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oceansssblue · 7 months ago

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Another rare pairing for y'all, I think this two are really cute together, one of my favs! Might write more about them in the future, but for now, buckle yourselves up for a little intense oneshot!

Xx, Blue.

"FAN BOY" – HUNTER/ECHO 💔💖

WARNINGS: CROSS BEING A BIT JEALOUSY-TOXIC, MENTIONS OF PHYSICAL INSECURITIES, FIRST KISS & HAPPY ENDING.

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"Why don't you tell Echo why you really wanted him to join our team back then, mm?"

The words echo heavily in the silence of the cockpit of the Marauder. Tech stops tipping on his datapad and glances up, surprised; Wrecker gulps and plays with his own hands nervously. Crosshair is glaring at Hunter; and Echo turns to look at his sergeant as well, his face filling with aprehension and uncertainty.

That's the thing with Crosshair, isn't it? He doesn't handle his trust issues very well, and inmediately attacks everyone, even the people he loves, upon a new threat. Hunter's been spending more and more time with the ARC lately; discussing strategies but also having long quiet talks in their free time, simply enjoying each other's company when nothing is expected from the two of them. And Crosshair is seing this developing attachment as a dangerous competition for the sniper's own attachment to Hunter. Hunter doesn't know how else to reasure him that he has space on his heart for both of them. Cross will always be his brother. And Echo... Echo...

Echo is terrified of what he's about to find. He knows Crosshair's words can cut deep if they want to; and he's got that sort of dangerous glint in his eyes now. He's going to push the whole Batch to a drifting point. Echo... Doesn't think he's ready to hear this. He has a guess of what he's about to say; and knowing Hunter only offered him a spot in their team because he pitied him, that... That would break him. It hadn't been so long ago when Echo felt nothing more than a pathetic mix of metals and scrapped bones. Half-droid. Half-human. No longer a reg, a proper clone... His sense of identity had been swipped in a blink, and among the nauseating guilt of having had his mind used to kill other people, other vods... It had been extremely dificult to carry on. He had worked a lot on it, though. He had moved on. Day by day, his confidence and capacities as a soldier, as a person, had returned. Echo prays the trooper's next words won't bring all of it down.

"Shut up, Crosshair" Hunter warns, with a sharpness rarely seen on him. "You've got no fucking right".

Echo winces. It's definitely nothing good if Hunter reacts like that. As a leader, he's use to mediate; to be patient, remain calm.

Crosshair smirks. He ignores Hunter's death stare and gives Echo a smug grin. A promise of destruction. The spark of a fire.

"Surely Echo is smart enough to figure out how much of a fan boy you are by now" he continues, Hunter's standing figure not quick enough to shut him up. "I'm just not sure if he thinks this is a recent development. Wether he knows that you only offered him that spot on our team after Anaxes because you couldn't help but take the chance to have your little crush close to you".

It all happens so fast; Crosshair's confession, and Hunter's harsh slap on the sniper's cheek. The rest of the Batch are left staring at them, doumbfounded.

"You just can't help but pull people into your own missery, can't you" Hunter hisses, cheeks flushing with either embarassment or rage. "You're such a dickhead, Crosshair".

Hunter rushes out of the cockpit; not daring a single glance towards the others. Crosshair huffs, stands up, and leaves as well; taking the opposite direction and walking out of the Marauder into the hangar they're stationed in. Wrecker and Tech sigh, perhaps more used to his; but Echo remains silent, in shock, trying to process what happened between the brothers.

"What... What does Crosshair mean with "crush"?" He asks, hesitant, still not able to believe he has heard that word coming out of the sniper's lips.

It must have been sarcastic. Some sort of joke to make fun of the two of them.

Wrecker scratches the back of his head, his eyes flickering over the room before answering.

"Hunter has always liked you. From before Anaxes, I mean" he whispers, and Echo answers with a lost blink.

Tech decides to throw some light on the subject; since the cat is out of the bag now.

"Wrecker's affirmation is correct" he agrees, and explains "As the leader of the squad, Hunter and I have studied millions of strategies for all sorts of usefull variants in battles. Our trainers encouraged us to learn from other's experiences, and when you made ARC and started to help Captain Rex with them, we studied those too. In adition, Hunter finally started to show his first signs of sexual maturity and attraction; so it was naturally easy for him to fall for you. Even in the distance, without a proper meeting between the two of you, he grew to admire you. To like you. Considering all of this, I'd say Crosshair's use of the words "crush" and "fan boy" to be decently accurate; though I can understand Hunter's anger about him revealing this private information without his consent. I also agree on Hunter's observation that Crosshair tends to hurt others when he is unhappy as well".

