it’s all going to be okay. I’m here with you, alright? I’m not going anywhere and we’re going to be fine.”

She kept spewing her comforting words, eventually transitioning to a lullaby her father used to sing to her. It seemed to be working, Echo was no longer thrashing violently, and only trembling. He wasn’t screaming anymore, which was a great relief to Hunter, who watched the medic with an awestruck expression.

Just as Jaine was finishing her song, Echo’s eyes fluttered shut and stayed shut. The rest of the crew let out a relieved breath.

“Has it ever been this bad?” Jaine asked, looking among the four other clones.

“He’s had nightmares, and pretty often,” Hunter explained. “But never like this.”

Jaine nodded sadly. “I’ll have to talk with him in the morning. For now, we should all try and get some rest.”

Everyone else moved to resume their places in bed, Crosshair pushing Tech - who between Jaine’s tea and melody, was nearly unconscious on his brother’s shoulder - onto his bunk. Hunter watched as Jaine made no motion to move, simply tucking Echo back under his blanket.

“You should get some rest, too,” he whispered as Wrecker’s snores started up.

“Thanks, Hunter, for coming to get me,” she said, ignoring his suggestion.

His brows knit together, but ultimately decided to let it go, falling asleep to the rhythms of five heartbeats instead of the usual four.

Jaine listened carefully to Hunter, hoping to be able to tell when he fell asleep. Once she was fairly sure he had, she sighed.

Echo seemed to be sleeping soundly now, but Jaine wasn’t sure it was restful. She isn’t sure how long she sits there, watching over him diligently. Minutes, maybe a few hours pass, and Echo stirs a little.

“Runi?” he murmured. “Come back to bed, mesh’la.” Echo opened his arms, patting the bed next to him as he moved to make room for her.

“Echo,” she started.

“C’mon,” he practically begged.

Jaine sighed a little before laying down facing Echo. He hummed contently, wrapping his arm over her side.

“Love you, Runi,” he whispered, kissing her forehead softly.

Natural light was filtering through from the cockpit’s viewport, marking the arrival of a new day. Jaine’s eyes fluttered open, vaguely startled by the presence of Echo in her bed. Wait, this place smelled significantly more akin to that of the boys’ bunks, not her clean and tidy medbay.

The night terror, she remembered.

Echo’s eyes didn’t open, even as she shifted a little. Metal met flesh as their legs were tangled together under the blanket.

“Echo?” she murmured. No response. She sighed.

She started trying to free herself from Echo’s tender grasp, but he only shifted a little and tightened his grip around her waist.

“Hunter?” she whispered, praying that he was awake and his sensitive ears could pick up her pleas. “Hunter, I could use some help.”

“Heh. Tough luck,” he chuckled from behind her. “Never seen him sleep this well.”

“Hunter, this isn’t funny,” she glared over her shoulder.

“Seems pretty funny to me.” Hunter began to walk away, making his way through the ship.

“Get back here and help untangle me from your brother or so help me gods-” she began to threaten, but she was cut off by Echo’s shifting.

“Morning, mesh’la,” he hummed, a smile spreading across his face, but his eyes not opening.

“Echo,” she said, and the smile began to disappear. His eyes squinted open and he nearly jumped out of his skin, sending Jaine tumbling to the floor.

“Jaine- kriff, are you okay?”

“Probably a little bruised, but none the worse for wear,” she winced as she shifted her leg a little.

“What…happened?” Echo asked, carefully reading her expression.

“You had a night terror last night. A bad one; scared the boys. Hunter came and got me. I was trying to keep an eye over you for the rest of the night, but then you asked me to cuddle with you an-”

“I what?” he asked, shaking his head a little.

Jaine shifted uncomfortably as she moved to sit on the edge of his bunk once more.

“I’m sorry, Echo, you were insistent. I think…I think you thought I was someone else.”

Echo blinked a few times before his eyes went wide with realization. “Oh, maker. Jaine, I- I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Echo,” she said, resting her hand on his arm. “Who’s Runi?”

Echo’s eyes shut tightly. He was on the verge of tears, but he didn’t want Jaine to deal with him like that. She’d already put up with him enough.

“She was a…a friend,” he breathed, a gentle blush blooming up from his chest, and painting his cheeks a little darker than they typically were.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about this. I’d love to hear more about her, but only if you want to tell me,” Jaine assured him, squeezing light pressure on his arm.

He nodded simply, willing the memories back to where he’d kept them hidden all this time.

“I’m going to go get a cup of caf, would you like some?”

He nodded again, and Jaine slowly left the bunk, hearing his drawn out sigh as she walked away.

Jaine sat at the galley table, quietly sipping from her mug.

Echo, across from her, and Tech, next to her weren’t especially chatty either.

Hunter, having just gone back to wake Crosshair and Wrecker, walked into the silent room, eyeing the three of them suspiciously.

“You all alright?” he muttered.

Tech and Echo both affirmed much more quickly than she would have suspected, but Jaine stayed quiet, only raising her brows.

“Jaine? A word?” Hunter said, tilting his head towards the cockpit.

She followed behind him, shooting concerned glances at Echo and Tech, who didn’t look up.

The door slid closed as Hunter stood in front of it. She looked up at him from the co-pilot’s seat. He looked irritated, probably more so than she had seen him recently.

“Hunter, are you having one of your migraines again? I can go get-”

“That’s not important,” he interjected, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I want to know why you’ve got three of my men wrapped around your finger.”

Jaine blinked at him in disbelief, rising from the seat. “Why I’ve got-” she scoffed. “Hunter, what are you talking about?”

“First Crosshair, now you’ve got Tech and Echo’s hearts pounding just sitting there? Is Wrecker next?”

“Please, Hunter, I don’t under-”

“You don’t understand?” he sneered. “Aren’t you supposed to be a medic? You don’t know love sickness when you see it?”

Jaine scowled at him. “I don’t know what you think is going on but I never-”

“What about Tech last night, hm? I’ve known him all my life and I’ve never seen him sleep more than an hour or two at a time. Last night he came out of your door and slept the whole night through.”

“He came to me. I gave him some tea to help him sleep,” she bristled. “I wasn’t aware you required medical reports now.”

Hunter chuckled mirthlessly, looking away from her. “You’re not going to be here forever. You’re going to get every one of them hanging on every word and then when you leave you’ll take their hearts with you. What am I supposed to do with them then?”

Jaine recoiled. “I have no control over the feelings of others. I am here to serve with all of you, as your medic and your friend. If you want me gone, fine. Drop me off at the next base if you truly think so little of me,” she spat, brushing past him and out of the cockpit.

She ignored the knock at the medbay door, focusing on restocking the cabinets.

“Jaine,” Echo’s voice called from the door. “Please, at least let one of us in.”

She took a deep breath. Willing herself to continue ignoring him.

“Open the door, Vale, or I’ll have Wrecker dislocate my other shoulder,” Crosshair threatened.

She sighed. Jango Fett must be one stubborn son of a bitch, she cursed to herself as she stepped to the door, sliding it open.

“You can come in just- I’m trying to work, so just sit quietly or something.”

Echo remained standing, while Crosshair leaned against the exam table, watching her as she went back to stocking the shelves.

“Yeah, you look really busy,” Crosshair smirked.

Jaine answered without turning around. “Strike one.”

She went about her tasks, stocking, checking expiration dates, inputting the inventory into her data pad. It was obvious to everyone that she was upset, she opened and closed the cabinets harshly and smacked the side of her data pad when it wouldn’t load.

“Jaine,” Echo ventured cautiously. “Are you okay?”

“Strike two, Echo.”

“Kriff, woman, can’t you see we just want to see if you’re okay?” Crosshair protested, his voice surprisingly soft.

Tears of frustration were threatening to spill over her eyes. She couldn’t let them deal with that right now.

“Three strikes,” she announced, pointing to the door. “Out, both of you.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Echo assured her. She could practically hear the concerned expression on his face.

“Fine, then I am,” she huffed, taking her data pad and swiftly leaving the room, ignoring the protests from Echo and string of frustrated curse words from Crosshair. She made her way to the cockpit where she was unsurprised to find Tech, fiddling with some kind of machinery.

“I swear to the gods that I will sit here quietly if you do the same,” she basically begged.

Tech stared at her, wide eyed, but simply nodded. Instead of taking the co-pilot's chair, she opted for sitting on the floor, her back against the wall.

A moment later she heard footsteps approaching, stopping before reaching the door.

“Tech,” Crosshair grunted. “Have you seen Jaine?”

Tech turned his head, as though to look over his shoulder at his brother, but caught Jaine’s eye instead. She frantically shook her head.

“I have not. I am sure she is around somewhere,” he replied. “It would be rather difficult to leave the ship as we are currently traveling through hyperspace.”

She heard Crosshair sigh, but ultimately leave.

“Thank you,” she whispered to Tech, who nodded.

“You do not need to thank me,” he said. “I understand the value of having time to oneself.”

“I’m not intruding, am I?” she worried.

Tech seemed to consider this for a moment. “While I was enjoying working in solitude, it does not impact me enough for you to also be here.”

Jaine couldn’t figure out why, but his words stung her a little.

“If you do not mind my asking, what is it you are working on?” he asked a moment later.

“Oh, I’m just getting in contact with an old friend,” she admitted, leaving out the details that could clue him into her earlier conversation with Hunter. “He’s going to help me the next time we stop at one of the GAR bases.”

“Is a base necessary for what you require assistance with? Perhaps I can be of help,” he said, setting down his device.

“Thank you, Tech,” she smiled sadly. “It’s not really a portable problem.”

“I see,” he noted, was that a hint of disappointment in his voice? “If you are in need of assistance I can provide, do let me know.”

Thankful for his general lack of eye contact, she let a few tears fall.

“I think I’m going to go rest up in the medbay for a little while,” she told him, hoping that her emotions weren’t coming through in her voice.

“That is likely a good idea,” Tech agreed. “We should be arriving at Coruscant in about two days.”

Thanks for reading! - Dang

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ladykagewaki · 1 year

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A short one-shot story about “Our favorite clones of Clone Force 99 enter their golden years.”

If you are sad about a particular season 2 finale, this is how I had always seen the end of their story.

I’ve updated and cleaned this up a bit. I was so sad when I originally posted that I wasn’t so clear headed. This is a bit better...but I am kinda lazy with my writing.

#tbb #bad batch #the bad batch #clone force 99 #bad batch fan fiction #tbbTech #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #tbb omega #tbb hunter #hunter x oc

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lightwise · 8 months

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Hey there, friend 🌻 You can call me Light or Lightwise ✨ This is my little corner of Tumblr mostly dedicated to Star Wars (especially the Bad Batch, clone boys, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan). I am a photographer and writer in my early thirties who spent her childhood telling stories to herself while riding her bike in circles around her driveway. Little did I know at the time that would be considered fan fiction and that however many years later I would find myself nerding out in the Star Wars fandom and loving every second of it ✨

I write a lot of in-depth analyses and musings, which are tagged with #somelightramblings | #some light ramblings (for a touch of irony, because they are usually anything but light or short :D).

My image edits are tagged with #somelightedits | #some light edits

My fics/writings are tagged with #lightwisewrites | #lightwise writes

I currently do not take fic requests but you can find my writing (a mix of one-shots and long-form WIPs) on here as well as on AO3.

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated 🤗 and feel free to use my edits for headers or PFPs with credit!

This blog contains both SFW and NSFW content, so minors DNI, 18+ only please and thank you 👀

moon dividers by @djarrex 🩷

Btw, I talk mainly about Star Wars with an emphasis on my favorite Bad Batch Boys, but I love many other fandoms/shows/books as well and welcome any conversations/sliding into my DMs to discuss them or other random (SFW) topics!

