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jetii · 2 months ago

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Good Graces

Chapter Five

Tags/Warnings: angsty idk I just like writing them arguing

Chapter WC: 4,673

A/N: My free time has been pretty limited lately, and I haven’t been able to give this fic the attention it deserves, but rest assured I am still thinking about it and have every intention of working on this when I'm not consumed by EH.

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"Fives."

Fives pauses halfway through the door to the room he's sharing with Tup, his brother already passed out on his bed, sprawled across the mattress. It's late, the sun having long since set, and the men have mostly retired for the night, their bellies full and their limbs heavy. But not him. Not yet.

He's spent most of the night trying to get a minute alone with Esmé. But every time he's managed to track her down, she's slipped away before he can get a word out. It's frustrating, but not surprising. And now he's exhausted. He's ready to turn in and forget about this whole thing.

For a while, anyway.

"Yes, sir?" Fives asks carefully, turning toward Rex. His commander is standing a few feet away, arms folded over his chest, his gaze unreadable. Fives straightens. "Is something wrong?"

"A word, please," Rex says, and the tone of his voice is enough to make him pause, his hand gripping the edge of the door.

"Now, sir?"

"Yes, now."

"Uh, alright," Fives answers, and he shoves a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head. He tosses his bag inside the room and steps away from the door, letting it swing shut. "What's going on, Captain?"

Rex jerks his head, indicating for Fives to follow him, and the two of them walk in silence, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet beneath their feet. Fives casts furtive glances at the Captain's profile as they go, trying to gauge what kind of mood he's in, but Rex's expression remains impassive. It's unnerving. He's not even sure what he's done. Or if he's done anything. He hasn't talked to the Captain much tonight. Hasn't had the chance.

Maybe that's it. Maybe the Captain has noticed how distracted he's been lately and is going to call him out for being so unfocused. And, sure, he'd spent the evening trying to get Esmé to talk to him. Sure, he'd ignored the rules about interacting with civilians and flirted with her in front of the others. And maybe he'd been a bit forward, a bit too casual. But it's not like it was inappropriate. Or even that serious.

Right?

Fives swallows and licks his lips.

He's not sure how well that argument will hold up. He's not sure if it'll be enough to save his ass.

Rex ascends the staircase to the third floor, and Fives follows, his stomach churning more with every step. Esmé had explicitly told them not to come up here. And yet here they are.

Kriff.

He'd had a good run.

They stop at the first door on the left, and Rex knocks once, a loud and firm rap of his knuckles against the wood. After a moment, the door opens a crack, and a pair of hazel eyes peer out at them, narrowed and suspicious.

Esmé immediately takes a step back and pulls the door open wider. She looks from one to the other and sighs, her gaze lingering on Fives.

"Come in," she mutters.

Rex walks into the room without hesitation. Fives does the same and promptly freezes in place.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting—some kind of office, or maybe a room specifically for security purposes—but he definitely hadn't expected to walk into a bedroom. The walls are a dark gray and covered in artwork, and the floor is made of the same wood as the rest of the house, dark and shiny. There's a large four poster bed across from a fireplace with a plush rug, and the light from several candles casts a warm glow over the room.

But it's not the size or the furniture or the artwork that catches Fives' attention. Senator Amidala and General Skywalker are standing by the window, their backs turned to the door. The Senator's arm is wrapped tightly around her stomach, her bandaged shoulder clearly visible, and the General's hand is resting on her lower back, his body angled toward her.

There's an air of finality in the room, a heaviness that settles over him like a thick fog, and Fives swallows hard, his mouth dry.

Something's going on. Something important. Something secret.

The door closes behind him with a soft click, and he can feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end when the lock engages. Esmé brushes past him and takes up a position next to the fireplace, Rex following close behind. He drops his helmet onto a nearby chair and crosses his arms over his chest, his gaze sharp and assessing, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Nothing you hear can leave this room," Rex tells him. His voice is quiet, but stern, and he makes sure to meet Fives' eye. "Are we clear?"

"Yessir," Fives says with a nod. He clears his throat and looks around. "Uh, what's going on?"

Rex sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. When his hand drops, he looks at Anakin, his brow raised. "Care to explain, sir, or should I?"

General Skywalker lets out a frustrated sigh and scrubs a hand over his face, his shoulders sagging before he turns to face them.

"Padmé and I are going back to Coruscant in the morning," he announces, and Fives' eyebrows shoot up, surprise and shock washing over him. The General continues, oblivious. "She's still recovering, and I don't want to risk any more attacks."

Fives opens his mouth to speak, but Esmé cuts him off.

"The situation is escalating," she explains. She leans against the mantel and folds her arms over her chest, her legs crossed at the ankles. "But the peace talks must continue. The negotiations can't be postponed. We can't afford to show weakness. It will only lead to further conflict."

