#arc trooper fury

[comm-caribou]

Chapter Six: One Day on the Other Side:

Word Count: 4.0k

Warnings: PTSD, anxiety attacks (let me know if I missed any)

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The town was buzzing with whispers of her arrival, and soon Juliette found people she avoided last time seeking her out as she ate her food. She began to feel self conscious more and more as every time she took a bite, someone new would come see her.

It wasn’t that they thought of her as celebrity, it was that the last time they truly saw her, she was depressed over her father’s passing and running away.

Now, she was back and keeping her most recent loss close to her chest. Nobody knew but her the pain she was feeling, and she was trying hard to keep it bottled up.

As people spoke to her, her hand found the purple stone hanging around her neck. The lepidolite on a silver chain, her only remaining piece of Fang left to offer her comfort now that he couldn’t hold her when she was anxious.

It was getting harder to breathe, and she jumped up hurriedly.

“Juliette?” Cosmos stood up, “you look—“

She didn’t let him finish.

She just ran off outside, only thinking of fresh air.

Even in the cooling evening, the air wasn’t enough. There was too many people, too many blurry faces watching her.

All eyes, watching her fall apart.

She stumbled backwards behind the cantina, clinging to the wall like she’d float away despite her feet feeling too heavy to lift.

She took a labored breath, and sunk down the wall, desperately trying to calm down.

What is happening to me?

“It’s okay,” Boomerang appeared out of nowhere.

Her medic lowered down in front of her, taking her hands and holding them reassuringly.

“Repeat after me,” he instructed, “this will past.”

She shook her head, wheezing on air.

“Please?” Boomerang played with her hands, “how about, I am safe? Can you say that one?”

She wanted to, but she already felt she had no air.

She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head.

I can’t breathe! Why can’t I breathe? Am I dying?

A scent brushed under her nose, and lingered beneath her nostrils.

Lavender?

She focused on that, and her breathing calmed.

“How’d you know that’d work?” Boomerang asked.

She opened her watery eyes, seeing Fury putting something back in one of his pouches.

“I helped comfort troopers after the Battle of Kamino,” Fury explained, “the survivors were really shaken up, especially the young cadets.”

Juliette lowered her head, unable to suppress a shaky whimper.

Boomerang moved to her other side, rubbing her back, “I’m sorry, Juliette.”

“I thought we’d have a little longer,” Juliette cried, “I didn’t want to say goodbye yet.”

Boomerang mumbled something, unable to find the right words.

Fury—on the other hand—moved in and hugged her.

He muttered in her ear, “I have an idea.”

****

Cosmos looked at his comm, “Fury and Boomerang are taking her for a walk to clear her head.”

Mirage nodded, but Cosmos could see the tinge of annoyance on his face.

Sighing, Cosmos pushed his tray aside, “talk to me, Mirage. What did Fury do that you hold so much resentment towards him.”

Mirage stopped chewing, then swallowed hard.

“When I was a cadet, I really wanted to be an ARC,” Mirage began. “It’s the typical dream of every white job trooper, but I really wanted to be more than just one in a million. I’m not saying troopers like Fang, Buck, Ghost, and every other brother on the frontlines are beneath me or I wanted to be above them. I just wanted to feel like I’m worth something. I worked everyday, perfecting every training exercise and beating every record. Then this rumor spreads that this quiet cadet punched his trainer and is now Commander Havoc’s protégé. I did all this work to even be considered, and he got in after breaking the rules. I don’t remember much of after he got there, it’s all blank. From what I’ve been told by the other ARC trainees, Fury started a fight with Stark and it got crazy. I got caught in the crossfire, and banged my head so hard I had I had a violent seizure and was puking up blood.”

Cosmos bit his tongue.

“Stark says that Fury picked up a helmet and was about to kill me, something about how he was putting me out of my misery,” Mirage put down his fork, “if it weren’t for Stark dragging me away, they all think he would’ve killed me without remorse.”

“That’s bogus.” Cosmos couldn’t contain himself.

“Well it happened,” Mirage stated, “and all the ARCs who were there haven’t contacted me with otherwise.”

“But everything you told me about this accident is all hearsay,” Cosmos explained, “Stark said this, Stark said that. Is this ARC-3000?”

“Yeah?“ Mirage blinked, “how did you know?”

“Because Stickler is buddies with Commander Doom and his boys, and there’s a rumor that Stark got demoted.”

“What?“ Mirage stood up, “hang on, I got to call Blitz.”

“Mirage,” Cosmos called, “seriously?”

The ARC rushed out of the cantina, already bringing Blitz up on his holo communicator.

“Seriously.” Cosmos rubbed his eyes. “So kriffin’ dramatic.”

“Well, you look stressed.”

Cosmos peeked out between his fingers, meeting a Pantoran with golden eyes leaning on the edge of his booth.

“I’m a little stressed,” Cosmos admitted. “It’s been rough these past few days.”

“I could tell Juliette was stressed too, that’s why I told my sisters not to approach her yet,” he ran a hand through his pastel yellow hair. “May I sit with you?”

“Sure, but I think you’ll find I’m lousy company right now.” Cosmos picked at his scraps.

“Perhaps, but I still would love to get to know you,” he smiled, “I’m Baz, by the way.”

“I’m Cosmos,” he answered, relieved to have some company away from the war.

****

“Why didn’t you tell me he was demoted?”

Mirage couldn’t believe his ears, Cosmos was right.

Stark wasn’t an ARC anymore. He’d been demoted and kicked off of Doom Patrol, sent off to Commander Bacara as just CT-3000 again.

“He was causing a lot of infighting,” Blitz explained, “and in every occurrence, Stark was spinning up far fetch stories that were always debunked.”

Mirage touched the side of his head, did he lie about my accident?

Blitz crossed his arms, “are you still treating him like a freak? I’ll have you know that despite the name, Fury is incredibly nice. After the battle here, he’s been guarding the cadets every night. Hammer and I went to check on him and he was comforting one of the kids that was helping defend the barracks. He’s a good man.”

But… Stark said…

Mirage held his head, “what happened the day I hit my head? Do you know?”

Blitz sighed, “you’re going to have to ask Hammer that one. I wasn’t there when it happened, all I know is Fury ran you across the facility and wouldn’t leave your side until you woke up.”

“That’s not what I was told,” Mirage leaned on the wall. “I was told Stark rescued me.”

“And you believed him?” Blitz clicked his tongue. “Stark didn’t even visit you, vod.”

Stupid. I was so stupid. Of course the quiet guy always shuffling his cards wouldn’t try to end his brother’s life.

Blitz sighed, “talk to Hammer. He was there for the aftermath.”

Then he hung up before Mirage could press him for more information.

Stark lied, and I believed every bit of it.

He held his head, groaning.

The door opened, and Anneliese came out clicking her tongue as she walked.

“Do you need help?” Mirage asked.

“I’m alright, I’m not as feeble as I look,” she smiled, “but you may still walk with me, Mirage.”

“How’d you know it was me?” Mirage went to her side.

“Your voice is deeper,” she said. “Cosmos is soft, Boomerang is bouncy, and Fury is gruff.”

“Huh,” Mirage chuckled, “I never realized our voices could be different.”

“Believe it or not, you’re not as perfectly alike as you think,” Anneliese grew quiet.

“Something on your mind?” Mirage asked.

“What are your thoughts on my sister?” Anneliese tilted her head curiously. “She is very drawn to you, and I know you noticed.”

Mirage’s ears burn as his blood rushed up to his face, pooling in his cheeks and nose. “I… um…”

Oh osik.

****

That last time she was at this cliff, Juliette was with her father.

Boomerang wheezed out a breath, “I didn’t realize the walk would be that far. Fury, we’re on leave, that means no mile long hikes.”

Fury shrugged, holding out his hand to help her up a steep spot.

He was so strong, she felt like he could easily pull her up the rest of the cliff with just one hand.

Once she was on stable ground, he offered Boomerang a hand.

Boomerang pretty much let Fury lift him all the way up. Once on secure ground, Boomerang sat down panting.

Fury went to the edge, looking over the rural horizon covered in green with her town a few miles away.

She wasn’t looking forward to the walk back, especially with the orange sun setting.

“Scream.” Fury instructed.

Juliette turned to him, “what?”

“You’re bottling up all your issues,” Fury gestured to the open spaces, “let it out.”

Juliette studied Fury, really looking at this new ARC who arrived to her shortly after Fang’s death.

He was tall like many of his brothers, but his frame was wider. He was built bigger, bulkier than troopers like Boomerang; the medic looked like a twig next to him.

He’s a friendly giant.

“Come on,” he encouraged, “let out all your problems.”

Juliette looked down, “last time I was here… my father was teaching me how to use my jet pack…”

He had his own, and encouraged her off the cliff.

“I’m right here, ad’ika. I won’t let you fall. Swear on my life, I will catch you.”

Anger bubbled up in her stomach.

How could someone shoot you down? You were just having a drink with uncle Xiaber! I was away! Why was I away?

It boiled up her throat.

You didn’t even get to meet Fang! My first boyfriend, and you didn’t even get to give a big speech about how I’m your little girl and he better be good to me.

She opened her mouth, inhaling.

You’re not going to give me anymore life lessons. You’re never going to meet any of my new friends. If I ever fall in love again, you’ll never meet him! If I get married, you’ll never know my husband!

As she exhaled, she screamed.

Is this my destiny? Is the path I’m taking leading me to lose all I love? How many more friends and family will I lose? I’m only twenty-one today.

****

Baz smiled warmly, playing with Cosmos’s hand as words flew from his mouth. He knew Baz was probably just being nice, while secretly regretting asking Cosmos what his favorite thing about being a pilot was.

“I’m sorry,” Cosmos covered his mouth, “I just really like stars. I get carried away, and it drives everyone insane.”

“Don’t worry,” Baz pat his hand, “I like them too, but I never knew they had names.”

Cosmos had to bite his tongue to keep from telling him their names.

Baz chuckled, “tell me their names.”

Cosmos’s heart skipped a beat, “really?”

“I like your passion,” Baz squeezed his hand, “it’s very cute.”

Cosmos blushed, “um… before we continue, I should warn you that I’m still not sure about my preference.”

Stars, I really hope I’m not misreading this.

“How about a date then?” Baz slid his hand in his, “would you like to go out with me?”

Just the night before, he ate dinner with a good look Togruta at a bar. It was casual, nothing intimate.

“I’d like that,” Cosmos said, following Baz out of the cantina.

****

“I vote next time Fury gets a crazy idea like this, he has to carry us,” Boomerang declared, “I’m definitely falling asleep tonight.”

Juliette rubbed her raw throat, maybe screaming wasn’t the best idea.

Fury walked beside her, pointing out raised stumps and rocks in the path.

“You’re really nice,” she croaked.

“Rest your voice,” he smiled. “I don’t want you to lose it.”

“You’re pretty reliable too,” she added.

“Shh,” he hushed playfully. “No more words.”

“I have decided, you’re now my friend,” Juliette declared.

“Okay,” he laughed, “okay, just stop talking.”

“Say it,” Juliette pushed, “say you’re my friend.”

“She won’t stop until you say it,” Boomerang warned.

“Fine, I’m you’re friend,” Fury stepped over a stump. “Watch your step.”

Boomerang rolled his eyes, “what a gentleman.”

“Keep up,” Fury called back, “you can sleep on the ship.”

****

Mirage returned to the cantina, finding it empty besides Xiaber, Nala, and female Rodian cleaning the place up.

“Could I help?” Mirage offered.

“It’s alright,” Xiaber assured, “you could walk Nala home though.”

Nala put the last chair on a table, “but I need to-“

“We have it,” the older couple said together. “Go.”

“Jinx,” the Rodian bumped Xiaber with her hip laughing. “Now you owe me a drink.”

Xiaber smiled, “good thing I own the bar then, lovey.”

Ah, that must be the famous Aunt Livvie Nala spoke of.

Nala brushed her hands together, then ran to Mirage. She held his arm, looking up at him innocently.

You’re nothing like the folks on Coruscant. He mused, “shall we?”

Nala nodded, and they walked out together.

“I already know the way,” he said once outside, “I walked your older sister home.”

“Please tell me she didn’t give you one of those lame protective older sister speeches meant to scare off creeps,” Nala groaned.

“I don’t think your sister thinks of me as a creep,” Mirage said, “although I could tell she was trying to get a feel of who I was and what my character is.”

“And what are you like?” Nala stopped walking.

Where do I begin? Mirage frowned, “I’m gullible and stupid. I make regrettable decisions and poor choices. I did all this work to make myself important, and still feel like I’m disposable.”

Nala brushed his cheek, “so, you lack confidence.”

Mirage traced the scar on the side of his head, “I didn’t think so until recently.”

Nala scrunched her nose, “I think you’re too hard on yourself, Mirage.”

Mirage turned to her.

“How about that dance lesson?” Nala held out her hand.

“Here?” He looked around. “In public?”

“In the street lights and under the illuminating moonlight,” Nala took his hands, “just us.”

Mirage took a shaky step forward, “what if I step on your foot?”

“I’ll live,” Nala guided his hands to her waist.

“You know I got my name because I walked into a wall,” Mirage warned. “They couldn’t believe their eyes.”

“Then we’ll start with swaying,” Nala draped her arms around his neck.

Mirage looked in her dark blue eyes, “I’ve never connected with a civilian like this before.”

She played with the hair at the nape of his neck, “do you say that to all the girls you swoon?”

“Trust me, love,” Mirage rocked from side-to-side, “I look the part of dashing soldier, but I can’t keep up the charade for long.”

“You don’t have to act a different way around me,” Nala said, “I already like your company, and I know full well you like mine.”

She caught me staring, Mirage turned his head sputtering. Dammit. I really am the stupidest ARC in the whole Grand Army. She’s probably taking great joy in having some big oaf following her around blindly.

“Hey,” Nala cupped his face, “I like you too. Juliette told me how incredibly protective you are, that you always are there to catch her and that you give the best hugs.”

Mirage kept his gaze down.

“Mirage,” she pushed, “would you look at me, please?”

He spoke to the ground, “why do you really like me?”

“Honestly,” Nala ducked down to catch his gaze, “because you don’t have that annoying attitude where you think you’re better than everyone else. Plus, I like your eyes.”

Mirage started to smile, “really?”

“Really,” Nala brushed his cheek. “Now, I told you my reasons, you tell me yours.”

Mirage nervously chuckled, “your voice, your confidence, your grace. Seeing you so comfortable on stage just got me.”

Nala giggled, “you’re cute.”

“Cute, huh?” Mirage smiled, placing his forehead to her’s, “you’re the first to ever say that to me.”

“About time someone said it,” she wrapped her arms around him again, “dance with me.”

****

The feeling of Baz’s hand felt right.

His company felt natural.

His voice was comforting.

Yet, there was still an uncertainty in himself.

There was still a shed of doubt lingering inside of Cosmos, making him question if he was attracted to men or something else.

Baz leaned against a wall, still playing with Cosmos’s fingers like he was memorizing them.

“Can I tell you something?” Cosmos asked.

He already knew the answer, but seeing Baz assure him he was listening would be more comforting.

“You can tell me anything,” Baz moved in closer beside him.

Cosmos leaned against the wall beside him, admiring the way the town’s lights caught the gold in his eyes.

“I’m… still unsure about myself,” Cosmos held Baz’s hand close afraid he’d leave. “I’ve only been on a few dates, and yesterday was the first time with another man. I know I feel more right here, but I still don’t know for certain.”

“It’s okay,” Baz brushed his hand along his jaw, “I just wanted to hang out with you longer.”

Cosmos sighed, “I just wish I knew for certain.”

Baz stayed quiet, tracing the scar on Cosmos’s chin.

“I’m sorry I wasted your time.” Cosmos sighed, “I do hope I see you next time I’m here.”

That is if I ever make it back.

Baz stopped him, gently caressing his face in his hands while his face darkened to a shade of indigo.

“May I still kiss you goodnight?”

****

Fury had definitely proved himself her favorite out of all her new recruits. She knew it was bias considering she barely interacted with the new men she was in command of, but none of them would probably take her on a long hike, let her scream her head off, and then carry her the rest of the way back.

“Are we too heavy for you?” Juliette asked.

Fury shook his head, but his pace had slowed greatly since Boomerang had fallen asleep riding on his back.

“I can walk,” Juliette offered.

Fury shook his head.

“You know, you don’t talk much,” Juliette said quietly.

“I don’t have anything important to say,” Fury set her down as they came back to the main pathway to town.

“I don’t believe that,” Juliette held his elbow, “I think you think your words aren’t important.”

“They aren’t. I have abslu… absoluth… a-abs…” he swore under his breath, and went quiet again.

“I stutter when I’m nervous, too. I could barely get any words out when I was telling Fang I liked him back.” She toyed with her necklace, “he told me he thought it was cute.”

Fury chewed on his inner cheek, continuing to say nothing.

“He gave me this necklace,” she ran her thumb over the stone, “it’s actually from my father’s rock collection. He’d collect a new rock from every place he went to, and after he died I gave the collection to Fang. He also likes rocks. Well… liked rocks.”

Fury stopped walking.

“I nearly left. After Fang died, everyone was trying to comfort me that it got so overwhelming that I hid in the refreshers,” Juliette continued, “I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat in the shower stall with the cold water running. I just kept thinking about coming back here and doing odd jobs again, that way I’d never have to see one of my friends die again. Then Cosmos came in and I felt guilty for thinking I could just leave him. Leave any of them to die when Hardwire chose me to lead them. I honestly don’t know why I’m telling you.”

Fury turned to her, “I’m glad you stayed.”

“Me too,” Juliette glanced back at Boomerang sleeping with his face smooshed on Fury’s pauldron. “Jeez, he’s out like a light.”

“Well, he does have night terrors,” Fury said quietly, “it’s common with the medics, but we hide them from the Kaminoans and Jedi.”

Juliette turned to Fury, “do you get night terrors?”

Fury kept his gaze ahead, and said, “we all do.”

The walk back to the cantina was deafeningly silent.

****

Cosmos touched his lips, still processing the final events of his dates.

“May I still kiss you goodnight?”

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as he remembered it again. He hoped he’d never forget his first kiss.

“Cosmos!” Juliette ran into his side, wrapping him in a hug. “I’m sorry I ran off on you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cosmos ruffled her hair, “where did you three go?”

“Screaming off a cliff.” Juliette explained.

“Did I hear that correctly?” Cosmos laughed, “screaming?”

“Told her it’ll help with getting out her frustrations,” Fury paced with Boomerang snoozing on his back.

I really hope Mirage cooled down, Cosmos looked around, Fury seems like he’s trying outrun that monster reputation.

“What did you do?” Juliette took his hands.

Cosmos glanced at Fury, walking off to the ship, then leaned down whispering just to her, “I had my first kiss tonight.”

She bounced on her toes, smiling and giggling.

“I’ll tell you more later,” Cosmos looped his finger with her’s, “I promise.”

She kissed the back of her hand as he kissed his, locking it in.

“Now, we got to find Mirage,” Cosmos held out his hand. “Any ideas?”

“Well… Nala does have a weak spot for men who look put together,” Juliette teased, “and I saw how he looked at her.”

“I concur,” Cosmos grinned, “where is Nala’s home?”

****

“You seriously ditched Juliette for a boy,” Anneliese teased.

“She went for a hike,” Nala giggled as she played with Mirage’s hair, “and left this sweetie behind.”

Mirage looked back at her from his spot on the floor, “you think I’m sweet?“

“Obviously she does,” Anneliese walked down the hall with her hand on the wall.

Nala held his face, tilting his head back to look up at her. She looked over him with admiration written on her soft face.

“Tell me about the galaxy,” she traced his cheek.