Key: 🤔 = long analysis 📷 = image edits (alone or within analysis posts) 🫣 = Potentially disturbing or triggering content (mental health, implied violence or dying, etc.) 🔥 = NSFW/spicy content

My Fics

Plan 99 - Short one-shot fic from Tech's perspective. I wanted to show the thoughts that must have been running through his mind as he fell. The love he has for his family. The peace he has in his decision. (from the season finale of TBB season 2)

Tumblr link | AO3 link

Coming soon: Compass and the North Star (long-form fill in the gaps of TBB season 2, focused on Rex and Echo's efforts to free their clone brothers).

Be There - I had to fill in a couple of moments that we didn’t get in S3 E4 - A Different Approach. Hunter and Crosshair's perspectives on trying to find/escaping with Omega and their impending reunion.

Collaborations:

🔥 Sharp Edges - (with @spicy-clones) (ALL of the spiciness, minors do NOT read!)

Tumblr link | AO3 link

Coming soon: Pabu Wedding (with @drafthorsemath)

Inspired by other fics:

The Adventures of Gonky the Cat - Slight spoiler, Gonky is a cat in the modern AU fic Roasted, Brewed, & Served with Attitude (see description below), and I decided to write his backstory/fill in some of his adventures. This is a WIP, currently there are no spoilers in it, but eventually there will be some chapters that give spoilers for later in the story (and will be noted as such).

Gemini Eyes - This one shot fits in as a chapter in between chapters 85 and 87 of Roasted, Brewed, & Served with Attitude (see description below). DO NOT read it unless you have made it that far in Mel's work, otherwise you will have pretty significant spoilers. I had a lot of fun working with Mel's versions of each character, and it's always a joy to write Tech's thought processes and mannerisms.

Fic Recs

Roasted, Brewed, & Served with Attitude - by MelMorganne99 over on AO3. It's a clever, emotional, modern AU with Crosshair x OC (and one of the best OC characters I've ever read). This fic helped me understand and appreciate the nuances of Crosshair's personality and emotional journey, and has given me endless writing inspiration. And the author is one of the kindest, most engaging people I've ever met online. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and read it. There are 99 chapters but they're on the short side and full of snarky humor and sometimes surprising cameos. This is a full blown fix it fic too, although not always in the ways you might expect!

The Vacation - by @staycalmandhugaclone is one of the best Crosshair fics (and smut fics in general) I've ever read. The writing style haunts me and both Crosshair and the OC are beautifully characterized.

More will be tagged soon!

Show/Character Analyses & Edits

The Bad Batch

🤔 Know Your Showrunners

🤔 + 📷 Phee and the Bad Batch

🤔 + 📷 Why Mayday is a Mirror of Rex (How Crosshair Predicted His Own Redemption Arc) + an excellent comment addition.

🤔 + 📷 There is Something to be Said for Freedom (Crosshair in The Tipping Point)

🤔 + 📷 Fennec season 3 TBB Predictions

🤔 They Don't Know

🤔 + 📷 Project Necromancer

🤔 + 📷 Tech and Crosshair Parallels

📷 Hunter and Wrecker

📷 Omega Smiling at Crosshair

📷 Separate / Together

🤔 Thoughts on Crosshair's Hand Tremor

🤔 + 📷 Crosshair's Choice

🤔 There is No "We"

🤔 Crosshair Sighs

📷 Recognition

🤔 + 📷 Omega Is Not Okay

📷 Get Up Here

📷 Return to The Outpost - Images Part 1 | Part 2

🤔 + 📷 Full Circle - The Return to The Outpost

📷 Crosshair Portraits

Star Wars (general)

📷 Huyang and Tech

🤔 The Force - Part 1 and Part 2

🤔 + 📷 Project Necromancer

Ahsoka

📷 Life and Death (Ahsoka series ep 5 + Tales of the Jedi ep 1)

📷 They Reflect Each Other (Ahsoka and Anakin as master and padawan, Ahsoka series ep 5)

🫣 + 🤔 Ahsoka’s Choice (Ahsoka series ep 5)

🤔 The Face of War (Ahsoka series ep 5)

📷 Red and Blue (Ahsoka series ep 5)

📷 Anakin’s Clone Wars Robes (Ahsoka series ep 5)

Ahsoka’s Direction (Ahsoka series ep 5)

Mandalorian

The Protector (Satine, Bo, & Din as rulers of Mandalore) + excellent comment additions

Episode Reactions

Ahsoka Series: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4

The Bad Batch (Season 3): Episodes 1-3 | Episode 4 | Episode 6 | Episode 7

Headcanons

Hardcase

Wolffe

Crosshair

Tech

Cody

Jesse and Hunter

Random Musings

Psychometry (Ahsoka)

Hunter and Obi-Wan: Similarities

About Me/Tag Games

15 Questions

TBB Asks Game 1

TBB Asks Game 2

TBB Asks Game 3

TBB Asks Game 4

#lightwisemasterlist #lightwise masterlist #masterlist #my fics #fan fiction #headcanons #long analyses #analysis #somelightramblings #some light ramblings #some light edits #somelightedits #lightwise writes #lightwisewrites

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wild-karrde · 3 years

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WIP

Thanks for the tag @teletraan-meets-jarvis!

Rules: Share the titles of each of your current WIPs and if your followers ask, share a preview of the one that sounds the most interesting. Send this on to ten mutuals who you are curious what they’re working on.

Alright, here we gooooooooo:

Shorts/One Shots:

Meilooruns - Fennec Shand x OC (Versa Horne)

Multi-Chapter Fics:

The Quarry - Din Djarin x OC (Versa Horne) (Master List)

Guarded - The Bad Batch & OC (ships still TBD, but we know they're coming because I'm a sucker for a good slow burn romance)

TBD Title - Padme Amidala survives AU

TBD Title - In Command Sequel (potential retcon to In Command because I loved writing Rex and Senna) - Captain Rex x OC (Senna Aven)

I don't have enough mutuals that write fics (aside from the lovely human that tagged me), so if I missed you, please feel free to tag yourself in!!!

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skellymom · 2 months

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"Vagabonds" Chapter 11

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ

To read Chapter 10:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/743633412345282560/vagabonds-chapter-10?source=share

Word Count: 1.4K

Background: Echo, Tech, and Wrecker help the crew of the Beldame. Will Hunter have regrets? Two flashback sequences.

Warning: Star Wars swears, Earth swears, fear, physical pain, fainting, blood, hypothermia, dog bites human, human bites human, human takes knee to balls, human takes fist to nose, canon-typical violence, medical trauma.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

Recap: Echo broke the silence, “DEFINITELY BSC! The message keeps repeating. Don’t know what the other part is...”

Tech interrupted excitedly. “Notes on the musical scale!”

Tech repeated the Basic Alphabet that corresponded with the notes to Echo.

“With the Basic Standard Code...” Echo started the sentence...

...and Tech finished it, “They’re coordinates!”

They both spun their seats around and immediately engaged the Marauder.

Wrecker stopped humming and tapping. “YOU’RE WELCOME!”

"In The Depths Of Darkness"

It took some doing, Echo and Tech finally found the Beldame floating aimlessly out in space.

The hulking ship was dark.

“Are they...?” Wrecker was even afraid to finish his sentence.

“I certainly hope NOT.” Tech was EVEN MORE worried now.

Wrecker replied. “But...What HAPPENED??? Where’s the Venator???”

“I cannot answer that question. It... seemed to have...vanished.” Tech was baffled.

“We can dock topside on the Beldame.” Echo pointed to the top hatch. “Allow access while keeping an oxygenated seal between the two ships. Then haul the crew up into the Marauder...whatever their status is.” Echo’s large amber eyes tried to hide his deep concern.

“We should wear our helmets with oxygen gear, and each carry a light source. I am unsure how long it’s been since their power failed” Tech added.

“I'm on it!” Wrecker started gathering equipment.

Tech and Echo landed the Marauder on the Beldame’s back and secured the seal between the ships.

When they were finally able to open the hatch and enter, the scene surprised them.

The whole interior of the ‘Dame was covered in a very thin sheen of frost. Wrecker, Tech, and Echo could see their breath with each exhale...when their flashlights caught it. Otherwise, the cabin was completely DARK.

To add difficulty: everything not tied down was floating around the interior of the ship. The gravity had failed as well. Luckily the crew of the ‘Dame was tied together for warmth and moored to one of the bunks.

Wrecker floated in first and clamped a heat lamp to the interior of the ship and aimed it at the crew. Echo, then Tech slid in.

Muffled barking commenced, and Tiggy excitedly scrambled out from the mass of bodies. She doggy paddled in zero G towards Tech still barking.

Tech floated over, embracing her, then tucked the pup into a pocket on his utility belt. He immediately started to scan the crew for vitals.

“They are ALL alive, however, severely hypothermic. Wrecker, help me get them immediately to the Marauder!” Tech started to untie the binds to grab the first crew mate to take to the Marauder. Wrecker followed suit.

Echo assessed the interior of the ship, pushing floating objects out of Tech’s and Wrecker’s path. He brought his hand back and found it slick with spots of fresh blood.

“SOMEONE is actively bleeding!”

Wrecker grabbed Hunter and...” Love has dried blood all over their face! What IS GOING ON???” He started to pull them with him out of the group.

Tech immediately spotted the source. “It’s not Love’s blood. Mad is hemorrhaging!” He noticed the area around the top of her inner thighs soaked through considerably. She was horribly pale.

Tech grabbed Mad and sailed back through the opening towards the Marauder. Tiggy whimpered concerningly. Wrecker followed with Hunter and Love in tow.

Echo grabbed hold of Sil, who even though passed out, was still tightly hugging Omega and brought them back to the Marauder.

Cold black space remaining...black...darkness...

Mad... treading through darkness...

...voices echoing...touches brushing against her skin...

...stabbing her arm...under the skin...searching for a vessel...

Didn’t she escape this once before? A long, long time ago? How was she here again?

Mad screamed and darkness filled her mouth, threatening to choke her into silence.

Wires and medical lines flowed and coiled around her like seaweed, brushing her skin, threatening to tangle Mad’s limbs.

Up above...a tiny light penetrating the darkness...she swam furiously towards it. As she ascended the light grew larger, the voices louder...but the quality was distorted.

Something from the deep blackness gripped her leg.

Elongated white arms, hands with long fingers...like the bloodless corpses of snakes...

Milky eyes peering up from the dark depths...whispering...where are you going, experimental subject number...

She fought and kicked, gasping for air, swallowing some of the darkness...retching...

...then kicked harder breaking free. Treading water like her life depended on it. Floating up...up...up...

...breaking the surface, her retch turned into a terrified scream.

Awakened from one nightmare into another. Mad, bolted upright from a bunk in a foreign environment. Cold steel and lighted mechanical panels surrounded her, no longer in the warm, comfortable environment of her own ship...

...there was a mechanical scomp in her face.

Echo, assisting Tech to place an IV catheter was the victim of bad timing. Poor Echo NEVER saw it coming. Mad powerfully kicked out, catching him full in the chest. He sailed back and slammed into the wall. Tech, concerned with Mad tearing out her catheter, grabbed her arm. Mad sucker punched him in the face while screaming hysterically. Poor Tech never saw that coming. He fell to the floor holding his nose.

Mad ripped out the catheter and sprang from the bunk.

Echo ALMOST recovered...but Tiggy intervened. The puppy, suddenly driven by her owner’s behavior viciously attacked him. He managed to stave her off with his scomp. But she kept coming for him, snapping and growling.

“WHAT THE FUCK???” Echo yelled out.

Hunter DID sense this coming. The second Mad awoke, he did too. He bolted from the front of the Marauder to the back.