She falls silent, and the Senator takes over.

"My injury," she explains, her hand coming up to rest lightly on her shoulder, "isn't life-threatening, but it's severe. It will prevent me from participating in the peace talks. Someone else needs to take my place."

"Who?"

"Me," Esmé announces. She meets Fives' eye, and he blinks, confused. "I'll be the one representing Naboo in the negotiations."

It takes him a moment to find his voice, and when he does, the question is out before he can think better of it.

"What?"

The Senator's mouth twitches.

"The Separatists know who I am," she says simply. "They won't accept a replacement, and they won't negotiate with anyone else. So..."

She trails off, her words hanging in the air. She glances at Esmé and gives her a nod, and the handmaiden takes over.

"I'm going to be the Senator," she tells him, her chin held high. "While Padmé and Anakin are away, I'll be the face of the Naboo."

The room falls silent, the silence only broken by the crackling of the fire and the occasional pop from the embers. One of the logs cracks and shifts, and a shower of sparks flies up the chimney. No one speaks.

His mouth opens and closes, but nothing comes out, and he just stares at Esmé.

Esmé, who is the same woman he's spent the last twenty-four hours flirting with, the same woman who'd been the object of all of his fantasies, the same woman who'd just a few hours ago had told him she could kill him a hundred different ways without breaking a sweat. Esmé, who was a handmaiden. Who wasn't a senator. Wasn't even a politician.

Fives can't help it. He laughs.

He's pretty sure this is the strangest thing that's ever happened to him. And that's saying a lot.

"You?" he repeats incredulously. His head shakes back and forth, disbelief written all over his face. "You're going to be the Senator? That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" she asks coolly.

"Of course it is," he scoffs. "You're not a politician. You're a—You're a..."

He trails off, his voice dying in his throat. The brief spark of amusement vanishes as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the cold realization of exactly how serious the situation is.

The Senator is injured. Her life is at risk, but they can't afford to postpone the talks. And if they can't delay, someone else needs to take her place. If not a replacement, then someone who knows the Senator well, who understands her stance, who can represent her properly.

Someone who knows everything she knows.

Someone who looks, and sounds, and acts, and, for all intents and purposes, is her.

Fives can feel the blood drain from his face as he meets Esmé's eye, and the cold, hard look in hers tells him all he needs to know. This is happening.

"Are you insane?" he blurts out. He looks at the General, then the Captain, then back at the Senator, before settling on Esmé again, and his hands drop to his sides and clench into fists. "You can't possibly think this is a good idea. They're going to figure it out. They're going to know you're not really her."

"I can," Esmé argues, her eyes flashing, her lips pressed into a thin line. "And I do. And they won't."

Fives scoffs. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yes," she replies, and there's a steel to her voice that hadn't been there before, a fire that burns behind her eyes. "Because I'm not going to give them a chance to."

"This is a bad idea," Fives insists. He runs a hand through his hair and paces a few steps away, before he spins on his heel, his gaze landing on Esmé. "The whole plan is crazy."

Esmé bristles, and a muscle jumps in her jaw, her mouth pressing into a thin line. But the Senator just sighs and shakes her head, a tired look in her eyes.

"I agree," she admits, her tone weary. She rubs her temples with her fingers and sighs again, her shoulders slumping. "I don't like it either. But it's the best option we have. Unless you have another solution?"

"No," Fives says. "But—"

"Then it's settled," Senator Amidala tells him gently. She gives him a smile that looks more like a grimace. "I'm sorry. I know it's not ideal, but we have to make this work. This may be our only chance at peace."

Fives opens and closes his mouth a few times, his lips moving, but no sound coming out. He tries to think of a counterargument, some kind of logic that will sway the Senator, something that will convince them both to call off the plan, but he can't come up with anything that will change their minds.

They've already made their decision. He can't stop it.

And it's not like it matters. His opinion has never mattered before. Why would it now?

"Fives, this is the only way,” General Skywalker speaks up. He leans against the window frame and looks at him. "If she does this, Padmé will be safe. The peace talks will go ahead as planned, and we can keep an eye on things here."

"Sir," Fives protests, "this isn't the answer. Surely there's some other way. Some other—"

"There isn't."

Fives' mouth snaps shut. His teeth grind together, his jaw working furiously, and he glares at the ground, trying not to let the anger show on his face. It's not the General's fault. Or the Senator's. This is just what has to happen. But that does little to assuage the burning anger in the pit of his stomach.

"Esmé can do this," General Skywalker continues, "She's trained for it. She's capable."

Fives snorts and shakes his head, his mouth twisting into a grimace. He can feel a knot forming in his stomach, his chest tightening. He takes a deep breath and blows it out through his nose.

"I can't let you do this," he mutters, and the words are barely audible, but he knows that Esmé has heard him when she stiffens. A look of surprise flickers across her face before her expression hardens, her lips curling into a sneer.