Mirage thought for a moment, then said, “big. I’ve seen a lot of it, and a good lot of horrors in it. There was some good in it, small little slivers spread around in it. This is one of them.”

“See, this is why you’re a sweetie,” Nala moved to the floor beside him. “The sweet face doesn’t help.”

“My brothers and I all share it,” Mirage joked.

“Maybe that’s why you’re all so sweet,” Nala teased. “Promise you’ll come visit me.”

I can’t promise that.

Mirage knew it, but still he said, “I will, only if you still will be happy to see me.”

Nala took his hand, smiling, “I promise.”

****

As Cosmos’s hand went to connect with the door, Mirage opened it. He jumped when he saw Juliette and Cosmos at the door.

Juliette wiggled her fingers, “hello there.”

“Hi,” Mirage walked out, “do you want to say goodbye before heading out?”

“Yes, please,” Juliette went past him.

Cosmos stood on the porch with him, waiting for Juliette to come back out.

“How was your night outside of the Republic?” Mirage asked quietly.

Cosmos sighed, looking up at the night sky glittering with millions of stars.

“It was nice while it lasted.”

“Do you think we’ll ever come back.”

“May I still kiss you goodnight?”

The warm and fuzzy feeling returned to Cosmo’s chest.

“I hope so.”

[spicedrobot]

what was lost, what was gained ch. 6 (finale)

yay, we made it! Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story, and thanks to @bluedaddysgirl for the beta.

-

T-minus one hour and thirteen minutes to arrival. Their voyage to Coruscant was almost over. 

Cody wanted to be happy about it. Standard operations would resume when they landed. The 212st would go back to the front lines. General Kenobi would regain his vigor and return to the stalwart, steadfast man that he’d been before. No more sleepless nights. No more empty smiles, even if those had been dwindling long before they had captured the Sith. The war weighed on everyone, Cody reminded himself, no matter how great they were. 

Cody’s lookout chair sat empty. He paced the block instead. It didn’t matter if Maul saw how restless he was. Soon the Sith wouldn’t be seeing much of anything.

It was a cruel thought, but Maul was a cruel man. Cody couldn’t drum up any mercy for him. 

Inside his cell, the Sith was quieter than usual. Cody had assumed it was nerves at first, but that wasn’t it. Maul was calm, like he was prepared to answer for his crimes without a fight. It was consistent with his attitude during his imprisonment, but still…

Maybe Cody had been wrong all along. Maybe Maul really couldn’t remember. Maybe he never would. Maybe Maul was actually prepared to face judgment, not because he remembered his crimes, but at the behest of General Kenobi. Cody had seen the general’s silver tongue at work before, how he averted large-scale conflicts with well-placed words and what Cody guessed were gentle nudges in the Force. 

His thoughts were disturbed by a shout echoing down the corridor.

“Commander—!” 

It was Maul. His voice was piercing, tight with fear. The cadence of it was so startling that Cody had already crossed the block before any suspicion had time to register. He chided himself. Being so close to the end of this whole mess was making him jumpy. He slowed his step, composing himself before he stepped in front of Maul’s cell.

“What? Getting cold fe—”

The sight of Maul stopped Cody mid-sentence.

The Sith was folded in half on his cot, spasming. A long, panicked whine escaped him; it sounded less like a man and more like an animal caught in a spike trap. Maul was tearing at his neck—no, his collar. The device was sparking. Had Maul tampered with it? Or had it malfunctioned somehow? The sight and sound was horrible; it chilled the skin on the back of Cody’s neck. He wanted to close his eyes and clutch his hands over his ears. Mishap or no, he had to stop this, needed to alert medical immediately. If not for Maul, then for the general. 

“Kix, send a few troopers for retrieval in cell block two,” Cody blurted into his wristcomm. “The Sith managed to electrocute himself.”

He didn’t wait for an affirmative. He was already disabling the rayshields and stepping into the cell. Cody’s bracers were resistant to certain levels of voltage. He could probably pry the collar off before his backup arrived, minimizing the damage.

Beneath Cody’s hand, there was a crack, metallic and sudden, a stark whiff of ozone. Electricity arced in a dazzling line, bright enough to hurt his eyes. The collar fell away into pieces, nothing more than smoking, useless scrap. 

Maul’s dark eyes glimmered. Brightened. He wasn’t writhing. Not anymore. 

“Thank you, commander,” Maul said, voice sibilant. 

Cody grabbed for his blaster. It was too late, he knew. But that was the thing about instinct. It was impossible to fight. Ingrained. 

Then he couldn’t breathe. His hands shot up, clawed at the invisible pressure at his throat. Stupid. Stupid! He knew better. He’d known all along! 

“You’ve done so much already,” Maul crooned, “but I do hope you’ll aid me in one final matter.”

Cody’s vision wavered. His self-loathing and fury were as painful as the Force crushing his windpipe. Whatever words he wanted to say, scream, spit—were reduced to a pathetic mist of spittle.

He would kill Maul. If it was the last thing he did, he would do it—

Confusion perforated Cody’s thoughts. He wasn’t getting enough oxygen. He had to be hallucinating. 

Before him, Maul’s face twisted, red and black gone taut and jagged. His eyes began to change. Like blood in water, yellow poisoned his dark gaze. Sith’s eyes. They were so bright they seemed to shimmer. A trick of the light? No, not that, Cody realized. A long, pealing howl sliced through the silence. 

Maul was crying. Openly. He didn’t try to hide it. Maybe he didn’t even realize he was doing it. 

The hold on Cody’s neck eased. He drew in a ragged breath. Maul startled at the sound, quieted mid-sob. One moment crying, the next, emotionless, alien. Hard as stone. 

Just like the general, Cody thought.

Maul tightened his fist again. That tear-stained face was the last thing Cody saw before his world faded into darkness.

-

There was screaming. The smell and heat of blaster fire and smoking machinery. Even so, it was hard for Cody to open his eyes. He was in so much pain. He felt like he had swallowed glass, like he was being held together by external pressure alone.

He blinked back spots and took in the scene around him. The toes of his boots scraped along the durasteel floor. He was floating, carried by the Force. He could feel the Sith close behind him, his invisible vice locked around Cody’s throat. They passed other members of the 212th in a cruel mimicry of a Republic Day parade—only there were no cheering onlookers, only bodies. Some moving, others not.

Cody wanted to scream at his brothers yet to fall. Kill me! Don’t let him escape! But the Force stole his voice. His eyesight blurred dangerously. He couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t. He reached for his blasters, but his holsters were empty.

Useless. Useless!

Cody had to watch as his men were flung back and away, into walls, into each other. They stood their ground bravely, but it didn’t matter. Their attacks were deflected. And each one of them went down. Nothing stopped Maul’s relentless advance.

Cody struggled, but the Force tightened whenever he did. Only when he collapsed into his hold did Maul allow him to breathe.

“Such anger,” Maul purred into his ear, “isn’t becoming of a man of your status.” 

Cody thought he did pass out then, mind black with fury. Gone was any trace of the broken, weeping man Maul had been in the cell. 

When he could think again, they were already halfway across the ship. They had reached the docking bay escape pods. The hatch behind them sealed. The locking mechanism squealed as it was destroyed with a single, sickening crunch. End of the line. Cody inhaled what air he could, afraid his heart might stop.

There was a single man blocking their path. Eyes so blue, face so controlled he looked like he was carved from marble.

If Cody could’ve killed himself right then and there, he would’ve. He had fallen for Maul’s ploy. He had been used against his own men. Now he would be used against his general.

“You don’t have to do this, Maul,” came General Kenobi’s soft words. 

There was a rumbling. Then the sound ratcheted, ricocheting down the hall. Ghastly, hair-raising peals—Maul was laughing.

“Your arrogance never ceases to astound. Did you think fucking me would absolve you?” 

Cody’s eyes shot wide. What the hell was that supposed to mean?! He stared, dumbfounded, at the general, but the man wouldn’t meet his eye. He was looking past him. Looking right at Maul.

“It’s true, commander,” Maul said. He was close to Cody now; his words were hot on the back of his neck. “We’ve had quite the sordid affair, Obi-Wan and I. Didn’t he tell you?”

A hairline fracture splintered the general’s perfect facade. Cody felt himself fracturing too. Where was the general’s anger? His outrage?

As Cody’s shock began to fade, dread filled its absence. Deny it. Deny it, please. 

But the denial never came.

“Enough, Maul,” General Kenobi said. “Take the escape pod. Just let the commander go.”

Maul released another humorless laugh. “How stupid do you think I am? I need him. What else would stop you from destroying my pod as soon as it launched?” 

“I don’t want to kill you, Maul.”

“You already did, once,” Maul hissed. “Surely you are not above doing it a second time.” 

A line appeared between General Kenobi’s brows. Another crack. This was hurting him. Why didn’t he defend his actions? He’d had every right to kill the Sith.

Why care about a murderer like Maul?

“That was then,” the general said. “I give you my word that your ship will not be shot down.”

Maul could posture until the charhounds came home about how he didn’t trust the general, rub his past in his face. Yet the Sith seemed to be considering his offer. He was quiet for a long time. Then his reply snapped the silence.

“Your word is meaningless.”

He took a step forward. The motion sent another flood of pain through Cody, but at least he could take cold comfort in Maul’s refusal. Finally, someone was being reasonable. 

Then Cody noticed the change in the general’s expression, his falling shoulders, his defeated words. 

“If you can’t trust me, then take me instead.”

No. Dissent lodged in Cody’s throat, crushed silent by the Force. The general couldn’t honestly be considering this. Panic seized Cody. Seconds scraped by as he fought with himself. His world narrowed, black spots, red haze. He lost consciousness again. Not for long, but long enough to miss most of Maul’s reply. The single word rang like a blaster fired next to his head.

“... come.” 

General Kenobi approached. 

No. Nonononono—

The general turned to face Cody, and his mask softened. He smiled, a small, apologetic thing. Cody knew that expression. It was the look the general wore when he was about to do something heroic… something life threatening.

It’s going to be all right. Don’t worry, it said.

The general drew nearer. Cody tried to shake his head, to move, to speak. All he could do was tremble, balanced on the edge of consciousness. His eyes were burning.

General Kenobi stopped in front of him. He raised his hand from his side. He seemed like he meant to touch Cody’s face. If he did, it would be over, then and there. Cody winced and shut his eyes. That was a mistake. He couldn’t stop the tears now. But what else could he do? If he looked at General Kenobi and let himself be comforted after failing so miserably, he would break… as if he hadn't already. 

A heartbeat. Two. Three. The touch didn’t come. 

Cody heard the general step past him, then Maul flung Cody aside. It was a kindness, in its own way. The impact hurt. The gulps of air forced into his lungs razed like a chemical burn. Cody fought through waves of nausea and pain, rolling over onto his stomach. He had landed several meters away, too far to be of any use, too far to stop either of them.

Cody tried to call out to General Kenobi, but a coughing fit stole over him. He could only watch helplessly as Maul reached for the general—not with the Force, but with his bare hand. The high collared tunic that General Kenobi wore was displaced by his grip. The revealed skin was mottled and discolored. Bruises. Several of them. They were deep, fresh, perhaps only a few hours old. Maul seemed to study them, traced each one with his claws. Then he spread his fingers, pressing all of the bruises at once. Together, they formed a perfect match. A constellation of Maul’s own design. 

Last night, Maul had touched him. Maul had hurt him.

Fight. Fight! Cody wanted to scream. Don’t go. He’ll kill you!

But Cody could barely wheeze. And General Kenobi didn’t move. He stood with hands at his sides, eyes locked with Maul’s. Did he think the Sith wouldn’t harm him? Even after he regained his memories? Did he know? Could he not tell, looking into those eyes? Even after he had used Cody as a human shield? Nearly choked the life out of him?

The general’s doing this for me, Cody thought. He wanted to believe it more than anything.

Maul yanked General Kenobi closer. For a harrowing moment, Cody thought he was going to kiss him. But Maul stopped right before their mouths made contact. He tilted his head to the side, pressed his nose beneath the general’s ear. Cody knew what the general smelled like. Cypress, ansionian tea, pressed cotton. But Maul wasn’t human. What he detected was surely more complex—intimate—and utterly unknown to Cody. Eyes narrowed, Maul was savoring it.

Cody’s yell was no louder than a garbled whisper. He tried to stand, and when he couldn’t, he began to drag himself across the cold durasteel floor. 

Neither Jedi or Sith noticed. They might as well have been light years from him, locked in their own orbit. Unreachable.

When Maul spoke, his words froze Cody to the bone, stopped his approach dead in its tracks. 

“I may have forgotten you once. But I will never forget you again, Obi-Wan.”

Then he moved, the motion too quick for human eyes to track, too quick for Cody to dread what was to come. 

The kiss lasted for all of a second, but it may as well have been an eternity. A soft, muffled grunt, a hard press of lips, the general’s wide eyes, his hand raised to the Sith’s chest... To push away–or to pull closer?

Suddenly, the hatch to the docking bay exploded. Heat and smoke barreled over Cody. What remained of the hatch was knocked aside, and several troopers flooded into the bay. 

“Hold fire! He has the general!” 

It was all the time Maul needed. He sent General Kenobi flying with the Force, then lunged into the nearest escape pod. A wave of blaster bolts roared over Cody’s head, but the pod sealed without taking damage. 

There was a small porthole on the escape pod. Through it, Maul stared at General Kenobi. It was an unreadable expression. Fixed, unblinking. It made Cody ill. 

Then the pod launched, and the Sith disappeared.

There was a cacophony of activity around Cody. Troopers barked orders into their wristcomms. Two rushed forward and knelt over him. Others attended to the general, who was picking himself up from the floor.

“Commander, are you hurt?” 

Worse than you know, Cody thought. He shook off the steely numbness that threatened to overtake him. He couldn’t freeze now. “Bacta.” He tapped his throat. “Then take me… to bridge.”

Giving orders felt good. There was comfort in setting a plan in motion. 

Kix administered a bacta shot to the side of Cody’s neck. Then they were off.

“Casualties?” Cody asked Kix.

“None that I know of, sir,” Kix said. “A few are concussed. We were lucky today.”

Yes, lucky, Cody thought. Surely Maul wouldn’t have shown them mercy.

When they reached the bridge, the troopers working navigation were already in pursuit. The ship was out of hyperspace, and Coruscant loomed, its atmosphere clear. In the center of the viewport, a reticle blinked, and the navicomputer sounded. The escape pod. 

“We are locked on target,” Chits said from his station. “Ready to fire.” 

They had to take the shot. The whole planet was a city, layered, labyrinthine. It provided an endless number of places to hide. A Sith loose within the galaxy’s capital was a threat too large to leave to chance. If they didn’t shoot now, they would lose him.

“Fire on—”

“Don’t fire. That’s an order!” came the general’s voice from behind.

Cody whirled around. Kix had to scramble to keep him upright. “General Kenobi, we must kill him. He’s a threat to every citizen on the planet!”

He is a threat to you! Cody nearly screamed. Why can’t you see that?!

“I gave him my word,” the general replied. 

Cody hated how he said it. As if his command was somehow reasonable. 

“Whatever he does down there. It’ll be on you. Blood on your hands.”

The words were hot like poison. Cody was out of line, but he needed to be. He needed to make the general see.

“You’re right,” General Kenobi said. “He is my responsibility. Alert the Jedi Council. They will assemble a supplemental team to help us capture him.” 

It was too easy. Too convenient. No one—not even the Jedi—would take the general’s side on this. 

“We’re losing him. He’s almost out of range!”

General Kenobi turned to Chits. “Continue pursuit, but do not fire. We’ll catch him.” He returned his attention to Cody. His expression softened, but his voice was firm. “Commander, prepare a ground force. Then report to the medbay.” 

It was hard to look General Kenobi in the eye. Cody couldn’t see the man he was, the man he respected and trusted. He could only see the way he had looked when Maul had kissed him. His bright eyes, his mussed hair. 

Cody looked down, but that was even worse. The general’s collar was still rumpled, his bruises on full display. They’d heal in time, but Cody would never forget them. Maybe that had been the point, all along. Maul wanted his claim to be obvious. Maul wanted Cody to know how useless he was. He wanted him to know that he would never taste what Maul had tasted. Would never leave such a mark.

Cody closed his fists so they wouldn’t shake. He couldn’t deal with this now. The general was waiting for his response. So Cody gave the only reply he could. 

“Yes, sir.” 

Regardless of what Maul had done, regardless of what General Kenobi had let him do… it would have to be dealt with later. 

For now, the general still needed him. And that would have to be enough.

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

I ran over to ship 😵🤣

I humbly ask for your opinion of Ilani x Fives!

I do not know much about Ilani but I feel like it'd be an interesting ship 👀

hiiii friend, thank you for the ask! no one knows Ilani yet, not even me! I'm figuring her out as I answer these asks lmao

I went a little overboard so we've got "how they met," "general," and "nsfw" headcanons. all below the cut

Ilani x Fives

How they met:

Honestly the circumstances for this have to be very specific. Ilani is the general for the 387th, stationed Rimward, but her forces were involved in the Battle of Kamino, and I imagine this is how Ilani first met Fives. 

Or, rather, how she literally bodied him, a newly-promoted ARC trooper, to knock him out of the way of droids firing on his unprotected flank. He toppled to the floor, cursing in every language he knew (which is at least two), about to rip a shiny a new one—when he catchs sight of this imposing wall of a Togruta woman, her lekku whirling as she spins, her green saber a blur in the air as she reflects blaster fire back at the droids. When she grins down at him, pointed canines flashing and golden eyes sparkling with protective fury, he damn near falls in love.

For her part, Ilani was just doing what she felt was right: protecting her own. It didn’t matter that the blue-and-white-clad trooper was in Anakin’s battalion—the clones are her family. 

General HCs: 

Ilani tolerates Fives for the first few encounters. He’s loud and boastful (with good reason, she supposes, but still). And he always seems to be making flimsy, transparent excuses when they’re both on Triple Zero for why he’s hanging around the Temple—“just waiting for the General, er, General”—and inevitably ends up following her around. 

But over time his fierce loyalty to his brothers and his determination to protect the Republic—at any cost—is what wins her over. He’s just as deeply passionate as she is, but he doesn’t hide it. In a way, she’s a little envious of how open he is about his feelings; she often feels that she has to mask her true feelings, or at least the true depth of them, when around her fellow Jedi.

With him, she begins to let go a little. Lets herself experience emotions to their fullest, in a way that she normally only feels comfortable doing on a battlefield. 

He makes her laugh; she makes him consider life beyond the war. At first, not in a romantic way, but it slowly becomes that. 

She’s the first one to make a move. It’s late on Coruscant, both of them will be returning to the frontlines come morning, and she’s finally let her walls down enough to admit to herself that she cares about Fives—cares for him. They’re tucked away somewhere private, and she just leans over and kisses him.

NSFW HCs:

These two are Not Quiet, at all. The entire barracks and/or Temple will know, depending where they shack up, and it’s just an unspoken rule among the others that no, I didn’t hear anything strange last night. 

Ilani learns very quickly that she loves marking Fives, biting into his pecs, biceps, thighs to leave impressions of her pointed teeth. She’s overprotective and has possessive tendencies, and seeing Fives’s body littered with her marks just makes her so feral. (Fives also loves it, except when one of the others catches sight. “No, shut up, vod, I don’t know where it came from.”)

Because they see each other so infrequently, they definitely exchange lewd photos, videos, voice messages—anything to help remind one another that the other is there, alive, and waiting for them. 

When they do have time together, they’re either fucking nasty or making the sweetest love; there is no in-between with these two. 

