#coruscant guard is struggling though

[amberskyyking]

Dying Isn't Very Regulation: Chapter 14

Ninety-Nine finally gets to go on a mission with his brothers, like he always wanted, and be a good soldier, just like them.

(Or, a self-indulgent 5 9 16?? chapter fic inspired by Snapback by @toomanyteefs with Fives and Ninety-Nine, because I have emotions about this, they deserves the world, and the narrative has officially run away with me!)

Ninety-Nine couldn’t help but let out a gleeful gasp as he stepped off the ship and his boots sank into cold, crunchy snow. He could hardly believe it, hardly believe he was here, with his brothers, on a mission! The dust that coated everything on Melida-Daan, filtering sunlight through its hazy glow in the air, had topped anything he experienced on pristine, chemically sterile Kamino, but snow? He reached down to cup a handful of it in his gloves and squeezed it, smiling with delight as it packed together in his fist. The frigid, sharp air bit at the exposed skin on his face, he felt a prickling sensation in his nose as he inhaled and exhaled, and a little puff of fog escaped his mouth.

“Use both hands and you can make it into a snowball!” Wrecker said eagerly, his voice muffled under a thick woolen scarf. “Like this!” 

Fives grinned as Wrecker pounded a mound of snow into a ball shape and reeled back, taking aim at the back of Hunter’s head, when something went Splat! On the back of his own and made him yelp.

“Hey!” 

Omega stood giggling but quickly shrieked and took cover behind Fives as Wrecker lobbed his giant snowball at her instead! Ninety-Nine laughed along with them, scooping up more snow to make a snowball of his own and join in the fun when Crosshair stepped down off the ship himself with a glare at them all.

“Don’t forget we have a mission,” He snarled, slamming on his helmet. “This isn’t a field trip.”

Full Chapter (And Story!): Good Soldiers & Good Brothers

[flyiingsly]

Undercover

Square : Obi-Wan Kenobi

Pairing : Fox x f!jedi!reader

Warnings : NSFW !!!, blood and injuries, reader getting punched in the face and blasted, established relationship, slight masturbation (f receiving), Fox being a tease

Wordcount : 4,3k

Summary : You get caught by mistake by the Coruscant Guards during an undercover mission, which led you right into the office of your favorite Marshal Commander.

A/N : My twelfth submission for the @clonexreaderbingo ! 😄 Well, I wanted to experiment and try something more spicy with this one. Don't wait for a whole smut scene though, I didn't really pushed it too far (although it gave me plenty of unholy thoughts, ngl), but it was sooo fun to write, I absolutely love how it turned out ! 😄 Enjoy ❤

Disclaimer : I'm still struggling to understand English grammar properly, English is not my native language and even if I have proofread my writtings several times, there is probably still typos in it. I'm very self conscious about it and I apologize for it in advance, but I'm doing my best to do better and I'm actively working at improving my writting skills !

So if you spot a typo, feel free to point it to me so I can correct it, it will be much appreciated :)

You barely had the time to get out of your ship after accosting to Coruscant from your latest mission that Obi-Wan Kenobi immediately greeted you with a straight face and took you apart from the rest of your men. He already had a new mission for you, a very special one. The council had heard about the menace of an attack toward the Chancellor, and possibly against the whole senate, from some separatist leader who was apparently not very pleased with the outcome of their last voting. And they wanted you to go undercover to find more information about it.

All you had to do was to go for a trip in the lower levels of the city to spy on a man suspected to be the link between the instigator and the executors of the attack. Which implied sneaking in the most infamous places, and more than probably ending up in some very unpleasing and dangerous situations. “All you have to do” they said …

As expected, you managed to get caught in some very uncomfortable position, AKA In the middle of a fight in front of a bar. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong moment, you knew you couldn’t interact or interfere with anything that may happen around you during this mission, or you’ll risk to get exposed and ruin your cover. And you did, you didn’t interact. But you had to stay here and not move in order to watch your target, and especially the person he was talking to. You were so close to find a lead, and probably one of the executors of the attack, you couldn’t waste that chance.

You were fully aware of what was happening near you, but you thought that you were far enough not to get involved. Well, you were apparently wrong. That simple fight between two drunk men became the perfect occasion for some guys in search for distraction to join in and start randomly punching innocent curious that had gathered around them. That’s how the bar’s entrance became a giant mess of various people throwing fists at each other for no reason. And just because you were standing in the area was enough for you to get punched as well.

The impact caught you off guard, you were surprised and shocked, but still aware enough to dodge the next fist coming right toward your face. You did your best to get yourself out of this mess, but what you weren’t expecting was the Coruscant Guard patrol’s intervention. They had heard the screams and the agitation, and were now trying to calm the situation. But soon, paralyzing blaster’s shots were raining, for most of the fighters weren’t willing to cooperate and started to assault them.

Too bad, at this point, they weren’t making any difference between real fighters and bystanders. One of them stopped you in your attempt to flee, not even giving a chance to explain yourself before blasting you as well.

***

When you woke up, you were aboard a prison van, your wrists were tied together with handcuffs, and you were experiencing a massive headache. Your vision was still a bit blurry at first, and you were still dizzy from the shot. It took you several minutes to regain your senses properly, before fully understanding what was going on. It was only at this moment that you saw the dark brown trails and splatters staining your shirt. The punch you received in the face was so violent that it had made your nose bleed badly, but you hadn’t noticed it in the heat of the moment.

Great, you had been arrested, and a part of your face was now probably covered in dry blood ! You couldn’t have failed your mission that much even on purpose. You told yourself that the better thing to do now was to wait until you arrived to the prison to discretely explain the situation to the guards, you could not risk your cover even more by publicly complaining about their mistake.

Maybe they just got overwhelmed by the situation and had to act so quickly that just they couldn’t recognize you. The place you were was very dark and badly lighted, after all … They’ll probably freed you later with the utmost secrecy, so you can pursue your mission.

But when you reached for one of the guards on your way to the prison cell to explain him the situation, he just laughed at your face, making fun of you with his fellow guards for trying to trick them into releasing you in such a stupid and rough way.

Things weren’t supposed to turn like this, at all. But you soon understood that it was useless to try to convince these men about who you really were, since you didn’t have your lightsaber on you to prove your claim. It was obvious that they were shinnies, they had never seen you before, so they absolutely had no idea of who you were, and it was probably the first time they ever have to arrest someone for real.

You still tried to ask them to talk to their commander as soon as possible, and they surprisingly agreed to let you meet him, because “he deserved to have a good laugh too”, leaving you alone in your cell, still making fun of you on their way back.

And they were still doing so when they came back later with their superior, explaining to him how funny the situation was.

But when Commander Fox finally saw you, he did not, in fact, had a good laugh. At all.

“Hello there” you greeted him with a grin when he showed up in front of your cell.

He paused for a second, and even if he was wearing his helmet, you could easily guessed his surprised and very confused expression under it. Then, he turned to the guards that had arrested you earlier, and you could tell by the tone of his voice that he was absolutely not amused.

“Are you kidding me ?” he lets out at the two men, who instantly stopped mocking you.

“What ? No, Commander, we swear, she kept telling us she was a Jedi, that’s true, she really did !” You could felt the embarrassment and anxiety in their voices.

“Of course, she did ! Because she IS a jedi !”

The two guards looked at each other, probably exchanging a look of horror under their helmets.

“Arr”, he grumbles, “I nearly forgot you’re still new here … You probably never met her before …. Well anyway, you had just arrested General (Y/N), congratulations, shinnies !”

“We’re sorry, we didn’t know …” you could feel their shame radiating by every interstice of their armors now, you did your best not to giggle at them to not make things worse.

“Of course, you didn’t know !!” He took a deep breath, trying to calm his growing anger and frustration.

“Alright, I’ll deal with the two of you later, open that cell and go back to work, quick !”

You were nearly as embarrassed as them now, as you watched one of the shinnies unlock the door pad without saying much than “yes sir”, then leave the corridor of the prison in the same exact silence. Your gaze followed them until they were out of sigh, then your eyes turned toward the Commander once again.

“General, if you don’t mind following me.”

You nodded and go after him, walking to his office in complete silence. When he closed the door behind you and that you were finally alone together, he walked to his desk, removed his helmet and put it gently on the furniture, revealing his graying hair and dark brown eyes. They were clouded with worry and sadness.

“You didn’t tell me that you were back to Coruscant …” he says to you in a low voice, leaning against his deck with his arms folded.

“I didn’t get the chance to … As soon as I landed General Kenobi accosted me with a very urgent and secret mission, I wasn’t allowed to use my commlink on this one, I didn’t even get a minute to send you a message … I’m sorry I should have done it anyway …”

It was now your turn to feel ashamed. You should have tried to tell him anyway, but sometimes it was hard to get some privacy with Obi-Wan on your heels, and you couldn’t risk anyone to know about the two of you.

“Yeah, that rumor of an assault against the Chancellor from some separatists, I know about that, the security of the Senate is at its maximum level because of it … Commander Cody told me that General Kenobi was willing to send a jedi on the case, but I didn’t know he wanted to send you …”

“Well, as I said, that was a complete surprise …” you pause, not sure about what more to say. “Are you … Are you mad at me ?” you then ask hesitantly, sincerely afraid that he could be.

“Mad ? Of course not, don’t worry, right now I’m just glad that I can finally have you back !” He answers softly, standing up from his desk and getting closer to you, a smile appearing on his lips. He was now in front of you, just a few inches away.  His close presence made you blush slightly. You raised your head to look at him in the eyes.

Your worries instantly vanished as he cupped your face between his gloved hands, before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on your lips.

“I’ve been missing you so badly mes’hla” he whispers, “it’s torture to be kept apart from you for so long …” The despair in his tone broke your heart.

“I know, I’m sorry love … I’ve missed you horribly too …” you caress his cheek with the tips of your fingers, trying to soothe him, “But I’m here now, and since the council sent me on that cover up mission, I’ll have a couple of days before leaving Coruscant again.”

“If that mission is still on after what happened” he sighs, ”I’m so sorry about that, these shinnies are a pain in my ass, I’m doing my best to stay patient with them, but they keep doing stupid stuff, that’s exhausting … General Kenobi is gonna kill me for ruining everything now …”

“Don’t be too harsh on them, please, they’re still learning. Being a Coruscant Guard is very far from what they were trained for on Kamino, it’s a very special place to get affected too, you know it …  And don’t worry about Obi-Wan, I’ll deal with that part. I still have a lot of information to bring to him, and I don’t think that my cover has been completely blown to be honest, I could still manage to make it through” you try to reassure him, but he was still looking skeptical.

”Plus, it allows us to get reunited at last, it’s not that bad !” you ad with a cheerful smile. It seemed to work, as he smiled back.

“But I still can’t believe that they blasted you ...! “ he suddenly lets out, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Then his gloved thumb brushed against your lower lips that had been cut opened by the punch you received in the face. You grimaced at the unpleasant feeling. It wasn’t that deep, but still enough to be uncomfortable. His face suddenly went from exasperation to concern.

“At least tell me it’s not them who have done that to you, or I swear I’m gonna ruin their lives …”

“No, don’t worry, they have nothing to do with this. That’s even worst, I just got punched in the face randomly while minding my own business and spying my fugitive in a corner, I wasn’t even part of the fight ! It just … happened !” you explain, smiling at the irony.

“What a shame, even when you’re not trying to you end up being in trouble anyway.”

A sly grin emerged on his face as he teased you. That kind of smile that was driving you insane and making you want to pin him against a wall and aggressively kiss him. You liked to tease each other with ironic and sarcastic comments like these, it was always to which one of you would outbid the other, and Fox had become a master in the art of sarcasm. It was his way to deal with all the crap his job as commander of the Coruscant Guards was throwing at him all day long, without committing a couple of murders. You bite your lower lips, a taste of blood filling your mouth. You tried your best to keep your composure and think about something clever to retort.

But all you could answered was “And I’m sure that you’re proud of yourself for coming to rescue me this time.”

“I have to admit that it’s a rather pleasing surprise after all !”

His smile became more mischievous, and you couldn’t take it anymore. You quickly close the gap between your faces to crash your lips against his again.

Hi hands moved instantly to your hips to grasp them firmly, pulling you against him. Your arms slide around his neck and you let your fingers run through his hair as he deepened the kiss. You couldn’t help but let out a groan when he started to teasingly bite your lips. You could feel his excitation irradiating from his body, it was contagious and he knew it.

Then, without a warning, his arms were wrapped around your waist tightly and he scooped you up from the ground to sit you on the edge of his desk in a swift movement, spreading your legs to place himself in between.

He glanced intensely at you before reaching for your neck, planting angry and needy kisses on your skin. You gasped and clench your teeth to prevent yourself from moaning too loudly. When he noticed it, he let go of your neck to face you again, grabbing your chin to force you to look at him.

“What are you afraid of mesh’la ? Nobody can hear us from here, come on, you know that I love to hear your voice …”

You didn’t want to protest, you couldn’t resist him when he was calling you that. With his eyes planted into yours, his hands started to make their way under your shirt toward your chest, softly starting to rub your nipples through your breast band. He loved to see you whine and quiver under his touch, and he knew that the fabric wasn’t very thick, and that you could feel any of his movements.

Your arms slipped from his neck to his lower body, your fingers heading straight toward his belt, unfastening it quickly. You knew perfectly well how those armors were built, how to put them on and how to take them off, and it didn’t take you long to get rid of his tights and codpiece, living his upper legs and pelvis only covered in his blacks.

“Did I already told you that you were very gifted with your hands ?” he teases you.

“Plenty of times, but I’m never tired of hearing it.” you breath out, grabbing his hips with both of your hands to pull him as close as possible. You knew he was fully aroused when you felt his length pressing against your tights.

“And what do you think about reminding you what mines are capable of too ?” his voice was low and provocative, you shivered at his words, knowing perfectly what was going to happen next.

“Yes, please …” you beg him, desperately craving for his touch.

He didn’t need for you to ask him twice, and as his lips met yours passionately again, his hand went down your belly to stop between your legs. His fingers started to gently massage your clit through your pants in circular movements, making you tightly cling to him, sending waves of pleasure through your body.

Suddenly, the ringing of his commlink cut you in your tracks, leaving you both panting and disoriented, looking at the device with surprise and confusion.

“Who is that ?” you ask, your voice filled with disappointment.

“I don’t know yet, but they better have a good excuse for bothering me …”

“What’s going on again ?” he lets out as soon as he picked up the call, as you were doing your best not to giggle at his annoyed and frustrated expression.

“General Kenobi is here Sir, he says that he needs to talk to you as soon as possible about something really important.” A guard’s voice responded.

Fox brow furrowed as your eyes widen, he was probably coming to get you out of your cell, but how the hell did he heard about it so fast ?

“What kind of important thing ?”

“He said that he can’t talk about it to anyone else but you Sir.”

“Of course” you heard him mutters with exasperation, “I’m sorry but I can’t receive him now, tell him to come back later, I’m in the middle of … an interrogation !”

You pray for his excuse to be enough to discourage the jedi to come in, but you knew him well enough to know that it won’t stop him, and the silence that followed wasn’t reassuring.

“I’m afraid that it won’t matter Sir, the General told me that it was a direct order from the Senate and a very urgent problem to address. In fact, he’s already on his way to your office, I’m sorry Commander.”

Fox didn’t answer, but his face immediately crumpled as you exchanged a terrified look.

“Commander, are you still here ?” the guard asks again with a concerned voice.

“Copy that.” He briefly answers before hanging up.

“Are you often leading interrogations in your office ?”

“Sometimes yes, depends on the circumstances, why ?”

You didn’t get the change to answer as you heard a loud knock on the door, making you both jump in surprise.

“Oh kriff !” you let out, getting out of the furniture and back on your feet in the second, your heart starting to race in fear of getting caught.

“What do we do now ?” he whispers nervously.

“At least buy us enough time to make it looks less like what it is !” you whisper back, immediately reaching for his armor to help him reattach its pieces properly, as he seemed too taken aback to be able to move.

“Who is it ?” Fox yells at the door, trying to prevent his voice from cracking out of nervousness.

“It’s General Kenobi, I thought that your guard had told you that I was coming.” the calm yet impatient voice of the jedi answered.

“Nobody can hear us from here, huh ?” you tease him about one of his previous comment, making him rolls his eyes, not very amused.

“He did, but I wasn’t expecting you to be here that soon !”

“Well, I am now ! Can I get in ?”

Fox threw a questioning and panicked glance your way, not really knowing what to say. You had just finished with his armor, and you nod at him, quickly straightening your clothes and hair.

“Of … Of course, you can !” he lets out with relief, quickly going around his desk to place himself behind it, in front of you. You were holding your beath, hopping to not look too flustered.

“Well, hello there, Commander !” Obi-Wan’s voice immediately ringed as he passed the now opened door, “General” he then saluted you, not as surprised has he should have been to see you.

“Sir” you simply greeted him, highly embarrassed but trying to hide it, your heart still bouncing from the sudden rush of adrenaline, praying for him not to notice it.

“You’re interrogating your superiors now Commander ?” the jedi amusingly asked Fox as he stopped in front of his desk. It sounded just like if he knew too much already.

“Well, some shinnies came to see me bragging about arresting someone who was pretending to be a jedi last night. They insisted for me to come over to see it by myself. They weren’t buying it and kept making fun of her, thinking it was a very bad attempt at being released without being charged … Of course, I immediately freed her, Sir. She was just explaining to me how she ended up being arrested.”

“And what was that for, (y/n) ?” he was looking at you right in the eyes now, his playful tone making you internally die of embarrassment.

“I got caught in the middle of a drunk fight and I tried to flee, but the guards were blasting everyone who were around that fight without any distinctions, and I thought that using my jedi abilities while being under cover wasn’t a good idea, so I just had no chances to get out of it. But I have the feeling that you already know all of this, am I right ?” you were doing your best to look and act as normal as possible, but you were still feeling unwell.

“Indeed, to be honest, that’s the very reason why I’m here. To get you out of this mess. Even if you seemed to already be in good hands” he says, looking at Fox from the corner of his eye. The poor man was as disturbed as you, and was looking down at his desk, doing his best to avoid any eye contact and to ignore the persistent feeling of your touch on him.

“Wait, how did you knew where I was ?” you then ask, confused.

“Well, it appears that even if your commlink had been disabled, we still were able to locate it. I did not know it was possible to be honest, but that’s good to know !”

“Oh, great then. I’m not very proud of myself on this one I have to admit … I hope the mission wasn’t compromised because of me …” you lowered your gaze, ashamed of your own failure, “I had to explain everything to Commander Fox as well, I know it was supposed to be a secret, but due to the circumstances, I thought that maybe having the Coruscant Guards on my side, or at least their Commander, could have been an advantage for us. But nobody else knew about it outside of him.”, you try to justify yourself.

“You don’t have to worry about that (y/n), you did well. That kind of thing happens during undercover missions sometimes, you just got lucky on your previous ones, honestly. Do you still have some information for me ?”

“A couple of, yes. Some may be very interesting I think.”

“Good ! We’ll talk about it back at the temple then, your mission isn’t over yet, don’t worry !” He smiles at you reassuringly, before looking at Fox again.

“Commander, I think that you’ll need to brief your men about that mission now so they won’t make that mistake again.”

“Yes sir, I’ll convoke them immediately !”

“Well then, if everything’s alright, I think that it’s time for us to leave you alone.” He turned to you for confirmation and you nod without a word. “Thanks you for your help and for looking over (y/n).”

As he reached for the door to exit the office, you and Fox exchanged one last look. His eyes were sad, and you felt guilty for abandoning him once again.

“Wait, I still have to sign the form before I leave !” you suddenly let out, making him stop in his tracks.