Mad didn’t get very far, as he grabbed and held her fast. Both arms pinned to her sides in a secure bear hug. She screamed obscenities and growled at him. Clearly, she didn’t recognize Hunter at that moment.

“Mad... ” She was clearly delirious. "We're not going to hurt you!"

Struggling did no good against Hunter’s strength. Mad kneed him hard in the crotch. Hunter gasped and went down on both knees but didn’t let go.

Mad screamed like a banshee. Her anger rising.

In the next room Sil had a full-blown panic attack. Omega held his hand, trying to talk him through it.

Wrecker ran in and grabbed up Tiggy. The pup acted as if she didn’t recognize him at all. She bared her teeth and actively tried to attack him too. Wrecker tossed her from hand to hand like a hot potato to avoid being viciously bitten.

Mad’s anger hit her limit. She slammed her face down into the crook of Hunter’s neck and sunk her teeth deeply into the flesh...

...at the same time Tiggy bit Wrecker.

Both men simultaneously cried out from the pain.

Hunter released one hand from Mad, attempting to get her teeth out of him. Her free hand scratched at his face viciously.

Tiggy slashed Wrecker with her nails.

STOP! Love placed both hands on Mad’s head. She immediately went limp, released her bite, eyes rolling back in her head...

...as Tiggy immediately went limp and did the same.

Tech got up from the floor, nose bleeding. “I...managed to record EVERYTHING!”

“Fantastic! Could’ve used some help there.” Echo full of adrenaline. “Good thing the kid knocked her out.” Nodding to Love.

Echo and Tech grabbed Mad and put her back up on the bunk, then resumed replacing her IV catheter.

Wrecker sat Tiggy on the bunk and offered his good hand to Hunter.

Hunter shook his head and groaned, cupping his injured manhood, actively bleeding from his shoulder and face.

Wrecker understood completely. “I’ll get the bacta patches.”

Down...down...in darkness again....

...Mad drifted down landing on her back...A heaviness on her abdomen...

...nightfall on Dathomir. The stars shining above, heat of a bonfire, surrounded by Night Sisters.

They tended to Mad’s every need during labor. Empathetic, sweet, and powerful women helping to usher a new life into the world.

Mother Talzin present and chanting over the fire. Mad’s breaths corresponding with Mother’s chants and the contractions of her uterus. Night Sisters breathing in unison as well. Wiping the sweat from her brow and tending to her labor pains.

It was the least the Sisterhood of Dathomir could do. Mother Talzin’s son refused to be present for the birth of his own child. Leaving the planet to live his own separate life as he pleased. Talzin did her due diligence to be present for her grandbaby’s arrival.

Mad was sorrowful, as the Nomaadi Community attempted to contact Mad on Dathomir to also attend to baby’s birth. Mad eventually discovered she was purposely being kept isolated from her own family.

Two ships: the Dread Beldame and the Vardo covertly hovered out of sight in the sky, ready to take Mad and her child away at a moment’s notice. Mad’s clone sister “SHE” rallied the few Nomaadi warriors who were able to help.

Mother Talzin was none the wiser of this.

Several Night Sisters understood and respected Mad’s choice. And, disagreed with Mother Talzin’s methods. They helped plot secretly to assist with the intervention...some planning to leave with the Nomaadi as well.

...because Mad knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Mother Talzin was only playing at being accommodating. Mad could see the omen of celestial bodies in the sky above her. A baby born under these conditions signaled to Mother Talzin this child would have some sort of significance. She would keep the baby and NEVER let Mad’s child leave this planet.

And she would NEVER let Mad leave alive, either.

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

To read Chapter 12

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/747902380483526656/vagabonds-chapter-12?source=share

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skellymom · 8 months

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Skellymom's Master List

"There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but no societies that did not tell stories." - Ursula Le Guin

"Vagabonds"

Ongoing OC x Hunter/Bad Batch Fanfic Series:

Introduction: "Chaos On Coruscant"

+ Chapter 1: "Weight of the Galaxy" (posted 8/14/2023/reposted 1/24)

"Vagabonds" #2: "Spotchka Under The Stars" (posted 9/12/2023) Not SFW/SMUT

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/728315714878980096/background-hunter-and-mad-bond-make-love-and?source=share

"Vagabonds" #3: "Co-Conspirators" (posted 9/21/2023) Not SFW/SMUT

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/729052697841582080/hunter-x-ocfem-reader-ongoing-series?source=share

"Vagabonds" #4: "Meet The Fam" (posted 10/5/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/730320896366149632/vagabonds-chapter-4?source=share

"Vagabonds" #5: "Secrets" (posted 11/8/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/733456994638462976/vagabonds-chapter-5?source=share

"Vagabonds" #6: "Job Gone Wrong" (posted 11/12/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/733835736590303232/vagabonds-chapter-6?source=share

"Vagabonds" #7: "Escape From Ord Mantell - Part 1" (posted 11/19/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/734468366280065024/vagabonds-chapter-7?source=share

"Vagabonds" #8: "Escape From Ord Mantell - Part 2" (posted 11/28/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/735297232933453824/vagabonds-chapter-8?source=share

"Vagabonds" #9: "In The Beginning" (posted 2/8/2024) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/741739026615353344/vagabonds-chapter-9?source=share

"Vagabonds" #10: "Stranded" (posted 2/29/2024) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/743633412345282560/vagabonds-chapter-10?source=share

"Vagabonds" #11: "In The Depths Of Darkness" (posted 3/14/2024) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/744912201871245312/vagabonds-chapter-11?source=share

"Vagabonds" #12 "Love's Arrival" (posted 4/16/24) NSFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/747902380483526656/vagabonds-chapter-12?source=share

*Bonus-Possible "Vagabonds" Future Excerpt + Space Doggo Eulogy (posted 2/08/24) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/741637846936567808/possible-vagabonds-fan-fic-future-excerpt?source=share

CLONE FORCE 99/THE BAD BATCH GROUP FICS

"SILENT BUT DEADLY" #1 in "ONE SHIT" Series (posted 1/1/24) FART HUMOR

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/739302379984388096/silent-but-deadly?source=share

"BOMBS AWAY" #2 in "ONE SHIT" Series (posted 1/22/24) FART/POOP HUMOR

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/740278235151106049/fionajames-talesfrommedinastation-n0vqni?source=share

"WHO DELT IT" #3 in "ONE SHIT" Series (posted 1/10/24) FART HUMOR

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/739120829947871232/who-delt-it?source=share

"REDNECK DOUG'S BATCHER FAMILY BBQ" (posted 9/5/23) Unhinged Family Drama/COMEDY/Not SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/727626634459529216/redneck-dougs-bad-batch-one-shot-background-bad?source=share

"SLIDE" (posted 7/31/23) Jedi Groundhog Day/DRAMA/SFW

https://skellymom.tumblr.com/post/724408414952914944/slide

*NSFW* "BALLROOM BLITZ" (Posted 4/13/24)

The Bad Batch Fan Fic Clone Fic Gift Exchange FULL STORY

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/747672258377580544/ballroom-blitz?source=share

"HIGH TIMES" (posted 5/15/24) Medicinal Candy Mix-Up SILLY/NSFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/750529350552731648/high-times?source=share

Song Tribute To The Clones (posted 4/25/24)

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/748705639648378880/a-tribute-to-the-clones?source=share

Clone Force 99/Bad Batch Mini Series Fic:

Chapter 1-"The Tale of the Dathomir Witch"

ONE witch attempts to save the galaxy (Posted 10/16/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/731338076301000704/the-tale-of-the-dathomir-witch?source=share

"The Tale of the Dathomir Witch"-Chapter 2 (posted 10/17/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/731405312676003840/the-bad-batch-mini-series-halloween-fan-fic?source=share

"The Tale of the Dathomir Witch"-Chapter 3 (posted 10/31/2023) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/732696093237870592/the-bad-batch-mini-series-halloween-fan-fic?source=share

"The Tale of the Dathomir Witch"-Chapter 4 (FINALE - posted 10/31/2023) Some violence/check tags

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/732696079947251712/posted-103123?source=share

CROSSHAIR FICS

"Bring Me To My Knees" PART 1 (posted 3/7/24) SMUT++ Not SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/744267915687264256/bring-me-to-my-knees-part-1?source=share

"Bring Me To My Knees" PART 2 (posted 3/7/24) SMUT++ Not SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/744276448825769984/bring-me-to-my-knees-part-2?source=share

"CUP OF CAF" (posted 12/4/23) Crosshairs sweet redemption arc/SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/735755898541277184/a-cup-of-caf-the-bad-batch-crosshair-one?source=share

"RETURN TO PABU" PART 1 (posted 1/24/24) Companion to "Cup of Caf"/SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/740375615328354305/return-to-pabu-part-1?source=share

"RETURN TO PABU" PART 2 (posted 1/24/24) Companion to "Cup of Caf"/SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/740838054339723264/return-to-pabu-part-2?source=share

HUNTER FICS

"Unfortunate Turn Of Events (posted 3/21/24) SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/745530843675639808/unfortunate-turn-of-events?source=share

"I'm Your Man" (posted 2/29/24) SMUT++

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/743658453597323264/im-your-man?source=share

"Hunt And Peck" (posted 2/28/24) COMEDY SMUT

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/743551116443336704/hunt-and-peck?source=share

"Sunset Over Pabu" (posted 2/12/24) ANGST/SADNESS/SFW

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/742174639837593600/please-like-comment-andor-reblog?source=share

Original OC Art:

OC pencil sketch art:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/728780195668131840/pencil-sketch-of-my-oc-maadienne-mad-momma-dax?source=share

OC inked art:

PLEASE send me some love too! I created this listing to not just help people find creatives, but to PROMOTE MY OWN Tumblr account. It's called networking, baby! <3

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

93 notes · View notes

skellymom · 29 days

Text

"Vagabonds" Chapter 12

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

(Pinterest credit: Maulia)

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ

To read Chapter 11:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/744912201871245312/vagabonds-chapter-11?source=share

Word Count: 1.3K

Background: Flashback sequence: Love is born. Who was her father? Hunter having relationship regrets, dark and broody angst. He's got a very small part at the end of this chapter. But I PROMISE to have much more Hunter content in Chapter 13! To help with any confusion: Mad's Clone trans sister (non bio) is named "SHE" (mentioned in Chapter #9 "In The Beginning") and her name is capitalized to prevent any confusion of what character is being spoken of.

Warning: Swearing, fear, physical pain, fainting, blood, breast milk, natural childbirth,Star Wars Canon violence, discussion of Love's genderfluidity.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

Recap:

And she would NEVER let Mad leave alive, either.

"Love's Arrival"

Mad sweating, bore down and pushed.

The baby slid out covered in a caul...silent and unmoving.

A Nightsister handed the baby to Mother Talzin.

“My child...are THEY alive?”

Mother Talzin ignored Mad’s pleas, removing the caul from the baby’s head, dropping it to the ground matter-of-factly. She passively scrutinized the new life in her hands.

“Answer me PLEASE! Are they ALIVE???” Mad was frantic, struggling to hold her composure.

One sister tied the umbilical cord, then Mother Talzin cut it with a sharpened Kyber crystal kife...glowing red.

“Your female child is alive and breathing.” Mother didn’t even bother to look at Mad. “But uncharacteristically quiet for a newborn. She hasn’t even opened her eyes yet.” Mother Talzin traced the vaguely heart shaped red pigmentation around the baby’s eye.

“THEY!” Mad spit out. “The baby is FLUID!!!”

“Oh...and WHO told you THAT?” Mother condescended.

Mad had enough of this woman’s shit. “MY child...in the WOMB! We have a BOND.”

