#I’ve always loved hyperspace | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction · 2 months

Note

omg i really really love your blog<3 you are such a sweet person and so kind to all your followers and others on here and your writing is absolutely amazing!

i saw ur requests were open and i was wondering if you could write something for poe dameron? a hurt comfort because in your rules you said you wouldn't accept full angst which honestly is so real of you and i completely agree :D its just, ive read so many fics where poe's best friend or squadron member is either in love with him or fwb with him and he starts dating someone and they look rlly in love but then he leaves the person for the best friend and i cant help but always wonder how the person he left is feeling! and i was wondering if you could write something along the lines of this but he doesnt leave the reader and hes not really in love with his best friend or anything im so sorry this became really long but you can totally ignore this or say you cant do it its absolutely alright!<33

thank you sm though and i hope you have a good day!

Anon, thank you so much for such lovely and kind words! You are AMAZING! (Seriously, they have absolutely made my day/week/year!)

This ask has killed me (positive), my subconsciousness had a lot to say, it seems.

Tangerine, Tangerine

Poe Dameron x GN!Reader Rating: M Masterlist | ao3 | want to be tagged?

Warnings: angst (but with a happy ending), thoughts that a partner is cheating, blood, x-wing fight, swearing (not star wars swearing, because even though Kriff is great, I need to say fuck), Moonbeam as a nickname, typos, rail road sentences, please let me know if I’ve missed a warning!

Word Count: 4494

_______________________________________

It was just a kiss. It was just a kiss. It was just a kiss.

You’d misunderstood, you’d read the situation wrong, you’d seen incorrectly. It was just a kiss. It was just a kiss. It was just a kiss.

Your radio crackled, “Green Leader, checking in. We’re manoeuvring in 5. Call out.”

“Green Two check.”

“Green Three check.”

It was just a kiss.

“Green Four check.”

It was just a-

“Green Five check.”

Just a-

“Green Six check.”

Just-

“Green Seven,” you swallow. “Check.”

It wasn’t just a kiss.

You patted your helmet twice and rolled your neck, breathing deeply as you settled in. On your left, you could see some of Blue Squadron.

This mission was straightforward - on a holopad.

Two teams to escort The Harbringer, the resistance supply ship. It had been damaged by a rogue blast from a tie fighter just as it jumped to hyperspace and had had to make an emergency landing on one of Tre’Ral’s desert moons.

The crew on board had managed to fix all they could. But without proper materials, there was little chance of the ship making it out of the moon’s thick atmosphere and entering hyperspace. So Blue and Green Squadrons had been dispatched. Blue 1-4 had already made contact, jump-starting The Harbringer enough to get it airborne.

Due to Tre’Ral’s sun and planet density, the gravity on the moons was a little stronger than most world’s atmospheric pressure.

Green Leader, Sena, had repeated through briefing at how this would affect flying. How to be ready for it. And she hadn’t been wrong, it was different flying here. Tougher. And you loved it.

You’d grown up on Para, a planet with a high gravity density. You’d learnt to fly there well before you’d flown in space. Being here on this desolate moon almost felt like home. Your movements seemed smoother, precise. No longer needing to overcorrect for your naturally ingrained harsh movements. No longer spinning out and fighting low gravity, finally working with the tide.

The manoeuvre would see the ships escort The Harbringer out of the moon’s atmosphere and then the rest of Blue squadron would form a sort of 3D star formation around the cargo ship. All jumping to hyperspace at the same time to carry it along with them.

Simple.

In theory.

Everyone had spoken about how practically textbook it was, how easy.

But then, of course, why was Green Squadron going?

No one at the briefing had asked, why would they when the answer was so obvious. This part of the quadrant was teething with First Order. With a slow, busted supply ship you were all practically screaming for them to come and play target practice.

You swallow.

You should be focusing on that, on the mission. Instead of the utter nonsense that was ricocheting around your head and piercing your heart.

I hadn’t just been a kiss.

You and Poe had gotten together clumsily, three months ago, your normal awkwardness drowned out by so much Polanis Red that you almost couldn’t see straight. It had been after the battle of Hurthwen, a nasty dogfight that had everyone hyped up on adrenaline.

He had been drunk when he kissed you, you remembered that.

Maybe he had thought… maybe he had believed he was kissing her instead.

It made a lot more sense.

Sena was the Green Leader, she was a great pilot. One to be reckoned with. She was kind, she was fun, she was beautiful. She and Poe had joined the resistance together, risen the ranks together. Basically inseparable. Always laughing and joking. She had been in the same squad as Poe, under his command before she was promoted to leading one of her own.

They had always been close. Always. Best friends.

Sickness bubbled in your throat.

You remembered Frizz and Hank talking offhandedly, well before you and Poe were a thing. Both of them sure that Sana and Poe were dating or ‘knocking boots’ as Frizz had so elegantly put it.

“Two people can just be friends, you know.” You’d said, trying to hide your little crush on the commander.

“Yeah,” Frizz laughed, “But not them. You seen them together?”

Hank chortled.

Nonsense. You’d brushed it off then. Allowed it to creep into your thoughts when it was dark and the base was quiet. When Poe’s breathing was soft and light behind you, his arm around your waist.

Him and Sana just made a lot more sense than him and you.

“Yeah, but not them. You seen them together?”

Yeah. Now you had.

The Harbringer came into view over the horizon. The seemingly endless stretch of desert was cut through in the distance by a fearsome outcrop of crocks, leading up into a field of formidable mountains.

Blue 1-4 were already hooked up to the cargo ship, all five hoovering moving together as they flew towards you to meet.

You wouldn’t have said things were difficult with you and Poe. Well, you wouldn’t have said that before. It was complicated for everyone on the base, most staff were on different call schedules, off-world or on a mission at all times. Having a relationship wasn’t straightforward. There were stretches where you wouldn’t even be on the same planet for days, but…

But you had thought it was…

It didn’t matter.

You’d gone back to the briefing room, just before take off. You’d wanted to tap the main holoscreen twice, for luck. A little ritual you’d adopted early on. Most pilots were a superstitious bunch.

That’s when you’d seen them. Sana and Poe. Locked in a tight embrace, their lips pressed together in a deep kiss.

Your heartbeat had thundered so loud you’d been surprised they hadn’t heard it. But they’d been too preoccupied to notice your presence.

It was cliche but time had almost slowed, calmed and stretched like the moment you take aim, the second before you fired your ship's canons.

A flash of the control panel had flickered into your mind when you saw them, your fingers twitching as if you had the trigger in your hands.

You’d turned and left without a sound. Without a word. Without letting them know you saw. Leaving them to… whatever they did next.

Was it their first kiss? One of many? Had this been going on well before Poe had taken your hand and led you outside so he could clumsily name all the constellations, making up new ones and backstories to make you smile?

“That one here, you see it?”

“Yeah?”

“That one’s the best one, best in the sky. It’s orange and it’s right next to that other orange one, like they’re holding hands.”

You’d laughed.

“That’s me and you Moonbeam.”

Moonbeam. That stupid nickname.

You’d gone to your room quickly, the one that you and Poe shared, and taken off the necklace he’d given you.

“I want you to wear it for luck, Moonbeam.”

That stupid smile he’d given you as he’d slipped it from his own neck and onto yours. That stupid kiss he’d given you after. You’d thought that expression was cute when you’d seen it, pure. Now it just seemed like he’d been laughing at you, playing some sick joke. ‘How long can I string someone along?’, ‘how far can I go before they realise it’s all pretend?’

You’d left the necklace with the ring slipped through on the small set of shelves in the corner, the one Poe normally kept his holopad on.

It was idiotic, but your neck felt… empty without it. Cold. Every now and then you touched at where the chain normally lay.A subconscious action only brought to the forefront of your mind by the sensation of your own skin instead of metal.

Something caught your eye in the distance, a flash of sunlight glinting off the horizon. Dread twisted in your stomach as realisation dawned a second earlier than your scanners. The extra gravitational pressure and high quantity of magnetic metals in the sand affected everyone’s ship computers, causing a brief information delay.

Your alarm sounded out inside your ship, the radar blinking into life as tie fighters approached from the rock outcrop. They’d used the high mineral concentration to hide their energy signatures.

“Fuck.”

The radio screamed into life, orders out pouring over orders. Blue squadron rushed into position while Green scrambled.

“Blue in place now!”

“It’s gonna be rushed, but we haven’t got a choice!”

“No time!” “Incoming!” “Green half split! Evens left, odds right, let’s keep those fighter’s off The Harbringer and Blue squadron! Gamma pattern!”

“How far away is the Delta?”

“Calling in attack pattern!”

You swing to the right, falling in with Hank and Petal and bank hard, it takes less than a second for you to notice that your squad's movements aren’t as precise and well-timed as usual. The stronger gravity throwing everyone, except you, off their game.

That didn’t bode well.

You climb for a second, punching hard on the acceleration to get some height and a clear view of the oncoming and flick on your targeting system. The image glitches, doesn’t hold steady even as you focus. Off by half a fraction.

Shots fire out from both sides, most missing.

“Targeting not working!”

“It’s out!”

“I can’t get a clear shot!” “The read is malfunctioning!”

“Half a click 4/8!” You shout, as you take your shot, hitting two tie fighters head-on.

“Good shot Green 7!” You can hear the joy and relief in Sana’s voice. “Half a click 4/8, you’ll all have to manually adjust!”

You dive, swirling around two fighters before skimming close to the ground, trying to draw their attention away from the cargo ship. You spin, slamming your control harder than you would need to in any other situation as you turn and spike past another fighter, taking out one in the process.

“Wooooo!” Hank yells over the intercom.

You laugh. “Bet you never thought you wished you grew up on Para right?”

“Every day new things surprise me.” He banks left, you right, Petal dives down.

It’s too much of a rush, everything all at once, patterns and shots flying, your ship’s systems screaming as you push the engines a little too hard.

The tie fighters aren’t moving as fast as they normally do, bogged down even more than the x wings by the gravity. They can’t make their normal quick turns and it’s affecting their strike patterns.

Good.

But there’s so, so many of them.

Explosions fly debris out, and you climb higher. Needing a clear view and unable to rely on your targeting systems.

More shots fly out, The Harbringer is taking a battering but so far its shielding is holding the hull together.

The radio keeps screaming, overlapping voices that blur into background noise. You’re trained to only hear your call signal, direct messages. You vear off, narrowingly missing a blast to your wing.

“-On my tail.” Frizz’s voice cuts through the noise, a sharp stab of dread slicing you open as you turn, automatically looking to the reader, it’s still not clear.

You climb, twist, fall, see a Green ship, followed tightly by two fighters. Accelsorate, bank. You fire. You’re aiming in a panic now, not adjusting right, not breathing through.

The shot hits one, before you have to swerve to avoid being struck head-on.

“Thanks 7!” Cril yells over the speaker, managing to shake the other fighter.

There’s a scream, a crackle of sound over the system. A sound you know too well. You see the ship crash into the desert, exploding before it even hits the ground as the a tie fighter’s shots hit home.

Frizz.

“No…”

“Check!” Sana yells, unable to tell who went down with the system glitching. “Green Leader!”

You swerve around another fighter, everything moving so fast, too fast.

“Green Two check!” Cril.

“Green Three check!” Petal.

Nothing.

“Green Four!” Sana yells. No call replies. Balna. Not Frizz.

The momentary rush of relief at Frizz being alive is cut horribly short by the image of Balna’s kind face that bursts behind your eyes.

You bank left, right, swerve, take aim, twist.

There’s a chance, a good chance that you’ll win. All of Blue is in place, The Harbringer is moving up with them. The tie fighters are taking more hits than the resistance, their less aerodynamic design hampering them more than usual with this gravity.

All you need is…

Another alarm.

“Oh… fuck.” You slam on your intercom. “Z-Fighter!”

A chorus of yells answer you.

A Z-fighter, a quick moving ship a fraction bigger than The Harbringer, with two powerful front guns. A few shots would take the cargo ship out completely.

And with how slow the supply ship was moving, that wouldn’t be hard.

The Z-fighter storms in, moving fast but not firing, they were obviously having problems with their targeting too, needing a close clear shot.

“Take out the main cannons!” Sana yells, the panic in her voice cutting through the chaos. You turn, aim, take out a tie fighter but have to veer up at the last second. Twist.

Someone comes in after you, aiming for the cannons, a fighter clips their side and they can’t correct quick enough. They spiral off, their ship crashing into the Z-fighter. Obliterated on impact. The Z-fighter seemingly unaffected.

You loop back, adrenaline blinding you to everything, anything that’s not the goal. Take out the canons. Take out the canons. People are counting on you. Take out the canons.

You fire, a clear shot before you bank to the side to avoid a direct hit to your hull.

It’s not enough.

You need to pass again, and again. Other x wings flying in, taking shots, the gravity making them slow, imprecise. Only one blast hits and it’s not full on.You’re the only one hitting directly and it’s not enough.

It’s not enough. It’s not enough. It’s not enough.

There’s shouting and screaming, the zipping of the fighters as they cut through the sky. Someone yells your name and you don’t hear it.

Another hit lands. One canon out. Only one left. You can do this. The Harbringer is nearly in the upper atmosphere, they can jump from there. Just a few more seconds. You can do this.

“Black Leader!” Poe’s call sign cuts over the dim, followed by the call signs of half of the Red Squadron.

They must have scrambled after first contact.

The canon’s powering up, a quick glance to your panel tells you that The Harbringer’s shield is barely functioning. They won’t survive a direct hit. With how close they are and the Blue Squadron ships that are attached there’s no way they wouldn’t be pulled down too if The Harbringer fell.

The canon needs more than one hit to take it down, more than five. No way you can shoot five times before they fire.

You twist, full force. Pumping the acceleration. Fire. Fire. Fire. Three hit. You don’t slow down. Fire. Fire. Fire. They hit. The canon is still operational.

Sana is screaming orders, so many shots fire at the canon, none of them hit right, hit full on.

Two chances left.

One to fire. If it takes out the canon you just have enough time to serve up, to avoid getting smashed to bits.

Poe shouts for you over the intercom.

You don’t answer.

One to fire. If it doesn’t take out the canon then… then you crashing into it head on will.

Poe yells again, this time cutting over everyone else, sending you a direct call.

You don’t answer.

You fire. Hit.

Poe screams for you, his voice painful and panicked. He’s already worked out your plan before you had even thought of it.

The canon doesn’t go down.

You cut the call to him. Blocking out his signal. You don’t want Poe to think you did this for him.

You don’t want him to think you did this because of him.

“Green Seven!” Sana yells, seemingly knowing what you’re going to do.

Hank screams your name over the radio. It hurts. You think it’s the worst sound you’ve ever heard.

“Moonbeam!” Poe’s voice is ripped raw from yells, Sana has patched him through over her signal. You were wrong. That was the worst sound you’ve ever heard.

You dip at the last second, not hitting the canon straight on but smashing your right wing into it. The force surprises you, even though you braced for it. The impact sending you spiralling. You try to regain control, try to turn into the spin. Training taking over even though you're a wing and half a ship down.

Shouts over the radio, you barely make out-

“-cannon’s down-”

“-Jump!-”

A spark hits, your console explodes into flame, shards hit your side and you yell. Sky and sand tumbling over each other over and over, and you manage to hit the eject button.

The force rips you upwards, free briefly from your burning ship. But you’re too close to the floor, not enough time to slow down your velocity. There’s-

The impact of the ground hurts. Pain explodes along every nerve despite the ejection seat dampening. You scream.

Agony is everywhere, everything. You can’t feel anything else, can’t comprehend anything except floods of pain.

You hit your belt, falling out and to the desert floor. Looking up just enough to gauge where you are, where your ship fell. It’s an exploded, fireball mess far off. At least it’s not an immediate threat. You crawl to the side and sob.

There’s blood falling into the sand from your head, the right side of your face. You can’t see properly out of your eye and your left leg is definitely broken. Shattered. Still, you drag yourself forward, digging your hands in and pulling as something ribs and tears in your side, warm liquid soaking into your fight suit.

The resistance will jump to hyperspace, they’ll get out. They’ll make it.

You just needed to get away from your ejection seat, when the First Order doubles back they’ll see it, they’ll see you. You just needed to get to an outcrop. Hide.

Make it look like you had a weapon.

Make them shoot you first instead of taking you for questioning.

Can’t let them take you alive.

There's the faint sound of a ship somewhere above, landing gear coming down.

For a second you freeze, panic gripping your heart, you dig into the sand hard, pull, pull, pull yourself closer towards the outcrop of rocks. The air seems to be leaving your lungs, your breathing ragged and hot.

You cough, red hitting the dirt, iron hitting your tongue.

You crawl, pull. The pain is making you light-headed. You gasp, trying to get in a full lung full of air. It's not enough. It's not enough. It's not enou…

When you open your eyes your first thoughts are simple. Clear.

I'm dead.

You were either shot in the head in the sand or simply succumbed to your wounds.

But then things begin to feel… fuzzy. Not painful, but not right either.

And that's when you smell the Bacta. And then the light starts to change to distorted shapes, and finally, you recognise Hank sitting next to you.

“You better not be dead too,” you whisper your voice dry from lack of use.

Hank jumps up, goes to grab your hand and then stops himself. There are tears in his eyes. He softly places his fingers on yours and you squeeze back.

“You're a fucking idiot you know that?” He grins and you laugh. Which hurts a little, but feels good.

“One sec,” he moves away just to speak to someone outside before he comes back. “I'm the one that picked you up, you know?”

“Now who's the fucking idiot?” You smile but your chest aches, heavy with the weight of his words. “You shouldn't have done that.” You whisper.

“What?”

“You were under fire, you should have just jumped-”

“I saw you eject. Saw you moving. You think I was just gonna leave you there?” He sits. “Besides, I was closest. The commander would have blown up the whole planet to get to you.”

You swallow, turning away slightly. Going cold at the mention of Poe.

Hank mistakes the look for guilt, and squeezes your hand again. “Hey, look,” he smiles, “you took out the canons, you're a fucking idiot but you know how to fly in heavy gravity.”

You snort.

He smiles.

“Who did we lose?”

Hank sighs, “three…”

You nod, closing your eyes for a moment.

“There-”

There was shouting from outside, a crash and then Poe stormed into the room, med staff close behind him.

You swallow, sickness building in your throat.

He looked awful, drawn out and worn thin like he hadn't slept or eaten in days. His eyes red.

He rushes forward, Hank moves out of the way, so Poe can take your hand in his. He leans forward and kisses you softly, carefully stroking your cheek, being gentle with your bandages.

“Moonbeam…” he mutters and you flinch back from him. He looks at you with sad, confused eyes.

“Look, I can only allow one visitor in here.” The med staff member says.

Hank stands, and speaks when you frown. “I'll see you later, Poe’s the one that hasn't left your side. The only reason he wasn't here when you woke was because I made him go take a shower.” Hank smiled, “you can thank me for that later.”

Both you and Poe are quiet as the others leave. Poe searching your face for something, while you look away.

“Moonbeam,” he says again softly, but there's an edge to his words that you're not used to. “What the fuck happened on that mission? What the fuck is this?” He holds up his hand, his necklace and ring wrapped around his palm. His eyes are shiny as he speaks. “Were you trying to kill yourself? What the fu-”

“Poe,” you breathe. Best to get it over quickly. “I saw.”

He frowns. “Saw? Saw what?”

“You and Sana, in the briefing room… before take off.”

The small frown on his forehead relaxes slightly for a moment as his eyebrows raise. “You… saw?”

You nod.

“You, but, I didn’t see you when I pushed her away?” His voice cracks at the end, a splinter running into the muscle of your heart.

“You pushed her away?”

“You didn’t see that?” He frowns again, blinking hard, “you just, just saw and walked away and what? Took this off?” He holds up the necklace again. A tear falls from his eye and he rubs it away furiously as if it had scorched his skin. “Just, just left it and… and…”

“I didn’t know you didn’t want it…” You say quietly, emotion is making your chest tight and constricted. “I didn’t know you didn’t want her…”

“What?” He breathes, moving closer and squeezing your hand. There’s disbelief in his voice, confusion. Anger, it’s deep down and controlled but it’s there. “No, look, she kissed me. I pushed her away, I, I even logged a report, I’ll pull up the god damned camera feed to show you.”

He’s not lying. His gaze is unwavering and he’s got that painfully earnest look in his eyes.

“You thought…” he shakes his head slightly, his voice pained, “you thought I’d-”

“You both make sense together.” You blurt out. “She’s… and you’re…” you shrug and sigh, on the verge of tears yourself. “You’re both the best of us.”

“No,” he shakes his head fiercely, “Moonbeam, no.” He wipes roughly at his eyes again, glancing down for a moment and you lightly touch his head.

He looks up instantly as you stroke his curls, still lightly damp.

“I’m sorry.” You whisper.

Poe shakes his head again, grabbing your hand and kissing your wrist. “I’m sorry.” He kicks off his shoes and clambers into bed next to you a little awkwardly. He’s trying to be careful, trying not to hurt you but needing closeness so badly it’s suffocating.

You scooch to the side as quickly as you can in your current state and lean into him as he wraps his body around you softly and kisses you sweetly.

“Love you, love you, love you,” he repeats after every kiss, pressing his lips to every part of your skin that he can reach.

“Why are you sorry?” You mutter as he holds you, “I’m the one that messed up.”

He shakes his head, “I’m sorry that I don’t make you realise how special you are, how perfect.” He kisses your cheek, “you’re the best of us Moonbeam.”

You tut but his grip tightens and he holds you tight.

“And one hell of a pilot.” He grins.

You scoff.

“You are.” He kisses you again.

You nuzzle against him, settling into his touch. Knots have formed in your chest, pain that’s loosening. His warmth is comforting. Home.

“Sana said she didn’t know I was in a relationship,” he says softly, resting his chin on the top of your head. “I don’t know if that’s true, but… I do believe her.”

You nod. “She’s a good person.”

He moves so he can look you in the eyes. “Please, Moonbeam, I… don’t,” he bites his tongue, closing his eyes for a long second. “I want to tell you, I want to say, don’t ever do something like that again… don’t… don’t put yourself at risk.”

You touch his cheek lightly.

“But it’s not fair is it?” He smiles sadly. “We both do that every day… You know you were gonna be in my squadron at first?”

You shake your head in surprise and he nods.

“You were, but… well,” he blushes ever so slightly. “I was so embarrassingly head over heels in love with you,” he laughs lightly. “For months I could hardly talk to you, you know I had to down five Polanis Red’s in a row after Hurthwen just so I could ask you out? I knew I wouldn’t be able to function right if you were in my squad. I knew that I’d put everyone else at risk because if it came down to it… if there was a choice between everyone in the squad dying, everyone on the base, or you… I’d let the resistance burn instead of lose you. Every single time.”

You close your eyes, fighting the emotion that needs to break through and squeeze his hand like a lifeline. “I love you.” You whisper.

Your fingertips brush against the necklace, the ring hooking around the first knuckle of your index finger by chance.

Poe slowly moves his hand from yours and unwinds the necklace from his palm before carefully placing it over your head, giving you plenty of time to move away if you wanted.

“I love you Moonbeam,” he mutters, his voice low, reverent. Then leans in to kiss you. You kiss him back with all your heart.

____________________________________

Thank you for reading!

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345 notes · View notes

atinylittlepain · 1 year

Note

plaguing my mind 24/7 is the concept of feeling really embarrassed but telling mando that you think something is wrong with you sexually, bc none of the partners you’ve been with have been able to make you come. like you are the only person who’s ever made you orgasm ever. and you tell him before anything really happens, like maybe he’s got you pushed up against a wall with his intention being to touch you for the first time or you’re sitting out by a fire at night and you squeak it out bc you have to warn him. and you’re super shy about it, trying to explain that it’s okay if he can’t do it either bc it’s gotta be something wrong with you. and he’d just give you that sexy head tilt and asks if you trust him. and he’s so intent on making this experience good for you, taking his time and talking you through it with that modulated sultry voice as he figures you out. and then gives you the best orgasm of your life, proving to you that you aren’t broken and yea….

oh, i love this

Trust Me

Din Djarin x f!reader

Din Djarin masterlist

warnings | 18+ smut, and nothing but. a little angst too. and some sweetness

....................................

It’s a heady contrast, the cool slip of beskar steel and the warm roughness of his palms as he presses her up against the thrumming wall of the Crest’s hull. Sailing through the staggering stream of hyperspace, the kid fast asleep in his bassinet, it was inevitable for them to end up like this, all tangled up.

This is a recent development in their unorthodox partnership. Din needed someone to keep a closer watch on Grogu, and she needed to get the kriff off her home planet. A perfect, if not tentative, match at first, they had been slow to find each other in this way. What started as long stares turned into brushing touches turned into lowly murmured words turned into stolen kisses, her eyes always remaining firmly closed when his lips met hers, his helmet already back in place by the time she opened them again.

But this is new. She had been confused when he had ripped a long strip of fabric out of an old thermal of his. He had just tilted his helmet at her in that way that sends a skitter up her spine. He asked her if she trusts him, and she of course said yes. So she finds herself, vision darkened by the makeshift blindfold, running her fingers through Din’s hair as he smears a hot trail of kisses down her neck, caging her in against the wall.

She can’t help the light sighs that leave her lips. It feels like everything is just a notch more sensitive without her sight, like he’s everywhere. His scent, his touch, his mouth. She’s swallowed up in him and it’s unlike anything she’s felt before.

Suddenly, his lips pull away, and she feels his hand cup the arc of her jaw. Even behind the blindfold, she can feel his eyes on her.