Ye Olde Ragu Liste: @thorsterstrudle @dystopicjumpsuit @clonemedickix @freesia-writes @littlemissmanga @wolffegirlsunite @anxiouspineapple99 @wings-and-beskar @sinfulsalutations @523rdrebel @sunshinesdaydream @moonlightwarriorqueen @sev-on-kamino @starrylothcat @deejadabbles @starqueensthings @mandos-mind-trick @idontgetanysleep @eyeluvmusic21 @wizardofrozz @mythical-illustrator @sleepycreativewriter @dreamie411 @bobaprint @imarvelatthestars @originalcollectionartistry @droids-you-are-looking-for @goblininawig @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @9902sgirl if your name has a strikethrough, I can't tag you so check your settings! (if you'd like to be added or removed, click here!)

[oh-three]

Blorbos/Characters I think about a lot:

Note that I've only written for some of them, though I post about most of them every now and again (or I don't but wanted to mention them anyway)

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Glenn Talbot, Gordon (S2 & S7), Robbie Reyes, James Davis, Phil Coulson, Daniel Sousa, Hank McCoy, Logan/James Howlett, young Charles Xavier, Jack Russell, Steve Rogers, Talos, Nick Fury, Clint Barton, Norman Osborn (Raimiverse/Homeverse), Mobius, Hunter D-90, Stephen Strange, Bucky Barnes, Heimdall, Edwin Jarvis, Brock Rumlow, Daisy Johnson

Star Wars: Cobb Vanth, Fennec Shand, Migs Mayfeld, Din Djarin, Boba Fett, Cassian Andor, Chirrut Imwe, Ezra Bridger, Kanam Jarrus, the Grand Inqusitor, Kino Loy, Saw Gerrera, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Captain Rex, ARC trooper Fives, Tech, Commander Mayday, Ahsoka Tano, ARC trooper Echo, Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Eighth Brother, Cad Bane, Captain Howzer, ARC trooper Jesse, Arvel Skeen, Karis Nemik, Ruescott Melshi, Yord Fandar, Jecki Lon, Jedi Master Sol

Jurassic Park-World: Ian Malcolm, Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler

The Hunger Games: Haymitch Abernathy, Finnick Odair, Katniss Everdeen, Cinna, Tigris

Fallout: Cooper Howard, Lucy MacLean, Maximus, Dane

The Librarians: Flynn Carsen, Jenkins/Galahad, Ezekiel Jones

Scream: Mickey Altieri, Dewey Riley, Sidney Prescott, Mark Kincaid, Gale Weathers, Kirby Reed

Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, James Norrington, Hector Barbossa, Joshamee Gibbs

Warrior Cats: Fireheart/star, Jayfeather, Ravenpaw, Cinderpelt, Brambleclaw, Lionheart, Whitestorm, Talltail/star, Brackenfur, Deadfoot

Transformers (Bayverse) Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, William Lennox, Ratchet, Ironhide

Justified: Raylan Givens, Tim Gutterson, Johnny Crowder

Station 19: Travis Montgomery, Lucas Ripley, Benjamin Warren, Sean Beckett, Pruitt Herrera

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

Of the El Search Party

I'm pretty sure Chung was Add's first mutual friend. Cuz, Add may be obsessed with Eve, but she says in Elysion that she isn't even sure if her and Elsword are friends, let alone anybody else since Elsword was the first person to reach out to her and offer it after she woke up. And Elsword probably said he and Add are friends a lot but I don't think Add was anywhere NEAR able to actually acknowledge that for a long while, let alone admit it was in fact true.

But, if I remember correctly, Chung was the first member of the search party to speak to Add when he revealed himself in Hamel. On top of that, Chung comments about how cool all the stuff in Atlas is and Add tells him he doesn't even know the half of it and goes off on this big long thing like the little fanboy that he is. And Chung PAYS ATTENTION. I really did get the vibe that everyone else was either too confused by what Add was talking about or not really paying attention. But Chung does (and I think Lu does as well but I'm not entirely sure) and I do think that that is something Add actually appreciated. Since a LOT of people in modern day Elrios don't even have a frame of reference to begin understanding Nasod technology the way Add and Eve do, it can be really isolating. There isn't really anyone to talk to about it without getting a blank stare at SOME point. I get the feeling that Chung is determined to understand what they're talking about, because they're friends, yeah, but also because he genuinely wants to know about it. Especially with him wondering if the Guardian Stone is possibly similar to Nasod technology in one of his Atlas dungeon clear dialogues (I think it's Diceon Mines but I'm not 100% on that).

Anyway, I love Chung and Add and you will have to pry their friendship from my cold dead hands.

[clone-wars-imagine-2]

Your writing is amazing! I live for angst with fluff and you are a pro! May I request the flinch or cry prompt for Rex, Fives, Wolfe and Cody? Thank you so much!

Well it's been a while since I uploaded something but considering my full Star Wars movie rewatch and my now Clone Wars rewatch it is time to come back. Also angst is my speciality.

~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Rex:

you and Rex were in the medbay arguing talking about the battle that had transpired earlier in the day

it was pretty late in the night but Rex was still adamant to talk this through because you threw yourself in front of him during battle and got hurt by it

honestly how he could argue with you after that was beyond you but you also didn’t stop jabbing at him so it was a mutual fight

but then he began talking about how the clones are expandable unlike you or the other jedis and civvies

it was all too overwhelming at that moment… the arguing, the pain from the blaster wound in your shoulder and the pain in your chest from his statement

hot tears started to roll down your cheeks and you could only look away from him as his expression drastically changed

Rex was immediately struck by the realization that you were crying because of him and it hit him like the shot you took for him

seeing you cry because of him send an spark of regret and disappointment through himself

you saved his life and he was reprimanding you for it

gently he sat down next to you on the bed and took your hand in his

he would wipe away your tears and apologize over and over again for making you cry

he will never stop thinking about that moment and makes sure to always think about it before starting an argument

Arc Trooper Fives:

man this took a turn quickly

everything was fine between you and Fives, hanging out and enjoying the day

and suddenly you two have been screaming at each other for two hours straight

great

honestly you have no clue how it happened anymore only that you wouldn’t back down because you knew you were right

Fives thought the exact same

he turned back to you to answer whatever you said before and the glint in his eyes made you subconsciously flinch back

you know how people could react with that look in their eyes

Fives frooze right there on the spot

he didn’t move, nor did he breathe

he looked at you like a deer in headlights before gently reaching his hand towards you, all his fury suddenly gone in the blink of an eye

looking at him you hesitantly took his hand and he pulled you in a hug, murmuring how sorry he was for scarring you and that he would never ever hurt you

this was a truly humbling moment for Fives which he won’t forget so soon

Commander Wolffe:

so to put this out of the way if Wolffe barks he won’t hesitate to bite, but there is one person he would never ever hurt and it’s you

but he can be hella intimidating while getting louder in an argument

you two were going back and forth on how to best infiltrate a seperatist base while Plo Koon and the others would distract them and you two just couldn’t come to a point you agree on

when he would make a plan you would find something that wouldn’t work and when you’d find something he would say it was flawed

it went on for ages and you were getting so tired of it

the more tired you got the louder both of you get and it was too much

you had to hold back so much and when he gave a snarky remark it was one too much and him throwing his data pad a bit harder on the table gave you the last push

with the band of the pad on the table you flinched and tears formed in your eyes

Wolffe was about to say something else but when he saw how you reacted it brought him crashing down to earth again

he knows that sometimes his remarks could be harsh but never ever had someone cried because of it, especially not you

Wolffe had no idea what to do and when you got up and left he couldn’t move to stop you

it took a few hours and a talk with Plo Koon before he came looking for you

when he found you he apologized for what happened, it was one of the few times Wolffe apologized for something and you knew he truly meant it

he was so horrified when it happened and will definitely be as soft as he could be to you for the next week

you two cuddled it out afterwards

Commander Cody:

on the battlefield things can get very heated and peoples patience is basically zero

so when you and Cody find yourselfs trapped during a battle things are not going well

both of you are supposed to be calm during such situations, training and all, but today didn’t seem to be your day

you were currently trying and failing to encrypt the door and get the two of you out

maybe you were failing because of the throbbing pain in your head from a hit earlier or Cody's nagging but either way it was not helping the cause

and then you accidently activated the heavy doors

his scream in frustration had you flinching away from him

you were waiting for something to come next but nothing, it was pure silence in the room and you were too afraid to look over at Cody, your hands shaking as you slowly started to type on the pad again

his hand reached over and took your shaking one, pulling it away from the panel

you looked over and saw that his helmet was off and he looked at you with quilt in his eyes

he pulled you towards him and gave you kiss on your forehead, gently apologizing for screaming at you

after you two got out of there and the battle was over he would take some time to make sure you know he will never do that again

[murdertoothpick]

wait for it - 332 follower celebration

Captain Rex x fem!Reader x ARC Trooper Jesse; some random moments | w/c: 1536

Warnings: uh a lil umbara stuff but its fluffy, sexual allusions and innuendos but very brief, also sharing a bath but not in the...dirty sense. FLUFF basically.

A/N: YALL THANK YOU FOR 332 FOLLOWERS? AND BEFORE IVE EVEN BEEN ON HERE FOR A MONTH?? WOW. (it's currently 1am here) ,,, this is pretty messy though and its not really a story ya feel me, just some 'scenes' im stringing together into one post (lets also pretend you have a really big bath tub) ,,, some things that inspired this: 'wait for it'/hamilton, lyrics from 'take a break'/hamilton, this post i made, a lyric from 'our love is god'/heathers, my love for underrated jesse, uh rex and jesse in tbb arc <3 idk i love those mf's

(omg and this gif is sending me into orbit im in love with all of them)

You're on patrol with Rex when you hear three sets of approaching footsteps. Your gaze follows his as he turns to address the troopers.

'Fives, what are you doing out here?' the captain interrogates them, though you sense he already knows the answer, 'You should be in the barracks.'

'I found my pilots,' the arc trooper responds, and you recognise Jesse and Hardcase behind him, 'We're going after that supply ship.'

Rex pulls Fives over, 'Are you out of your mind?', he begins to reprimand him, but your attention is drawn away by the other ARC trooper.

Jesse looks to you, nodding as a show of formality, 'General.'

You dismiss his address, 'You sure about this, trooper?' you ask instead, your stoic, battle-hardened facade concealing the uneasiness in your voice. It's something you've been focused on since landing on Umbara.

'We have to try,' he responds, and you admire his commitment to the Republic and his brothers, you can't blame him, but you need the reassurance that he knows what he's getting into.

Rex speaks up over your conversation, 'I can't help you when you get caught,' he tells Fives with conviction.

The ARC trooper nods in understanding, turning away and prompting Hardcase and Jesse to follow. You and Rex share a look of fearful apprehension, your anxiety threatening to bubble up again.

'Troopers!' you yell, catching their attention. You quickly close the distance they had walked, looking to all of them, 'Come back in one piece, okay?'

They give you firm nods, and you can hear the smiles in their voices as they shout their 'Yes Sir's.

Your eyes look to Jesse, searching for his behind the visor. He doesn't flinch when your hands move up to the sides of his helmet. 'Good luck out there,' you plant a firm kiss on his helmet, above the breath filters.

You can't see the way his cheeks flush underneath the helmet, but his speechlessness confirms you've given him enough incentive to return safely.

'We'll be waiting for you,' Rex agrees. There's a silent conversation between the two before the men continue on their way, you don't catch what they've communicated.

Jesse understands the sentiment, that while his brothers and the Republic will be here when he returns, it'll be Captain Rex and you specifically, waiting for him. It's all the incentive he needs.

When Fives gives him a punch on the shoulder, he tries to hide his fluster, and Hardcase follows up with a taunt, wiggling his brows, 'The general aye?'

Jesse lets out a light laugh, 'Yeah, she can be a lot to handle.'

Thankfully, Rex is there to help.

-

'Jesse?'

'Hmm.'

'Why does Rex work so late?'

He looks up from his datapad to formulate a response. He has one arm around you, and you've been resting against him in the abundance of quiet in your quarters.

'General Skywalker has...other matters to attend to,' he answers slowly, as if careful not to let too many details slip, 'he tends to ask Rex to do his paperwork.'

Your jaw falls slack, 'That is rubbish!,' you exclaim, mock fury in your expression. You begin crawling out of bed, yanking on Jesse's arm to pull you up with him. Your hand leaves him to put on your boots, gesturing for him to follow suit.

He laughs as you struggle to maintain balance, holding his arm out so you can steady yourself against him, 'Where are we going?'

'Mess hall, and then Rex's.'

You'll only be a moment away.

You and Jesse find the Captain in his private quarters, his bed completely made, as if untouched, and his desk a complete mess. You smile at him sadly as he greets you with a tired expression, but excitement washes over you as you lift up the tray in your hand, 'We brought you dinner.'

He raises his brow, 'Are you allowed to steal the trays?'

'Is Skywalker allowed to dump his reports on you?' you retort, visibly satisfied when you hear Jesse snicker behind you.

She came all this way.

'He outranks me.'

'—And I outrank him.'

Rex looks to his brother, exasperation on his features. This woman, he swears to himself, though it's only out of love.

'You need to take a break vod,' Jesse tells him, pushing you closer so you can give Rex the tray of food, 'we can wait for you as long as you need but, please, take a break.'

I know you're very busy. I know your work's important.

The captain sighs, looking back to you before reluctantly pulling the tray from your hands, 'Okay.'

I've got so much on my plate.

-

'How did you guys know it was always a fantasy of mine to have two guys at once?' you teased, eying the men from across the holotable.

Jesse's mouth falls open in shock, stunned by your boldness.

'NO—we just-it's-we...we wanted—'

Jesse nudges his stuttering brother, resuming his cool-headed demeanour, 'Rex and I are just asking if you wanted to get some drinks as friends,' he assures, though you can see the playful glint in his eyes.

Rex's eyes dart between where you and Jesse stand at the table, clearly still processing your taunt.

You look to him, brows raised in amusement, 'What about you, Captain?' you grin, 'you want to get drinks as friends?'

Rex gulps, nodding eagerly. He grits his teeth, 'Yes, just friends.'

'Well, that settles it!,' you exclaim, 'I'll join you for drinks after I finish uploading this file...if you don't mind waiting,' You add quickly, and they're quick to assure you it's fine, we don't mind. You dismiss them, turning your attention back to the work in front of you.

You don't hear the conversation between the men as they leave.

'Are you thinking about it?'

'Yeah,' the other breathes, aware of the tent growing underneath his codpiece, 'I'mmm thinking about it.'

-

You never giggle, but the buzz of alcohol coursing through your body doesn't help to prevent the bubbly noises that escape your throat. That, or being sandwiched between two clones outside your quarters at midnight.

Rex further pushes your head into Jesse's shoulder as his lips reunite with yours in a searing kiss, the other man leaving sloppy kisses across your neck. You're delirious, intoxicated by both alcohol and desire. Your hand moves to lazily open the door to your room, and the two shift inside with you awkwardly positioned between them.

You stay like that for a few minutes, slumped against Jesse who is assaulting the skin of your collarbone and neck, arm wrapped around your waist, and almost pinned to him by Rex, who can't seem to get enough of your lips.

You whine when Jesse pulls away, slightly unbalanced as you lose his support behind you. Your head tilts to watch him travel to your fresher, and you can see him prepare the bathtub through the door. Rex remains on you, but his lips have geared their attention to your jaw, teasing the skin there with his teeth. You gasp when he first nips it.

Just as you wrap your arms around his neck to reconnect your lips with his, he begins pushing you into the fresher, letting you go before Jesse comes into view. The arc trooper smiles out you, it's without teeth, but you're entirely focused on how warm his eyes look.

He begins tugging at your shirt, motioning for you to lift your arms up so he can pull it over your head. You don't miss the way his eyes, so very quickly, flicker down to your chest, only for a fraction of a second before you're making eye contact again.

Rex is leaning against the door frame, watching Jesse prep you for the bath. His face is one of pure adoration for you when you turn around, poorly hiding the goofy smile on your face. You begin shaking off your pants, but you stumble, and Rex lurches forward to catch you.

'Oh Captain, my captain,' you giggle, embarrassingly, and he helps you back to your feet, assisting you with your remaining clothes.

You hoist yourself over the barrier of the bathtub, using the two clones beside you as leverage. When you're seated in the water, Rex leans down to give you a kiss on the forehead, while Jesse settles on playfully ruffling your hair. They pull away, and you frown.

'Where are you going?' you ask, eyes on them as they move to leave the refresher. The smiles they send you are contagious, and you can feel your anxiety melting away.

'We're not going far, cya'rika.'

'We'll be waiting for you in your room.'

You nod, turning your attention to the warm water you're currently sitting in. You sit in silence as you think to yourself, and they take it as their invitation to continue, but you speak up, 'I'd prefer it if you stay.'

You don't see their silent exchange, but they come to an agreement. Your mood begins to lift as you listen to the shuffling of them removing their clothes, and the padding of their feet before you feel the water dip around you, displaced by the large men that join you in the tub.

join my taglist here: @baroclinicinstability @perpetual-fangirl900 @teletraan-meets-jarvis @foodandbooksplease @proadhog @sageislostinspring @dwarfplanet69 @ahsokatano-thetogruta @dinbeskarbaby @loth-wolffe

[the-last-kenobi]

I love your writing so much!! If you’re still taking requests, could you do 9 with Obi-Wan and Anakin?

Thank you!! <3 And of course! I hope you enjoy.

From this various prompts list.

Set after The Wrong Jedi arc. And it’s way... way longer than I meant it to be. Whoops. I told myself, make this one short. Actually a prompt fill. And then I laughed at myself and wrote a fic and I don’t know exactly how long it is because I was too scared to look at the word count.

I tagged it as long post so I hope those of you who aren’t in the mood for my rambling bs are as to skip it!

I will add a reading cut when I get my hands on a laptop.

_

When Skywalker stormed into the training bay, his fists clenched by his sides, troopers scattered out of his way like silver-fish before a Bloodfin.

Even without Force-sensitivity, it was impossible to miss the potent fury rolling off the young General in waves, almost visible on the air, scalding anyone who got too near. His eyes glided right over the Clones, however, and fixed on a single figure standing alone on a mat, performing a slow exercise.

Anakin strode over to the edge of the mat and stamped his foot on the edge, twisting it a few inches just as the other man’s foot came back down from a stretch. He slipped. At the last second he caught himself, turning on the spot to regain his balance.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan spoke calmly, as if nothing had just happened. As if his friend wasn’t glaring at him with rage and disdain.

“A duel,” said Anakin, in a tone that brokered no argument.

General Kenobi’s face tightened slightly. But he nodded graciously and summoned his lightsaber to his hands, drawing backwards towards the opposite wall and raising his blue blade in a low Soresu opening.

Skywalker waited only half a second before launching himself at the other man in a blur of blue light and red-hot anger.

Cody, watching from the wall, clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the two Jedi spar at bewildering speeds.

Dizzying swirls of colliding blue light. Last-moment maneuvers, a blade hot as a sun missing moving limbs by inches. Skywalker always on the offensive. Kenobi always giving ground.

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened slightly as his entire body trembled under the weight of a blow that could have removed his head from his shoulders had he not blocked it; his own serenity seemed to shrink in the face of Anakin’s fire and desperation.

There was a blur of motion, and Skywalker stood triumphant as Kenobi crashed to the floor with the younger man’s saber an inch from his chest.

Obi-Wan stared up at his friend. “Solah,” he whispered.

For a moment more, the scene hung suspended. The lightsaber burning close, too close, to Obi-Wan’s vulnerable body, Anakin looming over him with anger in his eyes.

Then Anakin turned and stalked out of the room, leaving his former Master on the floor with a faint scorch mark on his pale tunics.

“Sir.” Cody strode over to his General immediately and helped him to his feet, watching him wince, feeling a surge of helpless anger at the nagging realization that he had never anticipated a time when his General would be hurting because of Skywalker. “Sir.”

“Cody,” the Jedi said wearily. “I need to get up to the bridge.”