She struggled to sit up, grabbing hold of Mother Talzin’s skirts and yanked HARD.

“GIVE ME MY CHILD!!!” Mad growled gutturally through her teeth.

Mother Talzin’s head snapped around angrily “I am standing in as proxy for MY SON. The child will stay with me until my son is ready for HIS PADAWAN.”

“Maul can kiss my ass! He doesn’t care about HIS child!!!” Mad shot back.

“We shall see when THEY fully manifest their Force powers.”

“At least you FINALLY got the pronouns right this time...BITCH!”

Mother Talzin yanked her skirts out of Mad’s grasp disgustedly. The Nightsisters around her eyed each other nervously. Then one gasped loudly and pointed towards the baby. Mother turned her attention back to the newborn.

The baby’s bright amber eyes bore a hole through Mother Talzin. She could feel it probing her consciousness. Attempting to communicate. No words, of course but...images, feelings, something deeper...

The Vardo and Beldame streaked past the group at low altitude. The ships engaged their sound alarm systems, imitating angry beasts screaming above the people below. Their attempt to intimidate and catch the Nightsisters off guard. Many of them scattered for cover. Several stayed put with Mad.

Mother Talzin stood tall still staring with interest at the baby. The baby stared unflinchingly back at Mother Talzin. The horrifying sound from the approaching ships did not affect either of them.

The ships returned for another pass, flying even lower. Then again, and again...purposely toying with their newfound enemies.

When they had enough of the Nightsisters dispersed for cover, the Vardo quickly landed and dropped a group of Nomaadi mercenaries. Men and women clad in mismatched armor, their helmets in the shapes of angry snarling predatory biomechanical animals, fitted for night and thermal vision. Large blaster weapons trained upon Mother Talzin and in cover formation to ward off rear attack.

The Beldame continued to pass over the sky above them, shrieking like an angry beast. Then circling like a hungry shark. The ship’s weapons ready to blast ANYONE who dared come out from cover to intervene.

Mother Talzin and baby kept each other’s gaze.

The Nightsisters who planned to defect from Dathomir helped Mad up from the ground.

“Give me my child. I won’t ask again!”

Mother Talzin calmly reached into the pocket of her skirts. The Nomaadi braced themselves. Several engaged their weapons from stun to kill.

She pulled out something hidden in her hand, shook it, then tossed the contents at her feet. The Nomaadi Merc in front of her flinched, expecting an explosion or witch magic...

...several small, polished animal bones hit the ground, rolled, and laid to rest just short of his boots.

Mother Talzin regarded them silently. “You may have your child. But there is a cost...”

“It would have cost to let you KEEP my child! Don’t act like you’re doing do ME a favor.” The GALL of this woman.

“YOU will never know peace. If I or my son do not acquire your child, another entity shall.”

“WHO???”

“I cannot name it. SOMETHING that will gain power over everything in this galaxy. Something dark looming over the horizon of our days. It’s coming...and NO ONE can stop it.” With that she kissed the baby on the forehead and let them go.

Mad winced, as she expected her child to drop to the ground once they left Mother Talzin’s hands.

As the Night Witch stepped away, the baby hung in midair...levitating in place. Their eyes changing from bright amber to deep yellow green. Closer to the color of their mother’s.

Mad, with assistance from three Nightsisters, limped to her child and took the baby in her arms.

The Mercs kept position with their front man training his blaster on Mother Talzin as she wandered away into the Dathomirian night.

The Beldame swooped down, hovering 3 feet above the ground, gangplank opened to receive its crew. Mad and the Nightsisters quickly boarded.

The Merc crew of the Vardo, seeing the extraction successfull let their guard down. They didn’t come planning to kill ANYONE, unless extremely necessary. The fear Nomaadi had of the Dathomir Witches proved correct, unfortunately. The fear of their REVENGE.

No sooner had the Witches gotten Mad and her baby aboard then a fire fight broke out between the Nightsisters and Nomaadi Mercenaries. Green plasma fire, red blaster bolts, screams filled the air. SOMETHING huge hit the Vardo, and the ship exploded. Its concussive force rocked the Beldame violently...

...and one of the Witches staggered backward, falling out of the open hatch. Another tried to grab ahold of her and caught open air. Mad’s sister SHE caught the Nightsister before she too fell to her death.

The Beldame’s pilot: Uncle Taavy, struggled to close the gangplank quickly to not lose the rest of the crew. Then engaged the engines to leave the planet.

But the ship shook refusing to budge. He threw the ‘Dame into full throttle. Still it refused to engage. Uncle Taavy swore a string of curses in his Nomaadi tongue.

“What the Kark is happening!” SHE yelled.

The Nightsister in SHE’s arms replied “Mother Talzin and the Witches won’t let us leave.”

Both Witches looked terrified. Terrified of what Mother Talzin would do if they couldn’t escape.

Mad had enough of Maul and his Mother. She handed her baby to the second Nightsister now seated, and purposely strode to the back gunnery. Adrenaline and anger fueled her determination.

She climbed the gunnery and slid into the seat. Through the windscreen Mad witnessed Mother Talzin and the remaining Nightsisters holding back the Dread Beldame with their magic. Green plasma enveloped the ship. Mad ground her teeth in anger, engaged the blaster cannons and started firing away on them.

Mother Talzin blocked the blaster fire. It dissipated hitting nothing.

Mad screamed in anger, beating the walls of the ship with her fists. The space between her legs oozed blood, her breasts leaked milk...and her baby started to wail...for the first time.

The cry was strong and piercing...and angry. Everyone on the ship heard it.

And so did Mother Talzin. She seemed shocked to have done so and immediately stood down. Calling off the fellow Witches.

The ‘Dame shot forward quickly, as if let go by an invisible hand. Uncle Taavy whooped in glee, to be rid of this forsaken planet. He slammed the ship into high gear and hauled ass.

Mad and Mother Talzin locked eyes as the ‘Dame raced away. She swore she’d fight that bitch until the day one of them died. Nobody was taking her child away from her.

The adrenaline was wearing off and the burden of giving birth caught up to Mad. She slumped in the seat, feeling wetness between her legs and chest.

Sister SHE prevented Mad from falling onto the floor...

...Mad descended into darkness again...

Hunter laid on his bunk sifting through the events that transpired since he met Mad.

The throbbing pain between his legs, burning scratch on his face...the deep bite mark that FINALLY stopped bleeding.

His heart ached a bit too. Pain, love, lust, yearning, uncertainty...so much...felt like it would explode.

Cid’s words bounced around his head...paining him that she was possibly RIGHT. It was the ONLY accurate intel Cid had ever given him.

“Ya looking for a world of hurt, Bandana? “Cause that’s all you’re gonna get with that one.”

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

Chapter 13 to arrive in May!

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skellymom · 3 months

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"Vagabonds" Chapter 10

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

(Posted 2/29/24)

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ

To read Chapter 9:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/741739026615353344/vagabonds-chapter-9?source=share

Word Count: 1.2K

Background: Time is running out for Hunter, Omega, and the crew of The Beldame.

Warning: Star Wars swears, Earth swears, fear, physical pain, fainting, blood, hypothermia, dog bites human, canon-typical violence.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

Recap:

As the jovial banter continued, a group of clones stood around the window, watching the planet recede from view.

“You think She and Little One have a chance?”

“Much better than staying on Kamino. The Nomaadi will take good care of ‘em.”

“Wish I could’a stayed on the planet with ‘em. Kriffin tired of this rat race.”

“Miss them already...”

“Shhh...we can’t. At least not right NOW.”

“Maybe sometime...in the future...”

“Yeah, younger ones go first.”

“Gotta be REAL careful if we smuggle any more out.”

A hush fell among the group as the planet disappeared with only cold black space remaining.

"Stranded"

Far out in cold black space the Dread Beldame drifted.

After Mad had fainted and fallen to the floor, Sil turned her over. Pale and with a bruise from the fall developing on her face, he could feel the panic rising.

“Sil...breathe...” Omega had to keep him calm. “Love?”

The teen floated above the decking; eyes rolled back in their head. No answer.

Hunter had finally passed out from the horrific sensory stimuli.

Tiggy shook it off and ambled over to them whimpering. She pressed her body up against Sil to distract him.

The lights of the Beldame began to flicker.

“Sil! What’s going on? Are we losing power???”

Sil snapped to, furiously stroking Tiggy. “We lost main power after the Venator exploded.” He looked terrified. “The auxillary power is starting to fail...lights, gravity...and life support.”

Omega felt a chill go through her. “We can fix it...RIGHT???”

“No... we need another ship to hook up to the ‘Dame for recharge and repair.”

“It’ll be ok, Sil. The Marauder will be here soon!”

Sil shook his head. “Omega...the explosion pushed us parsecs away from Ord Mantell.” He got up, leaving Mad and Tiggy to check ships comm. He found them inoperable, then stared out into the blackness of space.

“I... recognize SOME of these stars. No planets or any other large landmarks. But we’ll continue to drift farther out.” He looked resigned to their fate. “Without coordinates, or a way to radio them, it’s going to be near impossible.”

“Tech and Echo WILL find us!” Omega was hopeful...but she was also scared.

The lights dimmed again and stayed at half capacity.

“It’s going to get VERY cold here soon, Omega. And we need to conserve oxygen best we can.” Sil opened a panel and pulled out insulation blankets and oxygen face masks.

Omega and Sil pulled Hunter, Mad, Love, Tiggy and each other close into a warm huddle, donned their oxygen masks, and hoped for the best.

Echo and Tech furiously checked as many comm channels as possible to hail the Beldame.

Techs voice was rising, “I cannot find them on ANY channel!”

Echo was starting to worry, but couldn’t concentrate...

“You stink!” Echo wrinkled up his face. “Get in the refresher, Wrecker!!! Pick up your armor, too.”

“Wait” interjected Tech “Who was that clone with you in the sewer tunnel?”

Echo perked up and turned around in his seat “Another clone on Ord Mantell other than Rex???”

“He called himself Riffraff. Escaped off world after Order 66.”

Echo smiled from ear to ear, “Thank the Maker! Vod made it.”

“You know him?” Tech inquired, still checking comm channels, trying not to panic.

“Yeah, he was a shiny I met from another unit just before joining the Batch. Good kid, he had promise.”

“He looked SO OLD though. Didn’t recognize him as a clone at first.” Wrecker was shocked.

“I agree with Wrecker, he must have aged to look like a first-generation clone with all the adversity he witnessed during Order 66 and after. He said he was staying behind to gain intel for a growing rebellion.” Tech’s brow creased stressfully. “STILL cannot hail the Beldame.”

“Wrecker, shower!” Echo ordered.

“I’M GOIN’! GEEZ!!!”

“Well, I hope he accomplishes his goal. The galaxy really needs a strong rebellion. Maybe more of our brothers will join the fight.” Echo looked hopeful. “Inhibitor chips be damned.”

“I’m worried about the crew of the Beldame” Tech looked to Echo. “Without a functioning shield they may not have escaped.”

Echo shook his head, “I REFUSE to even consider that an option.”

Darkness penetrated the Beldame. A thin coating of frost covered the huddled, blanketed crew. Omega and Sil were shivering violently from the cold. Love, Mad, and Hunter were still out, but breathing and warm...for now.

Tiggy, being small and warmly nestled within the center of the group squiggled up through the bodies. She climbed up on Sil’s chest and pressed her canine head against his forehead.

He felt a strange presence in his mind. The pitter patter of little paws though his thoughts...was the best he could recall. Sil was too weak to care. Concentrating on this was better than the agony of slowly freezing to death.

“...mega?” Was the best he could muster.

“Mmm...” She was barely there. He pulled her closer, trying to keep her warm with his body heat.