“I’ve been wanting you like this for a while now, mesh’la. Will you let me have you?” His words are murmured across her lips, making her dizzy with the brushing warmth. She nods, but she knows him well enough to know he wants her words. She tentatively reaches her palms out, finding the sleek metal of his chest plate before slipping her hands up until she’s framing his scruffy jaw with her palms, feeling him out in the darkness.

“I want you too, Din. Want you like this, please.” He presses a firm kiss to her lips, but is gone in a flash, her neck craning as she tries to chase after his mouth in vain. She feels his palms slip down her arms before resting on her waist, his fingers skirting just below the hem of her shirt. He rasps out for her to lift her arms and she complies, goosebumps trailing up every newly bare inch of her skin as he peels her shirt off. She can’t help but gasp when the rough pads of his fingers skate over the tops of her breasts, tracing the line of her bra before tugging lightly at one of the straps.

“Can I take this off?” That’s different too. She’s never been with someone who asks like he does. She nods, letting her hands find his where they are on her body, guiding them back behind her to the clasp of her bra. His touch is feather light as the fabric falls falls away. She can just hear the sigh he lets out as he traces the swell of her breasts. When his mouth lays back over the line of her collarbone, she tenses in his hold and he stills.

“Relax for me, mesh’la. You trust me, don’t you?” His palms are roaming up and down her spine, warm and solid, lulling her into him.

“I do, I do trust you.” She can feel his smile against her skin and it makes her shiver.

“Will you let me make you feel good?” Her hand stills where it had been threading through his hair, worry creeping into her veins like ice. Din seems to notice it, pausing the ebbing tide of his palms.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” She lets out a sigh. She feels completely vulnerable in this moment, stuck in her swirling mind behind the darkness of the blindfold. But Din anchors her when he brings his hands to cup her jaw, holding her steady.

“It’s just– I haven’t– no one’s ever–”

“No one’s touched you before?”

“They have– I mean, there have been others before. But, it’s never been– good.” Din takes a sharp breath in, and she worries that she just ruined the whole thing, quickly trying to remedy the situation.

“It’s ok, though! I think there’s just something wrong– with me. But you don’t have to– I just want to be with you, Din. I don’t care about that.” Silence, deafening silence. Just when she’s starting to feel foolish, he breaks it.

“There’s nothing wrong with you.” “Huh?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, cyar’ika. Tell me, have you touched yourself before?” The question makes her throat go dry, but she nods.

“And you’ve made yourself come?” The blush that had already started warming her now rages into a flash of heat.

“I-I have, yes.” Din sighs, the ragged sound shooting straight through her core. She feels him press his forehead to hers, his nose brushing along the arc of her own.

“Listen to me. There is nothing wrong with you. But there is something gravely wrong with whoever you’ve been with before that didn’t take the time to take care of you.” He presses a kiss to her forehead before continuing.

“It’s a shame for them. I bet you look so pretty when you come. And I intend to find out for myself.” Her breath catches at his words, and she lets slip a sigh of his name.

“Will you let me find out, cyar’ika? Find out how to make you feel good?” There’s a cocky edge to his words that’s making her thighs clench, her voice shaky when she answers him with a warbly yes. He lays a sweet kiss to her lips in response.

“I’m going to touch you, sweet girl. And I want you to tell me what you like and what you don’t, do you understand?” She nods, letting out a shaky breath at the confident tone of his voice. His touch disappears abruptly, and she nearly jumps at the sound of two dull metal thuds, only realizing that he’s gotten onto his knees when she feels his warm breath fan over her stomach. She reaches her hands out, finding purchase on the rounded plates of his shoulder armor as his own hands slide to the waist of her pants, coming to rest at the fastening.

“May I?” She doesn’t have to see him to know what he’s asking and she breathes out a yes, his fingers deftly undoing her pants before he slides them down her legs, guiding her to step out of them so that she is left before him in just her panties. His palms come to the swell of her thighs, roaming up and up until his fingers are brushing along the hem of her panties. She can’t help the gasp she lets out when she feels what she thinks is him nosing at the fabric covering her cunt. But when she hears the deep inhale he takes, she’s certain of what he’s doing, and it makes her scrape her fingernails along the cool sheen of his armor.

“Will you let me see all of you, mesh’la?”

“Yes, Din– I want you to– I want you.” And with that, the last scrap of fabric she had on is peeled off of her. It’s a dizzying notion, to be completely bare and blind, at the complete mercy of him. It sends a new kind of ache down her spine and straight through her core.

Din brings one hand to the back of her knee, coaxing it up to rest over his shoulder as he holds her against the wall with his other hand splayed over her hip. She can feel the tickle of his scruff on her inner thigh, his breath spanning over the open heat of her cunt. His lips press, open and warm, once, twice, to the softness of her thigh, before he’s dragging his mouth to where she most wants him, licking a salacious stripe through her folds that has her bucking in his hold with a harsh gasp. He chuckles.

“Sweet girl– sweet everywhere, aren’t you? Relax for me, let me open you up.” He speaks with his stubbled cheek pressed to the inside of her thigh, a sensation that in and of itself is making her mind go hazy. Without any more preamble, he’s diving back in, firming both his hands along the curve of her hips as he focuses on swirling his tongue over her clit. She’s biting her lip, moans thrumming in her throat as she tries to silence them, but Din isn’t satisfied with that.

“I want to hear you, cyar’ika. I need you to tell me how I’m doing for you, remember?” She sighs out a pitchy ok, but when he goes back to working her over, now suckling on that tangle of nerves, she couldn’t hold back her moans even if she tried.

“Oh– s’good– feels really good, Din–” a string of praises resounds in her moans as she fumbles to thread her fingers through his hair, eliciting a low groan from him when she tugs lightly as he continues to work her over with his tongue. What had started out as a methodical movement has devolved into a sloppy spread of him as he alternates between swiping over her clit and dipping his tongue into her entrance to drag her pooling slick back up. Her hips have started to cant up, meeting his mouth, taking whatever he’ll give her as she starts to feel pleasure stringing tight in her belly. He continues to mouth at her, and that pleasure becomes more frantic, something she’s chasing after, wanting more and more of.

“Please don’t stop– I think– I think I’m close– please, Din–”

“Tell me what you need, sweet girl. I’ll give it to you if you tell me.” His words smear across her cunt, the low thrum making her buck up in his grasp.

“I need more– please just– more–” her words are more of whine, but they quickly die in her throat when he returns to mouthing at her clit, now dipping one of his hands down to swirl a finger at her entrance before sinking it inside of her, crooking it just so to find that spot that has her buckling against the wall. He finds a perfect rhythm, swirling his tongue around her clit as he fucks her with his hand, quick to slip another finger in and create a stretch that burns just right. She can feel her hips starting to jerk at the deluge of pleasure, her moans becoming more like broken gasps.

“That’s it, sweet girl. Let me see you come undone. Take it– it’s all yours.” He crooks his fingers again in that dizzyingly delicious way and the pleasure finally snaps, her cunt spasming as she comes with a preening whine. He works her through the aftershocks until she starts to jerk away from the sensitivity, letting out a harsh sigh as he guides her leg off his shoulder and back down onto unsteady ground. She slumps back against the wall, chest heaving. He coaxes a sigh out of her when he presses a kiss to her hip, slowly rising as he drags his lips up the center of her stomach, between the valley of her breasts before stealing a demanding kiss from her.

“I was right. So beautiful when you come, cyar’ika. Now I’d like to see it again.” She has to breathe out a laugh at that, still catching her breath as his palms splay over her hips.

He got to see it again. And again. And again.

#din djarin smut #din djarin angst #din djarin x female reader #din djarin #the mandalorian fanfiction #the mandalorian smut #the mandalorian fluff #the mandalorian angst #the mandalorian #din djarin fluff #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin imagine #the mandalorian imagine

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maxwellatoms · 10 months

Note

I’m in my late 20’s and still feel like I haven’t found myself or a career to move toward. How old were you when you finally started to figure all that out? I always loved drawing but I recently became disinterested and I’ve had a hard time finding something to do with myself

I thought I had it all figured out by age 14. I wanted to become an animator! Nearly thirty five years later, I wonder more than ever what my future career will be. Maybe I'm being a Negative Nelly due to the state of the industry, but I do begin to wonder if it's wise to bank everything on Kids TV Animation.

If it makes you feel any better, I become disinterested in drawing too sometimes. I love to draw, but occasionally it's like pulling my own teeth to get myself to do it. And then I finally do it and suddenly I'm in love all over again.

I just booted up the ol' work computer for the first time this month, so we're gonna see how this goes. It sounds like the Millenium Falcon when it refuses to jump to Hyperspace. Fingers crossed!

#maxwell atoms #production #old computers

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hyperactively-me · 10 months

Text

safe and sound

You race down the gravel path, the dirt and rocks digging into your bare feet, but you could care less. As you meet in the middle, you practically throw yourself at Din, ignoring the firm beskar chest plate digging into your stomach. He drops the bag at the impact, letting it slide to the ground with a thump. You swing your arms around his neck and bring yourself on your tiptoes, burying your face into his neck. His arms embrace your torso, pulling you impossibly closer. “My beautiful, beautiful wife” he whispers, his voice hoarse and quiet from disuse. Your heart skips a beat at his words and you smile to yourself. “I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart.”

din returns home from a two week long bounty hunt. as his wife, you are overjoyed to see him home safely. (5.0k+ words) 18+ only

(asks are open)

happy reading

warnings: smut

He promised he would be back almost a week ago. You weren’t that worried, per se, as he often found himself a few days over his initial estimation. But it’s been nearly two weeks since Din has left. He took off to chase more bounties around the galaxy, Greef Karga relentlessly assigning him pucks. Din nearly had to tie you to the ground to keep you from hopping on the Crest. He pleaded with you to stay home, to get some much needed rest. You reluctantly gave in, making him promise to return to you in one piece.

You gave him a slow kiss goodbye, an attempt to drag out his departure. He knew what you were playing at and chuckled to himself before giving you a final peck on your lips. His hands reach for his helmet, slipping it over his head, concealing his face from sight.

You stood at the threshold of the door, leaning your hip on the doorpost, arms crossed over your torso. Din took a small step back, looking at you once more before turning on his heel with a quick spin. The Razor Crest sat adjacent to the house, a comforting reminder of your first home with him. The gravel pathway crunched under the weight of his feet, steel-toed boots pressing into the earth. His cape fluttered gently in the wind as he made his way up the ramp of the Crest.

Before he fully disappeared into the ship, he whipped around and gave you a small wave. You pushed yourself up from your spot on the door and waved back, flashing a small smile in his direction. Din nods at your action and disappears into the belly of the ship. The ramp of the ship shut with a groan, successfully enclosing Din within the rust-bucket. Your eyes follow the Crest as it zooms into the sky, becoming a mere speck on the horizon before jumping into hyperspace.

You let out a sigh, twisting the silvery beskar wedding ring around your finger wistfully. It’s been five months since you’ve married Din. Nearly half a year of being husband and wife. It still felt like a dream to you, the fact that you and Din now shared this unbreakable union of love, shared a place you could call home.

You turn on your heel, crossing the threshold and into your quaint home. Soft beams of light streak throughout the house, pouring through the crevices of open curtains. The scent of the home permeates the cool air, sandalwood and pine wafting through the air. The fabric of your sundress flutters at your movements, the airy fabric providing relief in the warm weather. You rarely ever wore dresses until recently, when you and Din finally, somewhat, settled down. Din seemed to love them, and they were a great choice to wear in this climate, especially since the weather was warm. You never wore them outside the house, opting to wear more tactical clothing in public. You could never be too prepared.

You pad across the creaky floorboards, making your way through the small house, the kitchen calling your name. You didn’t even know how to cook. You’d never spent any time in a kitchen until about two months ago. It wasn’t your fault that you never spent time in a kitchen to begin with, especially since your life growing up was dangerous and unstable. You were always on the run, looking for new jobs and places to escape certain demons from your past.

When you were a young child, you vaguely remember the smells of the kitchen, your father cooking the most delicious meals. You smile gently to yourself, reminiscing on the memory.

You decide to go into town to the local market, which is known for its exotic spices and cuisine. Copious amounts of food were always present in the market, whether it was fruit from Naboo or spices from Outer Rim planets. Some time in the first week of moving into your house, you and Din decided to take a daytrip to the market. You immediately were drawn in by the fascinating smells and sights of the vendors and their stalls. Of course, you had gone to plenty of markets before, but none like this one. The vendors adorned their stalls with beautiful beaded decorations, glass beads reflecting from the light. Garlands of herbs were strung throughout the pathway, the earthy scents filling the air. The vendors beckoned you to browse their stalls, giving you a smile and offering you deals.

Din would slightly tense every time you went up to someone, but you pretended not to notice. Besides, you think he was actively trying to not act so possessive. After spending nearly a year with just each other for company in the Crest, it was bound to create some sort of protective bond. The vendors were always a bit weary of Din, too, though. A big man with blasters in a dark helmet and gleaming armor? You always laughed to yourself about it.

You weave in and out of the stalls, browsing for ingredients to make bread. After picking up your needed materials of salt, yeast, and flour, you stroll back to your house. The feeling of tranquility and peace engulfs you on your undisturbed journey home. You could get used to feeling safe outside instead of always being on edge and ready to attack whenever necessary. Din still made you carry a switchblade. And a blaster. And wear the occasional chest plate under your shirt. It was a mutual agreement, though, as it was your responsibility to protect yourself. Why wouldn’t you?

You push open the door of the house with your shoe, making your way to the kitchen. You set the ingredients down on the counter and take a step back, assessing your plan. Your fingers idly gloss over your wedding ring, hanging from a matching delicate beskar chain, around your neck. The ring felt like a direct connection between you and Din when he was away, a reminder, a lifeline of some sort.

You begin by combining the ingredients, stirring everything into a runny batter. Taking a whisk, you mix the final ingredients together, holding the mixing bowl steadily on the counter as you tried to focus on making sure you don't over mix. Your movements are methodical and experimental, taking your time to ensure everything looks good. Finally, you take out a baking pan and slowly pour the batter into a pan. You slide the pan into the oven, effectively shutting the door and admiring your work. You bend down, hands on both of your knees as you inspect the batter, impatiently waiting for it to rise.

You forgot about the ingredients on your hands. The sticky residue coats your bare knees, thankfully just missing your dress, an annoyed grumble ringing out in the silence of the house. You saunter over to the sink to rinse the remnants of dough and flour from your hands, cool water rushing from the faucet.

It’s been a while since you’ve put the cake in the oven, but you were hovering, a little anxious about forgetting that you were baking. The smell of freshly baked cake permeates the air, your home smelling like a bakery. You lean down to look at the cake in the oven, pleased when you see it only has a few more minutes left before you can take it out.

The sound of a ship passing overhead alerts you, a spark of hope igniting in your chest. You quickly spring up, running to your sink to look out of the window. You brush the curtains aside, eyes scanning the horizon. There, you see a ship hurtling through the atmosphere. The outline of the shape looks familiar. The sound of your heartbeat rushes to your ears as you run through the house, pushing the door open with a bang.

The warm sun beats down on your skin, your bare feet crunching over the gravel. You crane your head upwards and towards the ship, shielding the bright sun from your eyes with your hand. You squint against the light, trying to make out the ship, hoping it’s Din.

As the ship maneuvers its way through the sky, you make out the rusty, rough edges of the ship. You could recognize the Razor Crest from anywhere. You let out a loud whoop and a laugh, a wide smile etched on your face.

Strong gusts of wind whip around you, ruffling your clothes and hair, as Din lands the Crest close by the house. You block out stray dust from your eyes, your smile growing by the minute.

The Crest touches down with a definitive groan, the parts shifting from the weight of landing. As the dust settles, you squint your eyes, searching for Din. Suddenly, the ramp of the Crest lowers, breaking down the barrier restricting you from him. Your feet hesitantly move forward as you bring your hands up, wringing them together impatiently.

A glint of silver fills your eyes, then you see him. Din. He’s slowly walking down the ramp with a large duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

“Din!” you yell out to him, laughing to smiling and waving like a maniac.

His head immediately shoots up, spotting you standing near the entrance of the house. At the sight of you, he grips his duffel bag tighter and makes his way swiftly to you, down the ramp and over the gravelly path.

“My beautiful, beautiful wife” he whispers, his voice hoarse and quiet from disuse. Your heart skips a beat at his words and you smile to yourself. “I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart.”

“I missed you, too” you say into the crook of his neck. You pull your face away from his neck, not loosening your grip on him, and lean back on your heels.

“Where were you, Din? It’s been two weeks, and I haven't heard anything from you.”

He rubs gentle circles on your arms, sighing. His helmet tilts down a little, the sunlight reflecting off the top.

“The bounties I had chosen proved to be more elusive than I thought, and I just…” he trails off, squeezing your arms.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” you gently reassure, looking up into his helmet and through to what you assume are his eyes. “I’m just glad you’re home, safe” you smile up at him.

“Were you worried about me?” he questions, amused.

“Maybe just a little. But I know you can handle yourself” you say, lowering your arms from around his neck.

You hug yourself, still making eye contact through his helmet. He tilts his helmet to the side and chuckles a little.

“Let’s go inside,” he says, reaching for your hand with his own gloved hand. He takes a step backward, leaning down to grab his duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

His hand engulfs yours. Butterflies arise in your stomach as you walk towards the house, swinging your conjoined hands slightly. You told Din of your recent adventures at home, including the bread you had prepared and almost ready to go in the oven.

He opens the door for you as you both cross the doorway into the home. You drop Din’s hand for a moment, prepared to check on the dough, before Din pulls you back. You squeak in surprise, caught off guard by his sudden movement. He drops his bag onto the floor and pushes the door shut with his foot. He grabs you by your shoulders, hands demanding yet gentle, effectively flipping you and pushing you against the door.

“Din—”

“Maker, I missed you so much” he grunts out, yanking the helmet off his head and dropping it on the floor.

His dark curls fall over his forehead, his brown eyes boring into yours. Your breath hitches, face flushing at his movements. The way his eyes glimmered made your heart flutter and your head spin. Maker, he was gorgeous.

“I did too–” you say, before he interrupts you.

And in a flash, he’s pinning you against the door, lips connecting with yours. You inhale at the contact, his passion apparent in his ravenous action. His hands move to your hips, gripping you tight. You melt into his touch, tilting your head higher to allow him some relief as he bent down to reach your height. You bring your hands up to his shoulders as he moves down to your neck, nipping at the sensitive skin. You hum, pleased as you run one hand through Din’s locks, scratching his head with your nails. He groans into your mouth at your action, pressing you further into the door.

“I missed you, Din” you pant out as he pulls away for air. Your eyes connect with his own, smiling at him with pure adoration.

“I’m sorry I was gone for longer than I said, sweetheart. And for making you worry,” he whispers, his soft brown eyes searching your face.

“I’m just glad you’re back with me.”

Din smiles at your words, leaning back down to press a firm kiss on your lips, eliciting a squeak from you. He begins to nip your bottom lip, tongue swiping over your lip as if to ask permission. You allow him to take control, his hand gliding upwards and onto your breast, your breath becoming ragged.

As the kiss heightened in intensity, you briefly pushed yourself away from him. He immediately backs away, unsure of your sudden change of pace.

“W- was it too much?” he questions, licking his reddened lips, face flushed and hair tousled. He runs a hand through his hair, putting his weight on one side.

“No, I— I my cake should be done any moment,” you squeak out, suddenly feeling awkward as the pace of the moment slowed to a stop. Din looks at you for a moment, then simply nods, following close behind as you enter the kitchen.

You saunter to the oven where your cake was waiting patiently for you. You bring your hand up to your chest once more, sliding the cool beskar over your finger, the pad of your finger gliding over the mudhorn signet engraving. Din grabs your hand, tugging you close to his face to inspect the ring. He pulls it out from your dress, taking the chain in his hand. His eyes flit up to yours, a smile growing on his face.

“You’re so beautiful,” he breathes, pressing his lips to where the ring rests on your chest. You raise your eyebrows with delight, your cheeks heating at his words.

Just as he pulled away, the oven dings. You gasp lightheartedly, grabbing some oven mitts to carefully extract the cake from the furnace. You hadn’t noticed, but Din had grabbed a stray dish towel and yanked the pan from your grasp, sliding it on the counter. You softly slapped his arm, and he disregarded you by closing the oven door, turning it off, and pressing you against the counter. Din pressed his lips to yours before you could object, his hands firmly grabbing your hips.

You melted into Din's touch as he moved down your neck, tenderly sucking on the flesh. You hummed contentedly as you ran your fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp the way he liked it. He groans against your skin, raking his hands down your back in response.

“B- bedroom,” you manage to spit out, chest heaving from his ministrations across the delicate skin on your neck. “To the bedroom,” you nearly beg, anticipation bubbling up in your chest.

“Of course,” he mumbles against your skin, hesitantly pulling away. He grabs your hand firmly, pulling you towards your shared bedroom with an eagerness he could barely contain.

As soon as the door shut behind you, his hands were back on you, leather roaming your arms slowly. His hands slide up to your shoulders, fingers twisting the straps of your dress with desire. His touch felt hot, like it was burning through to your bones.

You take his hand in your own, clasping your fingers against his before reaching for his gloves. The leather feels warm against your skin, fingers gripping the edge. You slowly pull off his gloves, letting them drop to the floor with ease. A sigh escapes your lips at the feeling of his skin against yours, and your heart begins to race.

Your hands drift up to his armored chest, cold beskar standing guard against his body. You feel along the edges of the armor until you reach the clasps, carefully loosening the clasps. The beskar chestplate falls off his chest, your hands catching it before it hits the ground. You set it gently on the ground before turning back to face Din. Your eyes drift up to his shoulder plate with the mudhorn engraving, and your hand mindlessly drifts up to it. You run your fingers along the engraving, feeling the crevices on the pad of your finger. Din’s breath catches in his throat at the sight of you handling his armor with such care. He would never get tired of your gentle touch and your care for his armor.

The ritual of removing his armor is silent, serene. Words are spoken through patient, methodical actions. He helps you remove the final pieces, all armor and weapons discarded in a neat pile on the floor. Din is standing in his pants and soft shirt. He steps closer to you, his pupils blown wide. You sigh contentedly, admiring your work, knowing Din is probably restraining himself greatly right now.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he breathes, cupping your face in his hands.

You lean into his touch, a gentle smile appearing on your face. You grab his wrists softly, pulling his right hand up to your lips to give it a small kiss. He inhales sharply, eyes widening for a moment before he grabs your shoulders and pushes you down on the bed, immediately kissing you and sliding his tongue into your mouth. Coming back up, he goes back to messing with the strap of your dress, pulling each strap off your shoulder, and, grabbing the hem of the dress, pulls it off you in one fluid motion. He was going to just rip it off, but he knows it's one of your favorites, so he had to settle.

"Such a pretty girl," he says, tenderly tracing his finger down your thigh. "Gorgeous."

You tremble somewhat beneath his stare as heat rushes to your face and your core. Din grips your hips and nips at your collarbone, leaving sloppy open-mouthed kisses along your neck. His fingers reach to unclasp your bra, and his tongue is soon buzzing around your breast as you let out a faint cry. You swallowed a much more audible moan.

“No,” he murmurs, continuing to caress your skin. “Be loud. ‘M gonna make you feel good, cyar’ika,” he pants.

Your whimpers filled the room, as your fingers were entangled in your husband's dark hair. Din rose from your chest, kissed your lips, then moved down to your panties, which he took off in one seamless motion.

“Already so wet for me,” he grunts, running his fingers delicately over your thighs.

“Please, Din,” you mewl, your senses down when it came to his unwavering touch. “I need you—”

“What do you need, cyare?” he questions innocently, bringing his head down to your core. He was enjoying the sounds you were making, so desperate and needy, he needed to please his little wife. He shifts his pants, trying so hard not to think about his hard cock. He firmly grabs your thighs, spreading them wide for him.

Din then breathes over your pussy, circling your clit with his tongue. A delighted moan escapes your lips, thighs trembling as he indulges in your needs. Weak whimpers flowed from you as Din's tongue traveled over and around your clit, causing your hips to jerk slightly. You grasp his hair, fingers interlocking with his curls, tugging at them to encourage him to do more. Din snatches your hips, yanking you closer to his face, and all you could do was leave your legs open and warmly welcome the way his tongue treated you.

You whine in protest as he drags himself back up and away from your pussy, only to be greeted with a hard kiss. Your hands slide under his shirt, hands dexterously pulling it off his body. Din grabs both of your wrists, pinning them together above you with one hand.

“Eager, I see,” he comes up to whisper in your ear.

“Y- you were gone too long, Din,” you protest, bucking your hips up against him, making him let go of your wrists to release a pent up groan as you graze against his cock. “Had to touch my- myself.”

"My poor riduur, I couldn't take care of you," he coos, running his hands through your hair. "But I'm here now, and I'm going to take good care of you."

He moves down to your cunt once more, suddenly sliding two fingers in. You immediately stutter, arching upwards as he hits a sweet spot inside you.

“Mm, gotta make sure you’re ready, cyar’ika,” he mumbles, pumping his fingers inside you, coating them in your slick. He slowly adds a third finger, scissoring them as your slick starts to coat his knuckles. You gasp as he stretches you out with his fingers, moans tumbling out of you freely.

When he starts circling your clit with his thumb, you swear you see stars. Din and his divine hands finally located the spot they were looking for, and you seized the sheets underneath you for support. It wasn't long until you felt a familiar heat in your gut and your lovely moans increased in volume.

“D- Din, I– ‘m” you sputter, eyes scrunching closed as you feel the pleasure in your abdomen on the verge of exploding.

“Come for me,” Din says huskily. “You’re doing so well for me, my sweet wife.”