“You need to see Hoop,” said Cody, referring to the 212th’s medic.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No. We’re still two days out through hyperspace and we need to find a way to make contact with the ground troops on Ryloth before we go barging in.”

Cody clenched his jaw but assented, knowing that there was no dissuading his General, not now. He had just one more thing to say.

“General.” He waited until Kenobi looked at him. “You threw that fight.”

Obi-Wan inhaled slowly, a look of what his Commander recognized as pain — grief — flickering behind his blue eyes. “Anakin needed the win,” he said quietly.

=

The second time Anakin Skywalker stormed into the training bay, everyone moved aside to watch even before Obi-Wan had turned around to greet his former apprentice.

Men from the 501st and the 212th, thrown together on this joint mission as if to both aggravate and soothe the hurt of Ahsoka’s departure, stood side by side and watched as their Generals flung themselves into the fight as if lives depended on it.

As Kenobi let Skywalker take the offensive. As he let Skywalker come to the edge of victory again and again and then held him off at the last second.

As Anakin’s rage grew, as he began to resent Obi-Wan for dragging the battle out and denying Anakin the victory he craved and deserved. Holding him back as always.

As for the second time Kenobi threw the fight in a way that Anakin didn’t notice.

Letting him walk off with his rage dispersed for awhile, the relieved and triumphant victor, while the bruised and shaken loser climbed to his feet and went back to work with an air of gravity around him. As if Obi-Wan had absorbed the weight of his friend’s anger and carried it like a shroud.

Maybe he did.

=

The third time Anakin confronted Obi-Wan, he won by punching Obi-Wan in the face.

The fourth time Anakin confronted Obi-Wan, he won by burning his leg from hip to ankle.

The sixth time Anakin confronted Obi-Wan, he won by pressing his foot down on the other man’s throat almost to the point of unconsciousness.

The eighth time, he won by knocking Obi-Wan’s lightsaber from his hands and driving him back against a wall with his own saber at Obi-Wan’s neck.

=

“You have to stop,” Hoop said.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “He... needs this.” A hiss escaped his lips as the medic dabbed bacta along the abrasion above his eye, the bacta he had tried to say he didn’t need.

“He needs a therapist and an ass kicking,” retorted Hoop, disregarding standard respect. He didn’t care about protocol in general, and certainly not when his General turned up every other day — usually dragged in by Cody — with bruises and cuts and strained muscles.

Obi-Wan only shook his head again.

=

Cody, Rex, Hoop, and many of the others had hoped that the battles on Ryloth would serve as a good outlet for General Skywalker.

They did.

But it wasn’t enough.

Fighting what felt like a futile war for the planet’s freedom, being back on Ryloth yet again, and the gaping hole in the 501st where Ahsoka had once stood only seemed to drive Skywalker’s pain upwards. And for Anakin, all emotions led to rage, eventually.

He could not stand the depths of his emotions, the dark days, the low times. If he was not happy, he chose rage over sorrow.

And there was so much sorrow.

=

There was a two-day reprieve after the campaign on Ryloth. Temporary victory had been purchased yet again with the blood of the natives and the GAR, and the 501st and 212th departed for another campaign halfway across the galaxy at once.

And for two days there was time to rest and think.

And then Anakin stalked into the training bay again. Not finding Obi-Wan, he waited for him, and as soon as the older Jedi entered the room, raised his lightsaber in an Ataru salute.

=

The thirteenth time Anakin challenged Obi-Wan, they dueled for over three hours, and both fell exhausted to the ground.

The nineteenth time, Anakin left Obi-Wan with a leg broken in two places. Cody had to physically restrain Hoop — and himself, frankly — from jumping General Skywalker and throttling him.

The twenty-eighth time, Obi-Wan’s guard slipped, and Anakin’s saber drove straight through Obi-Wan’s thigh. A mirror image of the wound Dooku had inflicted on his other leg, a lifetime ago it seemed, back when they had been on the same side.

Were they still?

Anakin’s face had dropped with shock at the injury, and before any of the men could react, he had picked Obi-Wan up in his arms and rushed him to the med bay.

And then the Council called to speak with Kenobi privately, and Anakin’s rage and hurt against them for their role in handing his Padawan over to the authorities rose up again like a serpent reading to strike.

The thirtieth time Anakin challenged Obi-Wan, he fought with his left hand, as if taunting his Master that he was still superior.

The thirty-sixth time Anakin challenged Obi-Wan, the older Jedi fought back, taking the offensive just long enough that it seemed he would be victorious — and then something in Anakin’s face broke. Grief and dismay were revealed in the cracks of his wrath, and Obi-Wan retreated again, and then fell.

The fortieth time Anakin challenged Obi-Wan, he was met with silence.

Anakin stared, his saber already lit in his hands, as Obi-Wan stood up slowly from where he had been meditating.

He dragged himself to his feet like a man on the verge of collapse, but he was as irritatingly graceful as ever, composed, serene. Anakin’s hands tightened on his weapon.

“Well?” he prompted.

Obi-Wan said nothing.

He looked down at the floor, and some of his burnished, ruddy hair fell over his eyes, concealing his face from view. Anakin waited impatiently. A strange feeling rose inside him, something nauseous and uncertain, and he did not want to know what it was.

“Well?” he demanded more aggressively.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard and looked up at him.

And Anakin was struck by how small his Master looked.

Shorter than him by a few inches, yes, but somehow that larger-than-life quality that hung about the man had fallen away. He looked tired. Beaten, humbled, hurt — like a child, like a man driven to the edge and then over it without anyone pausing to take notice of his fall.

His blue eyes were shattered by unshed tears.

Anakin recoiled.

“I can’t,” Obi-Wan croaked. His voice was tight as a wire, strained with the effort of holding back tears. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Anakin. I... I’m too tired to be your emotional punching bag today.”

“Obi-Wan—” said Anakin, not even knowing what he was going to say, and stopped there.

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan repeated. And he sounded it. Looked it. Was dripping remorse into the air like a sky about to storm. “Please. If this is what you need, I can keep doing it, but I just need today. I need a day to breathe. And — and if you’re —”

A tear trickled down over one cheek and into his beard. Then another.

Anakin was watching with his expression frozen between anger and shock.

Cody leaned forward as if about to spring. Rex’s hand settled on his shoulder.

“If you just need more time, I’ll give it to you,” Obi-Wan whispered. “But if you’re angry enough to strike me down unarmed... do it. I don’t — I don’t want — I can’t —”

Cody jolted under Rex’s grip.

And still, Anakin’s saber blazed in his hands, casting Obi-Wan in blue light, reflected in his shining eyes.

“I can’t,” Obi-Wan said helplessly.

Anakin hesitated.

Conflicting emotions ran across his face one after the other, grief chasing pain chasing anger chasing despair chasing rage, like shadows passing over deeper waters.

He raised his saber a little higher.

=

[comm-caribou]

Chapter Five: Within Reach:

Word Count: 2.0k

Warnings: none (let me know if I missed any!)

————

Entering the cantina, the first thing that caught Mirage’s ear was the voice of an angel.

That Twi’lek friend of Juliette’s, walked from tabletop-to-tabletop in heels that looked more like stilts, belting out words in a language he didn’t know.

“Whoa,” Mirage whispered.

Boomerang took his wrist, guiding him across the cantina to the bar.

He heard someone say his name, but this plum skinned girl with bright blue eyes jumped down, and sashayed back to her stage.

She didn’t even stumble. Of all the people in galaxy, Mirage was sure she was the most graceful and breathtaking.

Boomerang reached out to Mirage, placed his hand under his chin, and closed his gapping mouth that had fallen open.

****

“He’s smitten.”

Cosmos and Juliette snickered, and Fury just focused on the menu.

He’s kind of odd, but he’s okay. Boomerang studied Fury, still what kind of fight must’ve broken out that caused Mirage to so strongly dislike him?

“Thank you,” Nala blew a kiss the crowd, “I’ll be back soon, my dears.”

The patrons all clapped and Boomerang watched a few gentlemen get up to drop credits in a glass bowl by Juliette and Cosmos.

“Julietta,” a man behind the bar cleaned a glass, “you brought more friends.”

“I did,” but her smile wasn’t bright enough to reach her eyes.

Boomerang hated this. Juliette was hurt, and despite being the head combat medic and trained for many trauma situations, he couldn’t heal this.

He didn’t know how to heal this.

He missed her smile, her real smile.

There was no miracle seeds he could give her to fix her broken heart, or bring Fang back from the dead.

She was nodding along listening to her uncle of a different species go on about all the things she missed since her last visit.

She was sitting next to him, tugging her fingertips like Fang use to when he was uncomfortable.

Boomerang reached out his hand, and took one of her’s.

I can’t fix this, but I can hold your hand.

****

“Blitz, you can’t do this to me!“ Fury chased after his newly appointed boss. “He’s only tolerating me on the holocomm. Mirage h-hates me!“

“Mirage doesn’t hate you,” Blitz swiped through his datapad. “He hates the stories he was told.”

“Which aren’t true!” Fury exclaimed, I wasn’t the one who punched him, it was meant for me. If I knew he was behind me, I wouldn’t have dodged Stark’s fist.

“I know they’re not true,” Blitz turned to him, “and I also know you’re a very skilled ARC. Havoc took so much pride in shaping you to be better than him. He’d kill me if he knew you were still clinging to this horrible place.”

“Please? Anywhere but there,” Fury begged, “there’s got to be other places.”

“The 952nd needs more soldiers,” Blitz squeezed his shoulder, “we can’t afford to send that many men to a rescue battalion. However, your skill is worth more than a hundred men.”

Fury grimaced, “with… all due respect sir, my worth as a whole is less than spit.”

Blitz narrowed his eyes, “you’re going. End of story, Fury.”

Back to professional, back to serious Commander in the blink of an eye. There was no more groveling because it would do nothing to change Blitz’s mind now.

“Sir, yes sir,” Fury lowered his head, biting his tongue.

****

Ever since they met, Boomerang felt that he had an unbreakable bond with Mirage. Brothers come and go, but some just clicked.

If you jump, I jump. If you fall, I’ll catch you. If you go into danger, I’m running in beside you.

Boomerang never had a bond with any of his brothers that strong, even when he considered Hardwire to be his only close knit brother. He still felt a distance between them, considering his Commander—try as he might—was a bit too naive and innocent to his jokes.

Mirage, from the moment he fell at his feet, was Boomerang’s ride or die. He was his favorite brother out of the millions of siblings they have.

Yet, when they went upstairs to Juliette’s childhood home, he knew Mirage wanted to go back down.

He was smitten by Juliette’s friend that was on stage. If Boomerang didn’t catch his attention, he’s sure Mirage never would’ve noticed they left.

“You okay, Starlight?” Cosmos brushed Juliette’s cheek.

Maybe the home her father died at was not the best place to go, especially after her boyfriend died not even a week ago.

Juliette nodded, “I just needed a minute. You all didn’t have to follow me.”

“Of course we did,” Boomerang went over to her, “you’re our friend. We want to help you.”

Mirage approached, and opened up his arms, “it’s all I wanted when Colt died.”

She teared up, then went into his arms. Resting her forehead against his chest plate and choking on a sob.

Mirage stroked her hair, whispering to her.

I should’ve thought of that, Boomerang thought, turning his attention to Fury.

The new ARC was looking around, taking in the new space they were in with a mixture of awe and something else Boomerang couldn’t place.

What goes on in this guy’s mind?

****

“Seriously, leave him alone Stark,” Vi barked from her bunk. “He trained harder than you, that’s why he passed and you failed.”

Stark always had a temper, and being bested by Fury again was just making the hot head more enraged.

“I offered to help you and you said no,” Fury said, “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“Just admit that Commander Havoc is giving you special treatment!” Stark yelled, “he always has been!”

“It was an open invite,” another cut in. “Vi and a bunch of us all went.”

“Stay out of this, River,” Stark clenched his fist, “admit it, Fury.”

“I-I’m not getting spec… special favors.”

“LIAR!”

Stark’s fist came at Fury’s head as Vi yelled “duck!”

But she wasn’t talking to Fury.

He didn’t realize Mirage was cutting behind him to get to the refresher door. Stark’s fist collided with one side of Mirage’s head, the other slammed into the corner of one of their locker units.

Mirage hit the ground, twitching and muttering.

“Osik!” River jumped up.

“Stark, what did you do?” Vi ran over rolling Mirage to his back, “I think he’s having a seizure!”

“It’s his fault!” Stark barked.

“We saw you punch Mirage!” River yelled, “this wasn’t Fury’s fault.”

I shouldn’t have ducked like that. Fury got down, scooping Mirage up, “move!”

He ran out the door to the medical center, past Commander Hammer who was rushing to their barracks to see why they were all yelling.

While he didn’t think Mirage liked him that much, they were alright. Just teetering below the bar of being actual friends.

It all changed that day.

****

They went back down for dinner after awhile, and Mirage was disappointed to see Juliette’s friend had taken a bow and rushed off again to a table with another Twi’lek with dark blue skin.

I wish I was paying attention when they said her name.

They went to the bar, this time with Juliette between Fury and Boomerang while Cosmos went off to talk to her uncle that was a green skinned Nautolan with brown eyes; nothing like his General.

Her friend helped the other Twi’lek up, and they walked over holding hands.

“Hi, Anneliese,” Juliette stood up, “how’ve you been?”

“Bored,” the blue Twi’lek placed her hands on Juliette’s cheeks, “the same people keep asking me to read their futures, week after week. I need variety.”

Juliette smiled, “see anything good in mine?”

“I do,” Anneliese grinned, “I also sense you brought new friends.”

Boomerang leaned into Juliette, “is she a… Jedi?”

“Your brother asked me that too,” Anneliese turned her head towards his voice. “Humor me with letting me read your future?”

“Sure,” Boomerang grinned, as Anneliese rested her hands on both sides of his face.

“I’m going to check on Cosmos,” Juliette stood up, and Fury followed her like a massiff at his master’s heel.

What is he up to? Does he think winning Juliette’s favor will make him less than a monster?

“I like your hair.”

Mirage turned to Juliette’s friend. She was smiling up at him with the sweetest doe eyes.

“You… thank you?” Mirage felt his face flare up, “I usually have it more styled though.”

“I like it either way,” she said, “you’re Mirage, right?”

“I am, but I’m sorry, I don’t recall yours.”

“Nala,” she held her hand, “Nala Phish.”

Mirage took her hand, and placed a kiss on her knuckles, “a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Nala giggled, “what a gentleman. Do you dance?”

“Not really,” Mirage chuckled, “I barely have any grace, and I’m constantly walking into walls.”

“Oh,” she thought for a moment, “maybe I could teach you?”

“I would love that,” Mirage smiled.

****

“The number six?”

“It’s just surrounding you,” Anneliese traced the palm of his glove hand, “does it have any meaning to you?”

Racking his brain, Boomerang could think of one. However, he couldn’t tell Anneliese because that mean exposing him as not a deserter and that Juliette was indeed involve with the Republic up to her neck as General number six.

He looked to Mirage for help, but he was no longer paying attention to anyone other than Nala.

Anneliese said lowly, “when I touch items, even people, I see visions. When I touched Juliette, I saw her surrounded by friends with the same face in a battlefield. I know she’s not just wandering around and stumbling upon soldiers.”

Boomerang swallowed, “you’re not going to tell, are you?”

“Never,” Anneliese said, “she has her reasons, and I know she’ll tell us when she’s ready.”

“Thanks,” Boomerang relaxed, “she’s very important to us.”

“I know,” Anneliese turned her head to Nala, “can you be anymore obvious, little sister?”

Nala shyly played with Mirage’s fingers, “he’s cute.”

Boomerang turned to Mirage, he looked happy.

What is he going to look like when when we leave and she’s still here?

****

Fury picked up his pistols, and shot at the targets.

His left was perfectly on target, but his right was just a bit off center.

“Try again,” Havoc instructed.

Sighing, Fury twirled his guns in his hands while cracking his neck.

“Ready?” Havoc passed behind him, “go.”

Fury fired again.

His right was now perfect, by his left was just barely grazing the center.

“Better.” Havoc gave him a pat on the back.

“Thank you, sir,” Fury muttered.

“You seem distracted,” Havoc crossed his arms behind his back.

“Vi and River got shipped out a few days ago, and Mirage…” Fury groaned as he twirled his guns, “Stark told Mirage that I was the one who punched him.”

“Did you correct him?” Havoc asked.

Fury shook his head, putting guns down, “I couldn’t get the words out because they all talked over me.”

“Want me to talk to them?” Havoc offered, “I’ll straighten them out.”

“No, sir,” Fury looked away, “that will just make it worse.”

“I want to help you,” Havoc pushed, “Fury, we’re brothers. Every man, and woman, in this clone army is your family, and we may fight but we fight together.”

“You sound like Colt,” Fury joked.

“I’m serious, vod,” Havoc held his shoulders, “you’re not alone in this war. Let your family help you.”

Fury sighed, then mustered up a smile, “it’s okay, Havoc. Mirage is going to the 952nd, and Stark is going to join Doom’s unit. They’ll be gone soon.”

I’ll be gone soon, too.

“Suite yourself,” Havoc sounded disappointed, “now let’s try again.”

Fine by me.

[kyber-queen]

burning (fives x gn!jedi!reader)

Summary: A retelling of the Umbara arc where reader is assigned to the 501st to assist in the Umbara invasion. Established relationship with Fives, Krell is an ass to reader and Fives is Not Having It, couples that defend one another stay together, lil bit of fluff lil bit of angst lil bit of action we got it ALL

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, medical stuff, mentions of death/injury, Krell is just an ASSHOLE to the reader, a lil kiss perhaps 

Author’s Note: This idea has been stuck in my head for AGES, and now I finally have it on paper!! This was really fun to write, as always ANY comments/feedback/questions would be HIGHLY appreciated !! ALSO: ner kar’ta means my heart in Mando’a !!

***

A rumble of murmurs rolled through the battalion of troopers at the sight of the interim general of the 501st. Pong Krell, Fives had identified from behind you. You watched warily as the besalisk exited the dropship, his hulking form broad and dark against the soft glow of the natural vegetation. You fell silent as he spoke with General Skywalker. The newcomer unnerved you. Skywalker seemed hesitant to leave his troops behind—you didn’t blame him. The council had insisted you accompany the 501st to assist with the march on Umbara’s capitol, and even with your short time stationed directly in the unit you had seen firsthand Skywalker’s devotion to his troopers. The prospect of leaving them under the command of the rather imposing figure before him must be daunting.

You snapped to attention as Skywalker introduced you and the Captain, your eyes meeting Krell’s for a moment as he appraised you. His gaze turned your stomach. 

He was a Jedi master, you reminded yourself. He had the respect and trust of the council, and as Skywalker turned to leave, you reluctantly acknowledged that he had the General’s trust as well. You shifted a quick glance behind you, seeking out Fives. He stood at attention, his shoulders squared. You’d talk to him later, you figured.

“Commander, will I be graced with the honor of your full attention, or do you have more pressing matters at hand?”

Condescension dripped from Krell’s tone. Your cheeks heated, and you quickly turned to face the new General.

“My apologies, sir,”.

Krell harrumphed, continuing on with his speech.

You watched the troopers’ faces fall as he ordered them to stand at attention when speaking to him. Krell seemed to be a fierce disciplinarian—you doubted there would be much tolerance for open discussion with the besalisk in charge. Still, he ran a highly successful battalion. His leadership style differed greatly from Skywalker’s, but he had the success rates to back up his different strategies. It’ll only be one mission, you figured. How bad could it be?

Krell finished his speech with a sharp nod of his head, ordering the troopers to move out. You lingered in the rear, giving Krell a respectful nod as he wrapped up his discussion with the Captain. Now was as good a time as any to make a more personal introduction.