How much oxygen did they have left? Even with the masks...it couldn’t last forever. Was it the low oxygen levels or the cold causing them to fight to stay awake?

Tiggy crawled away from Sil and pulled herself up to Love, who was still levitating, but tied up close to their group for warmth. She whimpered and scratched at Love’s chest. No response. She barked.

“Tiggy, leave it.” Sil tiredly commanded.

The puppy whimpered and whined...then bit Love on the chin, drawing blood.

Love’s eyes popped open with the pain response.

“Tiggy, NO!”

Omega intervened. “Sil...I think Tiggy is trying to do something.”

“What?”

“Don’t know...”

Couzin? Love’s eyes rolled back in their head.

Tiggy bit Love again. HARDER.

Love’s eye focused on the pup. Oh...can’t...too weak...

Then Tiggy MASHED her head up against Love’s. Her little tail wagging furiously. Omega and Sil watched closely.

For what, they didn’t know.

Bubbles filled the refresher shower. Wrecker scrubbed away at the stink on his skin. On his third wash to finally be rid of it.

Plunging his face under the faucet a tune wound an earworm into his head.

Wrecker hadn’t turned on his holotunes, but an oddly discordant song kept repeating in his head. More like a repeating snippet of a song...with some percussion.

It became stronger. Then Wrecker started to hum...over...and over. Tapped his foot even.

He finished, dried off, dressed. Still humming the tune, tapping the percussion now with his knuckle on the bunkroom wall.

Wrecker wandered to the cockpit...

...humming...

...tapping...

Echo and Tech were backtracking coordinates, retrying comm channels, plotting hyperspace lanes...concerned for the worst.

“Like they just disappeared!” Echo furrowed his brow.

“Echo...I think we MIGHT have to entertain the idea...” Tech eyed his brother with concern.

“NO!”

...humming...

...tapping...

“I know it’s difficult to consider...Echo...”

“I WON’T accept that they may be...”

...humming...

...tapping...

Tech swung his chair around to look at Wrecker.

Wrecker was grooving along to some type of internal tune. Humming along and tapping on the Marauder’s interior wall. It wasn’t exactly musical, but Wrecker didn’t seem to mind, eyes closed, and he just kept on jamming along.

Echo took Tech’s lead and watched Wrecker for a few moments.

“WRECKER!” Echo shouted.

“WHAAAAT?”

“Why are you tapping out Basic Standard Code?”

Wrecker shrugged. “Stuck in my head...can’t stop.”

“Keep going, Wrecker.” Tech urged, rubbing his chin.

They watched Wrecker repeat the humming and tapping over and over.

Echo broke the silence, “DEFINITELY BSC! The message keeps repeating. Don’t know what the other part is...”

Tech interrupted excitedly. “Notes on the musical scale!”

Tech repeated the Basic Alphabet that corresponded with the notes to Echo.

“With the Basic Standard Code...” Echo started the sentence...

...and Tech finished it, “They’re coordinates!”

They both spun their seats around and immediately engaged the Marauder.

Wrecker stopped humming and tapping. “YOU’RE WELCOME!”

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

To read Chapter 11:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/744912201871245312/vagabonds-chapter-11?source=share

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skellymom · 4 months

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"Vagabonds"

Ongoing OC x Hunter/Bad Batch Fanfic Series

Introduction: "Chaos On Coruscant"

And Chapter 1: "Weight of the Galaxy" (posted 8/14/2023/reuploaded 1/2/24)

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

BACKGROUND: The following story takes place in the Bad Batch Star Wars Universe, and I tried to keep within the timeline of Season 1-2 before the Batch Left Ord Mantell for Mount Tantiss. The OC characters of my invention are Maadienne “Mad Momma” Dax and her genderfluid Teen named Love. Mad is an older single mom.

Mad and Love also are coded as belonging to something similar to the American Nomad population in the US. Think Nomadland, off-griders, bikers, Slab City transients, hobos, tramps, hippies, punks, carnies, faire circuit vendors, survivalists, societal dropouts, etc. And they intersect with other nomadic groups coded as similar to the Roma (Romani), Travelers/Tinkers (Irish), Romanichal (British/UK). All of these people in this story universe refer to themselves as “The Star People”.

WARNINGS: Shades of neurodivergence, mention of deep sorrow/depression/hurt/lost love/relationship breakups/estranged parents/heavy mental baggage/ugly crying. There are hints of the beginning stages of fascism and xenophobia. Some mention of erections, arousal, sexual/sensual feelings, flirting. Lots of swearing (Star Wars swears mixed with Earth swears). Fictional prejudicial slurs. Poverty, class struggle, slavery, war, child abduction, politics, very amorphous mention of genocide, animal cruelty living conditions (brief), animal death (postmortem) and both of these are redeemed.

FYI-We WILL get to Hunter! But first I need to introduce my OC’s!!!

Introduction: "Chaos On Coruscant"

The outer streets of Coruscant started to show their seediness and poverty the longer Mad and Love walked away from the bustling city center. They had just picked up a considerable payment of credits after dropping off two young orphans to a well-heeled couple living within the upscale high rises of the capital. They had the help of clearances, chain codes and disguises. Both wearing a bland headscarf veil and shift dress over their clothes and skin tattoos. Mad’s face was uncovered and Love’s full coverage. To anyone who passed on the street, they were two household nannies taking care of their rich owners’ children.

The orphans, Edda and Oddo, were refugees from a distant Outer Rim planet that the Empire had newly “colonized” for resources. The people of that planet fought and lost control of their sovereignty. Many lives were lost in the battle. So many refugees and newly orphaned children were begging to flee the planet to avoid becoming slaves of the Empire. Mad and Love saw an opportunity to take whomever they could away from that situation and bring them here to a better life. They hated the Empire. Before that The Republic. Before that…whatever governing forces that had killed, enslaved, or pushed their people out among the stars. Homeless Nomaadi that nobody wanted. Dirty marked “Caitiff” scum. Now the Empire was doing this to other “outsiders” all over the galaxy.

When Mad and Love dropped off the children, the stipulation was it had to be at the back servant’s entrance. The couple wouldn’t let it be any other way. Even though Mads contacts were secure, and this job was very low on the risk scale, there was no room for compromise. The couple didn’t come out expressly and say anything prejudicial about Nomaadi delivering the children. But it was heavily implied through the thin veneer of niceness as they opened the door to welcome the children. Mad and Love were instructed to wait at the threshold, to hug Edda and Oddo and say a hurried goodbye. The siblings protested tearfully, but gave in. Mad caught a fleeting look at the large opulent apartment, meeting the eyes of the servant at attention on the other side of the room. The husband, giving them a brusque “thank you” while handing over the bag of credits, shut the door in their faces. Standing in the servant’s hallway, Mad and Love looked at each other in sad silence. The siblings had travelled with them on the Beldame several weeks before. Bonded with them. The children didn’t care who Mad and Love were. They were so grateful to be safe and have someone in their life that cared.

The credits helped smooth the sting…a little. The encounter was so jarring and surreal, but par for the course. Mad and Love couldn’t eat or survive without steady revenue coming in. The couple who paid for the lives of these children paid handsomely. To them it was just a drop in the bucket, easing their guilty conscience. Taking in homeless orphans as their own children…while not using any of their privilege to stand against the Empire seemed like a glaring example of blind privilege. Love was neutral on the subject, looking at the glass as half full. The children have good homes now. Mad saw the glass as leaky with a huge crack in it. The damned thing didn’t work well and was fundamentally broken.

Their ship, the Dread Beldame, was parked on the outskirts of the capital city to keep a low profile. That meant a lot of walking, but it kept the Coruscant Police off their backs. Getting the hell off the planet relatively undetected was the goal now.

The narrow streets led to a small public square complete with an open-air second-rate vendor market. Tourists visiting the Capital, locals, and Neuvo riche citizens of the city center visited these spots due to lower prices on goods. The awful smell of the exotic meat vendor wafted up into Mad and Love’s noses. The smell of a hundred naturally and genetically designed animals housed together in a small space.

Mad ignored the smell and kept a brisk pace. However, was surprised by a familiar voice and warm Nomaadi greeting.

“Auntie?”

Mad Stopping in her tracks and looked past the front counter into the shadows towards the back of the stall. A familiar face slowly stepped out. Mad thought she was looking at a ghost.

Nephew Sil, covered in dirt and slaughter offal, underweight and wearing a slave collar sadly smiled at her. She hadn’t seen him since he was a boy, when he was abducted from his family. Now Sil was a teen. The Nomaadi chest tattoo a clear identifier. Her experience was that many Nomaadi children were stolen. The authorities didn’t care to help the families to find them, so they were easy pickings by slavers and traffickers.

Love, totally unaware of Sil, followed the scent and was shocked by the scene at the meat vendor’s chopping block. A small live puppy was held aloft shrieking and scruffed by the butcher who was barking at any possible patrons in the crowd.

“Loth Wolf-Vornskr hybrid! Tender delicacy. Butchered fresh right here. Last one goes to the highest bidder!!!”

In his other hand was a very large meat cleaver.

Love was mortified to witness this. As their eyes looked past the puppy, cages upon cages of trapped animals came into view. Small wire cages stacked up high holding dirty tortured souls stuffed into small spaces. And beyond that, a bigger reinforced pen holding a large bellowing beast hiding in the shadows. The smell of animal shit, fear, blood, death, and pain hit Love in the gut and assaulted their senses. Patrons rushed forward with their money to bid on the last small life in the butcher’s hand. Love was knocked aside and bounced from one patron to the other before being shoved down onto the hard pavement. The obscene display of crude materialistic greed while being trampled was too much for Love. And concern for the pup brought anger out of them, vibrating the very air within the space.

Mad called out to Sil, “Come with us!”

“I can’t” and winced as he touched the shock collar. It was electronically locked, live and would not allow him to leave the market stand. Sil was the meat butcher’s property and locked in, just like all the animals stuffed in the cages around them.

Mad unbuttoned the top of her blouse to reach for the credits stowed in the security pocket of her binder. The high neck fell open to reveal her own circular Nomaadi chest tattoo. She could attempt to buy Sil back from the Butcher and help locate his parents. The job’s payment would allow this luxury and still have enough for them to live on until the next job. Before Mad could pull out any credits, she could feel every hair on her body stand on end. Sil could feel it too. Mad knew exactly where it was coming from.

“LOVE! NOOO!!!”

Mad suddenly turned to see Love levitating 10 ft above Coruscant street. The patrons facing the butcher never saw what was coming, but he had a front row view. The butcher froze and his eyes went wide. Mad could feel the raw emotion and power pulse from Love’s body. They were gonna blow, and Mad couldn’t do a damned thing about it.

The puppy and the animals in the surrounding cages fell silent.

All. At. Once.

What happened next to Mads recollection was in slow motion. A silent Force scream emanated from Love’s mouth. It shorted out EVERYTHING within that city block. All the technology, transportation, everything…and the locks on all the cages within the meat stall. Everything was at a standstill for 5 seconds. Love still levitating above the street, the butcher standing in the same position, the vendors at a standstill.

Then things sped up.

And… THE SHIT HIT THE FAN!

The animals, sensing freedom, burst from their cages in a frenzied wild blur. Screams could be heard from patrons slowly realizing what was happening as animals escaped beneath their feet, swooped near their faces, leaped on or past them. Love still levitating as people and animals ran pell-mell through the square. Nobody cared to notice a skinny veil-shrouded teenager floating above them. The butcher let loose a litany of curse words and pointed the meat cleaver in Love’s direction…while still holding onto the puppy.