You shrieked as your legs wobbled and then everything slammed through you, the coil inside you snapping, coming all over his fingers. As you descended from your high, Din guided you through your climax, whispering sweet nothings and praises.

“That’s it, beautiful. ‘S good for me,” he comes up to kiss you, and you grab him by his neck, taking him down with you. You fumble for his pants, yanking them down his slutty little hips just enough to pull his cock free. You take his cock into your hand, dragging your thumb up a particular vein running up his length. He shudders, hips bucking into your grasp. You let go, grabbing onto his shoulders, pushing him down on top of you, rubbing your cunt over his cock.

“C'mere,” he grunts, shuddering, before lining up with your soaking cunt, plunging into you harshly. “Missed you too much to take my time.”

As he filled you up, he bent down and kissed you, slipping his tongue into your mouth. You both groaned and held his shoulders for support when he bottomed out. Din grinned and kissed your cheek before sliding out and slamming back into you. He pounced on you like there was no tomorrow, and all you could do was take it with your nails sinking into his flesh. It was great to have him back, to have him with you again, to have him home safe.

His cock goes deeper, repeatedly touching the perfect spot inside you. You moan, gripping onto him, fingers digging into his skin. gripped. One of his hands comes up to circle around your clit sporadically and perfectly, tightening the coil in your stomach.

“Fuck, so good, cyare,” Din breathes, small moans pulled from the back of his throat as he presses into your clit.

“D- Din, ‘m close,” you moan, gripping onto him like a lifeline. You wrap your legs around his hips, yanking him closer to your body so he can reach deeper. He groans, his pace speeding up at your eagerness.

“Come for me again, sweetheart. C’mon, I know you can,” he urges you, driving deeper inside you.

His unrelenting rhythm, his finger playing with your clit, and his praising and appreciative murmurs all pushed you over the edge. Your orgasm surges into you as your muscles spasm, pussy fluttering around Din's cock.

“M- Maker,” Din sputters as your pussy clenches around his cock, breathless as he was about to come.

“Din, fill me up,” you pant, begging him. At the sound of your voice, he comes undone, coming deep inside you, groaning loudly while riding out his high. He folds in on himself, pressing his lips to your neck to lap at the skin. You bring your hands up to rake through his hair, smiling to yourself as he lays on top of you.

You listen to his breathing slow down, his hands come up to your ring hanging around your neck. He takes it in his fingers, staring at it intently. Before leaning back to kiss you gently.

“Missed you, too,” you say, knowing what he’s thinking. You massage his scalp for a moment, watching his face morph into a relaxed state.

“Never leaving you for this long again,” he murmurs, pressing his face into your skin as your fingers work his achy skin.

“Mhm.”

“Never leaving my pretty riduur alone,” he says, flashing a smile at you before laying his head back down.

“I love you,” you say, squeezing his cheeks the tiniest bit in your grasp.

“I love you, too,” he responds, blissed out and utterly happy.

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sev-on-kamino · 11 months

Note

Could you do something for f!reader x tech for prompt 14 or 12? No pressure though. LOVE YOUR WRITING 🩷✨

I can, and I will, friend! Thank you so freakin’ much 🥹🥰 I apologize this took so long 😩, but I hope you love it🥰

Blossoming Romance #14: Looking at their lips as they talk (prompt list here)

Tech x afab!Reader

warnings: prepare yourself for fluff, a lil misunderstanding, followed by more fluff🥰

word count: 772

Tech liked to talk, and you liked to listen. The topic didn’t matter. Linguistics, flora and fauna, the finer points of hyperspace travel. You absorbed it all like a sponge. He would get so excited, yet serious. His eyes lighting up, his hands gesturing about. His voice holding your focus captive.

You loved it all, but lately you were distracted. You’d ask a question, he’d launch into the answer, but instead of focusing on the answer, and adding to your increasing compendium of knowledge, your mind would wander. Your eyes hopelessly drawn to his lips.

Every so often his tongue would dart past his teeth to wet his lips, and it would really take everything you had to pretend you’d heard whatever he’d just said. It was growing more and more difficult not to interrupt him with kisses. You wanted to tug his helmet off, press up against him, and indulge in those lips of his. Unfortunately your split focus had not gone unnoticed.

Tech had been thrilled to finally meet someone who could not only handle his tendency to dig into almost any subject in great detail, but who seemed to genuinely enjoy every moment. Lately though it seemed like your mind was anywhere else. The friendship turned relationship was still new, but according to Tech’s research you shouldn’t have been bored of him already. There was still so much for the two of you to learn about each other.

You still sought him out, still asked him to teach you things. It didn’t make any sense to him when you would inevitably get distracted and he’d lose you for several moments.

“Tech,” you called, as you entered the cockpit holding your holopad. “It’s giving me that error message again. What issue did you say corresponds to code 221B4?”

“Leave it there, and I’ll fix it,” He replied not looking up from the piece of equipment he was working on.

“You don’t have to. I wanted to try myself,” you took the seat next to him, and watched him. “What are you working on?”

“The alluvial dampers,” Tech answered. You waited for him to continue like he always did, but he just kept on working. Your brow furrowed in confusion.

“Those go in the coupling motivator with the artesiatic dampeners, right?” You pushed.

Tech looked up, his lips pursing into a thin line, as he regarded you. Normally recalling information would earn you a smile, and if you were really lucky, he’d press his forehead to yours.

“Yes, that is correct,” he said after several seconds that felt like hours.

“Alright, Tech, what’s going on? Are you upset with me?” You asked utterly confused by his icy behavior.

“I’m merely surprised you remembered given that you no longer bother to pay attention during our conversations.”

Your face warmed up instantly, and you tugged nervously at your earlobe.

“Tech,” you ventured quietly.

“It’s quite alright. Even my brothers don’t listen as attentively as I would like at all times.”

“It’s not that,” you said with a nervous chuckle. “I’ve been wanting to pay attention, I’m just a little distracted is all.”

“Distracted by what?” he asked confused. You cleared your throat and took a breath.

“Distracted by you, Tech,” you said staring down at the floor.

“I’m not following, cyare.”

“It’s…it’s your lips,” You stammered out. He brushed his fingers over his lips, frowning in confusion.

“What about them? Is there something wrong with them?”

“No, not at all. Quite the opposite,” you giggled. “I just keep thinking about kissing you.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but he was rendered speechless by the realization you had simply wished to connect with him physically. It made sense given what he knew of your affectionate nature, and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized sooner.

“Well, I apologize for my assumption and subsequent accusations,” He said placing the piece of equipment down, and reaching for you. You took his hand, giggling once more as he tugged you into his lap. You cupped his face with your hands, as you brought your lips to his, satisfaction spreading warmth and comfort through your body.

Tech wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you close. Imparting knowledge to you would always be something he enjoyed, but he decided he would make time for this far more often. The contented hums this simple action elicited were far too enjoyable to miss out on.

You broke the kiss with a sigh, and pressed your forehead to his with a small smile playing on your lips.

“Apology accepted, darling,” You said before leaning in to steal his lips once more

#tbb tech x reader #tbb tech x you #tech fluff #the bad batch #tech x reader #tech x you #star wars the bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #star wars fanfiction #seven writes for shades #seven writes #these blossoming romance prompts really warm my heart #reader insert

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523rdrebel · 10 months

Note

Ohhh can I request “i’ve always thought you were the most beautiful person in the world.” dialogue prompt with Hunter?

🥰🫶

Hey Lovely! Thanks for the Prompt! It took me a minute, since I wanted to make sure I got Hunter's voice right. (You can be the judge of that, though.) I hope you enjoy!

Rival The Stars

Hunter x Reader

Warnings - SFW, Mostly just fluff, Light Kissing

You and Hunter take cover behind the dilapidated remains of a wall. Hunter holds up a fist, signaling you to hold position, and speaks into the comm on his wrist, “Wrecker, we’re in position. Get those charges set and get out of there!”

Wrecker’s laugh boomed out of the comm, “You got it Sarge!” Hunter rolls his eyes and sighs, but you can hear the soft smile in his tone.

Hunter leans his head back against the wall, breathing deeply, and strengthens his grip on his blaster. You take the moment to breath yourself as you wait in the relative calm before the storm.

“AAAHHHHHHH! HAHAHA! YEAAAH!” The sound of Wrecker’s crazed laughter breaks through. You look around your cover and see Wrecker, running full bore towards your position. Hunter grabs your arm and yanks you upward, “Time to go!” The three of you race, full speed, to the evac point. “Tech! We're headed to the evac point!”

The Marauder comes into view hovering over the ground, you jump onto the ramp and Hunter’s hand grips your arms on either side to stabilize you when the ship lurches into movement. “Now, Wrecker!”

“YEAH!” Wrecker exclaims and presses the button, setting off the biggest explosion you’ve ever seen in your life. You could swear you feel the heat on your back as the ramp closes behind you. You, Wrecker, and Hunter all rush to the cockpit to observe your handiwork. Wrecker removes his helmet, revealing his childlike wonderment and glee, “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful!”

Hunter sets his helmet aside and slaps a hand across his brother’s back, “Yes, yes, it’s beautiful, Wrecker.” But oddly, he isn’t looking outside the cockpit. His eyes lock with yours and you offer him a soft smile.

“Nice job, boys. Mission accomplished.”

It was a long journey through hyperspace to the squad’s next mission and Hunter had ordered that they all take the time to get some rest. You’d slept fitfully until eventually, you gave up with a sigh. You rub your face and rise out of your bunk, keeping your footsteps light to avoid waking the others, and head towards the front of the ship. Hunter was manning the cockpit and after a moment of consideration, you enter and yawn out a sleepy “Hey.”

“Hey. You should be sleeping.” His voice was low and soft, it washed over you like a breeze.

“Hmm. Can’t.” You shrug, and your lips curl up at the note of concern in his voice, “I’m alright Hunter. Can I join you?”

“Yeah, sure.” He gestured to the empty copilot seat, “We’ll be entering orbit soon anyway.”

You sit in companionable silence for a while, watching the stars streak by and listening to the hyperdrive hum. It might’ve put you back to sleep if you weren’t so keenly aware of Hunter’s presence beside you. Glancing over, you take in the strong profile, illuminated by the streaking light from space. He had taken on a softer countenance, as he usually does when the whole squad is together on the Marauder - safe. Hunter shifts and starts pressing buttons, preparing to transition from hyperspace to standard flight. It is then that you notice the change in the hum of the hyperdrive, a slightly slower rhythm, and you brace yourself for the shift to standard light. “I’ll go wake the others. Want some caf?”

“Sure. Thanks.” He says, still busy with the navicomputer.

You stick your head into the bunk area and shout, “Rise and shine, boys! We’re entering orbit momentarily.” Wrecker is the first to move, stretching wide and hopping off of his bunk with a dull thud. “We're there already!?” He bellows, resulting in pained groans from the others.

The smell of caf fills the ship as the crew stirs from their bunks and begin preparations for landing. You grab two cups and rejoin Hunter in the cockpit, he takes his with a quiet thank you.

You look up through the cockpit and gasp, “Wow! I’ve never seen so many stars!” Hunter regards you and smiles, “Huh, It is beautiful, isn’t it? With all our missions, you kind of forget to look.”

“I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this view.” You let out a sigh and lean back against the chair.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” He spoke quietly, a smoky depth added to the words and a heavy tension hung between you.

Hunter’s eyes were focused on your face, his gaze darkened with something you couldn’t make out. “You’re…You’re not even looking at them, Hunter.” You found it hard to speak and you certainly couldn’t look away. Why was your mouth suddenly so dry?

“I wasn’t really talking about the stars.” There it was again, that low voice, the hooded look.

Wrecker shouts from close behind you, breaking the tension, “Why is the caf always so much better when you make it?”

The moment is gone, the spell is broken, and you give Wrecker a light punch on the arm, “Probably because I actually clean it out before making a new pot.”

“Oh… Well, you should always make it then!”

You hear Echo chime in from across the ship, “Or you could just clean-it-out, Wrecker.”

“Uuuuh, where’s the fun in that!?”

You're sitting on the grass, watching the sun set slowly over the trees. You hum to yourself a tune from long before, the lyrics lost to time. You pause as you hear footsteps approach, when you turn you see Hunter, dressed down in his blacks approaching almost hesitantly. “Can I– join you?” A brushes a hand through his hair, his cheeks showing a slight flush. It is quite warm tonight.

“Please do!” you say, patting the grass beside you.

He sits next to you, leaning one hand in the grass and angling so that he faces towards you. “I was– hoping to talk to you about the other day.”

You suck in a breath and freeze. The other day– He takes a deep breath, “I wasn’t talking about the stars. There are billions of those - Kriff, if you ask Tech, he could probably give you an accurate number. But in all my travels, there’s only ever been one you.” He leans forward and his hand hovers above yours, he looks at you, waiting for permission. You nod and his hand covers yours, softly, gently, but solid. It sends shivers down your spine and your cheeks burn. ”I’ve always thought you were the most beautiful person in the world.”

You release a startled laugh, “Did you practice that line?”

Hunter rolls his eyes and places a hand gently beneath your chin. He leans in, face so close you can feel the heat of his breath, “I may have practiced a few times in the fresher. Now, can I kiss you?”A breathy “Yes,” escapes and Hunter crashes his lips into yours. You sigh into the kiss and it deepens in response. The sun continues to set over the trees as Hunter holds you in his arms – You, the one who rivals the stars.

#RebelWrites #hunter x reader #bad batch hunter #tbb #Hunter Fluff #Also Wrecker is cute #asked and answered #Writing Prompts

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ironmandeficiency · 2 years

Text

random poly bad batch hc’s

pairing: poly bad batch / reader

word count: 1038

summary: just a cluster of random hc’s that kinda link together. i’m just soft for these boys

a/n: another piece retrieved from c&m but with extra content bc i used to not be very comfortable writing for echo, but i feel like i’ve kinda become ready to delve into him deeper

tech:

tech??? a flirt??? more likely than you’d think

it blindsides the boys bc like everyone else that meets the genius, they think he’ll be a shy, bumbling fool when trying to impress someone

but he ends up being a smooth motherfucker who uses some random study that says “eight hugs a day is recommended to keep the mind and body healthy” to get you to cuddle in bed longer or to stop doing something that isn’t holding your boys

”how many hugs have you today?” “um…” “unacceptable. to be safe, we’re starting the count over” you were close to eight but since you couldn’t recount them when he asked, he takes it as zero (even if he knows he was at least two of the day’s recommended hugs)

they’ll never admit it but the others are extremely grateful bc his tactic works every time

echo:

echo gets cold much easier than anyone else in the group for obvious reasons, but hates to make it known

you were quick to catch on to his shivering in the few nights he would let you sleep next to him during brief breaks & decided to do something to help: get him a heated blanket

during a brief refuel stop on coruscant, you made your way into the shopping district and bought him a 501st blue heated blanket that had considerable weight to it. not enough to smother him, but just enough to feel like he’s wrapped in a hug

the heating and ventilation system in the marauder went kaput in hyperspace which turned the ship into a flying icebox. echo was already an icicle on the best days, but this level of cold would be almost unbearable for him

the boys had commed you to let you know the situation & that they were a couple hours out

you cranked the blanket to the next highest setting and let it warm up before they got there, and made sure to have some food ready for all five of them

an echo-shaped blanket burrito was carried through your front door by wrecker, the others trailing behind the hulk of a soldier like lost tookas

wrecker knew to bring echo to your bed where you wrapped him in the new blanket, waiting until you knew it was warm before sliding all but two blankets out from underneath the heated one

before leaving him be, you smoothed out his brow with your thumb and kissed his forehead gently, careful to not wake him

when he finally woke up, he wrapped you in the biggest hug he possibly could with a smile that nearly overtook the rest of his face

wrecker:

wrecker would be the most obvious when missing you, more open with his emotions than the others (which doesn’t say much, i know)

he’ll be the one in the middle of a mission talking about how comfy your bed is and how much he misses your cooking

absolute cuddle bug. no one even comes close to his strong need to constantly have some sort of physical contact with you

he keeps an arm slung around you at nearly all times, whether it be around your shoulder or your waist he’s always wanting to hold you

if one of the others has themselves wrapped around you, he’ll resort to having a hand in your back pocket or even a couple fingers hooked into your belt loop

the grumpiest and poutiest wrecker is the one not around you

crosshair:

crosshair quickly becomes a food critic whose ratings seem quite biased toward the cook

he would praise every dish you made not just bc the rations were depressingly bland, but bc you make everything with love and the intention of taking care of your boys.

crosshair is the most likely to shoot a bitch for just a bite of your cooking (he’s most likely to shoot a bitch period but that’s beside the point)

so you started cooking in bulk and freezing it so they can have a taste of home when they’re half a galaxy away

since each one has different preferences when it comes to some ingredients (crosshair loathes corn while hunter enjoys extra), you always put their names or draw their symbols on the top so they don’t get mixed up

when you draw a crosshair for him you always put a heart in the center of it and it makes him smile every time, especially when he lifts the foil top and sees the secret note you always leave him

he’s nonchalantly checked the others’ containers and doesn’t find a note for them, and to him it makes him feel special that there’s something solely his in the universe, no matter how trivial it may seem

hunter:

speaking of the word “home”

hunter’s the first one to use it out of the four of them

he’s giving a pre-mission of what they need to do and casually says “the quicker we get this done, the quicker we get home”

crosshair calls him on it and hunter tries to say he didn’t say that but tech recorded it and he very clearly said-

there wasn’t anything wrong with hunter saying it, it just came as a shock bc the only “homes” they knew were kamino (terrible first experience) and the havoc marauder (not terrible but i hey were just alone together 24/7, they get on each other’s nerves sometimes)

but then they met you, and you turned their world topsy-turvy. suddenly they have someone that sees them as people & is so absolutely genuine that it makes them ache when they suddenly remember “hey, there’s this person i would do anything for and apparently they’d do the same for me, holy shit”

the first time they saw photos of themselves hanging in your apartment, it caught them off guard. it wasn’t a grand gesture that required a lot of fanfare, it wars a simple thing you did to have pieces of them be with you when they’re worlds away

plus, there’s no way you can be sad when looking at a picture of wrecker using a disgruntled crosshair as weights

these boys love you to the ends of the galaxy and then even farther & will make sure you don’t forget

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wild-karrde · 2 months

Text

In Command - Part 18

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: A NEW CHAPTER FINALLY EMERGES!! It's been a bonkers last little bit, but WE'RE BACK. As always, thank you to the outstanding @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading for me!

Chapter Rating: E (18+ MINORS SKEEDADDLE)

Warnings: language, explicit sexual content

Word Count: 7.1k words

Senna untangled herself from Hunter’s limbs and rolled off of him, patting his chest plate. “That was fun, but let’s never do that again, yeah?”

“No complaints from me,” the sergeant grunted, pulling his helmet off to reveal a smirk and letting his head fall back against the floor of the ship for a moment with a dull thud.

Tech already had the ship halfway to hyperspace, the engines whining with effort, and Wrecker was scrambling out of the gunner’s nest at the rear of the ship to meet them.

“Are you alright?” he boomed, worry furrowing his brows.

“Never better, Wrecker,” Echo said between panting breaths, leaning against the wall where he’d sunk to the floor heavily after he’d closed the hatch.

Senna reached over to him and squeezed his arm. “Thanks for sticking around and not bailing on me back there.”

“Not exactly our style,” Echo joked. “Besides, pretty sure Rex would have had something to say about it.”

“You’re damn right I would have,” Rex called from one of the seats Wrecker had placed him in. He was leaning awkwardly on what appeared to be a communications console, and he winced slightly as he shifted, his eyes finding Senna’s. The relief was evident. “What the hell happened out there?”

Senna got to her feet, reaching down and pulling Hunter up with her.

“Not entirely sure if I’m honest. Had the usual small army after us, but there was someone new. He called himself an Inquisitor.” She shuddered at the memory of his eyes and the chill that seemed to accompany his presence in the Force. “Anything you’ve come across before?” she asked Echo as he stood and removed his helmet.

The former ARC trooper shrugged, shaking his head, and Senna felt a tingle at how similar the gesture was to Rex. Of course they were clones, but it was clear they’d picked up some of each other’s mannerisms in the time they’d served together.

Brothers in more than just their biology. So different and yet so very much the same in some ways.

She felt the ship shudder as it finally entered hyperspace, and Tech came strolling back from the front of the ship, eyes locked on a datapad in his hands.

“I’ve heard rumors of such an individual on Imperial comm chatter. A dark Force wielder the Emperor and his apprentice are using to track down remaining Jedi. I just did not have confirmation of his existence until now.”

“A dark Force wielder?” Senna asked, trying to fight the bile rising in her throat.

Turned Jedi? Or something else entirely?

“Yes,” Tech replied evenly, meeting her eyes and adjusting his goggles. “Although little is known about his origins.”

“Great, one more thing to worry about,” Senna muttered, picking her bag up off the floor where Tech had hurriedly dropped it and trying to keep her face neutral. She couldn’t say she was as unphased as Tech seemed. Her mind was already working the problem as she strode towards the rear of the ship, wondering how many Inquisitors could exist after only a year and who could be among them. Warm fingers intertwined with hers, jerking her from her thoughts, and piercing brown eyes searched hers.

“Let it breathe a bit,” Rex said quietly. “I can see you’re just going to frustrate yourself trying to get to the bottom of this. You’re running low on sleep and need some time.”

Senna grinned, glancing around to make sure none of the other clones were watching before leaning down to whisper in his ear.

“And whose fault is that?”

She couldn’t help but grin at the way Rex faltered slightly, his eyes flicking to her mouth for a moment before he recomposed himself. It was a microscopic tell in the grand scheme of things, but she loved that she could see it, and that she was the cause. Some of the tension slipped from her shoulders as she grounded herself in his gaze.

“I’m just saying you should give yourself some time to recover. We’re safe. And I don’t want to see you burn yourself out,” Rex tried again.

Her hand slid to his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “Yes, sir.”

Rex rolled his eyes with a smirk, and Senna let loose a quiet giggle as she hauled her rucksack back towards some storage bins she’d spotted at the rear of the ship. The Marauder was a decent size, but the last thing she wanted to do was clutter it up, especially after Echo and his brothers had just saved her and Rex. Her eyes raked over the control panels as she moved through the hold, cataloging a list of questions about the modifications to the ship to be asked later. Tech followed behind her, pointing at one of the closed storage bins above her head.

“That one should be mostly empty and will likely be large enough to hold your things if you wish.”

“Thanks,” she said, dipping her head in acknowledgement as he turned around to head back towards the front of the ship. Glancing over, Senna saw Rex had his back to her, engaged in conversation with Hunter and Echo. He seemed relaxed and happy, and while he was still clearly in pain, he was gesturing animatedly, as if he’d forgotten about his wounds as he caught up with his brothers. It was easy to see the bond he shared with them, the ones he’d found after he’d lost everything.

He deserves that happiness. I’m glad he has them.

She smiled as she reached up and unlocked the storage container, lifting the lid outward. A few haphazardly stowed items tumbled out, one of which bounced off her foot with a loud clatter. Tossing her bag into the empty side of the bin, she reached down to retrieve the fallen equipment. Her fingers locked around plastoid, and when she looked down at what she was holding, her heart jolted in her chest, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe.

The blue Jaig eyes from her dreams were staring back at her from the helmet in her hands.

Several other pieces of armor had tumbled out of the bin, white with royal blue accents, covered in scuffs and scratches. Senna fell backwards with a yelp, dropping the helmet and scrambling away from the painted symbolic eyes that were boring into her until her back hit the opposite side of the hull. Her eyes took in the hash marks on the armor, the marring across the blue paint, the kama and pauldron dangling from the storage bin that matched perfectly with what she’d seen in her dreams.

It’s him. It’s his armor. It’s real.

Tech returned, looking concerned.

“Are you alright?”

Senna’s heart was racing, but she tried to not allow her shock to betray her.

What does this mean?

She felt Tech still watching her, and a trace of curiosity furrowed his brows. Taking a deep breath, she gave him a tight smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got surprised.”

She couldn’t stop her eyes from flicking back to the heap of armor. Tech followed her gaze and sighed when he saw the gear on the floor.

“I told Wrecker that he should stow that gear properly or it would booby trap the first person to open the bin. My apologies.” He stooped to pick up the helmet, placing it and the other armor pieces back into the storage bin.

“That’s… that’s Wrecker’s armor?” Senna attempted to ask casually. She knew it was a stupid question, but she suddenly felt the need to fill the space with words as her mind frantically worked to pull the pieces together.

Tech scoffed lightly. “Wrecker? Oh no, this would never suit him, or fit him for that matter. This is Rex’s armor. We’ve been holding it for him since he began the Lothal mission. He didn’t want it to be found at your dwelling in the event that you drew too much attention. I assumed he’d told you.”

Senna’s heart slammed against her ribcage. Her mouth was bone dry as her brain struggled to fit the pieces into place.

Rex. It’s Rex. He’s the clone in my dreams.

But why?

“Are you sure you’re alright? I know plastoid is rather lightweight, but at the right velocity and angle, it can hurt quite a bit.”

“I’m fine,” Senna snapped. Tech took a step backward, and she internally winced at her reaction.

Keep it together. You have no idea what it even means.

“I’m fine, Tech. Thank you for your concern.” she said in what she hoped was a more calm tone.

He nodded, apparently unruffled, and turned to walk back towards the front of the ship.

Slowly, Senna got to her feet. Her legs still felt gelatinous and unreliable underneath her, but she inched towards the storage bin. Gently, she lifted the helmet back out, running her thumb over the scratches in the plastoid. The blue was even more vibrant than it had been in her dreams despite all of the wear and tear it had apparently garnered during the war. She traced her fingers around the painted Jaig eyes and stared deep into the visor, as if she could find a hint of the man that wore it reflected back at her.