“General Krell, the council sent me here to—”

“I know why you’re here, Commander. As far as my understanding goes, you are to act as a tactical assistant. I will let you know if I need any such assistance. Dismissed,”.

You frowned, turning away and taking a few jogging paces to catch up with the men. Was it just you, or did the new general seem rather indifferent? You brushed away your thoughts as the terrain rose up to meet the steady pace of your feet.

“Fives,” you called, his helmet whipping around at the sound of your voice. He motioned for his brothers to slow down, allowing you to catch up. You quickened your pace, closing the gap between the two of you. 

“So, what do you think of the interim General?” He asked, looking back to his brothers for just a moment as if in reassurance.

“Strict, and almost dismissive” you noted, “but I’m sure his intentions are good,”.

Fives nodded, slipping off his helmet and tucking it under his arm as you walked.

“Me ‘n Jesse were just talking—Krell has the highest casualty rate in the GAR,”.

Your mouth formed into a small ‘o’ as you acknowledged the concerned look on Fives’s face.

His voice lowered, so only you could hear.

“It’s over 50%, ner kar’ta. He’s reckless, and he doesn’t take no for an answer. I—”

You silenced him with a gentle touch to his upper arm, in between the gap in his armor. His eyes drifted to your hand against his skin, and then back to your face. His expression softened.

“I know it’s going to be difficult—honestly, I don’t entirely trust him either—but Skywalker and the council do. We aren’t going to be able to pull this invasion off if everybody isn’t on the same page,”.

Fives nodded hesitantly. You gave him a soft smile in response. The two of you trudged on.

***

After hours of crossing inhospitable terrain, fending off native creatures, and surviving an enemy ambush, your patience with Krell was wearing thin. In the past few hours, he had shown a total disregard for the lives of the men under his command as well as your own rank in the battalion. When you seconded Rex’s call for a scouting party, the General all but laughed in your face. Your opinion meant next to nothing to him. Without the extra reconnaissance, hundreds of men died today. Unnecessarily. You burned. Rex and Fives echoed your frustrations, both men airing their grievances with the interim General.

Rex spoke first, raisng the question of Krell’s inconsiderate and dangerous tactics. He was right, you thought. Krell had crossed a line with his reckless strategies.

The General was less than receptive to Rex’s input, jabbing his large finger into the man’s chest as punctuation to his harsh words. You opened your mouth to remind the General that, according to the Jedi council, you were still his tactical advisor and that you had also adamantly disagreed with his strategies before he dismissed your opinion. Before you could speak, Fives strode up to the General, speaking in fierce defense of his captain.

“General Krell, in case you haven’t noticed, Captain Rex just saved this platoon. Surely you won’t fail to recognize that,”.

Krell’s lips twisted into a sneer, and he ignited his lightsaber menacingly. Your hand instinctively flew to your own saber on your belt clip as you stepped forward in defense of Fives, the weapon igniting in your hand.

“ARC-5555, stand down,” Krell ordered. His gaze flitted over to you, noting the saber in your hand and the thinly concealed fury in your eyes with a smirk. “And Commander, put that out before someone loses an eye,”.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Fives murmured, exchanging a glance with you as you hesitantly switched off your saber.

Krell dismissed the platoon with a smug grin.

You grabbed Fives’ vambrace, dragging him behind a large swatch of vegetation. He removed his helmet, taking a seat on the ground next to you. He sighed deeply. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent—he looked tired. 

You wanted to yell. You wanted to complain. You knew neither of you needed that right now. 

You reached up to cup Fives’s face in your hand, stroking his cheekbone with your thumb gently.

“When we get back, I’ll issue a report to the council on Krell’s neglectful treatment,” you murmured, offering what comfort you could.

Fives shook his head.

“It’s no use—what’s the council going to do? Give him a slap on the wrist? It’s not just Krell, ner kar’ta. To the majority of officers here, we’re expendable. One man dies, but there’s three more finishing up their training on Kamino and ready to take his place. I wish they’d realize—”. Fives trailed off with a sigh, and his soft brown eyes met yours.

You gave him a sad little smile.

“I love you,” you whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. Fives’ hand moved up to rest lightly against your cheek, his other hand holding the small of your back softly as he returned your kiss with a small grin.

A twig snapped.

You leapt away from each other as if you had both been burned.

You looked around, searching the darkness for a hidden figure. Heavy footsteps sounded to your right.

Before you could turn to follow the noise, blaster fire echoed to your left. Fives slipped his helmet over his head, yanking you back behind the vegetation. Your saber ignited, and the sky lit up with crossfire.

***

After receiving new information from Kenobi, the battered 501st made its weary way to the Umbaran airbase. Under Krell’s command the casualty rate had increased tenfold for this mission alone—the battalion medics were stretched thin. You did what you could to ease the pain of the wounded. Spotting a ridge, Krell motioned for you and the Captain to follow him.

“We’ll advance along the central gorge, and engage their forces in a full-forward assault,” Krell ordered.

You exchanged a look with Rex, who re-examined the terrain with his scope.

“The gorge is narrow, sir. We’ll only be able to move our platoons in single squads,” Rex explained.

We’ll be sitting ducks entering single-file down that gorge, you thought.

“Perhaps a closer recon will tell us if there’s a more secure route,” Rex suggested.

“I agree with the Captain,” you stated. “With the numbers we’ve lost earlier today, we can’t afford to risk the lives of the men we have left with a full-forward assault,” you supplemented.

Krell frowned.

“Obi-Wan and the other battalions are holding off the enemy right now, while they wait for us to take out this base. We don’t have time to look for a more secure route,”. 

Krell turned away with finality.

Rex shook his head, turning back toward his men.

This isn’t right, you thought. You jogged to catch up with the General.

“General Krell,” you called.

“What is it, Commander?” he grumbled.

“I’d like to talk to you about possibly reconsidering the full-forward strategy. A short reconnaissance mission could provide vital information in taking this base, and it could possibly save the lives of many of our men,”. Your hands twitched anxiously.

“Our men, hmm? A charming sentiment, Commander,”.

Your brows furrowed. When you next spoke, there was a new intensity to your voice.

“Forgive me for being forward, General, but it isn’t a sentiment. Each trooper we lose is a life that we were responsible for protecting. It is in everyone’s best interest to go forward with the reconnaissance. As your tactical advisor, I strongly suggest you consult with Captain Rex to put together a small recon team,”.

Krell chuckled to himself.

“Everyone’s best interest. Amusing. We’ll proceed with the full-forward assault as planned,”.

You fumed.

“Sir, as your tactical advisor, I insist that you initiate the formation of a reconnaissance team. I do not understand why you fail to realize the gravity of this situation,”.

There was a spark to Krell’s eyes, now. You had angered him. He paused. You held your breath.

“Forgive me for being forward, Commander, but I do not place much weight on the opinion of someone whoring themself out for a clone. I’m sure you understand how this situation appears to me,”.

You sucked in a sharp breath. It had been him in the darkness. You were certain of it. Your chest burned.

“I-I apologize, General,”.

Krell nodded dismissively. You turned away, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. He knew. You’d get expelled from the order, Fives would get reconditioned if he was lucky, and you had no clue what to do about it. You stepped away.

“Oh, and Commander?”

You turned back to face the General, hastily wiping at your face. You wouldn’t cry in front of him. You couldn’t.

“Yes, sir?”

“If you want to remain in your current station, you would do well not to disobey my orders again,”.

Krell was blackmailing you.

You nodded.

“Yes, sir,”.

You stumbled down the hill as fast as you could, spotting Fives amongst a gathering of troopers. He noticed a tear streaking your face, and pulled you away from the crowd. As soon as the two of you were alone, you spoke.

“He knows, Fives. Krell knows about us. He saw us, when we were away from the rest of the platoon, after he threatened you. Maker, I—” Another tear slipped down your cheek as you fought to catch your breath.

“Slow down, ner kar’ta, are you sure? How do you know?”

Fives’ eyes, soft and calm, met your teary ones. You scrubbed at your face hurriedly.

“I went to talk to him after he proposed the full-forward assault without a recon,” you spoke, your voice wavering less this time. “He wasn’t receptive to my explanation, so I asked him why. He said he ‘didn’t place weight on the opinion of someone whoring themself out for a clone,’”.

Fives’ eyes went wide.

“He said that to you?”

You nodded.  “He knows,”.

Fives gripped your shoulders tightly.

“Stay here. I’m going to—” Fives started towards the hill, looking up to where Krell stood with an expression of pure rage on his face. A palm to his chest stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t. I think he’s blackmailing me—I don’t think he’ll tell, as long as I don’t question his orders,” you explained.

Fives cocked his eyebrow at you.

“You really believe that?”

“I have to. What choice do I have?”

Fives shook his head, checking to make sure you were truly alone before pulling you into a tight embrace. You sighed into his shoulder.

“He won’t get away with this, ner kar’ta. I promise you,”.

***

Your hands shook. You had taken the airbase, the supply ship had been destroyed, and it still wasn’t enough for Krell. You remembered when Fives landed the Umbaran fighter just an hour ago, how relieved you had been when he made it back alive. That relief was gone, now. Krell had ordered him to be court-marshalled for disobeying orders. Rex had assured you he would assume responsibility, that he would talk to Krell, and that Fives would be okay. He came back minutes later with a weary face and news that threatened to rend your heart from its chest. He had received an order of execution for Fives and Jesse. You had to talk to Krell—beg on your hands and knees if you had to—you had to get that order reversed, nevermind Krell’s warning not to question his orders. You had to try.

You stood outside the command center, attempting to steady your countenance. One trembling finger pressed the button to open the door.

“General, we need to talk,”.

“What troubles you, Commander?” Krell didn’t even bother to turn around.

“I demand that you overturn the order of execution for ARC-5555 and CT-5597,” you stated firmly.

Krell chuckled.

“We both know you’re in no position to make such demands, Commander,” Krell sighed to himself. “I had hoped you would heed my earlier warning. I should have known it would fall on deaf ears,”.

“General, you are sending two innocent men to their deaths,”.

Krell glanced around, noticing the surrounding clones closely watching your exchange.

“Troopers, leave us,”.

The men filed out of the room quickly, leaving you alone with the General.

“You should be thanking me, Commander,” Krell mused. “Last time I checked, wasn’t attachment cause to be expelled from the Jedi order? Exterminating this clone solves both of our problems,”.

You shook your head.

“They won’t do it. They won’t execute them,”.

Krell hummed, considering your statement.

“Maybe so—but these men will be put to death, even if I have to carry it out myself,”. A twisted smile split Krell’s face as he spoke.

You ignited your saber, your tone fierce and unyielding.

“I won’t let you,”.

Krell tilted his head, both his sabers lighting up in his hands.

“Make your decision carefully, Commander. You’ll be expelled from the Order. You’ll lose everything,”.

Without Fives, you had nothing left to lose.

You swung.

Krell outmatched you with both speed and power. Each of your attacks was met by his blade. You growled. He parried your strike, landing a blow to your cheek with his fist. Your vision swam.

You were on the defensive now. You blocked two consecutive strikes from Krell’s sabers, grunting as he forced your blade closer and closer to your face. You scrambled for footing.

“It’s disappointing, really,” Krell hummed, his voice alarmingly casual. “Wasted potential,”.

Krell swung his unoccupied fist into the side of your head, the force of the blow carrying you across the room. Your saber clattered to the floor. You reached for your hilt, but just as your fingertips curled around the metal, an invisible hand grabbed you by the throat. Your body lifted from the cold durasteel floor, your toes barely brushing its surface. The pressure around your neck tightened. You clutched at your throat, darkness creeping around the edges of your vision. His eyes locked on yours, golden and eerie.

“You’re…Sith,” you choked out.

Krell chuckled.

“Not quite, my dear Commander,”.

Krell’s sneer was the last thing you saw before your vision went dark. You dropped to the floor.

Krell sighed, waving open the command center door. He motioned for the troopers to re-enter before gesturing at your unconscious body with another uninterested wave of his hand.

“Take them to the brig,”.

***

Fives walked to his execution with his head held high. He joked with Jesse, hoping to ease his brother’s mind as they marched towards their uncertain fate. He tried to be strong. All he could think about was you.

Two soldiers had carried you into the brig, placing you gently into your cell just as Fives was led out of the room. He caught a glimpse of your face before he left—you were bruised and unconscious. What had you done? What had Krell done? The markings on your face could not have been left by a Jedi.

As his closest brothers marched in with their blasters, his heart ached. He couldn't meet his end this way. Not while you and his brothers were still in danger. He needed to do something, and he needed to do it quickly. To save his brothers. To save you.

Dogma asked if he’d like to be blindfolded.

Reality sunk in. It was now or never.

They aimed. Fives spoke.

“Wait! This is wrong. And we all know it. The general is making a mistake, and he needs to be called on it. No clone should have to go out this way—we are loyal soldiers, we follow orders, but we are not a bunch of unthinking droids. We are men. We must be trusted to make the right decisions, especially when the orders we are given are wrong,”.

Fives sucked in a breath, hoping his words were enough.

“Fire!”

Not a single shot met its target. Fives breathed a sigh of relief.

As he and Jesse walked back to the brig, the question of his fate as well as yours still plagued him. He was sure you had ignored Krell’s warning not to question his orders—that must have been why you were so bruised and battered. Fives’s real question was why Krell had left you in such a brutalized state. No Jedi would have been so physically cruel. Fives’s blood boiled.

He re-entered his cell, curling up against the left wall. He could see your unconscious form in the cell next to him. He made careful note of every visible bruise and scrape on your body. Your neck was beginning to shade a deep purple color, and you sported a black eye. Each little mark fueled the fire of Fives’s anger tenfold. Krell needed to pay. To think that the man had even touched you, let alone battered you in such away, was enough to burn at Fives’s chest. He needed revenge. He spent the next few hours carefully monitoring your breathing, wishing he could reach out to touch you through the ray shield, wishing he could offer you the same comfort you always gave to him.

When Rex reappeared hours later, explaining that the era of Krell’s leadership had reached its end, Fives jumped at the chance to bring him in. With each new sliver of information Rex shared with him, Fives felt his anger at the besalisk grow. The so-called Jedi had targeted the two people he had cared about most—you and his brothers. As he checked his weapon and strapped on his armor, his expression set into a steely glare. Krell wouldn’t live to destroy any more lives—Fives would make sure of it.

***

The trees rustled with blaster fire and movement. Krell was everywhere. Fives heard the screams of his brothers over the comm—he took each one to heart. He would be ready.

“Steady your weapons—he’s headed our way,” Rex called.

Fives locked in his scope.

The general emerged in a blur of brightly lit plasma. Fives fired. Each shot was easily deflected by the Jedi, his twirling sabers redirecting the bolts effortlessly. Fives growled.

The general switched off his sabers, as if taking on the platoon with his lightsabers was far too easy. His back was to Fives—Krell grabbed a nearby trooper from his cover, flinging the man into the air. Fives saw his chance.

“What are you doing?” Rex hissed. Fives paid him no mind.

He fired five rapid shots at the general’s back. Only one managed to glance off the besalisk’s thick skin. Fives charged forward, swinging his blaster into Krell’s head with all his might. On his next swing, Krell knocked the blaster from his hand with a mere wave of his arm.

So that was how he wanted to play.

Fives readied his fists, throwing and landing three consecutive punches. The besalisk doubled over on the third, caught off guard by the strength of the blow. Fives grinned from under the helmet.

“A taste of your own medicine, yeah?”

Krell rose to his full height, allowing the remark to roll off his back. He lifted Fives off the ground with an invisible hand, before tossing him unceremoniously into the trunk of a nearby tree.

Feeble clones.

Fives hauled himself up from the ground slowly, his head pounding from the collision. Krell was nowhere to be seen. Fives scanned his surroundings—none of his brothers were visible, either. Had he been knocked unconscious? He listened for blaster fire, but none could be heard. He felt around the darkened forest floor, his hand closing around the shaft of his rifle.

A voice echoed to his left.

Fives ran towards the noise. He could barely make out the sight before him through the thick Umbaran fog. His brothers had gathered in a semi-circle around the still form of the former General. He ran faster, stopping when he reached Krell’s body and sucking in a deep breath.

“I stunned him, sir,” Tup explained.

“Nice work, Tup,” Rex praised.

Fives nudged the general with the nose of his rifle. His finger itched at the trigger. Rex pulled at his arm.

“Ease up, Fives. We got him,”.

Fives exhaled slowly, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Yeah, we got him alright,”.

***

You woke up in medbay, your head aching and throat throbbing. You were thirsty. You tried to speak, but your voice came out in a warble. You flexed your hand, realizing it was encased in something warm. You squeezed.

Fives jolted upright. Both his hands encased yours, and his eyes widened.

“You’re awake—are you alright? Do you need anything?”

You smiled, realizing he had fallen asleep holding your hand. Your smile quickly faded when you remembered what had happened that brought you here. Your heart seized.

“K-Krell—” You managed, the words scraping at your throat.

Fives smiled softly.

“Me ‘n the boys took care of him—he’s gone. You’re okay. We’re okay,”.

You nodded as he brought your palm to his lips, kissing it gently before resting it back in your lap. He fell silent.

Your eyes glanced over his weary expression. The lines on his face had grown into canyons in two short days. You hummed, words catching in your raw throat.

“Are you alright?” you croaked.

Fives shook his head, glancing up at the ceiling before looking back down at you.

“I almost lost you, ner kar’ta. Lost a lot of good men, too. Too many men,”.

You nodded, your chest aching at the emotion in his voice. You held out your arms. He collapsed into you, mindful of your new bruises.

The guilt of so much loss was eating at him. It broke your heart. You held him tight against your chest as he murmured an apology into your skin. 