Love reached out with the Force and snatched the puppy from the Butcher’s grasp. He turned 3 shades of red and chucked the meat cleaver at Love. They cradled the puppy and force deflected the cleaver. It fell ineffectually against the pavement below. Love was still levitating at 10ft and giving a calm intense death stare to the Butcher. He foamed at the mouth in a rage, stooped down and yanked a laser rifle out from under the counter, swinging it around to aim right between Love’s eyes.

Love, unfazed, didn’t move from his aim. Mad almost shit her pants in fear. It was all too much. They were going to get caught, and Love’s luck was going to run out. Today was the day she would see her offspring’s brains all over the streets of Coruscant.

The Butcher pulled the trigger…which did absolutely nothing as Love’s scream had shorted out his weapon. He was thwarted once again from dispatching this teenage menace, and absolutely lost his composure, chucking the weapon at Love.

They calmly Force pushed the weapon aside, keeping the death stare. Having nothing left to assault Love with, the Butcher leapt onto the counter and launched himself up towards them…

…and was immediately taken out by the large animal held captive in the shadows of the meat vendor’s stall. There was an explosion of metal, wood, and small animals…that hadn’t escaped from the first rush to freedom. The Behemoth ran past Love and caused total mayhem to the remaining people in the square. More blood curdling screams mixed with angry animal cries.

Love calmly turned on a dime and floated airily away from the scene, pulling off the veil and gracefully dropping it to the ground below. Their Nomaadi tattoo in full rebellious glory to all of Coruscant. Love’s facial expression calm as ever, still cradling the puppy.

It was a total sight to behold. Mad was beside herself watching Love float away from the scene. And then yanked almost off her feet as Nephew Sil ran past and grabbed her hand. He ripped the now inactive slave collar from his neck and threw it aside. Behind them a cab and several speeder bikes fell from the sky and exploded on the pavement, they had shorted out as well.

“We gotta go, go, go! Run Auntie Mad!!! Where’s the ship???” Running high on adrenaline he dragged Mad out of the square into the narrow streets for cover. They tripped over scurrying marmots. And, Mad had to pull a small, flighted escapee from her hair as they tried to catch up to Love.

“Love, come down outtya head! Or we are gonna lose ours!!!” Sil let go of Mad and ran ahead. He took a huge running leap and yanked on Love’s leg, pulling them out of levitation mode. It was like he was trying to catch a balloon. Love landed on two feet with a proud smile.

They signed “Hello” warmly and presented the puppy proudly.

“You CRAZY!” Syl shook his head “Causing big trouble.”

They were interrupted by a bedraggled Spice Head grabbing both teens by the back of their shirts. “Catiff scum! You should be worth some credits!!!”

Mad had enough of everything that had gone to total shit today. Anger welling up, she would have shot him on the spot had her blaster not shorted out. Instead, she ran full tilt into the assailant, knocking him to the ground. From there, proceeded to grab handfuls of hair and repeatedly pound his head into the pavement accentuating each screaming curse:

“KEEP. YOUR. HANDS. OFF. MY. KIDS. YOU. KRIFFING. BANTHA. FUCKER!!!

He started bleeding, lost consciousness, and stopped moving. He was still breathing, though. That was a plus. Mad’s view cleared and could feel Sil and Love pulling her off the man.

“Mommommom!” Loves voice echoing inside Mad’s head.

“Auntie, stop! Please get up!!!” Sil’s voice outside her head.

Looking up, more Spice Heads were watching the scene unfold, shrinking back into the shadows. Fear on their faces.

“See this? Keep your hands off us and your mouths shut! We were never here!!!”

Mad gathered herself, stood up and firmly barked, “Get your asses in gear, the Dame’s this way!” Sil and Love, clearly shaken, followed behind.

She gave murderous glances to the onlookers, who cowered as Mad, Sil, and Love passed. One threw the Eye of Protection sign, showing the fear Outsiders had of The Bad Fate believed (wrongly) spread by the Nomaadi. Mad sometimes wished she could really curse these people to silence so her family could escape safely. Every excursion was dangerous to her people. Snitches were a constant hazard.

From there, they ran several blocks to the outer port where the ship sat waiting.

The Beldame with its mismatched junky exterior looked so welcoming. The sensors picked up Mad and Love’s proximity and opened the gangplank. All three ran in and found their seats. The Dame automatically closed its gangplank and Mad got them out of there quickly. Two local precinct police speeders appeared in hot pursuit firing handheld blasters at the ship. The speeders could only follow so far before falling behind…but not before shorting out the Dame’s antiquated deflector shield.

While the Dame exited Coruscant’s planetary atmosphere, Mad brought up the coordinates for Ord Mantell, scrambled their jump signature, and punched the ship into hyperspace.

You could cut the silence inside the ship with a vibroknife. Both teens unsure if Mad was still…MAD.

Both were seated behind her. The light of stars coursing past casting shadows down Mads back. It was an uncomfortable 15 minutes before she swung the chair around and met Love with an intensely serious stare. Only Love heard Mad’s voice in their head.

“Dank Ferrick, Love…what the hell was that back there!”

Sil sat watching a silently animated display of physical movements while both Love and Mad argued back and forth inside their heads at each other. It was like watching manic mime comedy. He knew they both could communicate like this. Just never seen an argument between the two since he disappeared years ago. He could only guess what the row was about.

“I couldn’t help it. Everything about that place was so horrible. All those animals living and dying like that. The people trampling me. And… I miss Edda and Oddo. I’m sad we let them go.”

“We needed the money. We were broke, Love. Can’t keep everyone we ferry across the galaxy. What you did in the town square…it was over the top. You blew our cover. Our contacts that we worked so hard for won’t help us now. We will NEVER be able to go back to Coruscant again!”

“Good, that place is fucking POODOO!!!”

“But we had allies there, Love. Without allies we can’t do any business there. We just lost a good steady income. The Outer Rim only pays us enough to scrape by. And now we might have eyes actively looking for us! You don’t really understand how dangerous everything is now for us…YOU…especially since the Jedi were murdered, do you???”

Silence. Surprised face.

“DO YOU??? We already have shit rain down on us normally. Things are getting worse out there with the new Empire.”

Silence. Angry face.

“And what the hell was that…thing you did? It shorted everything out! That’s new, Love. You need to control whatever the hell that is. What did you do?”

Silence. Offended face.

Mad sighed. “I’m sorry I upset you. I’m sorry I yelled. It scared me. The thought of losing you scares me. I love you”.

Silence. Neutral face.

“Ok…” Exasperated sigh. “I… We’ll talk later. “

More silence. Still neutral faced, Love starts to levitate and zone out. Swaddles the puppy tighter.

Mad knows she overreacted again. The rebellious Love was something she wasn’t prepared for. No idea on how to control these powerful urges. A Jedi might be able to help if there were any left. But then, the Jedi were problematic and antiquated. Had they not been, Love would have been a Padawan long ago…and probably deceased now. With a heavy, tired sigh Mad turns finally to address Sil.

“I missed you so much Nephew. I’m sorry for the drama.”

Sil immediately got up and hugged Mad. She grabbed him in embrace and squeezed hard.

“It’s been so long. Your parents will be happy to know you’re safe.”

Sil was quiet. Then Mad heard soft sobbing and felt his body shake. She kept quiet and just held on until he wanted to be let go. Love, dropping their angst, floated over and placed a hand onto his back and slowly rubbed in circles.

He eventually let go and stood up. Both Mad and Love spoke at the same time: Mad verbally and Love signing in Basic, “In your own time. I’ll be here. I love you.”

Sil wiped his eyes. “I’m hungry, Auntie”. He was so thin. Clearly, he was underfed while gone. Probably starved to be kept in line, in addition to the shocks he received. An outline of rough scar tissue from the slave collar worn into his neck stood out. It was a very sobering thing for both Love and Mad to consider.

“Let’s see what we can rustle up, huh?” Mad got up and made a beeline for the ‘Dame’s tiny galley kitchen.

“I missed you too Couz.” Love signed. “Can you hold Tiggy for me while I help mom?”

Sil nodded and took the puppy from Love. “Hello, Tigglet” he whispered while settling into the pilot’s chair to watch the stars and Purrgils float past.

Thanks for your patience. Hunter makes his entrance in this next chapter!

Chapter 1-"Weight of the Galaxy"

Back at Ord Mantell, Mad knocked back the Spotchka to steady her nerves. While leaning on the bar of Cid’s Parlor with head in hand, she contemplated the huge clusterfuck that transpired on Coruscant.

They were so kriffing lucky! Especially finding Sil like that and getting him freed. Being able to keep all the credits from their last job without having to haggle for his freedom. The animals and exploding vehicles provided diversion. The Butcher was being scraped off the concrete, so he wasn’t talking. The Spice Heads might present a problem…if anyone cared to listen to a bunch of Tweakers. The only reason they were pursued and lacked a shield was due to the Coruscant Police suspecting those running away from the scene and fleeing the planet were to blame for the crime of…property damage.

The authorities and media didn’t give a Womp Rats ass about the dead butcher, his sketchy meat market front, or the slaves he ran through it. They feigned some concern about the injured citizens of the downed vehicles and those maimed by the market escapees. The News Holos were calling the incident “eco terrorism” by a small band of indigents who set the animals free. Fortunately, a well-known Enviro Group stepped up and claimed responsibility, inspiring its many supporters to clog the streets around the Capitol building in open protest. The Butchers Trade Org, Pro Meat Groups and rando hooligans looking to profit and cause havoc clashed against them. This brought out the Coruscant Guard to try to bring order to the chaos. The upper crust of Coruscant railed against the inconvenience to their day and clutched their pearls. Total mayhem and a convenient smokescreen.

This kind of luck is what Nomaadi Maami Dall would call “A Gift from The Force”.

“But make NO mistake, the Force is Fickle. It won’t last for long. Get out of yer own head, or it will be your end!” Could hear her Elder preach the message like she was sitting right next to Mad at the bar. She sorely missed Maami Dall…and Paapi Dall, Brothers, Sisters, Aunties, Uncles, Couzins, Friends of The Nomaadi Star People. The whole Community. It had been so long since they could all safely come together for Reunion. Fond memories of feasts, Hand Fastings, Parting Ceremonies, musicians in drum circles around large bonfires, people singing and dancing all night, helping to repair transports during the day and restore supplies for travel, children playing, community coming together to share news, information, trade, settling disputes, healing family rifts, making love, birthing babies, and just safely relaxing from the nomadic lifestyle for a while.

Oh Maker…the nostalgia HURT. Being transient was The Way. Everyone had a different journey. Paths diverging, converging constantly. Nomaadi were encouraged to leave, live their own truth, and be independent. Plus, their survival depended on it. Too many of them in the same place for a long period of time made the community sitting ducks. This is why they would occasionally meet for Reunion by word of mouth and never permanently settled anywhere.

Mads’ thoughts shifted back to their luck…this time. How long before it ran out? Love started as a quiet introspective child. Their use of the Force started early. It always manifested itself as gentle, non-threatening, defensive and never offensive.

Mad also deeply regretted the show of temper. She really hoped to not permanently injure or kill the Spice Head. He was stupidly dangerous and a victim of a fucked-up system that kept so many down on Coruscant. Hell, the universe. All the people on the bottom fighting for the scraps that the powerful occasionally threw at them. She sighed…when was it ever going to kriffing change?

Mad’s only plan for tonight was ordering several more drinks to help forget the rising worry in her mind: After the wholesale slaughter of the Jedi and those showing Force abilities, how was she going to keep her powerful and now rebellious child safe?

At the other end of the bar slumped Hunter, attempting to drink himself into oblivion. He was at the start of his journey tonight several drinks in.