Echo is having trouble to think. This is too much to take in; his mind can't quite understand that Hunter –handsome, sexy, competent Hunter– had all this feelings for him burried for so long. He would have never guessed. He is not naive enough to not have noticed that they were getting closer lately; but Echo had only had hoped that maybe, in the future, the sargeant would grow to think of him as a possibility. But not now. Not that he already did. That he always had. That just...

"For the record" Tech continues, holding his index up. "I don't believe Hunter only offered you to join us solely based on his previous attraction to you. He believed you to be a good addition to our dynamic; you were a seasoned experienced soldier, an ARC no less, and that would always be valuable for the team. He asked us and we all agreed on it".

Echo is honestly relieved to hear that. He'd prefer to have been picked for a pretty face than pity; but it was nice to now it hadn't been based on just that. Echo's panick disolves into stunned confusion and surprise.

"And... Crosshair implies Hunter still feels this way for me now, after all this months?" He finally manages to ask, heart speeding up.

There's a new feeling surging inside of him; hope.

"I wouldn't catalogue it into a "crush" any longer" Tech hums, thoughtfully. "After so many experiences together, and the way I've seen you both interacting over the weeks and the few comments he has made about you to me, I'd say it would run deeper than that. Hunter is also not a teenager anymore; the word "crush" sounds too childish for what I think he feels for you now".

A rush of excitement and warmth flows through Echo's veins. This has to be one of the few times he is this glad that Tech is always overly concise and explicit. This information soothes so many worries, gives him so many chances to work on...

"Thank you, Tech" he pats his shoulder. "I think I'm gonna' go see how Hunter's doing now".

Before either Tech or Wrecker has had the chance to say goodbye, Echo is already leaving the cockpit into the direction of the Marauder's common bunk room.

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Hunter is sprawled down on his bed, laying down with his face pressed dejectedly against the pillow, and Echo can almost hear him floating in his own shame. He guesses he'd react similarly if someone had decided to blurt his secret out to the world so suddenly.

"So you liked me, then?" He decides to ask, straight to the point.

The time for hidding and making up excuses –both for Hunter and himself– has ended. If he has a chance, Echo is not going to waste it.

The sergeant groans, pushing his face further into the shield that is protecting him from the outside world.

"You were hot and smart" he reluctantly mumbles, his muffled voice barely audible if not for Echo's implants. "Of course I did".

Echo's heart swell. He can't believe this is happening; that this is real. It almost feels like a dream; those he invented to try to comfort himself at cold nights full of dark memories and fear.

"And you still do? Even if I now look like... This?" A tiny sliver of uncertainty inevitably makes it's way to Echo's mind, and it's enough to finally pull Hunter's face out of his refugee.

"You look different, but you're just as hot and smart now" Hunter replies, a surge of fierce confidence acompanied by a defiant tilt of his chin, almost as if he's daring Echo to contradict him.

Echo feels a pleasant tingle on the base of his spine. Hunter likes how he looks –how he is– right now. Hunter think he's... hot. Echo feels aceptable to look at most days; to know he is admired and desired is... Electrifying. He hadn't really felt like this since Skako.

Echo takes the liberty to slowly walk towards Hunter; carefully sitting in his bunk besides him.

"And you've run all the way down here to...?"

Hunter huffs.

"To not throw a punch at Crosshair's face, mainly, and because I didn't know how to behave around you after he esentially confessed for me" he deadpans.

Echo chuckles quietly.

"You did slap him" he points out, and Hunter shrugs.

"Deserved. He should be glad. A slap hurts less than a punch".

Echo laughs; and it's such a rare sight that Hunter can't help but smile looking at him. His eyes turn soft, his own smile fond; and Echo suddenly realises how this kind of expresion has always been reserved for him.

He catches one of Hunter's hands in his and infuses as much sweetness and warmth in his voice in response.

"I know it must have been embarassing. Perhaps humiliating" his thumb caresses the man's skin and Hunter shivers staring at him. "But I'm somewhat glad this happened, even if in this circumstances. Because I've also been liking you for quite the time now, and I wasn't planning on confessing anytime soon".