I never met him during the war. I’m sure of it.

But I know this armor. I knew it before I really knew him.

Rex’s voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she nearly dropped the helmet on her foot again.

“Ah, good. They remembered to bring it.”

Hunter had Rex’s arm slung over his shoulder as he helped him towards one of the fold down bunks across from the storage bins. Rex’s eyes found hers, and his smile faded as he examined her expression. Quickly, she turned away from him, placing the helmet back in the storage bin and shutting the lid.

“Are you alright?” he asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She hurriedly pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, desperately trying to think of something to do with her hands as she schooled her expression into something more neutral before turning to face him.

“When…uh, when did you…when did you get the Jaig eyes?”

Rex was staring at her hard, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. She offered him a smile, but could see he wasn’t buying it.

“Right out of training,” he replied slowly. “Had them with me throughout the war. Always kind of liked how they looked in 501st blue. Why?”

She tried a shrug that felt more forced than her smile. “Just wondering. They suit you.”

Even as Hunter gently eased Rex onto the bunk, the captain’s eyes never left Senna. It was obvious that he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t have time to press the subject further as Tech emerged with a large medical kit.

“Alright, let’s see if I can help with your injuries.”

Senna moved to help Rex pull his shirt off so that Tech could take a look at the blaster wound on his chest first. After peeling the bandages back, Tech’s eyes widened slightly behind his goggles.

“You’re incredibly fortunate.”

“Don’t I know it?” Rex joked tightly, winking at Senna despite his discomfort. She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop a smile from erupting across her face.

Fuck, I love him.

Tech carefully examined the wound. “I cannot understand how this didn’t kill you instantly.”

Hunter let loose an exasperated sigh from where he was leaning against the wall. “Great bedside manner, Tech.”

“I’m merely stating that this wound was quite severe,” the goggled clone retorted, pulling out another injection of painkiller and giving it to Rex before he began probing the injury. “This has healed very well though.” He turned to Senna, giving her an appraising look. “What did you do?”

Senna nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “It wasn’t as bad as you think.” She could feel Rex’s eyes on her, but she really didn’t feel like delving into an explanation on how the Force works at the moment.

Not even sure I could give a good description anyway. And Tech looks like the kind of guy to ask a lot of questions.

Seemingly understanding he would get no further explanation, Tech nodded before going to work carefully flushing the wound and making a few minor repairs with some of the medical tools he pulled from his bag. Once he’d rebandaged Rex’s chest, he moved onto his leg, which went much faster, even though he noted Rex would need a minor surgical procedure as Senna had suspected. All in all, Tech was finished in less than an hour, but Senna could feel exhaustion overwhelming the last remnants of adrenaline in her system by the time he closed his medkit and exited with Hunter.

“We’ll give you two some privacy,” Hunter said quietly. “Try to get some rest.”

“Where are you taking us?” Senna asked.

The sergeant shrugged. “We’ll probably park somewhere remote and await orders. We’ve got a few waypoints we use just outside of hyperspace lanes.”

“No safehouse?” Senna asked.

“We’re in the market for one at the moment,” Hunter replied, unphased by the peppering of questions. “And Imperial checkpoints around our usual base of operations have picked up with the recent activity on Lothal, so best not to try to get there for the moment.”

It felt like an accusation, but Senna suspected she was just being stubborn. “And you’ve never run into any Imperials out here?”

“Not yet,” the sergeant said with a wink.

“First time for everything.” Senna couldn’t bring herself to share his confidence for reasons she couldn’t pinpoint. Maybe it was the experience with the Inquisitor, or maybe just inherent worry on her part. Either way, she wasn’t ready to relax and write off the Empire just yet.

“We would see them long before they realized who we are and what we are flying,” Tech replied from over Hunter’s shoulder. “I have scrambled our ship’s signature, and we have several modifications that make us harder to identify. All are fully functional.”

“Just like the hyperdrive?” Wrecker shouted from the cockpit with a loud cackle.

“I am in the midst of troubleshooting the hyperdrive’s issues. And as you can see, it’s functioning enough to get us into hyperspace…” Tech muttered loudly, glowering at his brother over his shoulder.

Wrecker was undeterred, and as the bickering grew louder, Senna had to stifle a giggle as Echo tried to break it up to no avail. Hunter heaved a sigh before slipping through the door and reaching for the control panel.

“Get some sleep if you can,” he whispered before closing the door. The last thing Senna heard was his gruff voice rising in volume over his brothers, demanding they quit arguing just before the door muffled all sound on the other side.

Senna huffed a laugh into the silence as the muted argument died down on the other side of the ship.

“Quite the crew. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone like them,” she noted. Rex had told her a little about Clone Force 99, and how he’d worked with them during and briefly after the war, but the clones that had picked them up were different from anything she’d possibly imagined.

“You wouldn’t have. They’re purposefully different from the rest of the clone army,” Rex grunted, trying to readjust his leg to a more comfortable position with a grunt. “They all have mutations the Kaminoans deemed desirable enough to enhance. Tech’s smart, Wrecker’s strong, Hunter’s got incredibly heightened senses, and Crosshair is a hell of a sniper.”

“Crosshair?” Senna asked, fishing a blanket out of her bedroll.

Rex let loose a deep exhale as he finally relaxed, having adjusted to a more comfortable position. “Yes. There’s one more. Most of their inhibitor chips didn’t activate when Order 66 was issued, but Crosshair’s did.”

“Oh.” Senna couldn’t think of anything else to say. She’d heard Rex talk about what it was like to lose control, but she felt like there was something else he wasn’t saying about Crosshair.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Rex sighed. “Last time they saw him, he told them it had been removed. And then he chose to stay with the Empire. If what he says is true, he’s lucky he had a choice.” He didn’t bother to hide the bitterness in his tone.

“Wouldn’t he have been decommissioned with the rest of the clones?”

“He hasn’t shown back up. My guess is he’s too valuable of an asset to just write off. Not your standard cannon fodder like the rest of us.”

Senna knelt down, gently laying the blanket over Rex. The lighting was dimmer with the door closed, but she could still see anger glittering in his eyes.

“And Echo? How did he come to join them?”

The pinch between Rex’s eyebrows softened slightly. “After everything he went through, I don’t think he felt like he fit in with regular clones anymore. The 501st had changed so much since he’d been captured. I think Fives’s absence was just a constant reminder of all he’d lost, and I was worried he’d just feel like he didn’t have a place with how he’d changed. Fortunately, the boys out there were part of his rescue, and he bonded with them. They were skeptical of him at first, but it didn’t take long for me to see he was going to be happier with them.”

“You just let him go?”

“I told him to.” Rex met her eyes. Senna leaned against the bunk, reaching for his hands and interlacing her fingers with his.

“That must have been hard,” she said quietly.

Rex’s thumb rubbed across her knuckles. “It was. But it was right for him at the time, and that was more important to me than my own feelings about not having him around.”

“That’s noble,” Senna noted. “And oddly similar to something I said to you about a week ago.”

Rex scoffed, but she was glad he grinned at that. “I think what you said was very different for several reasons.”

She flicked him lightly on his arm, and he scoffed. “Ok, but you understand where I was coming from, right?”

“Of course I did. I just disagreed with it.”

“Oh, so your opinion is the right one? I see now,” she joked.

“I didn’t make captain by being wrong, Master Aven,” Rex teased back. She rolled her eyes, but he reached forward stroking her cheek, his tone softening. “I wouldn’t be so foolish as to think I’m right more often than you. I’m sure you’ll win more arguments than you lose. But for what it’s worth, I’m glad you let me win that one.”

Senna turned her head, placing a kiss to his palm. “Me too.”

Rex’s thumb grazed her jaw, brushing against the sensitive spot behind her ear, and Senna’s pulse jumped, and heat and desire flooded through her. She was never going to get tired of him touching her like this, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever stop reacting like this when he did.

Maybe she didn’t want to.

“Just how good are Hunter’s senses?” she asked.

Rex didn’t appear to notice the mischievous glint in her eye or the way her tongue was poking between her teeth.

“He’s hypersensitive to smells, sounds, temperature changes, electromagnetic fields, you name it.”

Senna wrinkled her nose. “That sounds… awful. Just a constant sensory overload.”

Rex chuckled. “Oh, if he didn’t block it out, I’m sure it would be. He’s also developed the ability to tune things out, which I imagine was necessary for just existing. So for example, he wouldn’t hear us speaking back here unless he wanted to.”

“Do you think he’s listening right now?” Senna asked, shifting to lean closer to Rex. She nuzzled at his jaw and felt his breath hitch.

“Why?” he asked, his voice tight, but she didn’t miss the hint of hope in his tone.

“Oh, no reason,” she replied, her fingers finding their way under Rex’s shirt, trailing along the patch of hair below his navel. Rex inhaled sharply as she undid his belt and trousers, lightly scraping the curls at the base of his cock with her fingernails. She teased him gently, avoiding his hardening length as she allowed her fingertips to lightly stroke down his thighs. She nuzzled against his jaw, feeling the light scrape of his scruff, and smiled as Rex huffed in frustration as she bypassed his cock again, rubbing against his hip bone.

“Right now, Sen?”

“I want to.”

He huffed at that, stifling a moan behind clenched teeth as she ran her tongue along a tendon in his neck. The sound electrified her.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, allowing her knuckles to brush his cock as she moved her hand again.

“Like if you don’t touch me in the next five seconds, I’m going to lose my mind,” he growled.

“But I am touching you.”

“Tease,” he rasped.

Senna grinned before gripping him firmly, and satisfaction coursed through her veins as Rex’s head thunked back against the bunk with a loud groan.

“Shhhhh, Captain,” she teased in his ear, brushing her thumb over the head of his cock. He whined, and she kissed him hard. “You’re going to have to be more quiet if I’m going to continue. Wouldn’t want the others to hear, would we?”

She twisted her wrist, slowly stroking him, and she felt Rex tense underneath her, his breathing ragged in the dim room. His hand slipped over hers, guiding her pace, and she followed his lead, reveling in the way his cock twitched and pulsed against her palm.

Rex had impressed her from the moment they’d met, even if she’d thought he was too uptight, too military. But there had never been any doubt that he’d earned his reputation. He commanded respect with his presence alone, he was a brilliant strategist, and he just exuded strength and competence. And yet, here he was, whimpering Senna’s name again, and Maker, it thrilled her. Another burst of heat rushed between her legs, and her hips rocked back and forth, trying to get any semblance of friction from the seams on her trousers. She wanted him, but she understood how he’d held himself back last night. There really was nothing like watching the person she loved, the man she admired, unraveling while whispering her name like a prayer.

“S-Sen, I’m close,” he gasped.

“I can feel it,” she whispered. “I want you to cum for me, Rex.”

“‘M g-gonna make a mess,” he warned.

“And I’ll clean it up,” she replied. His eyes widened, and she pressed closer, her lips grazing the shell of his ear. “I’ve wondered what you taste like, and maybe I’ll finally sate that curiosity.”

Rex groaned, and she slowed, drawing a frustrated grunt in response.

“Please,” he begged.

“Keep it down then, Captain.”

He glared at her, but dug his teeth into his lower lip to keep himself quiet as she resumed stroking him, tightening her grip slightly. She could hear him breathing sharply through his nose, and she picked up the pace.

“Maybe I’ll wait to taste you though,” she teased again, and she felt his body tense, muscles straining to keep control of himself. “I think I’d rather have you straight from the source.”

Rex’s hips jerked, and he moaned quietly behind clenched teeth.

“Would you like that, Captain? Me on my knees for you with your cock pressed against my tongue?”

“F-fuck, Sen,” Rex swore. “I-I’m…” Senna felt his cock twitch, and moved her hand to catch his spend as he came hard. Spurt after spurt coated her palm until Rex shuddered and relaxed, panting raggedly. Senna slipped away to the small semblance of a ‘fresher that was tucked into the side of the ship to wash her hand before returning to Rex’s side, kneeling next to him as he still tried to catch his breath. She managed to get his pants refastened just as a large hand slipped around the back of her neck and pulled her into a heated, hard kiss. When Rex finally released her, he kept her forehead pressed to his.

“When we get to our next stop, wherever that is, you and I are going to find a bedroom, and we are not coming out until you’ve screamed yourself hoarse and neither of us can walk right. Got it?”

Senna chuckled. “Is that what it will take for you to be satisfied?”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied when it comes to you, Senna Aven,” Rex replied with a huff of a laugh. “I’m fairly certain my body will give out long before my desire does.”

“Well in that case, you should get some rest.”

“Now who’s keeping who awake,” he teased.

“That sounds an awful lot like a complaint.”

Rex kissed her again, much more gently this time, and Senna melted into his touch.

“Not in the slightest,” he whispered. “I love you.”

—

Several hours later, Senna felt the ship shudder as it exited the hyperspace lane. She could tell by the mechanical groan of the hyperdrive that they’d pulled off at a point that wasn’t a designated entrance or exit, putting a little more strain on the engine than normal.

Impressive. Falling out of a lane like that would normally be much bumpier. I’ll have to ask Tech if there’s a mod for that.

Rex was snoring softly on the lower bunk while Wrecker harmonized at a much louder volume from the bunk above him.

The large clone had reappeared a while ago along with Hunter to let them know they’d reached out to Senator Organa, but he’d been in a Senate session and was unavailable. When Senna had asked how long they expected the wait to be, Hunter had shrugged.

“Hard to say. Sometimes hours, sometimes days. Depends on when he can get to a secure location. He knows we have you and Rex and we’re safe, so it won’t be as urgent.”

“We’re fugitives from the Empire. I’d argue that’s pretty urgent.”

Hunter had chuckled at that, and irritation flared in Senna, but she subdued it.

“The Senator has to prioritize things carefully and trust we’ll take care of ourselves to an extent. Otherwise, he’d be racing out of committee meetings every other minute, and that might draw attention.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Senna conceded. She didn’t like feeling like she was being lectured, and she’d be lying if she said some of her frustration with the rebellion wasn’t bleeding over into this, but even moreso, she didn’t like the idea of Rex being left without additional medical attention. She was unable to keep her eyes from flicking over to where he was sleeping.

Hunter followed her gaze, and his expression softened. “Organa and the others he works with have a lot of lives depending on them. If one of them raises suspicion, it puts us all at risk. But we’ll make sure Rex gets taken care of. For what it’s worth, Tech said you did an excellent job fixing him up before we got there.”

“And he doesn’t give out compliments very often,” Wrecker chuckled. “So I’d take that for what it’s worth.”

Senna had smiled at that, and Hunter had left once more while Wrecker tried unsuccessfully to get her to sleep on the top bunk. She’d insisted on the floor so she’d be closer to Rex in case he needed anything, and the large clone finally relented, offering her another thin blanket from a storage bin before clambering up into the bunk himself. It had only taken a few minutes for his snores to fill the small space, and he’d been going steadily since then, only interrupting himself with the occasional snort or grunt when he shifted.

Wrecker’s snoring aside, Senna’s mind was far too busy to allow her to sleep. She’d replayed the encounter with the Inquisitor over and over again in her mind, trying to identify anything of importance to be analyzed, but she found nothing that answered any of her queries. It seemed like every thread she pulled just led to more questions.

Who was he? How many of them are there? He was strong with his control of the Force, so he must have had some training. He could also speak in my mind… I could hear him in my head. Could he hear me? He knew my name. Did he come because there was a reported Force user? Or did he know some other way?

The final thought chilled her. Force sensitives could usually tell when another was nearby, but that would imply that he’d already been on Lothal. And she’d never sensed him until he’d arrived on that speeder.

Surely he’d have shown up on the Imperial chatter if he was around. Rex and I monitored the comms all the way until the end. Surely there’d have been some indication if someone like that was coming to help with the search?

There was always the chance that his existence was extremely classified, and maybe the Imperials actually managed to keep something secret for once, but the thought nagged at her.

If he can sense Force users, how far does that reach?

And he didn’t kill me. I mean, I’m glad he didn’t. But he could have. He was toying with me. Why let the clones go and keep me alive?

Unless… unless they are turned Jedi.

She shuddered at the implication. Some of the familiar fear crept into her veins, cold tendrils of doubt and worry. If they were pursuing former Jedi, then they’d keep chasing her. And if they chased her, that put Rex in danger too.

Danger he’d say he’s willing to face with you.

Sweat broke out across the back of her neck, chilling her.

Surely there can’t be many of them then. Right? But likely more than one. The title “Grand” Inquisitor implies that there are lesser Inquisitors.

Questions sprung up everywhere in her mind, and she shoved them to the side to try and sort through later. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she rolled onto her side on the floor, and her eyes fell on the storage bin across from her.

The armor.

That was an entirely other puzzle that she wasn’t ready to grapple with. She was certain that would lead to even more questions and even fewer answers.

Fingertips grazed her shoulder, and she turned to find Rex’s hand dangling over the side of the cot. She rolled back to face him, gently taking his hand and kissing his knuckles. Rex’s snores didn’t falter, and she smiled, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand.

I have him. I’ll figure the rest out.

Giving up on the prospect of sleep, Senna pushed herself to her feet, gently tucking Rex’s arm back across his chest and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. He stirred but didn’t wake up, and she watched him sleep peacefully for another few moments before slipping the thin blanket Wrecker had given her around her shoulders, kicking her rucksack that she’d been using as a pillow under the bunk and out of the way, and sliding the door open.

She padded quietly up through the ship, passing a sleeping Hunter sitting against the hull on the floor and Tech tipped back in a chair and snoring at a haphazard angle near the comm console.

His neck has got to hurt sleeping like that, Senna thought as she passed by him. No wonder his posture is so awful.

Making her way to the cockpit, she found Echo wide awake and staring out the windows at the stars around them. He turned at the sound of her footsteps, offering her a small smile.

“Can’t sleep?” she asked, settling into the chair next to him.

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Nah, I don’t do that very well. At least not since…well, you know,” he said, gesturing at his legs and scomp arm.

“Yeah, that’ll do it,” she said, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

“What keeps you up?” he asked.

“Oh you know, just your run of the mill problems. Inquisitors and blaster wounds.” She chuckled. “Guess that’s better than the normal nightmares.”

“Nightmares?”

Senna picked at the seam of her trousers. “Memories.”

“Sorry about that,” Echo said quietly, giving her a sad smile.

“Why?” she asked, her eyebrow raising inquisitively.

“Well, you said you weren’t a commander or a general, so I’d imagine you didn’t see much action. That makes me think the worst thing you saw… well, was the end of it all.”

She nodded, her lips pulled into a thin line. “You all didn’t do it. Nothing to be sorry for.”

“Maybe not, but we were around for it, and it was…awful. I can’t imagine living through it from your perspective.”

Senna remained silent, her fingers tracing the scar on her collarbone absentmindedly as the memories flashed through her mind.

Echo noticed the scar. “Does talking about it help you?” he asked gently.

She met his eyes. “Sometimes. You?”

“Sometimes.”

Reaching over, she gave his arm a squeeze. “Well, if you ever want to talk, I’m a good listener, despite what Rex might tell you,” she joked lightly.

He let his hand rest on hers and squeezed back. “Thank you. The boys try to be sympathetic, but it’s not something they really understand, and they’re not sure how to handle it, and I certainly can’t talk to Omega about it.”

“Where is Omega by the way?” Senna asked. Rex had briefly mentioned the young clone before, and she’d been surprised to not meet her on the ship when they had escaped with the rest of Clone Force 99.

Echo chuckled. “She’s back at base putting her medical skills to use. She had training back on Kamino, but she thought she could help out the cause by learning more with actual trained medics. Tech is knowledgeable, but even his expertise is limited. We drop in and check on her regularly, but she’s been doing a great job from what we hear. And more importantly, she’s safe.”

Senna smiled, settling back into her chair a little more. She liked how much pride Echo clearly had for the young girl. Remembering Hunter’s comment about the Imperial activity near that base, she sent a silent hope out into the universe that Omega and whoever she was with were safe. She took solace in how unconcerned Echo seemed, hoping that meant that enough security existed to keep him from worrying.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Echo spoke again.

“You know, you’re good for him.”

Senna turned to look at him questioningly, but Echo gave her a knowing look. “Something’s changed since the last time I saw you two. You very obviously care for one another, and I have to say I haven’t seen Rex seem as…unburdened as he does when he’s with you, even with a blaster wound in the middle of his chest.” They laughed quietly before Echo continued. “The war was hard on him, but the last year has been harder. I feel like he’s been trying to outrun the grief he feels. I’m sure you’ve seen it. You’ve probably got plenty of your own.”

Senna nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“I’ve known Rex a long time,” Echo said quietly, “And the way you two are together…it’s special.”

She smirked back at him. “Who says we’re together?” she teased.

He grinned at her. “My eyes work just fine, Senna. I see the way he looks at you…and the way you look at him.”

So much for keeping it a secret, I suppose.

She sighed deeply, tipping her head back in the chair. “I fought it for a while,” she confessed. “I was scared for him.”

“Rex can handle himself.”

“You have a lot of experiences with Inquisitors during the war?” she asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

“We ran up against our fair share of dark Force users.”

“With Anakin at your back.”

“Touché.”

They were silent for a few more moments, Senna nervously chewing on her cuticle before she broached her next question.

“Do you think it’s a good idea? To have a relationship like this, doing what we do?”

Echo laughed softly. “If you’d asked me four years ago, I’d have told you it’s a terrible idea.” His gaze grew distant, and Senna could tell he was drifting towards his memories as his voice grew more somber. “But if the war and my time… away taught me anything, it’s that life is short, especially for us.” He turned to face her, meeting her eyes. “I missed years of my life. That’s precious time I can’t get back and things I’ll never be able to say to people that I loved.”

He was smiling, but there was a sadness in him that made Senna want to hug him again. She knew he must be thinking of the brothers he’d lost while he was with the Separatists, especially his twin, Fives.

“You want my advice?” he asked, rolling his shoulders as if shrugging off the grief. “Don’t waste a second of the life you have worrying about whether or not it’s a good idea to tell someone you care for them.” He sat back heavily in the chair, crossing his arms and staring out at the stars ahead of them. “You never know how much time you have.”

Senna propped her feet up on the console, her brows pinching together as she turned Echo’s words over in her mind.

“Tech’ll complain if he finds out you put your feet up there,” Echo rumbled. When she turned to look at him, he still had his arms crossed across his chest and his eyes closed, but the corners of his mouth were turned up in a smile.

She grinned, reaching a leg over to nudge his knee with her toe.

“And here I thought you all were good at keeping secrets.”

—

"You know, you actually-"

"Tech, I swear to everything holy, if you don’t back up and let me do this, I'm going to snap your goggles."

Rex sighed from where he was seated at the communications console with Hunter, watching the beginnings of an argument form and feeling too tired to step in the middle.

I’ve already got enough wounds to heal from. Don’t need a wrench to the head.

It had been a few rotations since they’d escaped Lothal, and after what felt like a hundred games of sabacc and too many ration bars for Senna and Wrecker’s liking, the ship was starting to feel smaller and things were getting chippy. The fact that none of them had showered didn’t help either.

“If you would just–” Tech tried again.

“I won’t,” Senna snapped, waving her hand dismissively at him as he leaned over her shoulder.

The goggled clone glared at her, moving a few steps back to where he was out of arm's reach but still could watch her work on her datapad. Echo and Wrecker snickered while Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Tech, let her work on her own equipment," Hunter called loudly.

"She could just be more efficient if she-"

"Ah ah ah ah what did I just say?" Senna interrupted him, waving the tool she was using menacingly at him. "It's my datapad, and I know what I’m doing."

Tech huffed just as the comm panel beeped with an incoming message.

"Thank the Maker," Hunter muttered, moving over to answer the call with Rex.

Rex punched in the decryption code as Hunter moved to stand behind the chair. "I see everyone's getting along swimmingly back there," he chuckled.

Hunter sighed deeply. "If we're not careful, we're going to come out of this with one less person, and between you and me, my money's on your girl being the last technical specialist standing."

Rex laughed, but before he could respond, Bail Organa's face appeared before them, glowing blue in the dimly-lit cabin.

"Greetings, Captain. Sergeant."

Both clones nodded in acknowledgement.

"I apologize for the delay," Organa continued. "Finding accommodations for all of you has proven rather difficult. There is much turmoil and fear right now, particularly with your confirmed report of an Inquisitor. Our allies are very nervous about taking on additional people to harbor at the moment without proper security precautions in place."

That doesn't sound good, Rex thought, his brows furrowing with concern.

Hunter sighed. “And if we had any safe houses left, we’d have gone there. Unfortunately, we’ve burned through those as well. So what’s the plan, Senator?”

Organa grinned. "You are to come here. To Alderaan."

Rex and Hunter shot each other a look.

"Senator, with all due respect, that seems like a very bad and dangerous idea," Hunter argued.

The senator laughed. "It certainly is, but at this time, it's the best we've got. We need to get you here and get both Captain Rex and Specialist Aven debriefed as quickly as possible to learn what they know. I am hopeful that the information they provide will put minds at ease and fill in gaps our allies are currently filling with their own worst-case theories. So, you are to come here. Unless you'd rather continue to stay parked out in deep space for another few rotations until a better solution can be reached." His barely-hidden smirk left Rex with the impression that Organa had guessed they were getting tired of breathing the same air.

If he did, the senator had to only wait a few seconds to have his theory confirmed as the sound of a scuffle suddenly broke out at the back of the ship, followed by a snapping sound and a loud curse. Senna’s raised voice easily carried to where Rex and Hunter were leaned over the communications console.