“Which form ?”

“The Commander told me that I needed to sign some attestation before leaving the prison, to prove that I have been released on purpose and not by escaping. It’s seemed to be a common procedure, so …” you confidently explain as you approached the desk, planting your eyes into the clone’s ones.

“Ha, yes, the register, I nearly forgot about it, thank you for making me remember ! Here it is !” he answers, trying to be convincing but not really understanding your move, offering you a datapad on which you quickly appended your signature.

“Of course, administration …” Obi-Wan grumbled ironically, rolling his eyes, knowing too well the burden it could represent.

“Thank you Commander, have a nice day !” you greet him as soon as you were done before turning back and heading toward the entrance too, more than relieved to finally get out of here without troubles.

As soon as you escaped the room and that the door closed behind you, Fox lets out a heavy sight and allowed himself to collapse in his seat, all the pressure suddenly releasing from his shoulders. He stayed like that for a moment, staring into space, processing what had just happened and replaying the whole scene in his head, trying to get rid of his frustration.

Then, the from you asked to sign before leaving came back to his mind, and his eyes landed on the datapad he had handled to you. That’s when he noticed that it wasn’t only a signature you had left on it. He took it in his hands, bringing it closer to his eyes so he could read it. The hastily scribbled words were very small and messy, but as soon as he understood your message, his face instantly lighten up, and a wide smile grew on his lips.

“Back street behind 79’, meet me at 2200.”

That day was maybe not going to end that badly after all.

[jedi-order-apologist]

Puppets get no second chance; pull that string, they gotta dance

Palpatine told Fives something of the truth after he made Shaak Ti and Nala Se leave the room. Of course, that was only to manipulate him. Written for Lyrical Titles Album Challenge - Song: "Taunting Cobras" - Savatage - Handful of Rain and Gen Prompt Bingo - Prompt: "Episode Tags and Missing Scenes"

I'd say Happy Star Wars Day, but the only one having a good time in this fic is Palpatine.

Fives’ vision was fuzzy, and his thoughts too. He’d been drugged, of that much he was certain. With what, he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to spare any mental energy to trying to work it out when it was taking everything he had just to keep focus. He repeated the words under his breath, a constant reminder of everything that had happened, everything that he was working to uncover and put a stop to. He wouldn’t let the Kaminoans’ drugs prevent him from convincing the Chancellor of everything that was at stake.

He struggled against the influence of the drugs, even as his vision swam. But that was undoubtedly the Chancellor in front of Fives, so he pulled what thoughts he could together, slippery and drifting as they were, and tried to explain the conspiracy he had uncovered.

His head pounded, and even though he managed the words, he couldn’t put them together right. Not enough to convince anyone.

But the Chancellor was willing to hear him out, and maybe it would be easier without everyone there. Well, Fives would’ve preferred that General Shaak Ti stay, but he couldn’t figure out how to phrase the request respectfully enough in front of the Chancellor, who had ordered everyone out in the first place, so she left too.

And Fives was left alone, with the Chancellor, a handful of the Coruscant Guard, and the Chancellor’s own security forces.

“Sir,” he tried again, “I don’t...I don’t know if it’s a Separatist plot. But the Kaminoans are definitely hiding something, and I don’t know who else would want to...to compromise us, except the Separatists.”

“Who indeed?” Palpatine said, with a smile that seemed to Fives...off. Indulgent, perhaps, like he was only humoring him.

CONTINUED ON AO3

[rentfreeinmyskull]

what is mai and natila's story? are they in lo ve?

Mai and Natila were raised as Jedi in the Temple on Coruscant. From the beginning, they were inseparable. They understood each other better than anyone else did. They were each other’s first friend, first love, first everything. 

Mai, out of her generation of Jedi, was considered one of the most dedicated and skilled, which put a lot of pressure on her to do well and be a role model to her fellow classmates. Meanwhile, Natila, with her restless nature and weak connection to the Force, was at best, thought to be a mediocre Jedi and at worst, a disappointment. This created a rift in their relationship. Mai was jealous of Natila’s freedom, while Nat envied the attention that Mai gained so ‘easily’. Nevertheless, they stayed close throughout their early years.

When they were teenagers, they realised their romantic feelings for each other. Natila was more open about it, while Mai expressed it through quiet acts of devotion. After a trip to Ilum, the two of them decided to swap their newly-found crystals, as a symbol of their love for each other. 

Then the Padawan trials came. Mai passed easily and was offered a place as a Padawan. Meanwhile, Natila was left in the dust. She convinced Mai to join her in a little act of rebellion, to make the Jedi pay [tbh I haven’t sorted the complete why and what they do, but the end result is still the same]. While they’re in the middle of it though, the alarms go off and Natila is trapped in a security Force field. Panicking and knowing that the guards are coming, Mai flees and leaves Nat to face the full brunt of the consequences.

Mai would have gotten away with it, but Natila didn’t. No one offered to take her under their wing and so the Council made the decision to exile her from the Temple. She was offered a place in a different wing of the Order [Peace corps type deal] but she refused. Bitter and betrayed, she left the Temple without saying goodbye to Mai. She still kept the lightsaber crystal though.

Years passed with no contact between them. Mai became a Jedi Knight, then Nuri’s Master. She kept Natila’s crystal, but didn’t use it in her lightsaber, as she didn’t consider herself worthy of it. Natila carved out a sphere of influence in the Coruscant underworld. She became known as a broker and hunter, under the alias of the Bronze Blade. She focused mainly on sourcing information, either to sell or to use for her own gain.

As the galactic conflict heightened, Mai and Natila’s spheres came into collision. Mai went hunting for an ancient weapon the Jedi could use. A contact of hers suggested an information broker who might know something about it and Mai was led right to Natila’s door. 

Their reunion was intense, to say the least. Natila had been hiding her rage for years and seeing Mai brought it all out into the light. She blamed her old friend for all of it: for her years of struggle under Mai’s shadow, for her exile, for abandoning her. Mai took the brunt of it and asked if they could set aside their past for the sake of the mission at hand.

Natila was initially hesitant, but agreed to work with Mai. Once again, specifics I haven’t worked out yet, but the two of them hunt for the weapon together and find their feelings start to rekindle. They both know though that their relationship will never be what it once was. But the yearning is very real and very much there. They will always have history and they will always know the other better than they know themselves. 

Later on, Ziost happens. Mai, Nat, Nuri, Leiko and the rest of my cast of characters are sent to investigate and stop the Sixth Line. Before they leave, Mai pulls Natila aside and admits that she never stopped loving her, that she accepts it if Nat never forgives her, but would like to earn her trust again. Natila says she’d be willing and the two of them share a little tender moment (either hand kiss or full kiss, don’t know quite yet). Mai urges Nat to be safe, since she’ll be on the front lines. Then they part ways.

And um..one of them dies on Ziost. So yay. 

I think of my Star Wars OCs in the context of a tv show format, so Mai and Natila are side characters in this one and don’t have a lot of focus, but it’s still important and devastating. 

[notthestarwar]

Snippet from: the sun will rise on us again

Against his better nature, Fox had run.

He'd run and it hadn't been enough. No matter how fast, no matter how clever, always one step ahead. His brothers are gone.

In the first days, he hadn't considered what that actually meant. He hadn't considered what losing control, what being forced to act against everything that you were, everything you always had been, would do to a person.

The war had taken Ponds from them before anything else could. That was a kindness, Fox knows that now.

He's been running and running and he's starting to think, that he's been carrying a torch in the hope of passing it on to people already dead and buried. She'd told him there would be nothing left if he didn't run. Well Fox had run, and anything that they ever had is long gone all the same.

In the first weeks of the empire, his brothers had fallen like dominoes. One by one, the empire burnt through them in a way that made the war, made Kamino, look like nothing. A week in and 3 of the guards men had survived. Thorn later fell at vaders hand. Friendly fire, nothing but a karking temper tantrum.

As the years passed and his brothers wretched back more control, a new foe plagued their ranks. Bly was the first he heard of, first chance he got; he put his blaster to his head just like he'd once done to his general.

From what he'd heard, Wolffe went the way of his jedi too, a ship exploding during a mission. It was a kindness Fox supposed, a quick death. Better than this leaden burden, this throne of nothing.

Fox had run because running might have saved them, it hadn't though, it wasn't enough. He hasn't stopped running but still, his brothers are lost to him, they lost to each other.

There is nothing left to go towards, he's just running on the spot, without them. Now there is just him. Now there is just the chase.

He finds himself sometimes, thinking of the prime. In his old age, Fox has begun to develop a strange affinity with the the shabuir, an understanding of what it means to be the heir to a dead legacy. How that feels, knowing that you can't quite put it down but you can't quite look at it all the same, how that pulls at you.

He still has no particular hunger to clone himself. To sell himself again and again, giving away any freedom he might have found to a master that would undoubtedly fuck him over. Selling himself in to a kind of slavery that would persevere long after his death.

Fox has never known freedom well enough to want to give it up for anything. Always just out of his reach. You can't give what you don't have.

Any claim the republic once had on him had died the day it burnt. But Fox now finds himself chained by his duty. By debts owed to members of a family long dead.

Fox can not rest while the empire lives. He'll burn it all down long before he lays his head to rest in whatever shallow grave his shitty attitude had more than earnt him by now.

That's the root of the problem. It's not the task itself weighing him down, it's that Fox has never been the person who should be carrying it.

Born to a galaxy that had already had enough of him, Fox has never been able to bring anything new to the table.

He's clever, but never as fast, as Cody. He's fierce, but without Wolffe's loyalty to balance it out, it serves as a disturbance rather than a asset. Bly saw the good in people, he made the most of what he had, lived each day to the fullest, but Fox has only ever been able to see the bad. It's why they stuck him on Coruscant in the first place. He's never struggled to recognise someone who's given in to their worst urges because Fox has more in common with those people than he does his brothers.

He's always known that there's something within him that's bad. Whatever was in Jango, that allowed him to be manipulated in to allowing something so terrible, that lives within Fox and he's always known it. It's deep inside him, festering as it bides its time, waiting for him to give in to it. To let it take over.

Fox isn't a good person, he came to terms with that long ago. Isn't good, but his brothers are. His brothers were good people who were made to do things they never could have done. That's why he can't stop. That's why he can't rest. He owes them this.

Even if nothing had shown him what kind of person he was before now, Fox would know it today. This is the kind of situation that can only be a punishment.

Bad things happen to good people every day, but this? This isn't just a bad thing. This is the kind of thing that only happens if you deserve it. He's sure of it.

Were Fox better, this wouldn't have happened. But Fox is bad, he's always known it, and so, rather than an every-day kind of tragic event, he's earnt himself this.

The empire are hunting him. The empire are always hunting him. But today, they have sent someone new.

Right now, Fox is being tracked by his brother, by Cody. They've primed him and pointed him in Fox's direction. He's close. He can smell Fox's blood, he can smell his fear.

Fox isn't scared of dying. He never has been. He regrets that he can't complete his mission, can't do this one thing for his brothers after everything that he's taken, but well, is it that surprising that he wasn't up to the job?

With every day that passes, when he looks in the mirror, he sees less of the vode in his face. What is left in front of him, staring back at him, calls to memory only one person. Fox looks like Jango more and more every day and he hates it.

He looks in the mirror and he sees someone cold. The kind of person that would sell children. That would let his genetic material be made in to people, people with hopes and dreams, people given no choice but to betray those hopes and dreams. People whose bodies would one day, be puppeted around like droids. Forced to watch as their hands betray them and all that they've ever loved again and again.

Fox wouldn't do that. But now, he knows how he might.

Maybe it's good that he dies here and now, at his brothers hand, before he can become the kind of person who would.

And that's the ultimate betrayal of his brothers really isn't it. The one person spared the chips control, the one person who gets to dance just outside of the empires reach, who gets to still be the person he always has been; never actually needed to be controlled to do awful things.

Here Fox is, outside of the empires reach and yet, he'll still do terrible things if he's allowed to carry on. Fox already understands why Jango did what he did. He doesn't want to know what he himself will do if he carries on living.

He'll never be at peace but maybe it's time to close his eyes all the same. To say goodnight.

He's scared but not of dying, not of pain, but of what this will do to Cody. Anything that's left of Cody anyway.

[lamaenthel]

Tivaevae | Chapter Three: Paper Piecing

Still struggling to emotionally recover from Master Obi-Wan's deception, Ahsoka discovers in the aftermath that twelve-year-old Boba Fett has been locked up among adults in the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. After convincing Chancellor Palpatine to grant him a pardon, she manages to secure his release on the condition that she serve as his legal guardian. Now, with the help of Master Plo and the Wolfpack, she vows to help him track down what family he has left.

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Fandom: Star Wars Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Kanan Jarrus, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CC-1119 | Appo, Dexter Jettster, FLO | WA-7 (Star Wars), Shaak Ti, ARC Commander Blitz (Star Wars), CT-6922 | Dogma, Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), CC-3636 | Wolffe, Clone Trooper Sinker (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Comet (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody, CT-5597 | Jesse, CT-4860 | Boost, Aurra Sing, Tobias Beckett, Null-11 | Ordo Skirata, Kal Skirata, Original Mandalorian Characters (Star Wars), Original Droid Characters (Star Wars), Original Jedi Character(s) (Star Wars) Total Word Count: 123,000 Chapter Word Count: 7,367 Chapter TW: CSA Mention Chapter Summary: Anakin returns to Coruscant with a new initiate, Ahsoka discovers a horrifying truth about Boba's past, and Boba tries to reconnect with Rex.

Anakin had been on Coruscant for a grand total of six hours before being gravely approached by Master Yoda with a solemn request; hurry to unstable Toydaria and retrieve a Force-sensitive toddler. Toydarian was his first language, after all, and perhaps the old toad had sensed that he wanted to be on the opposite side of the galaxy from his lying, backstabbing, heartbreaking, dick-for-brains Master.

Padmé, ever the opportunist, had jumped to offer her diplomatic cruiser for the mission. Since they had just averted the assassination of her mentor and oldest ally, it was the least she could do. It could fit a grand total of fifteen passengers; two pilots, three navigators, four guests, and six guards. They'd passed on the guards and had instead taken Dormé, Moteé, and Ellé along with Artoo and Threepio.

And, of course, little Taarak Na'Hane-Bata.

Anakin had been shocked upon landing when he discovered that instead of a Toydarian baby, he was collecting the adopted Togruta son of a pair of Toydarian physicians. They'd been devastated, despite having been the ones to contact the Temple in the first place, and the goodbye had lasted so long that even Padmé was creeping out the door in an effort to finalize their farewell. Now that he'd spent some time with the boy, though, he couldn't blame them. He was kriffing adorable, and well-behaved to boot.

Obi-Wan had once warned him about how dangerous Togruta toddlers were. They were thick with pheromones and notorious cuddlebugs who loved nothing more than to stare adoringly at their caretakers, hypnotizing them into catering to their every whim with their big sad eyes. Taarak certainly had those.

Though the two year old had cried pitifully for his parents until he had passed out from overexhaustion, when he awoke he seemed to have accepted the separation and allowed Anakin to comfort him. They sat in the lounge now at the padded bench surrounding the dejarik table. Padmé had turned it on to amuse him; he was frightened at first, but he'd quickly become fascinated with the tiny figures. He ran his little fingers up and down Anakin's tabards like he was typing on a keyboard as he stared at them, singing a nonsense song to himself and purring just like Ahsoka did when she was content.

He even looked similar to her; his skin was more blood than orange and both his lekku and eyes were a darker blue, but the resemblance was close enough to make Anakin's heart ache. He wished he could have seen Snips as a baby.

"Wanjala?" he asked Taarak with a smile.

The boy looked away from the figures on the dejarik table and nodded, grinning a wide grin that made his dimples pop. He had a blunt chin with a deep cleft that was visible even through the baby fat.

"Ndimatafuna, Taarak, inde?" Anakin popped a nuna nugget from the pile Padmé was busy unpeeling the breading from into his mouth. If Yoda had warned him ahead of time instead of just giving him a name and a pat on the ass to go get him he would have stopped at a butcher first. The nuggets were the only thing they had on board that was animal protein besides Ahsoka's carnivore rations, but Anakin didn't want to feed rations to a baby.

Padmé rested her chin on her folded hands and watched Anakin spit out the chewed-up nuna nugget and feed it to the toddler. "That doesn't seem sanitary," she said mildly, wearing an expression that looked torn between amusement and disgust.

"He doesn't have molars yet," Anakin said defensively, taking another nugget from the pile. "Their parents chew their meat for them for the first three years."

"So you said," Padmé replied, watching Taarak swallow enthusiastically.

Anakin fed him the second chewed nugget. "He also has to have Togruta formula until he's five. It's critical for their hearing development, Togruta breastmilk is very high in collagen and if they don't get enough of it the resonance chamber in their montrals won't develop properly. And we don't want that, Taarak, inde? Nyanga zathanzi, Taarak, inde, inde mwana–"

Padmé threw her head back and laughed, delighted. "Ani, I know you did research for Ahsoka, but my goodness."

"I didn't just do research, Obi-Wan made me take four different trans-xenoparenting modules on Togruta younglings. I'm pretty sure that I am the most qualified person at the Temple to take care of one." He didn't mention it was a direct consequence of almost killing Ahsoka that one time that he forgot to order her carnivore rations and she got enterocolitis from eating the troops' fungus-based nutrition bars. She'd gotten so sick that Kix had to collect a liter of Anakin's blood, mix it with red bacta, and flood her digestive system with it.

He still liked to occasionally pretend to open a vein for her when she complained about being hungry. It made her stripes turn black every time.

"I have to admit, seeing you like this is…" she smiled at him. "Intriguing."

Anakin frowned. "Like what," he asked, trying not to sound too annoyed. "Capable? Knowledgeable?"

Padmé shook her head and gave him a soft look. "Paternal."

Anakin looked at Taarak's montrals instead of his wife with a cold feeling in his stomach. "We agreed we'd talk about it after the war," he said quietly.

Padmé grasped his hand. "I want this with you, but I agree. After the war."

"I just can't bear the thought of you having to go through a pregnancy while I'm on a siege, or, or–" his vision got a little blurry and his eyes stung, " –raising one without me. And that's not even taking into account what you said about your mom–"

"Ani," she tried to interrupt.

" –how she had to use surrogates because the last try almost killed her, and you have the same mutation and I-I… Force, Padmé, if something happened to you because of it I don't know what–"

"Anakin!" she said urgently. "Taarak is getting upset, love. Please take a breath."

Taarak was squirming in his lap and his big eyes were fully porged out. Anakin centered himself in the Force and imagined the feeling of Ahsoka's aura, that calming projection she did so well; soft, silky rain riding a cool desert wind, an alkaline shower that quelled the rising acid in his blood. It worked. Not nearly as well as the real thing, of course, but enough for Anakin to bolster his shields and stop disturbing the baby. "Pepani, Taarak, pepani mwana. Chapino mwana."

Padmé reached for the bag of temperate formula bottles, shook one, and handed it to Taarak. "I didn't mean to upset you, love. I'm sorry."

Anakin huffed. "Let's blame it on the baby pheromones. They're giving us mommy brain, or whatever."

Padmé rested her head on his shoulder and watched Taarak contentedly suck. "After the war, yes, we'll talk about it. But I want this for us. I want a piece of our love to take on a life of its own. And I just know that you're going to be an amazing father, Anakin. Every second I watch you with Taarak proves that."

Anakin closed his eyes, unable to comprehend how it was possible for someone to own his very soul in the way that Padmé did. She knew exactly what to say to make him feel like the most treasured thing in the galaxy. He didn't know what he did to deserve it, but he'd do anything to protect it.