[brainless-moe-white-lotus]

1137

1139

1151

16

17

23

35

35 (Excelsior Company)

36

6/298

99

A'den

A'den Skirata

Able

Able-472

Ace

Ace (ARC trooper)

Aeon

Alpha-17

Alpha 332

Alpha 662

Alpha 989

Amp

Ando

Appo

Archer

Arkat

Atin Skirata

Attie

Aven

Axe

Ayar

Bacara

Bammer

Banks

Baris

Barlex

Barr

Barrage

Basher

Bek

Bel

Bellow

Bellows

Beta 030

Beta 963

Big-Mouth

Blackout

Blasty

Blitz

Blue Leader

Blue Six

Blunt

Bly

Boba Fett

Bogey 1212

Bogey 3856

Bogey 4409

Bogey 5632

Bogey 9662

Boil

Bolt

Boomer

Boost

Boro

Boss

Bouncer

Bow

Bravo 4

Breaker

Breaker (Breakout Squad)

Bren

Broadside

Brolis

Bry

Burner

Buzz

Byl

Cale

Cameron

Can

Cannon

Cards

Carg

CC-01/425

CC-4816

Chainly

Chaos

Charger

Charlie

Chatter

Chatter (radio communications)

Chatterbox

Checkers

Chi 178

Chi 987

Chopper

CL-33/890

Clanky

Climber

Close-Shave

Clutch

Cody

Colt

Comet

Comet (ARC trooper)

Connor Freeman's father

Contrail

Cooker

Coric

Corr

Corvis

Cov

CR57

Crag

Crane

Crasher

Crazy Legs

CRC-09/571

Crest

Crosshair

Crys

CT-014/783

CT-1008

CT-1103

CT-1226

CT-1312

CT-1405

CT-1410

CT-1477

CT-1507

CT-1509

CT-1710

CT-1807

CT-1977

CT-2005

CT-2006

CT-2110

CT-2312

CT-2504

CT-2602

CT-2711

CT-27-3555

CT-2805

CT-282-SD00001-983725138

CT-2901

CT-2911

CT-307

CT-327

CT-3423

CT-3632

CT-3636

CT-4/163

CT-4/619

CT-43/002

CT-5/373

CT-5/501

CT-57/11-9048

CT-66-3232

CT-66-3233

CT-66-3238

CT-66-3339

CT-802

CT-8770

CT-8863

CT-8867

CT-8868

CT-8869

CT-8910

CT-914

CT-915

CT-9779

CT-9/85

CT-9932

Cut

Cutter

Cutup

Dandy

Darman Skirata

Dash-1044

Dash-1129

Davijaan

DD

Deadeye

Dec

Del

Delta 23

Delta 32

Delta-42

Delta 607

Delta 855

Denal

Derel

Dev

Deviss

Dice

Digger

Di'kut

Ding

Dogma

Doom

Dom

Dov

Dox

Draa

Drak

Drayk

Droidbait

Dropkick

DV-523

Dyre

Echo

Edge

Engle

Ennen

Epsilon 234

Epsilon 497

Epsilon 905

Evader

Eyeball

Faie

Falco

Fi (clone trooper)

Fil

Fil (clone trooper)

Fireball

Fi Skirata

Five-Seven

Fives

Fixer (clone commando)

Fixer (cold assault trooper)

Flak

Flanker

Flash

Flashpoint

Flybane

Flyby

Fordo

Forr

Forry

Four-Nine

Four-One

Fox

Fox (Order 66)

Freedom

Frost

Fury

Fyn

Gaffa

Galle

Gamma 022

Gamma 264

Gamma 785

Gamma 789

Gamma 935

Gamma Five

Gamma Four

Gamma One

Gamma Three

Gamma Two

Ganch

Gar'ika

Gearshift

Gearshift's comrade

Ged

Gett

Getter

Ghost

Glitch

Goji

Gold Leader (Anaxes)

Gold Leader (Muunilinst)

Gold Two (Muunilinst)

Gree

Green

Green Leader

Green Wizard

Gregor

Grey

Gunner

Gus

Guts

Hamm

Hammer

Hardcase

Hardcase's Kamino commander

Hash

Havoc (ARC trooper)

Havoc (clone trooper)

Hawk

Hawk (Kamino)

Hawkeye

Heater

Herc

Hevy

Hez

Hil

Hunter

HOB-147

Hock Malsuum

Horns

Hotshot

Hound

Husk

Inc

Ince

Ion Team's comlink specialist

Iota 432

Jag (Jai'galaar)

Jaing Skirata

Jangotat

Jark

Jax

Jay

Jayk

Jek

Jek-14

Jenks

Jesse

Jester

Jester (ARC trooper)

Jet

Jez

Jind

Jinx

Joc

Joker

Jorir

Justice

Kaddak

Kagi

Kano

Kappa 429

Kappa 473

Kappa 773

Kaylon

KE-829

Keeli

Kef

Keller

Kickback

Kicker

Killer

King

Kite

Kix

Klick

Knuckles

Knuckles (182nd Legion)

Koho

Kom'rk Skirata

Korbel

Kosmos

Kupe

Lassar

Law

Levet

Lex

Lio

Lock

Lock (Breakout Squad)

Longshot

Lost Prophet

Lucky

Lunn

Mad Clone of Kaikielius

Mack

Mag

Mapper

Marrt

Mar'ek

Matchstick

Maze

Menace

Mereel Skirata

Mixer

Mixx

Mojo

Monnk

Mort

Mortar

Moz

Mu 262

Muzzle

Nax

Neyo

Nilo

Niner (Vassek moon)

Niner Skirata

No-Nines

NT-311

Nu 783

Nub

Nye

O'Niner

O-Four

Oake

Olun

Omega 370

Omikron 621

Ordo Skirata

Orion

Ox

Oz

Parsec

Patch

Patches

Peel

Phi 022

Phi 854

Pi 610

Ponds

Prudii Skirata

Psi 487

Pulsar

Punch

Quo

Racetrack

Racket

Rafe

Rain

Ram

Ras

Rattle

Razor

RC-0079

RC-0155

RC-0451

RC-0473

RC-0476

RC-1066

RC-1080

RC-1415

RC-1927

RC-2020

RC-3423

RC-5093

RC-7305

RC-7770

Recon

Red

Red (Kamino)

Rede

Redeye

Red Leader

Reed

Remo

Remy

Retired clone trooper

Rex

Rho 106

Rho 557

Rho 571

Rho 773

Ridge

Ringo

Rod

Rogue assassin

Ronto

Rookie

Ross

Rys

Salvo

Sandcat

Sarge

Sarge (commando)

Sarlacc-Face

Sconto's father

Scope

Scorch

Scraps

Scythe

Scythe (ARC trooper)

Seefor

Seeker

Sev

Sev (Lambda Squad)

Seven-Four

Sev's ARC Trooper

Shadow Five

Shadow Four

Shadow Seven

Shadow Six

Shadow Ten

Shadow Three

Shadow Three (Kadavo)

Shadow Twelve

Shadow Twelve's gunner

Sharp

Sharp (Devil Dogs)

Shiv

Shock

Shooter

Sicko

Silver

Sinker

Sirty

Six-ten

Skifter

Sketch

Slammer

Slick

Slim

Slug

Soot

Spade

Spanner

Spar

Spark

Spitter

Splice

Sprint

Spots

Squawk

Stak

Stance

Stec

Sten

Sterling

Stinger

Stoker

Stone

Striker

Stripe

Styles

Sull

Swift

Switch

Swoop

Syke

Sync

Tacks

Tag

Taler

Tam

Tarvyn Lareka

Tau 378

Tau 616

Tau 753

Tavo

Tech

Tel

Tenn

Theta 198

Theta 269

Theta 687

Thill

Thire

Thorn

Three-Five

Threepwood

Throttle

TK-119

TK-3388

TK-421

TK-422

TK-622

TK-875

TK-9091

Tojo

Toomer

Tooth

Torrent

Torrent Four

Trace

Tracer

Tracker

Tranquility clone trooper captain

Tranter

Trantos

Trap

Trapper

Trauma

Trench (Gamma-383)

Treve

Trigger

Troy

Trueblood

Tucker

Tup

Turbo

Twelve

Twitch

Two-Eight

Tyto

Tyto (Bacta Company)

Unidentified 13th Battalion clone commander

Unidentified 187th Legion Clone Commander

Unidentified 187th Legion clone trooper

Unidentified 187th Legion clone trooper 2

Unidentified 187th Legion clone trooper 3

Unidentified 187th Legion marine

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion Trooper (Umbara)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper (Utapau)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper 1(Umbara)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper 1 (Yerbana)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper 2 (Umbara)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper 2 (Yerbana)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper 3 (Umbara)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper captain (Bandomeer)

Unidentified 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper sergeant (Ryloth)

Unidentified 35th Infantry clone trooper (Gaftikar)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 3 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 4 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 5 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 6 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone escort trooper 7 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone medical officer 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone medical officer 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper (Coronet)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper (E-web)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper (Yerbana)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper (Jedi Temple)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper (Yoda's saber throw)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 1 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 2 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 3 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 4 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 5 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 6 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 7 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 8 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper 9 (Umbara)

Unidentified 501st Legion guard 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion guard 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion heavy weapons specialist 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion heavy weapons specialist 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified 501st Legion clone trooper sergeant

Unidentified 501st stormtrooper (first casualty)

Unidentified 501st stormtrooper 2

Unidentified 612th Attack Battalion clone trooper

Unidentified 91st clone trooper (Anaxes)

Unidentified 91st clone trooper 2 (Anaxes)

Unidentified 91st clone trooper lieutenant

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando (Aridka)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando (intelligence officer)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando 1 (Kamino)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando 2 (Kamino)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando captain (Nadiem)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando commander (Aridka)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando commander (Nadiem)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando heavy gunner

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando Lieutenant 1 (Hypori)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando Lieutenant 1 (Muunilinst)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando Lieutenant 2 (Hypori)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando Lieutenant 2 (Muunilinst)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Commando pilot

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force commando 2

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper (Devaron)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper (Kamino)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper (Ryloth)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper (Umbara)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper 2 (Devaron)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper 2 (Kamino)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper 2 (Umbara)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper 3 (Kamino)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper 3 (Umbara)

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper commander

Unidentified Advanced Recon Force trooper lieutenant

Unidentified air group commander

Unidentified Alpha Squad clone trooper

Unidentified ARC trooper

Unidentified ARC trooper commander

Unidentified Blue Squad commando 1

Unidentified Blue Squad commando 2

Unidentified Blue Squad commando 3

Unidentified Blue Squad sergeant

Unidentified Bogey Squad BARC trooper

Unidentified Captain of the Royal Guard

Unidentified clone (cremation center)

Unidentified clone (morgue)

Unidentified clone 2 (cremation center)

Unidentified clone 2 (morgue)

Unidentified clone 3 (cremation center)

Unidentified clone cadet

Unidentified clone cadet 2

Unidentified clone cadet 3

Unidentified clone cadet 4

Unidentified clone cadet 5

Unidentified clone chief medic

Unidentified clone commando (Arca barracks)

Unidentified clone commando 1 (H.O.P.E.)

Unidentified clone commando 2 (H.O.P.E.)

Unidentified clone commando 3 (H.O.P.E.)

Unidentified clone commando 1 (Theta Squadron)

Unidentified clone commando 2 (Theta Squadron)

Unidentified clone commando 3 (Theta Squadron)

Unidentified clone commando 4 (Theta Squadron)

Unidentified clone commando captain (Theta Squadron)

Unidentified clone commando pilot

Unidentified clone commando sergeant (H.O.P.E.)

Unidentified clone commando sniper

Unidentified clone commando weapons specialist

Unidentified clone engineer 1 (Twilight)

Unidentified clone escort trooper (Coruscant)

Unidentified clone medical officer

Unidentified clone medical officer (501st Legion medical bay)

Unidentified clone naval captain (Tranquility)

Unidentified clone naval commander (Resolute)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Anza)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Battle of the Kaliida Nebula)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Citadel)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Endurance)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Kamino)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Negotiator)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Patitite Pattuna)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Quell)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Ryloth)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Ryndellia)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Sanctuary III)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Sullust)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Ukio)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Valor)

Unidentified clone naval officer (Venator-class Star Destroyer)

Unidentified clone naval officer 1 (Saleucami)

Unidentified clone naval officer 2 (Anza)

Unidentified clone naval officer 2 (Citadel)

Unidentified clone naval officer 2 (Negotiator)

Unidentified clone naval officer 2 (Ryndellia)

Unidentified clone naval officer 2 (Saleucami)

Unidentified clone paratrooper (212th Attack Battalion)

Unidentified clone scout trooper (Umbara)

Unidentified clone SCUBA commander

Unidentified clone SCUBA trooper (First Battle)

Unidentified clone SCUBA trooper (Second Battle)

Unidentified clone SCUBA trooper 2 (First Battle)

Unidentified clone SCUBA trooper 2 (Second Battle)

Unidentified clone sergeant (Amidala's transmission)

Unidentified clone sergeant (New Dawn)

Unidentified clone shock trooper (docks)

Unidentified clone stormtrooper

Unidentified clone stormtrooper gunner

Unidentified clone scout trooper (Kashyyyk)

Unidentified clone tank gunner (Bothawui)

Unidentified clone tank gunner (Felucia)

Unidentified clone tank gunner (Geonosis)

Unidentified clone tank gunner (Saleucami)

Unidentified clone trooper

Unidentified clone trooper (79's)

Unidentified clone trooper (Amedda's bodyguard)

Unidentified clone trooper (Anza)

Unidentified clone trooper (arm wrestle)

Unidentified clone trooper (Asuin)

Unidentified clone trooper (Brentaal IV)

Unidentified clone trooper (Brighthome)

Unidentified clone trooper (Christophsis)

Unidentified clone trooper (Citadel)

Unidentified clone trooper (commando cross-training)

Unidentified clone trooper (Endor)

Unidentified clone trooper (Endurance)

Unidentified clone trooper (Florrum)

Unidentified clone trooper (Geonosian kill)

Unidentified clone trooper (Geonosis)

Unidentified clone trooper (Gwori)

Unidentified clone trooper (Hailfire droid victim)

Unidentified clone trooper (Honoghr)

Unidentified clone trooper (Kaliida Shoals)

Unidentified clone trooper (Kamino)

Unidentified clone trooper (Kiros)

Unidentified clone trooper (Negotiator)

Unidentified clone trooper (Nelvaan)

Unidentified clone trooper (Oznek)

Unidentified clone trooper (Prosecutor torpedo bay)

Unidentified clone trooper (Resolute)

Unidentified clone trooper (Saleucami)

Unidentified clone trooper (Second Battle of Geonosis)

Unidentified clone trooper (TB-73)

Unidentified clone trooper (Third Battle of Kamino)

Unidentified clone trooper (Timira City)

Unidentified clone trooper (Tranquility)

Unidentified clone trooper (Triumphant)

Unidentified clone trooper (Twilight)

Unidentified clone trooper (Vassek moon)

Unidentified clone trooper (Ventress victim)

Unidentified clone trooper (video call)

Unidentified clone trooper 1 (Citadel)

Unidentified clone trooper 1 (Drongar)

Unidentified clone trooper 1 (Hadde Base)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Citadel)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Florrum)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Geonosis)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Gwori)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Hadde Base)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Kamino)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Kiros)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Prosecutor)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Ryloth)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Saleucami)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Vassek moon)

Unidentified clone trooper 2 (Triumphant)

Unidentified clone trooper 3 (Citadel)

Unidentified clone trooper 3 (Kamino)

Unidentified clone trooper 3 (Kiros)

Unidentified clone trooper 3 (Vassek moon)

Unidentified clone trooper 4 (Citadel)

Unidentified clone trooper captain

Unidentified clone trooper captain (Bandomeer)

Unidentified clone trooper captain (besieged moon)

Unidentified clone trooper captain (Bogden 3)

Unidentified clone trooper captain (Hoth)

Unidentified clone trooper captain (Hunter Squad)

Unidentified clone trooper captain (Tranquility)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (bank)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Chrisophsis)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Gyndine moon)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Hitaka)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Hypermatter refinery)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Impavid)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Jedi Temple)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Malastare)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Separatist factory)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Unidentified planet)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Viidaav)

Unidentified clone trooper commander (Zeffo)

Unidentified clone trooper gunner (14th Infantry)

Unidentified clone trooper lieutenant

Unidentified clone trooper lieutenant (501st Legion)

Unidentified clone trooper lieutenant (Medica)

Unidentified clone trooper lieutenant (Pols Anaxes camp)

Unidentified clone trooper lieutenant (Sarrish)

Unidentified clone trooper lieutenant pilot

Unidentified clone trooper medic (Shinarcan Bridge)

Unidentified clone trooper officer

Unidentified clone trooper pilot

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (14th Infantry)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Bothawui)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Florrum)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Geonosis)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Kadavo)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Malastare)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Mandalore)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Rodia)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Vanqor)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Yerbana)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 1 (Consular-class cruiser)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 1 (Quell)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 2 (Bothawui)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 2 (Consular-class cruiser)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 2 (Quell)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 2 (Rodia)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 3 (Bothaqui)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot (Obi-Wan Kenobi's fleet)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 3 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 4 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 5 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 6 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot 7 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot captain (Second Battle of Geonosis)

Unidentified clone trooper pilot captain (Tranquility)

Unidentified clone trooper scout

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant (14th Infantry)

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant (501st Legion)

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant (Coruscant patrol)

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant (Malastare)

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant (Timira City)

Unidentified clone trooper sergeant medic

Unidentified commander (Christophsis rescue mission)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (camera monitor)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (Chancellor's Office)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (guard platform)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (Naboo)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (prison balcony)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (prison entrance)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (Tano's escape)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard (Ziro's escort)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard 1 (prison corridor)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard 1 (prison riot)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard 2 (prison corridor)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard 2 (prison riot)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard 3 (prison riot)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard 4 (prison riot)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard heavy weapons specialist 1 (Scipio)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard heavy weapons specialist 2 (Scipio)

Unidentified Coruscant Guard sergeant

Unidentified Doom's Unit clone trooper (plasma welder)

Unidentified Doom's Unit clone trooper 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified Doom's Unit clone trooper 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified Doom's Unit heavy weapons specialist 1 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified Doom's Unit heavy weapons specialist 2 (Ringo Vinda)

Unidentified Green Company Clone Commander

Unidentified Green Company trooper

Unidentified Horn Company trooper

Unidentified Jet's Unit clone trooper 1

Unidentified Jet's Unit clone trooper 2

Unidentified Jet's Unit clone trooper 3

Unidentified Jet's Unit clone flame trooper 1

Unidentified Jet's Unit clone flame trooper 2

Unidentified Jet's Unit clone flame trooper 3

Unidentified Juma-9 Squad clone trooper

Unidentified Kamino Security Team clone trooper 1

Unidentified Kamino Security Team clone trooper 2

Unidentified Kamino Security Team clone trooper 3

Unidentified Kamino Security Team officer

Unidentified Keeli's Company clone trooper 1

Unidentified Keeli's Company clone trooper 2

Unidentified Lightning Squadron trooper (Ryloth)

Unidentified Mojo's Unit clone trooper 1

Unidentified Mojo's Unit clone trooper 2

Unidentified Mojo's Unit clone trooper 3

Unidentified Mojo's Unit clone trooper 4

Unidentified Muunilinst 10 clone trooper 1

Unidentified Muunilinst 10 clone trooper 2

Unidentified Muunilinst 10 clone trooper 3

Unidentified Muunilinst 10 clone trooper 4

Unidentified Muunilinst 10 clone trooper 5

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 1 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 2 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 3 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 4 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 5 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 6 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 7 (79's)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 1 (arm wrestle)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 2 (arm wrestle)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 1 (Toast)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 2 (Toast)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 3 (Toast)

Unidentified Open Circle Fleet clone naval officer 4 (Toast)

Unidentified Rancor Battalion clone trooper (Kamino)

Unidentified Rancor Battalion heavy weapons specialist (Kamino)

Unidentified Rancor Battalion heavy weapons specialist 2 (Kamino)

Unidentified Republic Navy captain

Unidentified Resolute naval officer (Kamino)

Unidentified Resolute naval officer (Ryloth)

Unidentified Resolute naval officer (of Sullust)

Unidentified Resolute naval officer (Kaliida Nebula)

Unidentified Resolute naval officer (Pre-Kamino)

Unidentified rookie clone trooper

Unidentified Shadow Squadron gunner

Unidentified Shadow Squadron pilot

Unidentified shock trooper 1 (79's)

Unidentified shock trooper 2 (79's)

Unidentified shock trooper 3 (79's)

Unidentified shock trooper 4 (79's)

Unidentified shock trooper 5 (79's)

Unidentified shock trooper (Scipio)

Unidentified shock trooper 2 (Scipio)

Unidentified stealth pilot

Unidentified Theta Squadron captain

Unidentified Theta Squadron clone commando 1

Unidentified Theta Squadron clone commando 2

Unidentified Theta Squadron clone commando 3

Unidentified Theta Squadron clone commando 4

Unidentified Torrent Company trooper (Biitu)

Unidentified Torrent Company trooper (Teth)

Unidentified Torrent Company trooper 2 (Teth)

Unidentified Triton Squad Advanced Recon Commando

Unidentified Triton Squad clone commando lieutenant

Unidentified Triton Squad clone stormtrooper

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 2

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 3

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 4

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 5

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 6

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 7

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 8

Unidentified Triton Squad clone trooper 9

Unidentified V-19 Torrent starfighter pilot

Unidentified Wolfpack clone communications officer (Malastare)

Upsilon 168

Upsilon 733

Upsilon 941

Vaize

Valiant

Vargus

Vaughn

Ven (Kothlis)

Ven (Qiilura)

Vere

Vill

Vin

Voca

Warthog

Wave

Waxer

Whiplash

Wildfire

Wingnut

Wolffe

Wooley

Wrecker

Wrench

X1

X2

Xi 778

Xi 999

Xoni

Xutoo

Yellow Five

Yellow Leader

Yover

Zag

Zak

Zap

Zeer

Zeke

Zeta

Zeta 654

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

Elsword Headcanons #17

Chung is making photo albums of his adventures with the El Search Party to show his father once they rescue Helputt from the demons. All of the others help him take pictures of all sorts of stuff to fill his photo albums with. Ara and Lu also help him decorate and design them.