"Let me?" she repeats.

Her tone is cold and hard, and when he meets her eye, there's a steely look in hers. She pushes herself away from the fireplace and takes a few steps toward him, her head held high.

"I don't recall asking for your permission," she tells him flatly. She arches a brow and tilts her head, her tone cold. "Or your opinion."

The knot in his stomach twists higher, turning into a burning sensation that rises in the back of his throat. He swallows it down and looks around the room, hoping someone else will speak up and put an end to this whole thing. But everyone remains silent, and when he looks at Rex, all he does is nod.

It's hopeless.

Fives lets out a ragged sigh as he scrubs a hand over his face and through his hair, his fingers gripping the strands tightly before releasing them and letting them fall back into place.

He's better than this. He knows that. He's a soldier, and a damn good one, and he's not going to let his emotions get the better of him. If this is the mission, then this is the mission. That's all there is to it. He'll do what he's told, and he'll follow orders, and he'll be a good soldier.

No matter how much he disagrees with the plan. No matter how strongly he feels. No matter how hard it is.

He'll be a good soldier.

But that won't stop him from hating it.

"Alright," Fives finally says, and he straightens, squaring his shoulders and holding his chin high, his gaze focused on a spot somewhere above the Senator's head. "Whatever you need me to do, sir. I'm ready."

General Skywalker gives him a tight smile and a nod, and Fives returns it, though the gesture feels hollow, and he can't quite manage to muster the enthusiasm that's usually there.

"Good. You'll be Esmé's guard while we're gone," he says, clapping his hands together. He points at Fives with the tips of his fingers, his eyes narrowing. "Go with her everywhere she goes. If she needs something, you'll get it for her. If she has a problem, you'll fix it. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Keep an eye on her," the General continues. He looks over Fives' shoulder and nods at Esmé, his expression grim. "Don't let her out of your sight."

Fives' frown deepens, and he glances at the woman in question. She's looking at him with an unreadable expression, and he can't help but wonder what she's thinking, if she's even a little bit bothered by what's happening. But the second their eyes meet, she looks away, and he's left feeling hollow and empty, a cold chill settling into his bones.

"I'm sorry," the General says softly, and Fives' gaze snaps back to him, confusion written all over his face. The General looks away and rubs the back of his neck, a pained look on his face. "I know you're not thrilled about this. Neither am I. But it's important."

"I understand, sir," Fives answers quickly. He gives him a smile that's closer to a grimace. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Of her."

General Skywalker gives him a look. "You're sure you're okay with this?"

"Yessir," Fives replies immediately, and the response is out before he can think better of it. He swallows, the knot in the pit of his stomach growing bigger, tighter. "I'll make sure everything goes smoothly. No one will be able to tell the difference."

"Good," the General says. He nods. "Good."

"If there's nothing else," Esmé speaks up, and she takes a step forward, folding her arms over her chest, "I'd like to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Right," the General agrees. He looks around the room. "I think we're done here. Rex."

Rex gives Fives one more look, a warning in his eyes, before he turns and follows the General out of the room, the two of them disappearing into the hallway. Senator Amidala waits until they've gone before moving towards the door, her arm wrapped tightly around her waist, her movements slow and careful.

She stops in the doorway and looks back at Fives and Esmé with a soft expression on her face, and her mouth twists into a sympathetic smile.

"Try not to kill each other," she says gently. Her eyes flick from one to the other, lingering on each of them for a long moment. "And try to rest. Both of you."

Fives and Esmé nod and offer their thanks, and the Senator gives them a final smile and a quiet 'goodnight' before closing the door behind her with a soft click. The silence that descends is heavy and oppressive, a thick blanket that covers the room and wraps itself around them both. Fives stares at the floor, the wood polished to a shine, and he can feel Esmé watching him, can feel the heat from the fire licking at the back of his legs, but he can't bring himself to meet her gaze.

Esmé breaks the silence first, her voice cutting through the air like a knife.

"What the hell is your problem?"

The words are quiet, the question soft, but there's an edge to them that he can't ignore. He finally looks up and meets her eye, and the firelight casts strange shadows over her face, highlighting the curve of her cheekbone, the sharp angle of her jaw. She's watching him with barely-contained fury, the corners of her mouth pulled down, her eyes narrowed, and he takes an involuntary step backwards, startled by the sudden intensity of her anger.

"Excuse me?" he asks, incredulous.

"You heard me," she says, and she stalks forward, each word enunciated, biting and sharp. "You don't have the right to talk to me like that. You don't get to come in here and tell me what to do. You don't get a say."

Fives flinches.

He knows that. Of course he does.