"My lady, I'd be happy to give the two of you a break if you'd like," Dormé called from the base of the ladder that led from the lounge and into the guest bunkrooms.

"That would be a good idea, I think." Padmé held her hands out for Taarak.

Anakin glanced down and met Taarak's giant eyes. He didn't really want to give him up.

"Hey now." Padmé snapped her fingers and giggled. "Don't get hypnotized again."

Anakin sighed, booped Taarak's nose, then handed him over. Padmé walked the suckling toddler down to Dormé and Anakin slumped on the bench, suddenly feeling very cold and unsnuggled.

His wife climbed back up the ladder and promptly took a seat across his lap.

"Oh," he said, blinking, then slipped his hands under her dress and up her thighs.

Padmé giggled and put a finger on his puckered lips. "I was asked to tell you that Obi-Wan has commed now for the eighth time, and is saying he urgently needs to speak to you about Ahsoka."

Anakin sat frozen for a few seconds. "What about Ahsoka?" he asked, trying to sound normal and not like he had guilt and panic writhing together like dying worms in his stomach.

Padmé raised an eyebrow. "That's all I know, love."

He reached around Padmé and brought up the message center on his commlink. He had thirty-six unread messages from Obi-Wan. Reluctantly, he slid out from underneath his wife and started paging through them, full of dread and praying to the Force that it wasn't about what he feared it was.

– [𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟻:𝟿𝟾𝟶] – [𝟷𝟸𝟺𝟼] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝙰𝚑𝚜𝚘𝚔𝚊'𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎. [𝟷𝟸𝟻𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟹𝟶𝟸] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟹𝟶𝟾] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟹𝟺𝟷] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎, 𝚝𝚘𝚘. [𝟷𝟻𝟶𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙰𝚗𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝. [𝟷𝟻𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟼𝟶𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟼𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟽𝟶𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> ~~ [𝟷𝟽𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚌𝚎, 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝙿𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚗. [𝟷𝟽𝟹𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟹𝟶𝟸𝟾𝟸𝟻𝟸𝟶!𝙺𝙴𝙽𝙾𝙱𝙸> 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜. 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢. 𝙰𝚑𝚜𝚘𝚔𝚊'𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕.

Anakin kept scrolling. Nothing indicated Obi-Wan knew. He exited Obi-Wan's message log and went to Ahsoka's. There was nothing new from her.

– [𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟻:𝟿𝟾𝟶] – [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟽] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙾𝙺

Ahsoka's typing dots appeared after a few harrowing seconds.

[𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟾] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙸'𝚖 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚢? [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟾] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝚆𝙷𝚈 𝙸𝚂 𝙾𝙱𝙸 𝚆𝙰𝙽 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙼𝙴 [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟾] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚈𝙾𝚄 [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟿] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙷𝚎'𝚜 𝚞𝚙𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚖. [𝟸𝟶𝟺𝟿] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙴𝙻𝚂𝙴

Anakin's finger hesitated above the straight-line-dot key and the curly-line-dot key, suddenly unsure of which one was for questions.

Padme gingerly reached over the hologram and pressed curly-line-dot.

"Thank you," he said, his cheeks burning.

[𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟶] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> ?

Anakin watched her typing dots linger for a concerning amount of time.

[𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟷] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚊 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚖𝚒.

Anakin frowned; was that Huttese? It took him a second to sound it out, but then he huffed a laugh. He'd never seen the saying spelled out in Aurebesh.

"What does that mean?" Padmé asked, squinting at the holographic interface.

[𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟸] 𝙹𝙶𝟾𝟷𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟺!𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁> 𝙱𝙴 𝙷𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝚂𝙾𝙾𝙽 [𝟸𝟶𝟻𝟸] 𝙹𝙲𝟽𝟿𝟷𝟿𝟶𝟻𝟶𝟿!𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙾> 𝙾𝚔𝚊𝚢 :)

Anakin closed his message center after recieving his response. "She said 'his tail is on backwards' in Huttese," Anakin smirked, then wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Means he's got his panties in a twist. She's fine, he's just throwing a fit about her giving him the silent treatment. Now, where were we?"

"I think," Padmé began, running her fingers through his hair, "You were about to give me a kiss."

"Sounds about right." Anakin leaned forward but she stopped him again.

"Actually," she breathed, then traced his bottom lip with her thumb. "Let's take this to the– eep!"

Anakin had already lifted Padmé, planted her bare ass on the dejarik table, and thrown her skirt over his head before she could finish her sentence.

"You know you have to name him Robert, right?" Ahsoka joked. She bumped Boba with her hip. They had stayed uncuffed on the ride home and Boba finally seemed at ease, far more than he had been since they'd left the prison. She held his visitor's pass up to Disk and he unlocked the gate for them with an eye-roll.

Boba's aura rippled with the tiniest ribbon of golden humor and he tightened his arms around the rancor plushie. "I was already going to name him Robert," he snapped. "It's not because you said it." His aura went a little yellow with embarrassment.

Ahsoka put her hands up. "Hey, name him whatever you want. I probably picked up on your thought and didn't realize it."

Boba snorted. "You reading my fucking mind, Tano?"

"Only if you think really loudly," she grinned, then stuck her tongue out at him.

He stuck it out right back.

"Alright, we're gonna bunk in the rec room tonight." She took a chance and gave him a pat on the back, which he didn't flinch away from.

"Fine."

"We leave for Tipoca City first thing in the morning."

Boba stumbled and his aura flashed lily-white with panic.

"Boba?" Ahsoka asked.

"Why the fuck are we going there?" Boba snapped. His breathing sped up and she could hear his heart pounding. Why would he be so scared to return to Kamino?

"Kamino is the only place I know of where we might be able to find information on the Cuy'val Dar," Ahsoka answered, frowning. "Is there a reason you don't want to go back?"

Boba looked down, clinging to Robert like a lifeline. "Are you going to make me donate?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

Ahsoka's heart sank. "No. No, Boba, that's not why we're going there." She took another chance and put a hand on his shoulder, projecting soothing green calm-serenity towards him. "I give you my word as a Jedi, the Kaminoans will not take a single hair from your head. Okay?"

Boba bit his lip and nodded. He looked so young in the dim, ambient light of the barracks hall. "They take bone marrow," he mumbled. "That's where the best cells are, Dad said. They'd drill into his hip and he would walk funny for a week."

"Well, they're definitely not going to take that." She patted him on the back instead of hugging him like she desperately wanted to and started walking. "Plo got us a Consular cruiser, but it's halfway through a module conversion so half of the bunks were taken out for dual laser cannons. We'll have to double up."

Boba's lip twitched. "Great, I gotta listen to your snoring the whole way there?"

She laughed, relieved that he hadn't shut down. "I don't snore, but even if I did it would be better than listening to Plo all night. He whistles if his mask slips down."

They reached the rec room and Boba plopped himself on the couch. Ahsoka stayed standing and crossed her arms. Logically she knew that she shouldn't leave him there alone, but she felt oddly certain that he'd still be there when she returned. It was the same certainty that she'd felt in the diner right before she uncuffed him. "I've got to get some stuff together. Are you going to stay put, or do I have to lock the door?"

Boba stretched out like a cat, his bruised patches making him look like a calico. He waved a dismissive hand at her and crossed his legs at the ankle. "I'm too tired to run."

"I'll be right back with some pajamas for you, then." She winked at him. "And I'll grab some pillows and sheets. We can make a fort and have a proper sleepover."

Boba stilled. His aura hardened and lost the tint of green that was so faint that Ahsoka hadn't even noticed it until it was gone.

"What's the matter?" she asked, furrowing her brow. His aura was going staticky with anxiety around the edges.

"Nothing. I-I just didn't realize that Jedi did that." Boba shrugged. "I don't give a fuck. Fine by me. I haven't gotten laid in a minute."

Ahsoka stared at him, sure that she hadn't heard him right. She rubbed her montrals and shook her head to make sure. "What?"

"What's wrong, tailhead, is it your first time?" he sneered. He hopped to his feet and swayed toward her, full of false bravado and his aura a staticky thunderstorm of flashing green disappointment and gray anxiety and yellow embarrassment and underneath it all, a familiar shade of bruise-dark violet sadness-guilt.

She stood still, warily watching Boba approach with her brow raised until he was close enough for her to smell his breath. There was no way he meant what he'd just said to sound that suggestive. He was just hopped up on sugar from dinner or something, he couldn't possibly be propositioning her.

She believed it up until he grabbed her by the lekku and yanked her down into a sloppy kiss, all clumsy tongue and teeth. She squealed and shoved him back, spitting and sputtering in panic and revulsion. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shrieked, wiping her hand across her now-wet mouth.

"You just said you wanted a sleepover!" he barked, quickly backing up with an aura cringing in on itself with neon orange-yellow mortification-anger. "Make your fucking mind up!"

Ahsoka's jaw dropped to her chest. "What part of sleepover said 'shove your tongue in my mouth?' "

"The sleepover part, you stupid cunt!" Boba shouted back. "The fuck do you think a sleepover is?"

"What do you think it is?"

"It means you want to fuck!"

"No it doesn't!" She was going to be sick. Boba was twelve, he was twelve. "Who told you that?"

Something switched off in his eyes. The bravado drained out and left him looking smaller than ever. The backs of his knees hit the couch and he curled up on it in a ball, hugging Robert the Rancor. "Aurra," he mumbled. His aura was dripping yellow with humiliation.

"That's… that's not what it means," Ahsoka choked. "It just means that you sleep in a place that you normally wouldn't, with a friend. Just sleeping. L-Like a slumber party."

Boba tucked himself deeper into the sofa and stared at Robert. His aura was drawn so close to his skin that she could barely see it, but the humiliation and hurt she saw there cracked her heart like an eggshell.

"I'll be right back. Just– just stay here. I'll be back." She paused. "I'm not mad. It was a misunderstanding, okay? Please don't run away."

He nodded without looking at her.

"I'll just be a few minutes," she said, backing out. "I'll be right back." She activated the door panel and hesitated with her finger over the lock; it was unintentional but she had just hurt him deeply, and she no longer had the certainty of a few minutes ago that he would stay.

"I'm trusting you, kiddo," Ahsoka muttered to herself, then walked away with her hands balled into fists. She wasn't going to lock him in. Boba would stay put on his own. He wasn't going to run, he was going to stay with her and his brothers where they could protect him.

Her blood was boiling. Aurra Sing was a monster, a demagolka, sgudal fhaighean, hule lopusa, a demonic, piece of shit nonce–

"Bad time?" Cody joined her power walk to the bunkrooms, his aura bright orange and blurry around the edges. He was visibly tipsy and he stumbled a little trying to keep up with her.

"Very," she said, looking him up and down. Cody had only one reason to be waiting for her in the 501st's barracks and she didn't have time for Obi– damn it, Kenobi's banthashit. "I'm guessing that he sent you?"

"No, I'm here on my own." He threw his arm around her shoulder. His breath smelled like tihaar and caf. "You gotta make up with him, 'Soka. He's driving me up the wall with his moping."

"Not my problem." She shrugged his arm off like a big, heavy slug.

He frowned at her. "He apologized, didn't he?"

She snorted. "Yeah. It was very touching and heartfelt. Totally made up for making me go to his funeral."

"At least you got to go," Cody mumbled, his aura flooding with purple grief.

"Why are you even here?" Ahsoka asked, exasperated. "He lied to you too."

"It's called being an adult," he grouched. "Try it sometime."

"Maybe he should try it."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Listen, it was a karked thing he did and we both know it, but you can't hate him forever."

He said it like Obi-Wan had forgotten to show up to her saber demonstration. He had no idea how hard she'd had to cling on to Anakin to keep him tethered to reality and safe from his own grief, how she had to constantly glean off the dark miasma that infected his aura like poisonous black oil.

She had felt like there was something watching him curiously from the shadows, like a patient nexu waiting for its prey to tire and fall from the tree it was hiding in. She refused to leave him, no matter how many times he'd tried to force her out of his quarters. She wouldn't abandon him to that hungry shadow. She'd rip and tear it up with her teeth if she had to, but she would not leave Anakin.

She had the bruise to prove it.

And then Obi-Wan Kenobi had waltzed out of the Royal Palace at Theed wearing the face of his own killer like nothing had changed and it was all a grand ruse that they were in on. Like he hadn't triggered the most terrifying crisis of her life. Like she hadn't spent three days in the darkest hell she'd ever been in, drowning in the icewater of not just Anakin's grief but the grief of every Jedi who knew him.

The only time she'd been able to mourn Obi-Wan were the pitiful few seconds she had been alone before Anakin had shown up, begging the bastard to open his eyes. He'd hid his aura so well from her, blocked their bond, he'd even projected a fake aura as Rako Hardeen in that motel room. That was a skill that he'd learned specifically to fool her, because it had absolutely no other practical application in the entire universe. Nobody else could bloody see it.

Ahsoka stopped in front of the bunkroom door. "How have you forgiven him so easily?" she demanded. "I ate a few of your jerky sticks on the way back from Geonosis and you didn't talk to me for an entire day, but he fakes his death and you're trying to rebuild his burned bridges for him?"

Cody's already pink cheeks flushed puce and his hands found his hips. "I'm a clone, Os'ika. I don't have the luxury of holding a grudge."

She mimicked his pose. "Well, I do."

"Come on. Just talk to him so he stops whining at me about how unreasonable you're being."

"I'm being unreasonable?" Ahsoka asked in disbelief. "Oh that– no, you know what? I'm done, I don't have time for this. I've got more important things to worry about than bandaging the wounded ego of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Goodnight, Cody."

She spun to leave and he grabbed her left arm to stop her, right over where the bruise was deepest. She gasped as pain shot down her arm, and she barely resisted snapping her teeth at Cody like a massiff.

His mouth hardened into a grim line and she realized that he'd done it on purpose. "What happened to your arm?" he asked harshly.

"None of your damn business," she snapped. She spun her arm out of his grip and slapped away the wrist that moved to replace it. "Stop it!"

"Commander Tano!" Cody barked, his aura flaring silver with authority. "I am ordering you to tell me what happened to your arm."

There was no arguing with that tone, even if he was half off his shebs from the tihaar she smelled on his breath. Ahsoka stood at attention, inwardly seething at the gall of him pulling rank on her now of all times. "Training accident, Sir."

"What sort of training?"

"Mechanical ordnance, Sir." It wasn't technically a lie.

"Conducted under who?"

She glared at him. "That's classified, Sir."

"I've got higher clearance than you."

"I cannot release classified information without General Skywalker's permission, Sir."

"So Skywalker knows." Cody's eyes narrowed. "Was it him?"

"I didn't say that, Sir," she snapped.

"Then who?"

"As I said, Sir, that's classified."

Cody's eyes softened and his aura went teal with protection. "Ahsoka, did Skywalker hurt you?" he asked gently. He wasn't asking as her commanding officer, he was asking as her vod. It infuriated her and made her want to cry at the same time.

Why couldn't he just mind his own shabla business? Why did he have to be the concerned big brother now, of all times? "Are you accusing General Skywalker of abusing me, Sir?" she asked, forcing her voice to sound cold so she wouldn't lose her nerve.

Cody stared at her, both of them knowing damn well that he couldn't outright say yes without crossing into insubordination. He blew air slowly out of his nose, his aura humming and glowing neon chartreuse with annoyance-anger at being outmaneuvered. "No, Commander."

Ahsoka nodded and kept her face neutral. "Was there anything else, Sir?"

Cody jerked his head. "You're dismissed," he muttered.

"Goodnight, Cody." She slipped into the bunkroom and closed the door behind her, trying not to grieve the damage she knew that she'd just done to their friendship. It would be nice if everyone would just leave her the hell alone for five minutes and let her take care of Boba instead of obsessing over something they didn't know anything about. He needed to be mothered a lot more than she did.

The bunkroom was virtually empty. The majority of the guys were out carousing at 79's and making the most of their shore leave but Jesse, Kix and Tup were squished into Kix's bunk watching Daiun's Anatomy on her holoprojector. "Hey," she greeted them.

"We're leaving as soon as this episode is over," Jesse said, holding a preemptive finger up. "Calliope's pregnant again."

"And she just did a tracheostomy on herself with a droid scomp. Her speeder crashed after she was stung by a spider and her throat closed up," Kix said in a monotone. "Which is shabla impossible, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't." Ahsoka clapped her hands together. "I need the projector, though. We're sleeping in the rec room tonight."

"We?" Tup blinked at her.

"Yeah, me and Boba. We're in–"

"You and–" Jesse reared up and sent her holoprojector flying. She barely caught it before it hit the floor. "I thought Appo was joking when he said you adopted that little shabuir, Commander." Jesse's aura quickly flooded with red anger.

She took a step back in shock, not expecting another argument immediately after the last one. "Woah, Jess–"

"Tell me you're joking, Commander," Jesse said, his face all scrunched up in anger. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes; not to intimidate her, that wasn't it at all, he was begging her with his eyes to tell him that she wasn't serious.

Her heart sank. She really hadn't thought through any of the consequences of springing Boba, had she? Jesse was fanatically loyal, almost to a fault; of course he was going to hate the boy who attacked a Republic ship and killed hundreds of their brothers in the process. He was a traitor to both the Republic and the vode, and Jesse had no reason to feel sympathy for a traitor.

"I couldn't leave him in there–" she started, but she stopped when Jesse's shoulders sagged and his aura darkened to deep purple with sadness-disappointment. "Jesse, I couldn't!"

"Har'chaak!" Jesse broke away, pressing his palms into his eyes.

Kix and Tup hadn't yet moved from the bed, but their eyes flicked between Ahsoka and Jesse like they were watching a limmie match.

"He's so little, he–"

"I don't care how short he is, he killed three hundred and four of my brothers," Jesse said harshly. "And trust me, he doesn't look at us like his brothers."

"Jesse–"

"No. You're not thinking clearly. All you see is a little boy but he's manipulating you, Commander." Jesse took her hands and squeezed. "He's a killer. He used you to get out of prison, don't make the mistake of thinking that he cares about you even a fraction of how much we do."

"I know he doesn't. That's not why I did it." Ahsoka gave Jesse a pleading look, begging him to understand. She expanded her aura with a gentle, flowing wave of sage-green serenity so he'd calm down a little. "Boba was manipulated by a disgusting, evil dalgaan into doing what she wanted by promising him revenge for Jango. She was evil, Jesse, please believe me." Ahsoka swallowed hard. "I'm not saying he had no agency or was incapable of making different choices, but he's–"

"A killer," Jesse repeated with a growl.

"No– yes, but Aurra Sing, Jesse, she…" Ahsoka bit her lips, hesitating. It was Boba's truth to tell if he wished, not hers, but it would help if Jesse understood just what a hold she'd had on him. "She abused him," Ahsoka said quietly, saying the truth without actually saying it.

Jesse was smart. His face scrunched up even further, his aura went sick-green with disgust, and he looked away.

"He needs you," Ahsoka continued. "All three of you. He needs his brothers, even if he doesn't realize it." She turned to Kix and Tup and gave them a pleading look. "Please, he's barely holding it together." She didn't add that she'd made it worse. "I can see how badly he's hurting. Please, Jess." She laced her fingers with his and squeezed.

Jesse glowered at her. "You know, you're going to try to help the wrong person someday, and they're going to go for your throat." He pulled her into a spine-cracking hug.

Ahsoka relaxed, nearly dizzy with relief, and buried her face in his neck. "Thank you," she said in a muffled voice.

"Yeah, yeah." Jesse pulled back and touched her forehead with his own in a gentle mishmure'cya, then looked over her shoulder at Kix and Tup. "You two are coming, right?"

"I am!" Tup said brightly. "It'll be nice having a cadet around again. I miss being around them on Kamino. I always liked being asked to fill in for rec supervision."