Add is very much of the mindset that if he can't over power or outmaneuver someone they WILL hurt him for their own gain. And heaven fucking forbid he show any vulnerability or weakness. It's very much a hurt them before they hurt him sort of thing. Mastermind has plans should any member of the El Search Party "turn against him" while Lunatic Psyker is just more watchful for potential red flags and starts coming up with his plan based on the situation he finds himself in when he sees those red flags. Diabolic Esper is just confident nothing can stop him (and it's not like he's really wrong).

[jauneda1]

RWBY

The New War part 4

Jaune Arc's All Out Attack

Just outside of Shinrah district.

Jaune and Ren had to start traveling by rooftops because of the miasma that is covering most of the streets due to this though Jaune is getting exhausted from all the Aura Jumping. It wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't caring Ren doing so.

Jaune: Talking about me and junk food but your heavy asf.

Ren: Jaune! I don't want to here anything about you being tired from carrying me across rooftops.

Ren: You not only suggested this method, but aren't you the one that caught a speeding car with your body.

Ren: That Torchwick guy escaped but you did something unbelievable.

Jaune: I was in the hospital for a week for three cracked ribs. Not to mention it knocked me unconscious.

Ren: Even more of a reason for you to not be bitching rn.

Jaune: I think I like this Ren get used to me.

The two took cover at the top of they're current building then observed the captured cop and EMS workers. They could hear a man who was obviously a squad leader sporting heavy armor and two large saw swords.

Atlas Elite Oppressor: It's honorable seeing so many of you fighting to protect your kingdom. How come there are no soldier's only law enforcement?

Atlas Elite: I'll tell you why, it's because Ozpin didn't think they where worth sending into the city. That they needed to protect the academy.

Atlas Elite: So in other words your all expendable.

Police officer: Shut your mouth you fucking Terrorist.

Atlas Elite: Terrorist!? Lol where Atlas solider's.

Alvin Marcus: Listen son in all my years alive Atlas would never do something like this. My name is police chief Alvin Marcus.

Alvin: Ironwood would never order an attack against his home kingdom.

Atlas Elite: Well you know what Alvin thank you for having the balls to speak up... Now... Die for it.

And with a lift and a swing the man's head was taken off.

Jaune was finally at his boiling point as he was about to make a split second decision till he felt Rena hand grab his own. Jaune turned and looked Ren in the eyes who had a face seriousness. There was a mutual understanding between the two but Jaune knew if someone else died then he would step in. They both continue to watch on.

Atlas Elite: Well then... He's dead... So who's next?

Atlas Elite: Let's see they're are 40 of you we'll start executing you guys in groups of 10.

Atlas Elite: Okay men begin. Try not to have to much fun.

It was just like that the men and women where gonna be shot and killed. Police officer's and EMS workers who most had families. Jaune couldn't take it anymore so he jumped into action.

Ren: JAUNE!

Jaune: Bastards landed and swung his blade at one of the soldiers and as like nothing the man flew back with a huge slash in his chest and his eyes lifeless. Jaune didn't take it into consideration but the man he just killed didn't have an aura. Which means that most of these guys will go down easily.

(Jaune's mind)

" Is it really a good thing that it's that easy. "

"Ricky: Do what you have to Jaune, to protect the people around you and care about."

The Atlas Elite was surprised to see the young man cut down one of his men so easily. It turned out that's all it took for the police officer's to fight back as now a big battle of attrition had began. So the Elite did the only thing he thought was right and that was to take out this young man. He could already tell that his target was a killer at heart. That Mistress would love for someone like this to join her ranks. No hesitation just calculated swings and focused blocking. He is block bullets and using his aura to defend himself from and oppressor troopers. Now there's a green one huh interesting

Jaune had just took what felt like a hit from Cardin's mace to the side of the head but it was just a shotgun buckshot. He then stuck his blade into the guys knee rotating his wrist and and realizing something this felt odd killing these guys so easily. Whatever he needs to do he'll do it to protect these people. All of a sudden Jaune's senses struck him both physically and mentally as he was then sent five feet and bouncing off the side of a car.

Ren: JAUNE!

Jaune could hear Ren yelling out to him. He was fine he was able to lift his shield up to take the wide and aggressive swing he had very little time to react as he used his sword to slide and redirect a blade that was slashed vertically at him. Jaune then spun out of it and backhanded the attacker with his shield. The difference was that this tall bulky guy with duel wielding saw blades that are atleast half of Jaune's size. Jaune was at 6'3 so these swords where ridiculously big. Obviously this guy over compensating. Shit why did the commander have to be a tall and bulky hulk of a man, why couldn't he just of been cute like Ren.

Then it was a saving grace as A helicopter with Vale soldiers showed up and began to fire upon the enemy this made the guy end his attacks on Jaune and begin to fall back but Jaune wasn't having it as he chased him leaving Ren behind.

Jaune: Oh No You Don't Ass Hole Get Back Here!

One of the retreating soldiers was about to fire on Jaune till Ren pulled the trigger on one of his pistols and blew the guys brains out. Ren was not as shocked as he should of been. He wasn't about to let Jaune get killed so he chased after him as Vale military forces moved in.

Jaune had cornered the man. Then aimed his sword at the man.

Jaune: You'll pay for what you've done. Killing all of those innocent people.

Atlas Elite: Laughing... You got fight in ya kid.

The two stood there reading to see who would swing first. But neither one had to wait as the man rushed at Jaune only for Jaune to smirk as his chest glowed bright blue over his heart and without any warning Jaune sheathe his blade and went to punch the ground with his left hand all of the energy he had built up. This new attack Jaune was saving for whenever him and Yang spared again let alone it be Pyrrha.

Jaune: BAHAMET..FURY

With a mighty roar and loud kaboom that sent out a bright blue blaze that can be seen from Beacon Tower. This stunned Ozpin and Glynda who knew who that could of been. Especially since a news chopper caught the attack live. For the world too see, so teams RWBY, CFVY, Nora and Pyrrha saw it.

Ruby: Well guess we know who that would of been for if we had Combat class on yesterday.

All Jokes aside the chopper was waiting for the dust to clear. When it finally did Jaune was now Shirtless and sporting a big gash on his right arm it looks like the guy broke his Aura. Something that everyone at Beacon knew was next to impossible because Jaune is undefeated when it came to combat class. If one doesn't count the draw between him and Pyrrha. The two fought it out until they both fell from exhaustion. But what was about happen now was not a spar where it's fight till your at your max. No this fight was of a higher stake, Jaune's life was on the line.

The man got up and used his blade's to support himself.

The Butcher: Your... One pain in the ass you know that?

The Butcher: They call me The Butcher. That's my name now what's yours?

Jaune stayed quiet for a second because he was honestly still shocked that some one took the full brunt of his shock wave ground smash.

Jaune: Jaune Arc... No relation

The Butcher: A Arc huh? You truly are special.

Without a second passing The Butcher rushed in and Jaune eyes tightened as his vision focused and his mindset locked in. This battle will result in one of them dying. Jaune was able to deflect the The Butcher's swing but his wild style was new to Jaune so he wasn't expecting the second blade to come out of no where and slash his right arm and knocking his blade away leaving another gash if torn flesh and on the underside of Jaune's arm. This was bad he wouldn't be able to put a lot of power behind any punches on this arm. But that was okay Jaune knew what he would have to resort to Jaune then burst forward. Eyes lacking fear but a resolve he slide in grabbing The Butcher by his waist and just like that Ursa in class Jaune German suplexed him, again rolling into it and lifting the man again but this time keeping a two arm bear hug and slammed the guy on his shoulders sideways. Again Jaune rolled into it and lifted the man up and with his feet planted and with raw strength and pure adrenaline running through him Jaune threw the disarmed Butcher into the side of a building where he collided and bounced off of. Jaune was gassed after that display by no means was Butcher a light weight at 8feet tall and weight what felt like a ton it was hard to do what Jaune did. He may have caught a car at top speed but he hadn't been through hell before it. It just happened when he was at full strength.

Jaune felt the hands of someone familiar to him grab him. Ren had grab Jaune and gave him a shot of Adrenaline Ren looked like shit like he had got caught in Jaune's explosion.

Jaune: Dame Ren I'm sorry-

Ren had shut him up with a painful shot of adrenaline to the to the leg.

Jaune: Ow... Sorry .

Ren: You will be if we make it out of this.

Ren: I don't have any aura and my weapons are destroyed thanks to you. But that guy needs to go down.

Jaune: You thinking what I'm thinking then😁.

Ren blushing of embarrassment: Shut up

Jaune: Aww yeah Martial Arc's time.

Ren: ugh

The two ran in at the butcher who had recovered and was not ready to fight a juiced up Jaune and what looks like the ninja from earlier. But what surprised The Butcher more was the Ninja had just vanished and Jaune Arc looked to be throwing something invisible. It didn't click until he felt what was a foot to his jaw and a right hook to his rib cage one so powerful he felt his ribs crunch and shatter with it this dropped him to one knew then a barrage of calculated punches from the ninja and bone breaking bashes from Jaune. When the barrage ceased The Butcher was dumb founded the one eye he could see out off. He saw that Jaune was now casting a bright blue flaming aura and with one touch he turned the emerald ninja next to him glowing a bright green flaming aura as well.

The two locked eyes with The Butcher who was now expressing great fear.

Ren: When did you learn how to do this?

Jaune: I'll tell you later.

The two then lead in like a dance of blue and green as they both went in for punches kicks and one of Jaune's kicked sending The Butcher skyward. Ren Jumped into Jaune's hands and launched forward to meet The Butcher he super kicked him and without any warning Ren felt a burst of power as he flew forward looking back in slow motion to see Jaune winking at him and his chest burning bright blue. That's when Ren realized that Jaune had found a way not only to convert kinetic energy into aura, but he can transfer it to other's. Ren flew forward grabbing The Butcher and throwing him down towards Jaune who had jumped towards The Butcher who was beaten and bloody.

Ren: Jaune please don't kill him.

(Jaune's Mind)

No worries Ren I refused to be the monster that this man is. I will put him in his fucking place though.

Jaune: HAA!

With a discharge of all the energy Jaune knocked The lights out of The Butcher. His head snapping back from the impact but not killing him but mainly knocking him out.

Jaune landed and caught the Butcher to keep him from receiving anymore damage.

Five minutes later

Jaune came back sword in his sheathe, even though it took him a minute to find it. Ren was just standing there back towards Jaune. Jaune walked up and lightly pushed Ren's shoulder.

Jaune: From what I see the military is rounding up the last remaining terrorist and Atlas only General Ironwood is talking with Ozpin that's why there are war ships up above.

Ren: He shows up only now?

Jaune: Yeah but atleast it's over right.

Ren: Hey did you ever actually turn your scrolls distress signal?

Jaune: Yeah about that... Hehe I dropped my scroll when I rushed in to stop those guys earlier. Hehe

Ren: I want to punch you right now but I'm to weak to put any force behind it.

Then something grabbed the two's attention

Nora: Ren! Jaune!

They both turned to see they're teams and Professor Ozpin and Glynda.

But Jaune knew he was in trouble when he saw Yang and Ruby rushed him. Jaune knew he was about to receive the world's strongest hug and beating courtesy of Yang he has ever taken.

(Jaune's mind)

"I die today, this is how I die."

End of part 4

Character analysis

The Butcher: age late thirties maybe early twenties.

Classification: Classified

Huntsman classification: Unknown possibly Vanguard giving his size, weapons, and fighting style

Military experience: Ex Sargent first class.

Semblance: None

[libradusk]

Touch Starved | Captain Rex

Word Count: 2,129

Pairing: Captain Rex/CT-7567 x Reader

Summary: Grief is a frightening thing to deal with alone

warnings: mention of injury and death + heavy themes of wartime ptsd

a/n: Set just after the Battle of Umbara, someone give this boy a hug

Part of the Touch Starved miniseries

He’s not sure how long he’s been staring at the wall for now.

Amidst the heaviness clinging to his bones, he’s half aware that at least half an hour has passed by at this point, between him all but stumbling into his private quarters and finishing up slumped forward and crumpled on the untouched bed.

There's something calming about staring into the vastness of plain durasteel. It's almost featureless aside from the grey sheen that coats over it. There are no harsh lines to writhe against the room’s shadows, no bright flashes of colour for him to squint against without the safety of his helmet.

The whole space is solid, clean - coldly familiar despite the room remaining almost untouched. The irony of it serving as compensation for his Captain’s rank wasn't lost on him, considering said position’s duties meant he was scarcely granted the leave to actually use it. Home comforts hardly existed for Clones, but compared to the trenches of Umbara the quarters might as well be paradise.

Captain Rex is grateful that the panelling isn't reflective, because he's positive he would fail to recognise the man staring back at him if it were so.

He looks like shit. General Skywalker had practically told him so word for word when the surviving strain of the 501st had returned back to base mere hours before. Any other General may have taken offence to the dishevelled appearance unmasked behind the grime-splattered surface of his Captain’s helmet. Dark roots have sprouted amongst his overgrown buzz cut, and there's grime and stubble smeared across his face and neck that refuses to wash completely away. Rex is confident that the blood rusted amidst it wont leave until he hacks the whole thing off. It reaches crumbling fingers to scratch and irritate down his chest and back even now in the sterile air of the room. It feels foreign and invasive - he's not even sure if all of it is his own.

A shudder rattles across his bones before he can strangle it back, and his head drops to his hands, breath expelling between tanned fingers and winding down his wrists to bind them in place.

The floor greets his eyes with the same, featureless metallic surface, disturbed only by his shadow as it steps across it. It’s smoky and hunched in the faint light offered by his bedside lamp. The longer he stares at it, the deeper it seems to pool. His gaze climbs slowly up the wall once more, hoisting itself up by his neck before the shadow threatens to drag the rest of him down into it.

Anakin had relented the moment he had looked into Rex’s eyes and seen the same hollowness that scraped across the cheeks of his surviving men. The Captain’s heart had sunk further towards his stomach the moment realisation had twisted across Skywalker’s features. The Jedi had silently noted the missing faces across their ranks and the sight of an almost catatonic Dogma restrained in his binders. Rex had hardly even been able to conjure the energy to raise his arm in salute, and now he was finally alone his limbs felt heavier than ever, weighted down with bitter remorse and a pain that sunk deeper than just his bones.

Even with the guilt and fatigue clamouring over him, Rex knew that the contrasting fire of fury and remorse that blazed across Skywalker's eyes would stay with him forever.

The rage he had emanated felt like a precursor to death. A prologue, perhaps.

Rex knew within him that right now he should be feeling the same way, but he had no energy left to sacrifice, even breathing felt the most difficult it had ever been. It was as though every one of his ribs were splintered and mangled around his lungs, smothering his heart until he could feel each pound of it screaming in his ears.

Why was it so loud? Why did his skin feel like there was something crawling beneath it?

His programming must be faulty, because this battle had truly knocked the wind from his sails, and that is something that should never happen to a Trooper. His use-by-date must be fast approaching, it's the only justification he can clamber to reach, though the thought provides little peace for him to cling to.

No. There was no exact moment to pinpoint where it had all changed for Rex. This descent into agony had come slowly, like sinking into quicksand. This was just the breaking point for a build up that had been clawing away at little parts of him for a while now. He feels pathetic, shame cutting through the numbness and threatening to cleave his fingernails through his palms.

Fives had even been kind enough to fill out Rex’s reports for him - the Captain wasn’t even sure that decision was part of the correct protocol, but he couldn’t bring himself to complain, even if he wanted to. Even so, it served as another stab to his conscience.The ARC Trooper had no doubt suffered as much as Rex himself after experiencing what they had all gone through, and yet Fives had felt compelled to stand in for his own Captain’s incompetence... Perhaps Rex truly was too battle-damaged to function properly for the remainder of the war, he hadn’t even been able to put down Krell himself.

...No. He had to keep going, he owed his men as much - both to those who perished in the darkness of Umbara and those who had found the strength to keep on living.

His death needed to mean something - to push them further towards victory for the Republic. He had to fight off the urge to curl into the durasteel and disappear for at least another night.

Good soldiers follow orders, after all - that much was still ingrained within him.

His hands curl into fists then and he forces himself to look at them. They’re clammy and gloveless, coated with smatterings of grime and smear from where he's rubbed at his face and neck. Rex notes then that he hasn't seen them bare in some time, having resolved to sleep in his full blacks and as much armour as possible for the entire Umbara campaign. The tanned expanse of his skin looks alien, the cold plastoid plating of his uniform felt more familiar at this point, and the thought frightened him more than it probably should for a Clone Trooper - Captain or otherwise. He notes then, that he hadn’t even managed to completely strip himself of armour before slumping onto the bed. How ironic that his own flesh felt more out of place on his body than hard, synthetic material.

What pieces he had managed to tear away were stacked halfheartedly in the corner. His helmet stares back at him across the room, its visor appearing endlessly dark even with the light offered to it. It sits atop the rest of the display, throned ritualistically as it always had been. Once Rex had stared at it with pride each night as he attempted to drift off to sleep, yet now it sat crooked and war-tattered with filth. Looking at it felt like staring into a shattered mirror. Rex knew he ought to repaint it, along with the rest of his gear, yet that thought was quashed as quickly as it appeared. To paint over the blood of his brothers’ felt like a cheap way of blanketing their deaths, their own sacrifice to the war.

They deserved to be mourned, to be remembered. If Rex didn’t, then there were few others that would.

Nothing would be the same again, and it shouldn't. That thought would keep him going, he would ensure it would.

But in that moment, as he stared at the sickly red that stained across the blue and white plating, the echo of blaster fire tore open his memories and dragged the screams of his dead brothers behind it.

The durasteel walls begin to spin.

….

..

.

.

“...Rex?”

The voice that edges through the doorway is purposefully soft, barely above a whisper in fact - yet it still triggers him to flinch in response. His throat feels like it's on fire now and he has to fight back the urge to claw at where his pulse drowns in bile. The bodysuit clinging to his skin now feels much too tight, and he resorts to tear open the buttoned collar as he twists in the direction of the open doorway, shame already sinking its clutch into his veins.

It’s you, if you had knocked before opening the door it had never registered to him.

Had he even remembered to lock it in the first place? At that moment he couldn't remember anything aside from the tragedy he had barely just scraped through. The blastdoor seals itself shut as quickly as it opened and the hiss it exhumes drags him back to the present. You're cloaked in the same dim lighting as he is now, it spreads your shadow and melts it across the floor towards where he sits, half facing you and frozen in contemplation. Even with the low light, he doesn’t miss the way your face falls once his sunken eyes drag over to you. Your expression frightens him more than Anakin’s ever could, because he can't help but feel directly responsible for the immense sadness glassing over your eyes in that moment.

Rex fights the instinct to duck his gaze in disgrace. You've never seen him in this state, hell he doesn't recall ever being as big a mess as this before. The Captain had always kept his weaknesses guarded - from his men and his enemies alike - from you - even when you had allowed him to stumble into your own.

This feels humiliating, but he also doesn't feel that he deserves to object.

The twisting has traversed to his stomach now and his toes twitch with the urge to run despite the heaviness weighing down each and every part of him.