And yet, the words still hurt. They're a reminder of how little she thinks of him, of how little he means to her. He's nothing more than a soldier, a clone, and a poor excuse for a brother. And that's it. That's all. She's not interested in anything else.

She's made that abundantly clear.

He shakes the thought off, pushing the ache down, forcing himself to focus on the anger instead. It's easier to deal with.

And right now, he has plenty to be angry about.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe," he grits out. He's trying not to shout, but he can't quite control the volume of his voice, his tone rising with every word. "This whole plan is crazy, and you're too stubborn and proud and—"

"I don't need you to keep me safe," she interrupts, and she's shouting now, too, their voices echoing off the walls, filling the space between them. "I don't need your help, and I don't need you to look after me. I can do this without you."

Fives snorts and rolls his eyes, his hands clenched into fists at his side, his nails digging into his palms.

"This isn't about whether or not you need me," he growls. "It's about doing the job right. You're not trained for this. You're not—You're not prepared."

She glares at him, her eyes glittering, and her chin juts out defiantly.

"And what would you know about it?" she snaps. She moves closer, until there's only a few inches of space between them, and he can see the fire reflected in her eyes, the flames dancing behind the dark irises. "You're a clone. You're a soldier. That's all you are. You don't know anything about politics. Or the Senate. Or Naboo. So don't tell me what I can or can't do. Because you have no idea."

"I'm just trying to look out for you," he retorts. He can feel the anger welling up inside him, rising in the back of his throat, hot and burning. "Someone has to. And obviously, it's not going to be you."

"I'm not your responsibility," she hisses. "You have no reason to care. You barely even know me. This has nothing to do with you, so don't pretend that it does. Don't act like this is personal."

Fives sucks in a breath and bites back a retort, swallowing the bitter words and clenching his jaw. He wants to lash out, to hit something, to scream, but he holds his tongue, and the urge fades, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion.

He's tired.

He's so kriffing tired.

He can't remember the last time he slept, the last time he was able to relax, the last time he didn't feel like he was carrying the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders.

He just wants a break. A moment of peace.

Is that so much to ask?

He exhales and squeezes his eyes shut, scrubbing a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. He can feel the beginnings of a headache pulsing behind his temples, his head throbbing with each beat of his heart, his skin stretched tight. He forces his eyes open and focuses on the woman in front of him.

He's not going to get anywhere by yelling at her. It's not going to change her mind, and all it's going to do is hurt them both. And while that might make him feel slightly better, he'd rather not see the look on her face when she realizes how much he really cares about her.

He's not sure if he's ready to deal with the rejection.

So he'll apologize. Even though she's being stubborn and ridiculous and unreasonable. Even though she's wrong. He'll swallow his pride and apologize.

And maybe they can both finally get some sleep.

"Look," Fives says quietly, and he sighs, dropping the hand from where it's been gripping the back of his neck, his arm falling limply at his side. "I know that you can take care of yourself. I'm not trying to question your ability or your competence. You're clearly very good at what you do. But—"

"But you don't trust me," she cuts him off. She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at him, a challenging glint in her eyes. "That's what this is really about. You don't trust me to get the job done. You don't think I can do this."

"Of course I don't!" Fives cries as he throws up his hands and shakes his head, a look of disbelief on his face. "Why the hell would I trust you? How could I possibly trust you to do this?"

Esmé jerks back as if she's been struck, and he winces, his stomach dropping.

Shit.

Her face falls as the light dims in her eyes, the anger fading into something softer, more fragile. It's fleeting, barely a glimpse of vulnerability, but it's enough. Enough to make him want to reach out and pull her into a hug, enough to make him want to take the words back. Enough to make him regret saying them in the first place.

But the mask is back in place before he can do anything. It's not as cold or as hard as it had been earlier, but it's there, and he knows that he's lost the chance to speak to the woman underneath.

Esmé's hands drop to her sides, and her shoulders slump. She looks away, staring into the fire, the flames reflecting in the glassy surface of her eyes. When she speaks, the words are quiet and resigned, and there's a hint of weariness in them.

"Fine. Thank you for your input. You can go."

"Esmé, wait—"

"Goodnight, Fives,” she interrupts, and then she walks past him and disappears into the refresher, the door slamming shut behind her.

The sound reverberates through the room, echoing in the silence.

Fives lets out a groan and presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, pressing down until he sees stars. He counts slowly, taking deep, steadying breaths.

In and out. In and out.

Well done, Fives. Good job.

There's no coming back from that.

Why had he said that? Why hadn't he been more careful?

He'd meant every word, and he wouldn't take it back. He does think she's competent. More than capable. She's a force to be reckoned with, and there's no doubt in his mind that she can handle herself. She's the one who saved them earlier, not him. She's the one who killed a karking assassin. Not him.

So, no, it's not that. It's not a lack of skill or ability.

It's something else. Something bigger.

He just can't put a name to it.