Ahsoka couldn't help but smile. Tup had such a gentle spirit. If he'd been born a Jedi he would have made a natural Crèchemaster. Maybe if the stupid war ever ended he'd have a chance to live a gentle life. She could easily see him teaching younglings.

"He's not staying, Tup," Ahsoka said apologetically. "We're leaving for Kamino tomorrow."

"Wait, really?" His brows went up. "Can we come?"

Ahsoka bit her lip. "Unfortunately, because I'm a Padawan Commander and not a CC, I don't actually have clearance to authorize off-world missions."

"Aww."

Kix started yanking sheets off of random, unoccupied beds.

"That a yes for you then, Sarge?" Ahsoka asked.

Kix shot her a look over his shoulder. "Obviously, Sir."

"Anyone seen Rex?" Ahsoka asked, accepting a pile of pillows from Tup.

"Oh, he's in the commhub. He got called in by General Kenobi."

"You have got to be kidding me." Ahsoka tossed her head back and groaned aloud. "Why won't he just leave me alone?"

"He'd be a shit ba'buir if he did," Kix shrugged.

"He's a shit ba'buir regardless," Ahsoka snipped.

"Alright, alright. One problem at a time." Jesse physically turned her and pushed her towards the bunkroom door, carrying his share of sheets draped over his shoulders like an ancient Onderonian pharaoh. "You can bitch to me about Kenobi later, I promise."

Cody was thankfully gone when she opened the door. She led the boys through the empty barracks at a pace just under a jog, painfully aware that she'd left Boba alone for sixteen minutes, then bumped the door panel open with her hip since her arms were full of pillows.

Robert the Rancor sat abandoned on the couch. Boba was nowhere to be found.

Tup craned his head over her shoulder. "Uh, Commander? Where is he?" he asked, confused.

"Fuck," Ahsoka said faintly.

Boba hadn't realized that water showers were a luxury until he'd left Kamino for good. Sonic showers were easier to install, easier to clean, faster to use, and didn't use up water rations. He wasn't sure if the troopers actually had water rations, but if they did then he'd used up at least half a battalion's worth. He'd been steaming for half an hour.

"Fierfek," Tiarek cursed from around the corner. "You done yet? We're locked down again, which means Ahsoka thinks you ran for it."

Boba's stomach seized up at the Tog's name. He felt so fucking stupid, but she was the one who'd started it. Why'd she have to push? He'd actually been thinking about something besides how much he fucking hated being alive for once, and then the jetii had to go and ruin it because she didn't know what a fucking sleepover was.

Or he was the one who didn't know. It didn't matter now. He looked like an idiot and she pitied him now, and that pissed him off even more. He didn't need some do-gooder's pity. He was a man, damn it! He was a beroya and the only living son of Jango Fett, the greatest bounty hunter that had ever lived. He didn't want the Tog bitch to sit blinking her big, sad eyes at him like he was a pathetic, three-legged street pup covered in fleas.

"No, I've got him, lift the lockdown. We didn't mean to be this long. Go ahead and get started, we'll be there soon." Tiarek was on a holocall with somebody but Boba couldn't hear the other side. "Come on, Bo'ika, time to go."

"In a minute!" Boba yelled back.

"Now." Tiarek turned the shower off and threw a scratchy towel at his face.

"Shabla bev'kovid," Boba mumbled under his breath as he toweled off.

"I heard that."

Boba toweled faster then wrapped himself up when he was done. Tiarek patted him on the back and led him out to the lockers. A set of Kaminoan cadet blues sat waiting for him on the bench.

Boba glared up at Tiarek. "Didn't have any blacks in your size," he smirked at him. "Hurry up. Ahsoka's having a heart attack."

"I don't care," Boba said darkly.

Tiarek looked at him, disappointed. "I do," he said softly.

Boba dropped the towel and reached for the blues. They were too big for him, he could already tell. He knew he was underweight but more importantly, without all of the genetic upgrades from the longnecks, he was just plain smaller than the other clones at the same physical age. Dad was half a head shorter than the grown-up troopers, and Boba was a perfect copy of him.

"What's that?" Tiarek was frowning at him; specifically, his ass.

Boba quickly yanked the oversized drawers up. "Nothing. Don't be bloody nosy." He hadn't meant to let him see the scar.

"Then why are you being cagey about it?" Tiarek asked with a raised brow.

"I sat on my knife, alright? It's embarrassing." Boba slipped his shirt on.

Tiarek leaned against the lockers. "Look, Boba, I know you've been through a lot since Jango died, but–"

Boba flinched at his dad's name.

Tiarek softened. "Just promise me that you're going to try. Nobody expects you to be a model cadet, but at least stop cussing her out every time you open your mouth."

"Fine," Boba mumbled. He tugged at the bottom of his tunic, trying to make it hang less awkwardly on his narrow shoulders.

"You can trust her. I promise you can. She's the best, right alongside Skywalker." Tiarek smiled sadly. "We're not just numbers to them. They truly do care for us. Ahsoka is my vod'ika, do you understand? You trust her just like you trust me."

Boba scoffed. "So much for vode an. You know, the meaning of the word doesn't change just because you use it to bloody adopt each other."

"Of course not." Tiarek blew air out of his nose hard, frustrated. "It just means I watch out for her, I teach her, I keep her alive. And she has my back in return, no matter what."

"Whatever," Boba said, looking away. Tiarek wasn't going to let it go until he agreed. "Fine. I'll stop being a dickhead to her, alright? Doesn't mean I trust her."

"Good man." Tiarek clapped his hand on his shoulder and guided him towards the door. "Let's go."

Boba felt his banzaii burger start to work its way up his throat as they walked back to the rec room. Should he tell Tiarek what he'd done? Boba didn't want him to hate him too, but he wasn't sure what he'd be angrier about; kissing Tano, or lying about it.

"What?" Tiarek was looking at him with those same knowing eyes Dad had when he knew Boba was squirming about something.

"I kind of…" Boba hesitated. "Fuck it. I kissed Tano and she's gonna make it sound like I just made a move on her out of nowhere and–"

"Hold on, hold on!" Tiarek went to one knee so they were eye level. "What are you on about?"

"Tano," Boba mumbled. "I kissed her. I thought she wanted it."

Tiarek was staring at him with his mouth open. "You did what?" he asked sharply.

"She said she was gonna go get pillows to have a proper sleepover, so," Boba shrugged. "Obviously I thought that meant she wanted to fuck. But she didn't know what that's what sleepover really meant because she's a Jedi, I didn't mean to piss her off."

"She… she didn't–" Tiarek stood and turned away, his hands on his head. "Boba, no." He turned, and Boba felt his heart sink into his guts at the look on his face.

"I didn't hurt her! I just kissed her, she didn't want it so I didn't push it–"

"Boba, who told you that a sleepover meant that?" Tiarek's voice was so sad that it made Boba flush, embarrassed all over again.

"Fuck, not you too." Boba turned away with a groan. Why was everyone so damn stupid? Why was he the only fucker under the roof who knew Basic? "Sleepover is when you want someone to sleep in your bunk, it's not a fucking slumber party like she thinks. Aurra told me what it meant when some asshole asked me in a bar on Nar Shaddaa–"

Tiarek sighed and huffed out a relieved laugh for some reason.

" –and then, you know, I started having sleepovers with her–"

Tiarek's face fell and he turned away with his fists balled up.

"Oh not you too, why is everyone such a damn prude?" Boba moaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm a year away from doing my verd'goten, I'm not a fucking baby."

Tiarek turned and he almost scared Boba with how angry he looked. "Listen to me," he said, going back down on one knee. "People might say sleepover to be cute, but that's not what it means. And if Dad knew that Aurra had done that to you he would have taken her skin off slowly, do you understand?" Tiarek grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. "She never should have been allowed within a mile of you."

Boba bit his lip. "You called him Dad," he said quietly. "You haven't called him that in a long time."

"I meant to say your dad." Tiarek flushed and looked away. "Not… I know, trust me."

Boba looked up. "Don't you remember–"

"There's nothing to remember," Tiarek said quickly. "It was just a few weeks, Bo'ika, okay? Don't get it mixed up again. We've been through this."

Yeah, they had, and every time Tiarek was more and more certain that whatever lie he'd been fed by Kal while he was recovering was the truth. "So I'm old enough to wet my blade, but not my dick?" he asked crudely, changing the subject.

Tiarek turned purple. "Yes," he growled.

Boba waved a dismissive hand at him. "Whatever you say, Tiarek."

"Come on." Tiarek stood. "And I told you to stop calling me Tiarek. That was never my name."

Boba resisted the urge to argue. It was pointless. If any part of Tiarek remembered, it was buried so deep down under the lies that it may as well have never existed at all.

"Now behave," Tiarek warned him, then opened the rec room door. Three unarmed clones sat lounging in their blacks inside a pile of pillows, couch cushions and sheets that had been built up into a tent. One of them was the medic that had rubbed that stink-ass bacta gel on him. Tano sat on the edge, cross-legged and pinch-faced. As soon as the door slid open she popped to her feet and rushed to Tiarek.

"Gar ru'hibii ner ad? Ne'din'kartay?" she snapped. "Rex, do you have any idea how scared I was to find him gone again?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize he was–"

"Gar johaar'i Mando'a?" Boba interrupted, stunned.

She raised a brow marking. "Waad'choruk," she said wryly. "Rex taught me."

Boba flushed and looked down. He should have expected that, if Rex had adopted her as a little sister.

"As I was saying, Boba here needed a shower, but I didn't know he was going to use half of the monthly ration for the whole GAR." Tiarek popped him gently in the shoulder.

Tano's shoulders slumped and she took a deep breath. "I'm sure he was just happy to take a water shower. I know the prison only has sonics." She bent down and looked him in the eye. "So. Ready for bed?"

Boba peered around her to look at the troopers reclining in her pillow fort. The one with the Galactic Roundel tattooed on his face looked unimpressed, the medic looked bored, but the final one with a tear on his cheek sitting cross-legged was practically beaming at him through his long hair.

"Why're they here?" Boba asked suspiciously.

"Well, since you've never had a real sleepover, I thought it might be fun to have one. And for a real sleepover you need friends, but you also need a pillow fort–" she turned and gestured to the limp tent, " –holofilms, and snacks." She held up a projector in one hand and a bag of nerf rinds in the other, smiling like an idiot.

Boba looked up at Tiarek, who shrugged. "Fine," Boba said dismissively.

"Great!" Tano dove into the tent between the long-haired one and the one who looked like he'd just bit into an unripe meiloorun. "I've already got the holo loaded. Get the lights, Rex."

Boba glanced at Tiarek, who did as he was told with a soft smile for Tano.

"By the way this is Jesse, Kix, and Tup," she added, pointing to each clone as he and Tiarek crawled inside the pillow fort. She and the three troopers were already squished together, cuddling like sleepwalking tubies. Tiarek stayed on the outside and Boba ended up sandwiched between him and the medic, Kix.

"Wizard," Boba said in a bored voice. "What are we watching?"

"March of the Porgs," Tano said cheerily.

"Finally!" Tup crowed.

"What do you mean finally? We just watched that on the way home from shabla Naboo," Jesse grumbled.

"Language," Tiarek drawled.

Boba snorted. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously." Tiarek chuckled and pushed Boba's head down to his chest.

"Wait, Commander, you're sleeping over here?" Tup asked, looking confused. "You always sleep with Rex."

Boba froze. Wait, had he kissed Tiarek's girl? Why hadn't he shabla said that, why'd he go through the vod'ika banthashit instead of just saying he was screwing her? And where did Tiarek get off telling Boba that he was too young for it if he was shagging his own al'verde? Boba was older than all of them, except for Tano.

"Not tonight," Tano said nonchalantly. "Oh, by the way, Boba, you forgot somebody." Tano tossed Robert the Rancor at him over Kix, then started the projector.

Boba cleared his throat. "Thanks." He hugged Robert to his chest and adjusted a little so that he could fit the plushie in between him and Tiarek, hiding a small smile.

"There is a mysterious ritual that dates back thousands of years. No living creature has survived it, except the porg. They have wings but can barely fly. They're birds without beaks that act like clowns. And every year, they embark on a nearly impossible journey to find a mate. For twenty days and twenty nights, the porg will march…"

Notes:

MANDO'A TRANSLATIONS ba'buir: grandfather Os'ika: Little shit (Cody's [affectionate!] nickname for Ahsoka, a pun on her normal diminutive of Ahs'ika [Little Ahsoka] ) dalgaan: bitch Har'chaak: damn it mishmure'cya: brain kiss, aka keldabe kiss shabla bev'kovid: fucking dickhead Gar ru'hibii ner ad? Ne'din'kartay?: You took my kid? Without telling me (lit. no sitrep)? Waad'choruk: Obviously (lit. diamond, colloquialism for "crystal clear") Al'verde: Commander TOYDARIAN TRANSLATIONS Wanjala?: Hungry? Ndimatafuna: I chew it Inde: Yes Nyanga zathanzi: Healthy horns Mwana: Baby Pepani: Sorry Chapino mwana: Okay baby Hule lopusa: stupid bitch HUTTESE TRANSLATIONS Chupanka keepa manmi: His tail is on backwards (Huttese colloquialism for someone acting irrationally) MAOR-GRÁSTA TRANSLATIONS sgudal fhaighean: garbage cunt OTHER NOTES I just really like it when Anakin speaks Toydarian okay. Also I mentioned this in another fic but he didn't learn Aurebesh until he was ten and he hates it so he types in all caps and doesn't like punctuation Yes, Boba refers to Rex as Tiarek in his head. We'll find out why just hang in there lol

Taglist: @starwarsficnetwork, @soliloquy-of-nemo Dividers: @saradika-graphics

[commanderfoxtheshield]

Since the sketch is taking a bit, have the snippet I was going to add

The first snow fall on the farm was in early winter. The former members of the Coruscant Guard have seen snow before, but they had each slowly forgotten what it truly felt like to be surrounded by the chilling air and the silent beauty. Mornings now they had the opportunity to sit by a window and be a part of that silence. No more rushing faster than the blood in their veins or hitting the pavement harder than their hearts in their chest. Snow days simply got to be.

In just a week of the first dusting, the Guards' Farm had gotten buried in an icy blanket. While it snowed on Coruscant, that cursed planet was climate controlled. Snow there was only for the upper levels while the lower levels got its dirty runoff. But here on their slice of this Pantoran moon, the snow was clean, thick, and theirs. It did not take long for all of the members of the houses on the farm to put on their boots, coats, and hats and make their way outside with wide smiles.

The Big House was no different, save that Stone took longer to convince to come out. He promised he would for holopics then head straight back inside to finish making bundles of soup ingredients, knowing well enough that the other houses would like a hot meal after playing in the snow all day. The only reason Fox wasn't the first one out of the Big House was because he was still struggling with learning how to use his crutches. He was only barely beaten by Thire, who was the first to see their former guards streaming out in brightly colored coats against the stark white. The trek to the middle of the grounds left them frozen and beaming.

Several of the others were attempting to build sculptures, but the closest any of them looking like anything was the one Desk and Tylo made that could very well be a leg of some insectoid creature made out of gummy candy. They claim it was supposed to be a pinup model, but getting everyone's eyes checked was a slow process that neither Fox or Thire were not in charge of. Some were throwing snowballs at each other, though it was nothing like aiming a blaster so many of them missed. And there were those who enjoyed being with their family, trying to catch every peal of laughter in their memories.

Stone finally came out, wearing his wings embroidered hat. It matched Thire's scarf and the cuffs of Fox's coat, each being a gift from one of their oldest survivors once they got on the farm. He pretended to be grumpy, but even he couldn't help but to smile when he saw Fox being so carefree with his joy. He was a little actually grumpy when Fox hugged him and his long wet curly hair brushed up against his neck. But he only was needed for holopics and then he could go back inside. Jazz-Box managed to catch a couple of them, all ended up being too blurry to mean anything though. It was on her 6th try that right as her camera snapped, Thire launched and latched himself onto Fox's back. Stone stumbled as Fox nearly fell but regained his posture, laughing as his spirit was made to do. Thire laughed too as he scrambled to keep his grip.

It was there that Stone resided to his fate. His arm was trapped between their bodies and the was no escape for him or Thire as Fox held his arms out and fell backwards into the snow. A litany of no-no-nono-nonono followed by the sound of three bodies hitting the snow in a soft thud. Thire's legs kicked out as Fox laid on top of him and all Stone wanted to do was watch.

In a couple of hours, Fox will be suffering from his joints and Stone would be underneath the heating blanket and Thire will be struggling to hold his hands still. In a couple of hours, their survivors will be taking care of injuries none of them deserve. In the morning, half of them will be sick.

But for now, they were happy. They lived. And they will get to live.

[vodika-vibes]

Facts about my Clone OCs

Dusk - Captain in the Coruscant Guard. Uses twin pistols. Is directly under Commander Stone, though most everyone assumes he answers directly to Commander Fox.

Riff - Marshal Commander of Shadow Battalion. Part of the same batch as Ponds, Wolffe, Fox, Cody, and Bly.

Grain - Chief Medical Officer of Shadow Battalion. Struggles with anxiety and stress has turned him prematurely grey. Riff's second in command.

Go - ARC Trooper within Shadow Battalion. Built like a tank at 6'6" tall. Smarter than he acts, and faster than he looks.

Xyn - Intelligence Operative. Rarely gets sent in the field due to his small stature. Stands at 5'6".

Dorian - Sniper. Most often sent out partnered with Go. Was decanted with Albinism. Had to have corrective surgery on his eyes to allow him to be an exemplary sniper.

[palpipeen]

40. "Don't tempt me" and 42 "You have been waiting long for this, haven't you?" for Fox?

40. "Don't tempt me" and 42 "You have been waiting a long time for this, haven't you?" From this prompt list. Send one in if you want!!!

CC-1010 || Fox/Reader - Earned It

Rating: NC-17 for SO MUCH SMUT Warnings: Spanking, slightly undernegotiated scene (Reader surprised Fox and his dom came out), Unprotected P in V sex (wrap that crap fellurs), Dirty Talk (it wouldn't be a fic by me if it wasn't full of that), multiple orgasms, fucking on a desk, aftercare Reader is AFAB and uses She/Her Pronouns Word Count: 3809 (hahaoops) AN: NOODLE’S FIRST ASK PROMPT, WHOOOOO!!!!! Thank you Anon, I enjoyed this so, so much. 8) As with my thots from before, this doesn’t have to be Barista!Reader but it might as well be. I’ve written and rewritten this one a few times, and this is the third try so we’re sticking with it LOL.

This fic is so fucking smutty. If you're under the age of 18, DNI! 8)

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The first thought that crossed your mind when you walked into his office was,

Oh, he’s in a rare form today.

The second and more alarming one was,

I wonder how I can make this worse?

That’s how it all started. And now?

Now, you’re facing the consequences of your actions.

“Five!” 

Your voice rings out through the silence of Commander Fox’s office, your thighs squeezing together as you struggle to keep yourself upright. The burning sting of where his hand had swatted your ass brings tears to your eyes, and your arms tremble where they hold up your weight on his desk. Fox makes a low, disappointed hum in his throat behind you, his hands rough as he grabs you by the knees and pulls your legs apart again.

“What did I tell you, mesh’la?” His teeth scrape across the tender flesh of your ass before his tongue soothes the ache that makes you whine. “Keep those legs open.”

“S-sorry, sir,” you whine. It’s all you can do to gather your breath long enough to speak.

“Hmm.” He drags the blunt edges of his nails up your skin, sending a ripple of awareness from the small of your back up to the base of your skull. Warmth ghosts across the apex of your thighs, and you keen when his fingers just barely brush across your folds. The sound is obscene, all wet and slick and he’s hardly even touching you. “I don’t know that you are sorry, mesh’la. You’re getting awfully wet from this.”