"I KRIFFING TOLD YOU I WOULD IF YOU DIDN’T BACK OFF, TECH!"

Rex leaned back in his seat and could see Echo standing in between Senna and Tech, gently trying to keep her from grabbing Tech’s goggles again, which were sitting askew on his face, and Rex could see the beginnings of a red mark forming across Tech’s forehead. Wrecker was roaring with laughter and being absolutely no help at all. If anything, he was egging them on. Rex didn’t like the look in Senna’s eye as her tongue poked out between her teeth, and Tech was doing nothing to help himself by wagging a scolding finger at her.

It was clear the senator could hear the argument, his expression asking a question neither clone felt like answering. Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as Rex leaned forward with a pained smile on his face.

"We'll be there in a rotation, Senator."

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#karrde writes #wow I still can do that I guess #in command #captain rex #OC Senna Aven #captain rex x oc #captain rex x original female character #captain rex x ofc #nsft #lemon #lemony lemon #slow burn #angst #whump

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kyberblade · 1 year

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Back To You (Din x Reader) - Part 14

A/N: There is one brain cell shared among all three of them, and the child has full custody of it. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I have been waiting for this part. When I first came up with the story, I was like, “Ugh! I’m going to have to come up with an OC Jedi to teach the reader and blah blah blah,” and I was dreading it. Then, lightbulb, “You, dummy! There’s an episode called The Jedi.” Don’t look at me. I laughed at myself but also wanted to hide. So without further ado, here is the next part! (Okay, more ado. Sorry.) There is more show dialogue in this one. Also, once again, there is some lore in this that @writerlyhabits wrote in a fantastic short, and I loved it so much, I asked if I could use it.

(This takes place right where the other one left off and goes to the middle of episode 2x5/13, The Jedi.)

I do not own Star Wars or it’s characters. Sadly. But I carry them in my heart. Does that count for something? My soul says yes.

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, Grogu being the cutest thing you ever did see, and Din is once again a warning in and of himself in this one. Typical show violence. Swearing. Space swearing. Some inappropriate jokes but all in good fun and nothing overtly spicy, more innuendos. Mando’a.

Word count: 14,010 (I regret nothing.)

As always, thanks to @grippingbeskar for encouraging me, looking over this for me, and being the one to introduce me to Din fanfiction in the first place, getting me hooked. You are fantastic and I always love our chats.

Thank you to @what-the-heckin-heck, @dontletyourchildrenwatchthis, @lloweryourstandardss, and @fordo-kixed-rex for reading this over for me and letting me know I’m not crazy despite it being a behemoth. And @deceiverofgodss for helping with the Mando’a.

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Xxx

Your right vambrace rested in your lap, the glove worn underneath clutched tightly between your teeth as you fiddled with the beskar. “Dahnk fahrik,” you mumbled around the leather as the tool slipped. Luckily not much could damage beskar, or the vambrace would be covered in scratches right now simply from this repair attempt.

Din turned in his pilot’s seat to watch when you let out a growl in frustration. “Need some help?”

“Yesh,” you said around the leather before spitting it out beside the vambrace. “Yes,” you repeated with a sigh, letting your head plop back against your chair.

He chuckled lightly, taking the vambrace to inspect more closely. “What seems to be the problem?”

“The fastening mechanism isn’t working right.” You picked up your head to look at him properly, handing him the tool. “It clicks in, but it still sits kinda loose on my arm. I was trying to tighten the screw, but-”

Din slid the mechanism closed after three small twists with the little tool, a sound click filling the cockpit. “It’s fixed.”

You stared at the armor in his hands for a moment, tilting your head after a minute of silence and blinking. “How-”

“It’s a spring mechanism. Fails on mine sometimes, too. The trick is to bypass it here,” he pointed with the tool to a spot an inch away from where you were working, “so it can continue without catching.” Leaning forward he set the vambrace back in your lap, keeping the tool, tossing it in the air and catching it.

Holding the beskar close to your face to inspect it for yourself, you narrowed your brows as you turned it over to see all the little crevices, poking at the spot he pointed at almost like you were testing it. “Thanks,” you mumbled.

He nodded once before turning back to the control panel and dropping out of hyperspace.

As you slipped your glove and vambrace back on, you looked up through the viewfinder to see a dreary looking planet looming ahead, half in shadow half in sun, the side in darkness barely lit up with any cities or lights.

“Corvus, this is the place. I’ve detected a beacon.” As Din spoke, he looked across his shoulder at the kid where he sat to his right on the console, looking up at him with bright eyes, making you smile. “I’m gonna start the landing cycle. You better get back in your seat.”

Din continued to press buttons and flip switches while the child stayed where he was, looking around the cabin as if nothing had happened. His focus settled on the silver ball on top of the lever about a foot in front of him, and you rolled your eyes. This was going to be interesting.

Jerking his head back towards the kid’s seat, Din’s voice got a little gruffer, more stern. “Hey, what did I tell you?” If Din noticed, he didn’t say anything, but you had to stifle a laugh at the way the kid’s face scrunched up into a scowl as he eyed the ball again, eyes narrowed slightly. As quickly as it came, it went, and the most innocent expression fell over his features as he tilted his head to the side and looked up at his caretaker. Oh, he’s good.

“Back in your seat.” Din turned back to face forward as the kid clamored down with little coos and grunts, hiking himself up into his chair on your right. You raised a brow as you watched him worrying his hands in front of himself as he looked between the ball and Din, and back again a few times.

Reaching out a hand, his eyes falling partway shut, you didn’t have to feel the surge in the air to know what was happening as the kid started to slyly unscrew the ball with the Force.

Under the guise of adjusting your vambrace further, you tucked your smile towards your chest, trying to swallow the snicker that wanted so badly to come out.

As you flew over the surface of the planet, it reminded you of the lower levels of Coruscant, grimy and hazy, the air almost yellow and thick. Everything looked gloomy and sad, the trees that once would have been a magnificent forest now stood baren and stripped, lonely spires left as a reminder of a better time.

Landing in the middle of what was once a forest on the outskirts of the village, you heard deep moaning and chittering coming from beyond the little clearing the ship was in. Stepping down the ramp cautiously, you peered around, eyes going wide when you saw the source of the sounds. Large creatures on four legs, taller than the Crest ambled about, snapping what was left of the dead trees in their jaws as they ate.

At the bottom of the ramp, Din turned to look at you. “If anywhere was a place you needed to conceal your identity, it’s here. This is the type of place where someone would turn you in for a handful of credits, let alone whatever the bounty actually is now.”

“I’ll just stay here on the ship, then-”

“No,” he cut you off. “I can’t protect you if you’re here and I’m there. We stick together.”

You nodded. “Fine. I’m not going to disagree with that. But what’s the solution? I mean, I have my capes but they don’t really conceal me much.”

Din tilted his head to the side as he stared at you, his visor moving from your head down to your toes and back up in a silent appraisal.

You swallowed roughly. “Uh-oh. No. No, Din. Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t like it.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet!” He protested, arms going out to his sides as he laughed lightly.

“But I already know I don’t like it,” you countered, taking a step backwards up the ramp.

“Will you just trust me, please?” He was still laughing over his words, taking a step towards you. “Mesh’la, come on. Have I steered you wrong before?”

“Let’s see,” you stopped, holding out a finger for each situation. “We’ve crash landed on an ice planet because you were avoiding being arrested after helping with a prison break gone wrong.” You held out a second finger, “The Crest was held together with twine and hope as we limped to Arvala-7.” A third finger, “You said you shot the trooper at the base when it was obviously me-”

You let out a squeal as he rushed toward you, turning and darting up the ramp yelling, “No, no, no!” as you laughed. Scooping the kid up, you turned to face Din as you held the kid up in front of your face. “Think of the child,” you panted, trying to catch your breath as the little green bundle in your grasp let out a soft questioning coo. Din kept stalking closer, so you set the child down. “Run, kid! Save yourself!”

Din was on you the next second, your back against the wall of the Crest as you stared at his chest plate with a grin. “We’ve got to quit meeting like this,” you teased. Laughter filled the ship as you batted his hands away. They poked into your sides mercilessly, crawling up to your neck and back down until finally you relented. “Fine! Fine! Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Just stop! Please!” Once he stopped and you could get a deep breath, you glared up at his visor. “It’s really not fair that all of this,” you tapped a knuckle against his beskar, “keeps me from ever being able to get you back.”

“Then you’re going to love my plan.” His tone sounded like he had a broad grin plastered on under his helmet, and it made one climb up your features as well.

Xxx

“This will never work!” You yell through the refresher door.

“It has to,” Din called back, his footsteps pacing back and forth in the main part of the ship.

Looking down at yourself, you grimaced. He’d told you to put the armor you'd gotten from Vanth on Tatooine on. It was obviously made for someone much larger than you. If you were trying to remain inconspicuous, this was going to do the exact opposite.

You weren’t even thinking about messing with the helmet right now, it was much too big and you’d probably trip and break something if you wore it before it was necessary. You still wore your own vambraces. Din didn’t want you to bump a button on the others and blow something up.

“Just let me see,” Din said quietly, his footsteps pausing. “Please.”

Pushing the button to open the door, you looked up at him through your lashes, afraid to move your head up to look at him properly, lest the armor all just fall off.

“It…. Um.”

“My thoughts exactly,” you grumbled, shuffling forward with your arms held stiffly out at an angle to make sure it stayed on you.

Sighing, you stopped about a foot away from him, looking up expectantly. When he said nothing, you huffed, rolling your eyes. "This was made for a man, Din."

“....And?" He held a hand out in front of him in question.

“....Men don't have breasts." You adjusted the chest plate slightly, glaring at it as you did.

He choked. "I see."

Rolling your eyes again, you stomped over to your bag that sat on a crate to your right, careful to hold the armor in place, and went back in the refresher.

“Mesh’la, what’s wrong?” Din called from the other side of the door, knocking softly.

“I’m fixing this. Hold on.” You pulled off the chest plate and put on your capes, both of them, along with your scarf, hoping the padding would help fill in the blank spaces the armor left behind. It fit a little more snuggly once you slipped the armor back on, so you opened the refresher door again, walking out a bit more confidently this time.

Your face fell at Din’s instant reaction.

"No. No, no, no. No."

You held your arms out to the side, looking down to survey the armor again. "What? I thought it looked…. Okay-ish?"

"You look like a- and don't take this the wrong way... You look like a Hutt that sprouted legs."

Your arms froze out to your sides, and you looked up at him with only your eyes, the rest of you completely still. "Gee, thanks."

He was quick to add, "Or a Wookie that shrunk."

You lifted your head up to level a glare on him, your voice a deadpan. "I get it, Din."

"Or a-"

Your arms crossed over your chest, somewhat awkwardly at the bulk of the capes and armor. "Say one more thing. I dare you."

He just looked you up and down once, his visor trailing the path slowly before he couldn’t help himself. "....it doesn't look right."

Letting out a battle cry, you launched, tackling him to the floor of the Crest. Your momentum caused you both to roll down the ramp, falling off halfway, and landing on the ground with a thump.

"Why. Are. You. So. Annoying?!" You shook his shoulders, lifting him as far up off the ground as you could- only an inch or so- and dropping him back down between each word for emphasis. But you were barely moving because of the padding, each movement stilted, and Din just snickered beneath you at the whole situation.

"Kid, help!" He cried over a snort of laughter, turning his head toward the ramp.

"Your gremlin can't save you now, Mando," you practically growled out.

Suddenly the world spun for a brief second before coming to a grinding halt as you let out a breath on an oomph. When you looked up, you saw the T of his visor looking down at you as he now had the high ground.

"No need," he said simply, lowering to get close to your face as his next words came out on practically a hum. "You can wear my old armor, it'll fit you better. And if not....” His head tilted to the side just slightly. “Nothing is always an option."

You raised a brow at him, eyes narrowing on his visor as you slowly repeated his words. “You want me to walk into the village.... In nothing?"

His head tilted the other way. "Who said anything about the village?"

Xxx

“I look ridiculous.” The sound of your voice through a modulator made you wrinkle your nose inside the beskar dome.

“You look like a Mandalorian.”

You sighed. “I sure hope so. Otherwise all of this,” you gestured down to the armor, “was for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say nothing….”

You reached out and shoved his shoulder lightly as you both chuckled. Taking off the helmet, you took a deep breath.

“It’s not an awful way of life. Maybe you should consider it,” he teased. “You look good in beskar.”

“And hide all of this?” You made a swooping gesture to your face before you laughed.

“True,” Din said lightly, bumping your shoulder with his own. “Maybe it’s just that it’s my old armor.”

“That could be it….” You winked at him before you put the helmet back on, grumbling as you did. “I don’t know how you do this all day every day. I feel like I can’t breathe.”

“Everything still works the same,” Din mused, making you turn a visored glare on him, the helmet shifting slightly to the side with your movement.

“Ugh!” You groaned. “Don’t make me glare at you. Or laugh. Any sudden movement and this thing is gonna go.” You righted it on your head, sighing when it finally sat right again.

A soft coo came from the top of the ramp, and you looked up to see the child ambling down slowly, almost sleepily. Your helmet began to shift with the movement, but Din held one finger up to the temple and held it in place.

The child plopped down in the middle of the ramp looking thoroughly exhausted, eyes blinking slowly as he fought sleep, and when you spied the silver ball in his hands, you finally understood. He had spent his energy trying to get his toy.

“What did I say about that?” Din walked up to the child, lowering to his haunches and taking the ball gently from his ward. Holding it up, he spoke sternly. “This needs to stay in the ship.”

The child reached after the toy, whining softly as Din tucked it into his belt while he rose to his feet. Turning to survey the area, he didn’t seem impressed. “Not much to see out here.”

“Good, because I can’t move to look,” you grumbled, holding the top of the helmet with one hand as you slowly turned to glance around as well.

“Never had dealings with a Jedi before,” Din mused absently, and for some reason that stung unexpectedly.

It frustrated you that you couldn’t be enough to help the kid. You hadn’t had the training, it just wasn’t possible to be everything he needed. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt sometimes.

Din scooped the child up into his arms with a grunt. “Let’s head into town.” The child cooed as Din tucked him into the satchel. “See if we can pick up a lead.”

You followed behind as quickly as your awkward armor clad frame would allow, one hand on top of your helmet as you tried to keep up with your Mandalorian.

Xxx

As you approached the city wall, you lowered your hand to rest on your belt, your saber tucked safely away behind Din’s cape. Careful not to linger near your weapons, you tried to look as casual as Din did beside you on your right.

A guard said something you didn’t understand, then a man came walking across the top of the wall, standing tall and imposing in the center over the city gates. “State your business.”

“Been tracking for a few days. Looking for a layover.” You kept your face forward as Din spoke, every bone in your body itching to rest your hand on your blaster.

The man looked skeptical, but it quickly faded into appreciation, if somewhat aloof. “Nice armor.” When Din said nothing, he continued. “You a hunter, then?”

Din nodded once. “That’s right.” His tone was a little more amicable now, trying to get on the man’s good side.

“And them?” The man bounced his head your way, eyeing your patchwork armor.

You nodded, as little as possible, but you still felt the helmet start to slip before it suddenly held fast. Glancing down at the satchel, you saw the kid reaching out to help, and you nodded more firmly.

“Guild?”

“Last I checked,” Din said after a moment, making you smile under the helmet while you nodded slowly once again.

The man tilted his head at you. “Do you not talk?”

Without missing a beat, you shook your head no. The armor was for a man, and your voice wouldn’t pass as masculine even if you tried. Which you had back on the ship. Din and the child found it very amusing, both of them laughing hysterically. It was ridiculous, you had to admit. You’d chuckled yourself.

“Vocal chords were frozen before they came to the Creed. Toxin from an uninhabited planet chasing a bounty. Not much to say in our line of work, though, anyway.”

You tilted your head to look up at the man again, and felt the kid’s grip on the helmet slip. Reaching out yourself, you held it still with an unseen force, looking the man in the eye.

He arched his brow at Din’s words, looking at you with a new appreciation in his gaze before he turned his head to one of the guards. “Open the gate.”

Releasing your hold on the helmet after you looked forward again, you walked a step behind Din, as smoothly as you could. Sending the kid a wave of thanks, you heard his soft coo in response.

Walking down the main thoroughfare, you came upon a vendor Din started to question before they turned and walked off, leaving him trailing off mid sentence with a sigh.

Behind the booth was an alley with a man crouched down in front of two children. They looked so sad, you decided to do something about it. A gentle nudge with your mind, and two pieces of fruit rolled off the vendor’s table, landing softly against the children’s feet. You made sure to make their path look haphazard and natural.

The children beamed as they picked them up, but the man sadly informed them they couldn’t afford them. Taking a step forward, you held up your hand to stop him, Din withdrawing the amount of credits needed from his belt and setting them on the table.

“We can’t-” the man began, but you just waved your hand at him, gently shaking your head back and forth the little the helmet would allow before it slipped. “Thank you,” he finally said instead, to which you only nodded once.

“I need some information,” Din began softly, taking a step forward. “I’m looking for someone.”

The man’s face fell, and he turned to the children. “Okay, bye.” As they scampered off, he rose to his feet. “Please, do not speak to them, or to any of us.” It looked like he had more to say, but couldn’t.

Din took a deep breath in, but was cut short by some armed guards surrounding both you and him. “The Magistrate wants to see you.” Sighing, Din turned to you, signing in Tusken. “Go back to the ship. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Nodding as gently as possible, you didn’t know how else a Mandalorian would respond, so you did the first thing that came to mind. Bringing your hand up in a salute as you stood at attention, you held it for a second before turning on your heel at Din’s slight head shake in reaction.

Well.

You tried.

Xxx

You stood near the front gates as you waited for him, keeping a watchful eye on the village around you.

It was dismal, dark, everything a bit hazy, and an overall sense of gloom hung in the air. Nobody smiled, you heard no laughter, no sounds of children playing around the corner. Just the chatter over the guard’s comms and silence.

Every once in a while, the tense air was broken with a distant yell, someone crying out in anguish as the faint sound of crackling electricity buzzed in the background. It echoed off every wall, so you couldn’t pinpoint where it came from, but it made your spine crawl every time.

You thought you heard a “please” on the wind, carried on the latest cry, right before you saw Din approaching quickly down the street, walking a bit faster when he saw you.

“I told you to wait on the ship,” he signed, ignoring the questioning eyes of the man who let you into the city close on his heels.

“I decided this was best,” you signed back, earning a soft growl of frustration from him.

“Problem?” The man looked between the two of you as he came to stand across from you where you leaned against the front wall, one leg bent, foot propped up against the stone beneath you easily.

You started to shake your head when your breath caught in your chest as you were abruptly hauled off the wall by the material at the back of your neck. Turning to find your assailant, you were met with none other than Din’s visor, tilted at you pointedly, making the scoff you were about to let loose die on your lips as you remembered your cover.

“No, no problem,” he grunted as he began to haul you toward the front gates, and out of the city. “Just a little domestic dispute is all.”

Swallowing the huff you wanted to let out, you shrugged out of his hold, signing in a flurry when your hands were free. “Domestic dispute my ass.”

The man let out a snort of laughter, looking down to his feet to try and conceal his amusement. When he looked back up to find two T visors on him, he sighed. “Did I mention I speak Tusken?” After a moment he held up his hands placatingly. “But, hey, it’s none of my business.” He leaned in on the last few words with a wink, before leaning back again, hands falling to rest on his belt easily.

After a long moment, you signed something not so nice to him, making him laugh. “Sorry. I know when I’m not wanted.”

The child let out a coo from his satchel, looking up at the man with bored eyes.

“What is that thing anyway?”

Narrowing his eyes up at the man, his ears falling to the side of his head in an unimpressed scowl, the kid let out a soft grunt.

“I keep it around for luck.” Din’s dry tone made you want to laugh.

“You’re gonna need it where you’re headed.” The man’s ominous warning didn’t sit well with you, and you turned your back on him, heading toward the tree line.

With the helmet’s enhanced hearing, you were just able to make out his low voice as he leaned into Din. “What about them? You keep them around for luck, too?”

You couldn’t hold back the soft snort when Din mumbled softly, “Something like that.”

Xxx

You stayed several paces ahead of him the entire way back to the ship, letting the helmet slip to the side a bit further with every impact of your feet as you tread a little more forcefully than necessary.

Not knowing what else to do, you had reached up and offered your best salute, hoping it didn’t look as awkward as it felt. Din had walked off with a shake of his head, not offering you much hope that you looked very convincing. But then…. Then he came and hauled you off the wall by the back of your neck like a mothering animal to a misbehaving baby…. At least you had tried to be a little Mandalorian, you grumbled to yourself, thoughts bouncing off every wall of your mind.

Meanwhile he had just been plain Din, what with his domestic dispute, and luck, and something like that. Letting out an exaggerated breath, you rolled your eyes, which was a bad idea, because when you tried to focus forward again, the helmet had slipped further in those precious seconds and your field of view was now almost completely sideways somehow.

Going back to the ship, as soon as you were on board, you ripped the helmet off, taking a deep breath.

“How does he do it?” You mumbled, setting the lump of beskar on a crate.

After some time passed, you were startled when a body pressed up against your back. It wasn’t until you felt the cool touch of beskar against your ear that you relaxed again, letting your eyes fall closed as you let out a sigh. You were still baffled by how he could move so silently.

“We need to work on your Mandalorian etiquette." His voice was low and somewhat amused, his hands finding purchase on your upper arms before they began to trace down towards your hands.

"Why? Was I a little... Rusty?" You looked over your shoulder at him, fighting a smirk.

Stopping all movement, Din went rigid, even his modulator falling silent. Turning abruptly, he let go of you, and made his way out and back down the ramp to the outside of the ship.

“Din?” You chuckled, watching him with your eyes. Following him to the top of the ramp, you popped your head through the opening and followed his steps as he made his way around the Crest in a circle with knit brows. “Din.”

You tried everything, but he didn’t speak to you for a good hour after that.

You tried really hard to get him to talk to you and he just looked at you for a moment, pausing his incessant movement, shook his head in disbelief, and began working on part of the Crest again.

Finally you’d had enough, following on his heels like a bad smell, lamenting, "It's the armor! It's rubbing off on me!"

He mumbled so quietly you almost missed it. "I'll help rub something off on you-"

"What?" You cut him off.

"What?" He fired back dryly just as fast.

You stared at him for a long moment, your eyes flitting over his helmet as your jaw dropped in shock before you squeaked, "What?!?”

Another long moment passed before he simply turned and walked away in silence.

"Din?"

He held up a hand, waving it dismissively as if to say "Shhhh!"

“Ugh!” You groaned, throwing your head back and staring at the ceiling of the ship as you followed him around. “Will you please tell me what the Magistrate wanted?”

“Wants me to kill a Jedi.”

You stopped moving, your head snapping up to look at him properly.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to,” he clarified. “Offered me a spear of pure beskar in exchange. If I turned that down, it’d look suspicious. Plus, she gave me coordinates of her last known location. Get your stuff packed up, we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now,” you said without hesitation. “I’m not going to take the armor off, it was too hard to get it to look right in the first place, plus if we run into anyone from town, we need to sell our story again.” You turned, taking a few steps toward the ramp before rounding on him with a finger held close to his visor. “But I’m not wearing the helmet.”

“I thought it stayed pretty well-”

“That’s because he,” you pointed to his little green ward sound asleep in the satchel, “wore himself out holding it on for me, then I held it the rest of the time.”

Din looked down at the child. “I didn’t know,” he murmured.

“Not everything is black and white like your visor would lead you to believe, Din.”

Xxx

Walking through the woods, the soft moans of the wood chomping creatures the only sound in the air, you kept a few paces ahead of him.

“So you have to kill a Jedi?”

He only grunted in response.

After a long moment of silence, your voice lowered before you continued, something hesitant in your chest. “Do you do this sort of thing a lot?” You looked over your shoulder at him, eyes lowering to the ground before you turned forward again, voice going lower still. “I mean, before I came along.”

Din sighed. “A bounty was a bounty, mesh’la. I…. I didn’t really think twice. Didn’t look much further than the information on the puck. Until this one.”

Chancing a glance back at him one more time, you saw he was looking down at the kid in his satchel with a fond tilt of his head, the kid now wide awake and blinking large eyes up at him as he babbled nonsense around an adoring smile.

“What made you think twice?”

Din lifted his visor to look at you straight on. “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right. He was just a kid….” His focus turned toward the ground in thought, his voice going along with it. “….kinda like I was.”

“If….” You turned forward, unable to look at him as you said the next part. “If you got my puck, what would you do?”

“Go straight to the bar and get you the hell out of there.” He didn’t even hesitate.

You smiled softly. “No, I mean if you didn’t know me.”

“Oh.” Suddenly his hand was around your elbow, tugging you gently to a stop. “Mesh’la, you don’t want to go down this road.”

“Maybe you’re right. I just…. I don’t know. I’m curious-”

“No. Mesh’la,” he tugged you softly in the opposite direction you had been going. “You really don’t want to go down this road. The coordinates are that way.”

“….Oh.” Taking a few steps in the proper direction to get ahead of him again, you scrunched up your face in disbelief at yourself once you were past him as you mumbled, “I knew that.”

His hand still around your elbow stopped you short. “Mesh’la.”

Sighing, you looked at the ground. “Forget it, Din.”

He tried again, ignoring you, his tone just as soft. “Mesh’la.”

Refusing to face him, you lifted your gaze to study the forest of dead trees around you, the faint figures of the giant creatures lowing in the distance drawing your focus as you spoke. “No, Din. I don’t know what I wanted to know. Just…. Just forget it. Okay? Please?”