Hunter's breath hitches; and he moves to sit straigther in the bed, so that they're almost face to face.

"Why not?" he asks, fingertips caressing Echo's face, almost reverent.

The ARC exposes his own vulnerability.

"Because I didn't think there was a chance someone like you could like someone like me" he whispers, and the words send darts to Hunter's heart.

He sighs and traces a thumb over Echo's lips.

"I don't know how to make you understand how I feel" he softly presses a peck to the trooper's sharp cheek, pale skin reddening inmediately. "You're gorgeous, Echo".

The soldier shivers and melts against Hunter's quick embrace.

He wants to share so many things with him; ask questions, confess some. But he suddenly feels exhausted, and he lets the shorter man pull him down so they're both laying on the bed, legs and arms entwined in a sweet embrace. Echo pushes his nose against Hunter's neck and smiles, giving it too a small peck. The sergeant shivers and answers with a low, pleased hum; and soon sleep falls upon the both of them.

When Crosshair slips into the room in the middle of the night –Tech and Wrecker sleeping soundlessly too in their respective bunks– and sees two shapes on Hunter's bed, he stares for a few seconds before silently climbing into his own and resorting to rest as well. Over the next few days and weeks, when he sees them briefly kissing and caressing each other here and there, he stays peacefully quiet as well.

THE END.

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darthkote · 7 months ago

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Must... Must write smth very filthy and sensory-related at 79s. Or at some other club in the lower levels. Smth about those neon lights and the juxtaposition of all the sin and debauchery below the most pristine-looking place in the entire galaxy... very inspiring.

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heyclickadee · 3 months ago

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One of the fun things about Tech being so damn confident (and having the skill to back it up) is that, well, he’s a pilot. Of course he’s confident. I’ve known quite a few pilots. Pilots, like surgeons, are just like that.

#if anything Tech isn’t as overconfident as a few pilots I’ve met #because the thing about Tech is that he’s actually going into things #with a fairly accurate assessment of his own capacity #and refusing to downplay it at all but also not putting anyone else down in the process #it’s actually a weirdly wholesome kind of confidence #even though the ‘least humble man in the galaxy’ jokes are really funny #meanwhile pick a random 787 captain and half the time they’ll act like their God’s gift to the universe #also slight sidebar but still relevant #Phee ALSO being incredibly confident and self assured is one of the reasons I ship them so hard #‘I am seldom wrong’ vs ‘If I’m right—which is always’ I mean #listen if you’re going to pair an extremely confident character up with someone #may as well be someone with more confidence than them #because that means they’ll push and pull with each on decisions #and no one gets steamrolled #tech bad batch

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not-so-mundane-after-all · 5 months ago

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Make a post showcasing your blorbos and then tag others to do the same!!

Tagged by @dilf-din ❤️ thanks, love!

No pressure tags for @undertheknightwing @sotvtaughtmehowtofeel @channelrat

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sinisterexaggerator · 1 year ago

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Hello there!

I am here to ease ya'll into my favorite ship:

Banaka (Cad Bane x Hondo Ohnaka)

Best in the Bunch.

I have so much planned for these two in a fanfic I am only just beginning to write (that spans Cad Bane's entire life), but conversations with @allsystemsblue led me to write this fluff scenario and I could not stop myself.

Pretend that what you are reading is based on an already well-established relationship. Bane shows affection by acts of service and gift giving, as his feelings are something he has trouble with expressing. The rest is self-indulgent garbage.

I should mention this is not how the rest of said fic will go. This is a one-off just for fun. You can expect angst, drama, hurt, comfort, toxic relationships, violence and smut in the future.

Credit goes to Teeth for the idea that Hondo, while not believing in the God Quay, still finds comfort in performing magicks for his own peace of mind.

Word count: 1.4k+

Ao3

Warnings: None. Fluff, a kiss, and a lot of negativity on Bane's part.

He didn’t know a thing about them, flowers, only that they might come in useful for a certain predicament he had found himself in, as it seemed most sentient beings thought the seed-bearing parts of plants—consisting of its reproductive organs, mind you—were somehow beautiful.

He supposed he could see it, what with their bright-colored corollas, petals coming in all shapes and sizes, typically paired with a calyx as green as his own blood. That was only on some planets. On others, they were red, or blue. Purple. Indigo.