You are. You’ve been wet for what feels like the entire day - you’d planned something for him earlier in the day. Something to tempt him out of his office - a lingerie set you’d seen in the window of a boutique in the upper levels. There was no way the colors were a coincidence, which made you question what the designer was thinking. Though you couldn’t say you blamed them.

Coruscant Guard red was a fetching color.

Fox certainly thought so. Though, maybe strip teasing him when you’d had to relocate to his office instead of your apartment was a bad idea. It certainly was hilarious when he finally caught on to your game. Right up until he’d man-handled you behind his desk and announced his plans for you. Plans that didn’t exactly line up with the ones you’d tried to set into motion.

But, Fox was a commander for a reason. His plans almost never went sour.

“I want you to count to ten,” he’d told you, firm hands guiding your body how he wanted you. Legs outspread, ass facing him with your hands braced on his desk. You’d heard a click somewhere behind you and a quiet grunt as he sat back in his chair. “And then, you’re going to beg for my cock, like the needy little minx you are. And maybe, maybe I’ll decide you deserve it.”

“Come on Fox.” You hadn’t bothered trying not to sound irreverent - you knew he liked it when you acted out. Leaning down so your forearms were braced on the table, you’d swung your ass at him enticingly. “Why don’t we just skip the foreplay? Don’t you wanna fuck me, baby?”

“Don’t tempt me.” You’d shivered at that low, hungry growl. The one that took over the normally smooth tones of his deep voice only when he was feeling particularly worked up. “You’ll need to earn it this time, mesh’la.”

And so it went. The first two came closer together, but by the third you were getting tender and tried to twist away from him. So he’d started all over again. Part of you wanted to argue that technically, you were eight in, but the vibrant sting of his hand coming down on your tender flesh was intoxicating. The cool air from the vents was a startling contrast, and were it not for Fox’s punishment making you shudder, you would be shivering. Instead a fine sheen of sweat has broken out across your skin, and the coil in your stomach is white hot and so tightly wound you think you could cry just from that. Or you might come because of it.

You’re good with either. Or both.

“Is that it?” Fox’s voice is closer now, and you feel the warmth of his body and hard plastoid at your back. His hand is still between your thighs, roughly dragging up and down your cunt in an unforgiving caress that demands you react. Writing on his desk, you try to push back against him, only for him to bring down his other hand on the globe of your ass. “Count.”

“Fuuuuck fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck, six! Six!” 

Tears are absolutely streaming down your face now. Frustration and the overabundance of endorphins running through you. The tightening of your inner walls squeezing around nothing as you try to keep yourself upright is unbearable. Babbling incoherently into his desk, your fingers scrabble across the surface, desperate for something to hold onto. Your commander is there to offer you a solution, of course.

“You’re getting off on this, aren’t you?” His much larger hands grab you by the wrists, pulling your arms out in front of you. Once they’re laid out flat on the desk, he holds them both with one hand, the other tracing aimless patterns across the planes of your back. “All of it. Did it turn you on when you decided to pull this little stunt?”

His hand cracks down again.

“Seven! Yes, fuck, please Commander --”

“When you were riding the elevator up here, could you feel it trickling down your thighs like you are now?”

And again.

“Eight, yesyesyes, yes sir, oh fuck, please --”

“You wanted to see me squirm, didn’t you baby?” Fox scrapes his teeth across the shell of your ear and you whimper, your body writhing. He makes you feel so good, knows exactly how to taunt and tease you until you’re an absolute fucking mess for him. “Wanted to get me all worked up, see how far you could push me.” His hand swats you again, no less force behind it but much quicker. “How’s that working out for you, mesh’la?”

“N-nine -- m’sorry sir, just want-wanted to surprise you.”

“Consider me pleasantly surprised. But,” he nips sharply at your earlobe and you cry out for him. “The next time you decide to wear crotchless panties, give me a warning - and let me see you first. Not bending over in front of Thorn and Hound.” The low chuckle he lets out reverberates through both of you. “Thought Thorn was going to choke on his own tongue.”

Oh. So he’d seen that. Oops.

“Yes sir, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again --”

“Never said you had to do that.” Fox rears up behind you, the hand holding your wrists trailing up one of your arms and down your side until he squeezes your hip. “I’m just a selfish man. If you’re going to pull something like this off, let me be the first one to see it.” The stern tone goes warm, gentler as his thumb rubs against you. “Just one more, baby. You alright?”

“Yes,” you pant out, nodding with your forehead pressed against his desk. “Yes, commander. M’good.”

“Good.”

You’re not sure what’s louder - the final smack of his hand against your ass or the sound that rips out of your throat. Stars dance behind your eyes as you try to remember how to breathe. The pressure in your lower stomach and back tightening to an almost overwhelming degree. Dully you’re aware of Fox moving behind you, the sound of fabric shuffling and something slick as unforgiving plastoid presses against the backs of your thighs.

But your mind is empty. Empty of everything except sensation, pain and pleasure threatening to pull you under in equal measures while you quake on his desk. Yet somehow, somehow -

“T-ten.” You can barely squeeze the word out of yourself, letting your head fall to one side so you can attempt to peer at Fox over your shoulder. Tears make your vision swim as you stare at him, standing over you with his hands bracketing your hips. “Please,” you rasp, “please sir, I’ll be good - please please please I need it.”

“Need what, mesh’la?” The grin that spreads across his handsome features is absolutely infuriating, but you don’t have it in you to mouth off to him. Not anymore.

“You, commander, I need you, need your cock, please I wanna come on your cock sir, I--”

The blunt tip of his cock barely slides through your folds, gathering some of the slick of your arousal. He pauses, just a moment, until you give a quick nod. And then Fox slams his cock into you, burying himself from root to tip in one sharp, unforgiving thrust that rips a warbling cry out of your lungs.

It also rips an orgasm out of you. So the second his hips are flush against your ass Fox lets out a strangled sound, unable to move as your walls clench down around the cock currently stretching you open. Pleasure burns bright and blinding throughout your body, your cunt spasming as you milk him for everything. And you absolutely drench his cock, feeling it trickle down the insides of your thighs all the way down to your ankles. It’s enough to make you think your heart stopped.

But he’s only getting started with you.

The moment you begin to unclench around him, he’s moving. Already building you up to another mind-shattering orgasm. You are completely limp, the only things keeping you upright as he pounds down into you are his hands on your hips and his desk under you. With every hard thrust he sends new sparks of rapture through you, your body jolting forward on his desk.

Good thing it’s bolted into the floor. At this rate, he’d probably knock the damn thing over.

“Nnh - so fuckin’ tight - so wet for me, take me so damn good.” Fox grits the words out above you, punctuating the last with a particularly hard thrust that makes you keen. He stops for a moment, just a few seconds, sliding his hands up from your hips and across your back. “Did so good for me mesh’la, but you liked it didn’t you? I barely used any lube. Bet you could’ve come just from me spanking you, hm?”

“Y-yes!” You nod frantically at his question. “Fuck - I’ve dreamed about it commander, want you to - to bend me over your knee and put me in my place - wanna feel it for days, please, please make me feel it sir.”

“Damn.” Readjusting his stance behind you, Fox grips you by the shoulders, and starts to move again. “You have been waiting a long time for this, haven't you?” You nod again, whimpering at the slow grind of his hips against your ass. When his kama rasps against the tender skin you wince, and Fox pauses again. It isn’t long before you hear him fumbling with his belt, until both that and his kama fall to the floor. Fox leans over you, his front pressed to your back as his hands slide under your chest to knead your breasts through the lace of your bra. “I’ll keep that in mind, then.”

Fox takes his time with you - leisurely fucking you into his desk. You arch your back for him, hoping to entice him to return to the pace from a few seconds ago. But Fox won’t be deterred. He pulls out until the head of his cock is barely breaching you, slides back in, oh so slow and smooth you could cry. But he fills you perfectly, effortlessly pushing you closer and closer to the edge of insanity.

It’s so much, but it’s not enough.

“C’mon, Fox.” You swallow hard, your throat dry and a little raw. The state of it isn’t helped when Fox slows to a complete stop and you growl in frustration. “Fuck, Fox, come on - lemme have it. I know you’re not tired from before.”

“Where’s all this lip coming from?” Fox snorts and gives a few shallow thrusts until you keen again, pushing his hips into you and swiveling them in a tight circle. “Aww, can't you take what you dish out? I think you’re forgetting your place here, sweetheart.” His hand is an iron brand against the back of your neck, holding you in place as he pulls back, and snaps his hips forward. Somehow more forceful than the first, knocking all the air out of your lungs. When he speaks again, it’s a snarl, and your cunt squeezes around his cock at the sound of him. “You’re mine, and I don’t give a damn what you want right now. You’re going to let me take what I want from you, and maybe I’ll let you come again.”

“Fuh-huhck, Fox, please --”

You can’t get another word out, because that’s when he really starts fucking you. It’s fast and it’s unforgiving and it’s for his pleasure - and somehow that is hotter than anything else he’s done tonight. With each punishing slam of his hips into your ass, the way he kneads every inch of your flesh he can reach, he has reduced you to an absolute mess. But that’s alright. So long as he keeps fucking you, that’s alright.

So long as he keeps talking, too. At some point his grunts and moans gave way to words - a tell-tale sign he’s getting close.

“Osik baby, feels so good - s’good for me, so good. Like your body was fuckin’ made to take cock - bet you’d let me fuck you for hours like this. Hmh? Am I right, cyare?”

“Y-yes!”

“Yeah, fuck yeah. Wanna keep you like this - just like this, spread out on my desk, begging for me to touch you.”

“Please - please --” You choke out a sob of pleasure, your thighs quaking as your strength finally starts sapping out of you. Fox feels it immediately and pulls out, but before you can even take in a breath to protest he turns you over. Pushes you up so your ass is barely hanging on the edge of the desk, and you forget all about the burn on his ass when he steps between your thighs and leans down to kiss you. 

It’s at complete odds with the way he’s been manhandling you - it’s slow and sweet, pouring every drop of affection that he has into you. His lips caress yours in silent reassurance that he’s here, that he’s got you, that he loves you. Fox pulls back to nudge his nose against yours and your eyes flutter open to see him gazing down at you.

“Still alright, cyare?” You nod and he smiles, all fondness and dimples as he cups your face in his hands. Calloused fingertips caress your skin as the pads of his thumbs brush away tears you weren’t aware are still falling. “I need to hear it baby, use your words.”

“I’m good,” you whisper. You close your hands around his wrists, holding him there as you chew on your bottom lip. “But I’m close.”

“I know sweetheart. Trust me,” his hips roll against you, his cock sliding between your folds. Your body twitches and writhes under him, and he chuckles, “Don’t worry. I’ll get you there. You’ve done so well for me baby - you want me to fill you up? Want me to fill you with my cum?”

“Yes!” You grab at him desperately, one hand clawing at his arm while the other clutches at the messy curls at the base of his skull. Fox grunts, shifting his lower half so you can feel the head of his cock nudging at your entrance again. You bring him in for another kiss, this one frenzied and mind-numbing.

Or maybe that’s him stuffing you full of his cock again. Who knows at this point? You certainly don’t.

All you know is the taste of his lips on your tongue, the vibrations of his answering growl when you moan for him. Sparks race up and down your spine in time with his thrusts, which are getting sloppier by the second. But he has taken you apart completely, in the way his hands roam across your body and with his tongue licking deep into your mouth. He’s the only one who’s ever made you feel like this. Fox has ruined you for anyone else.

And honestly, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Ah, fuck,” he grits out against your mouth, fumbling with your legs without breaking his stride. His hands slide under your knees, pushing your legs up and out, leaving you exposed before him while he rears up to his full height. “M’gonna come soon, mesh’la.”

‘Fuck’ is right, though you’re sure it’s for different reasons for him. All you can think about (when you can, sex-addled brain fog aside) is how beautiful he looks above you. Sweat makes his skin glint in the low light of his office, his eyes devouring you with a kind of adoration that makes you feel weightless. Gods - the way he looks at you makes you feel like you’re the only person in the whole galaxy. With how he fucks you, this and every other time, you always feel this way.

“Please,” you beg, well beyond dignity or rebellion at this point. “Please, lemme come - wanna come with you.”

“Touch yourself.” Fox bites his lip, his eyes following the slow crawl of your hand and he grits out, “Come all over my cock, baby. Gonna look so good, feels so good, can’t wait to fill you up so you’re dripping all the way home.”

All it takes is a few more rough thrusts from Fox and a few practiced circles with two of your own fingers, and you’re falling off the edge again. This one wrings you completely dry, you’re pretty sure you pass out as you’re pulled under the waves of ecstasy he’s making you feel. Back arching off his desk, your pussy flutters and clamps down around him, your mouth stretched wide in a silent scream. You only manage to keep your eyes open long enough to see the tension fall slack from his face as his thrusts lose all rhythm, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. The ringing in your ears begins to fade just in time to hear him as he lets his mouth run before he’s pulled under.

“-- oh fuck oh fuck baby, that’s it, that’s it baby! Fuck you’re gonna make me come, gonna fuck - fuck you feel so good, it’s so good oh it’s so good --”

With a wordless, desperate shout of your name he pushes in deep, as deep as he can go, and you feel his cock throbbing inside of you. The rush of warmth trickles out of you, yours and his, as he shudders and quakes above you. Fox’s hands slide down from the inside of your thighs to under your back, pulling you against him as he gasps for air.

You’re not sure how long the two of you stay like that. Fox clings to you with his cock still pulsing in your cunt, head tucked against the juncture of your shoulder and neck. You wrap your arms and legs around him, ignoring the mild discomfort of the bruises forming on your ass and the lace and straps of lingerie digging into your skin. Even the hard, unforgiving plastoid jabbing at you couldn’t take away from the way you’re both floating on pleasure.

But eventually, your circulation starts spreading out to your extremities. Everything feels tender, and you wince when he shifts slightly. His full weight thereby making you shift, plying a quiet noise of discomfort from you.

“Ah shit - sorry.” He pulls out of you and you both groan, though he doesn’t linger as he starts searching through his desk drawers. “Think I’ve got some bacta patches in here --”

“Not yet,” you pant out, shaking your head when he looks at you incredulously.

“Uh, you sure?” Fox looks a little sheepish as he tilts his head to one side to try and peer at your ass. “Went a bit hard there - sorry, I’ll try to hold back next time.”

“I’d appreciate that,” you hum, “but right now, I just wanna feel you.” Chuckling warmly, Fox nods before he leaves you for a moment. For a moment you just lay there on his desk, spread out and limp as you try to pull yourself back together. But Fox is right there with you, returning with a damp washcloth and a flask. “Where’d you --”

“There’s a fresher in my office, remember?” 

Fox grunts as he sits in his chair, pulling it forward to clean you gently. The warmth of his skin and the softness of the cloth is a soothing contrast to the chill of his office. After he’s cleaned you to his satisfaction you lift your arms, making grabby-hands at him. Chuckling while he pulls you up slowly, Fox helps you to your feet, easily catching you when your knees give out. By the time you’re settled, he’s got you curled up on his lap, your head tucked under his chin with his hands caressing your skin. Eventually he leans forward, and you blink owlishly when he pushes the flask into your hands.

“Sorry, we’ll have to share backwash.”

“Ohhh no,” you grumble, “not your backwash.” His chest jerks under you as he laughs, and you take a few grateful mouthfuls of water before you pass it back to him. “Fox?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I know, mesh’la.” He sets the flask back on his desk after slaking his own thirst, pulling you in tighter against his chest. It took you until then to realize he’d taken his kit off, so all you’re pressed against is him through his blacks. For however long you can, the two of you bask in this. The simplicity of your bodies pressed together, of Fox holding you, both of you coming down from your highs together is enough. Even if it’s fleeting. “I love you too.” He pauses and gives your side a jab with his knuckles, making you squeal and squirm in his arms. “Even when you’re a pain in the ass.”

“Who’s got the hand-print bruises on their ass, now?” You scoff and twist in his arms to stare at him incredulously. “And you love it when I pull shenanigans.”

Fox rolls his eyes, and rather than respond outloud to your accusation, he pulls you in to kiss you again. But the answer is clear in the way he keeps kissing you, slow and meticulous in his exploration of your mouth with lips, tongue, and teeth.

Yes, he says. Over and over and over again until any of the work you’ve interrupted is forgotten.

And it’s just the two of you.

[takadasaiko]

A Flicker of Light: Chapter Sixteen

Story Summary: A canon divergent AU in which Luke Skywalker is raised within the Empire to be either his father's heir as a Sith Lord… or his replacement.

Chapter Summary: Mara is forced to face the reality that her Master will choose between Luke and Vader one day and Luke grapples with difficult questions after seeing the Death Star.

FFN II AO3

---

Boots tapped softly on the permasteel below them while the corridor seemed to stretch on indefinitely in front of him. His pace quickened and he risked a glance behind him. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was there, but there was nothing. No officers. No stormtroopers. Nothing. It was eerily quiet with even the sounds that always accompanied a spacecraft muted.

Luke turned back and found an old, familiar door, though its usual red guards were lacking. He pushed through it and was emptied into the Emperor's throne room. The Sith Lord was standing at a window and inclined his head ever so slightly. "Come, my boy, and see the might of my empire."

A chill swept through him at the words, but Luke didn't dare deny the direct command. Dread settled in as he approached the window, and though the room looked just the same as it did on Coruscant, stars filled the viewport. There was a planet there as well. Naboo. His mother's home planet.

Then the muted noise roared back into existence, the floor beneath his boots trembling under the strain, and power buzzed through the air. Luke watched in horror as it gathered, the tributary laser-stream gathering and flashing out through space straight at the planet. He'd heard stories of the early days of Imperial rule when multiple Star Destroyer were brought together to lay waste the the surface of a planet, but as the beam ate through the atmosphere and then the layers of bedrock as if the planet were nothing, those old attack methods that had terrified so many into submission were put to shame. He could hear them screaming in the split second they had to see the fire racing towards them and then nothing.

Nothing but Luke's own uneven breathing and a soft, terrible chuckle as Palpatine focused his golden gaze on what was now little more than an asteroid field where a planet had been. "This is my Empire. Did you think you could hide anything from me?"

He'd killed them all. He'd kept a secret from him, and Sidious had killed them all for it.

The anger flashed as hot and bright as the Death Star's weaponry and Luke's lightsaber flew to his waiting hand. He swung, every inch of him ready to cut his father's Master down, but he never made it. Sidious' fingers flicked at his side - barely visible for his long robes - and every muscle in Luke's body froze at his command. He struggled against it, but he could barely drag air down into his lungs, much less take his intended killing swing at the man that had just destroyed his mother's homeworld.

"Foolish boy. And now, do you understand? There is no choice you can make. There is only destiny. And yours -" Palpatine tilted his head and Luke was driven to the floor, his knees hitting the unrelenting surface hard enough that he would have cried out if he'd had any breath left in his lungs - "is on your knees before me."

The words echoed even as Luke jolted back to wakefulness. He lay there for a long moment, gaze fixed on the ceiling of his Coruscant apartment he rarely used as he tried to gain some control over his breathing. Even as he gulped in breaths, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone in the room. His hand flashed out, triggering the switch and all the lights flooded on at once to illuminate the empty apartment.

A shiver ran up his spine and he could still feel the nightmare clinging to him. It wasn't the first since he'd chosen to let his mother's family go on Naboo, though at least this time Mara wasn't curled up next to him to awkwardly try her hand at comforting him. For all the time they'd spent apart over the years, she'd been close the last couple of months. If she was worried about his emotional state or his loyalty following the event, there was no way to know, but he trusted her. She wouldn't betray him.