A few minutes pass, and Fives lowers his hands, blowing out a long, slow breath as he makes his way toward the door. He hesitates in the doorway and looks back over his shoulder, his gaze lingering on the door to the refresher. There's no sound coming from the other side, no running water, no footsteps, no sign that she's doing anything but sitting in the dark and stewing in anger and hurt feelings.

He could wait. Try again. Explain himself better.

No.

Not tonight.

He's too tired to do this anymore. Too worn out. Too drained. And she's made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing to do with him.

Fives turns away and slips through the door, pulling it shut behind him.

It's probably for the best.

Tup is still asleep when he trudges back to their shared room. His brother's body is sprawled across his bed, his chest rising and falling steadily underneath the bandages. He'd managed to get his armor off and most of the rest of it, but had apparently given up halfway through and decided to call it a day. The discarded pieces lay scattered across the floor, a trail leading from the door to the bed where his feet hang off, one boot half-off, the other bare.

Fives rolls his eyes before he steps inside, allowing the door to shut behind him. He kneels and unlatches Tup’s boot, easing it off and lining both neatly on the floor beside the bed. Then he reaches for the blankets and pulls them up over his sleeping form, covering him to the chin.

Tup stirs slightly, his face contorted into a confused frown.

"Fives?" he mutters groggily, one eye blinking open, the other remaining closed. "Where'd you go?"

"Had a chat with Rex," Fives replies as he shucks off his own armor, carefully placing it on the ground next to the bed. "He wanted to go over the new security plans for the negotiations. Make sure everyone's on the same page."

It's not a lie. Not exactly. Just a stretch of the truth.

Tup grunts. "Everything okay?"

"Yup. We're good," Fives tells him, and he's glad that the room is dark, because the words taste like ash in his mouth.

"Did you talk to Esmé?" he mumbles sleepily. "How'd it go?"

Fives glances over his shoulder at the closed door and swallows. His throat is tight, and the lump that's formed in the back of it isn't going away, even as he sets the last piece of his armor on the floor and turns back to Tup.

"I did," he says slowly. "Could have gone better."

"That bad, huh?"

"Worse," Fives mutters. He crawls into bed and stretches out, tucking his arms behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. "Much worse."

Tup lets out a huff and shifts, rolling onto his side, his back to Fives. He burrows deeper into the pillows and tugs the blankets up to cover the bottom half of his face, muffling his voice.

"You'll figure it out," he mumbles. "There's always tomorrow."

"Yeah," Fives says softly, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling. He closes his eyes and swallows hard. "Tomorrow."

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#fives x oc #arc trooper fives #arc trooper fives x oc #the clone wars #roy writes #fives x esmé #oc: esmé #good graces #now accepting applications for a volunteer to spray me with water every time i work on my thorn longfic instead of this

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jcmarchi · 1 year ago

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10 Best Reseller Hosting Companies

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Visit SiteGround →

It’s not common to see a web host with 4.9-star reviews on TrustPilot, which is why I graded StableHost the best-rated reseller hosting provider. A majority of their reviewers gave good comments about their excellent customer support.

StableHost offers a wide range of hosting solutions, including VPS, shared, and dedicated hosting. All their plans are flexible, scalable, and built on enterprise-grade SSD drives and dual cores for reliable, high-performance websites. On each plan, you have access to a robust security system (free SSL certificate, WAF, and anti-spam), unlimited bandwidth, and an in-built drag-and-drop website builder to create your own website for free.

Why should you choose StableHost reseller hosting services? If you’re tired of web hosts with unreliable customer service, this provider is for you. They use cluttered hosting—a technology that allows servers to share resources and workloads—to improve website performance and speed. This clustered setup ensures no single server is overwhelmed, leading to faster processing and improved performance. If one server fails, the others take over automatically, minimizing downtime and ensuring that your clients have access to their website at all times.

Why choose StableHost?

They use enterprise-grade SSD storage and LiteSpeed servers for fast loading times and optimal performance.

cPanel and WHM for easy access and client management

They offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee to ensure your client’s website is always accessible.

They provide 24/7/365 customer support on different levels – live chat, phone calls, emails, and even physical mailing services.

45-day money-back guarantee to give you a satisfactory look at all their features and tools

In summary, StableHost is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a reliable, high-performance reseller hosting provider offering scalable features and quality customer support.

Read Review →

Visit StableHost →

3. Cloudways (Most user-friendly)

Tired of the traditional cPanel providers? Checkout Cloudways, a reputable cloud hosting provider with a custom control panel. Their goal is to simplify website building and management, especially for users without technical experience. How? Let’s start with the basics – the Cloudways platform.