On Florrum, they came in various shades of orange, or yellow, a rarity after an even rarer desert downpour.

Fragile is what they were, and a waste of money. The resources used to farm them could be utilized in more efficient ways. Perhaps he would like the wild ones better, though to pull weeds as a manner of apology didn’t seem good enough. Didn’t seem thoughtful enough. He was sure the Weequay would run him out.

Then again, apologizing wasn’t something he often did, as Bane rarely meant not to do something he had set his mind to. Only this time, he had hurt Ohnaka’s feelings.

Feelings. Hondo had too many, and maybe Bane had too few. Callous one might call him, insensitive another. Cynical was more like it; tired; disillusioned. Yet rare was the man who could crack him open to show him what lay beneath; like a geode, Ohnaka exposed his insides, revealing to Bane all the pretty bits he never would have known existed.

And Bane did care, if only when it suited him. If only on his terms. But this time, he cared because Hondo did. It was partially anathema, this caring, yet he did it anyway, unable to coax his mind to let their little squabble go.

To the pirate, it had been more than that, Bane insulting his very heritage. He didn’t understand the tiny dolls he kept, the archaic sources of illumination that were made of wax and smelled like things Bane could not identify, nor the bits and scraps of flimsi that had been burned to cinders.

These things decorated a small table, resting atop an ornate cloth; Bane had touched it much to the pirate’s chagrin, then disrespected his arcane practice, ridiculing his efforts to appease some nonexistent deity in order to bring about Bane’s good luck.

His job was dangerous, but the hunter was unaware he was being prayed for behind closed doors. Somehow, that had irritated him, more so as he didn’t understand it, thinking Hondo must be attempting to commit himself to witchcraft like those little ladies that lived on Dathomir.

“What’s with dhis nonsense. Ain’t no use in doin’ dhat,” he remembered saying; a poor choice of words to one who meant no ill will.

He understood that now, if nothing else. So what if Hondo lit a candle for him. Who was he to say he hadn’t lived to hunt another day because of it? It was possible the only thing keeping Bane alive besides his street smarts and good aim was the Weequay’s magicks; Bane shuddered to think that was the case.

Even so, here he was, holding a bouquet tightly in one hand and his hat’s brim in the other, deigning to do what he felt might be ignored. This was nothing more than a gesture to barter passage into the pirate king’s good graces—an act of service on his part, the buying of them—for in the here and now, there was nothing more he wished to accomplish in this life. Had you told him he would be doing this a year ago, he would have laughed himself hoarse, or worse yet, right into an early grave.

Yes, flowers. Expensive, frail, and pointless. He had chosen the prettiest of those assembled according to his tastes, selecting a color he assumed was the dummy’s favorite: red.

Ladalums were scarce and imported from Alderaan, a fact he’d learned upon their purchase. They would only bloom if pollinated on their homeworld; these were fresh off the cargo freight, able to last months if given the right treatment.

That was one good thing about them—once out of his hands, the rest was up to the pirate to take care of. He was good at that, Bane mused—caring for things.

Eyes and heads—not dissimilar from all the others that populated this chamber of sorts—turned to look at this bounty hunter who relunctantly proceeded with his walk of shame. Bane would bite back all his nasty words, even as members of Hondo's gang jeered and snickered at his expense.

What he wouldn’t give to kill them on the spot. Somehow, he imagined, that would not do him any favors.

Seated on a low dais, in a throne fit for a king no less, his disgruntled paramour still fumed, swoop-goggles purposefully removed to rest upon the front of his worn helmet. Those expressive gray eyes were the Duros’ weakness, finding that he could not meet his narrowed gaze. Already oblique, Hondo’s stormy depths had gathered further into slits, leaving Bane to swallow down his spit.

Still, he approached, feeling naked and vulnerable as he stood there like a scolded child without his hat to shield him. He did his best, fathomless red ellipses meeting Hondo’s glare head-on, Bane saying the only thing he could think to say.

“Brought some flowers.”

Nothin'. There was no reaction, not even a change in his demeanor or a brightening of mood. Bane overtly frowned, taking a step back for his boots to echo lightly against the duracrete floor of Hondo’s beloved fortress home.