His brothers and sister were back at the Marauder. Tech and Echo had mechanical Maintenace to do. Wrecker planned to take Omega for Mantell Mix and browse the Traders Market. Hunter didn’t feel any of it, except guilty for turning Omega down when she begged him to come along. He couldn’t get the vision of Crosshair out of his head, standing alone on the platform of Kamino as they left the planet. Oh, and he felt guilty for that too. Sad as well, and some frustration that his brother wasn’t touched by the plea of brotherhood offered by most of The Batch. He very briefly considered having Wrecker drag Cross back inside the ship, refusing to leave without him, or stunning the sniper to do so. It would have not changed Crosshairs mind in the long run. Stubborn brainwashed sibling. Hunter still loved him.

All the while the remains of his home…no, his family’s home lay in the Kaminoan sea smoldering. The remains of which The Batch narrowly escaped from. Almost resigned to a watery grave. What happened to all the future unborn and young clones he had seen at the facility the day the Empire took power? Were they safe? Even alive? All The Regs brainwashed by the chip. All the Jedi murdered by them. Did Caleb Dume ever make it to safety? If so, was he scarred for life after seeing his master gunned down on Kaller, then having the Clones turn on him too? It was all too much. He felt small and overwhelmingly powerless. Like absolute miserable shit. The only thing he could do was drown his emotions in whatever Cid’s bar was serving.

Sometime later, after draining his drink, Hunter’s senses tingled. Sitting up and rubbing his face, he caught a scent. His nose found the source down the opposite end of the bar. She looked and smelled intriguing, and was staring intently into an empty glass.

“Hey”, Hunter addressed Cid and nodded down the bar, “Who’s she?”

The Trandoshan rolled her eyes, “Why? Ya looking for a world of hurt, Bandana? “Cause that’s all you’re gonna get with that one.”

“No seriously, what’s her name?”

“She comes here to drink alone. The last idiot who didn’t respect her space left a permanent stain on my carpeting. That Momma has zero patience for Bantha shit”

“Momma???”

“Yeah, she’s got a kid. The dad split. Just the two of them now. And she’s protective of her kiddo. They’re ‘Nomaadi”, so they tend to keep to themselves.”

“Nomaadi?”

Cid sighed and rolled her eyes again gesturing wildly, “Nomaadi! Travs! They wander the galaxy with no known homeworld. Come on, Bandana, you never heard of ‘em? Met ‘em??? Her people are scattered all over the place. You must have had to move them along while you were working for the Republic? The Republic considered Nomaadi trash, so they got pushed out. And they just keep on moving around the galaxy. This new Empire absolutely hates them.”

Hunter let that sink in while staring down the bar. Cid contemplated these two sad saps sitting at either end.

“She reminds me of someone I know. Got the weight of the whole galaxy on her shoulders.” Hunter’s gaze immediately snapped up to meet Cid’s eyes. She held his gaze for a long, uncomfortable moment hands on hips.

“Her name is Mad.” Cid finally answered as she turned and walked away.

Mad. Was her name Mad for angry or crazy? He couldn’t tell, but he wanted to find out. She was a welcome distraction from the things he wanted to stop thinking about tonight.

Mad’s inner stream of consciousness was abruptly interrupted by Cid. “Find any amazing revelations in the bottom of that glass? You’re here to drink, not meditate.”

Immediately she looked up to meet the bright green eyes of the Trandoshan. Cid’s first language usually was heavy sardonic sarcasm tinged with menace, but Mad saw a bit more in her demeanor. A tiny bit of empathy shining through…before the sarcasm blocked it out again.

“Dark and Broody at the end of the bar wants to buy ya a drink if you’re interested.”

Cid pointed towards a very handsome man with a red bandanna and face tattoo staring up the bar at them. He raised his hand in a brief two finger wave and cheesy half smile. An attempt of levity with some drunken smolder.

Heavy sigh and groan from Mad. “No creepers, Cid. Remember last time?”

Cid leaned in against the bar. Her voice finding some softness, “He’s ok. Done some jobs for me. Got a kid of his own, no partner. Kinda lonely. You both look like you need a drink and time out of your own heads. Whaddya say?”

Another sigh from Mad. What did Mad really have to do tonight? The next job wasn’t until tomorrow afternoon. And Love was back at the Beldame with Sil fiddling with the shield generator. The puppy was probably tearing up and crapping all over the ship. Maker, what was she gonna come back to? Mad didn’t want to deal with any of it tonight. Luckly, Sil seemed somewhat responsible enough, and Love rarely if ever left the Beldame without Mad at their side. Both teens had dragged Mad down the gangplank in the direction of the bar. “Go have a drink!” they chimed in unison “We got this!” as they ran into the ship. Oblivious young'uns, dear Maker, now she had two…three with the four-legged pot roast they just “adopted.”

“Fuck it. You’re right. Can’t turn down free Spotchka.”

Cid winked and turned away to grab a glass. Mad straightened up, looked down the bar, and gave her best devil may care smirk. She then gracefully signed “thank you” in Basic Sign Language to Dark and Broody.

Cid plunked down the Spotchka. Mad tipped it back with abandon, enjoying the feel of the drink on her tongue. The pleasant burn. The warmth of it down the hatch…

“HELLO.”

Mad choked and spit the drink right onto Cid.

“Smooth move, Bandana”, disgusted and slightly pissed Cid retreats to wipe herself down. Dark and Broody had suddenly and stealthily materialized in the seat next to Mad.

The pleasant burn is now a fire in Mad’s nose and throat. Spotchka ran down her chin and onto the bar. “Are you trying to Kriffing kill me!” in between coughs. Anger rising. What the fuck, this guy! Dark and Broody looks embarrassed and concerned. She briefly considers punching him in the face.

“Sorry…I should have given you more warning” he replies while offering several napkins. Mad grabbed some from his hand holding them to her mouth.

Cough subsiding, nose still burning, Mad takes in the visage of Hunter: Head of amazing thick black hair, trim body, muscular, deep brown eyes that she could get lost in… She shakes her head and his smokey, sexy voice slides into her ears, “You ok? Anything I can do?”

Mad’s expression was ambiguous while trying to calm down. She sits staring intensely at Hunter. He noticed the depth of her eyes: flecks of yellow mingled with green. While her surface demeanor gave little away, Hunter’s senses pick up anger, confusion…and a slight glimmer of attraction. She looked like she might attack and eat him alive. The prospect seemed exciting. His eyes dropped and scrutinized her chest tattoo for the first time.

“My eyes are up here, Stud” she growls. He notices her noticing him looking at her chest and immediately becomes embarrassed. His expression shows it, as his eyes widen and immediately shoot back up to her face. “Just looking at your tattoo. Honest” he raises both hands in surrender.

“You always this smooth with the ladies?”

“Little off my game tonight. Can I try again?” Hunter gives Mad a sly smile.

Cid sidles back up to the bar, “Drinking only, no maiming…and NO sex in the bathroom. If ya wanna do that, then leave my bar!” Hands on her hips, looks across the room and suddenly shouts, “SHUT UP, YOU TWO, and mind yer own business!”

Bolo and Ketch stop laughing and solemnly return to their game of Djarik.

“Mad, I need Dark and Broody here in working condition for my next job. So go easy on him. He’s harmless. Bandana, quit being such a laser brain. You guys are stinkin’ up the joint with your buffoonery” she nods to Hunter, then Mad “and your angst.”

Both Hunter and Mad, taken aback by Cid’s scolding, soften and relax.

“Cid’s right. I really am harmless…and a laser brain. My name is Hunter.”

He extends his hand to shake. Mad continues to stare into Hunter’s deep brown eyes for several beats before extending her own and taking his hand. As her fingers slide into his grasp, there is an intense warm wave that passes between them both that ends in a tingle. Hunter and Mad’s body hair stands on end as the tingle runs up one arm, crosses their hearts and runs down the other arm.

Hunter, trying to maintain his cool, gives a lopsided attempt at a smoldery smile while still holding Mads gaze. Mad was never prepared for this sensory experience and immediately inhaled while her pupils dilate, and her face slightly flushes. Hunter can hear her heart skip a beat, then pick up to a frenetic pace. He smells perspiration as it begins to form upon her skin. He also smells a faint hint of arousal.

“Mad…” She’s thrown off by what just happened and quickly pulls away. She’s used to whatever crawls into the bar trying to daftly impress, threaten, cajole, talk down to, manhandle, or manipulate her. He’s self-depreciating, disarming, and a bit goofy…while smoking hot. She’s confused and warming up to this Hunter guy. But the walls are still up. The urge to bust him in the chops has left her mind.

“Wooo. That was…intense!” Mad’s feral demeanor fell away to shit eating grin and head tilt. She fans herself with her hand. That sensation was amazing! What the hell did HE do?

Hunter chuckled. “Uh, yeeaaah…” Casually crosses his legs to hide a semi erection. That sensation was amazing! What the hell did SHE do?

“That happen often?”

“Nope. You’re the first.”

“Shush…flattery will get you everywhere” Mad leaned in closer to Hunter, still not breaking intense eye contact. She was falling into the pool of those warm brown eyes. Basking in them. Hoping not to drown.

“I can only hope,” he counters. His heart flutters first, then he feels a second flutter between his crossed legs. Physically he feels amazing. Mentally, he feels like an idiot.

Cid, leaning against the back of the bar, rolls her eyes. “Can I get you love birds to move the party to The Oasis? I can’t handle the melodrama. Give ya a bottle of free Spotchka to get lost.”

“The Oasis?” Hunter said suddenly. He was very confused. To the best of his knowledge, Cid never mentioned it.

“It’s a secret little hideaway. She doesn’t let just anyone use it.” Mad winked at Cid then gave Hunter a conspiratorial grin.

Cid wrinkled her nose and shot Hunter a nasty look, “I never let your Batch in on it…except for Tiny. Your ship smells like poodoo. If you trash my Oasis, you’ll owe me FOREVER!” She followed this up by pointing her long bony Trandoshan claw at him.

Yep, that did it: Totally killed Hunters erection.

Cid plunked down a full bottle on the bar. Mad grabbed it as she got up from her bar stool. “Care to join me for Spotchka under the stars…Hunky?”

Two loud and very offended scoffs from across the room, “How come we don’t’ get free bottles?”

“SHUT IT!” from Cid “Or you both are gonna get a bottle each…upside your heads!!!”

Hunter could only answer with a smile and nod, grateful he could now get to his feet without embarrassment from a certain bodily function. He followed Mad to Cid’s office and through a hidden doorway.

“Don’t trash my Oasis! I MEAN IT!!!” came Cid’s shrill threat from the other room.

Mad grabbed Hunters hand and led him through several dark winding stairways, many doorways, purposeful twists and turns that confused the sense of direction. The last door opened to a rooftop area…

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

To read Chapter 2

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/728315714878980096/background-hunter-and-mad-bond-make-love-and?source=share

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skellymom · 3 months

Note

Love the new pfp!!

Ohhh thanks!

It's my OC Mad from my "Vagabonds" series! Little bit of me thrown in there too. Finally decided to use her as my avatar.

In case you haven't seen them...

...and for SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION reasons...

Original pencil sketch:

Inked:

Introduction to my OC's story featuring Hunter from The Bad Batch!

Btw @techs-goggles9902 Back at ya. Been enjoying your content as well!!! <3

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #bad batch #clone force 99 #tbb hunter #hunter #oc mad #vagabonds fan fic #vagabonds fan fiction #tbb mad #the bad batch hunter x reader oc #tbb hunter x reader oc #skellymom #original art #original character #tbb vagabonds #the bad batch vagabonds

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dangraccoon · 1 year

Text

Oyuba’din - Chapter 10: Wrong

Original Character x The Bad Batch

Summary: Jaine finds unexpected new relationships blossoming with a few members of the Bad Batch.