Luke fell back against the pillows on the bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling again as he let the nightmare creep back into his thoughts. As far as he knew, he hadn't inherited his father's somewhat unreliable gift of foresight, but every breath - or lack thereof - had felt so real. It was the same chill Palpatine's presence always brought with him and the same ache that accompanied an attack of that caliber. He could have sworn his father's Master had been in his mind, emphasizing the lesson.

You are mine.

He flew up, crouched on the bed and staring at the still-empty room with no enemy to fight, even if his lightsaber had come when subconsciously called. He was alone. There was no one there. He had met with the Emperor the evening before and would leave as soon as the Aeres finished some minor repairs. No one but he, Mara, and his father were the wiser, and the latter had been right. He needed to focus.

Luke drew in a steadying breath, then another. He let the intake of air calm his tattered nerves as he reached under the pillow to retrieve the disk Sola had left to him. He flicked it on and Padme Amidala seemed to smile right at him. He watched the looped image play through, his thumb caressing the disk, and he pushed one more breath out.

Focus.

Smiles and laughter. Joy and peace.

Focus.

A different time. Before the betrayal. Before the purge.

Focus.

A time he didn't know. A time that couldn't help them achieve their goal and it certainly wouldn't help him protect those closest to him.

"I'm sorry," Luke murmured to the smiling image. "This is the only choice I have."

And then he shut it down, not bothering to turn off the lights as he curled up on his side and squeezed his eyes shut against his raging thoughts.

—-

The throne room was eerily quiet as Mara entered, the Red Guard silently opening the doors for her so that she could make her way in. Her Master sat on his throne, eyes closed and chin tilted down. He seemed to be deep in a meditative state that left a physical chill in the air around them. She stood back, waiting and watching for what felt like an eternity before his golden eyes slipped open and she saw a smile that was hardly comforting stretch across his thin lips. "My child," he greeted. "Tell me, what news do you have for me?"

"I've met with Colonel Yularen to verify the adjustments to the ISB's security protocols. Former Agent Kallus' intel is officially outdated. Yularen believes he'll be of little use to the Rebels now."

"And you?"

Mara considered that for a beat longer than she really needed to. "If Kallus was clever enough to be able to defect under Grand Admiral Thrawn's command and siphon intel to them, he will have predicted what adjustments would be made after his escape."

"If given leeway, what would you recommend?"

"Yularen took all but one of my recommendations, my Lord."

"And the one he did not?"

"Prison transfers. While the ISB does not necessarily oversee transfers, they have access to the information."

"And is there any sign that the former agent accessed the information?"

"Not directly, but he has been known to use other's credentials to cover his tracks."

She heard his sigh, a strange sound coming from the one that raised her. "Yes yes. And tracking him down has clearly been beyond the scope of those it was tasked to."

"If it pleases you, my Emperor—"

"No. I have use of your skills elsewhere."

There was something about the statement that didn't sit well with her. "I'm at your command," she said anyway.

"Conflict still eats away at our young Lord Natus after Naboo. I know how you feel about the boy. I know that if given the choice, you'd see him at my side rather than his father."

Mara ducked her head at that. "They both serve you, my lord."

"And yet only one will in the end. Surely you understand this as clearly as they do. There are only two, after all." There was a long moment as the meaning hung heavy between them.

"Natus will not betray his father, even if it means he would serve as your Apprentice."

"No, but if given the proper incentive, he will be able to surpass Lord Vader."

If something unfortunate were to happen to his father. If the man who'd raised him - who Luke loved - were to die, it would be the final push into darkness that would forge him into a true Sith Apprentice. Mara wondered what Palpatinevhad taken from Vader to push him over the edge.

"It is what he longs for, even if youth has clouded his vision. You can help guide him and I will allow it."

Mara opened her mouth to voice a question she knew the answer to: but what if Luke chose a different path? She swallowed that question. There was no choice to be had in it. Palpatine had made up his mind. He wanted Luke. His father's son with all the power and none of the limitations put on Vader by injuries.

Gold eyes slid closed. "He will come to you. Seeking guidance. You must lead him to me." Those same eyes slid back open and Mara felt like she'd been run through by a lightsaber with the way he looked at her. "If you do not, it will be his doom. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Master," she answered, ducking her head low again.

This is what Luke had always feared. This is what caused him to hesitate and to always keep his loyalties carefully cultivated.

"Go, child," her Master breathed as he settled back into his throne a little more. "Your time runs thin."

—-

When he'd earned his command of the Aeres, Luke had assumed that meant that it would run on his schedule. And it did. For the most part. The Dreadnaught had been docked for what they had thought was fairly routine maintenance when its commanding officer had been summoned by the Emperor, but the mechanics had discovered an underlying issue with the shields that could, eventually, amount to a serious issue in battle. That left the young Lord Natus with a rare day with nothing on his schedule. He wasn't sure he could remember the last free day he'd had that hadn't involved some sort of injury or travel.

He had no idea what to do with himself.

A night interrupted by nightmares left him with anxious energy that he couldn't work off his though training, so instead he'd taken to the streets and followed wherever his feet led him.

Coruscant never truly slept. At night the neon signs lit the sky and during the day the sun never ceased to beat down on the permacrete and buildings. With trillions of beings packed in together, it was never particularly cool in the city, but as the sun crept up, its rays peeking through the stretch of tall buildings, it was pleasant enough for the brisk walk through the city streets with his whirling thoughts to keep him company.

He'd always known that he and his father had walked a dangerously thin line when it came to their loyalty to Palpatine. It was rarely spoken, but the understanding had hung over them as far back as Luke could remember: there were only two Siths, and if once his training was complete, Palpatine would have his pick of apprentices between two of the most powerful Force wielders left in the galaxy. It wasn't a promising future for the one left behind and, despite assumptions made, father and son had little interest in facing off with each other.

But with Palpatine's new weapon, fewer would be willing to cross him. The loyalty that he'd worked so hard to build in the last few years would be less than worthless next to the survival of home planets and every last being on them. For the first time in a long while, Luke felt like he and his father stood alone. Worse, separated and alone. For now, the only viable option they had was to press forward as they had been doing and keep their heads down. He'd have to be careful, even around those he hoped he could trust. He couldn't risk it when loyalties remained as tangled as they were.

A spark of awareness danced through the air and Luke slammed to a stop on instinct, just managing to avoid colliding with a petite figure with her dark gaze fixed on a datapad. Those same dark eyes darted up, blinking in surprise, and Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan, looked up in surprise. "Oh. Natus."

"Leia," Luke greeted, her name riding out on a breath as stared at her. A couple years older, she'd grown up as he had, though she'd grown to look even more like Padme Amidala. From her rounded face to the colour of her eyes, and Luke struggled to remember if her smile was the same. He thought it should be. He shook himself out of the dangerous thought. "What are you doing here?"

"The Senate is in session," she answered as if that were something he should know. Maybe he should have.

"So you're here with your father?" Adopted father.

"Yes. And you?" She glanced around. "Are you here with yours?"

"Just me this time. I was summoned by the Emperor and now I'm waiting on repairs on my ship."

Her lips twitched upward in a small, hesitant smile. "The Emperor? There are a few of us in the Senate that would love some time to discuss the state of his Empire with him."

Luke snorted a laugh. "Does he even go to the Senate floor anymore?"

"He hasn't been there once since I started attending with my father," Leia huffed and her expression fell. "Not that anyone would be there if he showed up."

"So how do all of the judiciary decisions get made?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but if you ever hear of some back room where the other planets are getting heard, let me, won't you?"

"Or you could just ask Vader's son to relay a message," Luke answered, matching the levity she'd had in her own voice.

Leia stared at him, her brows drawing together. "I don't think I should owe you anything," she said, her voice suddenly deadly calm.

Luke pushed a breath out through his nose. "You won't. I have a pretty good idea from a military standpoint what would make sense to pitch to him and I have time to kill. Let me buy you a cup of caf."

"I don't drink caf."

"Now I know that's a lie. C'mon. You'll be working for the betterment of Alderaan."

She glanced down at her datapad, up and around, and her gaze finally landed on him again. "Out of the goodness of your heart?" she deadpanned and he laughed again.

"Let's not take it past the realm of believability, Princess. You get my ear and maybe an idea or two that can be taken up the chain and I don't have to wander aimlessly around the city I grew up in waiting for the mechanics to give us the all clear."

Leia quirked a single dark eyebrow. "So I'm just here to keep you from being bored?"

"Anyone ever tell you that you have severe trust issues?"

"Only with Siths."

He flashed her a wide grin. "I'm not a Sith yet. Shall we?" He motioned across and down a street, waiting for her agreement. Finally she sighed and nodded, letting him lead the way.

—-

It had been over two years since she and the young Lord Natus had found themselves faced with the moral crossroads that had left them with one tiny Youngling being shuffled off to his next port of safety and his protector dead at Vader's son's hand. Leia hadn't slept well for weeks following the incident. Between the thoughts of the Youngling's protector being cut down under her protection and the possibility of Natus double crossing her and arresting her - and possibly her whole family - for her part in whisking the child away…. Leia had known little peace following the incident. But days had passed, then weeks, and then years. The Empire had never come for them. Her father had continued to serve even after his only true ally had been forced to flee for her life. Now, as Mon Mothma built up her own Rebel faction, the brunt of the judicial heavy lifting fell on Bail Organa. Gone were the days of the Riyo Chuchi or Padme Amadala of the Old Republic. Even voices like Naboo's Ryoo Naberrie had gone quiet in the wake of her homeworld's unrest. Leia's father never gave in though. Even as he'd been training her as his replacement in the Imperial Senate, he was hardly retiring. It would give him the mobility he needed to aid Mon Mothma and bring factions together.

And here she was, sitting at a little cafe with Darth Vader's son, desperately trying to sell him on trade routes.

Natus' eyes squeezed shut, his face wrinkling up in a silent laugh and he tilted his head back as he gulped in a lung full of air. Leia crossed her arms irritably at the reaction. "Exactly what is so funny?"

"If this is what you people talk about all day, it's no wonder Palpatine directed my father into the military rather than politics. He'd have thrown a ruplseorpod across the room at someone the second time it came up."

"You asked what was important to Alderaan and I told you," Leia huffed.

Natus' amused look subsided only a little and with what looked like with a great deal of effort. "I'm sure it's an important point, but it's not one Palpatine will listen to."

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any rebellions for him to come crush," Leia groused, slouching a little in her seat. "We're a peaceful planet. And wealthy. It's what has kept us in his good graces over the years."

"I know quite a bit about your planet," Natus said, taking a sip of his caf. "Renz - the captain of my ship - is Alderaanian."

Leia perked up just a little at that. "Is he?"

"He accompanied my father when we visited. He was the Commander on the Executor. Now he's the Captain of the Aeres."

She shot him a withering look. "I can't help but think you want me to ask you about your ship with as many times as you've mentioned it."

Was he blushing? She thought she saw a tinge of red on his cheeks as he ducked his chin to his chest. "Sorry. It's just… I've always loved flying, and now I get to command my own Star Destroyer."

"Do you get to fly it?"

"One man can't fly a Star Destroyer."

"Not even a Sith?"

"I'm not —" He stopped and stared at her. "You're teasing me."

Leia flashed him a bright smile. "Just a little. And a Jedi could."

He quirked an eyebrow. "You've clearly never been on the bridge of one. There are dozens of people that—"

"My father told me the story of a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker once. He was trying to break a blockade and save an entire planet of people. It was hopeless, but he didn't give up. Instead he kicked everyone off the damaged ship and rammed into the blockade. He flew it all by himself, so it is possible."

Her smile faltered when she found him staring at her. After a long moment he seemed to gather himself. "It sounds like your father is a really good man."

"Oh, that wasn't him. I mean, yes he is, without a doubt, but it was a Jedi in the story."

"Yeah," he breathed. When he met her gaze again, she felt her own breath catch at the intensity. "Something real, Princess. Something meaningful. Not trade routes or something any low-level bureaucrat could put together for you if you're willing to give him what he wants. If you could have anything for Alderaan, what would it be?"

"Freedom." The word escaped Leia before she dared give herself permission.

"You have your own electorate, your own rulers. Isn't Alderaan free?" Natus asked quietly, his expression genuinely confused.

Leia thought on it a long moment, her better sense giving way to her intuition. "Are you free when those you elect are forced to give up their choice to a single man?"

To his credit, he considered her words for a moment. "Do you think the illusion of freedom is better than no freedom at all?"

"No," Leia answered automatically. She couldn't help herself. His expression was so open and raw. Searching. She couldn't imagine how it could be put on. "It only lures you deeper into slavery than you might have been able to tolerate otherwise."

"I'm not a slave."

The statement was so abrupt, so forceful, that Leia sat back a little in her seat. She contemplated it a moment before answering. "Can you walk away?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can you leave? Would he let you, if that were your choice?"

A moment ticked by. Then another. Leia didn't flinch and Natus stared deeply into his mostly empty cup of calf. She could almost feel the whirlwind in his mind, as if someone had broached the question of freedom for the first time. He looked torn. He looked terrified.

A comm buzzed in his pocket and he startled out of his trance to look at it. "I have to go."

"Of course."

He stood, dropping several credits on the table to cover both cups, and looked at her again. "I'll see what I can do about your trade routes."

And then he was gone.

Of course that was all he could do. Emperor Palpatine didn't just set people free. Not Alderaan, and perhaps not even Vader's son.

—-

There was a typical flurry of action in the hangar bay as Luke made his way to the shuttle that would be waiting for him to take him out to the bay that housed the Aeres. He didn't stop to chat with the mechanics or any of the pilots that were coming and going. Instead, every ounce of his focus was on not thinking about the unexpected turn in his conversation with Leia. But what was the old saying? If you tell someone not to think of a pink rancor, that's all they'll be able to think about. So, instead, he had to settle for shoving his thoughts as deep as he could beneath the layers of mental protections that he'd developed over the years. No one could know, and thank the Force he was about to put some distance between himself and Sidious.

"Going to leave without saying goodbye?"

Luke slammed to a stop at the sound of the familiar voice and Mara flashed him a teasing smirk from where she was leaned against a cargo ship. "I didn't know you were still on planet."

The smirk faded and she tilted her head a little bit. "I've been at ISB headquarters trying to help them staunch the bleeding of intel with the whole Kallus debacle. I never could figure out how he couldn't shut down one Rebel faction that kept coming back to the same base. I guess now we know."

"So it's taken care of?" Luke asked, hoping that wasn't another piece of information he should have known.

"As taken care of as it can be without the man in custody," she answered with a shrug. "You get the all clear on the Aeres?"

"They'll be wrapping up in the next few hours. I'm just going to get things ready to go as soon as we're released."

"Where're you heading?"

He tried for a small smile, her familiar presence helping to unwind some of the tension he felt. "Why? Need a ride?"

"Depends on where you're heading."

"The Mustafar System."

She flashed him a grin and a quick wink. "Then I need a ride."

Luke pulled in a deep breath, letting a smile curl his lips. "Good."

And he meant it. There were a lot of choices that weren't his to make. He wasn't sure if Leia was right or not, and at least for a few moments it didn't have to matter. One thing he could choose was Mara. Everything else - everything he didn't want to think about - could wait for another day.

--

TBC

Notes: It's been a very long day, but the chapter is finished, edited, and since you're reading it, posted! Things are about to get wild for Luke (and everyone around him in turn)!

Next Time: Luke looks for a way to insulate himself and his father from the danger Palpatine's newest weapon poses.

[cloneshipping7567]

Romantic Confessions Part 11

Part 11/30

11. "Don't make me say it. I can't say the words."