Supposin’ this didn’t work, Bane planned for his retreat, hoping to retain some dignity among those present. He lowered his head, his hat rightfully returned to where it belonged by a flat palm, Bane ready to drop the bouquet like so much trash at his feet; it was difficult to care when you didn’t know how to fix the wrong you’d done. Trying wasn’t as good as doing. Doing was the hard part.

“Are dose for me?”

Four little words that set Bane’s heart to thumping, the hunter wisely keeping his eyes averted as he saw the pirate stand out of his periphery. He would only nod, an infinitesimal movement of his head, up and down, affirming what Hondo already knew—those flowers were for him.

His spark descended, that charming scoundrel who kept him going on a dark night of the soul; he strode down the short flight of stairs that would bring him nearly to his level, Bane taller than Ohnaka, though the man was bigger in some ways; his heart for one, Bane thought.

“Dey are beautiful, my Moon,” his bit of sunshine said, Bane’s sorrowful eyes rising out from the shade of his bolero.

“Picked de best in de bunch,” he humbly offered, words bordering a whisper, eerily heard as the hall was quiet, grim faces and furrowed brows sparing him none of his embarrassment. "Same could be said, fer ye,” he added.

It was then the Weequay smiled, a dazzling thing, brighter than dual suns. Bane relaxed openly as he expelled a breath from between his teeth; it was a slow, heavy sigh of relief.

“Flatterer,” Hondo teased, his smile spreading wider, gold amidst pearl and oh-so satisfying to witness should Bane be the sole cause of it. “Dey need water, hm?”

The shuffling of a crimson coat and an idle toss of a braid signaled to Bane that Hondo would exit, the hunter grateful his gift had been accepted. However, the Weequay would pause, turning about face, reflecting on the shrinking Duros as he had been tempted to follow in his footsteps.

“Just… one more ting,” he announced, his expression hardening back to a look previously sported as his voice lowered an octave, Bane’s heart sinking toward his belly as he did not wish to incur any more reprimands.

Hondo took him by his coat’s lapel, jerking him forward. Bane held onto his hat as dusky lips brushed across his, pinpricks of electricity teeming along his scales like minuscule lightning bolts. The Duros would slump his shoulders to sink to Ohnaka’s height, a warm, black tongue invading his mouth to skirt one that was cool and pink.

This must be what it felt like to be forgiven, he assumed, some invisible weight lifting from off his conscience.

“Take it ye like flowers,” Bane remarked once free of his kiss, wanting to fill the now awkward silence with something to lighten whatever tension might be left between them.

For Hondo, there was none. He could just as easily forget as he could forgive. A rough thumb smoothed down the bit of Bane’s flesh left assailable, brazenly descending to aid in the tweaking of one sharp fang.

“Yes,” Hondo harmoniously agreed, “you might say dat.”

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tlmtwelve · 4 months ago

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Prompts: Anakin Skywalker, Crosshair, eating a sandwich

#star wars #random pairing #anakin skywalker #tbb crosshair #sandwich #eating #sw art #the clone wars #the bad batch #february 2025 #digital art #i love this #clone #jedi #Anakin's eyeing those fries #it's not perfect but it's perfect to me

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tending-the-hearth · 1 year ago

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i am both mentally preparing myself for next week but also vehemently denying the signs of what's to come

#esp paired with the fact that next week's episode is supposed to be the worst in terms of pain #listen i started crying when echo volunteered to go solo #so if he dies next week or in the season finale #i will genuinely have a breakdown #anyways living my life in sweet sweet delusional bliss that everything will work out happily #the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #arc trooper echo

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arolesbianism · 2 months ago

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Finally got around to finishing the second nugget batch, this time featuring several favorite children and the absolute least favorite child <3