The Cloudways platform is intuitive and beginner-friendly, allowing you to perform intensive activities in just one click. For instance, you can create, clone, or scale servers without hassles. Of course, you’ll get the customary hosting features on Cloudways, such as a free SSL Let’s Encrypt certificate, automated backups, a dedicated OS-level firewall, and more.

You can also add team members (this feature is absent on cPanel) for easy collaboration and monitor all your client’s websites from one dashboard with their 24/7 real-time server monitoring service. You can see why I ranked them as the easiest to use.

I love that their service offerings are unique, too. Instead of VPS, shared or dedicated hosting services, their packages are priced based on your chosen infrastructure. For example, if you’re deploying your website on the Digital Ocean, you’ll pay $54/month for the lowest plan and $36.56 for the AWS server.

Cloudways’ focus on usability and performance makes them an excellent choice for resellers. For each reseller hosting plan, you can add unlimited sites and apps (without worrying about the extra costs of an upgrade), access to their proprietary control panel, dedicated firewalls, staging environment, and advanced caching functionalities. They also handle every server-related issue and simplify workflows so that you can focus on business logic rather than cloud server hassles or managing your client’s websites.

Why choose Cloudways?

Their modern control panel is sleek and easy to use

Cloudways use cloud-based, enterprise-grade servers for fast and reliable website performance

The hosting resources are completely scalable

Free SSL and CDN on all plans

Hourly and monthly payments available

Overall, Cloudways provides easy-to-use, high-performance hosting solutions with scalable reseller hosting features, making it an excellent choice for all resellers – IT guys, digital marketing entrepreneurs, or online business owners.

Read Review →

Visit Cloudways →

4. Verpex (Best managed hosting)

Verpex is another young web hosting provider gaining mainstream adoption because of its reliability and versatility. This less-than-a-decade-old host currently hosts over 200,000 websites worldwide. Yes, totally amazing!

Verpex offers myriad web hosting services—shared, VPS, cloud, WordPress, etc. Although they don’t have email hosting (which is common to hosts in this category), they complement that with other unique hosting services such as eCommerce, WooCommerce social media, SaaS, and CRM hosting.

Each plan features unlimited bandwidth, cPanel, SSL certificates, unlimited migrations, NVMe SSD storage, and more. Remember what I shared earlier about AMD EPYC processors? This web host also provides nest-generated AMD EPYC CPUs for more efficient website performance.

One of the advantages of switching to this web host is their fully managed service approach. As a reseller for their hosting packages, they handle your server’s technical aspects, including server maintenance, upgrades, and security. This allows you to focus on non-technical issues and expand your business accordingly.

Verpex’s best reseller hosting plans, which start at $20/month, allows you to create up to 50 cPanel accounts. You enjoy 250GB NVMe SSD disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and a free domain transfer. The plan also helps reduce latency and improve user experience with Anycast DNS, a networking technique that spreads DNS requests across various servers globally. This means no matter where your clients are located, they can enjoy faster and more responsive website performance.

Why choose Vertex?

Vertex provides round-the-clock support with expert technical support to answer all your queries

They offer free automated daily backups

WHM and cPanel for hosting management

Their servers are in over nine countries worldwide, including London, New York, etc.

They provide robust security features such as Immunify 360, SSL certificates, and SPAM-free email servers.

In summary, Verpex offers comprehensive managed hosting services for anyone looking for reliable and efficient hosting services for their clients.

Read Review →

Visit Verpex →

There are hosting providers that prioritize paid users over unpaid ones. However, Inmotion Hosting stands out by offering support to all types of users, including those who are yet to commit to their plans. This means even though you’re an unpaid user, you have full access to their customer support team whenever needed. Their commitment to excellent customer service and fast response times made me categorize them as one of the best web hosts with quality customer support. According to Sunil Saxena, Inmotion’s cofounder, they’re a customer service company that happens to offer web hosting.

They’re a privately owned company providing managed, cloud-based web hosting services to businesses of all sizes. They have been in the hosting industry for over two decades and proudly manage over 170,000 websites hosted on their platform. They use green data centers that are wholly owned and managed by them. All their plans boast 99.99% uptime, over 500,000 WordPress installations via Softwaculous, SSL certificates, NVMe SSD storage, etc.

As a customer-focused company, they offer managed reseller hosting to help you save time on routine server tasks. Whether you want to migrate all your clients’ websites without hitches or install custom software configurations, their managed services cover all technical aspects while you focus on growing your business.

Why choose Inmotion Hosting?

Custom nameservers are available for all plans

Free domain reseller account that allows you to sell and register domains to your clients

Free WHMCS to manage, automate, and receive payments from your customers

Reseller VPS hosting is available for users in need of dedicated resources

On-demand backups on all plans

90-day money-back guarantee, offering more time to test if they’re a good fit

Free website builder on all plans

Overall, Inmotion Hosting is a customer-centric hosting provider with state-of-the-art functionalities that guarantee your success online. Compared to other providers I reviewed in this piece, Inmotion only offers 80GB SSD storage at $0.99/month. Although, this plan renews at $35.99/mo.