Pairing: Cody x Wolffe

Rating/WC: T/2614

Warnings: none

I struggled with this one nil ;-; I hope you like it!

~~~

They’re drunk; way more drunk than they should be. It’s giving Wolffe hives, seeing how reckless his men are behaving. Just imagining the look on General Koon’s face is enough to make Wolffe growl at the poor shiny who was ordering drinks while standing next to Wolffe’s seat at the bar. 

As the shiny is scurrying away,a hand claps on his shoulder harshly, and Wolffe turns to snarl at the intruder before he realizes who’s touching him. “Relax, vod. You’re on leave, they can have fun. You can have fun.”

“Says you,” Wolffe grumbles, but he turns on his stool to face Cody. “I don’t think you’ve ever relaxed a day in your life.”

Cody glares at the person in the stool next to Wolffe until they get the hint and run off, before taking the now vacant seat and turning his frown to Wolffe. “I had plenty of fun as a cadet.”

“You’re just lucky you picked your name before we could give you a nickname,” Wolffe says, wishing he had been as lucky. “Or we would have named you Uptight.”

Cody scoffs. “I did like to have fun, I just liked to have fun in ways where I wouldn’t get caught or were allowed by the rules.” He suddenly grins, all teeth, and Wolffe narrows his eyes. “I liked beating the shit out of you on the mats. That was plenty fun.”

Wolffe snarls, taking a swig from his drink. “You weren’t that much better than me.”

Cody’s grin widens, and Wolffe is temporarily distracted by how handsome Cody is when he’s genuinely happy. “The only times you ever won were when you bit me, and those times don’t even count because you got disqualified for cheating.”

Wolffe grins back, showing off the teeth that earned him his name. “All is fair in love and war,” he snarks. 

Cody rolls his eyes. “We weren’t at war yet, asshole.” 

Wolffe forces a laugh, taking another drink and raising his finger for another. “What do you want to drink?” Wolffe narrows his eyes. “Wait, can you drink? You aren’t on leave, are you?” 

“Nope,” Cody says, shifting on his stool. “General Kenobi had to meet with the council, and while Coruscant is a little bit out of our way to our next station, it’s not bad enough to go straight there and meet up with him after. So the 212th is refueling and getting more supplies and such while they have their meeting.”

Wolffe takes his new drink, and wraps his hands around it. “What are you doing here, then?” he asks, gesturing to the bar in general. 

Cody grins again, kicking Wolffe lightly on the shin. “I can’t just want to visit my favorite commander named after an animal?”

“I’m telling Fox you said that,” Wolffe says, smiling when Cody curses softly. He takes another sip, before putting the glass down. 

“I just wanted to see you,” Cody clarifies, his smile still in place. “And I have several hours to kill until I’m expected back on the ship.”

“How did you know I would be here?” Wolffe asks, even though he already knows the answer. It’s 79’s; where else would clones be on leave on Coruscant?

Cody doesn’t dignify the question with a response. “Do you wanna get out of here?” Cody asks, eyes taking on that specific glint that always used to end with Wolffe in trouble, one way or the other. 

Cody may have found ways to not get caught, but Wolffe was always the one who straggled behind and had to take the heat. Cody would always apologize after, but he never stopped inviting Wolffe to tag along- and therefore take the fall when the Kaminoans caught on. 

“And go where?” Wolffe asks, finishing off his drink and pushing it up the bar, closer to the bartender. 

Cody only smirks and stands up, winking once at Wolffe and making his way to the exits.

Wolffe watches him go for a minute, internally debating. There is a very real chance he could get arrested tonight if he goes with Cody. 

Fuck it, the commander of the guard is his batchmate. He’ll risk it. 

He tries to catch up to Cody, and glares at anyone who hinders his progress. The best part of his massive scar is how easily his bitch face gets people scrambling now. He follows Cody out of the club, just in time to see him hailing a cab. 

“Come on,” Cody says, opening the door and encouraging Wolffe to go in first. Wolffe narrows his eyes at Cody, but the other clone simply smirks and gestures to the open door with his head. 

Wolffe sighs and climbs in, resigning himself to his fate. “I’m regretting implying you were a buzz kill.”

Cody laughs, a genuine one, and it makes Wolffe’s lips involuntarily spread into a smile. “Oh, just wait until you actually see what we’re doing. You haven't had anything to regret yet.”  

Wolffe swallows thickly, and Cody laughs and gives the cab driver an address. “Where are we going?” he asks. 

“You’ll see,” Cody says, a cocky smirk replacing the genuine smile. “You’ll love it.”

Wolffe isn’t sure about that, but he chooses not to comment on it. Instead, he makes small talk for the duration of the trip. They talk about what they’ve been up to, how their battalions are doing, how their generals are doing. General Kenobi is still as crazy as ever, and Cody is going to shove his lightsaber up his ass if he loses it again. 

They finally make it to their destination, and Wolffe is surprised to find a hotel. “What are we doing here?” Wolffe asks, turning to give Cody an inquisitive look. 

“I got a hotel room,” Cody says, leading the way inside and towards the elevator. “Something about how Kenobi is ordering me to take a real break, and I’ll find something to do if I stay on the ship; blah blah blah.”

Wolffe hums softly, still feeling like none of his questions have answers. “Okay…so why are we here?”

Cody rolls his eyes, pushing the button to take them to the correct floor. “To hang out, obviously.”

Wolffe purses his lips. “I’m failing to see how I’ll regret this. Or why I’ll love it.”

Cody doesn’t answer, simply walks out of the elevator the second the doors open, and walks to the correct room. He unlocks the door and pushes his way in, holding the door open for Wolffe. “You never trust me.”

“On the contrary,” Wolffe says, taking in the inside of the hotel after walking past Cody. “Trusting you blindly is what got me into trouble as a cadet. If anything, I trust you too much.” 

Cody hums and walks further into the hotel. He turns on his heel and grins at Wolffe, and it’s toothy and a little silly looking and it makes Wolffe’s stomach warm and flutter. “Well? What do you think?”

Wolffe cocks his head to the side in slight confusion, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s a hotel room.”

Cody sighs dramatically, his smile faltering. “It’s private. When’s the last time you had any true privacy? When no one even knew where you were, if they really wanted to bother you? Kenobi is the only person besides us who knows where this place is, let alone that I even have a hotel room, and he’s got his own duties.”

Wolffe thinks about it, and then smiles. It has been a long time since he had some privacy, when no one needed anything from him and there was zero possibility someone would interrupt him. “I guess that is pretty nice.”

Cody shifts his weight, and the movement is so strange coming from Cody. Cody is always so sure of himself; it’s weird seeing him feel displaced. “Are you hungry?” Cody asks. 

Wolffe blinks, uncrossing his arms and scratching the back of his head. “I could eat.”

Cody smiles again, and stands up a bit straighter. “Good, because I got food. Go sit at the table, I’ll get it ready.”

Wolffe laughs, shaking his head fondly but taking a seat at the dining room table. It’s a nice table, and the view is gorgeous; there’s a giant window where the table is pressed up against, and the setting sun is beautiful to look at. “You sure know how to treat a guy,” Wolffe teases Cody, and expects some jab in response but is met with only silence. 

Wolffe tears his eyes away from the view, forcing himself to look over at Cody. The other clone is bustling around the kitchen, and the sounds of metal hitting metal and glasses clinking fills the silence. Cody seems to be out of his element here, cheeks a bit flushed and his movements jerky and flustered. 

Wolffe wants to offer to help, to do something to make Cody relax, but Cody is done before Wolffe figures out how to ask without embarrassing Cody. 

Cody brings over two plates, filled with some sort of noodle dish, and places one in front of Wolffe and one in front of his own empty seat. He returns to the kitchen for just a moment before he comes back in with two glasses and a bottle of very nice looking wine. 

“Where did you get that?” Wolffe asks, allowing Cody to pour them both a glass before placing it in the middle of the table.

“It was a gift,” Cody says, cheeks still a bit flushed as he takes his seat. “Got it a while back, actually. I was saving it.”

“What’s the occasion?” Wolffe asks, because he doesn’t know what else to say to that. It’s just dinner; dinner with Wolffe, of all people. He hardly feels like all this trouble and a gift of expensive looking wine is worth Wolffe being on leave. 

Cody’s eyes snap to Wolffe’s, and the slight panic there sets Wolffe on edge. “I…” he clears his throat, and Wolffe has literally never seen him this unsettled and nervous before. Not even when they graduated and  became official commanders. “I just wanted to share it with you.”

Wolffe shrugs, attempting to let Cody off whatever hook he’s managed to worm himself onto. “Thank you,” he says, taking a sip. It’s good; much better than anything Wolffe has ever had before. 

Cody gives Wolffe a small smile, and then takes a sip of his own. “Mm. I’m glad I saved it, it tastes better than I thought it would.”

Wolffe hums in agreement, putting the glass down and taking a bite of the food Cody made for them. He grans at the taste; not only is it real food and not rations, it’s fucking delicious food. “Mm, Cody, this is great! Where did you get it from? I’ll have to take the boys there next time we have leave.”

“I-I made it, actually.” Cody clears his throat and takes another sip of his wine.

Wolffe raises a brow. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

“I don’t,” Cody says, and then looks down to his dish. “Normally. I learned how, so I could make this.”

Wolffe puts his fork down, studying Cody, who shoves a giant bite of food into his mouth and stares pointedly out at the sunset. “Cody…what’s going on? What is all of this?”

Cody chews slowly, and swallows loudly. He buys himself even more time by taking a sip from his wine, licking his lips and carefully setting it down. He finally makes eye contact with Wolffe, opening and closing his mouth as he decides what to say. 

Wolffe cocks his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is something wrong?”

Cody makes a frustrated noise, looking down at his own plate. “No, why would something be wrong? I was-I was trying to do something for you.”

Wolffe sighs. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, Codes. This is really great. It just seems…like it’s not something you would normally do.”

Cody grabs his wine and takes a long sip, cheeks flushed just a bit. He puts it down and sighs, putting his hands in his lap. “I’m sorry, this was a stupid idea.”

Wolffe sighs again, relaxing his arms. “It’s not stupid, it’s just-I was just wondering why you’re doing it for me. This is all really nice, Codes.”

Cody looks at Wolffe, and he looks much more like himself again. He’s giving Wolffe the ‘you can not be this stupid right now’ look he usually reserves for shinies or Fox. “I don’t want you to humor me. You can just leave, if you want.”

Wolffe bristles at the sudden coldness, folding his hands into fists and resting them on the table. “I wouldn’t even know what I was humoring, Cody. I’m not trying to be an asshole here, I’m just confused.”

Cody works his jaw, looking back to his plate. “I just wanted to impress you, make you happy.”

“Why?” Wolffe asks, growing impatient. “It’s just me, I’m nothing special.”

Cody sighs in annoyance, looking up at Wolffe with the furrow between his brows he only gets when he’s really angry. “Don’t make me say it. I can’t say the words.” 

Wolffe scoffs, feeling just as upset as Cody now. “Spell it out for me Cody, since you’re so much smarter than me.”

Cody sighs and rolls his eyes, and then he stands up. “You’re not-” he cuts himself off with another huff and stands over Wolffe. 

Wolffe glares up at him, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. “If you would just use your big boy words instead of-” Wolffe cuts off abruptly, eyes going wide. 

Cody runs his fingers along Wolffe’s jaw, moving down to hook under his chin and gently lift so he’s looking up at the other clone. “Wolffe,” Cody says softly, using his other hand to run through Wolffe’s hair. 

Wolffe’s eyes flutter as he tries to understand what’s happening. Everything suddenly makes a lot more sense–if Cody is about to do what he thinks Cody is about to do. 

He does. 

Cody leans down and connects their lips in a chaste kiss, not pushing for anything, just saying without words what he’s been skirting around all night. 

Cody was right to give him the ‘you idiot’ look, earlier; in hindsight, it’s very obvious what Cody was doing. 

Wolffe almost chases Cody’s lips when he pulls away, but instead bites his lower lip and look into Cody’s eyes. “Oh,” he whispers, reaching up to cup the back of Cody’s neck and denying him the ability to retreat any further. “Oh, I get it now.”

Cody snorts and rolls his eyes, and the smile is so fond and genuine and Wolffe never wants that smile to leave Cody’s face. “I wasn’t trying to be subtle.”

Wolffe hums in agreement. “You love me,” he says instead of arguing, like he normally would. He watches Cody’s eyes widen just a fraction, and smiles back at him. “I love you too.”

Cody’s expression melts into something warm and dopey, and his eyes light up with that same warmth he had earlier in the bar. “Finish your dinner, before it gets cold,” he says softly, almost playfully. 

“If that’s what it takes for you to kiss me again,” Wolffe says, watching Cody take his own seat again. 

Cody laughs, grabbing his glass and taking a sip, but this time he doesn’t hide behind it; this time, he keeps eye contact with Wolffe over the rim. 

Wolffe has a feeling he’s in for quite the treat tonight; they do have the entire hotel room all to themselves all night long, after all.

[astralalmighty]

I’ve seen a lot of reverse aus for Kalluzeb where Kallus is a Lasat or Zeb’s an imp, but I’ve yet to actually see an au where the Siege of Lasan didn’t happen, and a genocide of Kallus’ people did.

Because a lot of people headcanon Kallus as Space Russian. I’m not Russian myself, but I think it would be interesting if Kallus was a part of an ethnic minority. Maybe it’s a small community on Coruscant. Maybe it’s a planet in the Outer Rim.

Whatever the case, let’s say instead of resisting, Lasan joins the Empire, and a new program for specially trained Lasat soldiers opens up. The Empire demands the Captain of the Honor Guard to help. Zeb agrees, and ends up leading the program. The soldiers improve immensely, so the Empire asks Zeb to lead a “special forces” mission.

Zeb thinks he’s leading his troops to quell a rebellion. In reality, he’s given the orders to terminate the community — Kallus’ community — as an example for those who are considering resistance against the Empire.

Zeb passes the orders to his troops, and the violence unfolds. Zeb was horrified by the genocide. I imagine he fled the scene, and abandoned the Empire. His troops assumed their leader had been killed in combat, and honored him as such.

Kallus, meanwhile, has just witnessed the destruction of his home and people. Stricken with grief, he goes on the run, and ends up falling into a Fulcrum program through Ahsoka.

After Zeb defects, he joins the Ghost crew, but hides his identity because he’s a) presumed dead, and b) will be executed for treason if he’s caught. Blah blah blah… things happen…

Then Lothal happens.

Kallus is already a rebel, and has a bo-rifle he stole from the genocide. But when he sees Zeb, all he can think of is watching Lasat tear through his people. There was no Siege of Lasan, so Kallus doesn’t take credit for for something like that, but he pushes blame on Zeb for his people’s genocide.

Zeb is still struggling with guilt, and when Kallus presses the blame on him, he just accepts it. He knows Kallus was a part of these people, and while he fights Kallus, part of Zeb thinks he deserves punishment for what he let happen to Kallus’ people.

Kallus hides his Fulcrum identity, and even though he knows Zeb is a rebel, he never accepts the idea that their rivalry will cease. Ahsoka is sick of trying to convince Kallus to work with Zeb and not try to kill him. She argues of the many lives that could be saved through the rebels working together, but Kallus is still grieving for his people and refuses any thought of allying with Zeb.

Then, the Ghost crew rescue a secret community of Space Russians. Zeb hides, clearly regretful, and thinks they’ll reject him once they realize his actions as an Imperial. This is where the Ghost crew learns of Zeb’s true past with the Empire and Kallus, but they accept it. They help him move on and save the community.

Zeb still feels guilty, of course, and he considers reaching out to Kallus and telling him about the community. But he doesn’t get the chance —

Until Bahyrn.

Kallus breaks his leg, and Zeb saves him, partly out of honor, and partly out of guilt. This is the first time Kallus has been treated with kindness from a Lasat, and they talk. Zeb reveals how he didn’t give the orders for the genocide, and Kallus reveals his Fulcrum identity.

Tensions are still high, but things get easier between them, especially since Kallus’ Fulcrum secret is revealed, the Ghost crew spends more and more time with him, passing on information, saving folks. They’re working together as rebels.

Kallus is finding it hard to believe Zeb’s stories of the Russian community, though. He knows that they’re on the same side, but Kallus is inclined to believe Zeb lied to him for the sake of gaining his trust. It’s not until Atollon, and when Kallus has to physically leave his post and arrive on Yavin, does Zeb practically drag Kallus to see this community for himself.

Kallus witnesses a community of his people for the first time in years. He’s beyond thankful and amazed, especially when the community also welcomes Zeb. The Ghost crew saved the community, sure, but Kallus wasn’t expecting the love and care shown to Zeb, regardless of his past. This is when Kallus begins viewing Zeb as a friend.

And yeah, this au’s version of arriving on Lira San. Throw in some feelings, falling for each other, and a lot of guilt on Zeb’s part. I imagine Zeb officially apologizes to Kallus while they’re visiting this community, and Kallus accepts it.

And then they finish defeating the Empire, and return to the community to live out their days. Happy ending!

[swtorpadawan]

This Moment

Author’s Notes: The following story takes place in my Halcyon Legacy storyline during the five-year gap from Knights of the Fallen Empire. Content warnings for character death and implied character death. Seriously people – there’s some angst in this one, along with some negative tropes that I couldn’t completely avoid.

Slumped against the ruined wall of what had effectively become a foxhole, Nalen Raloch flinched as Bengel Morr wrapped the last of their kolto-pads around his injured left arm. Above them, the skies of Tython had grown dark with smoke even though the local time was still late afternoon. Mere meters away, the sounds of battle continued to rage, as Zakuulan walkers rained down rockets and fire on their position.

The Twi’lek Jedi had taken a blaster bolt from a Skytrooper as they had dived for cover, and he was struggling to bare the pain. But he suspected that his anguished reaction came less from Bengel’s application of first aid and more to the sudden absence in the Force he’d felt in that same instant. Glancing into the Nautolan’s dark eyes and observing the flicker of hardening resolve, he understood immediately that Bengel had felt the same thing Nalen himself had, confirming what had taken place.

Ako Domi was dead. Killed buying his fellow two Jedi enough time to flee to this makeshift trench.

They were now the only survivors of their battlegroup; what had effectively become the rear guard covering the Order’s final evacuation from Tython. They had both felt the others fall, one by one, until they had reached this point.

And they’d just run out of room to run.

The forces of the Eternal Empire were taking no prisoners. They had laid waste to first to Tython’s defenses, then to the temple and now to everything in their path.

It was possible in this moment that Bengel and Nalen were the last two Jedi alive on Tython.

Dozens if not hundreds of Jedi and Republic soldiers had met the Force this day, demonstrating incredible courage every step of the way. They’d known rebuffing the attack was futile, of course, but they could still ensure the future of the Order. Even as the defenders had abandoned the temple, they had successfully drawn the Eternal Empire’s forces away from the main evacuation points. Despite the overwhelming odds, the Jedi had been able to extract most of their number from the planet in good order. But the small battlegroups of guardians and defenders who had screened them – including Bengel and Nalen’s – had paid a staggering price.

They’d been preparing for this day for months. The Zakuulan invasion had stormed into the Republic unchecked, despite countless sacrifices by the Jedi and the Republic military just to slow it down. A few weeks before, Satele Shan, the Grandmaster of the Order and one of the few members of the council still alive, had gone missing during a mission to cut behind the Eternal Empire’s lines. Some who knew her were convinced that she was still alive – that they hadn’t felt her death through the Force – but regardless of the truth of the matter, her absence had finally signaled to everyone that the war was lost.  

Nalen didn’t know the details, but he knew the Jedi weren’t retreating to another Republic world, one where they’d only draw more attacks from Zakuul. Enough people had already died protecting them. Gnost-Dural, the Order’s greatest historian, had claimed he’d found a place for them to withdraw and recover, as they’d withdrawn to Tython nearly twenty years earlier after the Sack of Coruscant.

Now, amidst the Ruins of Kaleth, south of where the Jedi Temple had once stood, Nalen and Bengel were making their final stand.

As Bengel finished wrapping Nalen’s wound, the Twi’lek couldn’t help but appreciate the Nautolan’s gentle kindness. The feelings were in stark contrast to his reaction to meeting Bengel Morr years earlier.

Nalen distinctly remembered hating him. Hating him for directing the Flesh Raiders against not only the Jedi, but against the Twi’leks of Kalikori Village, his people, as well.

He felt no small amount of shame for that hatred, as well as the shame for the actions he himself had taken in those dark days.

In the years since then, Nalen had seen Bengel turn into the kind of Jedi he was always meant to be. Kind, compassionate, always willing to sacrifice of himself for others.

Proving that the Force moved in mysterious ways, it had been Bengel who had aided Nalen the most in acclimating to the ways of the Jedi.

Nalen himself had been old for a padawan, and his experiences with the holocron of Rajivari had left him in an incredibly dark place.

He could admit now that he’d needed Bengel’s support.

In the years since, they’d effectively become partners, ever since Nalen’s Knighting.          

Two years earlier, they’d both been absent on a reconnaissance expedition into the Flesh Raider territory in the Tythonian highlands when the forces of the Sith Empire – led by the infamous Darth Nox – had attacked Tython and briefly seized control of the temple. By the time their group had made it back, it was all over. The Jedi had regained their home and driven off the Imperials, but the losses had been high. It had been all they could do to aid in recovery efforts, helping the wounded… and counting the dead.

Both Nalen and Bengel had vowed that day to never allow such a thing to happen again.

Now the temple had fallen once again, this time literally. But if the bulk of the Jedi could escape, they’d make good on the promise made that day.

It would all be worth it.

Bengel lifted his head up as he finished patching up Nalen’s arm.

“The firing stopped.”

Nalen blinked, absent-mindedly checking his arm. He realized his companion was right; the whole valley seemed to have gone quiet. He heard only the crinkling of distant fire, and his own heavy breathing.  