He sighed. “Mesh’la,” you echoed his heavy exhale, rolling your eyes, making him let out a soft snort of laughter. “Before…. My job as a bounty hunter wasn't…. Nice. It was an existence more than anything. Yes, it came to be something I enjoyed to an extent, but…. The taking of lives, ruining someone’s life, breaking up a family…. That was never the part I wanted. I hated that part.” The fingers around your elbow slowly began to trace absent patterns. “I….” He let out a huff. “I came back to the bar, back to you, to try and forget about those parts. You made me feel a little bit more human when I’d been stripped down to just a monster in beskar.”

Turning, you looked up into his visor. “You were never a monster, Din.” He shook his head at you with a disbelieving huff, his gaze falling toward the ground. “You weren’t,” you said more firmly, trying to catch his gaze again, smiling ever so slightly when you did. “You may scare Mythrol, but you’re not a monster.” You leaned in slightly, like you were sharing a secret. “I scare Mythrol, remember. And I am most definitely not a monster.”

“I don’t know….” He mused, his voice dripping in amusement. He began to move down the correct path again, pulling you gently until his hand fell from your arm as he pulled in front of you. “Have you seen you just after you wake up?”

Stopping in your tracks after only a few steps, your jaw dropped as an indignant scoff tumbled out, making him chuckle. Stomping past him, you brushed his shoulder with your own, the beskar on each set of armor bouncing off the other with a clang. “I take it all back. You’re awful.”

It only took a few more minutes before Din slowed to a stop behind you, making you turn to face him, tugging at the scarf around your neck where it was still tucked into the armor. “This is starting to itch….”

“I tried to warn you,” he muttered, pressing a few buttons on his vambrace as he looked around, pressing something on the side of his helmet once he was satisfied. “Well, these are the coordinates.”

Looking around, you tugged the scarf a bit harder, sighing in relief when it loosened just a bit. “This?” You used your other hand to gesture to the vacant space, save for barren trees.

He only nodded, turning slowly to survey the area for himself. “Keep your eyes open.”

“For what?” You grumbled. “This place is a ghost planet.”

He huffed, making another half turn before turning back towards you, his shoulders tense. “We must be close.”

Something rustled not far from you, making all three of you snap your attention to the side at the sound, searching for the source.

“You hear that?”

“No. I’m just reacting exactly like you for absolutely no reason,” you grumbled, eyes darting back and forth in search of the sound. It was hard to swallow the smile that wanted to come up when you felt his visor level on the side of your face, utterly unimpressed with your jokes.

Keeping his visor fixed on you, he walked over to a large nearby stone, setting the kid down on top of it. Finally, he turned to look at the kid as he spoke softly. “Don’t worry. Sit right here. Let me see what’s out there.”

Pulling the scope off his rifle, he looked around the area, coming back to a spot with a sigh. “False alarm.”

Following his line of sight, you saw one of the giant creatures in the distance, meandering slowly through the leafless trees. You were about to make a joke, something about the huge beasts and how they obviously hid so well, when you felt a sudden surge in the Force. You barely had time to say, “Mando!” before he spun just in time to block two white sabers with his vambraces.

The metal sang under the pressure of the blades before they were drawn back and you saw the face of your attacker, a Togruta, very strong with the Force.

She glanced between the two of you quickly before she went in again for another swipe at his beskar, the clang and ting of impact ringing around the clearing. A spin sent the blades careening for your own armor clad arms, and you felt the impact vibrate throughout the metal as you swiftly blocked, then put distance between you once again.

Using the Force, you summoned your saber from where Din still had it tucked away safely under his cape, and it flew into your waiting hand, igniting on impact.

Without wasting a second, you ran in between them, blocking her sabers with your own. White met purple in blinding flashes, the zing of kyber on beskar rang in between the hum of clashing blades as Din tried to come from the other side.

You saw her eyes widen in shock for only a moment when she saw the glow of your saber meet hers, but she quickly schooled her features back into something more battle ready, more menacing as she came back in for another attempt.

Both of you blasted your vambraces at her, walls of fire coming from each side and meeting in the middle in a collision of flames. She leapt up and out of the way at the last second, soaring high over your heads and landing safely away, firmly on her feet with her blades at the ready.

Din’s whipcord shot out and wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side, her sabers pointed to the ground. She quickly looked up and you saw her plan form in an instant. Before you could say a word, she had leapt up again, obviously using the Force to gain distance from the two of you, and spun her body over a low hanging branch, yanking Din up by the cord with the movement.

He grunted, reaching out with a blade in his other vambrace to slice the cord tethering them together, dropping to the ground with a thud. He spun to face her as she turned, swinging her sabers with a flick of her wrists to cut the cord still around her at her back with a flash of sparks and hum of her blades on impact. Her blades once again at the ready once the whipcord was gone, she stood ready to charge.

“Ahsoka Tano!” Din held up his hand placatingly, backing up a step when she began to move toward him, his blaster drawn in his other hand. She stopped when she heard what he said. “Bo-Katan sent me!”

She hesitated, eyes darting between the two of you, dancing along the glow of your blade held in front of you at the ready before returning to your eyes.

“We need to talk,” he continued, voice softer as he caught his breath, and her gaze drifted over to the child.

She lowered her sabers as she casually slipped into conversation, and disengaged them, making you hesitate as you lowered your own blade, keeping it ignited as you held it loosely at your side.

“I hope it’s about him.”

After studying her face for a long moment and finding nothing bad, you followed her gaze to look at the child as he cooed softly, tilting his head back and forth as he looked between the three of you.

“And her.”

Looking over your shoulder, you found her eyes now on you, seeming to see beneath the layers of beskar with just a look. Shifting your weight nervously, your gaze darted to Din before you disengaged the saber, clipping it to your belt.

“Him,” you said decidedly as she and Din walked closer to the child.

Narrowing her eyes as they looked you up and down one more time, she pursed her lips as she stared at your face for a long moment. “And you,” she finally added again, something mischievous in her tone.

“No, just hi-”

“You may have just come for him,” she began, turning to walk away further into the woods, stooping down to pick her cloak up off the ground that had fallen off at some point in the battle, then motioning you both forward after a few steps. “But it is both of you that need my help.”

You and Din shared a look before following after her, Din scooping up the child on the way.

“I don’t-”

She held up her hand to stop you, a small smile working its way up her face. “There is no need to lie to me, little one. I could sense you long before I saw you. You’re quite powerful, but obviously never actually trained, much like your little green friend over there.” She gestured to the child with a small jerk of her head, eyes on the path in front of her. “Come.” Pulling the cloak over her shoulders, she finally fully looked at you and smiled. “We have much to discuss.”

“We don’t have anything to discuss,” you grumbled, keeping your stride alongside her. “You and the child do….”

She smiled knowingly. “We’ll see.”

Xxx

Ahsoka sat with the child by a lantern in complete silence. You could feel some sort of exchange happening between them, but you couldn’t tell what it was about, only that it felt friendly and good natured. The large moon behind them made the scene all very picturesque, but from your little viewpoint down here, everything about it made you want to run up and curl yourself around the child and never let go. It felt like a changing of the guard.

Din paced back and forth on the edge of the clearing as you leaned up against one of the old trees, your ankles crossed leisurely and your arms across your chest.

“Could you be any more of a worried father right now?” You chuckled over the words, holding your hands up in surrender when he stopped to stare at you, his head tilted in annoyance.

The armor was long gone from your frame and in a neat bundle with all but one of your capes and your scarf- which you were wearing- near your feet, ready to be carried back to the Crest. Your clothes you’d worn as a base layer had never felt better as you stretched your sore muscles, tired after lugging beskar around all day. You looked down, adjusting your vambraces needlessly, fiddling with the weapons on your belt while you waited.

He began pacing again, face toward the ground as he moved, and you sighed.

“They’ll be fine,” you tried after a minute, your arms crossing back over your chest as you slumped further back against the tree.

He stopped again, his shoulders tense, chest broad as he visibly kept from looking their way. “Can you hear what they’re saying?”

Narrowing your eyes, you tilted your head just slightly in question. “What they are silently saying in their heads?”

“Yes.” He spoke so matter of factly, you couldn’t help but answer in the same tone.

“Oh yeah. He’s complaining about the lack of frogs in his diet- No I can’t hear them!”

With a heavy sigh, his shoulders visibly deflating and rolling forward, he began to pace again, eyes on the ground.

Pushing off the tree, you stepped into his path, stopping him with your hands on his shoulders. The way he was moving you expected it to take more effort but he gave very little resistance, a small breath leaving his modulator as he looked up at you.

“Din. Breathe.” Taking a step closer, you tilted your head back to keep eye contact with him. “This is what he needs. What’s best for him. We won’t let him go if it isn’t right.” Your hands fell down into his cowl and you pulled him closer still. “And after that little fight she put up, I have no doubt he would be completely safe in her hands. She’s a Jedi, Din. She knows what she’s doing, knows what he needs. You know that.”

He let out a ragged breath, his gloved hands coming to rest solidly on your back, fingers tracing absently ever so slightly as he spoke. “I know. Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Never said it would,” you whispered, turning your head to the side and resting your cheek against the fabric still fisted in your hands.

“And what about you, mesh’la,” Din prodded quietly after a moment, his hands stilling on your spine to hold you to him in a preemptive move. “Is this what you want?” You pulled back to look at him, and his grip only let you pull back enough to tilt your head back further. “Is it what you need?”

“He’s your ward, Din. Your foundling. It’s not my decision-”

He tisked, his head tilting to the right. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”

Closing your eyes, you buried your face in his cowl with a soft groan. Rolling your head back and forth against the fabric, you spoke into the material, unable to look at him. “No. It’s not.”

“You haven’t even talked to her yet-”

“And I don’t need to.” Pulling back, you looked at him through narrowed eyes, your brows pulled together in a scowl. “I’m fine with what I am, Din. Would I have one day, long ago, maybe have become a Jedi? Yeah.” Your eyes fell to his cowl, darting briefly to his signet that glinted in the moonlight, making you smile, before you looked back up at him. “But that’s not where I am now. It’s not where I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to be here. With you.” You poked his chest, smiling. “….Kicking ass.”

He chuckled softly.

“I didn’t join a clan just to up and leave when something else came along. You know me better than that.” You arched a brow as you looked up at him, eyes flitting back and forth between where you assumed his eyes were.

“I do,” he said softly, leaning his forehead against your own. “I know you.”

“Then why even bring it up?” He laughed again at your soft grumble.

“Because, mesh’la, I want to do what’s best for both of you. Even if you did leave, you’d still be a member of my clan. You’ll always be a member of my clan.”

“Damn right I will be,” you mumbled, unable to contain your smile.

The squeaking of the lantern as it swung by Ahsoka’s side made you both pull away, turning to face the Jedi and your small ward. She set the lantern on the ground, then shared a long look with Din, then you, a soft smile on her face, before finally turning and setting the small child on a nearby stone.

He grunted softly as he looked between all of you, his ears wiggling as he did.

She sat on a rock across from him, tucking her arms under her cloak as she settled in, staring at the lamp for a long moment, before she looked back at the child with a fond smile, tilting her head as he continued to babble and coo.

“Is he speaking?” Din finally broke the silence. “Do you…. Understand him?”

“In a way.” Looking at the child fondly, she then looked up to Din. “Grogu and I can feel each other’s thoughts.”

Everything stopped. Your breath caught in your chest. Your eyes went wide from where they studied her, darting over to the little green child you’d instantly connected with, come to love more and more over the months, and would protect with your life. The kid.

“Grogu?” Din spoke hesitantly, as if tasting the word as it passed through his lips.

Lifting his ears, the chi- Grogu turned up toward Din, a questioning coo you’d never heard him make before softly tumbling forward into the silent space.

“Yes. That’s his name.” Ahsoka looked at the chi- Grogu with something that seemed like sadness.

Reaching out, you felt nothing but a kindred connection between the two of them, almost making you smile as the ki- Grogu turned to look at the Jedi again, but you successfully tucked it away. Turning to look up at Din, you watched as he shifted his weight a bit, processing this new information.

“Grogu.” He said it more confidently, looking directly at the kid, an affectionate tilt of his head after when Grogu immediately perked up, turning his way, ears up, eyes wide, and that silly little questioning coo tumbling out again, followed by a sweet, short little squeal of returned affection.

“He was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” Ahsoka stared at the lamp as she spoke. “Many Masters trained him over the years. At the end of the Clone Wars when the Empire rose to power, he was hidden.” Din lowered to a stone across from her, listening with rapt attention. “Someone took him from the Temple.”

His visor turned to you, and without even looking, you felt its weighted stare along the lines of your face. “I saw it.” Glancing up toward the Jedi, she tilted her head to the side in question, studying you closely. “I was there.”

“That’s not possible,” she gently shook her head. “You would have been too young-”

“I was only a baby when the Temple burned.” You held her gaze, hard as it was, but you managed. “I remember the smoke, billowing into the sky. My parents shaking their heads, watching with such sadness…. The dread, not my own, but an overwhelming, horrible feeling I’ll never forget just coming over me in waves as the flames grew.”

Removing the saber from your belt, you gently moved it back and forth between your hands idly as you continued. “I found this on Trask, in a black market box stamped with the Empire’s symbol in the corner. It called to me. Endlessly, until I touched it. Then the voices quieted, and….”

“The visions started,” Din offered softly in support.

“Tell me about them.”

Looking over at Din, you smiled sardonically. “Um, okay.” You looked at the ground for a moment before looking back up at her, expecting some sort of judgment, but only found curiosity and a touch of concern. “It started with the vision of the k- Grogu,” you corrected yourself pointedly, making her smile, “at the Temple on that day.”

His big eyes blinked up at you as he babbled softly, his head tilting to the side as a hand reached out toward you. Sticking your index finger out to place in his small hand with a smile, you continued quietly. “I saw it all as a bystander. Then I saw him. I leaned over him to protect him on instinct, then it all faded. When I told him about it, he did this,” you wiggled your finger in reference, making him giggle. “And I saw from his perspective.”

Removing your finger, you reached it up to scratch the top of his head, a contented purr making you smile. Turning back to the Jedi, you lowered your hand to your lap. “When I leaned over him in my dream…. Vision…. Thing,” you huffed, “in his memory, I was still there. I was a shadow covering him, and made him feel safe…. At peace.” Reaching out, you pulled your finger on the tip of his ear, making it shake away from you as he let out a squeal, his face scrunching up in amusement. “When he looked up, I saw my own face looking down into his cradle. I had just gotten my vambraces, and the saber, his signet on my knife, and all of it was there and accurate down to the last detail.”

Ahsoka leaned forward, resting her head on her fist, elbow braced on her knee. “And the second?”

You sighed, leaning back on your palms. “I saw him,” you jerked your head to the left toward Din. “A ten year old him, living a story he’d only vaguely told me about weeks before. Details he never mentioned, things he forgot…. Then, at the end, a Mandalorian flew off with him on a jet pack, and I swore it was like he was looking right at me.”

“When she told me that, I remembered seeing a girl down below as we took off,” Din said almost disbelievingly. “It sounds crazy, but I remembered it clear as day. And just like the other one, the vambraces, the saber, the mudhorn, all of it.”

Ahsoka smiled, bracing her other arm and cradling it under her chin beside the first as her eyes flicked between you all amusedly. “Sounds to me like the three of you were always meant to be a clan of three.” She nodded toward the saber in your hands. “And that was always meant to come to you.” She held your gaze firmly with her own. “Kyber crystals choose the wielder, not the other way around. If it brought you to it, then immediately quieted when in your hands….” She sat back, her hands falling to her lap. “Then you were chosen.”

You stared at her, hesitating before finally stating the obvious. “But I’m not a Jedi.”

“Doesn’t matter. The Force worked with the crystal, and that is what it chose to show you. Purple kyber can be extremely….”

“An asshole?” She smiled at your muttered response.

“Rambunctious,” she concluded. “But then again, the crystals are supposed to be a reflection of the wielder, so I suppose you knew that already.” Sending you a wink, she turned back to Din and Grogu, her voice floating into your head. We’ll finish talking later. I feel you haven’t told me about one other vision that is troubling you. Perhaps I can help.

Looking over at Din, you remember how he had reacted to the possibility of someone saying he had removed his helmet. It was like you had broken him. Darting your eyes back to Ahsoka, you were grateful she had kept this one between you.

“Then his memory becomes…. dark,” she continued, looking at Grogu sadly. “He seemed lost.” Looking over, you saw the little one hanging his head almost dejectedly. “Alone.” She looked at you pointedly, before turning her gaze back toward Din. “I’ve only known one other being like this. A wise Jedi Master named Yoda.”

At the name, a warm sensation crawled over your skin, a familiar feeling settling in your gut, almost as if a presence was right behind you, as words from when you found the saber echoed in your head.

A gravelly, quirky voice invaded your mind, echoing in the vast nothingness you found yourself in. You didn’t recognize it, but it brought you a sense of peace. “Trust in the Force, you must. Your path, you have found. Easy, it will not be, but walk it still, you must.”

Ahsoka chuckled softly, Grogu letting out an amused grunt as they shared a look, some unspoken exchange passing between them.

“Can he still wield the Force?”

Din hesitated, shifting his weight slightly. “You mean his powers?”

Ahsoka’s eyes darted to you quickly before they landed back on Din, her smile growing, her eyes softening. “The Force is what gives him his powers. It is an energy field created by all living things. To wield it takes a great deal of training and discipline.”

Her eyes once again fell on you in an unspoken question, and you shrugged, your eyes fluttering shut for a moment before meeting her gaze again in amusement. “I’ve tried to explain it before. I don’t….” You shrugged again, smiling. “It just doesn’t take.”

Nodding in understanding, her eyes danced with mirth as they fell back on the Mandalorian.

“I’ve seen him do things I can’t explain.” Din spoke haltingly, looking at Grogu before looking at you. “The same things, if not sometimes more than I’ve seen her do.” Looking back at Ahsoka, he sighed. “My task was to bring him to a Jedi.”

Something dark crossed over her face, her eyes falling back down to study the lamp again, her voice dropping with it. “The Jedi Order fell a long time ago.”

“So did the Empire, yet it still hunts him.” Lifting her gaze to his visor, she seemed to ponder his words. “He needs your help.”

A faint smile climbed her face as her gaze fell back down on the lamp. When she looked over at Grogu, you followed, and saw the child was almost asleep, fatigued from the long mental exchange, no doubt. She sighed as he let out gentle coos, right on the edge of rest. “Let him sleep.” She took a deep but silent breath. “I’ll test him in the morning.”

You got to your feet, walking over to Din’s side as he scooped up the child, pausing when her voice sounded at your back.

“You. Stay.”

Turning, you saw her looking you right in the eye as she got to her feet. “There’s something I want to try.”

Looking across your shoulder at Din, you saw him hesitate a few feet away. Nodding once, you jutted your chin in the direction of the Crest. “I’m fine. Go.” When he lingered, you sighed, closing the distance between you, your hand coming to rest on his upper arm. “If you’re gonna be all Mando about it, at least go sit and lean against the tree I was leaning against earlier. And try to sleep? Please?” Giving his arm a squeeze, you plastered on your best smile. “For me?”

“That’s not fair,” he sighed, turning to head over to the tree several yards away.

“Thank you!” You called after him, laughing when he waved a hand in the air dismissively. Turning back to face Ahsoka, you waited for her to explain.

“How did you come to know how to use the Force?”

Shifting your weight from foot to foot uncomfortably, you stared at her for a long moment before you found the courage to respond. So far in your life, you’d talked to a total of one other person about this. Din. Adding another finger to the count was hard.

“On my own. I just…. Did it. It’s not technically proper use of the Force, but by the time I was old enough to understand that, there was no proper training available. So I used it for mundane things until they came into my life.” You gestured behind you with a slight backwards lean of your head. “Now I only use it to help keep them safe. Well, and when Mando is being annoying. But I consider that saving my life, and sometimes his, depending on this situation.” You laughed softly.

“You don’t want training.” It wasn’t a question. An observation.

You shook your head. “The kid, he needs this. Deserves this. He’s going to do great things someday. He’ll always be my ad’ika, but the things he’s destined for are far from little.” (“Little one.”)

Ahsoka smiled fondly, nodding in agreement with a soft hum as she began to circle you slowly. “I can feel it in you. The chaos. The mischief you spoke of from the kyber, it simmers just below the surface.” She came to stop directly in front of you, her thumb and index finger clutching her chin in thought. “It’s part of what fuels you, gives you the strength you have, the abilities you’ve expressed like the visions and connections before their time, but….” Her eyes studied your face, darting all over until she found what she was looking for, finally returning to your eyes. “It’s also a source of anger for you. A loss of control. I sense a rage that sits just on the edge, ready to tip over with little provocation.”

Your eyes fell to the ground in shame. “The last few times I’ve gotten emotional, highly stressed or scared specifically, it…. It feels like I’m not in control.” Lifting your gaze to hers once again, you found only grace there, no scorn or judgment. “I’m able to stop it, rein it in, but each time it’s a little harder. It’s so easy. This last time I thought I was fine, that it had stopped at some crates shaking on a platform, but then Mando went to hug me, and I tried to gently push him off, but…. Instead I pushed him back several feet.” Looking down at your palms, you stared as if they held the answer. “It was like something exploded out of me, it wasn’t…. I didn’t….” Swallowing roughly, you lowered your hands as you lifted your head to look at her fully. “Please help me.”

As her hands went to clasp behind her back, she began to circle you again. “Tell me about this other vision.”

“It was something in the future, Mando’s future, to be exact.” She nodded for you to continue. “It happened right after the others, came on like a headache. Other Mandalorians asked if he’d removed his helmet. He said yes. They excommunicated him from their ranks. He was devastated in the vision and when I told him about it.”

“There’s something you’re leaving out. A detail…. Something small you couldn’t quite see.” Her head is tilted to the side as she rounds into your field of view again, passing around the other side a few seconds later.

“How did you….” You huffed. “I guess that’s the difference between proper training and not….” She chuckled at your muttered words. “A weapon. I think. I don’t know. A small black…. Something laid at his feet, but no matter how hard I looked, it was just like I was asleep, my eyes too bleary to make it out.”

Coming around in front of you for the umpteenth time, she stopped, looking at you with an arched brow. “I’m going to teach you something basic we learn in the Temple as younglings. I think it’ll help you learn to focus. Maybe, if you can apply the practice to this dream-”

“So it was a dream, not a vision?”

“It was the future, a possible outcome, however you want to call it.”

You sighed as she smiled before continuing. “If you can apply this practice to this vision, maybe it’ll help clear up any lingering confusion.”

Nodding your head vigorously, you stood a bit straighter. “Please. Yes. What do I need to do?”

She stood directly in front of you, walking a few paces away before turning to face you once again, her expression nothing but kind and amused. “I want you to jump.”

“How high?” You joked, your weight shifting easily onto one leg, thinking she was teasing.

“That is entirely up to you.”

Centering your weight again, your eyes widened before a look of incredulity crossed your features. “Oh, you’re serious?”

Hands still behind her back, she leaned just slightly toward you, her eyes practically dancing with held back laughter it seemed. “Jump.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “How does this help-”

“If you’d just do it, you’d understand.”

You whirled around when her voice sounded at your back, finding her now suddenly behind you several feet, stood in the same posture, hands behind her back patiently. “How did you….” Closing your eyes, your brows knit together, you shook your head in disbelief, eyes flying open when you felt a sudden surge in the air around you, a slight breeze making the finer hairs around your face move just slightly, only to find the spot she had been in empty.

“I promise this will work,” she said from off to your left, making you spin to try and find her yet again.

“Okay, now you're just showing off.” Hands on your hips, you grumbled at her with an arched brow, making her laugh.

Suddenly she shot up overhead like she had during the fight, landing back where she had started as if nothing had happened, and all you could do is watch with your jaw dropped.

“Maybe,” she conceded, “but I thought a little demonstration was necessary, don’t you think?”

Lifting your chin and straightening your spine, you closed your eyes, tapping into everything around you. The Force flowed up from the ground, still vibrant and plush despite the barren surface surrounding you. A whole mess of creatures just below the surface working hard to repair the damaged soil sending vibrations across your skin. Ahsoka shined bright in front of you, little tendrils of energy rolling off of her like condensation on a nice cool drink. Somewhere behind you you heard Din and Grogu snoring softly, both of them emitting something so good and content that washed over you like waves.

It all built up in you like a spring, coiled and ready to burst, and when you bent your knees just slightly then rocked to the balls of your feet, suddenly the ground fell away, and with your eyes still closed, the wind rushing in your face made you grin.

Once something solid was under you once again, you peeked your eyes open to find yourself on the other side of Ahsoka now, standing on top of the rock you had been sitting on earlier. It was several feet away, much more than you should have been able to jump on your own. Your cape fluttered down around you from the force of the movement, swooshing just slightly until it came to a stop.

You looked at Ahsoka, finding a lopsided grin climbing up her face as she watched you closely. “Now,” she said quietly, “use that focus, draw on it, and think about that vision. The object. The space. The people. Pull from everything, and let it build you a clearer picture.”

Nodding, you closed your eyes, recalling every aspect you could. The other Mandalorians. Din. Narrowing your brows you realized Grogu wasn’t there. You didn’t see yourself, either, but you could tell you were somewhere in the background, watching.

The object at his feet shimmered like a mirage from the heat of Tatooine. That was different from before, now it was coming in and out of focus, still just enough hidden that you couldn’t tell what it was, though.

“Then you are a Mandalorian no more.”

Your focus pulled to Din as the words of the other Mandalorian echoed in your head, and you saw his world shatter. He began to ask for forgiveness, how he could atone, and the other Mandalorian next to him made some jab, and you wanted to punch him for it.

Sizing up the brute, you heard Ahsoka whisper near your left ear, “Focus….”