#keese draws #oc art #lobotomy corporation #lobotomy corporation oc #lob corp oc #I don’t dislike any of my nuggets. but ray (double buns) is the nugget I neglect the hardest #it’s to the point I’d say to not consider this design canon yet they genuinely have nothing going on in my brain as side from being in #proximity of the rest of the disciplinary team all of which I do have thoughts abt #and all of these guys are pretty senior in my facility they’re not the most senior but ray has existed for a long while #to be fair. several other characters here were also pretty badly neglected for a long time. mainly piper and river #but river is a favorite child now and piper is a part of the like only friend group in my facility now #anyways I’m definitely less happy with these than the last batch but I was sick when I drew like half of them so I give myself a pass #but yeah in order we have emma (she/her) piper (he/they) jacob (he/him) christopher (she/her) river (he/him) ray (they/them) anton (she/her)#hoon (she/they) and sanchez (any)#ofc I’ve drawn river anton and sanchez before and I’ve talked abt all the others aside from ray but still #shout out to hoon in particular I’ve barely talked abt her but I’ve been thinking abt her a decent amount lately #she and sanchez are the only pair of siblings in my facility who are just sort of chilling #the plancks have a dead one and the bells include saxxly #but these two get along well and are having a surprisingly ok time at lob corp despite everything surrounding them #like they’re in the extraction team and their fellow tramates include a girl who murdered a man and stole his identity and a girl who has #beaten her sister to death several times #and yet. they’re genuinely not doing too bad. they’re even kinda enjoying themselves.#hoon is having a less fine time as the realist of the two but this still is kinda just another job to them #the main thing with the two is that they’ve been hopping from situation to situation with little consequence for a good while now #they’ve never really felt in any real danger before and that doesn’t change at lob corp #in fact due to how my facility works it gets worse really as they basically can’t die #so while hoon tries to be the realist and the down to earth one her own perception of the situation is also quite skewed #many in the facility probably would see her as not taking anything seriously and kinda living in her own world #this can be especially seen in how she allows and even encourages sanchez’s stupid nuclear family roleplay with their fellow team members #they don’t even realize how fucked the rest of their team is they just think it’s funny they go along with it

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leapingbadger · 7 months ago

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Entangled - Chapter 4 - Caught (Fennter Fic)

The Fennter brain rot continues. Check out Chapter 4!

Summary: Tension rises as Hunter and Shand manage their unlikely partnership and precarious situation. Will they be able to trust each other as the net closes in on them?

Hunter paused at the top of the steps to let Shand pass and followed her through to the cockpit. He noticed her gingerly sitting in the seat, arm still wrapped around her stomach.

“Do you need a med patch?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she said curtly, pulling the lever to see a blue and green planet fall into view. “Wait, where are we?” she asked, looking down at the nav computer, her lips forming a thin line.

“The coordinates from the datarod. It’s the Corillian system,” Hunter said, peering out the window.

“Kriff it,” Shand said under her breath.

Hunter noticed she’d gone ridged again, her motions jerky and tight. “Problem?” he asked, his voice low.

She ignored him, bringing the ship in low over the sprawling grey city before taking it wide into the surrounding forest.

“You missed the…”

“I didn’t miss anything. We can just land in the port, they’ll find us. We’ll trek in on foot. Won’t take more than a couple of hours.” She said, her voice efficient and curt.

“Are you up to that?” he asked, as the ship landed in a forest clearing with a bump.

She swiveled around in the chair aggressively, her narrowed eyes stormy and dark. She stood up with a wince, pushing Hunter back into the door of the cockpit, her arm at his throat.

“I don’t need your opinion or your advice. I give the orders; I make the decisions. I do not need a clone’s help,” she spat.

Hunter stared down at her, frustration and anger bubbling up inside of him. He didn’t need this. No amount of credits was worth this hassle. He pushed her off him, pulling her arm and pushing her against the spot he had just vacated. He didn’t slam her into the space as she had done to him, conscious of her injury.

“If you want to push yourself into an early grave, that’s fine. I’m here for the credits and I don’t care if I have to provide your corpse to the guild to get them. I have done worse things in this life to get what I needed. I am not going down with you for this so take the kriffin’ med patch, gear up and let’s get this over with.” Hunter released her, threw a med patch at her feet and left the cockpit for the air of the cargo hold.

Hunter felt the adrenalin circulating as he paced in the hold, his beathing heavy and ragged. He couldn’t remember being this angry for a long time. He could hear his heartbeat in his chest but also Shand’s in the cockpit. The scent from the forest beyond seemed to be seeping into the ship. He squinted at the bright light and was almost consumed with overstimulation until he noticed his helmet at his feet where he had dropped it hours ago. He threw it on his head and sighed loudly. Drinking in the muffled feeling of serenity amongst chaos.

Her heard the faint whoosh of the cockpit door opening. Shand stood at the top of the steps, glaring down at him. She slid easily down the stairs, crossed in front of him, pulling a large cabinet open.