The Nautolan cautiously risked a peek over the wall.

“They’re getting into position.” He reported, ducking back and sitting beside Nalen. “Skytroopers, Knights of Zakuul and Walkers. They know we’re here.”

Nalen simply nodded his head sharply, checking his lightsaber.

“How many?”

Bengel turned towards Nalen. Nautolans had a somewhat unfair reputation for frequently smiling with unnerving grins, even at questionably inappropriate times. Bengel’s smile usually wasn’t like that. It was slight, but sincere and kind. Just like Bengel himself was.

Nalen had often found comfort in that smile.

But today – in this moment – Bengel Morr gave Nalen the grimmest, toothiest smile Nalen had ever seen, teeth and all.

“All of them, I think.”

Nalen looked down and chuckled. He didn’t know what kind of answer he’d expected, but he took comfort in the fact that Bengel could still joke at a time like this.

Before he could respond, the Twi’lek’s holo-communicator beeped.

Reluctantly, Nalen pulled it out and activated it.

A small projection appeared of Master Ulannium Kaarz, Barsen’thor of the Order and one of the few remaining members of the council. The man who had once foiled Nalen’s misguided efforts to destroy the Jedi back when he’d been under the dark side’s thrall.

The Mirialan had grown since Nalen had first met him all those years before, when Ulannium had just been a padawan and Nalen had been Kalikori Village’s premier defender, revered by his people as a hero. His passion to protect the villagers had led him down a dark path; one that Ulannium in his mercy and wisdom had saved him from.

Ulannium had already been considered wise beyond his years even then. Since those days, he’d emerged as the finest Jedi Master of his generation, the youngest Jedi to sit on the council in centuries. Physically, his build was still rather slight, but he now stood tall as a Gen’Dai.

As was the case with Bengel, Nalen couldn’t begin to express how much he owed to the Jedi Master. Bengel might have aided him down this path, but it had been Ulannium who had started him on it.

“Master Ulannium.” Nalen dipped his head in a heartfelt greeting.

Ulannium had told him more than once that he could call him by his given name. He’d never taken him up on that offer.

“Nalen. The last transport is away.” Ulannium grimly reported. His voice was unfailingly calm, despite the obvious urgence of the situation. “Master Oteg led the remnants of the First Expeditionary Fleet in a last-ditch attack on the Eternal Fleet ships in orbit. It worked. They sacrificed themselves to give us a window to escape. We’re jumping to hyperspace in just a few minutes.”

Nalen exhaled in relief, and he noted the reassured look on Bengel’s face as well. Like Ulannium and Gnost-Dural, Oteg had served as a respected member of the Jedi Council these last few years, but no one had ever forgotten that he was first and foremost an admiral of the Republic fleet.

The Jedi Master’s sacrifice this day had proven that beyond all doubt.

“Good.” He swallowed. “Then it was all for something.”

Ulannium nodded and pressed on. Business as usual. For all his tone, he might have been discussing an archaeological expedition.

“You’ll also be relieved to know there’s no sign that the Zakuulans are moving against Kalikori Village.”

Nalen exhaled again. He’d refused to admit it aloud to his fellow Jedi, but his greatest worry all this time had been that the Eternal Empire would turn and wreck the same destruction upon the people he had protected as they had the Jedi.

“The fleet is almost ready. We haven’t been able to hail the other battle groups.” He didn’t need to express what that meant. “What’s the status of your team?”

The Twi’lek had expected this question. His answer was at the ready.

“Bengel and I are the only ones left, Master Ulannium.”

The Mirialan’s face turned grim.

“There might still be time.” He offered. Nalen appreciated the sentiment, even it was no more than a pipe dream at this point. “Can the two of you reach one of the extraction points?”

He knew the answer to this question as well, but he still hesitated, looking over towards his more experienced partner.

Bengel simply gave Nalen a slight shake of his head.

There was no sadness or despair in the Nautolan’s features; a trace of regret, perhaps, but there was also a resolve and acceptance. Whatever nightmares had plagued Bengel years ago when they’d first met, whatever had made him take control of the Flesh Raiders and to threaten Nalen’s people… Bengel was an entirely different man, today. He was still haunted by his own actions during those dark days, but he was determined to make up for them.  

That resolve filled Nalen with admiration and strengthened his own determination as he turned back to the projection of Ulannium.

“No.” he finally answered. “Don’t worry about us, Master Ulannium. Save the Jedi. Save our people. And…. thank you. Thank you for showing me a better path. Thank you for this chance. Thank you for everything.”

Nalen swallowed.

“It has been an honor.”

Through the holo-display, the Barsen'thor’s tired eyes softened.

“It’s been my honor to have known you, Nalen.” For a fleeting moment, Ulannium looked more like the young Jedi whom Nalen had met all those years ago, with a bright, limitless future ahead of him. “Thank you. May the Force be with you.”

The projection flickered then deactivated, leaving the Jedi alone.

Our people. Nalen had called the Order that for the first time today. If he’d felt like an outsider all these years, then now, in this moment at least, he was a Jedi.

He turned towards his companion. The Nautolan was gazing off into the distance.

“I saw the best Jedi of my generation fall to the Sith on Coruscant.” Bengel’s voice was sad, but clear. “Then I saw them try to do it again here on Tython two years ago.”

He turned towards Nalen, meeting his gaze.

“The Jedi will survive this day.” His confidence was infectious. “For my own part, as I see it, I’ve been living on borrowed time.”

Part of Nalen recognized that he felt the same. He padded Bengel’s knee affectionately, then rose, careful to keep his head down beneath the wall’s edge. Bengel followed suit a second later.

As Nalen gathered himself, he regarded Bengel, even now poised to leap out over the wall and give a final accounting of himself. Nautolans, as a species, preferred aquatic environments, he knew. Yet here, far from any body of water, Bengel was poised like a Nexu; grace and agility ready to explode with power.

For such a moment, Nalen felt he had to say something to express how he felt.

“Bengel… I just had a crazy idea.”

Seamlessly, Bengel turned back to Nalen questioningly. The Twi’lek found his courage and pressed on.

“When this is all over, would you like to join me at the cantina for a drink?”

Bengel’s dark eyes regarded Nalen, vacant for a moment.

The cantina – along with most of the Jedi temple – had been buried beneath tons of rubble hours before during the earlier attack.

The corners of Bengel’s lips turned upward in one of his kind smiles. It was full of warmth and made Nalen’s stomach turn over.

“I would like that.”

The Nautolan now reached out and offered Nalen his hand.

“You ready?”

Nalen smiled back. In this moment, he felt free. He reached out and grasped Bengel’s hand, squeezing it in his grip. This simple gesture communicating more than words ever could.

“I’m ready.”

He only wished they’d had more time.

But they had this moment. And that was something.

Moving in unison, the two Jedi leapt over the wall.

END

Author’s Notes: I don’t know how many of you have seen the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It’s a fine film, even if it is mostly dated fiction. This story was largely inspired by the final scene of that film. The emotional connection between the two protagonists – romantic or not – left an impression.

Bengel’s little joke is a Terminator 2 reference. (I don’t know how many of you are old enough to catch that one, either.) The stereotype about Nautolans is a Kit Fisto reference.

I regret not writing much about Ulannium until now. I chose this as my next piece in part to resolve that.

We never hear about what happens to Nalen Raloch after Tython, albeit we do see Bengel on Corellia. Both characters deserved a proper follow up, as do Oteg, who we meet on the Republic side during the two “rescue Revan” Flashpoints.

Ako Domi is the Jedi who was imprisoned on Nar Shaddaa in Shadow Town by the Sith Empire and turned to the dark side. Republic players have a chance to either rescue (and redeem) him, or to execute him. If you spare him, you get a letter from Satele thanking you, and informing the player that he was recovering. We never hear a follow-up after this, but I like to think that he met his end as a Jedi. The idea of a group of Jedi who had each experienced turns under the dark side and were now serving as the Order’s final defense was a compelling idea for me.

Tagging @taraum​ @kyber-heart​ and @grandninjamasterren​ who all expressed interest in this premise in a post I put on Tumblr ages ago.

Also tagging cavalier-life @consularmain​ @cuchulainnx19​ @darksunning​  @imkerf-uffle-d​ @kemendin​ @kgoblin​ @lordviridis​ @sith-as-heck​ @starknstarwars​ @the-raven-of-highever​ @vexa-legacy​ for liking my Six Sentence Sunday updates.

[oh-three]

✘ ▼ △ ✂ ☣ ☢ ☠ ¿♥ ϟ for any of the depressed horses, you can pick which (and feel free to add the Sixth Sister into the mix too)

✘ Have they ever committed a murder?

They're all insane, but none of Unit Arrel would go that far. Not while loyal to the Light Side of the Force...

▼ What is their greatest fear?

Rak- maybe not his greatest fear, but meeting with his Jedi Master again would be a nightmare come true. Getting tortured by Vader is another big one.

Vori- losing Rakesh, probably. There's never any romance between them (as I've already said, they're more of a brother-sister best friends type thing) but if Rak were to die...? That's the end of the world for her.

Brakan- of the war potentially reaching Coruscant. Of course, it does, and other things go down right around then, and he's not the only one among them far from happy.

Trohr- of the war. Of being called back out to fight in it, of it reaching Coruscant...The war plagues his nightmares. Poor kid.

Tindri- I'm not sure if she's really afraid of anything, but she definitely tries not to think about the fact that Jurr is getting up in his years and could pass at any time. She may pick on him, but he really is a father to even her.

Linaleh- of losing any of those in Unit Arrel. Especially of losing Trohr, Vori, or Brak. She's like a mother duck (is that how the saying goes?), herding them all around and watching over them.

Loktof- of the Republic falling. He hates the politics of it all, but he prefers the current system over its more tyrannical counterparts. The clone army is an unnerving thing to him.

Jurr- the fall of the Jedi Order, the fall of any of those within Unit Arrel. They're his life, and he's proud of how they've all changed and evolved since Cin tossed them into the chaos that is the Guard alongside him.

△ Name one thing from their past that they regret.

Rak- the fact that he got one of the worst masters possible. He regrets that he was never able to properly stand up for himself, that he was never strong enough to defeat his master.

Vori- losing touch with Rakesh (he also regrets it, but not as much as the stuff with his master).

Brakan- the whole thing about Maul killing Qui-Gon and the affects it had upon him for being the same species (even if he's Iridonian and not Dathomirian).

Trohr- watching his master's clone commander die in his place. It inflicted a lot of trauma upon him, having someone sacrifice themselves for him like that.

Tindri- ?????????? I feel like she'd have a lot of regrets.

Linaleh- whatever had happened in her past that made her so protective of the children of Arrel. I mean, it has to be caused by something.

Loktof- probably one of the times he accidentally injured Rak. Or their rivalry, how it most likely had started out as resentment for one another, how they never fully let go of it.

Jurr- he's an old man, he regrets a great many things.

✂ If they had to choose one weapon to carry forever, what would it be?

Lightsaber? Lightsaber. Though Jurr wouldn't mind discarding it to forever rely upon the Force for protection.

☣ Would they kill someone close to them if they had to?

Rak- this is a complicated one. Possibly. It would certainly depend on the circumstances and what's at stake, what era of his life he's in. He struggles to trust, to get close to people. If anyone were to betray that, oh, they'd be goners.

Vori- Never.

Brak- Couldn't hurt a fly.

Trohr- not on purpose, though I could see him doing it by accident in a major panic attack or such. An then he'd have even more trauma.

Tindri- would definitely joke about it, would never do it.

Linaleh- if she did, it'd be either Rak or Loktof. Their more blunt personalities annoy her when directed at the children.

Loktof- absolutely.

Jurr- only in self defense, and only if he had no other choice. He'd never act on malice himself.

☢ Would they survive an apocalyptic situation?

Rak- 100%

Vori- only if she stuck by Rak and got lucky.

Brak- probably not. If he did, he'd never be the same.

Trohr- he definitely has the ability to. His experience on the field in the Clone Wars gives him an advantage.

Tindri- Maybe. Someone might kill her for her sarcasm, though.

Linaleh- Nope. She'd be the one to sacrifice herself so the others could get away.

Loktof- would probably get himself killed with his aggression toward others.

Jurr- since when did the mentor figure ever survive? Obi-Wan in the OT, Doc Brown in BTTF before Marty changed the timeline, Wu when the Great Devourer swallowed him early on in LEGO Ninjago (though he technically didn't die)...

☠ Do they fear death?

Rak- Take a guess? 😅

Vori- Nope. She'd be too optimistic about surviving to be afraid.

Brak- has a similar mindset to Rak in there being things more frightening than death, but he still fears it nonetheless.

Trohr- same as Brak.

Tindri- Not really. She genuinely doesn't care all that much about it.

Linaleh- not for herself, but for others.

Loktof- Nope.

Jurr- same as Linaleh. Though he has a bit more self-respect than she does for herself.

¿ Are they easily frightened?

Rak- Nope.

Vori- Depends. Jumpscares? Definitely.

Brak- Yes.

Trohr- Also yes.

Tindri- I swear she's fearless. 😂

Linaleh- she's like a mother watching her five-ish year old fall over.

Loktof- also pretty fearless.

Jurr- not easily frightened, but is capable of being frightened far more than Rak, Tindri, Linaleh, and Loktof.

♥ Have they ever acting out of heartlessness?

Rak- not as a Jedi.

Vori- could never.

Brak- literally incapable of it.

Trohr- Nope.

Tindri- yes, but only in pranks. When she's particularly pissed, she's meaner with them.

Linaleh- hasn't but totally would.

Loktof- every time he looses control when he and Rak spar.

Jurr- when he was younger, maybe. But not in a very long time.

ϟ Have they ever gotten pleasure from causing others pain?

Rak- But of course!

Vori- Nope.

Brak- he'd be sick to his stomach if he did.

Trohr- he certainly would have turned out that way had Unit Arrel not saved him from the war.

Tindri- with her pranks, definitely. It's part of why she does them, boredom and humor aside.

Linaleh- if they hurt the kids, then yep.

Loktof- always.

Jurr- Never.

[shabre-legacy]

Tyrenic starting story 👀👀👀

I'm struggling with this one not gonna lie. He's fighting with me and being very stubborn but here's the first little bit

Stepping out into the sunlight, Tyrenic took in a deep breath. Tython, the homeworld of the Jedi, it was a truly beautiful planet, at least this part that he could see was. He could feel the force here, strong and easier to sense in his surroundings then on many other planets. This was a place for Jedi to heal and grow, he understood why the Order had retreated here to rebuild. He didn’t want to leave. If he could choose, he’d stay longer. He’d been to many planets, many places, different temples. This though, this was his home, his homeworld, the place he was meant for. This was where he belonged. Duty called him away, but he’d be back. Soon as he could; he would return home. 

Stepping on the shuttle from the Tython orbital station to Carrick Station, he sighed. Coruscant… He hadn’t been there in years and was a bit reluctant to return. But he had his duty. He glanced around for a seat, the shuttle wasn’t full, mostly soldiers, a few padawans likely meeting masters on other planets, a few others, and a couple old friends. There in the back, away from most of the others was Shelerik, a very tall, broad-shouldered man with Mirialan tattoos and prominent brow stalks the same green orange as his skin, except at the ends where they turn a soft red along with the ridges across his cheeks and nose.  It was a little intimidating perhaps if you didn’t know the man. Next to him sat a young Cathar woman that Tyrenic had only met a few times, Annalai, if he remembered correctly. On her own, she would be tall, but next to shelerik, she looked tiny. Soft red-brown fur with white markings, blue eyes and long hair that was just a bit more red than her fur. Shelerik was talking quietly, whatever their conversation was, it seemed serious. He stepped through, past the soldiers, sharing a few encouraging words with some of the padawans and took a seat next to his friends. 

“I take it you both passed your trials as well then.”

Shelerik smiled at him, sending warmth and happiness, a welcome or perhaps a congratulations through the force to greet him. “Indeed, was there ever any doubt?”

“Of course not, we’ve trained together enough. I know what you’re capable of. Where are you headed?”

This time Annalai answered him, her lilting voice quiet even on the small shuttle. “Coruscant. I’m escorting someone with information on Sith infiltrators back to Tython.”

Shelerik leaned back “I’m picking up some stolen artifacts found in the lower levels and making sure they make it back up and safely on a ship back. There’s also an injured Master going for treatment that I’m supposed to help guard when she arrives. I don’t know much about that yet. What about you? What takes you off planet.”

“There’s trouble on Coruscant. I cannot tell you much, mostly because I know little myself. But Myself and Master Orgus have been dispatched to assist Master Kiwiiks in handling it. This disturbance must be big if it’s pulling all of us to the same place.”

Annalai laughed “You boys are so serious. Coruscant is the most populous planet in the republic, of course there’s going to be a lot going on. Unless you’ve got visions you’re not mentioning then it’s not the Force, it’s circumstance.”

“How does a shadow have so little trust in the Force.”

“Because I also use my eyes and brain. The Force is a powerful ally, and can be a trusted Friend and it can tell you many things, or lead where you need to be. But it’s also vague, and not every coincidence is a sign or message. Use logic. It’s what we’re all trained to do after all. I  will not make any assumptions until more information is given or the Force gives a clear message.” 

Tyrenic shook his head. This is how she’d been as long as he’d known her. She’d profess logic and practicality above all else. But when it came to it, he’d seen her go into tests with her eyes deliberately closed to rely entirely on the Force. She was much the same as Leshlaa in that regard. Though his former crechemate and one of his best friends in the order, tended to be much more open about her complete trust and belief in the Force and it’s messages. 

He turned his head slightly to look at Shelerik again. “You said there was an injured master being sent to Coruscant? Do you know who? Or why?”

Shelerik’s face turned a bit serious. “Injured or sick, I don’t know. All I was really told was that she had collapsed in the council chamber and was being escorted by her former padawan to Coruscant for treatment and may need a guard at some point. So I’m supposed to check in after completing my other tasks, just to make sure. I wasn’t told who specifically. But based on what I heard passing the Med Center, it’s Master Yuon. 

“Yuon Par? Leshlaa’s Master? I thought Lesh was still a padawan?”

Annilai piped up, “She was. Got a message a few minutes ago that she completed her trials and was leaving the planet for a time. Master Yuon was her master, but she came to Tython a bit before Leshlaa did to oversee some archaeological research that was going on by the training grounds. She had Lesh doing something else. I don’t know what. Lesh has been vague in her messages for a while now. I do hope Master Yuon’s alright though. Or at least that whatever has happened can be treated.”

[vodika-vibes]

hi hi, I'm spreading some OC love around with some OC x OC game action

I humbly submit for your consideration, my Master Jedi Ilani Taryn!

Ilani is a Togruta with impeccable fashion sense, though since she wears Jedi robes 99% of the time no one really knows. Deeply passionate about helping people, Ilani is at first resistant to becoming a war general during the Clone Wars, but quickly realizes she needs to step up and be a leader--though she still prefers diplomacy and strategy over blasters and counterstrikes.

Feels her emotions very deeply, but doesn't always know what to do with them. Often means that she lashes out -- in various forms (e.g., if a close friend is threatened, Ilani becomes overprotective and overbearing). Her connection with the Force is what keeps her going when times get tough

Happy shipping (romantic or platonic is fine!)

Yes, hello. I love her~

I'm going to do a romantic and platonic, because I'm an overachiever! ^-^

I hope this is close to what you expected~

Romantic First! I ship her with Lieutenant 80, of the Coruscant Guard.

So, 80 was a member of the 91st Recon Battalion, but was reassigned to the Guard because he asks too many questions. And by that, I mean he refuses to act on anything without evidence, and Bacara and Neyo were at their wits ends with him.

But, as a member of the guard, he can often be found on patrol near the Jedi Temple (Fox says it's because there's no one there who will kill him when he questions them).

And I think that's how they meet.

Since you said that she has a hard time with the war, I can see 80 sitting next to her and just being present with her while she struggles with her feelings on the war. Maybe offering advice if she wants it.

He moves at the speed of her, and he would never presume, and he's largely unaware of what love feels like, but she's pretty and nice and strong and she gets so angry when he mentions different things about how he and his brothers are treated-

80 starts bringing her paper flowers. Sometimes he manages to weave them into crowns, and he'll gift them to her sheepishly, "I don't have much money, but you deserve pretty things, and this is the best I can do."

Baby boy is smitten, and doesn't even realize it.

And now Platonic. So the easy answer would be Kanna, a Jedi Padawan, but that's too easy, so let's look a little further out. I think she'd be friends with Cal Daines.

Cal is a former debutante who was sent to Coruscant for law school, and ended up dropping out when she realized that the law her dads wanted her to study went against everything she stands for.

She's pretty and delicate looking, if you can overlook the bubblegum pink hair, the face tattoos, the colored contacts, and the general punk aesthetic that she wears and carries with pride.

So the easiest way for them to have met, is if Ilani needed shelter one evening, because Cal, and her chosen family, would be more than happy to offer it to her.

They live in a massive home that's lovingly called the Daines Home, as Cal bought it with her inheritance before her dads disowned her. The home is a co-op which is home to anywhere from 15-20 young adults, with a rotating door for anyone who might need it.

I don't think Ilani would be comfortable, at first. The people who live in the Daines house are loudly anti-war, though it would quickly become apparent that though they're anti-war, they're pro-clone and pro-jedi, and think that both groups deserve more.

Cal would cheerfully offer Ilani some body-paint if she wanted to be a little more colorful, and would offer her reams of cloth, if she wanted to make her robes a little more colorful.

And when Ilani leaves the following morning, it would be with an open invitation that she could come to the Daines home whenever the war is becoming too much. And that there will always be an open bed, a warm blanket, and hot food waiting for her.