Visit Inmotion →

6. A2Hosting (Most comprehensive)

When I first tested A2 hosting services, I was awestruck! They offer myriad hosting features on all plans, making it one of the most versatile providers in the hosting industry. A2 Hosting provides high-performance servers, free site migrations, daily backups, unlimited SSD storage, and a free SSL certificate for all plans. Their turbo servers, SSD NVMe and LiteSpeed Turbo Caching, available on higher plans, can deliver up to 20X faster speed and performance for an enjoyable user experience and higher conversion rates.

Whether you’re a veteran reseller or just looking to start your journey, A2 Hosting has a tailored plan for you. Each reseller hosting package contains SSD storage, white-labeled WHM and cPanel, WHMCS or Blesta for payments, automated daily backups, CloudFlare CDN, and DNS management.

Under the smallest plan, you can create up to 30 client accounts and offer customized hosting packages. I love that all their plans come with fully managed server management services, so you don’t have to worry about server maintenance or updates.

Why choose A2 Hosting?

Their LiteSpeed servers are built to handle high traffic without stress

They offer scalable server resources, allowing you to scale effortlessly without downtime or service interruptions

Your clients can keep track of their web performance via the website statistics feature

24/7/365 reliable customer support

Unflinching 99.9% uptime guarantee

Wide server locations

In summary, A2 Hosting is your best bet for resource-filled hosting services.

Read Review →

Visit A2Hosting →

7. Chemicloud (Best new web host)

Chemicloud is less than a decade old but is fast growing to become one of the best web hosting providers in the industry. When I first encountered them, I was skeptical about their promises and guarantees (common to new hosts to get your money). But I’m happy that Chemicloud leveraged its newness to carve a distinct niche in the hosting industry.

Like other A-list providers, Chemicloud offers free SSL certificates, domain registration, daily backups, and a free CDN. Its servers are hosted on the cloud, coupled with NVMe storage, LiteSpeed, and Turbo caching for maximum performance.

Even on their smallest reseller hosting plan, which starts at $19.95/month, ChemiCloud gives you up to 60 GB NVMe storage with 3TB bandwidth! The same is offered for $22.99/month on A2 hosting. Another advantage is that you can create packages and accounts that exceed your account limits—sell more, earn more!

ChemiCloud also offers a domain reseller program, an offshoot of the reseller hosting plan, where you can sell top-level domains for profit. Like reseller hosting, you can customize your pricing packages, install WHMCS/Blesta for payments, and manage your clients from one dashboard. It’s completely free for all reseller hosting plan users.

Why choose Chemicloud?

They have data centers dispersed in over seven locations across the globe

They’re eco-friendly

Their platform is mobile responsive and easy to use

White Labeling option available on all plans

Overall, Chemicloud surpassed my expectations with its simplified, resource-rich hosting solutions for its users.

Visit Chemicloud →

Looking for a budget-friendly option with good qualities? Check out KnownHost, a fully managed web hosting provider in the US. For them, offering affordable hosting services isn’t low quality. For only $6.97/month, their basic reseller hosting plan features the AMD EPYC platform and powered enterprise NVMe storage. In lay terms, their servers are built to handle high traffic volumes effortlessly and minimize downtime, ensuring your client websites remain fully accessible and functional.

You may ask, what’s the benefit of choosing them as your preferred provider?

In addition to excellent performance features, KnownHost is also known for its robust security features. They offer basic SSL certificates and DDoS protection. But you’ll also benefit from their advanced security system (Immunity 360), which keeps track of malicious traffic before it affects your website.

Why choose KnownHost?

They offer LiteSpeed, LSCache, and MVMe technology for optimized performance

White-label WHS for branding

99.99% uptime guarantee

Fully managed reseller hosting services

Dedicated IPv6 address support

One-click installs for over 400 applications

Free website migration

In summary, KnownHost is a good option for anyone wanting to try reseller hosting for the first time without overcommitting costs.

Visit Knownhost →

9. Greengeeks (Most eco-friendly)

GreenGeeks is a web hosting provider that stands out for its reliable, high-performance services and unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability. I believe that influenced their name, ‘GreenGeeks.’ Cool.

Their hosting platform is designed with sustainability, ensuring they don’t pollute the environment with carbon emissions from their data centers.

For each hosting account on their platform, they partner with a One Tree Planted non-profit to plant trees where needed around the globe. Because of this, the United States Environmental Protection Agency recognizes them as a partner for their sustainability practices.

GreenGeeks’ reseller hosting plan features all the essentials—white-label hosting cPanel, WHM, WHMCS, domain registration, etc. I love that you can integrate other payment processors such as PayPal, Authorize.net, and 2Checkout, which means your clients have flexible payment options. They also offer a domain reseller service where you can buy and register your customers’ domains for more profit.