The armory was well stocked, blasters, rifles, detonators and knives. Hunter watched as she methodically strapped knives to her arms and legs, shoved blasters in their holsters and pulled the strap of her rifle over her shoulder.

She came to stand in front of him, picking her helmet up from the floor at his feet. She rose to meet his gaze before slipping the black and orange mask over her face and holding out her left hand.

“Ready?” she asked, the tone of her voice returned to normal.

Hunter took the thermal detonators from her and placed them in his backpack. “After you.” he said before following her down the ramp and out into Corellia.

The trek to the city was tedious and silent. Hunter took point, occasionally pausing for strange sounds or smells. Shand seemed content to let him lead for now, noticing when he stopped and hanging back. Hunter wasn’t sure if this was due to respect or the hopes that if something was coming for them, it would get him first.

The forest land ended abruptly, like the city had been slammed down in the middle of an otherwise uninhabited planet. As soon as their feet hit concrete and steel an imperial stormtrooper patrol crossed their path. Hunter turned his head, Shand lowered her gaze as they mingled with the villagers coming into the city.

He felt Shand tug on his sleeve to redirect him down an alleyway, strewn with crates. She took the lead, and wended her way through the city, ducking down side-streets, pausing at intersections as battalions walked past. Hunter could tell she knew these streets well. She walked with purpose and familiarity. The med patch had clearly had its desired effect, he just hoped it would continue to work as they got closer to their target, and their goal.

Whatever friction had existed hours ago had evaporated and Hunter was glad for it. They didn’t need to be friends, didn’t even need to trust each other, but outright hostility would get them killed and he refused to die alone on a planet like this.

“Any idea where Moto could be? the intel wasn’t specific,” Hunter said quietly as they spotted a checkpoint and ducked down another street to avoid it.

“I have a theory” she said, without giving any details.

Hunter sighed in frustration but didn’t push it. They travelled through a maze of streets and alleyways. The Imperial presence was growing the closer they got to the city center. It was now impossible to not pass a stormtrooper every few streets. Hunter’s hand hovered over his over his blaster.

“Guild members.” Shand whispered urgently, shoving Hunter sideways into an alleyway. He saw fat raindrops hit his armor and he and Shand walked shoulder to shoulder only to see a battalion of stormtroopers approaching from the other direction, their feet splashing in the newly formed puddles.

Heavy footfalls behind them indicated the guild members had chosen this alley to avoid imperial choke points as well.

“Who do you want to take out first?” Hunter asked, Blaster in hand.

“Take off your helmet,” she hissed.

“What?”

“Just do it,” She snapped.

Hunter removed his helmet as Shand removed hers. She grabbed him by the chestplate, swung him around so his back collided with the wall and planted her lips directly on his.

Hunter’s senses seemed to dim; his body’s only focus on the soft lips against his own. His ears, so good at knowing what was happening miles away, could only hear Shand’s heart clattering in her chest and his own beating rapidly to match it. His sense of smell, able to pick up the faint perfume of blossoms of the weeping maya tree on Pabu’s crest, could suddenly only catch the scent of her hair and the rain.

Shand’s lips were still on his. But as time stood frozen, and the danger had yet to pass, she kissed him again and he found himself kissing her back. She raised her hand to his jaw, pulling him closer to her. The catcalls and jibes that erupted from the stormtroopers and guild members were muted as they passed until the stomping boots had retreated entirely.

They broke apart to an empty alley. Shand took a step back, looked as though she was going to say something before thinking better of it. She put on her helmet and turned to continue on. Hunter followed suit, brushing his rain soaked hair out of his face and biting his tingling lips.

The rain was heavier now, sending merchants scattering under awnings. Shand strode forward while Hunter hung behind, blaster still in hand, aware that they would be lucky to get out of Corellia alive. Shand paused, “more guild members,” she said, pulling out her blaster. “We have to be getting close.”

“You think part of the guild is protecting Moto?” Hunter asked.

“Why else would they be here?” Shand asked.

“They could be looking for him like we are.”

“We’re the only ones with the coordinates…”

“That you know of.” Hunter Interjected.

She looked up at him and noticed a questioning look on her face through the slit in her helmet. They followed the guild members until they came to a club.

“We get tied up in a firefight here there’s no easy way out.” He said, thinking of the maze of streets they had walked through to get to this point.

“I know my way around well enough.” She took a deep breath. “You stay here. I’ll go in alone.”