Shaking your head, you tried to do what she said, looking down at their feet to see the object clearly for the first time.

“It’s…. It’s a saber?” You tilted your head as you stared at the item, wanting to be certain. Din picked it up and left before the vision dissipated. You stared at Ahsoka with wide eyes. “A saber. But how can that be?”

“Describe it to me.”

“Black hilt, um…. The other Mandalorians didn’t seem surprised by it, either. It almost seemed like they had maybe been fighting over it with the position Mando and the asshole were in.”

A light went off behind her eyes, understanding covering her features.

“Do you know it?”

Her head tilted to the side, a mischievous look taking over her face. “I think it’ll all be okay.”

“Mesh’la?”

Leaning to the side to look around Ahsoka, you saw Din standing near one of the rocks a few feet away, Grogu still snoring in his arms.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, the little womp rat did. Had some dream, started flailing, smacked my helmet pretty hard, actually. The sound woke me up….” He looked down as the kid started sleeping fitfully again.

Ahsoka reached out, placing a hand on his head, and instantly the lines on his face soothed, his limbs coming to still as he snuggled further into Din’s arms. “He’s dreaming about frogs,” she laughed softly.

“What have you two been doing?”

You smiled at Din as he looked at you expectantly. “Watch this.”

Xxx

The next day Ahsoka brought your little clan to a clearing, leading your little band as you brought up the rear. Grogu cooed from his spot in Din’s arms, looking all around with wide eyes.

You watched the mossy ground pass underfoot as you walked, marveling at the greenness of it as it squished beneath your feet. Growing up on a planet basically made of durasteel and concrete, you felt like you were walking on air. Leaning closer to Din in front of you, you pushed up onto your tip toes and whispered, “Somewhere green.”

He snorted. “This doesn't count.”

“I see green, it counts,” you grumbled.

“It’s barely even green, mesh’la. It’s moss. The rest of the planet is a wasteland.”

“It counts.”

“Fine, it can count,” he mumbled. “But as soon as I take you somewhere like Endor, or Naboo, even Sorgan….” Grogu’s ears perked up on the last one, his face turning up to look at Din with a smile. “You’re not even going to remember this place.”

Before you could respond, the group was coming to a stop, and before you realized, you were bumping into Din’s back with a soft oomph. “Ow,” you muttered pitifully, rubbing your nose as you took a step back.

Peering over your hand, you saw Ahsoka smiling at Grogu still perched in Din’s arms. “Let’s see what knowledge is lurking inside that little mind.” She booped his nose with her finger. Motioning over towards a nearby stone, she turned to look for something while Din set Grogu down on the large rock.

He sidled up beside you, muttering in a low voice, “What do you think she is going to do?”

“I’m not sure,” you studied her as she picked up a stone before rising to her feet again. “But I trust her.” Tilting your head back to look up into his visor, arms across your chest, you tried to ease his worry with a reassuring smile. “So far she hasn’t given me a reason not to.”

“No voices?”

The smile took a crooked tilt up in amusement as you turned your attention to Grogu. “No voices. No bad feelings. No premonitions. Nothing about the past, present, or future. And no taunting kyber crystals.” Turning back to his visor, you narrowed your eyes playfully. “Did I cover everything?”

“Just making sure,” he clarified somewhat teasingly, turning his own attention over to the child.

“Well, there was one voice.” You saw his head turn toward you in your peripheral and you smirked. “Hers. She spoke to me in my head.”

“You…. She…. Can do that?” He sounded amazed but also slightly disturbed.

“Easily,” you mused, trying to contain the broad grin trying to come out.

“Ne shab’rud’jetiise,” he mumbled under his breath, turning back to face Ahsoka with a slight incline of his head. (“Don’t fuck with Jedi.”)

Facing her palm upwards with a small stone resting in the center, she turned it toward Grogu, keeping the stone held firmly to her palm with the Force. Then, with a slight push, the stone began to float through the air slowly, gently tumbling end over end like a planet on its rotation.

Din took in a sharp breath when the rock started levitating, holding it until the stone landed in Gorgu’s hands. Letting it out on a stutter, his chest deflated a bit with the motion, his shoulders curling forward just slightly in relief.

Letting out soft coos, Grogu looked at the stone, then over to you before he turned to Ahsoka.

Holding her palm face up once again, she smiled at him encouragingly. “Now, return the stone to me, Grogu.”

The child looked down at the stone one more time before lifting his gaze and darting it between the three of you, eyes wide and innocent. You’d seen this look before. He knew exactly what was going on, what was expected of him, but something stood in the way. He got almost a little bit…. Shy.

“He doesn’t understand,” Din finally offered after a long moment of silence, and you had to bite your lip to keep from grinning at how concerned he was.

“He does,” Ahsoka assured, turning from the Mandalorian to the child. “It’s okay,” she soothed after he whined quietly, staring down at the stone. Slightly bouncing her extended palm for emphasis, her tone once again grew more firm. “The stone, Grogu.”

With the slightest jerk of his head toward the Jedi, Din motioned for the child to do what she said. You almost rolled your eyes at him. Gone were the days of a cold Mandalorian, jumping from job to job and only worrying about credits and his ship. He’d never admit it out loud, but he wanted so badly everything for this child. He was the nervous father on the sidelines, trying to help their child succeed in any way they could. It made your chest feel too small for the feeling swelling inside it at the thought.

You brought a hand to cover your mouth in an attempt to hide the smile trying to betray you at the scene unfolding in front of you. When Grogu looked up at you after Din, it was all you could do to raise your eyebrows in encouragement and tilt your head toward Ahsoka like he had, keeping the smile sealed beneath your fingers.

The whole exchange felt light and easy, so it was surprising when the kid looked to the stone for a final time before dropping it in front of him with a frustrated grunt. It made your brows knit together as you studied your little ward, trying to reach out to him with encouraging thoughts, happy things, maybe even something about frogs, but he was completely closed off to you.

Din let out a sigh behind you, his weight shifting slightly as you knew he, too, was feeling Grogu’s discouragement without any need of using the Force.

Ahsoka let out a sigh of her own, before walking over and crouching in front of Grogu, staring at him intently. When she reached out and took his small hand with hers, you reached out to try and feel what they were ‘saying’. Closing her eyes she ducked her head and took a deep breath before she spoke calmly. “I sense much fear in you.”

Grogu looked at her as he babbled softly, ears wiggling as he did. You didn’t sense anything from him to her, he didn’t even try, but there was a small tendril being extended to you, faint and tentative, like a child hiding in their mother’s skirts when a long lost relative comes to visit. You let every calming thing you could think of flow back on the line being precariously hung between you. Be brave, ad’ika.

Walking back over to her spot across the clearing from the child, Ahsoka explained softly. “He’s hidden his abilities to survive over the years.”

Din shifted his weight to one side, his head tilting ever so slightly to the right. “So has she, but she doesn’t have this problem.”

Keeping your eyes on Grogu, you explained in a quiet voice, “I didn’t watch everyone I love die.” Your gaze fell down to study the ground, your voice so low you pictured it skimming just along the surface. “I kept it hidden. He’s kept it buried.” You turned your face up to look at his visor. “Imagine the Crest sat for a year, untouched. At the end of that time, it’s still a ship. But everything about it is going to be rusty, gunky, need a good tune up.” Grogu cooed, bringing your attention back to him with a smile. “He just needs a little elbow grease, is all.”

Humming in agreement, Ahsoka nodded once. “Let’s try something else. Come over here.”

Din jerked his head to the side, beckoning the kid over once again, sighing when Grogu stayed where he was. “He’s stubborn.”

“Not him. You.”

Din turned his attention back to her quickly, your palm coming to slap over your forehead as your eyes scrunched up tight.

“I want to see if he’ll listen to you.” She smiled softly in amusement.

He scoffed, walking over to stand beside her. “That would be a first.”

“I like firsts. Good or bad, they’re always memorable.” She placed the pebble in his hand. “Now, hold the stone out in the palm of your hand. Tell him to lift it up.” She began to walk around behind him, headed toward where you stood to the side.

He sighed again, doing what she asked. “Alright, kid. Lift the stone.”

Ahsoka paused before she made it very far, leaning in by his ear to whisper pointedly, “Grogu.”

Din’s weight shifted side to side as he turned his visor on her, a heavy breath, not quite a sigh, filling in the silence. Facing the child once again, his posture stiffened just a bit. “Grogu….” The child perked up with that adorable new sound he made whenever he heard his name. “Come on, take the stone.” Grogu deflated, his gaze turning toward the ground with a dejected coo. “You see? I told you, he’s stubborn.” This time you actually did roll your eyes when Din enacted every bit the stubborn one and threw the rock to the side in annoyance.

“I wonder where he gets that from,” you mumbled, simply smiling at him when he tilted his head at you in response.

“Try to connect with him.”

After a long moment, Din reached into his belt, pulling the little silver ball out, the child instantly peering up curiously.

“Grogu…. Do you want this?” Din spoke tantalizingly, lowering to his haunches and holding the ball out in front of him. “Well, go ahead. That’s right, take it. Come on. You can have it.” He nodded his head once, gesturing toward the ball. “Come on.”

The ball flew through the air like you had seen a million times on the ship, straight into the kid’s hand. A small burst of joy surged in the air from Grogu, but it quickly faded into something a little more nervous as he stared at the little silver orb.

Din quickly stepped over to him, praise tumbling out of his mouth excitedly. “Good job! Good job, kid. You see that?” He lowered to his haunches, taking the ball back from the child gently. “That’s right. I knew you could do it. Very good.”

You could feel something anxious roll over Ahsoka beside you, and you chanced a glance her way, finding her looking at the pair of them in concern. You knew where this was headed, you’d seen it from the start. You had just hoped that maybe since the Jedi Order wasn’t around anymore that someone would be willing to bend the rules, especially for someone like Grogu. Turning back to watch Din still fawning over the child, you had to physically bite your tongue to not say anything. This needed to come from her.

“He’s formed a strong attachment to you.” Din turned his head to look at her briefly before looking at Grogu again. “I cannot train him.”

Her last words brought him back to his feet. “What? Why not? You’ve seen what he can do.”

You hung back, leaning on the rock you had been observing from, looking between the three of them. Your heart admittedly broke a little to hear the words you already knew would be said. You had found a way. Sure, you weren’t actually a Jedi, but like Ahsoka had said, that didn’t stop some kyber from choosing you. That didn’t stop the Force from making you a clan of three. Attachment hadn’t been something wrong for you, but you saw it was something almost terrifying for her. Something beyond just the teachings of the Jedi. Something about this felt personal.

“His attachment to you makes him vulnerable to his fears. His anger.” She looked at you pointedly on the last word, almost begging you to understand.

And you did. To a degree. There was also a part of you that still believed this was best for him. The part that had been in that vision with him, had felt his peace and comfort from the halls of the Temple. There was a part of him that longed for this, no matter how deep it was buried.

“All the more reason to train him.” Din was having none of it.

“No.” She stepped closer, her voice lowering. “I’ve seen what such feelings can do to a fully trained Jedi Knight. To the best of us.” The last part was almost like an afterthought, and you watched her closely, unable to get another read on her. Her walls had gone up. “I will not start this child down that path. Better to let his abilities fade.” Looking at Grogu one more time, she turned and began to walk away, passing right by you without a second glance. “I’ve delayed too long. I must get back to the village.”

The child began to whine softly, so you started over toward him, stopping when Din began to speak again, turning to watch the Jedi’s reaction.

“The Magistrate sent me to kill you.” Ahsoka froze at Din’s words. Slowly she turned to look at him over her shoulder, something between disbelief and ‘I should have known better’ on her face. “I didn’t agree to anything,” he continued in a softer tone. “And I’ll help you with your problem, if you see to it that Grogu is properly trained.”

She turned around fully to look at the child once again, but you were standing in the way. She met your eyes as you stepped aside, allowing her gaze to flicker down to the child and you watched the decision roll behind her eyes as she let out a heavy sigh.

Xxx

Walking through the woods back toward the village, Din carrying the child in the satchel and you carrying the bundle of armor until you could get back to the Crest, you listened as they discussed the technicalities of an attack.

Din listed off blasters and droids and a whole mess of things Ahsoka just nodded to, while you made a face at the kid, making him smile from his little perch.

You finally began to listen when Din spoke of the man who had let you into the village. “He reads ex-military to me.”

You scoffed before you mumbled, “He reads asshole to me.”

Din shook his head at you as a soft snort passed through his modulator, Ahsoka smiling fondly. “Combined, not even your laser swords would be able to protect you from all that firepower.”

“You do this on purpose, don’t you?” You turned up toward Din, adjusting the bundle on your back as you stared into his visor.

Ahsoka still smiled, Din just tilting his head at you as she finally spoke. “True. But don’t underestimate the Magistrate either.”

Finally coming to a stop, you dropped the bundle of armor with a thud as they discussed the lady that had hired Din. Stretching your back as you listened, you grimaced at the stiffness in your limbs, shooting the kid a wink when he cooed at you.

“She plundered worlds, destroying them in the process.”

That was enough for you. Anywhere that had life outside of trillions of people crawling around like bugs on duracrete and steel deserved to be saved, not looted. You hated this woman even more now.

“When you were in the city did you see any prisoners?”

“I saw three villagers strung up just outside the inner gate.”

So that’s what you’d heard. You stared at the ground as they continued to talk back and forth, worrying your thumbnail between your teeth. There were no voices, nothing sinister in the back of your mind, just a genuine bad feeling about the whole thing simmering just under your skin.

“We must find a way to free them.”

Din’s voice was amused as he continued. “A Mandalorian and a Jedi? They’ll never see it coming.”

“And whatever I am.” You didn’t even realize you said it out loud, your head snapping up when you feel three sets of eyes on you. It had been meant to be out loud, then you’d thought better of it, but still it had come tumbling out into the open before you realized it.

Ahsoka placed a hand on your upper arm and a sense of calm began to wash over you. It wasn’t mind control like you had done with Mythrol, but instead just a surge of something good, something rooted deep from within her being shared with you. “You are yourself. And that is all you could ever hope to be.”

Xxx

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swan-of-sunrise · 11 months

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Taking Care of Business (Chapter Thirty-Seven)

Summary: The Mandalorians, led by Bo-Katan and (Y/N), come to the aid of Nevarro and take on Pirate King Gorian Shard’s forces.

Pairing: Din Djarin X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: I honestly love writing sky battles, and I’m always game for writing more Bad-Ass Alor’ad scenes lol thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Seven The Pirates (Previous Chapter)

Tugging her fingerless gloves on and double-checking that R5-D4 was secured into the droid port, (Y/N) glanced over at Grogu seated beside her on the edge of the starfighter’s cockpit and arched an unsurprised brow. “I take it your dad wasn’t able to convince you to stay behind, huh?”

Grogu cooed and continued eating his breakfast of bantha jerky while the Mandalorian fighters gathered in front of the Gauntlet; a moment later, Din and Bo-Katan emerged from the cave and Din crossed behind the group to lean against the starfighter while Bo-Katan stood beside the extended gangplank. “This is a Kom’rk Class fighter transport. I’ll use this to drop you in and you will operate as a tight military unit; Captain (Y/L/N) and myself will reinforce from above. If everyone acts as they should, we can use the element of surprise and defeat an enemy that outnumbers us.” The Nite Owl surveyed the group assembled before her. “If everyone’s ready, then we’ll leave for Nevarro at once.”

The Mandalorians that were joining their mission said their goodbyes to the covert members staying behind and filtered onto the Gauntlet, and Clan Mudhorn climbed into the starfighter and charted their course to Nevarro. “Are you guys sure you don’t wanna sit this one out?” (Y/N) asked as she hovered her hand over the edge of the windshield. “It’s gonna get a little dicey up there.”

“And we’ll be right with you when it does, alor’ad.” Din reached up and slid the windshield closed before guiding her hands onto the controls and placing his hands on her waist. “This is the Way.”

(Y/N) smiled to herself as she switched the engines on and piloted the starfighter up into the clear blue sky, spotting the Gauntlet following after them and switching the communication radio on. “Okay, Bo, I’ve sent over the coordinates.”

“Copy that, Captain. I’ll see you in hyperspace.” The ships flew through the planet’s upper atmosphere and entered hyperspace the moment they reached the darkness of space; while the bright blue lights swirled around both ships, a hologram of the battle plan was beamed into their cockpit from the Gauntlet. “Pirate King Gorian Shard is captaining a Cumulus Class Corsair carrying a complement of snubfighters. It has aerial bombardment capabilities. The N-1 will distract the Corsair and her snubfighters as we drop in to liberate the planet below.” Bo-Katan’s voice was clear and assured as she briefed their fighters, and (Y/N) could easily imagine her leading Mandalore in its prime. “Nevarro is an independent planet and no longer under remnant Imperial or New Republic protection, but it’s that very independence that makes it appealing for you to settle. You lived there once, hiding in the sewers. But now, you can be heroes.”

Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) squared her shoulders and guided the starfighter out of hyperspace, piloting down through the upper atmosphere of Nevarro as the corner of her curved upwards into a self-assured smirk. “This is where the fun begins.” She pushed down on the controls and the starfighter shot forward, speeding through the sky as she steered them towards Gorian Shard’s Corsair hovering above the bombed-out city; she fired on the starship and spun the starfighter around for another pass. “If that didn’t scug ‘em off, then this definitely will.” She navigated the starfighter under the Corsair and fired on the starship’s gunwales; several of the gunwales were destroyed in a fiery explosion and as she moved in for another pass, three snubfighters launched into the air after her. “That seemed to do it!”

“Bold of you to return, Captain (Y/L/N).”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes at Vane’s threatening tone. “What can I say? I’m a bold woman.” She jammed the communication radio’s signal to the pirates’ snubfighters and swerved out of the way of their blaster fire. “You two might wanna hold on tight from here on out.”

Grogu giggled in delight when she flipped the starfighter over to dodge another round of blaster fire while Din’s gloved hands tightened on her waist. “Maybe we can convince Peli to install a seismic charge launcher on the N-1 the next time we’re in Mos Eisley. That is, if an ex-smuggler can handle a bounty hunter’s weapon.”

“Oh, you’ll find that ex-smugglers can handle anything that’s thrown their way,” (Y/N) replied with a growing smirk at their usual teasing. “Unlike hot-head bounty hunters with something to prove.”

Before Din could respond, their friend’s familiar voice came through the starfighter’s communication radio. “Thanks for your help, you two.”

“We decided to take you up on your offer for a tract of land.”

“Be careful, my friends. They’ve got you outnumbered ten to one.”

(Y/N) increased their speed and at the very last second, she swerved to the side and triumphantly smiled when the snubfighter chasing them and the snubfighter charging towards them flew into one another and exploded in a fiery crash. “I like those odds.”

Greef chuckled at that. “I bet you do.”

Dodging the blaster fire coming from the Corsair, (Y/N) breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the starship flying away from the city. “The Corsair’s on me, Bo. Coast is clear.”

While the starfighter distracted the Corsair and its multitude of snubfighters, the Gauntlet hovered over the city and dropped their squadron of Mandalorian fighters before flying away. “Their launch was successful,” Din announced as he looked out the windshield. “Time to really scug these pirates off.”

“My pleasure.” (Y/N) wrenched the controls to the side and steered the starfighter into a tight corkscrew spin, deftly avoiding the snubfighter’s blaster fire and maneuvering out of the spin to fly over the Corsair and shoot down an oncoming snubfighter. Her grip tightened on the starfighter’s controls as she led their enemies over Nevarro’s lava flats and away from the city, smiling to herself when each and every snubfighter joined the pursuit. “That seemed to do the trick.”

“Captain, what’s your position?”

“We’re over the flats with snubfighters in pursuit,” (Y/N) replied and flew the starfighter through the rocky outcroppings with ease. “You’re clear to start your run.”

“You should ease up on the accelerator, make ‘em think that they actually have a shot at taking us down.”

She gave Din a playful look over her shoulder as she sharply turned a corner. “Are you back-seat flying, Din Djarin? Because I have a zero-tolerance policy that forbids back-seat flying from Mandalorians who have a history of crash-landing onto several planets.”

“Mir’sheb.” Her husband’s chuckles were interrupted by Grogu’s urgent squeal and he swore under his breath. “They’re peeling off. They know we’re the diversion.”

Biting her lip, (Y/N) wrenched the controls upwards and shot out of the canyon as she called into the communication radio, “Bo, you’re about to have five snubfighters on your tail. I’m on my way to back you up.”

“Copy that, Captain.”

The starfighter raced through the sky towards the Corsair and when she saw the five snubfighters pursuing the Gauntlet, she steered them into a nosedive and checked to make sure that the child was being held by Din before flying straight up; she shot down a snubfighter and sped straight through their formation, scattering the remaining four ships and shooting down a second and a third on her descent. As the ship’s remains crashed into the Corsair and destroyed one of its engines, Grogu giggled in delight and Din murmured more words of affirmation while the Gauntlet shot down another snubfighter, leaving Vane’s ship as the last one standing; (Y/N) broke out into a triumphant smile when the pirate’s ship suddenly turned and flew away from the fight, but her triumph was short-lived when she saw the Corsair being steered above the city and its gunwales began firing on the buildings below.

“He’s targeting the townspeople!”

“We’ve gotta take him down,” (Y/N) replied, looping the starfighter around and racing towards the attacking Corsair. “Focus fire on their last engine!”

With (Y/N) approaching from the bow of the Corsair and Bo-Katan approaching from the stern, they both fired on the starship’s last operational engine and sped away as it burst into flames and slowly crashed onto the planet’s surface in an impressive explosion. Exhausted, (Y/N) flopped back against Din’s chest and switched the controls over to R5 before closing her eyes, smiling tiredly when she heard Grogu’s enthusiastic babbling and felt the brief but loving caress of her husband’s lips on her temple. I don’t remember flying being this tiring during the Rebellion, she thought to herself as the starfighter began its descent, but it’s nice to know I’ve still got it.

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

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Greef Karga exclaimed over the cheers of the townspeople. The citizens of Nevarro and their Mandalorian saviors were gathered by the city’s ruined archway near the docked Gauntlet, while the members of Clan Mudhorn stayed towards the back with the starfighter; (Y/N) stood on the starfighter’s side panel while Din stood on the ground, one of his gloved hands resting on her calf while the other shaded Grogu’s face from the bright sun, and all three of them listened as the High Magistrate addressed the celebrating crowd. “To all of you, and especially to our fine Mandalorian liberators, to whom this planet is forever indebted.” Greef turned to look at the gathered Mandalorians and offered them a welcoming smile. “Mandalorians, I know that we have been on opposite sides in the past, but that is behind us. From this day forward, I, Magistrate Greef Karga-”

“High Magistrate, sir.”

The crowd laughed at the protocol droid’s correction and Greef chuckled good-naturedly. “High Magistrate Greef Karga, hereby cede all land from the western lava flats to Bulloch Canyon to the fine people of Mandalore. You may no longer have a home planet, but you do now have a home. Welcome!”

The citizens of Nevarro burst into applause and the assembled Mandalorians crossed their right arms over their chests, bowing their helmeted heads in a show of respect. “Well, I guess we should start unloading the Gauntlet’s cargo hold…”

When (Y/N) attempted to hop down from the starfighter’s side panel, her stiff legs gave way but thanks to Din’s quick reflexes, she landed neatly in her husband’s strong arms. “The rest of us will handle the cargo hold, alor’ad; you’ve more than earned your rest.”

“It’s hard to argue with that,” She chuckled, giving the beskar covering his cheek a kiss as he cautiously set her on her feet and gathering Grogu into her arms before allowing him to lead her over to the Gauntlet’s extended ramp.

Seated on a cargo box, (Y/N) scrolled through Greef Karga’s official holo-pad while the Mandalorians and the citizens of Nevarro began working to build a camp on the outskirts of the bombed-out city; she’d hoped that the High Magistrate’s resources would help her find any information on Kelleran Beq and his possible ties to Naboo, but her search proved to be fruitless and she was still reluctant to ask the child any more questions about his past, fearing that they’d only serve to re-traumatize him.

“No luck?”

(Y/N) sighed and set the holo-pad aside before looking over at Din, who was busy sorting through boxes of blaster cartridges beside her. “I don’t know why I’m expecting anything different. The Jedi were forced into hiding nearly thirty years ago, so it’s not as though they’d make themselves easy to find.”

Before Din could reply, Grogu’s curious coos drew their attention towards two Mandalorians making their way through the makeshift camp: the Armorer and – to (Y/N)’s stunned surprise – a helmetless Bo-Katan Kryze. The Nite Owl looked uncomfortable under the heavy stares of her fellow Mandalorians, clutching her helmet to her side and doing her best to ignore the murmurs that followed them as they made their way towards (Y/N) and Din. Both Mandalorians stopped before them, and the Armorer loudly announced, “Bo-Katan Kryze is going off to bring other Mandalorians in exile to us, so that we may join together once again.”

“But she shows her face,” Paz pointed out, and the surrounding Mandalorians nodded in agreement and continued to talk amongst themselves.

The Armorer was unaffected by her covert’s reactions. “Bo-Katan walks both worlds, and she can bring all tribes together.” Shifting his weight, Paz looked over at Din and relaxed his shoulders when he gave him a single nod. “It is time to retake Mandalore.”

Din looked down at (Y/N) and once she gave him a subtle nod, he turned his attention back to the Mandalorians standing before them. “(Y/N) and I will accompany you on your quest to locate the exiled Mandalorians.” Despite the shocking turn of events and the mixture of emotions he was undoubtedly experiencing, Din’s modulated voice was clear and steady as he continued. “This is the Way.”

Bo-Katan offered them a thankful smile. “This is the Way.”