But he also knows you well enough to be confident you wouldn't let him hide anyway.

You're striding over to him now, your shadow oozing closer and wider with the movement. Within three quick strides you're in front of him and then beside him on the stiff, military grade mattress. It doesn't take long, after all the room is tiny despite being built for a Captain, but now there is truly nowhere left for the Trooper to hide. He wonders then, if the dull bedside lamplight paints him as sickly as he feels. It wraps around you too, brighter and more clearly than when you had leaned against the doorway. Up this close he can see the pity pulling at your frown, as he had expected it to, but nestled alongside it is something softer. It's frighteningly warm and only spreads wider as you sigh and wrap your arms around him with no other hesitation. He can't help but crumble into the safety you extend to him, leaning in and allowing the glow to envelop him completely. In those precious seconds you had quickly become the only solace he had left in the world, one that was safe and warm and cared about him.

By design, Rex was not a selfish man, but just for a moment he allowed himself to fall to pieces for the first time and sink into the fantasy that there was no war, no death, no regulations - just two people that cared for each other above all else in the world.

Yeah, just a moment wouldn't hurt.

He's sure you're uncomfortable, pressed up against a half-armoured body that's stiff with anxiety, but you’re relentless as you drape him in delicate empathy and affection. He's not sure if it's your tears or his own wetting the plains of his cheeks, but it doesn't matter - he feels like he's drowning all the same as you begin to slowly rock the two of you back and forth.

The touch you give him is so different to all he's known for the past weeks. Your arms and hands are not dictated with adrenaline soaked desperation, and there are no exposed bones, no bloody, mangled hands or rattling last words to be heard, there is just you.

In that moment, you are the softest thing he's ever known and he clings to you like a lifeline. You continue to hold him like he could break and shatter in your arms, and he does, shoving away instinct and indoctrination to bury his scruffy face in your shoulder and sob.

He would survive, he had always vowed to come back and continue fighting no matter what else was thrown his way.

But for now he would lay down his armoured soul and let it grieve alongside you.

[mercurypilgrim]

I was tagged by @sleepswithvillains ! Thank you! 😀

Tagging: @elaphaemourra, @outcastcommander, @elvhenyoung, and @tearlessrain

A snippet from the invasion of Korriban:

- - - -

Ryali can feel the metal of his lightsaber biting into his skin through the grip, and he can taste blood and ozone.

His hands are slick with crimson and some splashes of green and yellow. He hadn't bothered to check which species he was gutting.

His boots sink into the soft sand, and rage bubbles inside his belly as he stares his opponents down.

It is, in his mind, a righteous fury.

This is his sanctum, a place of learning and history. His students, the ones too young or untrained to hold a lightsaber, are frightened. He can feel their fear. He draws on it, pulls it into himself until he is boiling with rage.

The shadows cast from the craggy ruins seem darker than they should be, stretched unnaturally long. They writhe in the corner one one's eye, and he longs to step into one and envelop himself in it, to let the darkness flow through his veins and lend him it's strength. It's been such a long time since he's wetted his blade that the thrill is lingering.

His lightsaber's dual blades cast a deep crimson glow over the sand, turning it true red.

"Stand aside, Sith."

Ryali's grim expression deepens, and he shakes his head.

"You will not touch my students." He says firmly, "We won't let you pass, Jedi."

The Jedi's mouth thins, his own blade drawn and reflecting ocean blue in his nautolan black eyes.

Ryali can feel panic tugging at his senses.

Not for the battle, no, he didn't make Darth on his academic acumen alone, but because he has no time. He must reach his students, trapped outside the academy grounds. He can't fail them.

He grips his blade tighter, his senses brushing the presence at his side for guidance.

"Master-"

Darth Nox steps forward.

He's swathed in black robes, the deep hood thrown over his head and casting what little of his face that was visible into shadow.

His presence is tightly leashed, but it still hums I'm the air when he gets close.

The Jedi and their troopers tense. Some look confused by the alien in Sith robes.

"I'm afraid you will not be fighting my apprentice," the miraluka murmurs, and his voice, deeper than his thin frame would imply, carries over the sounds of wind and far off battle. He nods sharply at Ryali, a sign to leave this to him and run.

A wave of gratefulness threatens to extinguish the rage that is topping up his energy, but it merely adds it's fuel to the fire of his determination. He begins to back away, and their opponents raise their weapons.

Darth Nox let's his power slip for a moment, and the air turns heavy.

It's subtle at first, like the air before a storm. There's a faint taste of ozone and petrichor, incongruous in the desert of Korriban.

It builds swiftly and surely, like an avalanche gaining speed. It's massive.

The Korriban day seems to darken as the sparse cloud cover turns black. The sand seems to shiver under their feet and Ryali can feel his skin pebbling as power seeps into the air.

Thunder rolls inexplicably overhead, bass and threatening, and the pressure keeps rising until it's a tangible weight on their bodies like the gravity settings on a ship are out of alignment.

It's getting hard to breathe now, like trying to suck air in through mud.

Sparks skitter from Nox' gloved hands, and lightning forks over the now bruised sky overhead.

He's a spectre wreathed in power and shadow, and Ryali can't help but find it beautiful.

He flexes his fingers, and electricity arcs from between them and up his arms, providing a sparking mantle of power.

His expression is grim and dark, and as much as Ryali loves his Master, in this moment he's almost as terrified of him as the Republic forces that look on in horror.

He's radiant in his power, and to sense him in the Force is to be blinded.

One of the troopers is hyperventilating, clawing at her helmet as her knees begin to buckle.

He's unfathomable, and Ryali can hear the hiss of comm units shorting from the static buildup.

One of the Jedi is furiously trying to raise someone on their comm unit, to no avail.

Panic tastes metallic in the air.

Thunder rumbles overhead as lightning forks through the unnatural black cloud that bruises the sky purple.

Ryali steps back and prepares to run for it, to hurry to his students and defend them to his last breath, if need be.

Darth Nox eases the leash on his power slowly, carefully.

He's a very careful man.

He raises his hands, palms up, and lightning jumps between his fingers, hissing and spitting sparks.

Small, stray forks hit the sand around him with cracks like snapping bone, leaving little glass beads in their wake.

Scars twist his mouth, and Ryali can't comprehend how anyone managed to cage him.

Nox tilts his head, ready.

"You will be facing me."

[comm-caribou]

Chapter Twenty-Three: What a Mess:

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: Death, fighting (let me know if I missed any!)

————

The whole Galaxy stopped the minute that image came on that screen.

She heard every detail about that gold mask and the piercing blue eyes behind it. She could draw it, that’s how obsessed with her buir’s murderer she was when it happened.

When he died, she was broken and had no one to hold her together.

Now, she had a battalion of men who loved her and always had her back.

“I’m going to rip his damn head off.”

Digger took out the drive, and said, “please do.”

****

While others celebrated victory, Boomerang remained on the ground holding his brothers hand.

He was gasping for air as he died.

He said something between each shallow breath, “I want… to see.. I want to… see…”

“See what?” Boomerang urged.

“Sk… Sky…” he managed to get out.

“The sky?” Boomerang helped him lift his head, “it’s right there, vod. It’s right there. Don’t you see the blue?”

He nodded slightly before his eyes dilated.

The hand that was once gripping Boomerang’s so tightly fell limp, and the gasping stopped.

Boomerang lowered his head, feeling defeated despite victory.

“Come on, Boomerang,” Fury placed his hand on his back. “It’s time to set the charges.”

Boomerang sighed, then got up following Fury into the base.

Fury turned to him, “Boomerang, are you and Mirage—“

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Boomerang immediately cut him off.

“Well,” Fury said, “are you aware he broke his hand last night?”

Broke his hand?

“No.” Boomerang stated.

“It’s broken,” Fury said quietly. “He’s helping Grimm because he can’t do much.”

He replaced me with Grimm?

“Good for him,” he grunted.

Fury sighed, walking off, “I tried to warn you.”

Warn me about what? Whatever, I don’t care about Mirage anymore. I don’t want to care about him anymore.

****

Juliette held on tight to that drive, following Digger back out the way they snuck in.

He held out his hand, to help her onto his walker that he already climbed up onto.

She took his hand and said, “do you think the Jedi will go after him?”

“Probably,” he answered, “but they also have a lot on their war agenda. I heard that they’re turning a blind eye to slavery.”

“Makes sense,” she muttered, “considering one of the things I discussed with the Senators was your lack of rights and pay.”

“You can fight for it,” Digger chuckled, “but they don’t have the funds to do anything for us.”

“Great,” Juliette groaned, “they’ll let Ferris slip through the cracks.”

“Just have Hound make a copy before you give it to Vos,” he said, “trust me, he’d do anything for you.”

“That’s an exaggeration,” Juliette rolled her eyes.

Digger turned to her, “my little brother is still gushing over the fact you gave him a flower crown. He asked Dabbler to do some art craft thing so he could keep it forever and hang it in his bunk.”

“That doesn’t mean he’d do anything for me,” she replied, “that just means he liked the present.”

“Just you watch,” Digger started the walker, “he’ll do it without hesitation.”

“No,” Juliette sighed, “he won’t.”

****

“Of course I will,” Hound took the drive from Juliette’s hand, “just give me two seconds.”

Digger grinned under his helmet, “told you so.”

“I…” she slowly turned to him, “really?”

Calico snickered, “Hound here is big people pleaser, especially if he likes you.”

“Of course I like her,” Hound declared, “we all like her!”

Calico rolled his eyes, “and a kiss up.”

Hound handed her the original drive back, “I’ll hold onto this copy and give it to you when we’re back on the Stormrider. Deal?”

“Deal.” She took the drive, then turned to Digger, “thank you for your help.”

“Anytime,” he stated, “glad to have you riding with me.”

She went to walk away, but he didn’t want her to go.

He racked his brain for ideas to make her stay, just to keep talking to her for five more minutes.

“Let her go,” Calico said through the helmet comm.

Digger turned to him, seeing he placed his helmet back on in order to hide their conversation.

Digger sighed.

Calico clicked his teeth, and then the others were in the private comm despite being all spread out.

“Digger,” Calico said calmly, “you just broke up with Phara. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“What?” Hound gasped, “you like the General?”

“Sarge, that’s a bad idea,” Mutt warned.

“Plus she’s way out of your league,” Zombie stated.

“Besides Zombie’s point,” Calico stated, “Digger needs to stop jumping from partner-to-partner.”

“I’m not doing that,” Digger sighed, “the first cheated, the second abused, the third I wasn’t ready for, the fourth was toxic, and the fifth was…”

He stopped himself.

“The fifth was what?” Hound urged.

“Great,” Digger sighed, “just not the right one.”

They were quiet, then Mutt said, “sir, you barely know Juliette.”

“That’s not…” he groaned, “I’m not saying Juliette is the one, I’m just saying I like how she looks at the universe. Maybe I just need to take some time out of dating too.”

They were quiet again, almost deafening.

“Nothing to say?” Digger asked.

“Sir…” Calico sighed, “she’s already dipped her toe back into the dating. That night we met her, she had just come from a date with Fox.”

Digger felt a jab in his chest.

We’re not even dating. We barely know each other. Yet, why does this hurt like this? Why did I have to like someone I obviously can’t have and shouldn’t be with? Why do I do this?

“That’s great,” Digger faked joy, “he’s a great guy and safe on Coruscant. She’ll be very happy with him.”

“Digger,” Mutt said softly. “It’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay. We should get ready to go.”

“Wait, Di-“

He clicked his teeth cutting Zombie off, and hurried to his walker.

The fun was over with. He was done with this mission.

****

He hated that he was doing it, but as he set charges with Coyote and Cooper, Boomerang was looking for Mirage.

Ever since he snuffed him before the final battle, he hadn’t seen him. If Fury hadn’t mentioned it, he probably wouldn’t have even thought of Mirage until they got to the gunships.

“What’s wrong?” Coyote asked.

“Nothing,” Boomerang grumbled.

“Very believable, Boomerang,” Cooper huffed. “You might want to fess up and tell me what’s going on.”

“Why?” Boomerang scoffed. “Why should I tell you anything, Cooper?”

Cooper turned to him, and he could imagine the dark glare he was getting behind that hand printed visor.

“Because the General doesn’t like bullying, especially towards us clones.” Cooper stated, “Shadow didn’t come with us because of something I’m guessing Mirage did, and you’re being pretty short with him as well.”

“What’s it matter?” Boomerang set another charge.

“It matters because I just got sent a report regarding your malpractice!” Cooper snapped.

Boomerang whipped around, “malpractice?”

Coyote took out his datapad, “what report?”

Cooper tapped around, “this one.”

“Oh,” Coyote sounded disappointed, “Boomerang, there really is a report. It got sent out just after we took the base.”

Boomerang threw his arms in the air and stormed off.

Malpractice? Just because I didn’t know the moron broke his hand? How is that wrong on my end? We have another medic he could go cry to!

As soon as he got a moment alone with Mirage, he’d have words with him. His fists were itching to talk to him as well.

****

Juliette approached General Vos with the drive, involving all the information about other research bases and hiding grounds of Ferris. Along with all those torture devices he was planning to create or might have created.

Her head was already throbbing thinking of the medical droid he once created when they were both younger living on Vixnix.

To think I once I had a crush on this boy. Now he’s all grown up and making brutally, gory machines.

The Jedi turned to her, his smile dropping, “what’s wrong?”

“This is pretty disturbing stuff on here,” Juliette handed him the disk, “the man who is creating these devices is doing it for his own sick entertainment, and has no value for the lives he’s going to use them on.”

“Us, you mean.” Hardwire looked at the drive, then to her, “how bad are they?”

Thinking of Hardwire captured and put into any of those traps made her stomach twist in knots.

“If clones aren’t meant to get PTSD and be affected by battle stress,” Juliette stated, “you’d be a shell of a man you are now. That is, if you managed to get out of this monster’s sick games.”

Vos placed a hand on her shoulder, “General Trix, I thank you for all your help. However, if this information is as gruesome as you say, I need to leave right away and deliver this to the Jedi Temple. Can you finish up here?”

“I understand, Master Jedi, we can do that,” Juliette answered, “safe travels.”

“May the Force be with you,” Vos removed his hand and rushed off.

Hardwire nudged her awkwardly, “Juliette?”

Juliette turned to him.

“Don’t sugar coat it,” Hardwire pushed, “what are we in for?”

Juliette held out her hand, “the man’s name is Ferris Joster. He’s the boy I knew from childhood, and he is also the one who killed my father.”

Hardwire shuttered, slipping his trembling hand into her’s.

“I won’t let him hurt you,” Juliette squeezed his hand, “if he takes any of my boys from me, he’s going to die.”

I already am thinking of all the ways I’m going to brutally murder him.

****

The gunships landed, and they all boarded.

Since General Vos left, Digger had noticed Juliette had been going around checking on each of the men with Hardwire staying right beside her.

He wondered if she’d check on him. He hoped she would check on him and see how he’s doing after what they saw together. He wanted to believe that no one was feeding her rumors, although he could blame himself for not setting the record straight.

As he was watching her, Calico came over, “Hound and Mutt loaded on with Squirrel and Max.”

Digger turned to him, “but they ride with Tracks and Cosmos.”

“We know,” Calico pat his back, “load up.”

“But Cosmos doesn’t like me,” Digger hissed.

“He’s not going to leave you behind,” Calico snickered, “but if you’re so concern, I’ll load your walker on.”

“That’s not necessary, I’ll-“

“Hi, General.” Calico cut him off.

“Hi, Calico,” Juliette approached, practically dragging the Commander behind her as he was on his comm giving orders.

“Bad news, my dear,” Calico gripped Digger’s helmet visor shaking his head around, “this ARF is stuck riding with you. If he isn’t paying attention, knock on the helmet because he’s probably listening to music.”

“Duly noted,” Juliette turned to Digger, “hold out your wrist.”

“Okay?” Digger did as ordered.

“I’ll move your walker inside now,” Calico said moving onward.

Juliette typed on his comm, and then said proudly, “that’s my favorite song.”

“Great,” Digger already began switching his station in his helmet, “I’ll be listening to it on the ride home.”

“Excellent,” Juliette walked off dragging Hardwire.

He set the song to repeat, and got on the gunship as the music swelled into a grand, bouncy opening.

****

Mirage stayed in a corner, supporting a wounded brother with a bandaged up hand.

His armor up to his elbow was stuffed in his pack and his sleeve rolled up, so Grimm could get better access to the broken hand.

As much as he wanted to be mad, Boomerang felt sorry for him. His knuckles were swollen and discolored with bruising.

The ship landed with a gentle thump, and the doors opened to their hanger with landing crew already at work directing and helping pilots out of their ships.

Grimm came over to Mirage, taking the wounded trooper from him and passing him his medical pack to carry with his good hand.

Boomerang followed the crowd heading to the barracks and mess, keeping an eye on Mirage walking not that far ahead of him.

When they all branched off, Boomerang ran after him and slowing at his side.

Mirage kept his helmeted head straight ahead.

Boomerang switched into his private comm, “I didn’t know your hand was broken.”

“What’s it matter?” Mirage asked, “you said you never wanted to see me again.”

“I didn’t mean it,” Boomerang said. “I was cranky and tired. I had that dream again, and I just was so upset that you were there and you didn’t even hold me hand or try to calm me down.”

“Honestly,” Mirage sighed, “I was really mad at you for cutting your head open that I thought not holding your hand would be the perfect punishment. It wasn’t fair, and I’m sorry I did that to you.”

“I forgive you,” Boomerang frowned, “but… why’d you report me for malpractice?“

“What?” Mirage stopped. “I’d never do that. Not only that, I hate reports. As spiteful as it would be, my hand is broken and paperwork sucks.”

“Then, who reported me?” Boomerang asked, “did you tell someone anything?”

Mirage went quiet, “osik.”

“Who did you tell?” Boomerang pressed. “Pretty Boy, my medical position and license is on the line!”

“Mirage,” Grimm came back, “what’s the hold up? I need my stuff.”

Mirage said quietly into the private comm, “I told Grimm and Fury. But, Fury’s not like that, right?”

“Hello?” Grimm waved his hand in Mirage’s visor, “can you at least give me my pack?”

“Fury wouldn’t.” Boomerang slowly turned to the other medic, “but Grimm would.”

Grimm sighed, “Mirage, I’m sure whatever you two are talking about is so important, but I have patients to attend t-“

Boomerang suckered punched Grimm in his jaw, sending him stumbling to the side.

He turned to him appalled, “the Hell, Boomerang?”

As shocked as he was he did it, Boomerang clenched his fist and threw another swing. Grimm dodged his fist, and threw himself at Boomerang slamming him into the wall hard enough to knock his helmet off.

The air left his lungs, but he threw his elbow down on Grimm’s shoulder and brought his knee up into his gut. Grimm grunted, and threw him to the ground. Jumping on Boomerang’s abdomen, Grimm began throwing several punches that Boomerang barely blocked before he was being punched in the face repeatedly.

Boomerang’s attempts to fight quickly shifted to protecting himself as he tasted blood.

“Get off of him!”

Grimm was body slammed to the ground, and Boomerang spit out some blood.

“Boomerang, you okay?” Cooper knelt down.

“The heck are you two doing?” Hardwire barked. “Someone contact Mutt to help Kit. What happened Mirage? Cosmos! He’s down! Get off of him!”

Boomerang felt someone stroking his head, he turned his swollen face up to Mirage.

“You okay, Doc?” Mirage asked.

Boomerang managed a smile, “only my favorite brother is allowed to call me that.”

“Shut up,” Mirage put his arms under his armpits, “you called me Pretty Boy first.”

Boomerang groaned as Mirage dragged him off.

“I’m sorry, Pretty Boy.”

“I’m sorry too, Doc. Now shut up before you say something else you’ll regret.”