Warnings: discussion of trust issues, idiots starting to fall in love, depictions of small amounts of anxiety

Author’s Note: omg I can’t believe y’all are still reading this, 10 episodes in! Thank you all so much for your continued support! I love y’all so much 🥹💛 anyway here we are again with The Boys™! Yeah anyone remember how I said this might turn into a poly!batch fic? Yeah so that’s like for sure happening now. What can I say, I do what the muse tells me to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ There will be absolutely NO clonecest. Gross. anywho, enjoy!

Mando’a key:

Cyar’ika = Sweetheart

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“‘Qoljak’?” Crosshair asked. “That’s where you’re from?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if even Tech didn’t know it existed. It was gone before you guys were even made,” Jaine shrugged sadly.

“How did you escape?”

“It’s fuzzy, it was so many years ago and I think my brain’s blocked a lot out.”

Crosshair sat in silence, taking it all in and watching as Jaine chucked a small rock into the pond. As far as he could tell, she didn’t trust anyone with this- her non-answer to his last question being evidence enough. Would it violate that surprising trust to tell his brothers? Would she hate him if he did? Did they even really need to know?

“Are you…going to tell the others?” he asked slowly, trying to gauge her reaction.

“I don’t know, I’m still pissed at them,” she huffed. “Maybe I’ll tell everyone except for Tech.”

Despite the bitterness of her expression, Crosshair laughed. “That’ll piss him off so bad.”

Jaine, having never really seen this side of Crosshair, grinned just a little even though she was still upset. “Gods, can you even imagine Wrecker trying to keep a secret?”

“He’s terrible at it,” Crosshair agreed.

The pair fell back into silence, less awkwardly now. Jaine threw a few more rocks at the pond, watching the ripples coming from each collision.

“Do you think I should tell them?” she asked quietly.

Crosshair seemed to consider this for a moment, pausing to throw his own rock, sinking it into the direct middle of the pond. “Eh, fuck ‘em. You tell them if you want to.”

Jaine’s shoulders released a tension she didn’t know they’d been holding. She swore she could feel the mood shift, but she must be tired. Still, slowly laid her head against his pauldron, eyes fluttering closed. “Thanks, Cross,” she whispered.

Internally, Crosshair was in full panic mode. She was laying on his shoulder. She trusts him with one of her secrets and to rest against him. He swore his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Could she hear it? Get your shit together, he scolded himself. What’s wrong with you?

Crosshair didn’t move, listening intently to her breathing becoming steadier and steadier until he was certain she’d fallen asleep.

The sun was going down. It was soon going to be dark and the air would chill. They should head back to the Marauder.

“Jaine?” he whispered, tapping her leg lightly. She made no response, physical nor verbal, so he shifted ever so slightly where he sat. Still nothing.

“C’mon, cyar’ika, we need to get back,” he mumbled. When she still didn’t respond, he heaved a sigh, slipping one arm around her back and one behind her knees, moving to stand up.

He carried her through the forest she’s torn through before, careful not to jostle her too much or make too much noise.

Hunter heard Crosshair coming, nervousness still not at ease, he nearly sprinted to the door of the ship, scanning the tree line for his brother.

It was so quiet, even to Hunter, that he almost missed it, but as Crosshair’s form broke from the trees, he gave a small shushing sound. Hunter’s pulse started to race as he saw his brother carrying Jaine’s limp form in his arms.

He raced to his brother’s side, where he was simply shushed again. Crosshair seemed to be in no hurry as he brought Jaine aboard, carrying her into the tiny medbay where her small cot had been set up in the corner. He placed her gently into the bedding, pulling the blanket over her, before turning back to see the rest of the batch waiting for him at the door.

“What happened?” Hunter asked, calmly, taking a seat at the small table in the galley.

“Nothing,” Crosshair shrugged.

“Did Jaine tell you her planet of origin?” Tech piped up.

Crosshair didn’t respond, opting to instead place a toothpick between his jaws.

“Crosshair?” Tech prompted.

“Why do you care so much?”

Tech flustered a little. “If she has been withholding vital information about her identity, she could be hiding much more.”

“How many times has she saved your ass in the field?” Crosshair retorted, pointing his toothpick for emphasis.

“I fail to see how that’s relevant.”

“You’re telling me that she hasn’t proved herself enough to you to earn the benefit of the doubt? Not to any of you?” Crosshair looked around the group. He was growing more and more irritated, but refused to raise his voice, worried he would wake Jaine.

The batch exchanged a few guilty looks with each other.

“What if she’s from a separatist planet?” Wrecker asked, looking like a kicked tooka.

Crosshair’s heart was hammering and he could feel the heat rising up his neck. He knew Hunter could tell, but he didn’t care. Why were they attacking her? Why couldn’t they understand?

“Crosshair,” Hunter started, his brow furrowed in conflict. “If you know something-”

“I know you all are forgetting how many times in only two months she’s saved our asses, I know you’re all paranoid, and I know that I trust her,” Crosshair spat, turning on his heel to walk back to the medbay.

“Cross,” Hunter called after him, receiving only a rude hand sign thrown over his brother’s shoulder.

––––––––––

Jaine felt groggy. A small feeling- an instinct- prickled at the back of her mind. She jolted up in her bed, quickly scanning the dark room.

“Relax,” Crosshair spoke from his chair at the desk.

“Crosshair?” she hummed.

“Who else would it be?” Crosshair snarked and Jaine could practically hear his smirk.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes and turning on the small lamp near her bunk.

“You…asked me to stay,” he frowned, squinting at the sudden change of light. “When I came to check on you?”

Jaine searched her brain. She had run off, Crosshair came and found her and then she- oh, gods.

Jaine felt her face become bright red, cursing herself for turning on the light.

“Tell me more about your home,” Crosshair blurted out, surprising both of them. He coughed a little, looking intently anywhere but her. “If you want, you don’t have to, but I want to know more…about you.”

Jaine watched on as the typically stoic sniper’s face fell red, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck.

“Oh, um, what do you want to know?” she inquired. “I was just a kid when it fell.”

“Right, sorry, you don’t have to- I mean, I’ll just-” Crosshair stammered, jumping up from his seat, and making his way out of the room. “Goodnight, Jaine.”

“Goodnight,” Jaine replied after he had left the room.

Tech paced anxiously outside of the medbay. The others had long since gone to bed,and he had tried, but he simply couldn’t sleep.

Crosshair trusted her. Crosshair, his most standoffish brother, the one who was the most skeptical about everything, trusted her.

Unlikely as he might have felt it was, Tech felt he may have misjudged her character. He felt like a fool. Crosshair was right, Jaine had given no reason for his mistrust, even going beyond that he could see now that she obviously cared deeply for all of them. He slowly came to the realization that he felt like a fool because he was a fool.

It was difficult for him to admit that someone else was correct or that he didn’t know something, and to be fair, it wasn’t a problem that occurred often, yet here he was, pacing outside of her door, searching for a way to confess that he had acted out of paranoia and fear and that, while he had given her no reason to, he hoped she could forgive him.

He was deeply lost in thought, so much so that when Jaine’s door slid open, it startled him.

“Tech? What are you doing up at this hour?” she asked sleepily. “Are you okay?”

Against his will, Tech’s eyes raked over her form. Dressed in a short pair of sleep shorts and one of Wrecker’s torn black tops, her hair was mussed just a little, and not pulled up in the small tuft it usually was. She blinked at him, eyebrows drawn in concern, and Tech realized he had been just staring at her for several moments, fascinated with her beauty in the late hours of the night.

“Tech?” she asked again, stepping closer to him. “You don’t look well; why don’t you come in and let me have a look at you?”

Tech blinked at her as though she were speaking a language he didn’t understand, but slowly nodded.

“Here, have a seat,” she said, pulling him by the arm towards the exam table.

He watched as she worked silently in the dim lamp light of the medbay.

She came over with a scanner, quickly reading his vital signs. She hummed a little at the results before returning the scanner to its place in a drawer.

“Pulse is a little high,” she informed him. “Did you get into the caf to stay up working again? When was the last time you got any sleep?”

Tech’s brows pulled together, his brain working frustratingly slow. Caf? No, he hadn’t had any today. Or since the last time she looked him over- when she’d asked him to cut down on his usual 5 cups and get some actual rest.

He shook his head a little, still not finding the ability to speak. He was worried that if he did, everything could come spilling out. The admission that he was wrong was something that made him feel quite vulnerable, and he was worried what else could come out of his mouth without his permission.

She smiled a little at the man before her, trying not to show her confusion over his lack of speech, but went to work, taking down her mortar and pestle as well as several ingredients from the cabinets. She could hear his heel tapping lightly against the floor as his knee bounced behind her.

“This is dried valerian root,” she explained softly. “I’m going to mix it together with passion flower and chamomile leaves to make you some tea to help you sleep.”

He watched her adding ingredients, grinding them together, smelling the mixture to add more as needed. She hummed a similar tune to the one she had when she had calmed Hunter’s migraine. He found this to be somewhat entrancing. The way her voice lilted softly and the way her body moved so comfortably, so fluidly, as she worked in the middle of the night, just to help him. She was doing this in spite of how he had treated her.

Jaine poured the tea mixture into a small electric kettle, filling it with water and turning it on.

“You seem tense,” she breathed, leaning against the counter as she waited for the tea to brew. She watched him carefully as his eyes shot up to her face from the floor.

“Why are you being so kind to me?” he whispered, feeling his cheeks heat ever so slightly.

Her head tilted a little as a small smile played at her lips. “You seemed like you were trying to ask for my help, so I’m providing it.”

He sat there for a long time, taking in the simplicity of her answer as she poured the tea into a mug, stirring in a small amount of honey.

“I think I know what’s going on in that brain of yours,” she said, handing him the mug. “Careful, it’s hot.”

Tech accepted the tea with a nod, blowing softly over the top of it.

“It’s okay,” she began, sitting next to him. “I don't blame you for not trusting me. With the war, it’s hard to trust new people. I get the same way. I only trusted you all so easily because Cody and Rex recommended this squad so highly.”

Tech sipped at the tea, enjoying the sweet woodsy-floral taste as his mind wandered back to the day before they had met Jaine. Cody’s cool demeanor and barely veiled threats about treating her well. He’d done a great job of that.

“And my childhood- well, let’s just say I have some problems when it comes to trusting people I don’t know,” she smiled lightly.

He nodded a little, he could feel the effects of the tea started to calm his ever-fraying nerves and relax his busy mind.

“I’m sorry I got so upset,” she said, the corners of her mouth pulling downward. “I feel so close to all of you that to walk into a conversation that was about myself, it threw me off. Talking with Crosshair helped, but I was mostly just worried that I’d upset you by not answering your questions.”

She looked back up at him, placing a light hand on his knee. “You gave me the opportunity to talk to you and I dismissed it out of hand. That was horrible of me, and I promise that going forward, I’ll make an effort to communicate more effectively with you.”

“Can I kiss you?”

The question broke free from his slowly relaxing mind and flew out of his mouth. Jaine’s eyes were wide as she scanned his face.

“Ap-apologies,” Tech stammered, nearly jumping up from his seat and away from her. “I believe the concoction you’ve given me has lowered my typical level of brain activity, causing me to say something inappropriate.”

“Tech, it’s-”

“Thank you for your assistance with my restlessness. I will take my leave. Good evening, Lieutenant,” Tech spoke rapidly, turning sharply on his heel and making his way from the medbay, cursing himself the whole way to his bunk.

Jaine was left to sit there, staring at the door through which he’d left so abruptly, jaw opening and closing slightly as though she were going to speak, though nothing came.

She drank the remaining tea and fell into a deep slumber.

Thanks for reading! - Dang

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