“What? Why?” Hunter asked, suspiciously.

“If anything happens, you’re my backup.” She looked up at him, her dark eyes visible through the slit in her helmet.

Hunter hesitated but nodded and fell back to the previous street. He heard a roar as she entered the bar. “The famous Fennec Shand,” someone shouted over the din. Hunter closed his eyes, concentrating on the sounds from the bar, but they were muffled.

Time passed slowly as he waited in the rain. There was no sound of blaster fire or fighting but he hadn’t heard Shand’s sarcastic tone in a while and it put him on edge. The rain was heavy now, weighing down his armor and clothes. The cool water was seeping into his skin and down to his bones but still he stood watch and waited.

It was almost an hour by the time Hunter sensed movement. He slid back behind the corner and peeked out.

“Take her to my ship,” a helmeted bounty hunter said. Two other men carried Shand under the armpits. Her head hung to her chest, her boots scraping the wet ground as they dragged her. Another six bounty hunters of various species exited and flanked them as they walked.

Hunter started to follow slowly behind. He could hear Shand’s faint heartbeat among the cacophony of others. She was stunned, but alive. He hung back as best he could.

He heard a low groan escape Shand and he took his shot.

The last two bounty hunters dropped before even knowing what hit them. Hunter had set one blaster to stun, the other to kill. As soon as the bodies dropped to the floor the others turned to shoot.

Hunter jumped off the wall of the alleyway, tackling one masked man, knocking him out as his head crashed to the ground. The other raised his blaster to Hunter’s chest but he deflected it, stomping on the back of his knee with a crack and stunning him in the face.

There were only four left now, the two dragging Shand away at a run and the others who blocked the alley, blasters raised. Hunter pulled his virboblade from its sheath, throwing it at a pipe above their heads. Steam erupted in their faces, giving him cover as he shot them both of them in quick succession. He stooped to pick up the blade as he continued his pursuit.

He took off at a run after the others. He skidded past an intersection and collided with one of the final kidnappers. Hunter threw himself out of the way of a blaster bold that ricochet off the wall. Shand let out another groan as she lay slumped on the ground at the end of the alley. The bounty hunter was on top of him, gloved hand clasped around his throat. Hunter got his foot under the assailant’s diaphragm and pushed, shoving the attacker up and over, Hunter rolled into a sitting position and shot.

The attacker fell back, head smacking on the concrete, a smoking blaster hole in the center of his chest.

Hunter ducked behind debris in the alleyway as another blaster bolt sailed past his head. The final assailant stood over Shand, blaster no longer pointed at Hunter, but pointed directly at her chest.

“The bounty is worth more if she’s alive. But I still get paid if she’s dead.” he said in a low, gravely voice.

Hunter paused, both blasters raised. Shand had started to stir but wasn’t going to be much help. Hunter pointed his blasters up and away I surrendered, slowly lowering them to the ground. As soon as the blasters hit the floor Hunter drew his vibroknife and thew it, hitting the bounty hunter in the neck.

The assailant hit the ground with a thunk next to Shand. Hunter crossed the distance quickly, holstering his blaster to help her into a seated position.

She shook her head and rested her hand on her helmet. Hunter threw himself over her in a split second as a blaster bolt sailed over this shoulder, where his head had been. Shand, still groggy, drew the blaster from Hunter’s holster, sending shots at the bounty hunter at the end of the street. Hunter noticed two perfect shots to the forehead as the final bounty hunter sank to the floor.

“You, okay?” Hunter asked, gruffly, climbing to his feet and offering her his hand.

She reluctantly took it, pulling her helmet off and whipping her face. “I’m getting really sick of you saving me,” she said, the corner of her lips twitching into a grin.

Hunter laughed. She was still groggy from being stunned and had started hugging her stomach again.

“Med patch wearing off?” he asked

“Uhuh,” she said, hunching over as she walked. “We’ve gotta move. They’ll know I escaped soon enough.” She quickened her pace, wincing as she did so.

“Where were they taking you?”

“Tatooine. You were right, they think I killed Dimitri. They don’t know where the ship is, but we’ll struggle to get through the city without detection.”

“You’re the expert on this place. Any ideas?” Hunter asked, making sure his blaster was drawn.

“Follow me,” she said, stepping over the bodies littering the ground and making her way down another street.

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