Grogu let out a series of babbles and coos, and (Y/N) found herself nodding in agreement. “You’re right, little guy: it’s certainly been one helluva day…”

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

Mando’a Translations:

Alor’ad-Captain Mir’sheb-Smart-ass

A/N: I’m hoping that the next chapter will be ready by next week but we’re having some work done in the house, so I’m not sure how much writing I’ll be able to do but I’ll keep you posted! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! Oh, and I’ve created a Spotify playlist of all my favorite music from the world of Star Wars, so if you’re interested in checking it out the link is down below!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2KuSKJhVOPPvxdJ9YHeo4M?si=2977ff31bf0c4bdd

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Taking Care of Business Masterlist

Tagging: @remmysbounty @sinon36 @seninjakitey @thatonedindjarinfan @ginger-swag-rapunzel @mostclevermiss @momc95 @welcometothepedroverse @sarahjkl82-blog @elinedjarin @itsnottilly @crowleysqueenofhell @goldielocks2004 @wondergal2001 @groovy-lady @impala1967666 @fluffy-canada-pancakes @icee228 @siimiasoi

#taking care of business #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin #the mandalorian #bo katan kryze #the armorer #paz vizsla #greef karga #grogu #the child #baby yoda #r5d4 #vane #gorian shard #captain teva #star wars #din djarin x f!reader

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spacemagicandlaserswords · 1 year

Text

The Clone Wars 2x9 ‘Grievous Intrigue’ Reaction

Yes, play the ransom message from Grevious in front of the younglings. That’s a sensible idea. It’s not like they’re not traumatised enough as it is (or are about to be in a few years time).

Oh hey it’s Wolffe and he’s got his cybernetic eye already! I think I’ve missed the introduction of Wolffe and when he received that injury from Ventress, which I’m kinda sad about cause he seems like a fan favourite. I know he’s introduced very early on in 1x2 ‘Rising Malevolence’ but does anyone know which episode he’s injured by Ventress and when he gets the cybernetic eye? I feel like I should be aware of this significant part of his life.

The way that Grievous says ‘Kenobi’ is just hilarious. These two are obsessed with each other.

Obi-Wan why must you always flirt with the enemy.

“Where there is Kenobi, you will always find Skywalker not far behind” ah so that’s where that line comes from. It almost sounds like something Yoda would say.

There are clone officers?

Is that how hyperspace works?

Kenobi and Grievous are totally frenemies. Each other's arch nemesis. The banter, the way they’re both ridiculously over the top about it all. CACKLING

It’s always so good to see and get a reminder of how good Obi-Wan actually is.

Obi-Wan heckling Grievous. I am crying.

Dooku’s errand boy SAVAGE

Grievous: “I am the leader of the most powerful droid army the galaxy has ever seen!” Obi-Wan: *dismantles his commando droid like it’s nothing* You were saying?

Side Note: Why is the d+ video player such absolute trash.

Ha ha ha.

Omg the gag of the tactical droid chasing after its arm. I love the way TCW intersperses comedy into action sequences like this.

Heh heh heh heh.

Bye spider Grievous.

Omg Cody and the clones just bodily hurling themselves at Grievous. Cody, did you actually punch Grievous?! Is this where the droid punching and the habit of just bodily hurling the clones at the droids all started?

Cody catching his space husband with one hand?!

Also this moment of Cody looking badass

There’s so many good and important moments in this whole series that pass in the blink of an eye. You can see how obsessed Obi-Wan is with capturing Grievous in his disappointed reaction to not going after him. But you also see the rationality and sense he has to realise that it’s not the smart move right now either. Even Obi-Wan, who is represented as the ultimate calm jedi, isn’t immune to dark side tendencies like obsession. I think he’s aware of it and can deal with it but it’s so interesting and good to see deeper layers to his character, rather than Perfect White Knight Jedi.

“We’re in a bit of a spot” That’s a bit of an understatement for ‘the ship’s gonna blow’

Rip those 2 clone officers on the bridge

#watching the clone wars for the first time #star wars #sw #the clone wars #tcw #cody #marshal commander cody #commander cody #obi-wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi #wolffe #commander wolffe #plo koon #general grievous #grievous #clones #tcw gifs

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againstacecilia · 1 year

Text

Zena Thamne

Pairing: Din Djarin x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4.6k

Rating: 18+ minors DNI

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, brush with death, bounty brought in cold, weapon use, feelings????

A/N: I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to trim this down sooooooo the chapter's a little longer than normal. I think the rest from here on out might be a little heftier too, lol. This chapter (and all of them, tbh) dedicated to the wonderful @creatively-analytical for being the best beta-reader, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. 💖 Asks are always open!!

You eventually join Mando in the cockpit after giving up on your book. The blur of hyperspace paints the boards and durasteel in whites and blues that you’ll never get tired of. Sitting in your chair, you quietly watch the streaks blaze past and let yourself get lost in the trance when Mando breaks the silence.

“Everything alright?”

“Mhmm,” you nod in confirmation, “Hyperspace is gorgeous.”

“I guess I don’t really notice anymore.” Mando looks up and around at the stars streaming by, “But you’re right, it does look nice.”

A question pops into your mind and it leaves your lips before you give it much thought, “What do you see in that helmet?”

“I can see everything you see,” his chair swivels to face you.

“Yeah, but, can you see it the way I see it? Like, I’m guessing there are fancy gadgets that helped you track Shoan back there?”

“I can see things mostly the same way. Maybe not as brightly as you do, but the tech inside makes up for whatever I’m missing by looking through the helmet.”

“So that sunset on Batuu, what did it look like to you?”

He shrugs, “A sunset? I’ve seen my share, I know what they look like.”

You shake your head, feeling flabbergasted. “But the colors, the way the sky looked like it was on fire, it was so beautiful!”

He laughs, melodic and full, and puts his hands up in mock defeat. “Okay okay, it was beautiful.”

“Good,” you laugh along with him. “Now that that’s settled, tell me about our next target.”

His demeanor turns serious, like a switch flipped; suddenly he’s all business. “Zena Thamne. I’m thinking she’ll be a little more work than Shoan was.”

You nod, anticipation bubbling up in your gut. “How long until we reach her?”

“She’s more slippery than Shoan was; we’re heading to a Guild contact closer to her last known location to get the most up-to-date info. It’ll take a couple of days, so we’ll have some more time to train on the way.”

“Sounds good to me,” you turn your face back to the widows in front of you, “Ready whenever you are.”

You feel his gaze on you for another moment before he turns back to the control panel. “We’ll stay for a day on Yavin 4 before most likely heading to Dantooine, unless she’s jumped further towards the Unknown Regions.”

You try and focus on what he’s saying, but the hum of the ship and beauty of hyperspace begins to lull you to sleep. Eventually you give in to the draw of your cosmic lullaby and drift off.

- - - - - - - -

The trip to Yavin 4 lasts a couple more days, and in the time it takes to get there you train a little more with Mando. A couple of new forms, nothing too difficult, but it meant that you were ready to really start sparring with him. You weren’t nervous about the idea necessarily, but being this physically close did make you feel… Something. You push the emotion to the back of your mind as Mando steps in front of you.

The only armor he wears is his helmet, having doffed the pieces protecting his body. You both settle into your positions and wait for the other to strike. While the seconds tick away in silence, the two of you study each other with unwavering focus. You knew he would be the first to strike; all you needed to do was wait.

He is the first to make a move, ducking and trying to sweep your legs out from under you. But you knew that trick; he’d taken you down that way in your first lesson. You wouldn’t let it happen again.

Jumping over his leg, you bounce away as far as the small space will allow. He jumps back up and rushes you. Spinning away again, you look around for something near you to use to gain the upper hand. A small wrench catches your attention. With as much stealth as possible, you pick up the tool and throw it at his head. It bounces harmlessly off the beskar but does throw his attention off for long enough to charge him yourself.

Using one of the forms he showed you earlier, you feign a punch to his side before stepping between his legs and using your ankle to cause him to stumble. For a fleeting moment, you think you’ll actually win this one before his hand shoots out and grabs your hand. Kneeling on the ground, he pulls you backwards over his propped knee and you crash onto the floor, wind flying from your lungs.

You both stay where you are; his breathing is heavy and you’re coughing from the impact. Before you know it, your coughing turns to ragged laughter.

Mando’s helmet turns to look at your prone form, laughter curling your body. “What is so funny?”

“That was,” another wave of laughter takes over, “so much fun.” Tears start falling from your eyes.

Mando is still staring at you, head tilted in confusion. You sit up, stomach cramping with the joy bubbling through your body. Seeing his bafflement only made the situation funnier, and you double over again in a fresh wave of giggles.

Through the sound of your laughter, another sound emerges. The dark, melodious sound you heard slip through his helmet days before is once again filling the cargo hold and mingling with yours. He collapses next to you and you laugh together for a while longer before getting a grip on yourselves.

“Phew, I’m sorry.” You gulp down air and wipe the tears from your eyes. “I’m not sure what happened there. But that was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”

Heavy breathing rustles through the modulator of Mando’s helmet as he regains control. The dark visor turns to look at you. “You really should get out more.” Another round of giggles hits you both as you punch him in the arm.

“That’s the plan, Mandalorian.” You stand and offer him your hand. Not that you’d actually be able to lift him (damn, he is all muscle), but he accepts the offer and rises from the metal floor.

The rest of the flight is spent bringing you up to speed on Zena Thamne, accused murderer of a nobleman from Coruscant. A low-level criminal for most of her life, Zena had finally gotten too deep and had found herself with the job to kill the nobleman.

“As far as we know, no one expected her to actually be able to do it. The gang she was involved with gives these big hit jobs to newbies as death sentences; no support, not a lot of intel, just a name and a rifle. Somehow, Zena managed not only to finish the job but also managed to get away.”

“That’s horrible…” You sit on your cot, curling your legs under yourself and pouring over the holopad with Zena’s information on it. “It says here she’s nineteen?”

“The Galaxy is a rough place,” Mando shrugs, pulling a crate over to sit across from you, “I’ve brought in bounties younger than her.”

You shake your head but stay quiet. You grew up in relative safety and security; it was going to take some time to reform your view of life with the reality you were being introduced to. But you wanted to see it and experience what life was like for other people. You weren’t going to be able to help anyone if all you knew was the confines of Randon.

“They want her to stand trial so the goal is to bring her in alive. The nobleman’s family, on the other hand, doesn’t care how she’s brought in.”

You look up from the holopad and meet the gaze of his visor, “Meaning, we might have to kill her if she doesn’t cooperate?”

“We’ll try and avoid that but, yes, if she won’t come and we can’t subdue her we’ll bring her in cold.”

You swallow but nod, turning back to the information glowing in front of you. “So what’s the plan, then? If she’s still on Yavin 4, how do we find her?”

Mando pulls a small, blinking device from his pocket, “This is a tracking fob. It’ll show us how close we are to her using her chain code.”

“So we just try to sneak up on her?”

“Each bounty is a little different. Once we get a chance to talk to my Guild contact we can plan from there.”

Turning off the holopad and tossing it to the end of the cot, you stand up and stretch. “I’m glad we’re close. It’ll be nice to get off the Crest for a little bit.”

Mando quirks his head to the side in a silent question. What’s wrong with the Crest?

“Oh no, I didn’t mean like that,” you fumble. “I just mean it’ll be nice to see another new planet and…”

“I know what you meant,” he chuckles, shaking his head, “I’m just giving you a hard time.”

You want to be frustrated, but you find yourself smiling instead. In just a couple months, you and Mando had built a good rapport and you felt yourself more and more comfortable around the man that had initially filled you with fear. He was your first real friend of this new life and, if you were honest with yourself, you knew you could do a lot worse.

- - - - - - - -

Yavin 4 is a moon, forest-covered and beautiful even from space. The more you experience of the Galaxy, the more you appreciate the more verdant and flora-filled worlds. Not that the deserts of Jakku and Pasaana weren’t beautiful; but the lush groves and dense jungles you see as you step off the Razor Crest spark excitement in your chest that the sands just don’t.

After hours of reading up on Zena, you had a basic idea of what to look for. Yes, you still had to go to Mando’s guild contact and see if she was even here, but you still keep an eye out for signs of shadows or quickly moving figures out of the corner of your eye. Mando leads you to a small building on the edge of a nondescript town and knocks on the door.

A small Twi’lek opens the door just enough to peek through and surveys both of you. “How can I help you?”

“I’m with the Guild, I need information on a bounty I’m searching for.” Mando’s voice is low but non-threatening.

“Come in,” the Twi’lek opens the door all the way and allows you and Mando to enter. They shut the door behind you and motion for you to follow them into the sitting room.

A well-worn couch sits against the far wall, with a large chair facing opposite and a low table in between. Shades of green and brown fabrics drape over the windows and cover the floor, and a tray with a steaming mug and teapot sit in the center fo the table.

“You have a lovely home,” you comment. The Twi’lek gives you a nod of appreciation before offering you and Mando a seat.

You both sit on the couch while the Twi’lek takes the chair opposite. “Let’s get down to business. Who are you searching for?”

“Zena Thamne. I was told she was here but I wanted to be sure before wasting time looking for her. Have you had any news about her?”

The Twi’lek shakes their head. “Last I heard she was still here. None of the local bounty hunters have been able to find her though. Just glimpses before they lose her in the jungle North of here.”

“That’s a start,” you say, rubbing the back of your neck. “Anything else?”

“You aren’t a Guild member, are you?” The Twi’lek asks. You shake your head.

“I’m training her.” Their eyes flick to Mando, surprise written lightly on their face.

“Whatever you say, Mandalorian.”

“I’m sorry,” you interrupt, “but I didn’t catch your name?”

“You can just call me ‘The Contact’”, the Twi’lek responds, “Don’t really like giving too much information about myself if I don’t have to.”

“Fair enough.” You lean back and ask again, “Anything else?”

They shake their head, “That’s all I have, I’m afraid.”

Mando stands, “Thank you. We’ll go check out the jungle.”

“Be careful,” The Contact says, standing as well. “She’s slippery, but she’s also extremely dangerous. Those who have almost gotten her haven’t come back.”

You and Mando leave The Contact’s small home and face the jungle beyond. Looking into it, you notice with trepidation how the trees seem to swallow any light. There’s no telling what kind of creatures and dangers inhabit this new world in front of you.

“Mando?” You ask quietly. He looks at you. “How are we going to find her in all this?”

The fear had been slowly creeping up on you through your conversation with The Contact, the unease roiling in your gut finally reaching a boiling point. Finding and catching Shoan seemed like child’s play now. But this…

Mando reaches up and squeezes your shoulder. “We’ll find her. It won’t be easy, but that’s the point.” Letting go, he turns and begins walking back in the direction of the Crest. “Come on. We should rest tonight and check the jungle out in the morning.”

Back on the ship, you settle into the cot with your book. Mando was sitting nearby cleaning his rifle when an alarm started going off in the cockpit. He jumps up and scales the ladder in a flash.

When he comes down, he’s latching the rifle to his back. “Let’s go, Zena was spotted by the jungle again.”

“We’re going now?” you ask, jumping from the cot and fumbling to put your boots back on. “I thought we were waiting until tomorrow?”

“We have a lead, we need to take it,” he responds, opening the ramp. You manage to get your boots laced and snugly on your feet before he makes it too far away, his pace brisk.

Keeping up with Mando is tough, but you make it to the edge of the jungle in record time. You both stop to adjust your weapons.

“Follow my lead, stay close, and stay as quiet as you can,” he instructs. You nod your agreement before both of you step into the treeline.

- - - - - - - -

The search for Zena is hot. The air in the jungle is dense and you’re sweating through your clothes within minutes. You want to ask Mando how the hell he manages under the weight of all that beskar, but you conserve your breath for walking through the vines and grabbing roots underfoot. After an hour, Mando gestures for you to stop.

Dropping onto a stump, you massage a cramp out of your calf as Mando scans the area. He presses a couple of buttons on his vambrace and slowly turns, helmet tracking through the trunks around you. When his visor meets your gaze, you raise your eyebrows in a silent question. Anything?

He begins to shake his head but stops, helmet snapping to his right. In a blink he’s off; you stand and race after him. Through the jungle you crash, hopefully hot on the tail of your target, until Mando suddenly stops. You crash into his back, stifling a yelp.

“Damn,” he curses under his breath, “Lost her.”

Before you can catch your breath, the whoosh of someone dropping from a branch behind you hits your ears. A hand covers your mouth and yanks you away from Mando. Another hand brings a knife to your throat.

“Turn around slowly, Mandalorian, or your little friend gets it.” Her voice is velvet soft, but you shiver from it’s icy coldness. Mando turns to see you held by the bounty.

“Let her go, Zena,” he growls.

Zena laughs, “Oh I don’t think so. I know you’re after me, so I think I’ll only let her go once you smash that tracking fob and head back the way you came.” Her hand leaves your mouth and rests on your shoulder. Yanking you closer to her, the tip of the dagger pricks your skin and you inhale sharply.

“I’m not negotiating. Let. Her. Go.” Mando’s hand starts to drift toward his blaster.

“Ah, ah ah.” Zena cautions, adjusting the dagger against your throat, “I wouldn’t do that.”

His hand drops limply to his side. You begin to feel desperate; the stalemate the three of you are in won’t last for long before Zena decides to try and get away. Calming your breathing, you go over your training with Mando in your mind. You sift through the various forms and attacks you’ve been memorizing over the last few weeks. Finding one that might work, you look at Din and give him an almost unnoticeable nod.

Lifting your right arm, you feign an attack to Zena’s face while taking your left hand and gripping onto the hand with the knife. You pull the knife down and away from your neck, keeping it pinned close to your chest, the tip of the blade gleaming in the soft twilight of the jungle. You begin to pull your head from under her arm, but you’ve underestimated Zena’s strength. She lets you go for a moment before ripping the blade over your head and into your side.

Searing pain shoots through you as the blade tears through muscle. You crumple to the ground and try to roll away, only to be met by Zena’s boot as she kicks you in the stomach. Stars spark across your vision.

“No!” Mando yells, footfalls racing in your direction. He tackles Zena to the ground next to you, but your vision blurs and darkens and you miss the rest of the struggle as you slip in and out of consciousness.

It feels like days have passed when you feel Mando shaking you awake. “What… What happened?” you groan, pain still spreading through your body. You start to fade away again when Mando’s voice reaches into the fog.

“Don’t fall back asleep, you’ve lost a lot of blood, you gotta stay awake.” Your eyes snap open at the fear in his voice.

“Zena. Did she get away?” You try and sit up only to be pushed back down by Mando.

“Don’t worry about that, we need to get you back to the Crest.”

Your head swims and spots dot your eyes. The blood loss must be really bad if you’re having this much trouble just staying awake. Your hand drifts down to the cut on your side and you pull it away covered in the warm, sticky liquid.

“Mando,” you whisper, eyes snapping to his visor. Your reflection doesn’t even look like you; skin pallid from your injury, eyes wide and lined with silver from fear.

He scoops you up in his arms and starts running. Every step jolts through you and your heart pounds in your head as the fear engulfs you. You’ve never considered your own death but now, you were standing at its doorstep. Your grip on him begins to loosen as you fade once again into the darkness.

“Stay with me, cuyan,” he begs, picking up speed. “Come on, stay with me. Don’t go back to sleep.”

Stay with him. You drag your eyes open again and stare up at the gleaming helmet above you. Having never been at this angle before, you notice the small bit of chin that peeks over the cowl of his base layer. Tan skin covered in stubble. You want to reach up and touch it but, through your haze, you realize this may not be a sight you’re allowed to see. You focus on keeping your breathing normal as you ask, “What did you call me?”

“Shhh, save your breath, we’re almost to the ship.” He throws everything he has into running, crashing through the final trees and into the road. The moon shines brightly over the small town, casting everything in a soft blue glow.

Try as you might, your eyes slide close and you drift through the haze. You don’t notice you’ve stopped moving until you’re laying face down on your cot. Fresh pain washes over you and your eyes fly open. “Fuck, that hurts.”

“I’m sorry,” Mando puts a hand on your shoulder to keep you from moving. “I need you to stay still so I can clean it.”

You clench your teeth and weather the pain as Mando pokes and prods the gash in your side, finally wiping a gel along and sealing it with a patch. As soon as the adhesive seals the wound, relief soaks through you.

You sigh, relaxing into the cot. “Thank you,” you whisper, hand reaching out to find his. His gloves are gone and you're met with warm skin where leather usually is. Strong fingers wrap around yours.

“You almost died,” he whispers, voice barely registering through the modulator. “I pushed you too fast.”

You slowly open your eyes and groggily focus on his visor. Mando hasn’t let go of your hand and your confusion is clear in your reflection. He shakes his head and clears his throat. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful.”

“Mando,” you start, trying to pull yourself into a sitting position. He lets go of your hand and gently helps you up, leaning you against the wall and slipping a pillow behind you. “You told me this was going to be dangerous. I knew what I was getting myself into.”

He’s still kneeling on the ground, staring up at your face. He manages a nod before asking, “Do you need anything? You should eat…”

He leaves quick enough to make your head spin, so you close your eyes and lean your head back against the metal hull. While he’s gone, you assess your wounds. Whatever Mando did to the gash in your side has taken away the pain, but the small cut on your neck from Zena’s dagger stings as you reach up and touch it.

“Hey Mando, got any more of that gel? My neck…” He comes back into view with a canteen of water and a tin of rations. Placing them on the cot next to you, he opens up the first aid kit sitting on the ground.

“May I?” he asks, gesturing to your neck. You lift your chin in consent and he brings a sharp smelling pad to the cut. After a moment of stinging, the cool liquid dries. “You won’t need any bacta for this one, just make sure to keep it clean.” “Is bacta what you put on my side?”

He nods, “It’ll speed up your healing. She didn’t hit any organs but still did a number on the muscle. You’ll have to take it easy for a while.”

“Zena!” You grab his hand again, “Where is she?”

Mando looks away from you, “She’s still in the jungle. I’ll go get her as soon as you’re settled.”

“She got away?”

“No. I had to kill her.”

The weight of his words settles over you and you nod solemnly. You wanted to feel bad about the situation, to know you might have been able to help her, but the wound in your side made it difficult to dredge up any sympathy. “I’m fine now, let’s go get her so we can get both of them back to Tonis.”

“No, Cuyan, you’re staying here. Taking it easy, remember?” Mando gestures to the food and water next to you. “Eat and drink all of that, I’ll be back in a bit.”

You raise an eyebrow at the nickname but he’s already opening the ramp and heading out into the dark. You watch him leave as the ramp begins to lift again, blocking your view and sealing you into the semi-darkness of the Crest.

- - - - - - - -

The trip back to Randon is blissfully uneventful as you heal from your fight with Zena. The Razor Crest stays fairly quiet as you sleep and Mando stays in the cockpit. You continue to eat together every once in a while and those moments become the highlight of your day. Listening to him talk without the interference of the helmet is like listening to your favorite song and you find yourself memorizing the way he pronounces certain words, the way he chuckles when you say something witty. Arlon had stopped laughing at your jokes long before he left and had stopped joking with you even longer before that. It was nice to have someone to laugh with.

Dropping into the atmosphere of Randon felt almost peaceful this time. You weren’t worried about facing the ghosts of your past now; those ghosts had moved on. The only thing on your mind now was making sure Mando got paid for the bounties and getting the next batch. It wasn’t a difficult choice to stay on the Crest while Mando got the quarries offloaded.

“You sure?” he asks, strapping his rifle to his back.

“I’m sure,” you nod, settling in with your book. “Tell Tonis I say hi.”

Mando leaves you to your own devices while he walks into town. It takes him less than an hour to talk to Tonis, get paid, and get the carbonite slabs that hold your bounties out of the Crest. When everything is done, he comes back with a bag of food and something wrapped in brown paper.

“What’s this?” you ask, holding the wrapped package. It’s a medium size, but thick with multiple layers.

“Open it,” Mando says, putting the food away. You’ll eat whatever fresh food you can tonight and tomorrow before having to dip into the rations again.

You tear the edge of the paper and unwrap a stack of thin canvases. Wrapped over small frames, the material is stretched taut and is light in your hands. Underneath is a tin box containing a few small tubes of paint and a handful of paintbrushes.

“Mando…” You turn the box over in your hand. It’s so simple, this gift, but something sparks in you at the sight.

“You like painting, right?” He shrugs, “I thought you might like to have some supplies for downtime.”

Without thinking, you cross the small space and wrap him in a hug. His arms stay frozen to his side for a moment before he slowly envelops you in his large embrace. Seconds tick by, but you make no move to end the hug. Neither does he.

“Thank you,” you say into his chest, breath clouding the shining metal. You want to say more because this isn’t just expressing appreciation for a gift; this is so much more. You had only mentioned one time you liked painting and he bought you a paint kit the first chance he had. Arlon never paid attention to the small things and you always had to specifically point out the things you wanted or enjoyed. Mando on the other hand, he pays attention. You wonder what else he sees as he finally breaks the hug and pulls away.

“You’re welcome, Cuyan.”

“You’re going to have to eventually tell me what that means, Mando.” You nudge his shoulder, “I only speak Basic, what if you’re calling me a bitch or something?”

He laughs, “It’s nothing like that. I’ll tell you when you earn it.”

“And when might that be?”

“Patience, Cuyan,” he hooks a finger under your chin, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

He walks away, completely oblivious to how the small contact made you feel. Your hand drifts to touch your chin, the ghost of him still sending electricity through your body. Shaking it off, you climb the ladder to the cockpit where Mando is prepping for takeoff and strap into your chair. As Randon slips away, your mind drifts to the cot where your supplies are safely tucked away.

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