Why choose GreenGeeks?

Managed reseller hosting for all paid users

They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee

Offer up to 25 cPanel accounts on the lowest plan

You’ll also enjoy private DNS nameservers for more customization

24/7/365 customer service

In summary, GreenGeeks combines reliable, high-performance hosting services with an unparalleled commitment to environmental sustainability, making it an excellent choice for eco-conscious resellers.

Isn’t the best always saved for the last?

Visit GreenGeeks →

Blazing speed and reliable performance are excellent. However, security is a non-negotiable factor that should always be prioritized when selling web hosting services. As a reseller, you’re responsible for hosting and managing your clients’ sites, and they trust you to keep their websites secure at all times. If anything goes wrong, you’re at risk of damaging your reputation or, worse, inciting lawsuits from the victims. This is why you need to partner with a secure web hosting provider.

HostArmada excels at many things but shines the most in providing a robust security system for all sites hosted on its platform. They have one goal: to provide a fast, secure, and reliable web hosting service. As a result, they have continually refined and upgraded their hosting solutions to ensure every website hosted on their platform is protected against security threats.

Like other A-list providers, HostArmada offers VPS, shared, dedicated, reseller, and WordPress hosting plans. Its services are powered by cutting-edge cloud technology to reduce downtime and data loss due to latency.

A provider committed to security should expect robust security features out of the box. I’m glad Hostarmada didn’t disappoint. Their web hosting environment is layered with multiple security firewalls to prevent malicious attacks.

Beyond the usual SSL certificate, automated backups, and DDoS protection, they have a web server security fleet that surveys web traffic to identify and block any malicious attack on your site. They also have an ‘Environmental Security Fleet’ that identifies and mitigates security threats across all their servers.

Why you should choose HostArmada:

They offer LiteSpeed web servers and an LS Cache plugin for blazing-speed

Access to Memcached, an object caching technology that serves database queries faster

They provide WAF protection, malware detection & cleanup, etc., for site security

White-labeling WHM service for customization

In summary, I was pleased with HostArmada’s features. Their commitment to security without sacrificing performance and reliability makes them a good choice for resellers.

Visit HostArmada →

How We Chose The Best Reseller Providers

Before evaluating each host, I laid out some criteria peculiar to running a successful reseller hosting business:

Unbeatable Reliability and performance:

This is a no-brainer. To attract and keep clients as a reseller, you need a provider with reliable performance and high speed. The provider should have all the required features for optimal performance and at least a 99.9% uptime guarantee to keep your customers’ websites running smoothly and accessible at all times.

Pricing:

Another thing I considered is the cost. The truth is, in the hosting industry, expensive doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes, smaller hosts offer better service. This is why I understudy each pricing package to know if the specs included worth the price and don’t have hidden fees.

Scalability:

As your client base increases, you need a provider with scalable servers—that is, one that offers the opportunity to scale seamlessly as you grow. For the purpose of this review, I chose web hosts with expandable storage, bandwidth, and a variety of scalable features.

Feature-rich:

Before choosing a web host, I look for providers with robust reseller features. This includes the basic reseller functionalities – WHM, WHMCS, cPanel, site migrations, unlimited bandwidth and storage, SSL certificates, etc. I also considered the availability of advanced features such as integrated CDN services, developer tools like SSH access, staging environment, automated backups and white labeling options.

24/7/365 Customer Service:

As a reseller, you’re expected to provide quality, on-demand support to your clients. But sometimes, they experience issues outside your control or skill set. In this review, I prioritized providers with a verifiable reputation for delivering quality customer support to avoid hiccups. These providers offer varying levels of support, from phone calls to emails and (or) live chat.

FAQs

What is the best reseller hosting?

The best reseller hosting provider offers reliable performance, blazing speed, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, cPanel or other related control panels, white labeling, and a quality customer support team.

I’ll choose Siteround as the best reseller hosting for 2024 because it provides all these features (and more) at an affordable price. Their platform is intuitive and easy to use.

Can you make money reselling hosting?

Yes, you can make a ton of money selling web hosting services. However, this depends on your chosen web host, pricing structure, and customer base. Choosing a reliable provider coupled with competitive pricing and good customer support is an excellent way to win the hearts of your customers fast. They’ll likely recommend you to their network, which means more revenue for your business.

How to set up reseller hosting?

Setting up reseller hosting differs based on the web host you choose. Generally, the process goes like this:

Choose your preferred provider.

Find the reseller hosting plan on their website (it’s most times listed under ‘hosting’)

Head to the client area (WHM or others) to customize your hosting services. You can also leverage the white labeling opinion (if included) to add your brand elements.

Promote your business to reach new customers.

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